Jackson Jambalaya

I think we can tell the Bama homers came out of the woodwork. Yes, Saban won the poll but over BOWDEN? Come on, Bowden was in top five 15 years straight, two national championships as well. Johnson won both a NC and two Super Bowl rings. However, Saban won the poll so JJ readers think Saban is the best coach since Bear Bryant.

Paterno	33 (17%)
Bobby Bowden	23 (12%)
Osborne	6 (3%)
Spurrier	19 (10%)
Jimmy Johnson	12 (6%)
Pete Caroll	4 (2%)
Nick Saban	79 (42%)
Urban Meyer	9 (4%)
Jim Tressell	2 (1%)

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Housingwire reports Fannie Mae's losses may exceed $200 billion and possibly trigger receivership. Unfortunately, Barclays says “Nationalization is not an immediate option, as putting FNM/FRE on the government’s balance sheet would increase public debt outstanding by $2trn, further straining perceptions of fiscal responsibility,” researchers said. “Mid-term elections next year also make it likely that any drastic steps that threaten the fragile housing recovery will be stymied.” The Wall Street Journal reports Barclays actually recommends Congress pump up to $300 billion into Fannie and Freddie. Meanwhile, delinquencies continue to rise at Fannie Mae. See Table 9.

Keep in mind FHA is in the midst of an implosion as well right now, meaning taxpayers are likely going to give Fannie, Freddie, and FHA hundreds of billions of dollars in bailout funds just to keep the housing market afloat. How much was that healthcare reform bill going to cost again?

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Little did the liberals know that Hope and Change meant Goldman Sachs and their cronies hoping Obama would change our economic policies more in their favor. Rabid right-winger Matt Taibbi published a hard-hitting piece in Rolling Stone on what he calls Obama's "sellout" to Wall Street. Taibbi has practiced some very tough journalism on Wall Street over the last year and continues to write in that vein. This read is a long one but well-worth the time. Pour a drink and enjoy. Some excerpts:

"What's taken place in the year since Obama won the presidency has turned out to be one of the most dramatic political about-faces in our history. Elected in the midst of a crushing economic crisis brought on by a decade of orgiastic deregulation and unchecked greed, Obama had a clear mandate to rein in Wall Street and remake the entire structure of the American economy. What he did instead was ship even his most marginally progressive campaign advisers off to various bureaucratic Siberias, while packing the key economic positions in his White House with the very people who caused the crisis in the first place. This new team of bubble-fattened ex-bankers and laissez-faire intellectuals then proceeded to sell us all out, instituting a massive, trickle-up bailout and systematically gutting regulatory reform from the inside.......

Whatever the president's real motives are, the extensive series of loophole-rich financial "reforms" that the Democrats are currently pushing may ultimately do more harm than good. In fact, some parts of the new reforms border on insanity, threatening to vastly amplify Wall Street's political power by institutionalizing the taxpayer's role as a welfare provider for the financial-services industry. At one point in the debate, Obama's top economic advisers demanded the power to award future bailouts without even going to Congress for approval — and without providing taxpayers a single dime in equity on the deals......

The significance of all of these appointments isn't that the Wall Street types are now in a position to provide direct favors to their former employers. It's that, with one or two exceptions, they collectively offer a microcosm of what the Democratic Party has come to stand for in the 21st century. Virtually all of the Rubinites brought in to manage the economy under Obama share the same fundamental political philosophy carefully articulated for years by the Hamilton Project: Expand the safety net to protect the poor, but let Wall Street do whatever it wants. "Bob Rubin, these guys, they're classic limousine liberals," says David Sirota, a former Democratic strategist. "These are basically people who have made shitloads of money in the speculative economy, but they want to call themselves good Democrats because they're willing to give a little more to the poor. That's the model for this Democratic Party: Let the rich do their thing, but give a fraction more to everyone else...." Article

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Don't think the brand of dog food your pet eats makes a difference? I got this Cavalier two months ago. The picture on the left was taken the day she came home with me. Her previous owner fed her Purina-1. Dog had allergies from hell. Muzzle was heavily streaked from the drainage around her eyes. Underbite was red and brown as were the front paws. Skin and fur looked bad because dry skin caused her to scratch. Vet said the next day they were from allergies. Coat looked horrible. (The picture was taken a few hours after she was bathed so she was clean.)

So....that day I put her on a sweet potato and fish formula which is allergy free (Snooty Pooch sells a Wellness version). The drainage stopped in a few days and slowly her coat improved in color and quality. Her new owner feeds her a lamb/rice allergy free formula made by Natural Balance. The picture on the right was taken two months later, showing even pets are what they eat. ;-)

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"The days of unlimited iPhone plans may be coming to an end. AT&T said today that it will push back against rampant data usage on its network. New "incentives" to curb bandwidth hogs could include a tiered pricing structure with limits on how much each phone may download or pay-per-usage plans that meter monthly activity....." All good things must come to an end.

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Another graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism shows his ignorance. Yes, Steve, there is such a thing as Emergency Unemployment Claims. Hmmm....the Columbia School of Journalism grads tend to sound alike after awhile. By the way, Liesman is referred to on CNBC as "Senior Economist" but his bio shows no work in economics whatsoever.

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It's Christmas for Jackson Jambalaya readers at The Snooty Pooch. JJ readers will receive a $2 discount off any size bag of dog food. Mention "Kingfish" to Willie and he will take care of you. The Snooty Pooch also offers a nice variety of Christmas clothing for your pet as modeled by Louis XIV in the nearby pictures as well as premier boarding services.

