I told you it was coming.....
YouTube - Bunny's Fashion Report: Ms. Grammy Legacy
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Cannot Believe I Missed This!
WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: X-rated Exposure: "A Ridgeland parent is outraged after pornography made its way into his family's living room through a cartoon network. The father of three couldn't believe it when his child told him what was on TV.
Dexter Branscome says his children were watching the cartoon 'Secret Squirrel' on the Boomerang Channel when the images turned triple X. Turns out his television was not the only one affected in the metro area."
Bunny kept telling Tom we should have upgraded to
expanded cable...nothing good ever happens on basic.
Dexter Branscome says his children were watching the cartoon 'Secret Squirrel' on the Boomerang Channel when the images turned triple X. Turns out his television was not the only one affected in the metro area."
Bunny kept telling Tom we should have upgraded to
expanded cable...nothing good ever happens on basic.
Cockfighting Event Busted; There Goes My Weekend
From the CL:
Deputies bust Bolton cockfighting event | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-LedgerHinds County sheriff’s deputies have responded to a residence on Hershey Davis Road in Bolton where cockfighting has been reported.
Capt. Steve Pickett said today about 50 people were observing the fight. The carcasses of at least two roosters were found and several birds were found in cages.
Several observers reportedly fled into nearby woods.
Riding That Train....
Taylor co-sponsors bill to study return of passenger train: "When a measure requiring Amtrak to formulate a plan to restore the Sunset Limited passenger train through South Mississippi passed a House committee last week, local and state proponents applauded.
With both traffic congestion and fuel prices on a seemingly endless northward path, they said, the time is right.
'I might have been a little more pessimistic (about the measure becoming law) a year ago than I am today,' said Larry 'Butch' Davis, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, as he was traveling Thursday down Interstate 10 toward New Orleans with 18-wheelers speeding past.
'Freight is doubling every 10 years on our highways, so the value of rail freight has grown dramatically,' Davis said.
Highways are expected to become even more crowded, and fuel more expensive, and that makes passenger rail more desirable too, he said, noting that the United States is probably 'the worst country in the world' when it comes to providing good mass transit.
Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Bay St. Louis, is among those set on changing that."
New Dating Scene at Farmer's Market?
Growing market share | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Local farmers markets are seeing a boom in business as consumers seek ways to save money in light of climbing gas prices, experts say."
The Market is clearly going to be where all the hip Fondren singles will start mixing in the 21st century. Everybody will wear Road Warrior fashions and there will be lots of crossbows. Bunny will ride "shotgun" in my hyper-fast dune buggy....
Wait, scratch that, I'm just waking up.
The Market is clearly going to be where all the hip Fondren singles will start mixing in the 21st century. Everybody will wear Road Warrior fashions and there will be lots of crossbows. Bunny will ride "shotgun" in my hyper-fast dune buggy....
Wait, scratch that, I'm just waking up.
Copper-Theft Bill Passes
Copper-theft bill awaits Barbour's signature | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "A bill intended to crack down on metal theft is headed to Gov. Haley Barbour’s desk, the second of 11 items resolved so far in a costly special session."
Friday, May 30, 2008
It's A Dangerous World With Richard Clarke
Richard Clarke, basking the glow of his apology by Scott McClellan. This is quite a good interview block on MSNBC's Morning Joe.
Melton-Washington: Someone's Lining Up For The Big Show
Posted on JFP yesterday morning, perhaps anticipating some blockbuster developments in the case (or just showing off the archives; it's common to "re-purpose" old material and it's what I'm doing right now!)
Jackson Free Press: Jackson, Mississippi - Noise - Melton - Archive: Ladd Investigative Series & PDFs: R.J. Washington, Frank Melton: "Following are links to Donna Ladd's 2008 investigative series on the murder of R.J. Washington, as well as stories about the 'mysteries of Frank Melton.' A list of PDFs to relevant documents is at the bottom. Both will be updated as new pieces are added. They are listed chronologically without regard to relevance to each other:
Jackson Free Press: Jackson, Mississippi - Noise - Melton - Archive: Ladd Investigative Series & PDFs: R.J. Washington, Frank Melton: "Following are links to Donna Ladd's 2008 investigative series on the murder of R.J. Washington, as well as stories about the 'mysteries of Frank Melton.' A list of PDFs to relevant documents is at the bottom. Both will be updated as new pieces are added. They are listed chronologically without regard to relevance to each other:
- May 13, 2008 - Melton Drug-Dealing Rumors Back
- May 13, 2008 - Droppin' Hard
- May 21, 2008 - A Tangled Web: The Mysteries of Frank Melton (cover story)
- May 21, 2008 - Dairy Bar of Confusion
- May 27, 2008 - DA Alleges Cop Murder 'Cover-Up'
- March 24, 1989 - Melvin Priester Letter to Gerald Jones re Frank Melton
- Oct. 4, 1989 - Frank Melton Letter to R.J. Washington
- Aug. 20, 1993 - Jimmy Wilson Memo to the FBI
- Sept. 3, 1993 - R.J. Washington Memo to JPD Superior Officer re Frank Melton
- Nov. 13, 1997 - Sharrod Moore Motion for Bail
- Dec. 15, 1997 - Judge Gibbs Order Granting Sharrod Moore $75,000 Bond
- April 27, 2005 - The Cowboy Who Wants to Be Mayor (Donna Ladd)
- March-April 2006 - The Melton Tapes: Donna Ladd's Interviews with Frank Melton
- April 18, 1994 - One Jail's Tale (Jim Mulvaney)
Mavis! And I Got Video Coming!
State's Grammy winners honored | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "[Mavis] Staples' thoughts centered on her dad, Pops Staples, who taught his four children to sing harmony sitting on the floor of their home in the Delta town of Drew while playing a guitar he bought at a pawn shop. Pops Staples died in 2000 at the age of 85, one year after The Staples Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and too late to see himself and his children earn the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2005.
'He's the reason I keep moving, keep pushing,' the 68-year-old Staples said before opening Mississippi - The Birthplace of America's Music Celebrates Its Grammy Legacy, a gala at Jackson's Marriott Downtown on Thursday. 'Pops started it for me. And I'm sure he's smiling tonight.'"
Thursday, May 29, 2008
How The Democrats Are Destroying Our Families In the Mississippi 1st. Or Not.
Gallo Notes-May 29, 2008/Yall Politics: "For the first time in nearly nine years, Toyota's U.S. sales have decreased, prompting the automaker's announcement last week that it believes its annual sales and profits will decline in 2008 for the first time in nine years. State officials are trying to put the best face forward on this negative news, but everyone has the jitters pertaining to the Blue Springs plant.
So how will the people in Northeast Mississippi feel when their new Congressman votes the “Pelosi Party” line on shooting down any drilling and refining legislation? Wouldn’t that mean that his support would assist in the continuation of high gas prices? If so, that would mean more pressure on Toyota and the auto industry. True to form, the Democrat have been tremendously successful on both fronts-condemning US efforts in the oil rich Middle East and blocking efforts here at home to use our incredible oil reserves. So what do we do as voters? We elect another democrat to help us out. Go figger. No wonder we are jittery."
I like Paul sometimes -- but this is a reach.
I personally suspect that oil and fuel prices will be blamed on the outgoing Bushies -- who will have no one interested in defending them so will be ready at hand as scapegoats. As our economic "jitters" are so popularly attributed to fuel problems, the Pelosis will be as quick as everyone else to kick GW around the ranch.
Better yet, check Kingfish's post for a link to a broadside on fuel speculators. Ain't the free markets just grand?
So how will the people in Northeast Mississippi feel when their new Congressman votes the “Pelosi Party” line on shooting down any drilling and refining legislation? Wouldn’t that mean that his support would assist in the continuation of high gas prices? If so, that would mean more pressure on Toyota and the auto industry. True to form, the Democrat have been tremendously successful on both fronts-condemning US efforts in the oil rich Middle East and blocking efforts here at home to use our incredible oil reserves. So what do we do as voters? We elect another democrat to help us out. Go figger. No wonder we are jittery."
I like Paul sometimes -- but this is a reach.
I personally suspect that oil and fuel prices will be blamed on the outgoing Bushies -- who will have no one interested in defending them so will be ready at hand as scapegoats. As our economic "jitters" are so popularly attributed to fuel problems, the Pelosis will be as quick as everyone else to kick GW around the ranch.
Better yet, check Kingfish's post for a link to a broadside on fuel speculators. Ain't the free markets just grand?
Way Too Damned Sad
Popular New Orleans eatery owner dies after beating | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "The owner of Betsy’s Pancake House, a popular New Orleans restaurant where President Bush visited one year after Hurricane Katrina, has died after she was beaten and robbed in her home."
Y'all Like Scruggs Stuff
Yall Politics: "Courtesy of our friends at Slabbed, we find that 'Non-Parties' Dickie and Zach are now objecting to federal district court to revisit a magistrate judge's decision and to issue a stay from the document production bombshell laid upon them on May 15."
Given YP's "feature story" publish rate, any post by them is of note, even if it is a simple hyperlink embellishment. ;-)
It may just be me, but the Inside Baseball reportage on All Things Scruggs gets awfully mind-numbing. Everybody's waiting for a big fish to fall (Trent Lott and/or Mike Moore and/or Jim Hood, depending on the commentator) and until then it's all court play-by-play's.
Hell on that, I want blood and gunplay!
Given YP's "feature story" publish rate, any post by them is of note, even if it is a simple hyperlink embellishment. ;-)
It may just be me, but the Inside Baseball reportage on All Things Scruggs gets awfully mind-numbing. Everybody's waiting for a big fish to fall (Trent Lott and/or Mike Moore and/or Jim Hood, depending on the commentator) and until then it's all court play-by-play's.
Hell on that, I want blood and gunplay!
Yeh, Good Luck With That...
City renews attempt to close club | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Jackson city officials are in Chancery Court [Wednesday] renewing their attempt to shut down the Upper Level Bar & Grill because police have deemed the club to be a public nuisance."
Folo on the Dems Ruling
Some notes about the Fifth Circuit Democratic primary ruling | folo: "The Fifth Circuit closed-primary ruling is a big victory for Jim Hood and a defeat for Haley Barbour and the Republicans. I’m not sure how to count it for the Democrats, who opened this particular can of worms in the first place, and then when they got what they were seeking (an order that the Mississippi legislature enact a closed primary) found that it came accompanied by something they’d not sought at all (an order that the Mississippi legislature enact a voter ID requirement). Hood’s argument that this claim should never have been in court in the first place won the day."
Also see the CL's wrap.
Also see the CL's wrap.
Malkin and Ray: A Great Start To Your Day!
Rachael Ray ad pulled as pundit sees terror link - Food Inc.- msnbc.com: "Dunkin' Donuts pulled a television spot featuring talk show host and Food Network personality Rachael Ray this weekend after a Fox news commentator associated it with terrorists.
In the ad, Ray is wearing a scarf that Michelle Malkin said in her nationally syndicated column resembled a kiffiyeh, Middle Eastern garb that is 'popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos.'"
