Jackson Jambalaya

Anyone recommend the name of a good commercial builder? Email kingfish1935@gmail.com. Thanks.

and yes, I said "commercial". Its for an expansion of a children's pt clinic. 900 sq. feet. no plumbing.

Jamarcus Russell and Darren McFadden in the same backfield?

Now THAT is scary.

I think I used to have that issue.

I think DWF and a few others will um, see the humor in this.

For a further discussion of Ms. Handler, http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/messagetopic.asp?p=7977498&pg=1#lp

The former college boyfriend is now history. I told him last night our relationship will never work, for our lives are far too different. It was the kindest thing I could do. It is rare I hear a grown man cry over the phone, so I doubt I'll ever get that sound out of memory. The phone call was one of the saddest I've ever had. This DWF is just not ready, and probably never will be, for emotional entanglement.

DWF is returning to her cougar ways, today expecting yet another visit from the "hottie", 26 years old. I received a text from him last night while he was in New Orleans, asking if he could come over tonight after his exam today. I never hesitated, quickly texting back a "yes". It should be a great evening, to put it mildly. A quick trip to Victoria's Secret is definitely on the agenda for this afternoon.

How strange to experience the emotions of sadness and exhiliration in the same evening, from interaction with 2 men of different generations. If there was ever a question in my mind as to why I couldn't stir up the old feelings of love of long ago for the former boyfriend, the answer became apparent last night. Simply put, the love of many years ago I had for him was washed away by the tears and anguish of two failed marriages and 3 other relationships which were all one-sided, and the side was mine.

I still have emotions, yes, but at my age, I get much more satisfaction from the momentary rush of adrenaline and heat from a young, sexy, adorable guy, than I will ever get from someone my age. If that makes me shallow, I take the label proudly.

So on to bigger and better "things"............................. The Cougar Is Back, Baby!

Kingfish note: I thought YOU were the exam.

Back in September, I asked if Syria was trying to acquire nukes after Israel was thought to have bombed a facility in Syria. As the attack was not mentioned by either country, many have speculated that the facility was indeed used for the development of nuclear weapons.
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/09/did-syria-have-nukes.html

Apparently it was a facility devoted to helping the Iranians acquire nuclear technology in secret along with North Korean help as reported by The Telegraph (London):
Piece by piece, the intelligence jigsaw puzzle concerning Israel's air strike on a top-secret military site in northern Syria last September is finally taking shape. When a squadron of Israeli F-15 fighter-bombers destroyed a hitherto unknown Syrian military facility at Dayr as-Zawr, close to the country's north-eastern border with Turkey, there was much speculation that Israel had staged a repeat of its 1981 mission against Iraq's Osirak nuclear facility, which thwarted Saddam Hussein's ambition to acquire a nuclear weapons arsenal.
The raid took place shortly after a mysterious North Korean ship - which had reflagged itself as a South Korean vessel so as to avoid detection - docked at the Syrian port of Tartous and unloaded its cargo, which was traced being transported to the Syrian military base. American and Israeli spy satellites were soon producing high-resolution photographs of the facility that suggested it bore an uncanny resemblance to North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, which produced the atomic device that the North Koreans successfully test-fired in late 2006. ....
But Syria's experimentation with nuclear proliferation has more to do with its strategic alliance with Tehran than any pretensions the Assad regime might entertain about becoming a nuclear superpower. In response to the West's increasing pressure on Iran over its uranium enrichment programme, Tehran has stepped up its military co-operation with Damascus, and has signed a mutual defence pact. That has resulted in the Iranians promising to provide the Syrians with their Shahab-3 ballistic missile system. Last summer, dozens of Iranian and Syrian missile technicians were reported to have been killed while attempting to mount a chemical warhead on a Scud missile at a Syrian military facility.
Now, it appears that the Syrians are quietly helping the Iranians with their nuclear weapons programme. As part of their continuing efforts to acquire the technology to develop nuclear weapons, the Iranians have sent teams of their scientists to Pyongyang to examine the details of the North Koreans' successful nuclear test...."
httelegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/04/25/do2504.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedboxtp://www.

Got to love the Internet. After my posts this week about the proposed fees for the two specialty high schools, Mr. Jere Nash himself sent me the following email. Since it made some good points, I obtained his permission to publish it:
Greetings. Yes, it is true I was paid by Cecil's campaign committee to help Cecil in his re-election campaign. The first I knew of the fee issue related to the two special schools was when I read it in the paper. According to Cecil, they checked the idea by the governor's office, and of course all three Senate conferees signed off on it. And as you know, the room and board fee is waived for any kid on the SCHIPS program. Cecil's point is that it costs the state $24,000 per student at the arts school and $20,000 per student at the science/math school, yet the state provides $4,600 per student to all other public schools. It seemed a little unfair to the conferees to maintain that kind of imGrecampaign. The first I knew of the fee issue related to the two special schools was when I read balance, particularly when times were tight financially for the state budget as a whole. I have been involved in several conspiracies in my day, but this was not one of them. Holler if you have any other questionsetings. Yes, it is true I was paid by Cecil's campaign committee to help Cecil in his re-election .

Mr. Nash makes some valid points even though I disagree with them. Another poster made a comment in a previous posts that addresses this issue rather well:
Dear Uninformed Anonymous person, when students attend a boarding school, they do not see their parents daily. That means that parents pay for cellphones or calling cards to have the privilege of speaking to their children in the evening.The students are required to go home once a month. The school shuts down, and they are not allowed to stay in the dorms. When home is several hours away, that can be fairly expensive with the current price of gas. When I was a student at MSMS twelve years ago, there was a nice man with a van who would drive you to a location in Hattiesburg once a month for about $60. My mom would drive an hour to come pick me up in Hattiesburg for our monthly visit. $60 dollars once a month for nine months and a very basic cellphone plan for the same period ($30/mo) comes out to $810 that parents already pay. This neglects other costs such as the $100 graphing calculator every student must buy and the lab coat and an assortment of other fees and supplies that most public school students do not have to pay.
April 24, 2008 7:44 PM

So according to Mr. Nash, the costs were backed by the Governor's office or his representatives and as someone else pointed out, a former headmaster of the school is his education guru. However, the poster makes a very good point about the sacrifices the families face in sending their kids to these schools.

Now I would love to sit down with Mr. Nash, open up a bottle of some good tequila that has been chilled, and hear about some of the other conspiracies.