Click on The Snooty Pooch logo at the top of the page to access their website. Phone number is 601-607-4175. Directions: Take the Madison exit, turn right. Turn left on Depot Drive, the last street before the railroad tracks, and The Snooty Pooch is on the left side of the street. The email address is thesnootypooch@aol.com.

Earlier post on The Snooty Pooch

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Whitey is something else.

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CORRECTION: Ms. Kuns was disbarred from practicing before the State Supreme Court. This website was under the impression from the order she was barred from practicing in Ms, which was not the case. A call to the state bar, review of the order, and consulting with other attorneys were made before posting. I am very aware of sanctions and what they are but was under the impression as written earlier she was disbarred. That was not the case and an apology goes to Ms. Kuns. The post was made to point out she was practicing again and was actually taking up for her. Thanks goes to those who pointed out the error. Unlike the JFP, things don't just disappear or get ignored like at the CL, when we screw up, we say so on this site.




Laura Kuns is practicing law again. Jackson Jambalaya reported earlier this year she had been disbarred by the Mississippi Supreme Court. The former MC Law School professor had testified to having an affair with then-Justice Oliver Diaz in his trial. Ms. Kuns was disbarred for (ready for this?) not paying $1,500 in lawyer fees. How many clients stiff their attorneys on legal fees yet she gets disbarred. Can we say payback by the good ole boys? Disbarment

Since this website reported she was disbarred, it's only fair to report she is reinstated and currently practicing law again. There was something that just seemed terribly wrong about a former State Supreme Court Justice practicing law and living the good life while his former girlfriend lost her job because of his inability to stay out of trouble, and his friends on the Court disbar her for such a small amount. Isn't that how it works in Mississippi? The man does what he wants and the woman pays for it? Hope her career takes off again because the former member of the Mississippi College Law Review is a very talented and capable attorney.

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Latest Jackson crime stats for the week November 30-December 6, 2009.

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Grinch Song

New Totally Tooned In | MySpace Video

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Warning: May not BSFW

So how did wrestling go from this:


to this:

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Update: Apparently Mr. Potts is NOT a CPA. The State Board of Public Accountancy confirmed this afternoon in a telephone call Cullen Potts is not a licensed CPA in Mississippi. Mr. Potts is also not licensed in Tennessee. So it appears a phony CPA ran a scheme with a bingo operation and charity that paid him nearly $300,000. Nice jack if you can get it.

Copy of Cease and Desist Order

The Securities and Charities Division of the Mississippi Secretary of State's office issued a Cease and Desist order on December 1, 2009, against another charity which ran a bingo operation. The Division fined the Union Center/Theo Volunteer Fire Department $354,124 and revoked UCT's charitable exemption after a hearing was held by the Division earlier this year on the charity's actions.

The hearing officer stated the charity was a "non-profit, volunteer fire department" in Corinth, MS and that it "fundraises through a charitable gaming operation known as Corinthian Bingo." The Cease and Desist Order stated UCT paid $20,749 of Corinthian Bingo's expenses. Mississippi law requires a bingo operations' funds should support a charity, not the other way around as apparently happened in this case.

The Order also singled out a Cullen Potts as being a prime beneficiary of the charity's um, donations. It states:

1. UCT paid Mr. Potts, "a CPA", $95,250 to keep the books for both operations and 85% of this for his work on the bingo operation, in violation of the law.
2. The charity overpaid Mr. Potts by $11,639 for other services.
3. UCT "falsified expenses of the fire department" and the total amount of the fictitious expenses was $252,328. The Order further states UCT created these bogus expenses so it could move $252,328 from the charity to Corinthian Bingo in violation of the law while appearing to be in compliance. In other words, UCT committed fraud and the goal of the fraud was to "trick the Mississippi Gaming Commission into renewing UCT's bingo license."
4. UCT's financial statements show that while the money was "never transferred to Corinthian Bingo", they do show the money was given to its accountant, Cullen Potts, "who deposited the money into his personal checking account at Renasant Bank" and that Potts kept the money for himself instead of transferring it to Corinthian Bingo even though the accounts state the money went to the bingo operation.
5. The charity also used its funds to build a fire department on land that belonged to someone else. Hmmm... what kind of kinfolk deal took place in that transaction?

This seems like hypertechnical stuff, after all, who cares about bookkeeping at charities and bingo halls? However, too often charities are used to prey upon good-hearted people who seek to help others but often are taken in by smooth-talking shysters. This is the second Cease and Desist order Mr. Hoseman's office has issued this year to a charity linked to a bingo operation.

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Schooling abroad has taken on an all new meaning, as the British Telegraph reports:
"Five American Muslim students have been arrested in Pakistan after their families discovered a video in which they pledged to fight jihad against the West.
Their arrest, after they contacted radical groups linked to al-Qaeda, has raised fears that homegrown terrorism is spreading in the United States.
Officials said the five men, all from the Washington area, wanted to join militants in Pakistan’s tribal area before crossing into Afghanistan but were turned down because they lacked “references” from trusted sources. ..." Article

This shouldn't come as a surprise to those of you who actually read the NYPD's report on homegrown terrorism posted on this blog a couple of years ago and remains in the sidebar on terrorism. Report

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The Raymond castle Christmas display is no more and I suspect the Christmas magic that used to inhabit Whispering Pines has evaporated. Where are the best Christmas lights this year?

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Will be tied up for most of the day and night so consider this an open thread. Evans, Harvey & Weill, Nutt staying at Ole Miss, have at it.

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Worth watching. Even if half of it is over your head, you'll still get some good information out of this interview not to mention some real money quotes.