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Washington Case: Special Prosecutors Appointed
From folo:
I hope to have copies of these orders for show-and-tell soon, but I’ve just learned that on April 10, Hinds County Chief Circuit Judge Swan Yerger appointed Butler, Snow-ites James P. Tucker and Amanda Barbour special prosecutors in the Ofc. Robert Washington murder case against Sherrod Moore. Tucker is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney (and criminal-division chief), while Barbour was an assistant district attorney in Houston and deputy DA in Birmingham.As yet, they’ve apparently not become publicly active in the case, and neither was present for the hearing on Sherrod Moore’s motion to compel earlier this month. Judge Yerger seems to have brought them in to be prepared in case Hinds County DA Robert Shuler Smith gets disqualified. (The most likely way that could happen: his becoming a witness — which his dealings with Stephan Hickman may make probable.)
Greenwood officer who clashed with student resigns | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Greenwood officer who clashed with student resigns | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Casey Wiggins, a white Greenwood police officer whose scuffle with a black high school student in 2006 was caught on video and drew national attention, has resigned from department."
The Flack Strikes Back
McClellan: Bush misled U.S. on Iraq - Washington Post- msnbc.com: "Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that the Iraq war was sold to the American people with a sophisticated 'political propaganda campaign' led by President Bush and aimed at 'manipulating sources of public opinion' and 'downplaying the major reason for going to war.'"
Katrina's Aftermath: The Brilliance Continues
Children in Katrina trailers may face lifelong ailments | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: Doctors fear that tens of thousands of kids "may face lifelong health problems because the temporary housing supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency contained formaldehyde fumes up to five times the safe level.
The chemical, used in interior glue, was detected in many of the 143,000 trailers sent to the Gulf Coast in 2006. But a push to get residents out of them, spearheaded by FEMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, did not begin until this past February.
Members of Congress and CDC insiders say the agencies’ delay in recognizing the danger is being compounded by studies that will be virtually useless and the lack of a plan to treat children as they grow."
All Politics Are Local -- Good Night, Plantersville!
From the CL:
Gov. pushes hospital tax | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Backed by hospital officials who reiterated their support for a cigarette tax hike, Gov. Haley Barbour urged lawmakers today to approve a complicated hospital tax plan to solve Medicaid funding woes.Guess I have some questions, as follows:
But some Democrats voiced skepticism after listening to the plan during Barbour’s news conference. A key House leader said “extensive hearings” will be required before that chamber signs off.
“I hope he don’t think we’re gonna go for this quick just because he wants us to,” House Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, said after listening to the proposal. “There’s a hell of a lot of questions to be answered.”
- Do the people of Plantersville really like Steve Holland?
- Do the people of Plantersville really like extensive hearings?
- How many folks in Plantersville receive Medicaid?
- Has a group of Mississippians opposed to a legislative leader ever appealed directly to that lawmaker's constituency for his or her removal from office?
Gov. pushes hospital tax | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Goodbye Cheap Media?
From Mashable.com:
Things are heating up again over Viacom’s one billion dollar lawsuit against YouTube. According to the BBC, Google’s lawyers have claimed that it “threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information” over the web. On the other hand, Viacom claims that they’re protecting not only their copyright, but also the interests of every copyright holder out there.My favorite expert on copyright, Mike Masnick, hits the nail on the head again, saying that the broadcast companies and Google (and pretty much everyone else) see the Internet as two different things. He says:
“Media companies still look on the internet as a content platform. That is, they think of it as a new broadcast medium. Most other folks recognize that the internet is a communications medium, and the focus should be on the ease of communication….When it comes to communication,” he argues, “the idea of using copyright to restrict content gets weird in a hurry.
Google Is Right About This: YouTube Lawsuit Threatens The Net
Watch For A Lot More Of These As Gas Costs Spirals
Dozens hurt in train, truck collision | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Emergency officials are responding to reports that an Amtrak train and a vehicle have collided north of Crystal Springs.
Jerry Youngblood, a dispatcher with the Crystal Springs Police Department, said it was a garbage truck that collided with the train.
Though Amtrak officials reported no passengers or crew members were injured, Youngblood said there are about "50 walking wounded."
"There are a lot of folks who want to be checked out. They're not stretcher-bound," he said. "I don't know the extent of their injuries."
About 150 passengers were reported on the train, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency."
Jerry Youngblood, a dispatcher with the Crystal Springs Police Department, said it was a garbage truck that collided with the train.
Though Amtrak officials reported no passengers or crew members were injured, Youngblood said there are about "50 walking wounded."
"There are a lot of folks who want to be checked out. They're not stretcher-bound," he said. "I don't know the extent of their injuries."
About 150 passengers were reported on the train, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency."
Like Starving With A Burger In Your Pocket
Millions in Hinds bond money yet to be spent | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Hinds County has yet to spend almost half of a $30 million bond issued more than a year ago and has no plan for how it will be used."
Recall the Jackson fed grants. What is up with this money? Is someone taking too much time raising interest on all of it?
Recall the Jackson fed grants. What is up with this money? Is someone taking too much time raising interest on all of it?
The Rise and Fall of Oprah's Empire
As Obama's delegate numbers climb, Oprah's ratings tumble : Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times: "New ratings of daytime television programs show that Oprah Winfrey's daily talk show for women has dropped in ratings since her highly publicized political rallying for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama last fall."
Bunny would attribute her decline in ratings to the fact that
she just really doesn't provide any real value to the world.
In my opinion she is just a waste of skin, sucking up air
people that contribute to society in a meaningful way need.
She spouts off about all her good deeds, when any cynic can
see that the only reason she donates so much money is because
she has to for tax purposes.
In fact....even though this is totally hateful I will say it anyway
(because I can...and if you do like Oprah then please look away)
...but as far as I am concerned she should be trussed up,
thrown on a boat with a hole in the bottom, and sent out to
be eaten by sharks.
Mind you...Bunny has a headache...so she might be a little
harsher than usual. But come to think of it....Oprah still sucks!
Bunny would attribute her decline in ratings to the fact that
she just really doesn't provide any real value to the world.
In my opinion she is just a waste of skin, sucking up air
people that contribute to society in a meaningful way need.
She spouts off about all her good deeds, when any cynic can
see that the only reason she donates so much money is because
she has to for tax purposes.
In fact....even though this is totally hateful I will say it anyway
(because I can...and if you do like Oprah then please look away)
...but as far as I am concerned she should be trussed up,
thrown on a boat with a hole in the bottom, and sent out to
be eaten by sharks.
Mind you...Bunny has a headache...so she might be a little
harsher than usual. But come to think of it....Oprah still sucks!
Monday, May 26, 2008
50 reasons to be proud of being a Mississippian!
D'Lo was featured in "Life Magazine" for sending proportionally more men to serve in World War II than any other town of its size. 38 percent of the men who lived in D'Lo served-50states.com: On this Memorial Day we honor the sacrifices made by our mothers and fathers, our brothers and sisters, the countless men and women who have fought and died to protect our freedoms. THANK YOU!
Also there are many fascinating facts to prove just how inspiring Mississippi is..from being home to the first human lung transplant to housing the worlds largest cactus plantation in Edwards.
Also there are many fascinating facts to prove just how inspiring Mississippi is..from being home to the first human lung transplant to housing the worlds largest cactus plantation in Edwards.
Fascinating Mac Music Video (No, Really!)
Hey, it was either this or the Kasparov/Flying Penis vid.
Bunny thinks Tom is too easily impressed by a pretty girl. The only thing I have to say about this video is that it sent me into a seizure. Good thing a workmate was standing by with a tongue depresser or Bunny would have been a goner. And then Tom would have been stuck doing movie and fashion reviews by himself....and no one wants that.
Maybe Bunny and Tom need to have a talk...again and again and again and again and again. (see where I am going with this?...extremely annoying!)
In China, You May Be Arrested For Being Stupid
Chinese Police Detain Woman Over Quake Video - Yahoo! News: "Chinese police in the northern city of Shenyang have detained a woman who posted a video filled with angry comments directed at victims of the devastating earthquake that rattled Sichuan province last week."
Turns out the woman was hacked off about her online multiplayer game being offline.
All right readers...if you ever hear about Tom wanting to take Bunny to China then you will know it is over. Bunny is stupidier than your average American...but twice as cute.
Turns out the woman was hacked off about her online multiplayer game being offline.
All right readers...if you ever hear about Tom wanting to take Bunny to China then you will know it is over. Bunny is stupidier than your average American...but twice as cute.
We ROCK!!! And we don't mind telling you...
Mississippi Celebrates Its Grammy(R) Legacy with Star-Studded Gala Hosted by Governor Barbour-Billboard Publicity Wire: "The State of Mississippi's continuing "Birthplace of America's Music" campaign shifts into high gear later this month with a star-studded gala set for Jackson, the state's capital. "Mississippi -- The Birthplace of America's Music Celebrates Its GRAMMY® Legacy," hosted by Governor Haley Barbour and First Lady Marsha Barbour will bring together a staggering array of performing talent reflecting the diversity of the state's unparalleled role in many genres of music. "
Tom and Bunny will be hangin' with the Gov and assorted important peeps. We will post any interesting news, i.e. gossip, and Bunny will be sure to let you know if anyone has any wardrobe malfunctions.
mmmm...can I have some fries with that salt?
20 Foods your Cardiologist won't eat-MSN Health and Fitness: "These restaurant meals are so salty you could throw them over your shoulder for good luck. If you care about heart health, blood pressure, and stroke, don't let them past your lips."
One of the foods is Swanson Hungry-Man XXL Roasted Carved Turkey...
Who would have ever thought that a frozen t-v dinner was bad for you???
Who would have ever thought that a frozen t-v dinner was bad for you???Bunny and Tom want all our readers to be in excellent health so you can continue enjoying our labor of love. See....it really is all about YOU!
"Memo to Microsoft: You Can't Bribe People To Ditch Google"
Microsoft's new advertising scheme is clever but fatally flawed. Somebody better tell Yahoo. - By Chadwick Matlin - Slate Magazine: "If there's one thing that the Microsoft-Yahoo off-again, on-again love affair has laid bare, it's how badly Microsoft blundered its mid-'90s search and advertising advantage. Feeling the need to prove its competence with search, Microsoft tried to convince investors that they can do better, with or without Yahoo, through a big announcement on Wednesday. They unveiled a clever new advertising innovation that, at a minimum, shows they're committed to thinking creatively about monetizing search. Of course, that matters only if the feature actually works."
Diaz, Minor On Political Hit List? Feds Investigating
Diaz case, others probed | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility is now investigating allegations of selective prosecution in cases involving Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz Jr. and former prominent trial lawyer Paul Minor, who both have maintained their prosecutions were politically motivated.
"This really is a major step for the office to investigate its own prosecutors in the Justice Department," said Diaz, who was cleared of any wrongdoing."
I do believe the blogs had this first.... will post links soon.
"This really is a major step for the office to investigate its own prosecutors in the Justice Department," said Diaz, who was cleared of any wrongdoing."
I do believe the blogs had this first.... will post links soon.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Fondren Safe Once Again! Come Home Baby!
WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: Big Daddy's Big Bust: "A local pawn shop helped authorities bust a ring of possible house burglars.
Jackson Police say a group of young men brought in several items including computers, TV's and jewelry to pawn.