Anyone who knows me knows I love jazz. From the sounds of Trane and Bird constantly playing on my stereo to the framed print of Miles Davis hanging on the wall, I am constantly surrounded by jazz. A friend recently asked me to burn some cds for him as he had never been really exposed to jazz except for the easy listening type of jazz one hears in restaurants. Its boring nature discouraged him from listening to more jazz. During a recent visit to Bourbon Street, he and some friends walked into Maison De Jazz where he heard Jamal Sharif (I knew who played that night as I know the place very well.). After commenting that he was surprised he liked what he heard, I burned some cds from the masters: Monk, Trane, Sonny, and Miles. The next time I saw him, I discovered a jazz-lover had been born. Since then, I have had numerous people ask me about what they should buy if they wanted to sample some jazz but do not know where to begin. As I am not a critic but just an aficionado of that American treasure. I recommend the following albums. Feel free to offer your own recommendations as I am no expert by any means. As there is still much jazz I have not listened to, I apologize for any omissions of albums that belong on such a list.

Read rest of post at:
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/07/anyone-who-knows-me-knows-i-love-jazz.html

http://yallpolitics.com/index.php/yp/post/7784/#34611

http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/bill_minor_i_hate_to_be_so_blunt/

Dorothy Rabinowitz, Pulitzer-prize winning columnist (and nominated 3 other times) for The Wall Street Journal, pens an editorial on the recent controversy over the ABC-moderated Democratic presidential debate:

"Mr. Obama's apparent inability to confront, forthrightly, the pastor's poisonous pronouncements and his own relationship with him is, of course, the cause of all the continuing questions on the subject. It had not been in him, for instance, to say publicly that for a pastor to have preached that the U.S. government had embarked on a project to inject blacks with AIDS was an outrage on truth and decency. He delivered a celebrated speech on race, one generally hailed as a masterwork, that was supposed to have explained it all. It was a work masterly, above all, in its evasiveness. Even its admirers, prepared to swallow his repeated resort to descriptions like "controversial" for the pastor's hate-filled rants, couldn't quite give Sen. Obama a pass when it came to his beloved white grandmother, or to the not so beloved Geraldine Ferraro, both of whom he suggested were racists in their own right.
These issues – the unanswered, the suspect – which outraged press partisans have for days attempted to dismiss as trivia and gossip, largely forgotten by the public, are unlikely to be forgotten, either today or in the general election, nor are they trivial. This, Messrs. Gibson and Stephanopoulos clearly understood when they chose their questions. Mr. Obama's answers told far more than he or his managers wished.
Offered a chance to explain the meaning of his remarks about the reasons people living in small towns cling to guns and religion, he went on to repeat them all over again in different words. What there was in those remarks, what attitudes shown, that had offended people, he had still not grasped. In short, what he had said that day he'd meant to say. "What you are, picks its way," as Walt Whitman told us...." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120891044439036617.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_mostpop

Columns that earned Ms. Rabinowitz her Pulitzer (Read the one on McCain): http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2001/commentary/works/

In addition to her Pulitzer, Mr. Rabinowitz has earned the following distinctions: Ms. Rabinowitz is a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. She re ceived the 1997 Champion of Justice Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in recognition of her journalistic achievements and commending her in particular for her writing on false sexual abuse charges. In 1993 she won the Distinguished Writing Award from the American Society of Newspaper Editors in the commentary category. http://www.opinionjournal.com/medialog/bio.html/

Disclaimer: Highly offensive language. First time I saw it I thought it was real and was surprised he was alive. Turns out he is a Jewish comedian and these are all skits except for the homeless person clip. And for the record, I would've died laughing if he had gotten his ass kicked.

click on the link: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/NEWS/804240384/1001/news

Since you are so busy and eager to defend Jim Hood, why don't you explain to us why he tanked on the Robbie Bell indictment. I mean, since you are the creator of the Chick Ball for Domestic Violence Awareness, it's something that should be more than a passing interest to you. You did have more than enough time to make Robbie Bell your "Most Intriguing Person" in Jackson for 2007, so the overworked argument won't hold too much water in this case. However, I've yet to see one critical word out of you or your staff in regards to Mr. Hood's dive.

Over at The Jackson Free Press, Madame DeLadd opined:
"Today Sid Salter stooped to the level of garden-variety anonymous bloggers today with his belittlement of Attorney General Jim Hood's legitimate concern about the corporate media that pays his paycheck. Nice effort to change the subject, Sid; I'm surprised you didn't find a way to work Jesse Jackson into your whine."

Now, now Donna, lets not be petty. For someone who has supposedly accomplished so much, it just doesn't become you.

Interesting. Saturday I wrote about how Cecil Brown was attempting to make the specialty schools for our gifted students more expensive for their families, http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-we-dont-need-no-harvards-legislator.html

"This post generated an email I received that night. This email is filled with speculation and unsubstantiated musings but I think it raises some interesting points nonetheless:
I'm having trouble proving this, but I think this is all MAE's bidding. Last big hit attempt against MSMS was (from what I heard, I can't prove it) MAE, trying to get all the teachers that didn't hold teaching certificates bounced. Well, way I see, it, if you have a PHD in Chemistry, who gives a flying rat's ass if you didn't take the 'sit on pillows and talk about your feelings' education classes. Also, He paid...wait for it...Jere Nash and his "Democratic Consulting Group' 35,000 according to his 2007 election report...page 2/3 of 'Disbursements.' Hmmm, Jere Nash is a Union Shill...see what I mean, I can't prove it, but this AssNeck is F'n up.
A couple of other things...Barbour's Education Advisor is Johnny Franklin, former headmaster of MSMS. They hid this shit in conference and sprung it at the last minute. One of Hayes Dent's lobbiest, is also an MSMS graduate and didn't see it coming. Plus, there's an MSMS graduate that served on Barbour's Katrina Recovery Board/Cabal, whatever. They attached this to the Education Funding, if Barbour Vetoed it, he's an instant asshole, just add pen. "

Mr. Nash is a well known Democratic Party and labor operative (and who should be giving thanks Jimmy Hoffa wasn't alive when he was involved in the Teamster elections). After checking the Secretary of State's website, it is true that during the last election cycle, Mr. Brown gave Mr. Nash's group, of which he is president, $35,000.

Something else is interesting. Mr. Brown is also on the Mississippi Association of Gifted Children Advisory Board. http://www.muw.edu/magc/board.htm Apparently Darth Cecilius is not above turning against those who have trusted him to look out for their interests in the legislature as apparently his proposed fees will drive some students away from the school. http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080420/NEWS/80420005
In fact, if I remember correctly, the MAE and their buddies were not too happy with the specialty schools when they were created so my email pal's thoughts are rather interesting indeed.