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I really don't care what happened last weekend between Chip Pickering and Chris Hester. Either Pickering was a jerk, Hester was a jerk, or they were both jerks, and we will know soon enough. I just wish last year when Paulson and Bush crammed the bailout down our throats that Pickering had shown back then the same balls he showed to the soccer coach and to Leisha. Guess W can mean both whupped and George W. Bush at the same time.

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For a collection of all posts on Evans case, see sidebar at right side of page. Synopsis of case is provided at the bottom of this post.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court removed the Evans case from the Madison County Chancery Court to its own jurisdiction December 2, 2009. The lawsuit was filed by Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company and Old Republic Insurance Company against Jon Chris Evans, his brother Charles Evans, Jr., and numerous LLC's owned by Chris Evans. Chris Evans filed a petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on October 26, 2009, the day before a hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction against the Evans brothers was to be held in Madison County Chancery Court. The state court proceedings against Chris Evans were halted as U.S. Bankruptcy law stays most civil court actions once a bankruptcy petition is filed. The hearing continued against Charles Evans, Jr. and Mississippi Valley Title obtained the injunction. Copy of removal

The bankruptcy court is probably better suited to hear this case. There were multiple lawsuits filed in state court against Chris Evans or one of the companies owned by Chris or Charles Evans. Considering many banks will have competing claims on the same property and may have interests that are adverse to Mississippi Valley Title's, the bankruptcy court is in a better position to ensure all parties' interests are adequately represented in comparison to the Chancery Court where the authority of the Chancellor is somewhat limited.

Several banks and the Mississippi Bar also entered notice of appearance in the bankruptcy proceeding as well. James R. Clark notified the Court he represents the Mississippi Bar and requested the Court send regular updates to his office. Copy of notice First Bank and Wachovia also entered notices of appearance as well. Merchants and Farmers filed a request that Mississippi Valley Title be forced to produce to M&F all information obtained in the Rule 2004 examination of Chris Evans' estate. A 2004 exam is a thorough audit by a creditor of a debtor's estate. The information obtained in a 2004 audit can be very valuable in a case where massive fraud is alleged and the parties such as the banks and insurance company may have competing interests. While all the banks are conducting their own exams, Merchants & Farmer's is the first to ask that Mississippi Valley Title provide all the information from its exam. Copy of motion

The Mississippi Business Journal published a very good story in its current issue on how the fraud in the deeds and land descriptions occurred. Amy McCullough reports:
"Public records show that Chris Evans’ company Old Agency Business Park Inc. purchased a property of approximately 38 acres on Highland Colony Parkway in Madison in 2003. Chris Evans had a local surveyor write legal descriptions dividing the 38 acres into 10 separate tracts. Through various limited liability companies he owned, Chris Evans obtained commercial loans from Mississippi banks on each of the 10 smaller parcels. The title for the land, however, remained vested in Old Agency and was never conveyed to any of the other entities through which loans were obtained. This particular property has more than 25 mortgages recorded against it, which are held by entities not owning title to the land."
Article

This is a very good example of how the "alleged" fraud took place. In addition to not conveying title to the companies borrowing money, more fraud took place in the issuance of plat maps for some tracts of land. Multiple plat maps were drafted for the same property in some cases. Unfortunately for the banks, the plat maps were completely different and when combined, all of the parcels completely overlapped each other, making it nearly impossible to obtain clear title to the land. Such tricks are why Judge Olack said it will probably be easier to sell the parent tracts and then divide up the proceeds among the creditors.

There is actually a humorous note of sort in this case. The Evans Brothers actually have a defender. Frank Boatman of Ridgeland tries to imitate a soccer parent and wonders why everyone is picking on his little boys in a letter to the Mississippi Business Journal. Mr. Boatman opined:

"Editor,
I am not sure why the Mississippi Business Journal keeps picking on Charles and Chris Evans.
The liberal media loves to find small business owners around the country and put them in tough situations just so you can exploit them for your own gains.
Conservative America understands what is going on and movements like the Tea Parties around the country are showing how we can take our country back.
The Mississippi Business Journal should be ashamed.
Frank Boatner
Ridgeland"

Stay tuned.

Synopsis of Evans case (This feature will be included with future posts on Evans case): Charles Evans, Jr. was an attorney approved by Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company to provide title certificates to MVT and lenders showing a borrower had clear title to property. MVT filed a lawsuit in September accusing his brother of using over 30 LLC's to obtain fraudulent loans from over 30 banks in Mississippi. Chris Evans would allegedly use one company to purchase a large tract of prime commercial real estate in Madison and Desoto Counties. Another company owned by Evans would obtain a commercial real estate mortgage on a smaller section of the tract yet that borrowing company never obtained a deed showing ownership of the land from the other company. Thus the smaller tract was actually non-existed as the larger tract was never actually subdivided. Charles would allegedly provide a title certificate however showing the borrowing company owned the land even though it didn't. Over 80 loans for nearly $50 million were issued by Mississippi banks to companies owned by Chris Evans for lands those companies either did not own. MVT has testified federal authorities are currently investigating the case. Chris Evans filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on October 26, which stopped the Mississippi Valley Title's lawsuit against him as federal bankruptcy law stays most state civil court proceedings once a bankruptcy petition is filed. Mississippi Valley Title testified 65 title insurance claims for approximately $41 million have been filed by banks affected by the Evans case.

