It seems almost anyone who does any on-line writing has posted some kind of "what I'm thankful for" post. This is NOT one of those bits of keyboard exercise. Rather,as has become tradition in recent weeks, you'll find my short collection of some examples of the good (yes, for which I am thankful) and the ugly from around our wonderful state.

I do have to deliver a heartfelt "tip of the old fedora" to the hundreds of volunteers who staffed last weekend's free medical clinic in Little Rock.  Little Rock, we are told, turned out more volunteers than Houston, Texas! Kudos, indeed! Before you engage in too much self-congratulatory back-patting for the Arkansas turnout, consider the bigger picture, as voiced by a volunteer doctor from Massachusetts:

They began to line up about 45 minutes before the doors to the one-day health clinic opened. The event, organized by the National Association of Free Clinics, was going to provide free medical care to anyone wanting to be seen as long as they did not have any health insurance. Perhaps because I have had 40 years of experience practicing medicine, I was assigned to be [...]

You may have heard about the other story that does nothing to bolster Arkansas' image - it involves a police officer, a taser and - pay attention now - a 10 year old girl!  It's all just too incredible to even find a short quote to include - just appreciate the details and discussion on the link.

Finally, if  you really want the best of the best - the "fresh" to balance the "rotten", consider this tidbit of statistical optimism:

Little Rock named 6th most-livable bargain real estate market

...Little Rock is a little like that boy your parents wanted you to marry. The mid-sized city of 664,000 is stable and safe, with the second most diverse economy in the nation, according to Moody’s Investor Services. Unemployment is low and [...]

Breathe easier.  And, Happy Thanksgiving! There are a million stories in the city and we have plenty of time to talk about each and every one of them.

The Krile Files - if you want a more broad-based glance at what catches my interest