Just to show that no good deed or student goes unpunished, Andy Taggart, former protege extraoardinaire of Governor Fordice and last seen taking a dive in the Madison County Supervisor's race to help a pal, weighed in on his blog this week stating that the proposed increase is only $25 a week for these parents. http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=redblue&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a36489e38-8ae6-4b2e-8841-0017ffb2c4ddPost%3a1d02a3c0-c6de-42b3-bcdb-363e8a56fadd&sid=sitelife.clarionledger.com

Isn't that how most taxes start out? Its only this much. Who could be against that? Only a few will be impacted by this policy change. Funny how when it suits his purposes, Mr. Taggart has no problems adopting the language of liberals. In response to his new-found philosophy I say that the whole concept of these schools is for Mississippi to invest in its best students. That means not charging them for room and board. The families of these children sacrifice enough as it is by sending their kids to these schools away from home so they can better themselves. Now Mr. Taggart and Mr. Brown want to add insult to the sacrifice.

Then there is the slippery slope argument to consider. I can see it now, government trollops like Brown & Taggart later saying "well, we only want to increase it by $100 a semester. Thats only a few dollars a week. Who could be against that? Then will come the fee increases for other things. Well, we are already giving these families a free specialized education, WHO could be against an activity fee? Who indeed.

If you want to know why Mississippi is always last, look at Cecil Brown and Andy Taggart, former enemies, now soulmates when it comes to screwing Mississippi's students.

If you also think I'm being too hard on Darth Cecilius, ask yourself why he chose to stuff this into a conference committee bill in the middle of the night when it was less likely to be debated.

Simple solution: straight pipe.

Do cellular south blackberries support opera? Thanks

Don't want to deal with the rednecks upriver or the Ridgeland roadblocks? Worried that Frank might decide to pull you over so he can show some love or don't want Mac to have a stroke because you are having a drink at 2:01 AM? Check out what is going on in New Orleans that weekend.

The New Orleans Wine and Food Experience at the Superdome. http://nowfe.com/html/tastings.html

"A truly "Grand" experience for both foodies and wine connoisseurs, pairing extensive offerings from New Orleans' finest chefs and selections of wines from around the world. 75 Chefs and 1000 Vintages are accompanied by some of Louisiana’s best musicians, décor that showcases the local flavor, and new, exciting festivities, to be announced soon! ...'

Check out the list of participants. Well worth the money.
Participating restaurants: http://nowfe.com/html/restlist.html
Participating wineries: http://nowfe.com/html/winerylist.html

Rumor also has it NMC of Folo will be the star of the show with his gumbo recipe. Sit next to Folse, Prudhomme, and other gourmet stars as they learn from NMC how to make a dynamite gumbo.

Another event that weekend I always go to is Greekfest at the Orthodox Church over off of Robert. E. Lee. Its alot of fun. There is alcohol for you adults. Great food all over the place (the rotisserie grilled lamb is awesome, to quote Bush), and family friendly as there is plenty to do for the kids. For more information, click on the link: http://www.greekfestnola.com/

There's always one of these homers every time a legend retires. Coach Ron Polk announced he is retiring from coaching Mississippi State baseball and he would like MSU to hire current assistant coach and former MSU player Tommy Raffo as his replacement. Naturally the homers came out of the woodwork, writing letters to the newspaper begging for Raffo to be hired as he is one of their own:  

This feels really weird. Went to the wine tasting at Highland Village last night. Only thing is, I crashed. Like around 10:30. I mean by a quarter til 11, I was sound asleep. On a Saturday night. Never was drunk. Never was hammered. Just got sleepy as hell. Just woke up around 7 AM on a SUNDAY morning. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 7 AM on a Sunday morning in Jackson, MS. 8 hours of sleep. I'm not used to this.

By the way, anyone want to bet if that wine tasting had been in Ridgeland there would have been several roadblocks?

For too long, Mississippi has had a history considered biased against anything cultural or intellectual. Remember the legislator in the 1980's who infamously stated, "We don't need no Harvards here."? For a time however, it seemed Mississippi was finally getting it right when it created the schools for the gifted. For too long, Mississippi has been afflicted with brain drain since its best students too often moved to other states.

Unfortunately, some of our legislators are determined to repeat the past and have declared war on our best students. The leader of the latest shenanigans is State Representative Cecil Brown, once the Chief of Staff for Ray Mabus and ironically considered one of the smartest people in state government. Regardless of his credentials, his recent actions show when you scratch the surface, this liberal who is on the right lists and receives accolades from our so called "creative" class, is just as anti-progressive as any tobacco-spittin' share-cropping backwoods redneck Mississippi legislator from the 1800's or 1950's.

In this case, Mr. Brown decided to sneak into a bill a provision to charge parents of said students $500 a semester for room and board. As a bean-counting, out of touch CPA, he naturally defended his attack on the families of these students by claiming, "It's a matter of equity," Brown said. "Why would we pay for room and board for children of parents who can pay for their room and board? This would only apply for parents who can afford it."

Why indeed, Mr. Brown. Since you are obviously caught up in debits and credits, perhaps it's time someone reminded you not all monies spent are expenses but instead are investments. They did teach you about investments when you were majoring in Accounting, didn't they?

For too long, Mississippi suffered from a very poor history of educating its children. Too many people moved away because there was little opportunity to better themselves through education or work. The small amount of money spent on these students' room and board by Mississippi is an investment in their future AND in Mississippi's. If Mississippi is to advance in the 21st century, it needs to invest in its best students and figure out ways to keep them home where they are needed.

Mr. Brown's logic reminds me of a bad manager I had one time who told me the company could make a profit even at the bottom of the market. Needless to say, that company went out of business as even itsdiscovered it couldn't avoid the laws of economics. Mr. Brown did have his chance once in the Mabus administration, which saw state finances in disarray as they were completely mismanaged and plagued by deficits. If anything, Mr. Brown should be kept away from deciding what is best for our state. One hopes Governor Barbour kills this bill, even if it means we have to call a special session and write a new education bill from scratch.

News article: http://search.clarionledger.com/sp?eId=100&gcId=20280924&rNum=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clarionledger.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FAID%3D2008804170371&siteIdType=2
Editorial: http://search.clarionledger.com/sp?eId=100&gcId=20280924&rNum=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clarionledger.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FAID%3D2008804190320&siteIdType=2

Judge Patton.