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The Trustee appointed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to handle the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition for Schimmel's Restaurant filed a Motion to Convert or Alternatively to Dismiss. Bankruptcy Trustee R. Michael Bolen asked the court to convert the Chapter 11 filing, which is one of business reorganization, to a Chapter 7 filing that would liquidate the business. Mr. Bolen states Schimmel's "failed to file a Disclosure Statement and Plan of Reorganization" as required by the Court and that the restaurant is currently delinquent in the payment of UST quarterly fees. Copy of motion

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Today we all remember the day the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. We took our licks, toughened up, and gave them more then they ever bargained for when they pulled off their sneak attack. If interested in a good movie telling the story of the attack, watch Tora, Tora, Tora. It was made back in the 1970's and is far superior to the theatrical piece of garbage starring Ben Affleck a few years ago.



This is an old video of the attack.



News Film from 1942

Never forget.

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Suppose things had worked out right and when the planes were seen on the radar or the sub was detected, an alert commander had gone to battle stations and scrambled all aircraft. Would it have made much difference? The aircraft in use at Pearl Harbor was outclassed by the Zero. If the carriers had been in port or nearby it might have helped but they would have been at risk of being sunk as well. In other words, would we have lost Pearl Harbor anyway?

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Since Jackson nearly entered into a refinancing plan that would have used the same interest-rate swaps that blew up Jefferson County and have burned other governments earlier this year, JJ has made it a point to keep up with how interest rate swaps have performed for other municipal governments around the country.

The Philadelphia Inquirer explains how these swaps work:
" An interest-rate swap is an agreement between parties to exchange one stream of interest payments for another over a set period. They usually involve the exchange of a fixed-rate payment for a variable-rate payment.
Swaps were attractive when interest rates on variable-rate bonds and notes were low compared with fixed-rate bonds and notes. They allowed public agencies to take advantage of the lower rates while, in theory, providing a hedge against large increases in those rates.
However, the collapse of financial markets exposed the agencies to unanticipated risks - and millions of dollars in losses."

What exactly is happening in the municipal bonds interest rate swap world? Lets take a look around the country and see.

New Jersey just got burned on one deal. Bloomberg reports:
"Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- New Jersey taxpayers are being saddled with a bill of about $657,000 a month from Bank of Montreal for an interest-rate swap approved by state officials and linked to bonds that were never sold.
The 11th-largest U.S. state by population, which is cutting expenses to close a $1 billion budget deficit, will pay Canada’s oldest lender $23.5 million The sum, about the same as the salaries for 113 teachers over three years, will allow it to avoid a $50 million penalty for canceling the contract, which was tied to planned sales of school-construction bonds." Article

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Delaware has its own swap problem:
"Interest-rate swaps" made in 2000 and 2001 provided the DRPA (Delaware Port Authority) with $45 million, but the deals spawned $242 million in liabilities that are beginning to come due...
The DRPA has paid $13 million to settle one swap contract and is going to pay about $40 million to terminate another, Hanson said..." Article

A hospital in Oregon is forced to pay $30 million just to get out of its interest-rate swap contract that is killing its finances:
"Asante Health System could issue as much as $260 million in new bonds to retire or restructure bonds that were sold in 2002, 2005 and 2008. Interest payments on many of those bonds have greatly exceeded original estimates.
Many of the earlier bonds were issued with elaborate "interest swap" provisions that became unfavorable for Asante after the credit markets collapsed in 2008 and interest rates soared.
Marvin Haas, Asante's chief financial officer, said retiring the interest rate swaps will cost Asante about $30 million, over and above the costs of redeeming the face value of the bonds....
We went from 5 percent to 15 percent overnight," he said, describing some of the worst moments of the market collapse in early 2008. Gyrations in the bond market cost Asante $4.5 million in unanticipated interest payments in the budget year that ended Sept. 30, 2008, Haas said. For the budget year that ended Sept. 30, 2009, there was just $758,000 in unanticipated interest
He said the costs of terminating the swaps is "painful," but "it's the right thing to do" because the new bonds come with a fixed interest rate that Asante can budget for..." Article

The Pennsylvania Auditor General has had enough after he issued a report saying over 200 governments in his state had entered into interest-rate swap agreements in the last six years. The study was made after several governments in Pennsylvania were forced to pay several million dollars in early termination fees when interest rates moved the wrong way. Article, Copy of report The Auditor General recommended the legislature ban local governments from entering into such agreements.

Keep in mind Jackson Finance Director Rick Hill and others thought refinancing our bonds with these swaps was a great deal as he claimed Jackson would get ten million dollars up-front from the refinance. JJ reviewed the deal after filing public records requests for the related documents and determined that at best Jackson was going to receive a cash flow of one million dollars for ten years, not a lump sum as Mr. Hill claimed. Such a cash flow was of course dependant on other variables that could change such as the interest rates. The proposed refinance would have also paid $4 million in feeds to politically-connected lawyers and bond advisers even though the original financing for the same bonds only paid $1.5 million in feeds when first closed.

Yes, I know, municipal bonds are boooooring. However, when a bond deal blows up because the Mayor and the City Council were more interested in paying off their friends than in learning the actual details of how these work and your water and sewer rates quadruple like in Jefferson County, it won't seem so boring.

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Vote for best college football coach since Bear Bryant's time. Jimmy Johnson got my vote. Won't have the most wins obviously but when he was at Miami, he created teams that destroyed opponents, especially top-ranked ones as Barry Switzer and Bobby Bowden can verify. Vote early and often.

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Part 3
Part 5

If you are looking for a new TV show to watch and you can get the BBC channel, check out Chef Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. While the FOX version focuses on drama, screaming matches, and the relationships among the employees and family members, the UK version is more laid back, more educational, and focuses on Chef Ramsay actually improving the restaurant instead of how many times he explodes. Many episodes are on YouTube although most of them have at least one segment removed so they don't violate copyright laws. One nice feature about the British shows is the last few minutes of each show feature Chef Ramsay returning to the restaurant a few weeks later to see what happened to the restaurant after he left. The American version makes you wait until the next season.