Employees at Big Daddy's Pawn Shop on State Street recognized them as house burglary suspects and kept them at the shop until police arrived.
Authorities say five individuals were arrested over two days.
They believe the group is responsible for several house burglaries in the Jackson area including Fondren."
Jackson Police say a group of young men brought in several items including computers, TV's and jewelry to pawn.
Employees at Big Daddy's Pawn Shop on State Street recognized them as house burglary suspects and kept them at the shop until police arrived.
Authorities say five individuals were arrested over two days.
They believe the group is responsible for several house burglaries in the Jackson area including Fondren."
Friday, May 23, 2008
Argentina's Big Export (It Pays To Be Open-Minded)
Taking the Piss | ThroughTheTube.com: "Gauchos, mountain peaks, tango, Patagonia, steak – now that’s the stuff of travel brochures. Yet at any given moment, there are thousands more 65-year-old matrons holding a piece of Tupperware between sagging thighs – silently praying that their hand is steady and aim direct – than tight-assed 20-year-olds twirling the Tango.
Properly aged piss, it turns out, is one of Argentina’s least-known but most-valued exports.
The liquid gold from the ripe bladders of postmenopausal women has been helping “float” the Argentine economy by tens of millions of dollars a year for the last decade. Somewhere deep within the pungent molecules of senescent whiz – we’re clearly running out of original ways to say pee – is a high-value hormone used to combat infertility in younger women with ripe, but unwilling eggs."
Properly aged piss, it turns out, is one of Argentina’s least-known but most-valued exports.
The liquid gold from the ripe bladders of postmenopausal women has been helping “float” the Argentine economy by tens of millions of dollars a year for the last decade. Somewhere deep within the pungent molecules of senescent whiz – we’re clearly running out of original ways to say pee – is a high-value hormone used to combat infertility in younger women with ripe, but unwilling eggs."
A New Exterior For The Old Capitol
Old Capitol gets makeover | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "The scored stucco/faux limestone will return the 1839 building to its original appearance for the first time since its 1959-1961 renovation. At that time, the stucco wasn’t replaced both as a cost-cutting measure and because of the taste of the time. “Folks liked the look of exposed brick,” says Mississippi Archives and History Department spokesman Chris Goodwin.
The current $16 million restoration is the most complete restoration of the National Historic Landmark to date. Completion is expected in January, with the Mississippi Legislature holding its opening session there."
The current $16 million restoration is the most complete restoration of the National Historic Landmark to date. Completion is expected in January, with the Mississippi Legislature holding its opening session there."
We Mississippians are a randy bunch....
Bunny loves little scraps of knowledge (mainly because
that is all she can remember) and thought you might find
this interesting as well.
The whole idea behind conjugal visits in jail started here
in Mississippi at our very own Parchman.
Officially started in 1918, but thought to have actually
started as early at 1900 when then Warden James Parchman
figured out that by providing the African-American prisoners
a lil sumpin sumpin they would work harder picking cotton.
He brought in black prostitutes once a week to "service" the guys.
It wasn't until the 1940's that the white prisoners were able
to get in on the booty train. The reasoning....because it was
thought that the white prisoners could contain their libido
better than the blacks.
Yeah...we have to look no further than Andrew Luster for proof
of that sentiment.
that is all she can remember) and thought you might find
this interesting as well.
The whole idea behind conjugal visits in jail started here
in Mississippi at our very own Parchman.
Officially started in 1918, but thought to have actually
started as early at 1900 when then Warden James Parchman
figured out that by providing the African-American prisoners
a lil sumpin sumpin they would work harder picking cotton.
He brought in black prostitutes once a week to "service" the guys.
It wasn't until the 1940's that the white prisoners were able
to get in on the booty train. The reasoning....because it was
thought that the white prisoners could contain their libido
better than the blacks.
Yeah...we have to look no further than Andrew Luster for proof
of that sentiment.
The Future Never Looked So Blurry
Terry Heaton’s PoMo Blog » Blog Archive » Keep an eye on YouTube’s citizen journalism channel: "So YouTube has announced the hiring of a news manager and the launch of a citizen journalism channel. Don’t be fooled by the raw nature of this, folks, because you may be looking at not only future hires in your community but also future styles in presenting video news."
Mars, Man....I Eat That Stuff Up Like Candy
Back to Mars: After '99 failure, NASA sets sights on lander touchdown Sunday: "(Computerworld) After a nine-month, 422-million-mile trip from Earth that began last August, NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will catch up to the red planet Sunday to begin its three-month science mission.
Its mission is series of soil analysis projects that involve digging lightly into the Mars surface to study the history of water, ice and life potential in the planet's soil. But before those soil analysis projects can even get under way, the Phoenix has to successfully land on the planet's surface, which, as NASA knows by experience, isn't a sure thing."
"Where Is Phoenix?" on the JPL Solar System Simulator.
I Just Spent 15 Minutes On These Hagee Links, You Think I Won't Blog Them?
WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: NEW THIS MORNING: Controversial Hagee Comments Online: "STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - Republican John McCain on Thursday rejected endorsements from two influential but controversial televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.
McCain rejected the months-old endorsement of Texas preacher John Hagee after an audio recording surfaced in which the preacher said God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain called the comment 'crazy and unacceptable.'
He later repudiated the support of Rod Parsley, an Ohio preacher who has sharply criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent"
McCain rejected the months-old endorsement of Texas preacher John Hagee after an audio recording surfaced in which the preacher said God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain called the comment 'crazy and unacceptable.'
He later repudiated the support of Rod Parsley, an Ohio preacher who has sharply criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent"
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Ramey Giving Away Free Signs! Bunny Wants One
An interesting preface to this email from the FRF:
Hello friends and neighbors,No further comment; let's see what happens.
Over the next few months, Fondren Renaissance Foundation will be enacting a fresh campaign that we hope will bring more good neighbors, smart businesses and considerate visitors to our community. You'll first see changes in our outgoing emails and on our website to help folks appreciate all that is Fondren. This will be coupled with our ongoing outreach to our merchants and neighbors with area signage and branding (including the new Fondren car tags). This campaign has been spearheaded by our much anticipated new Fondren business, The Ramey Agency, who will be moving into Fondren Place in the not too distant future.
Seepe Is Out; Beowulf Returns!
Board: Seepe's 'business is through' | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "With no discussion, testimony or opportunity for rebuttal, the [Mississippi State Funeral Board] unanimously voted to revoke [Mark] Seepe’s funeral director and crematory operator licenses and the license for his Lorenz Boulevard establishment [in Jackson]. Seepe has been accused of improperly disposing of cremated remains and of giving incorrect remains to families.
The board’s only explanation for its action was made by Vice Chairman Arthur “Bubba” Lang, who said Seepe had failed to turn over papers requested by the board following a April 18 inspection.
The abrupt action caught Seepe’s attorney, Tom Royals, off guard. Royals said he spent hours Wednesday hammering out a deal with the state attorney general’s office that would have allowed Seepe to regain his license after completing required training and satisfying other conditions.
“I would like a better chance to defend my client,” he said. “Yesterday afternoon we talked about settling the case. ... When we came in this morning, the guillotine was waiting for his neck.”
Drawing a montrous literary allusion, Royals said his client would appeal the decision, but not before this board.
“I’d just as soon appeal to Grendel’s mother as to this board,” he said."
It gets real with Tom Royals, y'all. It gets gritty.
The board’s only explanation for its action was made by Vice Chairman Arthur “Bubba” Lang, who said Seepe had failed to turn over papers requested by the board following a April 18 inspection.
The abrupt action caught Seepe’s attorney, Tom Royals, off guard. Royals said he spent hours Wednesday hammering out a deal with the state attorney general’s office that would have allowed Seepe to regain his license after completing required training and satisfying other conditions.
“I would like a better chance to defend my client,” he said. “Yesterday afternoon we talked about settling the case. ... When we came in this morning, the guillotine was waiting for his neck.”
Drawing a montrous literary allusion, Royals said his client would appeal the decision, but not before this board.
“I’d just as soon appeal to Grendel’s mother as to this board,” he said."
It gets real with Tom Royals, y'all. It gets gritty.
FROM THE BUNNY PATCH: Diary of the Dead Movie Review
I just want to preface this review by saying that I liken this movie to the day I found out that Santa Claus did not actually exist. The day that crushed my spirit and stole my childhood.
Ok... that might be a little harsh... that day wasn't nearly as bad as this movie.
George A. Romero should be taken to a public square, humiliated, called names and forced to listen to Celine Dion and George Michael records over and over and over again for forcing this atrocity of a movie on us. It BLEW!!! To say it sucked would somehow be giving it too much credit.
The premise is ok... film students making a movie get a front row seat on the horror express. Sounds good, right? But it was oh so wrong. First of all it was slow...if we wanted a movie full of blah, blah, blah and character back story we would have rented some lame movie like Atonement. But we didn't...we rented the latest from the "Master" of flesh eating, brain munching, stomach churning gore....George A. Romero.
It was so horrible that the one bright spot was an Amish character named Samuel that couldn't talk...and of course he only lasted for 5 minutes before becoming lunch. Tom had his finger on the fast forward button and we finally just started zooming through the movie to the actual good parts... which were woefully few and far between.
The only credit I can give this movie was that the few munching scenes were relatively bloody. That's it....that's all the good I can say about this piece of #$%&.
Maybe Tom would like to chime in... but I doubt it. I'll sum it up this way... the movie was so unbelievably lame that I put MYSELF on movie selection probation.
Do yourself a favor...enjoy the trailer and rent The Hills Have Eyes instead.
Ok... that might be a little harsh... that day wasn't nearly as bad as this movie.
George A. Romero should be taken to a public square, humiliated, called names and forced to listen to Celine Dion and George Michael records over and over and over again for forcing this atrocity of a movie on us. It BLEW!!! To say it sucked would somehow be giving it too much credit.
The premise is ok... film students making a movie get a front row seat on the horror express. Sounds good, right? But it was oh so wrong. First of all it was slow...if we wanted a movie full of blah, blah, blah and character back story we would have rented some lame movie like Atonement. But we didn't...we rented the latest from the "Master" of flesh eating, brain munching, stomach churning gore....George A. Romero.
It was so horrible that the one bright spot was an Amish character named Samuel that couldn't talk...and of course he only lasted for 5 minutes before becoming lunch. Tom had his finger on the fast forward button and we finally just started zooming through the movie to the actual good parts... which were woefully few and far between.
The only credit I can give this movie was that the few munching scenes were relatively bloody. That's it....that's all the good I can say about this piece of #$%&.
Maybe Tom would like to chime in... but I doubt it. I'll sum it up this way... the movie was so unbelievably lame that I put MYSELF on movie selection probation.
Do yourself a favor...enjoy the trailer and rent The Hills Have Eyes instead.
If I See Billy McCoy Hanging Out At Schimmel's, I'm Going To Kick Him In His Teeth*
House OKs toll-road law before hitting road clarionledger.com The Clarion-Ledger: "The Mississippi House on Wednesday quickly approved bills that tweak a toll-road law and keep the state's employment agency open, but its key leaders left the Capitol unwilling to return until Medicaid funding woes are added to the agenda next week."