Apparently you will be getting reacquainted with the Commission again.

clue: http://folo.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/shelton-tribunal-reco.pdf

Entergy, the subject of frequent criticism by local radio talk show host Kim Wade, pulled all advertising from Inner City Jackson radio stations this week, including WJNT. Entergy's actions will deprive Inner City of approximately $25,000 in revenue, according to sources. Mr. Wade has been a frequent critic of a bill (SB#2793) supported by Entergy which would give Entergy a rate hike in order to pay for a proposed nuclear plant, while absolving Entergy of any responsibility to repay the rate increases to customers if it decided not to build the plant. The bill was passed by the legislature and sent to the Governor. While Entergy made no formal announcement linking the decision to pull its advertising from WJNT and other Inner City stations to Mr. Wade's crusade, it does not take a genius to connect the dots.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080417/NEWS010504/804170376/1001/news

FOLO, Friends of Lotus, and Y'all Politics are two of the premier blogs in Mississippi. I've added them to the local links list on the right and also added RSS feeds in the bottom sidebar on the right side of the page. Enjoy.

Excerpts from the Parkway Properties press release:

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI – April 15, 2008 - Parkway Properties, Inc.
(NYSE:PKY) announced today that the Courthouse Racquet and Fitness Center
has signed a five-and-a-half year, 10,000 square foot lease to bring a premier
fitness facility to downtown Jackson. The facility will be located in the Shops at
Jackson Place, on the ground floor of the newly renovated Parking at Jackson
Place facility. The Shops at Jackson Place offer 60,000 square feet of retail space
and are part of the Jackson Place development in the heart of downtown. The
facility is expected to open in the fall of 2008 and will offer first-class facilities,
equipment, personal training, and exercise classes, including classes tailored for
the professional.
Steven G. Rogers, President and CEO of Parkway stated, “We are thrilled
to welcome the Courthouse back to downtown Jackson and are proud to be able to
offer this valuable amenity to the people who work and live in the downtown
area. This is an important milestone in the continuing revitalization of downtown
Jackson and shows the significant commitment that the Courthouse has made to
this city.”
Johnny Black, President of Courthouse Racquet and Fitness stated, “My
partner Elisabeth Culbertson and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the
renaissance of downtown Jackson. The downtown market is just exploding with
great news on a daily basis and to return after 20 years is very exciting for us!
This facility will be the “premier” fitness center for the professionals living and
working downtown. Members at our new downtown location will enjoy the
benefit of having access to our other 5 facilities in the Metro Jackson area.”

As a long-time member, I am thrilled to see Johnny bringing the Courthouse back to downtown Jackson. The Blacks are classy people and have done much for the Jackson community. The facility will have weights, cardio machines, and cybex machines, as well as aerobic and spin classes. The hours will likely be from 5:00 or 6:00 AM until 7:00 PM. No word yet if free massage therapy and wine will be offered. However, from what I understand, plans for a rollerball facility are being considered. Once again, congratulations to the Blacks and their staff.

Apparently our Mayor engages in some imbibing at 2 Carter Grove Circle as his house tied with Char for best bar in Jackson. Apparently most of you are Southern Baptists because this poll had one of the lowest vote totals ever. The results were as follows:

1. Char, Frank Melton's House: 8 votes (28% combined)
2. Fenians: 7 votes (12%)
3. Sal and Mookie's: 5 votes (8%)
4. Martin's, Shuckers, Elixer: 4 votes (21% combined)
5. Bravo's: 3 votes (5%)
6. Juleps, Ticos, The Chimes, Schimmels: 2 votes (12% combined)


Only 53 votes. Some of you people really do need a drink.

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/01/running-of-bears.html
Posted back in January. What do you think?

What is wrong with Jerry Mitchell's story on Judge DeLaughter's mortgage, aside from the fact that Mitchell should not be allowed to cover the learned jurist? Read the Deed of Trust and the Story before you answer.

Story: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804130370

Deed of Trust: http://www.clarionledger.com/assets/pdf/D0105594411.PDF

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx

Enjoy.

He is a pretty boy. He doesn't like to get hit. He does not respond well at all to criticism and doesn't like to stand up to people, especially those around him. He's soft and never been truly been challenged by adversity. Defeat is what hardens and teaches lessons. He's never lost.

Obama has never really had to defend himself on the issues. The fight for the nomination has been about personality and to some degree, group-identity politics. There has been very little debate on the issues as Obama and Clinton differ very little while the Republicans had more diversity. Obama has not really had to get out there and defend himself on the issues that much. It will be interesting to see what happens when he really has to start defending his positions. Gee Mr. Obama, you want to raise capital gains taxes to nearly 30 percent? Considering the markets are already in crisis mode, do you want to cause them to plunge even more and thus hurt American's 401k's? Why do you want to hurt the retirement plans of ordinary, hard-working Americans?

We are more than six months away from November and if there is anything American history has taught us it is that at this point, anything is possible.

I've gotten used to the economic ignorance somewhat at the "state" newspaper. Business editors that don't know the difference between a credit bureau and credit rating agency. Editorial writers that think the federal reserve is a government agency. You get the idea. However, their editorial yesterday about taxing internet sales deserves comment.

Maybe it escaped their notice, but Mississippi is a poor state. The internet has leveled the playing field somewhat for Mississippi businesses to compete and increase their sales. Someone should point out to them that increased sales means.....drum roll..... more income taxes. The internet has made it possible for a businesses such as Gail Pittman, Cups, Southern Breeze, and Mississippi Cheese Straws to reach customers in ways that were not possible before the internet as the costs for advertising on a nationwide scale made it virtually impossible for them to do so. Slapping them with an internet sales tax puts them at a disadvantage not just against competitors in other states but also in other countries for the internet marketplace is global, not American.

The biggest development of the last 25 years has been the rise of the internet and there is a reason for it: minimal government regulation and low, if any, taxes. However, the economic doofuses at the Clarion-Ledger would rather kill the goose that lays the golden egg. When we want Mississippi to be a leader, this is not quite what we have in mind.

However, since the Clarion-Ledger is so concerned with closing tax loopholes, perhaps it should lead by example and write an editorial calling for the closing of the sales tax exemption for newspapers.

I wonder when David Hampton or Ronnie Agnew will write that editorial.