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This is a gripe post. I'm tired of being preached to about shopping locally. Yes, the prices are higher but it's local and supposedly the service is better. Really? Here is what I've noticed in my neighborhood McDade's lately as I shop there half a dozen times a week. More than a few cashiers and other employees are wearing earpieces in both ears so they can listen to their iPods. I asked one cashier about the headphones and she said some of them were smart enough to work and listen to music so it was no big deal to the management. Then there are the employees who wear bluetooths while working in the store or who eat or drink at their registers while checking out customers. Heaven forbid one of them should actually ask if you found everything you needed or count your change back to you.

Unfortunately, the poor service doesn't stop with the little gadgets and inability to control their appetites. The cashier the other night rang up an order for an elderly customer with half a buggy or so of groceries. Cashier bagged up her groceries and just left them on the counter while the poor lady had to lean over and try to load up her buggy. The cashier was a young college student (and she was white so don't even think that thought) and just oblivious to her customer. The managers don't even look like managers, even Waffle House employees look more professional than do the managers at this McDades as their shirts don't look like they were only run through the dryer for a few minutes.

Maybe I'm old fashioned or maybe I was fortunate enough to have worked in college for Jitney Jungle for several years and was accustomed to seeing managers who acted like managers and actually expected certain standards of behavior from their employees. I don't see cashiers at Kroger ignoring old ladies nor employees at Walmart jamming to their iPods. All I can say is if Henry Holman had walked into number 14 and seen a grocery store being run as a frat house, heads would have been rolling that hour. Of course, Mr. Holman would do things like visit the store at 5:00 AM when no one was there or shop on a busy Saturday afternoon while dressed in a baseball hat, t-shirt, and shorts just so he could see how his stores were actually run. It's called holding your employees accountable.

If I was the owner of McDade's, I would be embarrassed by what passes for customer service in his stores as it's clear he doesn't visit them.

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William Wright	15 (6%)
Harlan Varnado	3 (1%)
Ed Rainer	5 (2%)
Chris Tabb	1 (0%)
Mark Chinn	38 (17%)
Monte Caldwell	4 (1%)
L.C. James	27 (12%)
John Reeves	7 (3%)
Mike Malouf	15 (6%)
Betty Ruth Johnson	17 (7%)
Robert Kisselburgh	5 (2%)
Richard Roberts	15 (6%)
Matthew Thompson	45 (20%)
Larry Latham (Emeritus status)	18 (8%)
Lee Agnew	4 (1%)

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Willie Hutchinson, owner and all-around great guy.

Jackson Jambalaya welcomes its new advertiser, The Snooty Pooch. Willie Hutchinson and his wife opened The Snooty Pooch in 2006 after deciding local dogs and cats needed a home away from home where they could be spoiled rotten. The dogs are walked 3-4 times a day and there is a play area where Schnookems and Rocco can have some fun. The Snooty Pooch also sells toys, clothes, and several full lines of dog and cat food as well. The complete Wellness line is available.

Rates range from $20 to $30 a night, depending on the size of the kennel. The Snooty Pooch can also bathe your pet for an additional ten dollars. The Snooty Pooch is by the railroad tracks in Madison. Take the Madison exit on I-55N, then turn right. Turn left at the last road before the railroad tracks, Depot Drive. Phone number: 601-607-4717 Email address: thesnootypooch@aol.net. Website: http://www.chateaulapooch.com

Support Jackson Jambalaya by supporting The Snooty Pooch. It's local, it's reasonably priced, and you don't have to worry about some hungover snot-nosed college puke taking care of your pet. Christmas is coming so consider The Snooty Pooch if your pet likes the Hilton or you just want to dress up your little Sophie in the latest Christmas wear.

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I thought I would publish a collection of the recent stories on the controversy involving The Fine Arts Institute of Mississippi, a charity run by Bill Murphy and connected to Tim Johnson. The Secretary of State issued a Cease and Desist order recently which was pretty damning in its investigation of the charity. Copy of Order. Mr. Murphy responded on his website with a vigorous defense that termed the charges against him a bunch of "misleading information floating around on the airwaves" and posted an itemized list of expenditures made by the charity. Mr. Murphy has also appeared on various talk shows to defend his actions.

Meanwhile, the Madison County Journal reported this week that one of Murphy's employees apparently has a cozy little deal selling pesticides to Madison County. She operates her business (at least up until recently, and may still be) inside the offices of FAIM, while also being paid as a part-time employee of FAIM. Murphy used to be a road manager for the county and has retained Supervisor Tim Johnson as a lobbyist for his charity. (The SOS said this was a violation.)

It should also be noted the trial for former FAIM employee Silbrina Wright has been postponed until May. Ms. Wright was indicted nearly a year ago in Madison County for allegedly embezzling nearly a thousand dollars from the charity. She claims the charge is in retaliation for turning FAIM into the State for several violations and has filed a wrongful termination suit in Hinds County. A review of Ms. Wright's indictment shows the prosecutor is none other than Rebecca Mansell, no stranger to controversy herself. In fact, multiple sources have informed JJ Faye Peterson's former prosecutor was seen this week at the offices of the Gaming Commission, which recently shut down the bingo operation which funds FAIM. (Boxcar Bingo is currently allowed to operate pending an appeal of the Commission's decision.).

This case keeps getting more and more interesting.

