Friday, May 11, 2007

This Page Intentionally Left Blank

Any Thoughts?

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Roll The Dice Anyone?

Again, I have dredged up the past as it may be a guide to our future. Read the article and see how you answer this question plucked from the end of the article.

Are we sufficiently confident to bet the nation's welfare--and perhaps its security--on the premise that history has taken its last wrenching turn?


http://www.afa.org/magazine/1990/0590edit.asp

A Voice From The Past - Sixteen And A Half years Later

This article was written in December of 1990 and bears review for those of you that believe that Russia is no threat and have not paid attention to recent stirrings of their discontent with their place in the world.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/1990/1290edit.asp

Just a Little Cow Town That Fancies Itself A Metroplex

It amazes me that the folk of our town bandy about one word characterizations of our city, like growth, crossroads, etc., that somehow allow them to believe that we are in one of the major metroplexes of the civilized world. It gives me pain to break it to you, but Rapides Parish has a population the size of some of Dallas's subdivisions which is fine because on balance, this is a pretty good place to live. Our growth just will not carry us to megatropolis standards in the next few years and Lord help us if it did because we have no plan. And that is the point. According to the Alexandria City Charter, the Rapides Area Planning Commission (a misnomer) is designated as the planning body for the city. Of course it doesn't work and sets up a situation for finger pointing and retorts of "it's not my job" as people develop properties in ever meandering and mixed use ways, then wonder why there are conflicts with commercial encroaching on residential and so forth. Does anyone else see a lack of cohesive and comprehensive planning for our area or is it just me?