* Bunny, I was kidding, it's just an eye-catcher headline! I will still take you to Schimmel's... do not spurn me, please?
Bunny would never ever spurn Tom...unless he decided to join the
New Church of Oprah...and even then I would attempt an intervention first.
I understand media whoredom and how we have to pander to the lowest common denominator...
plus I love the lifesaver shots at Schimmel's.
And I just might beat you to McCoy's teeth.
* Bunny, I was kidding, it's just an eye-catcher headline! I will still take you to Schimmel's... do not spurn me, please?
Bunny would never ever spurn Tom...unless he decided to join the
New Church of Oprah...and even then I would attempt an intervention first.
I understand media whoredom and how we have to pander to the lowest common denominator...
plus I love the lifesaver shots at Schimmel's.
And I just might beat you to McCoy's teeth.
Billy Valentine In Afghanistan!!
Well, not for love nor money could I get the embed code right for this video... but here's a link to it from WLBT.com.
Anyway, big shouts to SSgt. William Valentine of the 102nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, currently stationed at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. That boy plays a mean git-box.
Anyway, big shouts to SSgt. William Valentine of the 102nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, currently stationed at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. That boy plays a mean git-box.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Who says Mississippians are dumbe?
Meet Natalie Omattage who attends the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus. She is one of only three high school students in the country who earned top honors at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public.They each received an Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award and a $50,000 college scholarship.
Natalie will be a guest on MPB's Mississippi Edition at 8:30 Thursday morning.
...and The Natchez Blog Hasn't Posted For A Week!
From The Daily Kos (by way of Cotton Mouth):
So how did the DNC choose to recognize the growth of local blogs "in line with Governor Dean's 50-state strategy"? Mostly, they got it right. At least in 45 states. But they blew it big time in five others, dissing some of the best state bloggers in the country....Cotton Mouth: Daily Kos' comments on Blogging Credentials
In Alabama, Left in Alabama was passed over, as was Cotton Mouth in Mississippi, passed over in favor of a site, Natchez Blog, devoted to Natchez MS, population 18,000 -- a site, by the way, that didn't have a single post or action alert on the MS-01 special election we won last week. Cotton Mouth was one of the best resources on that race (and the Senate race as well).
You Down With DJP
Othor Cain’s Blog » Blog Archive » Another Shooting: "I hate that this is happening in our city…but we must be aware of what’s going on! I’m simply trying to point out to you that CRIME isn’t down….despite what the WPS, JFP, DJP and others may say. Thanks to the C-L for keeping us informed."
I'm sorry, I get WPS and JFP, but what is DJP?
Bunny knows....DJP stands for dang journalist people...
and we all know what a bunch of liars they are....hehehehe.
I'm sorry, I get WPS and JFP, but what is DJP?
- Google calls it a NYSE symbol for Barclays Bank, PLC
- there's D.J.P. on MySpace
- or this drawing on Flickr (I don't think it's obscene, but consider it NSFW until otherwise noted)
Bunny knows....DJP stands for dang journalist people...
and we all know what a bunch of liars they are....hehehehe.
The Blues: Not Just For Breakfast Anymore
MPB plans call-in show on depression | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Mississippi Public Broadcasting will air a live audience television call-in show on the topic of depression in conjunction with a nationally televised documentary on the subject, starting at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday."
If the commissars at the Ridgewood Road Kremlin put the thing online, I'll slap up some clips ASAP. You can't underestimate the value of a little education in clinical depression.
If the commissars at the Ridgewood Road Kremlin put the thing online, I'll slap up some clips ASAP. You can't underestimate the value of a little education in clinical depression.
More Plugs For Bunny's Boss
Broadcast to honor Eudora Welty's legacy clarionledger.com The Clarion-Ledger: "Eudora Welty’s mastery of the short story will be saluted in a special broadcast 2 p.m. Sunday on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, the Eudora Welty Foundation announced."
If you're looking for the Jackson library named after EW, click here.
Yes, Bunny is indeed a shameless self-promoter....
Please catch MPB's Mississippi Edition at 8:30
Friday morning for a preview of Sunday's program.
Also check back Friday for a link to the show in case
you miss it.
Hazlehurst: The Party's Over
Barbour OKs Hazlehurst schools takeover | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "“After reviewing documentation provided by the state Department of Education, I am convinced that existing conditions in the Hazlehurst City School District jeopardize the educational interests of the children enrolled there,” Barbour said in a statement. 'My declaration of an emergency will authorize the department to take immediate steps so the district can begin to recover from serious leadership and management deficiencies.”
The Mississippi Board of Education requested Barbour’s emergency declaration at its meeting Friday after state officials reported academic and financial problems in Hazlehurst."
The Mississippi Board of Education requested Barbour’s emergency declaration at its meeting Friday after state officials reported academic and financial problems in Hazlehurst."
Chaney: Ain't Easy, Is It?
So: How’s Mike Chaney doing? - UPDATED | folo: "Anita Lee provides two peeks at Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney’s performance in office this morning, and seems to me that both raise more questions than answers.
Remember just the other day when Chaney swore ‘n’ declore that the study of State Farm’s Katrina-claims handling that his predecessor George Dale started 18 months ago would be out by the end of this month? Eh, not so much."
WHERE IS MY FOLO FIX?!
At 5.43 am Wednesday (CDT), I am unable to bring up Folo. So on the one hand, State Street Posts now dominates the Mississippi blogosphere; contact me for pre-orders on public stock.
On the other hand, without Folo I have nothing to aggregate.... can I get a shout-out, Bunny?
Awwww honey...we don't need FOLO...you always aggregate me.
UPDATE -- 6:27 am and they're back online. I'm really very happy for those Appalachiks! ;-)
On the other hand, without Folo I have nothing to aggregate.... can I get a shout-out, Bunny?
Awwww honey...we don't need FOLO...you always aggregate me.
UPDATE -- 6:27 am and they're back online. I'm really very happy for those Appalachiks! ;-)
This Part Had Me Cackling For A Good Five Minutes
From Lewis Black The A.V. Club (interview):AVC: Will politics and religion be separated like that again any time soon?Lewis Black may get me in trouble with Bunny.
LB: Between [Mike] Huckabee telling me his word is the word of God and Obama's pastor, who apparently has his own 24-hour channel now—
AVC: Jeremiah Wright.
LB: You put that guy on for 24 hours a day? I leave CNN on when I'm sitting there trying to get rid of e-mail, and he was on every eight minutes. Can you believe this is the news? It was just clips of him talking somewhere, and then him talking somewhere else… I've never seen anything like that. It will end up hurting Obama, because everyone says, 'Why did he stay in the church?' I can't imagine that anyone who was in politics would sit in a church where a guy was talking about that stuff on a regular basis. How many times did Obama go?
AVC: Maybe he was a Christmas-and-Easter guy.
LB: Kathleen Madigan said to me that if it were a Catholic church, it wouldn't have mattered, because no one would have been awake. And Hillary's telling me she's praying. I don't need that. I don't need politicians doing a 24-hour prayer with Oral Roberts to get our country back on track. Where are we going? I pick up the paper every day, and it's like, 'Are you kidding me?' And it means no one is paying attention to the issues. There's this watershed where the media is beginning to stop paying attention, and John McCain is saying things that are insane, that you can't allow a candidate to say. Every other day, you'll listen to him, and he'll say something, and you'll go, "What? Did he just say that? No, he didn't say that."
AVC: What was your reaction to the Pope's visit?
LB: The good news was that somebody who was completely irrelevant arrived in the United States and was made relevant again. It was stunning. I have friends who are Catholics, and half of them were like, "Well, it is the Pope," and the other half were like, "I've spent years trying to get away from that son of a bitch." My mother was literally apoplectic, because it's like voodoo. You might as well have had a guy from Haiti come over with bones around his neck and cut off chicken heads in front of everybody, and everyone just goes, "Woooo! Look at that! That's phenomenal!"
No honey.....Lewis Black might get you in trouble with
God though. He and the Pope are tight like that.
As far as I am concerned it's all peace, love, happiness
and a really good bbq sandwich. No one can be unforgiving
after eating a yummy bbq sammich.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The JFP and Robert Washington
Again the folks at Folo are posting some interesting stuff from the Jackson beat. This time the focus is some reporting by JFP about Robert Washington's slaying (some background here). Seems the P printed something about the crime scene without a lot of attribution....
The JFP, like all alt-weeklies (not to mention many of us bloggers), may always face questions about credibility. Frankly not enough people take the P seriously enough to add it to their must-read lists (disclaimer - I am a reader). I don't know all the reasons behind that, but I can see a few. One of them is troubled attribution. Another is a flip attitude in some cases of deadly serious reportage. Her treatment in this case of online correspondence doesn't strike me as very mature, sensitive or responsible (no one thinks it was necessary to print the exchange online in the first place, right?)
Former Jackson chief cop disputes JFP post on Washington murder | folo
Three days ago Dragoman commented on Jackson mayor Frank Melton:
I was stunned to read Melton’s cringe-inducing remarks in this morning’s paper. There seems no end to the man’s grotesquery.
The generally annoying but always intrepid Donna Ladd has weighed in with an interesting article about all this in this week’s Jackson Free Press. In her article, she writes that Officer Washington was found castrated, something I’d not heard. She doesn’t cite any sources for that, but maybe she’s seen the police or autopsy reports.
The bulk of her article, however, breaks new ground in that it recounts the JPD investigations into Melton dating back to the 1980s.
Now this May 13 Jackson Free Press post has led to a disagreement between Donna Ladd and former JPD chief Robert Johnson, who comments,
This is an absolutely false claim. Anyone present at the scene and who viewed Washington’s body will tell you that he was not castrated. You need to do more verification of this claim before continually repeating it as fact. …
I was present at the scene and personally viewed the body along with several other officers and investigators. I would be more than happy to supply you with some of the names of those who were also present at the scene or who have direct knowledge of the facts; anyone of whom would gladly go on the record to refute the “claim” of castration. I challenge any of your sources claiming otherwise to make their claims or themselves known.
I'll direct you to Folo for Ladd's response to Johnson; she doesn't need anymore ink from me.
The JFP, like all alt-weeklies (not to mention many of us bloggers), may always face questions about credibility. Frankly not enough people take the P seriously enough to add it to their must-read lists (disclaimer - I am a reader). I don't know all the reasons behind that, but I can see a few. One of them is troubled attribution. Another is a flip attitude in some cases of deadly serious reportage. Her treatment in this case of online correspondence doesn't strike me as very mature, sensitive or responsible (no one thinks it was necessary to print the exchange online in the first place, right?)
Former Jackson chief cop disputes JFP post on Washington murder | folo
Monday, May 19, 2008
Iraq: Running Steady Through 2009
Per Reuters, the DOD will rotate 39,000 service members to Iraq later this year, keeping troop strength at roughly pre-surge levels.
The United States has 155,000 troops in Iraq and is in the process of reducing that number to around 140,000 by mid-July, ending a "surge" of forces ordered by President George W. Bush last year to curb rampant violence.
While no decision has been made about future U.S. force levels, the deployment orders announced on Monday will ensure that commanders could keep 15 brigade combat teams plus support personnel there through fiscal 2009 if needed.