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How many times has Ladd written this column or something similar? I've lost count.

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The Desoto Times Tribune published a good story on the Evans case yesterday. The reporter took the time to dig through the deeds of trust and other documents himself and arrived at the same amounts JJ determined several weeks ago. He deserves some credit for actually reporting instead of copying and pasting some documents from PACER like someone else has been doing while passing it off as "journalism". Some excerpts:
"The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are investigating two Ridgeland brothers who allegedly defrauded banks in Mississippi, including some in DeSoto County, by exposing the financial institutions to more than $41.4 million in title insurance claims.
At least 27 banks in Mississippi gave more than 68 loans — 17 in DeSoto County alone — based on fraudulent information to Charles Evans Jr. and his brother Jon C. (Chris) Evans of Ridgeland, according to a lawsuit on file in Madison County Chancery Court.
The lawsuit, which represents one side of a legal issue, states that the Evans brothers “fraudulently and intentionally obtained mortgages on properties located in Madison County and throughout the state,” including DeSoto County.
Records on file with the DeSoto County Chancery Clerk’s Office show that banks issued nearly $10 million in loans to the Evans brothers...." Article

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Having problems with dog allergies? Noticed your pet scratches all the time but there are no fleas? Do your dog's eyes constantly drain? Check the dog food. When I got Louis XIV, he had a huge problem with dry skin and eye drainage. His muzzle was red from his eyes draining so much and his previous owner fed him Pedigree. The vet at Briarwood had me put him on Natural Balance's Sweet Potato and Fish formula. Eyes quit draining and he quit scratching. I recently went through this with another Cavalier I took care of for a few weeks. Within a few days of switching her dog food (Purina-1) to this formula, her problems went away. Since then I've recommended these formulas to a dozen friends whose dogs had the same problems and they went away after switching foods (Including the so-called Science diet, which is overrated in my ignorant opinion.) Wellness, Natural Balance

You can buy Natural Balance at Briarwood Pet Store. Its around $35 for a 15 lb bag depending on the formula (After ten bags, you get the next one free.). They sell it in treats and canned food as well and other good formulas like Duck/ Sweet Potato or Venison /Rice. Wellness makes the same formulas and is available at the Snooty Pooch in Madison for $30 per 15lb bag. Rainbow in Fondren sells only the 5lb bag for $15. Seems like a lot of money BUT when the dog gets full, he stays full as it doesn't have all that filler crap in it. I was buying a new bag of the regular food for my dog every three weeks. After I switched, three months would pass by before I had to buy another bag so it evens out over time. If your dog is scratching or his eye is draining, change his food and you might like the results.

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Well, well, well, it looks like since Stuart Irby doesn't have to worry about testifying in court, he has been a busy little bee. These pictures were taken November 21 at the airport as he flew out of Jackson to Dallas for the weekend. He arrived with his pilot, got his own luggage, took a stroll, then got on the plane and departed. Mr. Irby's rehab tour has taken place at several other sites in Jackson: The shindig at Hal and Mal's on Thanksgiving night where he was seen by more than a few people; the Friday night performance of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at New Stage Theater where his buddy Mac performed; the book signing for Quinten Whitwell's If By Whiskey held at Lee Paris' home. Numerous sources who attended the signing reported to JJ Mr. Irby was among those in attendance at the literary event where the beautiful people of Jackson showed up to tell each other how wonderful they are.

Hmmm....Mr. Irby can't testify in his case, yet he can fly to Dallas to have some fun, go to bars, plays, and book signings yet according to his doctor and Judge Green:
"Stuart Irby's physicians are of the opinion that he lacks the ability to participate or even comprehend and provide reliable and valid answers to questions from the State and Defendant regarding the incident at issue in this case. Moreover these treating physicians advise the Court Mr. Irby's involuntary participation in even a simple interview at this time would likely "worsen" his condition, would setback his brain injury recovery, and "cause harm" to their patient."..."

Obviously these excursions are part of Mr. Irby's rehab and we all hope he is making a speedy recovery from the injuries he suffered in that horrible wreck nearly a year ago. If, however, he is merely avoiding testifying in his wife's case, I will offer some advice: Spend some money and lease a condo in New Orleans for six months. You want to have some fun and not worry about everyone in town seeing it, just hit the road on I-55 South for two and a half hours and get lost in the Crescent City. No one will know who you are down there. However, I think we can all assume these little excursions are approved by his doctors and lawyers as part of his convalescence and that it is obviously working for him.

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The antithesis to corporate media: Read. An excerpt:
"The editor of the Memphis Avalanche swoops thus mildly down upon a correspondent who posted him as a Radical:--"While he was writing the first word, the middle, dotting his i's, crossing his t's, and punching his period, he knew he was concocting a sentence that was saturated with infamy and reeking with falsehood."--Exchange.

I was told by the physician that a Southern climate would improve my health, and so I went down to Tennessee, and got a berth on the Morning Glory and Johnson County War-Whoop as associate editor. When I went on duty I found the chief editor sitting tilted back in a three-legged chair with his feet on a pine table. There was another pine table in the room and another afflicted chair, and both were half buried under newspapers and scraps and sheets of manuscript. There was a wooden box of sand, sprinkled with cigar stubs and "old soldiers," and a stove with a door hanging by its upper hinge. The chief editor had a long-tailed black cloth frock-coat on, and white linen pants. His boots were small and neatly blacked. He wore a ruffled shirt, a large seal-ring, a standing collar of obsolete pattern, and a checkered neckerchief with the ends hanging down. Date of costume about 1848. He was smoking a cigar, and trying to think of a word, and in pawing his hair he had rumpled his locks a good deal. He was scowling fearfully, and I judged that he was concocting a particularly knotty editorial. He told me to take the exchanges and skim through them and write up the "Spirit of the Tennessee Press," condensing into the article all of their contents that seemed of interest...." Read the Rest of the story.