Iraqi Sunnis take control of their neighborhoods, kicking out the insurgents, The London Telegraph reports:
For all that they despised the group, for a long time Mr Abbas and his neighbours in Jamia, a once-prosperous middle-class neighbourhood of west Baghdad, were simply too scared to defy them openly.
That changed six months ago, though, when the presence of extra US soldiers in the district as part of the "troop surge" gave them the confidence to start their own rebellion.
Today, Mr Abbas's group is one of around 50 so-called "Awakening" movements across Iraq helping to rid Sunni neighbourhoods of extremist influence....
Arguably the best indicator of their good intentions is the effort which al-Qa'eda has devoted to killing them....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/12/wiraq112.xml&page=2

Michael Yon wrote this column for the Wall Street Journal last Friday. Forget CNN, Fox News, NBC, or the rest of the media when it comes to Iraq. Most of the reporters for them do not know what the hell is going on over there. They fly in a couple of times a year for a ten day or so tour and fly back home to report on how they roughed it in the Green Zone. Mr. Yon is a former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and a writer who has been living over in Iraq for several years now, embedded with the troops and constantly blogging about Iraq. His dispatches are a must read for anyone trying to stay informed on Iraq. He has been very critical of the administration at times and is no dupe. I only take seriously the work of Mr. Yon, Thomas Ricks of The Washington Post (and author of Fiasco, listen to his interviews on NPR and read his articles at WP), and the Gordon of The New York Times. Here are some snippets of Mr. Yon's informed commentary:
I may well have spent more time embedded with combat units in Iraq than any other journalist alive. I have seen this war – and our part in it – at its brutal worst. And I say the transformation over the last 14 months is little short of miraculous.
The change goes far beyond the statistical decline in casualties or incidents of violence. A young Iraqi translator, wounded in battle and fearing death, asked an American commander to bury his heart in America. Iraqi special forces units took to the streets to track down terrorists who killed American soldiers. The U.S. military is the most respected institution in Iraq, and many Iraqi boys dream of becoming American soldiers. Yes, young Iraqi boys know about "GoArmy.com."
As the outrages of Abu Ghraib faded in memory – and paled in comparison to al Qaeda's brutalities – and our soldiers under the Petraeus strategy got off their big bases and out of their tanks and deeper into the neighborhoods, American values began to win the war.
Iraqis came to respect American soldiers as warriors who would protect them from terror gangs. But Iraqis also discovered that these great warriors are even happier helping rebuild a clinic, school or a neighborhood. They learned that the American soldier is not only the most dangerous enemy in the world, but one of the best friends a neighborhood can have....
Equally misguided were some senators' attempts to use Gen. Petraeus's statement, that there could be no purely military solution in Iraq, to dismiss our soldiers' achievements as "merely" military. In a successful counterinsurgency it is impossible to separate military and political success. The Sunni "awakening" was not primarily a military event any more than it was "bribery." It was a political event with enormous military benefits.
The huge drop in roadside bombings is also a political success – because the bombings were political events. It is not possible to bury a tank-busting 1,500-pound bomb in a neighborhood street without the neighbors noticing. Since the military cannot watch every road during every hour of the day (that would be a purely military solution), whether the bomb kills soldiers depends on whether the neighbors warn the soldiers or cover for the terrorists. Once they mostly stood silent; today they tend to pick up their cell phones and call the Americans. Even in big "kinetic" military operations like the taking of Baqubah in June 2007, politics was crucial. Casualties were a fraction of what we expected because, block-by-block, the citizens told our guys where to find the bad guys. I was there; I saw it.
The Iraqi central government is unsatisfactory at best. But the grass-roots political progress of the past year has been extraordinary – and is directly measurable in the drop in casualties....
This leads us to the most out-of-date aspect of the Senate debate: the argument about the pace of troop withdrawals. Precisely because we have made so much political progress in the past year, rather than talking about force reduction, Congress should be figuring ways and means to increase troop levels...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120787343563306609.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

Interesting take by Thomas Ricks:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303505.html

Earlier post on counter-insurgency doctrine. Too bad the Bush administration hasn't done a better job of explaining it to the American people: http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/07/counter-insurgency-for-beginners.html

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- A couple fighting about which gang their 4-year-old toddler should join caused a public disturbance that resulted in the father's arrest, Commerce City police said Thursday.
On Saturday, Joseph Manzanares stormed into the Hollywood Video store where his girlfriend worked, threatened to kill her and knocked over several video displays and even a computer, Commerce City police Sgt. Joe Sandoval said.
After he ran out of the store, police were called and the 19-year-old was arrested at his home.
His girlfriend told police that they had been arguing about the upbringing of their son and which gang he should belong to. The teen mother, who is black, is a member of the Crips. Manzanares is Hispanic and belongs to the Westside Ballers gang, the woman said.
"They have different ideas on how the baby should be raised. Basically, she said they cannot agree on which gang the baby would 'claim,'" Sandoval said.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15851207/detail.html

Kamikaze explosion in 3....2...1...

So Mr. Ramsey, what EXACTLY should the government do about this problem? Who should the government help? The investors who made it possible for all of this to happen? The lenders would have never approved or offered these questionable loans if there had not been investors on Wall Street telling them they were going to purchase them (That is the dirty little secret of this mess: It is investor-driven, not lender-driven). The lenders? Many of them are now out of business and more are suffering huge losses and have substantially tightened their requirements for obtaining a mortgage. Homeowners? Why should someone who HAS paid his mortgage even when it might have been hard for him to do so see someone who is not making his payments get help with HIS tax dollars? You do know all of these homeowners who have ARMs signed disclosures at loan application AND closing telling them they were getting an ARM and what the terms were, don't you? Or should the government help people who bought investment properties in Florida and California, hoping to flip them and make huge profits. Should the government tinker with foreclosures? That would really help homeowners. Take away the ability of a lender to mitigate his loss when a borrower defaults and you will REALLY see some very high interest rates on a house, not to mention that lenders will require borrowers to pay MUCH more than they do now in terms of down payments.

So Mr. Ramsey, while you are being a smart-ass, what exactly should the government do?

Disclaimer: Mr. Ramsey is a friend of mine. Ya think he gets special treatment here? haha. ;-)

Bill #1358 passed the House. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2008/pdf/HB/1300-1399/HB1358PS.pdf This bill will make it possible for Lake Hico to reopen. If you want to see that happen, contact your legislator.

Apparently Hood and Barbour had a little spat this week as the Governor vetoed House Bill #1240 which "would create the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act. Under the bill, any manufacturer who sells children's toys that do not adhere to federal standards could be in violation of the act. It also says the state attorney general should keep a running list of toys that are found to be defective." http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880409021 Attorney General Jim Hood criticized Barbour for vetoing the bill. The Governor said in his press release the bill would “negate Mississippi’s fair and just legal system by setting up a separate, poorly-defined scheme for alleged defective children’s products without indicating what, if any, of the provisions of our state’s existing products liability laws would apply.” http://www.governorbarbour.com/news/2008/apr/VetoHB1240.htm

However, the Governor did state in his press release:
"Although Governor Barbour vetoed House Bill 1240, he urged the Legislature to reconsider some of the positive merits of the legislation. “I support the creation of a list of defective children’s products and this list should be made available at no cost and over the internet to the general public, day care facilities, family child care homes, and licensed pediatricians.”