"All of these forces that we're talking about today are replacement forces," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman.
The troops will likely be sent to Iraq starting in October, the first month of the 2009 fiscal year.
The 155th Brigade Combat Team, based in Mississippi, heads over there beginning in June.
New Iraq deployments could maintain U.S. force level | Special Coverage | Reuters
Once Again The Appalachiks Attack Our Fair City
Something from the good folks at Folo:
City of Jackson: not a blue clue on money | folo
Arrrgh. The Clarion-Ledger has not one but two stories this morning detailing just how bad Mayor Frank Melton’s City of Jackson is at handling money — or even knowing how much it has....I have no point or counter-point here. I just wanted the chance to use the word "Appalachiks". ;-)
[CL clips here; then at the end:]
Jackson! Wake up! What’s the matter with you? What are these mutts doing to you and why do you let them? (emphasis Folo's)
City of Jackson: not a blue clue on money | folo
Sunday, May 18, 2008
GINN DEVELOPMENT -- crossed AP at 5:03pm Sunday
Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star: "EDWARDS, Miss. (AP) -- A statement from Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin says the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee belonging to missing 52-year-old banker Mark Ginn and an unidentified body have been found.
The statement says the body was found inside the jeep on Sunday, in a wooded area near Edwards.
McMillin says officials are awaiting a medical pathologist to identify the body before confirming whether it is Ginn's. The news release did not identify a cause of death."
The statement says the body was found inside the jeep on Sunday, in a wooded area near Edwards.
McMillin says officials are awaiting a medical pathologist to identify the body before confirming whether it is Ginn's. The news release did not identify a cause of death."
Former "Jackson Advocate" To Head NAACP
Woof, didn't see this one yesterday:
The NAACP chose a 35-year-old activist and former Jackson, Miss., news executive as its president Saturday, making him the youngest leader in the 99-year history of the nation's largest civil rights organization.Former 'Jackson Advocate' editor chosen as NAACP president | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Ben Jealous, managing editor of the Jackson Advocate in the mid-90s, takes the helm as the 17th president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in September.
Jackson's Face Is Changing
So the CL hosted a big forum of business leaders to talk about the economic prospects for the City of Jackson.
[Local developer Leland] Speed told the newspaper forum that sustained growth and increased development appeared to be at hand if both the private and public sector make good choices going forward.Lovely. You have 10 people with a vested interest in improving the public's perception of Jackson, being cited as the experts on its economic health. Then you've got Leland Speed, citing last year's building permits as a sign the city has turned the corner on its woes.
"For the four years ending in 2006, non-residential building permits in the city of Jackson averaged $29 million per year," Speed said. "But last year, non-residential building permits in the city of Jackson were $250 million, some $50 million more than Madison and Rankin counties combined."
Speed's sentiments were echoed by Allen, who said that despite a national economy stalling toward recession, he believed Jackson to be "recession-proof."
"The top three sectors driving the economy of Jackson are healthcare, government and education," said Allen. "Those are bedrock enterprises that really aren't subject to recession and they are growing."
And Ben Allen -- he thinks Jackson's going to be just fine, thank you:
"...I tell them that I don't give a damn what they think. It's going to happen. It's happening as we speak."I'm tired of the negativity too, but I'm much more interested in fixing that which prompts such negativity. But there's not always a lot of profit in that.
The Changing Face of Jackson: Capital city's 'made the turn?' | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Hello, Girls!
From the NYT:Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton may or may not become the first female president of the United States, but if fate and voters deny her the role, another woman will surely see if the mantle fits.
That woman will come from the South, or west of the Mississippi. She will be a Democrat who has won in a red state, or a Republican who has emerged from the private sector to run for governor. She will have executive experience, and have served in a job like attorney general, where she will have proven herself to be “a fighter” (a caring one, of course).
She will be young enough to qualify as postfeminist (in the way Senator Barack Obama has come off as postracial), unencumbered by the battles of the past. She will be married with children, but not young children. She will be emphasizing her experience, and wearing, yes, pantsuits.
Oh, and she may not exist.UH....here I am! Tom forgot to add Bunny to the list...I will be running on a platform of free childcare, insurance, groceries, gas and manicures. Ok...that seems a little superficial...make that free childcare, insurance, groceries, gas and facial peels. A girls gotta look good doesn't she?!? Also, I think a good wonderbra would do wonders for a gal's campaign...after all look what's it's done for Julia Roberts (think Erin Brockovich) and Pamela Anderson. No wait a minute...Bunny forgot Pamela is juiced up...she is on silicone steroids.
Quality Sells
I happened to be looking through the Cmte. of Concerned Journalists site and its online tool collections, when I found this gem from the Boston Globe, late 2007:
News flash - The Boston GlobeThe past two decades have seen a marked shift in local television news across the country, away from in-depth coverage and toward speed and spectacle. Broadcast news, envisioned in the early years of television as a means of enriching civic life, has - according to politicians, media watchdog groups, and many TV journalists themselves - degenerated into lowest-common-denominator entertainment. Yet many who work in the industry have grimly accepted this: The market has spoken.
But a study published earlier this year - the most exhaustive ever conducted of local television news - suggests that the industry has severely underestimated its audience. In an unprecedented survey, a team of researchers under the auspices of the Project for Excellence in Journalism studied the minute-by-minute Nielsen ratings for newscasts from 154 local television stations over five years, more than 33,000 news stories in all....
Viewers, the study found, are perfectly willing to watch stories on education policy or tax debates - in many cases they'll tune in to those stories but flip away from a segment on a celebrity divorce or a deadly highway pileup. And they'll consistently reward in-depth reporting with higher ratings than more cursory stories, no matter what the topic.
The findings suggest that the shift to violence and voyeurism has left everyone worse off. Viewers, fed a diet of out-of-state car chase footage, are left knowing less about issues, like the schools, that actually affect them. And the TV stations, in clumsily catering to an audience they misunderstood, may actually be sabotaging their own ratings.
Not-So Special Session?
I don't get this one.... is Uncle Haley making a point, making a statement about the ability of this body to work out the Medicaid mess, or what?
Gov. Haley Barbour is calling lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session starting Wednesday.Special session called by gov. | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
He wants them to keep the state employment agency in business and tackle three other issues. Medicaid financing is not part of his initial call, but could be added before Wednesday.
No on Huckabee
No, I will not blog the Huckabee joke about Obama hitting the floor. It's just too infantile to bother with this morning.
Othor Runs The Numbers
This could get interesting but I have to say, you don't want to screw those numbers up and jeopardize future prospects:
We decided that we would track crime as best as we could…I have plans to begin attending the weekly comstat meetings! But right now we are getting the info as it comes to us or as it is made public. All in an effort for you not to buy into the hype that crime is down…and for you to get a clear view of how some folk in our city are trying to play games with us for their own personal gain. If you hide behind “cooked” numbers or if you work out a deal with the media to ease up on reporting crime or if you pay some media outlets off by buyings ads and sponsoring there magazine, you will attract more businesses to town.Othor Cain’s Blog » Blog Archive » Another one…
What, We're Just Figuring This Out?
From WAPT:
Thursday's heavy rains flooded roadways and in at least one case, flooded a Jackson woman's home.Heavy Rain Reveals Drainage Problems - Jackson News Story - WAPT Jackson
Employees of Jackson's public works department were working mandatory overtime Friday clearing out street drains and checking drainage channels. Officials said flooding can result when the drainage systems are blocked by debris.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Godspeed, Kevin James, And Fare Thee Well In the Halls of the Slain
In case you can't bring yourself to watch a clip from Hardball (usually, I can't blame you), here's the take from the Huffington Post:
A Sublime Moment For Cable TV--Chris Matthews interviewing Kevin James On Appeasement. on Yahoo! NewsWell, this might have been his finest hour. Chris Matthews I mean, confronting Kevin James in the presence of Mark Green on tonight's Hardball. The topic: what it means to compare appeasement, meaning Nazis and Neville Chamberlain in 1938-39--that exhausted neo-con trope--to our current situation vis-à-vis Iran and etc. The exchange was pegged to Bush's political exploitation of Israel's 60th anniversary.
This moment was not sublime just because of what Chris said--though that was plenty good. It was sublime because of the spur of the moment directorial judgment he made as Kevin began to rant. He decided to give this moron a great sweep of precious air time, not just seconds--he gave him minutes. Unprecedented media roominess descended on this sound-bite fool as he tried to bluster his way out his self-constructed trap. Chris just kept repeating a simple question--what did Neville Chamberlain actually do that constituted appeasement back in 1938-39? He just kept repeating that question.
Desperate Kevin huffed and puffed about Iran and terrorism and Obama until at last it became obvious: he had no idea. He knew nothing of history, nothing at all about the run up to WWII, the sequence of concessions, the Czechoslovakia deal--he literally didn't know what he was talking about. The silent space hung 'round him as he shrank.
Let's give the cable hosts a break for a minute It can't be easy. Five nights a week for an hour--and that's just the time you are on the air. You rush through whatever is in front of you, batting comments back and forth with guests like ping-pong balls--it can't be easy to pick a revealing moment out of the flood and give it the attention it deserves. But Chris did it tonight. He transcended his medium. You have to see this exchange. It isn't just an insight into Kevin James personally--it's the whole know-nothing culture of jingoistic absolute conviction he represents.
BTW, this video is an edit from Veracifier.com, which is part of the Talking Points Memo universe. They Decide, You Report, it's all media to me.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Gallo on Those Ill-Educated, Left-Leaning Appalachians
The following is from "Gallo's Notes" on Y'all Politics, posted Wednesday morning. The title, "Other Things We've Learned", seems a clear reference to Alan Lange's "So What Did We Learn?" piece from the following Tuesday evening, which slams the statue ad tactics purportedly used by the DCCC during Childers' winning campaign in the Mississippi 1st:
For the record, Paul Gallo has been sick for the past two mornings -- stress is my guess.
Yall Politics
We’ve learned that the individual voter’s political awareness about the issues at hand is about at the same percentage as our graduation rate. We’ve learned that “economic angst” trumps political party lines or personal endorsements. We’ve learned that a democrat candidate can never campaign too far right. We’ve learned that a large media buy for a republican candidate can be totally neutralized by one fill-up at a gas station.I mean, you just called northeast Mississippians a bunch of dumb-ass hicks, right? At least, that's how the DCCC will spin it. You just saved them a couple of thousand on consultant copy!
We’ve learned that the Appalachian voters still embrace the Democrat Party of their fathers and grandfathers, even though it no longer exists in the same form. We’ve learned that democrats do a far better job in negative advertising while at the same time denouncing negative advertising. We’ve learned that the power of political parties comes in cycles and for the GOP, the downside has a ways to go.
For the record, Paul Gallo has been sick for the past two mornings -- stress is my guess.
Yall Politics
A Toss From The Left (No Shocker, More of the Same)
From Talking Points Memo:
TPM Election Central Talking Points Memo Contemporary News Accounts Undermine GOP Denials on Confederate StatuesThe NRCC is complaining that a DCCC mailer, distributed at the last minute in today's Mississippi special election, makes a false accusation when it says GOP candidate Greg Davis offered to have his town provide a new home for a statue of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, who later founded the Ku Klux Klan.