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This little Lhasa Apso is Digger. He is a "four year old male. Sweet personality. Loves to be held. Gets along well with dogs and cats. House training will need some work. Apply on line at www.carams.org or call Cathy at 601-605-0495." Digger's page.

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For a collection of all posts on Evans case, see sidebar on right side of page.

Did Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company bury a little exclusion in the insured closing protection letters* it issued to some of the banks in the Evans Case? JJ has obtained an insured closing protection letter Mississippi Valley issued to one of the banks that obtained a policy from Mississippi Valley Title for a loan it issued to Chris Evans. The letter is two pages long, near the end of the second page, the letter states:

"However, in no instance shall the company be liable hereunder unless notice of claim in writing is received by the Company at its principal office 90 days from the date of discovery of the loss. Furthermore and notwithstanding any other limitations set forth in this paragraph, in no instance shall the company be liable hereunder unless notice of claim in writing is received by the company at its principal office one (1) year from the date of closing."

It appears Mississippi Valley Title is notifying the bank that if claims are discovered more than a year after closing, the insurance company is not responsible for paying any claims. This could create huge problems for the banks involved in the Evans case as the banks have filed over $40 million in claims with Mississippi Valley Title. A substantial portion of these claims were on loans made more than a year before the fraud was discovered by Holmes County Bank and Mississippi Valley Title. Earlier post with itemized list and dates of loans. The key issue is how many banks received an insured closing protection letter from Mississippi Valley Title when they issued a loan to Chris Evans and is the exclusion valid.

If this is indeed an exclusion, it is probably extended to three years as Then-Commissioner George Dale issued a letter on 2006 on this very issue:
"The Commissioner has become aware of a provision in some insurance policies that is causing confusion regarding the statue of limitations period for a policy holder to file a legal action against company. Some policyholders are concerned that this provision is limiting their ability to bring a legal action against their insurance company to one year instead of the statutory three year period. In an effort to clarify this and remove any confusion or misunderstanding regarding the statute of limitations period to file a legal action against an insurance company, I am hereby issuing the following directive.

Insurance companies should be aware that Mississippi Code Ann. section 15-1-49 prescribes a general limitations period of three years next after the cause of such action has accrued. Case law has held that this statute applies to insurance policies. Furthermore, Mississippi Code section 15-1-5 states that the statute of limitations period provided by law may not be changed in any way whatsoever by contract between the parties, and any provision which so changes the statute of limitations shall be null and void." 2006 Directive

The one-year period is probably extended by law to three years. However, there were many loans issued to Chris Evans before 2006. 48 loans were issued between 2003 and 2005 to Chris Evans on properties in Madison and Desoto Counties. It will be interesting to see how many policies have such language and how it will be used by Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company.

*Definition of insured closing protection letter:
"An insured closing protection letter is issued by a title insurance company to a lender and meant to "specifically apply to escrow closing activities and services performed for title underwriters by approved attorneys or agents who are not employees of the title companies; as a general rule they are not issued on behalf of independent closers over whom the title company has no control. (An “Approved Attorney” is defined in the standard forms of CPLs as “an attorney upon whose certification of title the title insurance company issues title insurance”; an “Issuing Agent” is defined as “an agent authorized to issue title insurance for the title insurance company”). These letters are standardized indemnity agreements given to individually named lenders and recite the specific conditions under, and the extent to which, title insurers will accept liability for the acts or omissions of such parties." Definition of a closing protection letter by First American, a title insurance company.

Synopsis of Evans case (This feature will be included with future posts on Evans case): Charles Evans, Jr. was an attorney approved by Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company to provide title certificates to MVT and lenders showing a borrower had clear title to property. MVT filed a lawsuit in September accusing his brother of using over 30 LLC's to obtain fraudulent loans from over 30 banks in Mississippi. Chris Evans would allegedly use one company to purchase a large tract of prime commercial real estate in Madison and Desoto Counties. Another company owned by Evans would obtain a commercial real estate mortgage on a smaller section of the tract yet that borrowing company never obtained a deed showing ownership of the land from the other company. Thus the smaller tract was actually non-existed as the larger tract was never actually subdivided. Charles would allegedly provide a title certificate however showing the borrowing company owned the land even though it didn't. Over 80 loans for nearly $50 million were issued by Mississippi banks to companies owned by Chris Evans for lands those companies either did not own. MVT has testified federal authorities are currently investigating the case. Chris Evans filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on October 26, which stopped the Mississippi Valley Title's lawsuit against him as federal bankruptcy law stays most state civil court proceedings once a bankruptcy petition is filed. Mississippi Valley Title testified 65 title insurance claims for approximately $41 million have been filed by banks affected by the Evans case.

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Jackson crime stats for week of November 16-22, 2009. If anyone has the crime stats for surrounding cities, feel free to send them to me.

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Yup. He was stone-cold sober.

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Thompson passed away today after a long fight with cancer. He was loved by many and respected by all. What words describe Mr. Thompson? A caring doctor? Someone who sought to make this world better for everyone? A great husband? A great father? Someone who loved sailing? A man who returned when his home state needed his help? Yes, he was all that and more. The Ed Thompsons of the world are the true angels on earth as they bless everyone they touch and are remembered by all. I've taken the liberty of posting some pictures of Ed Thompson. One is the formal, respected Doctor, taking care of his state. The others are of an Ed Thompson who was filled with life and vigor, passionate about sailing and living life to the fullest. Instead of the Ed Thompson we saw in recent months, let's remember him as he is in these pictures: a great yet simple man who blessed us with his life. Say a prayer for Marsha and his family.