The Governor said these lists should be handled by the Department of Health or the Department of Human Services, given their roles in protecting the health and welfare of the state’s children."

Oh really, Haley? If that is the case there is a simple solution which does not need the legislature, although it might require you to take time away from your walking regimen. Since DHS is a part of the executive branch and under your control, there is nothing to stop you from issuing an executive order directing the Colonel to create such a list so Mississippi's children are better protected.

See bill: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2008/pdf/HB/1200-1299/HB1240SG.pdf

Courtesy of Matt Allen, who sent this to me.

Many renters remain in damaged apartments.
The tornado that hit NE Jackson and surrounding areas damaged more than a few apartment complexes:
"The carpet in Jessie Jones' apartment at Northtown off Old Canton Road in Jackson is covered with damp newspapers, pots, bowls and even a bedpan to catch water dripping from the ceiling.
"The whole roof was off (my building)," Jones said.
The elderly retiree didn't have renter's insurance and is living on a fixed income, but she's staying put....
Jones' complex is one of about a dozen in the tri-county area damaged by Friday's storm.
Northtown was one of the hardest hit, with 75-80 residents displaced because of extensive damage to about 50 units..." http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/NEWS/804100375/1001/news

One aches for these people as many lost their possessions, have no real place to call home, and must pick up and move somewhere else. I can't say it enough: GET RENTER'S INSURANCE!!! I got mine through Geico/Travelers. It cost me $180 a year and they will let you pay monthly. So for $20 or so a month, a renter sleep at night knowing his furniture, tv, and other belongings are covered if something happens.

Heavy Storms expected to hit
"A strong storm system, with the possibility of tornadoes, hail and damaging wind, is forecast to move into Mississippi this afternoon, mainly in the Delta area."
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/NEWS/80410021&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

AGAIN?? Let me guess: this is because we have casinos.

Crematorium allowed to remain open.
In a written statement, Hood said, "Due to the dearth of law and regulation of crematoriums, Judge Thomas did the best thing he could by granting the preliminary injunction requiring that the defendant's facility be run pursuant to national guidelines."....
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/NEWS/804100383/1001/news

This so-called investigation has been a cluster****. It is embarrassing that there is NO LAW OR REGULATION governing crematoriums. According to former trial lawyer Dewayne Thomas and trial lawyer puppet Jim Hood, no such statutes exist, thus allowing Mr. Seepe, ghoul extraordinaire, to remain open. One feels for these families as they have been through hell. My Grandfather was supposedly cremated and buried (I know I buried something that day at Cedar Lawn) by Mr. Seepe's business. It is sickening to say the least to think that that might not be my Grandfather buried in that plot. Even more disgusting is that the state was notified several times and did nothing or acted so slowly that Mr. Seepe was given time to cover up his past acts.

Marshall Ramsey nails it again
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=OPINION04

Unfortunately this is true. I was in my Grandmother's home near Old Canton Road and Ridgewood when the tornado hit and not once did I hear a siren. Perhaps we should fire Shirlene and buy some sirens. I shouldn't be too surprised as Melton has always been more concerned with helping out his friends than looking after the city.

Jere Nash shows his ignorance on Iraq
Nash, who I know is better-read than this, criticizes the effort in Iraq: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=redblue&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a36489e38-8ae6-4b2e-8841-0017ffb2c4ddPost%3afe8c0a08-059f-4765-a54b-e6fb44a3822c&sid=sitelife.clarionledger.com

No Mr. Nash, it is not unbelievable. Under the doctrine of COIN, the first thing you do to fight an insurgency is provide enough troops to improve security. The goal is NOT to beat the enemy in battle but to win the population over to your side to the point that it becomes an active ally against the insurgents. Thus, the troops have been moved out of bases and into the field among the native population for the purpose of building relationships with the Iraqis, developing better intelligence, and engaging the enemy quickly and decisively. After security is improved, THEN political progress can take place and it takes time. The Iraqis have only had a year of true security for a year or less and yet we expect them to conform to our McDonald's fast food culture and roll out a long term stable government as if on an assembly line. Any COIN expert will tell you it will take several years to defeat an insurgency.

Then there is the Jackson Free Press
Assistant Editor Maggie Burkes shows her ignorance of Islam:
In 2006, just a year into his papacy, Pope Benedict offended Muslims around the world when he quoted Byzantine Emperor Manual II Paleologos saying, “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” He was delivering a speech on the differences between violence and faith as manifested in the Christian and Muslim faiths.While the pope expressed that it was not his intention to offend Islam, one has to wonder what ill-advised intent he had when reading a passage that alluded to the “evil and inhuman” nature of their faith. I’m sure there were better passages to cite that would have illustrated his topic without causing the frenzy. http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=16770_0_7_0_C

Where does one start with the young Ms. Burkes? Has she actually read the Koran? Studied the history of Islam? This is a religion that treats women as cattle. Education is discouraged if contrary to the laws of the prophet. There is no freedom of conscience or thought. If you convert from Islam, the ONLY penalty is death. There is no division of power between religion and secular as Shariah is the only law, all crimes are thus sins. What Ms. Burkes does not understand is that there is NO criticism of Islam the Pope could have made without such a protest. This is a religion whose adherents seek to shut down, or destroy if possible, anyone who criticizes Islam as it is considered to be a blasphemy against the prophet and allah.

If Ms. Burkes had bothered to read his comments in full, she would have found that the Pope was discussing the practice of forced conversions, jihad, and the militant nature of Islam. One would assume that as a "progressive", Ms. Burkes would have a problem with some of these aspects of Islam as well if she is not too blinded by the see no evil hear no evil multicultural ideology.

Nice column by Gregory
who discovers history is indeed cyclical ;-) : http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=16752_0_7_0_C#110866

http://deehumor.homestead.com/knockhimout.html

The one time you should've opened your mouth you kept it shut. See video:
http://www.wapt.com/news/15828740/detail.html

In the aftermath of the storm this past weekend, one event will always stand out in my memory: driving in the dark to my 26-year old hottie's place, arriving to candlelight with high anticipation.

I get the text: come on over, it's time. Of course I go. I drive up to his house, seeing the candles flicker through the curtains, with trees down in his yard, debris everywhere. It feel as if I'm arriving in some surreal state of mind. I knock on the door and hear him say "come on in".