But contemporary news accounts appear to support the DCCC's claim.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Indians Find U.S. at Fault in Food Cost - New York Times
The top really says it all:
NEW DELHI — Instead of blaming India and other developing nations for the rise in food prices, Americans should rethink their energy policy — and go on a diet.Indians Find U.S. at Fault in Food Cost - New York Times
Mississippi 1st - Why Childers' Win Matters
From the AP:
And it was worth my while to check Y'all Politics:
"So What Did We Learn" - Y'All Politics
WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: Childers Wins MS Congressional District 1 Special ElectionMarty Wiseman, a political scientist at Mississippi State University, said if Democrats can carry districts that traditionally have been safe bets for the GOP, "Republican strategists have to be terrified."
"If you think about the House and the Senate ... and the number of Republican Senate seats that are exposed, this could turn into something bigger than the presidential race this fall," Wiseman said.
And it was worth my while to check Y'all Politics:
After a long night of election watching, it's time to evaluate the results. Here are my thoughts.Obviously going to be a long day at GOP HQ.
The Louisiana congressional race was not a fluke
This is officially a trend. The numbers bear it out. Republicans (not necessarily conservatives) are rudderless right now. To have someone in office now (Childers) who will vote in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi, call himself a conservative and get away with it spells doom. Without some major outside intervention, Dems will pick up seats this fall. It is now just a question of how many.
'Ends justifies the means' racial politics still work
The DCCC may have had fun at the party, but Mississippi will be left with the hangover.
"So What Did We Learn" - Y'All Politics
"Mr. Mayor…for the love of GOD!!!"
Just checked to see how Othor
is doing. Woof, it don't sound great, if this broadsheet against Fabulous Frank Melton's latest neighborhood sleepovers is any indicator:
Othor Cain’s Blog » Blog Archive » Instead of spending the night…Answer our questions!
is doing. Woof, it don't sound great, if this broadsheet against Fabulous Frank Melton's latest neighborhood sleepovers is any indicator:Instead of spending the night around town (as noble as this might be), please answer the federal questions about these recent allegations surrounding your involvement in the death of officer Robert Washington.For the love of God, indeed. Woof.
Can you tell us why Sharrod Moore and Stephan Hickman both claim to know you and you are denying that they do?
Can you tell us why former police chief Robert Johnson is publicly stating that you know both of these young men?
Can you tell us your involvement -if any-in the drug climate in this city?
Can you explain the appointment of Malcolm McMillin as chief?
Can you explain to us why you really wanted to be mayor of this city?
Can you explain and help us understand why drug dealers, gang members feel so comfortable talking to you and end up staying at your house or turning themselves in to you?
Dear Mr. Mayor:
I’m having a hard time understanding what is going on in this city. It is no secret that I publicly endorsed and campaigned for your opponent Harvey Johnson. It is no secret that I admired Harvey Johnson’s leadership style, but when we lost the race for mayor, while disappointed, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I picked up my marbles went home, regrouped and came back to the playing field.
I thought, this man has become mayor, by an overwhelmingly amount of support. I thought of the old cliche’ “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
So, I stepped back with my crticism of you and decided to give you an opportunity to serve.
I watched, I waited for you to prove your passion for this city. I watched, I waited for you to heed the call that had been given to you.
I watched, I waited for you to prove me wrong. I watched, I waited for my friends that I had to separate from to come to me and say, “look at the great job Frank is doing.” I’m still waiting for this!
Mr. Mayor, for the love of Christ, please do the right thing! For once during your stay in Jackson, show us that you have it in you to do the right thing.
Othor Cain’s Blog » Blog Archive » Instead of spending the night…Answer our questions!
Childers Wins
Democrat wins congressional race | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Democrats regained control of north Mississippi's 1st Congressional District in a runoff Tuesday as Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers defeated Republican Southaven Mayor Greg Davis."
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Detroit City Council Votes to Request Removal of Mayor by Governor - New York Times
Detroit City Council Votes to Request Removal of Mayor by Governor - New York Times: "The Detroit City Council voted on Tuesday to ask the governor of Michigan to oust the city’s mayor, Kwame M. Kilpatrick, who is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice."
Kitten, They Could See You Coming From A Mile Away
From the AP:
John Hagee, an influential televangelist who endorsed John McCain, is apologizing to Catholics for referring to the Roman Catholic Church as "the great whore" and calling it "the apostate church."kdka.com - Pastor Who Endorsed McCain Apologizes For Remarks
Also: McCain Backer Apologizes For Anti-Catholic Remarks - washingtonpost.com
God, the Spirit, and Squishiness
I have to admit, beautiful writing catches my eye and helps move the message through my mind. David Brooks at the NYT did that this afternoon.
Brooks ponders the impact of neuroscience on the spiritualism debate. He asserts that antagonisms between science and traditional religion will manifest in some heretofore unexpected ways. Here are what Brooks considers the basic tenets of science's developing argument:First, the self is not a fixed entity but a dynamic process of relationships. Second, underneath the patina of different religions, people around the world have common moral intuitions. Third, people are equipped to experience the sacred, to have moments of elevated experience when they transcend boundaries and overflow with love. Fourth, God can best be conceived as the nature one experiences at those moments, the unknowable total of all there is.It's important to start from the top of this write and catch up on his reasoning here; good reading for next Sunday, if you like.
In their arguments with Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, the faithful have been defending the existence of God. That was the easy debate. The real challenge is going to come from people who feel the existence of the sacred, but who think that particular religions are just cultural artifacts built on top of universal human traits. It’s going to come from scientists whose beliefs overlap a bit with Buddhism.
The Neural Buddhists - New York Times
Arby, The Chief and GTA4
Wow, this guy is brilliant. Feel free to pass if you know or care little about video games.
Watching The Mississippi 1st
UPDATE: Here's a link to NPR's Monday report on the race. Very fun to hear those NE accents, but scary if you're a party Republican.
More evidence that the Childers-Davis race could be a big one, perhaps setting the stage for Mississippi (and states with similar demographics) to carry lots of weight in the November elex... from the Houston Chronicle's blogs:
The contest to watch tonight is not the West Virginia presidential primary. Pay little or no attention to those results. The race to watch, and one that could be a barometer of things to come in November, is the special congressional election in the 1st District in Mississippi where Republican Greg Davis and Democrat Travis Childers face off in what could be another nail in the coffin of the Republican Party’s stranglehold on the South.Chron.commons | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
A word on West Virginia. It is a state tailor-made for Hillary Clinton. The population is 97% white with the lowest percentage of college graduates of any state in the country. If Hillary can’t win big there, she can’t win anywhere. She will certainly boast about her victory, but taken as part of the big picture it is virtually meaningless.
In Mississippi however, a victory for the Democrats in a district where George Bush won 62% of the vote in 2004, and has been held by a Republican since 1994, would be the third win in three tries this year for Democrats taking long-held Republican seats. It would be another sign that 2008 is going to be the Democratic equivalent of 1994 when it comes to congressional elections.
If your mouth is watering from the prospects of this Congressional race, check the Mississippi First Congressional District Blog (gee mom, there really is one!)
Monday, May 12, 2008
N-Bombing In Greenwood
Hit It, C-Ledger:
A Greenwood councilman has apologized for using a racial slur in an e-mail referring to the council’s black president David Jordan.“I am sorry that I used the language that I used,” John Lee said Friday in a prepared statement. “I did not intend for it to be harmful to David nor to our community. I will continue to work with David, and I hope that David will continue to work with me to make our community a better place to live.”Greenwood councilman apologizes for racial slur | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Lee, who is white, sent the e-mail last week to 15 individuals, all white. It was written the morning after a city council meeting and 13 days after the fatal shooting of Greenwood High School senior Erica Duncan, who was black.
“Had a long talk after the city council meeting ... with David Jordan,” Lee wrote in the e-mail. “The ole n..... can’t understand why the black’s (sic) continue to shoot one another. I told him he needed to spend less time with the old people at the Voter’s League and more time with the young people about getting an education”
Lee said while the two councilmen were talking, a young black man came up and asked Jordan for work. When Jordan, who also serves as a state senator, quizzed the unnamed man about what he did for a living, according to Lee, he responded that he was a rapper.
“I told David he missed his chance,” Lee wrote in the e-mail. “He should have told that black boy he should be in school getting his education in order to have a future.”
Blue Springs, Stand By....
From the AP, by way of my peeps at WLBT:
A senior Toyota executive said Monday that plans for a new auto assembly plant in Mississippi are being delayed by worries about slumping American auto sales and a broader U.S. economic slowdown.WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: NEW THIS MORNING: Toyota Delays Blue Springs Plant
The vehicle assembly plant being built in Blue Springs, near Tupelo, Miss., was initially to be up and running by late 2009 or early 2010, said Toyota Motor Corp. Executive Vice President Mitsuo Kinoshita."
"GOP Nervous..." In Mississippi?!
From Ken Rudin's "Political Junkie" column, NPR.org (also waiting for an NPR radio report to post online):
Democrats have now won two special House elections formerly held by Republicans. On March 8, they took the Illinois seat that had been occupied by ex-Speaker Dennis Hastert, and on Saturday, they won a seat in Louisiana held for more than two decades by Richard Baker (and by the GOP since 1975). Republicans have argued, with some validity, that their candidates in both races were seriously flawed. Jim Oberweis, the GOP candidate hoping to win in Illinois, had a rocky relationship with his fellow Republicans and had alienated many in the party with earlier runs for governor and the U.S. Senate. In Louisiana, the GOP candidate was Woody Jenkins, a controversial figure who nearly won a Senate race in 1996 but who concealed a campaign payment to ex-Klansman David Duke for his mailing lists. Jenkins, too, was not the Republicans' favorite candidate.
But the GOP is staring at another potential loss May 13 in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, vacant since Roger Wicker (R) was appointed to the Senate to succeed Trent Lott. The candidates there are Travis Childers (D), a local court official, and Greg Davis (R), the mayor of Southaven. At first glance, Davis is not a "flawed" candidate, so the Republicans don't have that to fall back on. But some see the strategy being used in the district as being flawed.
One tactic the GOP employed in the Louisiana special — and that is being repeated in Mississippi — is attempting to tie the Democratic candidate to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Barack Obama or both. Neither, the reasoning went, is especially popular in these two conservative bastions. But the Democratic candidates — winner Don Cazayoux (pronounced KAZH-oo) in Louisiana and hopeful Childers in Mississippi — are pro-life/pro-gun conservatives who aren't the type to hang around with "liberal elites" such as Pelosi or Obama. (Cazayoux benefited from a sizable black turnout in Baton Rouge for his 49-46 percent victory.)
For their part, Republicans insist the strategy was/is a success, saying it helped keep the race in Louisiana closer than it would have been. Meanwhile, Childers came within 400 votes of winning the Mississippi seat outright on April 22, and Republicans are bracing themselves for what might happen next week. The GOP has held the seat since veteran Democrat Jamie Whitten retired in 1994.