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See sidebar on right for a collection of all posts on Evans case.

Chris Evans filed a schedule of his assets, liabilities, and claims in U.S. Bankruptcy Court last week. Copy of schedule. It's 76 pages long but there are many important facts in the schedule. Mr. Evans claims he owns $82,790,000 in properties and there are $60,260,266 in secured claims.

Synopsis of Evans case (This feature will be included with future posts on Evans case): Charles Evans, Jr. was an attorney approved by Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company to provide title certificates to MVT and lenders showing a borrower had clear title to property. MVT filed a lawsuit in September accusing his brother of using over 30 LLC's to obtain fraudulent loans from over 30 banks in Mississippi. Chris Evans would allegedly use one company to purchase a large tract of prime commercial real estate in Madison and Desoto Counties. Another company owned by Evans would obtain a commercial real estate mortgage on a smaller section of the tract yet that borrowing company never obtained a deed showing ownership of the land from the other company. Thus the smaller tract was actually non-existed as the larger tract was never actually subdivided. Charles would allegedly provide a title certificate however showing the borrowing company owned the land even though it didn't. Over 80 loans for nearly $50 million were issued by Mississippi banks to companies owned by Chris Evans for lands those companies either did not own. MVT has testified federal authorities are currently investigating the case. Chris Evans filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on October 26, which stopped the Mississippi Valley Title's lawsuit against him as federal bankruptcy law stays most state civil court proceedings once a bankruptcy petition is filed. Mississippi Valley Title testified 65 title insurance claims for approximately $41 million have been filed by banks affected by the Evans case.

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Is there blood on Mike Huckabee's hands? The former Arkansas Governor pardoned cop-killer Maurice Clemons while in office. The Hill reports:
"In 1990, a then-18-year-old Clemmons was convicted of burglary and theft of property and sentenced to 60 years in prison. The teenage Clemmons was already serving 48 years of time on five felony convictions from earlier offenses. He was released 11 years into his burglary sentence. Clemmons began the clemency process by requesting "executive clemency by pardon."

The Governor and his supporters can quote legal mumbo-jumbo and play logical twister all day long as they try to salvage his political career. After all, every Governor makes mistakes. He's a good man, a minister, someone who thought someone had changed for the better. Unfortunately for Arkansawyers (apologies to Paul Greenberg) and four dead cops in Washington, releasing thugs like Clemmons was apparently part of a very disturbing pattern for Huckabee. The Arkansas Leader published the following graph in this 2004 article:













What is the saying about a picture being worth a thousand words? I think in this case its a few thousand.

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Tigerdroppings.com has a Saints board. Over 2300 members online right now.

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It's that time of year and you know what it means: It's time for my award-winning egg nog recipe.

Ingredients: 1 cup bourbon 1 cup brandy 1 cup Tia Maria
12 eggs, quart cream, quart half & half, 1/2 lb powdered sugar
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Directions: Separate eggs and combine booze and yokes and
whisk in 1/2 lb of powdered sugar.
Store in fridge for 24 hrs. Keep the whites chilled also.
24 hrs later, whip cream in large bowl until thick,
then add half & half and the yoke/booze mix.
Add the egg whites and whip till frothy.
Chill for a while before serving.

Get blowed up.

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While getting a shake from Brent's Drugs this afternoon, I learned Brent's should be open for breakfast starting in January. They have some more equipment which needs to be installed and then Fondren and Belhaven will finally have their own restaurant serving breakfast. Nice job and kudos to the new owners of Brent's who committed to growing its legacy.

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A hearing was held today in Judge Swan Yerger's court on the Motion to Dismiss filed by Robbie Bell. Bell's motion was filed in response to the lawsuit filed against her by Elizabeth Hall. Post on Reponse to Motion to Dismiss, Post on Motion to Dismiss, Post on Bell lawsuit. Judge Yerger is instead treating it as a motion for summary judgment and giving both parties ten days to submit additional pleadings and evidence. Judge Yerger will then set a hearing date. Stay tuned.

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Robbie Bell filed a Rebuttal to Plaintiff's Reponse to Motion to Dismiss November 24 in Hinds County Circuit Court. Robbie Bell is the mother of George Bell, III, who is serving life for murdering and sexually assaulting his girlfriend, Heather Spencer, and kidnapping her best friend, Elizabeth Hall, at gunpoint. Ms. Hall filed a lawsuit against Ms. Bell seeking damages for her conduct during George Bell's murderous rampage on September 11, 2007.

The two sides have filed the usual motions and responses in such a case. However, Ms. Bell filed an affidavit with the Court that makes a few new claims:

"2. At all times relevant hereto, George Bell III owned guns and had access to them.
3. When I came home on the night September 10, 2007, George Bell had in his possession onf his own guns.
4. Throughout the night and into the next morning, I was held captive by George Bell III and believed that if I did not do as I was told, George Bell III would kill me, others, and/or himself.
5. At no time relevant hereto, did I provide George Bell III with a gun or authorize him to use any gun owned by me or anyone else.
6. At all times relevant hereto, I had no control over George Bell III."

So if Ms. Bell was held captive, in fear, and knew George Bell III had a gun, why didn't she call the police when he left?

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The Clarion-Ledger reported on the Steadivest case this morning, No new information for JJ readers but it did a pretty good job of covering most of the bases. Article

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