The house is filled with candles and some music is playing on a portable CD player on batteries. It is Seal, sounding all sexy. My hottie doesn't say much, just comes towards me, kisses me like no one else can, takes my hand and leads me into his bathroom to the huge tub filled with a bubble bath, surrounded by candles and two glasses of wine sitting near. (Thank goodness for gas water heaters.) We get in, sip the wine and get reacquainted by way of touching and kissing.

After a while, we get out, with big white towels wrapped around us and he takes me to his room. He changes the music to Daughtry. The towels fall to the ground and before I know it, I see flashes in my head and feel explosions throughout my body. His damp body and long black curly hair are a huge turn on. He holds true to his Energizer bunny reputation and sets a new record. Of course, it's a new record for me, too. He gets another bath ready, leads me back to it, and we relax for a while, chatting about nothing special. He leans over and massages my neck and back. I think I'm in heaven. Maybe that's why I kept saying "Oh God"?

I get one last goodbye kiss from this young man in only a towel, and eventually leave. We decide to see each other again soon. I drive back home through the debris, all the while sealing to memory my own stormy night.

Yes, the 26-year old is much more enjoyable than the former boyfriend from college. I think it's time to give the former boyfriend the heave-ho and mail back the Wal Mart ring. I would take one night with the 26-year old over a dozen with the old boyfriend. . . . If that makes me shallow, who cares?

What do you think? Am I shallow? Should I care? Boot the old boyfriend? Email me: dwfinms@gmail.com

(To see earlier DWF posts, scroll down and look in the right column on the main page.)

Our esteemed President of the Magnolia Bar Association, Carlton Reeves, writes a vigorous protest regarding the recent reprimand of former Justice Court Judge Niki Boland by the Mississippi Supreme Court:
For two years, the judge continued to sit in judgment of cases brought by and against African Americans. She also lashed out at the Hinds County Board of Supervisors - with an African-American majority - claiming its members were ignorant and lacked leadership.
Despite her truly repulsive behavior, the Supreme Court determined that Boland's actions simply merited a public reprimand. The court and commission should be ashamed. Fortunately, when it was time for Judge Boland to stand before the voters, they booted her out of office.
If an African-American judge stood up in a meeting representing the county and said the same about white people, would the Supreme Court give that judge a pass?
Carlton W. Reeves
President
Magnolia Bar Association
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804030307

It is wonderful that Mr. Reeves is so interested in how the Mississippi Supreme Court disciplines judges. Unfortunately, Mr. Reeves then had a bout of binary thinking and whined that if a black judge had made similar comments, he would have received a more severe punishment. However, Mr. Reeves' comments smell more of grandstanding for his association than a concern for justice. What exactly could the Court have done to Ms. Boland in addition to the public reprimand? Suspend her? Expel her from the bench? She was already off of the bench. Except for a fine or reprimand, there is very little additional punishment the Court could have administered to this um, colorful judge (Indeed, the Court made note of this in its opinion and stated that its options were rather limited. see link at end of paragraph). Make no mistake. Judge Boland's comments were stupid, racist, and deserved punishment. No one has stepped forward to defend them. Judge Boland is not the sharpest tool in the judicial shed and its no surprise she was defeated in her re-election attempt. However, there are worse things than a judge tastelessly criticizing Doug Anderson and his cronies. Mississippi Supreme Court Opinion:
http://www.mssc.state.ms.us/ISYS/isysquery/547afbb5-ec92-4e94-ba7a-3b8a401417ef/1/doc/

Since Mr. Reeves is so concerned with double standards, someone should ask him why he has been so silent on Judge Houston Patton and his medieval actions concerning Attorney Keith Shelton and James Jennings. See http://www.folo.us/the-shelton-series/

If you are not familiar with this case, consider yourself lucky for reading about this case is guaranteed to make you ill as it is an example where truth really is stranger than fiction. See http://folo.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/shelton-tribunal-reco.pdf

This is not gossip or rumor but is a finding of fact published by the Mississippi Bar. Thanks to the direct and concrete actions of Judge Patton (who is black), James Jennings (who is white) was thrown in jail and kept there without bond or charges despite the actions of three different attorneys. Judge Patton lied to the Hinds County Sheriff's office and had James Jennings and his lawyer, Keith Shelton, arrested for trying to bribe him (They had sued the Judge and were trying to settle the case). Shelton lost his license to practice law for 11 years. The Mississippi Bar reopened the case, reversed its findings, and submitted them to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which recently reinstated his license to practice law.

Not once did Mr. Reeves or his precious Magnolia Bar Association offer one word of outrage over Judge Patton's lettre de cachet against Mr. Jennings and his vendetta against Keith Shelton, who dared to file a Section 1983 suit against him on behalf of Mr. Jennings (You do remember Section 1983 suits, don't you Mr. Reeves? Its used by civil rights attorneys to personally sue public officials who intentionally deprive Americans of their constitutional rights.). Not once did Mr. Reeves or the Magnolia Bar offer a friend of the court brief seeking the reinstatement of Keith Shelton's license. Judge Patton, whose wife is a co-chairwoman of Obama's Mississippi campaign, has escaped the notice of Mr. Reeves who worries about what some judge who is now out of office said a few years ago and yet does not provide ANY evidence that Judge Boland mishandled any cases before her court. One would expect Mr. Reeves to give examples of where Judge Boland engaged in racist treatment of defendants in her courtroom given his public professions of outrage.

Such grandstanding is nothing new for Mr. Reeves, who was last seen several months ago raising hell about the lack of black judges among the list of special judges appointed for Hinds County by the Mississippi Supreme Court, even though he declined an appointment and as President of the Magnolia Bar did not offer a list of candidates. See earlier post: http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/01/those-who-lead-should-serve.html

Mr. Reeves' letter is regrettable in that it shows that he thinks words hurt worse more than not just sticks and stones, but also sitting in jail for no reason or not being able to earn a living because one's law license has been suspended due to a judge's falsehoods. Since Mr. Reeves is so concerned with our judges in Hinds County, perhaps he will use his position as President of the Magnolia Bar to speak out against judges like Judge Patton, who are not fit to sit on the bench. Given Mr. Reeves' public comments however, one should not expect such behavior from him as that might actually require leadership and fairness. Until Mr. Reeves issues a statement on Judge Patton and the Shelton case, it is hard to take him seriously when he grandstands over a judge who couldn't keep her mouth shut and is no longer on the bench.