GOP Nervous About Trends in Special House Races : NPR
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Attack of the Two Lakes
This piece from the Times-Picayune is a reminder for us metro Jacksonians -- the Pearl ain't ours alone:Passing under a veil of Spanish moss to enter the narrow channels of Maple Slough in the West Pearl River, Jeff Rogers' boat glided past cypress and gum trees keeping silent sentry.
As a bullfrog croaked a lonesome serenade, a great blue heron stood erect on a piece of driftwood. A water-level check boded forewarning.
Dipping a tree branch into the swamp, Rogers, owner of the Cajun Encounters tour company, guessed that it was about 2 1/2 feet deep. Come summer, the bog will be about a foot lower, making it difficult to navigate his 20-foot boat through the slough, the main attraction of the tours that Rogers and three other Slidell companies offer visitors and nature enthusiasts.
"Beyond what it goes down now, I would not be able to navigate down here at all," Rogers said.
A proposed flood-control project in Jackson, Miss., could make that hypothesis a reality. Environmental experts fear the project could send water pollution downstream and disrupt water levels, which could have disastrous effects on Louisiana's swamp tour industry.
PEARL RIVER IN PERIL- NOLA.com
OK, Here's Your Buggery $10/Gallon Gas Story.
From Wired.com:
Only Greentech Can Save U.S. Economy, Says Über-Investor | Wired Science from Wired.comNew Yorker staff writer Nick Paumgarten [interviewed] Michael Novogratz, president of the Fortress Investment Group and the 317th-richest person in America, yesterday at the New Yorker Stories From the Near Future conference.
Much to the relief of everybody who doesn't want to spend their retirement fending off water bandits, Novogratz was optimistic. Our current economic woes, he said, are analogous to the dot-com bubble burst.
The internet's turn-of-the-millennium troubles were solved by the rise of second-generation web services. Globalization 1.0, as Novogratz called it, stalled after an initial purchasing power burst among the developing world's newly-arrived middle classes, but will be saved by globalization 2.0. All will be well.
There's only one catch: We need another wealth-generating economic bubble. And that, said Novogratz, must come -- can only come -- from new energy sources and green technology.
The Geist Heist
Brilliant example of social engineering by MSNBC's own Willie Geist.
The only thing Bunny has to say is that this woman is not real.
With the magic of airbrushing, push-up bras, hair extensions, stilletto-heels, make-up, teeth whitening and anorexia just about any woman could look this good. What men need to do instead of lusting after fictitous women in the Victoria's Secret Catalogue they should nurture the ones that bear them children, cook their meals and give up their dreams to make the man in their life happy.
And honestly....she is probably a blithering idiot. But sadly enough...some men just don't care.
Also.....Bunny hopes that instead of the word brilliant Tom really meant to say completely pointless.
The only thing Bunny has to say is that this woman is not real.
With the magic of airbrushing, push-up bras, hair extensions, stilletto-heels, make-up, teeth whitening and anorexia just about any woman could look this good. What men need to do instead of lusting after fictitous women in the Victoria's Secret Catalogue they should nurture the ones that bear them children, cook their meals and give up their dreams to make the man in their life happy.
And honestly....she is probably a blithering idiot. But sadly enough...some men just don't care.
Also.....Bunny hopes that instead of the word brilliant Tom really meant to say completely pointless.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
"Obama Rises"
UPDATE 7/2/08 -- noticed that the Babbington write is no longer at the Washington Post address listed. Seems it was an AP write, not WP as earlier attributed, and the AP has retracted it globally (prob standard practice, they jealously guard their material in some instances).
A splendidly written profile piece on Barack Obama today comes from the AP's Charles Babbington:
Maybe I'll let Bunny scout for a similar snapshot of John McCain, lest y'all think I'm a card-carrying liberal. B-)
Well Bunny is not scared to take on a challenge...however she is really having trouble finding a picture of another white, older male who's a fear-inducing war-monger with a permanent look of disdain and loaded pants. However she will continue to look and keep you posted.
Obama rises from political obscurity to verge of history - washingtonpost.com
A splendidly written profile piece on Barack Obama today comes from the AP's Charles Babbington:
Now, the entire nation and countless foreigners are absorbing a moment that had seemed decades away, if possible at all. Smart strategists and rank-and-file voters ponder how Obama rose so far so fast, and theories abound. Historians will sort it out someday, but Obama's blend of oratory, biography, optimism and cool confidence come to mind most immediately.
It's not just about him, of course. If America can seriously think of putting a black man in the White House, surely it must also profoundly rethink the relevance of race, the power of prejudice, the logic of affirmative action and other societal forces that have evolved slowly through the eras of Jim Crow, desegregation and massive immigration.
Maybe the toughest question is this:
Is Obama, with his incandescent smile and silky oratory, a once-in-a-century phenomenon who will blast open doors only to see them quickly close on less extraordinary blacks?
Or is he the lucky and well-timed beneficiary of racial dynamics that have changed faster than most people realized, a trend that presumably will soon yield more black governors, senators, mayors and council members?
Maybe I'll let Bunny scout for a similar snapshot of John McCain, lest y'all think I'm a card-carrying liberal. B-)
Well Bunny is not scared to take on a challenge...however she is really having trouble finding a picture of another white, older male who's a fear-inducing war-monger with a permanent look of disdain and loaded pants. However she will continue to look and keep you posted.
Obama rises from political obscurity to verge of history - washingtonpost.com
RED STATE UPDATE: Is Hillary Racist?
OK, doesn't really seem fair, right after the Obama write. But it is funny....
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Blogs On Fabulous Frank
Let's see what the scuttlebutt is today....
Kingfish at Jackson Jambalaya is in fine, snarky form:
Meantime, Othor Cain's righteous anger is taking its usual pithy form:
Othor Cain's Blog: Here we go AGAIN
Y'all Politics? Strangely silent... The most they have are a couple of RSS items from the CL. Have the Cons disowned Fabulous Frank? A look back at Alan Lange's 4-17-06 post maybe of value.... a whimsical look back at when a few of us thought or hoped that Frank knows what he is doing.
Finally (I'm now exhausted from Blogger lag, forgive me) Folo makes a case for itself as the busiest blog in the State of Mississippi....
Kingfish at Jackson Jambalaya is in fine, snarky form:
Obviously the word of a known hoodlum is suspect as its not backed up by any other evidence. Mr. Melton's positions regarding drugs are-well known and unambiguous.Jackson Jambalaya: Hoodlums and Hoodwinks
If a drug kingpin were to become Mayor of Jackson, what exactly would he do? Would he do the following:
1. Keep the police mobile command center around him at all times, including parked at his home. Great way to monitor police communications.
2. Allow the police department to suffer from a severe shortage of police officers.
3. Appoint a very weak Chief who has no experience whatsoever as a Chief or Assistant Chief of Police.
4. Immediately abolish the drug task force upon assuming office.
5. Personally go out and direct police raids on a frequent basis.
6. Overrule a Chief who tried to fire two officers who beat a suspect in handcuffs.
7. Loudly proclaim to the public a new camera system that isn't so new and then not equip said cameras with videotape so that any surveillance can not be used as evidence.
8. Appoint his personal bodyguards to senior management positions in JPD even though grossly underqualified for the new positions and not requiring them to take the mandated tests for said positions.
9. Run a candidate against the one law enforcement official who has disagreed with him and is probably in the best position to stop any illegal activiy on the part of the Mayor.
10. Not arrest anyone for drug dealing according to The Jackson Free Press: "The same numbers showed not a single JPD arrest for the sale or manufacture of drugs in all of 2006..."
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/a_new_sheriff_in_town/
Meantime, Othor Cain's righteous anger is taking its usual pithy form:
I don't know, Othor, but I think the "night mare" (points off for grammar) is going to end when the people who elected Frank -- the affluent NE Jackson set and civic-minded inner-city residents -- vote him out of office. Ultimately, voters get who they vote for, and they get who they deserve.The ugliness of Frank Melton rears its head…once again….
When will this night mare end??? The plot thickens….More trouble is brewing for Melton as more people are copming forward…Did you guys read the C-L article today? I will post after my newscast….
Othor Cain's Blog: Here we go AGAIN
Y'all Politics? Strangely silent... The most they have are a couple of RSS items from the CL. Have the Cons disowned Fabulous Frank? A look back at Alan Lange's 4-17-06 post maybe of value.... a whimsical look back at when a few of us thought or hoped that Frank knows what he is doing.
Finally (I'm now exhausted from Blogger lag, forgive me) Folo makes a case for itself as the busiest blog in the State of Mississippi....
As you’ll recall, this cold case warmed up a right smart recently:Folo: Melton calls for the FedsIn a statement given to Smith and police investigators last month, accused killer Stephan Hickman, 28, said he saw Sharrod Ray Moore, 30, shoot Washington. He said Melton had talked to Moore earlier in the day and encouraged Moore to show he was loyal to him, not Washington.
Hickman also alleged Melton used his influence and money to control the destinies of local drug dealers, setting some up in power while setting others up to be killed. Melton denies knowing Hickman or Moore, both of whom have long criminal histories.
“I don’t know either of these guys, but it’s safe to say they didn’t go to Harvard,” he said. “Somebody is behind this and I’ve got to find out who.”
What, pray tell, Mr. Melton, does going-to-Harvard have to do with anything?
Then-police chief Robert Johnson says his department knew Melton and Moore were acquainted, but while Moore immediately became a prime suspect, they never looked at Melton. Now that fresh publicity has stirred up a few new leads, though, Smith has his investigators reviewing the file and re-interviewing some witnesses.
Melton Calls Bluff?
OK, we didn't post the story yesterday.... because Bunny and I do have lives, ya know! We also have jobs! Get off me! But there's definitely enough at the top of Chris Joyner/CL's Friday report to give you a taste for more:
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith said he is pressing forward with his investigation into the 1995 shooting death of Jackson police officer Robert Washington although Jackson Mayor Frank Melton has called for a full federal probe.
"I'm going to let the DEA and the FBI get to the bottom of this," Melton said.
In a statement given to Smith and police investigators last month, accused killer Stephan Hickman, 28, said he saw Sharrod Ray Moore, 30, shoot Washington. He said Melton had talked to Moore earlier in the day and encouraged Moore to show he was loyal to him, not Washington.
Hickman also alleged Melton used his influence and money to control the destinies of local drug dealers, setting some up in power while setting others up to be killed. Melton denies knowing Hickman or Moore, both of whom have long criminal histories.
"I don't know either of these guys, but it's safe to say they didn't go to Harvard," he said. "Somebody is behind this and I've got to find out who."
But former Jackson Police Chief Robert Johnson said investigators at the time of Washington's death were aware Melton and Moore knew each other. Johnson said Moore immediately became a prime suspect in Washington's shooting death, but Melton was never a target of the investigation.
OK, it's speculation time.... Melton may welcome Hickman's court testimony because it appears to be very easy to discredit -- discrediting the biggest street rap against him (so says the 'hood) in court would conceivably assist any re-election bid.
But why so quick to call for the Feds? They'll come whether you invite them or not, thanks.... in fact, they're already here, and snooping.
Melton calls for federal probe | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
FROM THE BUNNY PATCH: Cloverfield Movie Review
Bunny and Tom love a good movie so we wanted to let you know if Cloverfield is worth seeing or not.
First Bunny must preface this review by saying she normally abhors scary movies that are not R rated... I mean what's the point??? If you can't see a good beheading or a particularly bloody dismemberment then why bother? But in the interest of fairness (really because Tom was super jazzed about seeing it) Bunny watched Cloverfield with her man and was pleasantly surprised.
While there was no real gore of note there was plenty of suspense... and the monster was passable..sort of a really big grasshopper cross-bred with a spider. And it had these little baby spiderish things that dropped off of it and attacked stupid people. YAY! So Bunny will give the movie a thumbs up.
One caveat though...if you get motion sickness beware.... the entire movie is shot through the lens of a camcorder so it is pretty shaky....might make you horke. BLECK!
"Cloverfield" is now out on DVD.
First Bunny must preface this review by saying she normally abhors scary movies that are not R rated... I mean what's the point??? If you can't see a good beheading or a particularly bloody dismemberment then why bother? But in the interest of fairness (really because Tom was super jazzed about seeing it) Bunny watched Cloverfield with her man and was pleasantly surprised.
While there was no real gore of note there was plenty of suspense... and the monster was passable..sort of a really big grasshopper cross-bred with a spider. And it had these little baby spiderish things that dropped off of it and attacked stupid people. YAY! So Bunny will give the movie a thumbs up.
One caveat though...if you get motion sickness beware.... the entire movie is shot through the lens of a camcorder so it is pretty shaky....might make you horke. BLECK!
"Cloverfield" is now out on DVD.
Maybe He'll Wear A White Goatee, For Fun
So here's a new blogger -- an Ole Miss student, I gather -- with a reasonable note about Shepherd Smith's commencement speech on 5/10.
Clearly from his success at Fox News he did not need to get his last credits. I do, however, wonder if he was the best choice for this years ceremony. What will his message be to those who have not yet graduated, or those still in high school? You can go to college but you don’t need to finish?
As I have heard he failed to obtain the proper number of foreign language credits to graduate, a common downfall for students. While he has had tremendous success since leaving Ole Miss should the university be honoring him? Students should not get the idea they can do all degree requirements except a few and be OK.
Go get 'em, Mr. Quinn! Keep us posted.
Shep Smith in a cap and gown? « Paul Quinn’s Weblog
BTW, that's Fox News, like on cable?
Gallo on Musgrove
Ronnie Musgrove is giving the U.S. Senate a go, on a Democratic ticket versus the GOP's Roger Wicker. From Paul Gallo's Wednesday note on the YP:
Yall Politics
It’s still much too early for the fireworks to begin in this race. We’ve got to clear the dust from the 1st Congressional race, and then by early summer the political commercials should begin to blossom on a TV or radio station near you. When that happens, you’ll see a Ronnie Musgrove who will be campaigning as pro-life, pro-military, pro-education, pro-states’ rights, pro-tax relief and pro anything else that will appeal to the state with the highest number of conservatives per population in America. The good news is that Musgrove stated he will be his own man when he gets to Washington. The bad news is-if he gets there-Harry Reid will be waiting with the DNC rulebook in hand.He's probably right. You cannot get elected in Mississippi, outside of an urban district, without waving around some Bible and National Review.
Yall Politics
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Most Important, Least Surprising Fact About Jackson Governance
Every now and then, you really have to get past the self-promotion, self-denial and spin, and stare at the filthy numbers. CL has a report this morning on a woman at Jackson's City Hall who (reportedly) has just done that -- and written her next job description. Expect more on this in coming hours....
Report: Grants poorly handled | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Jackson's decentralized, disorganized approach to managing millions in state and federal grants over the years has created a system where top city administrators are unable to track spending or hold anyone responsible for poor accounting....Good ole' Sid Salter writes occasionally about Mississippi as a federal ward, kept afloat by entitlement funding. Jackson is a vivid case in point. The article, and further reading, are highly recommended.
Nevels, who spent the past year locating and investigating 35 grants spread throughout the city bureaucracy, delivered the withering assessment Monday to the Jackson City Council Budget Committee. Nevels said the city needs to implement a centralized grant-writing and monitoring program to properly manage the money and hold city departments accountable....
"There is no way that we could be in compliance with such a hit-and-miss approach to this," Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said. "There is way too much to fix here without the responsibility designated to one person."
Nevels may be that person. She told the council she is hoping to be named to the new post of city auditor. If so, her new job will keep her busy.
The city has wrestled for months with demands from the federal government to repay misspent money from grants, some of which date back a decade. In its meeting this morning, the city council will be asked to approve payment of $45,000 to the U.S. Treasury Department for misspent law enforcement grant money awarded in 2002 and 2004.
Report: Grants poorly handled | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Monday, May 5, 2008
Oprah Has Your Money And Now She Wants Your Soul. Then, There's This God Story....
From WAPT:The Kosciusko native is under fire for talking up some controversial beliefs on her show. Winfrey said that she doesn't believe there is one God, and is now promoting a book that says man made God.Woof. Take it, Bunny!
So far, more than 3 million people have watched a YouTube video warning Christians about a growing movement it claims is led by Winfrey.
Bunny has long maintained the Oprah is indeed the Anti-Christ...
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." —Matthew 7:15
Once Oprah alligned herself with Senator Barrack Obama I could see the writing on the proverbial wall. She is placing herself in a seat of power so that her reign over America could begin. Haven't you seen the Omen?
Once she was devoutly religious, but now she promotes some touchy-feely whiny shamans propaganda.
"New Age" is really just a fancied up term for heretics...of which Oprah is quickly becoming the Saviour.
Matthew 19:24 & Mark 10:25 & Luke 18:25 all say: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
One of Oprah's home is worth more than 50 million dollars. She has one sink in one of the bathrooms that is worth more than 30 thousand dollars. That should tell you just how great Oprah is. Who could justify spending that much when there are millions of children who go to bed each night without having eaten all day...who are sleeping on pavement...who will probably forced into prostitution just to survive.
Sure Oprah does lots of good...just ask her...she will be more than happy to tell you just how great she is.
"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day" —Isaiah 2:11
Church Of Oprah: New Religion? - Jackson News Story - WAPT Jackson
"Mississippi Ain't Louisiana, But..."
Marc Ambinder (May 05, 2008) - Mississippi Ain't Louisiana, But: "Via Ben, the Republicans are trying to double down on the bet that linking the Democratic congressional candidate, Travis Childers, to Barack Obama, is still the right way to hurt him among white voters."
Jubilee!JAM 2008 -- OK, They're Not ALL Old
Rock and Roll Hall of Famers ZZ Top, funk legends The Ohio Players, Oscar-winning rappers Three 6 Mafia and Robert Randolph’s Revival are the main headliners of Jubilee!JAM ‘08 on June 13 and 14, the JAM Foundation Board announced today.Tom's early recommendations: consider Blockbuster. ;-)
Bunnys early prediction is that while Tom is at Blockbuster renting some lame movie starring Steven Seagal and The Rock
as heart surgeons that wackily misplace the donor organ...
Bunny will be enjoying the magical triumvirate of
Blue Mountain, North Mississippi Allstars and
Robert Randolph.
Bunny also predicts that Tom will accompany her...
and will secretly be ecstatic he did.
Jubilee!JAM lineup revealed | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
You can purchase your $40 weekend passes at the JJ home page.
Local Churches On Rev. Wright: We'll Pass
From the CL (btw, did we just have to print the crazy Jeremiah pic?):
...Ministers in some of Jackson's largest predominantly African-American churches said their congregations have more important questions on their minds than the continuing controversy over Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor.Church community divided: Locals react to Rev. Wright's rage | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
The Rev. Hosea Hines, president of the Concerned Clergy of Jackson, said his church, College Hill Baptist Church, would not be taking up the Wright controversy, at least not from the pulpit.
"I'm not really sure a lot of pastors are going to address this situation," he said. "These are real difficult and trying times for our membership. Our nation is on the edge of a recession; jobs are being lost."
Meantime the kids at Y'all Politics are having fun with attempts by Reps to use Obama in some state races.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Amber Waves of Cash
SFGate.com has a nice write on the farm bill working its way through Congress. It looks like some of the political players have shifted terrain....
Farm bills come around just once every five years and usually fly under the radar of most lawmakers and the public, making it easy for Congress to tout the bills as aid to family farmers. The commodity supports - born as temporary economic aids in the 1930s - are mind-numbingly complicated and get little notice outside the farm press, despite their enormous impact on U.S. food policy. Urban lawmakers are normally happy to vote for crop subsidies in exchange for food-stamp votes from rural lawmakers. It is textbook political logrolling.The bill is out of conference committee, so get ready for some yapping about this one on the campaign trail.
This year looked different. The local-food movement, concentrated in the Bay Area, increased attention on subsidy-driven distortions that supercharge the industrialization of agriculture, boost corn-based sugars, fats and starches in the U.S. diet and undermine poor farmers overseas.
California, the nation's farming giant, stepped into the bargaining. Produce growers, left out of crop subsidies since the 1930s, demanded marketing aid. Long-neglected organic growers were desperate for research help. Public health advocates wanted healthier school lunches. Environmentalists saw millions of acres of private land ripe for conservation and improved farming practices to reduce water and air pollution.
These groups allied with budget hawks to try to shift aid from commodities to healthier food and more sustainable farming.
The administration proposed a farm bill two years ago that would have cut off payments to wealthy farmers, modernized subsidies, and moved money to nutrition and environmental programs. When former Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns told groups the administration's plans, "They didn't believe it," said Department of Agriculture spokesman Keith Williams. "He'd get jeers, and he'd say, 'No, it's in here.' "
Pelosi threw her weight behind farm-state Democrats, pushing a bill through the House last summer that protected subsidies, and ostensibly, the newly elected Democrats from rural districts.
Farm bill upends normal political order
It Hurts At First
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Rumors, And A Probe, Surround Ginn Disappearance
MB, here's one for you!
WLBT has learned why the FBI is involved. Sources confirm there is an ongoing investigation concerning Ginn's employment with BankPlus in Byram.WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: FBI Searching for Ginn
The probe is focused on suspicious activity at the bank. BankPlus officials would not comment. However, an official with the Byram branch earlier said that they could neither confirm nor deny any money is missing from the bank and they are cooperating with authorities.
The 52-year-old Ginn, who is also a Hinds County school board member, was last seen April 14th.... If you have any information, contact the Hinds County Sheriff's department at 601-856-2600.
WLBT has received numerous calls and emails reporting Ginn has been seen in places as far away as Barbados, but officials tell us those are just rumors and the search and investigation continues.
Also see the CL's April 18 back story.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Melton Late: Would Someone Buy This Man A Calendar and a Marker?
It's happened. Again.
In February, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton told The Clarion-Ledger that he'd pay his past-due property taxes in March.Melton has yet to pay overdue property taxes | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
In March, he said he'd pay them in April.
And now, in May, Melton still has not paid the taxes on his home in northeast Jackson. He and his wife, Ellen, owe Hinds County $9,474.58 for the home at 2 Carter's Grove.
Also: the City of Jackson's bio on Fabulous Frank.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
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DJP---Downtown Jackson Partners
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