See Shelton reinstatement: http://www.folo.us/2008/03/28/j-keith-shelton-esq

So let me get this straight. We haven't built a new refinery in over 30 years so regardless of how much oil is available, there is a bottleneck at the refinery level. We can't drill in Alaska, California, off of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, or Florida. Never mind the Chinese are slant-drilling into our oil fields thanks to Cuba. There is a 50 cent tariff on imported ethanol. The federal government requires over 50 different blends of gasoline for various parts of the country. Nuclear power brings out massive protests and a string of lawsuits. The push for ethanol and other biofuels drives up the cost of food and other products, threatening to hurt the economy even more. Coal is a villian in the mind of the environmentalists. Yet we wonder why the price of gasoline skyrockets.

He could paint a whole apartment in one afternoon. two coats.

This is Step by Step, a documentary film by award-winning producer Micki Dickoff and one-time Mississippi resident, who also produced the soon to be released Neshoba

By the way, I am posting this as someone who very much supports the death penalty but thinks this documentary makes some good points, tells a story worth hearing, and is a good film.

Rest of the film: 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCbrJu9EdSE 3)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfXaYyyO6Mw 4)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8jP1MyzeHc 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qy4l_7-Vh8 6)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFBsoyHj3N8

Hitler was a better dancer than Churchill.

"The last time I talked to documentary filmmaker Micki Dickoff, we were standing on Center Avenue in my hometown during the Edgar Ray Killen trial. I was yelling at her for trying to own the story of long-overdue justice and the people who had fought for it for so long..."
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=16718_0_7_0_C

How old were you Ms. Ladd? Past 40 at the time?

Don't feel too bad Micki. I've gotten emails from her based on some Google alert that had her name in one of my posts and she took it completely out of context because she didn't bother to read the whole post. See comments section below. There are so many things I could say about this exchange.

Jackson Jambalaya recently asked the following question in an online poll: What do you think of the A.G.'s decision to dismiss indictment againt Robbie Bell? The choices given were: 1)Charges should have been dropped, 2) Questionable case but should have gone to trial. Public had a right to know what happened that night, 3) Case/dismissal was rigged, and 4) No reason A.G. should have dismissed case.

It should be noted that in the last day of the poll, there was a huge surge in votes for the first choice, indicating an attempt to manipulate the poll. The first choice, "dismissal was proper", ran around 10% until the last day, when it jumped up to 26% in the final results. 126 votes were cast. The results were:
1) Charges should have been dropped: 33 votes (26%)
2) Questionable case but should have gone to trial. Public had a right to know what happened that night. 17 votes (13%)
3. Case/dismissal was rigged. 48 votes (38%)
4. No reason A.G. should have dismissed case. 28 votes (22%)

Only a quarter of the voters thought the A.G. made the right decision (and that figure is somewhat suspect). 74% disagreed with the decision to dismiss the indictment and over a third of the voters thought the decision was proof the case was rigged. Given Mr. Hood's association with his "family" and decision not to prosecute them, Mr. Hood should expect such concerns every time he shirks his duty as Attorney General.

Want more proof of how dysfunctional JPD is? Today's Clarion-Ledger said it all as Sergeant Tyrone Lewis was promoted: The promotion was made quietly on Tuesday. Chief Malcolm McMillin did not return calls for comment on Wednesday.
Assistant Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance verified the promotion Wednesday afternoon.
"He is back to the rank of commander, and he will be paid as a commander," Vance said. "I don't know to the penny (what his salary will be.)". http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080403/NEWS/804030371/1001/news

Mr. Lewis was demoted from the position of Deputy Police Chief to Sergeant after it was discovered that as head of the training academy, he allowed his son to host parties there without the required permit, insurance policy, and paying the city the permit fees. See earlier post: http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/12/should-mac-fire-tyrone-lewis.html

Unfortunately, the demotion only lasted a few months. Unfortunate because Mr. Lewis and his son BROKE THE LAW, as explained in another post, http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/12/so-did-tyrone-lewis-break-law.html:

Jackson ordinance No. 2000-29(14), Sections 176-195, (adopted Aug. 22, 2000), spells out the guidelines for what is considered to be a special event and how a permit for one is to be obtained by a sponsor. http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=11036&sid=24

Use of the facilities requires an event sponsor to submit an event application to a special events committee (p. 2). A copy of an insurance policy is required and minimum coverage is prescribed (p.3). There are different classes of permits. If the event has over 500 people, than the fees are$275 for 3 hours. If under 500 people, then it is $50 for 3 hours.

The law also states "Any person violating any provision of this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 for each violation of the article."

This is not just a case of Mr. Lewis trying to help his son. This is a case of helping his son avoid paying the city and obtaining permits in violation of the law. The next question is will there be a prosecution for these violations which ARE misdemeanors? Since Mr. Lewis IS the head of the training academy he can not claim ignorance of the law. If HE is not the expert on the law since he is the one in charge of making sure recruits know policies and procedures, then who is?"

I stood by those remarks then and I stand by them now. Mr. Lewis and his son broke the law repeatedly- PERIOD! They are guilty of SEVERAL misdemeanors. Mr. Lewis used his position to enrich his son at our expense. If one wants proof of how dysfunctional JPD is, this promotion is it. It sends a loud signal that there is one standard for well-connected police officers and then one for the rest of us.

One brickbat also needs to be thrown at the reporter, Kathleen Baydala, who didn't bother to get her facts straight as she wrote: "Lewis, a veteran Jackson police officer, was demoted in late December because of a policy violation." Wrong Ms. Baydala. An ordinance is NOT a policy but is a LAW as we learned in Civics 101. Mr. Lewis and his son broke the law. Basic factchecking. Its.not.that.hard.

today. Warmed up, tanned, rested, and ready to go. Got the mace (not the spray type for you Northpark types but the real one) out and ready to start swinging. Also got the basket of rose petals out in case you deserve it. Time to have some fun.

Jim Hood is consoling a Dicke Scruggs, has his arm around him, says "Don't worry Dickie, you're like family to me" while nearby a coffin that is labeled "justice" enters the burning chamber in the crematorium they are in.

Well, believe it or not we are one-third of the way through 2008. It seems just yesterday that we closed out Trollfest '07, which turned out to be THE social event of the year in Jackson. Plans are being made right now for Trollfest '08. However, your input IS welcome and suggestions will be seriously considered so let me know in the comments section who you would like to see performing at Trollfest '08 as I begin to contact agents for various acts. Last year's Trollfest will be a BSU coke party at MC compared to what is planned for this year.

So Jim Hood won't prosecute his friends because they are "like family", lets Robbie Bell off the hook, and is currently letting Mark Seepe get away with being a ghoul. Who says crime doesn't pay in Mississippi?