Jackson Jambalaya

Rome was known for its laws and courts. Courts were usually staffed by senators and knights and judges were appointed by the Praetor Urbanus (who was the chief prosecutor as well as the Roman equivalent of mayor). There were several other praetors that served at the same time as he did. Rome was ruled by two assemblies, the Senate and the Plebeian Assembly (led by the Tribunes). The Tribunes (these were elected) had the authority to veto most actions of the Senate and if actning unanimously, could throw out most verdicts in the courts. Under the Roman legal system, civil suits for damages could be filed as in America.

In the year of the Consulship of Marcus Minicus Rufus and Spurius Postimus Albinus, the hallowed Roman system was compromised. Advocates such as Rutilius Scrulinius, Julius Langilus, Titus Baltius, and others became extremely wealthy from winning suit after suit against rich defendants. They used an arrangement that would make Marcus Licinius Crassus proud in that they didn't charge but a small fee from the plaintiff before they took the suit but received a large share of the winnings if successful. Although this practice was publicly decried by Senators and Consuls alike, they were able to continue in their subversion of the Roman legal system as they always bought several tribunes of the plebeians. Under Roman law, the tribunes could veto any act of the Senate and all 12 tribunes could overturn any verdict of the court. Having paid off the tribunes, the legal mafia did not have to worry about unfavorable verdicts nor the Senators and Consuls as long as they conspirators remained silent.

However, the legal mafia was not stupid nor short-sighted as they also bribed the Praetor Urbanus, giving them an additional tool as they could threaten a hapless defendant with a criminal prosecution if he did not settle the lawsuit. Several fortunes were acquired this way. Since the Praetor Urbanus was always their candidate, many lawsuits never even went to trial, thus providing the legal mafia with a never-ending source of income.

Finally, the Senate and Consuls had had enough when one of their own, Gaius Lucius Cotta lost his entire fortune and was exiled due to one of their scams in the extortion court. The Cottae family was known for its virtue, centuries-long service to Rome, and its immense wealth. While Cotta was proconsul of Macedonia, the legal mafia set their sights on him as they planned on seizing his fortune in their little web. While he was proconsul, they had documents forged, Romans impersonating his officials stole money from the treasury, and other false evidence of crimes was planted. They bought a few of his minor officials, granted them immunity, and thus acquired completely false testimony against Cotta. When he returned to Rome when his term as proconsul, and thus imperium, was over, they struck and filed a lawsuit on behalf of some poor Macedonians alleging that he stole from the Roman treasury, seized Macedonian assets and works of art for himself, and tortured Macedonians. Praetor Urbanus Junicus Hortensius met with Cotta's advocate, Michaelis Milo, and told him Cotta had two options: surrender his entire fortune or else he could face a criminal prosecution by Hortensius that would see him lose his entire fortune as well as face exile, the loss of his Roman citizenship, or even the possibility of being thrown off of the Tarpenian Rock, which was the only death penalty allowed for Roman citizens.

It was interesting that Milo was his advocate as Michaelis had been the previous Praetor Urbanus and was very popular as he had taken on those who had gotten rich off of Romans who had become very rich by overcharging Rome for producing arms during the Punic Wars. It was also made clear to Cotta that any favorable verdict to him would be overturned by the tribunes. Thus Cotta was forced to surrender his entire fortune to the plaintiffs. It was noted afterwards that the legal mafia had several stunning villas built on the Palatine that were palaces worthy of any Oriental king after the verdict. Rumors of their wealth flew as they were considered to be the new masters of Rome.

This was the last straw for the Consuls and the Senate, who undertook to stop this hijacking of Rome and its legal traditions. No Roman was truly ethical but there was still a certain fairness about it. If a Senator took money in order to help a supporter get a state contract or a proconsul taxed more of his province than Rome required, that was one thing. However, this legal mafia had worked out a perfect conspiracy that operated at a much higher level and threatened to wreck Rome.

The Consuls began an investigation, backed by a law passed by the Senate and the Plebeian Assembly giving them the authority and responsibility for ensuring the integrity of the courts as well as giving them full powers of prosecution. Rufus had been particularly outraged at the treatment of Cotta so he attacked this task with much enthusiasm.

Their big break came when one of them bought a slave who had once been owned by a former praetor, Edius Petronius. This particular slave was a Pontic female renowned for her ravenous beauty and being in her late twenties, was still quite attractive as Rufus was not immune to such pleasures himself. Unknown to Petronius, who had bought her for one particular reason, she was quite literate as her father had been a student at one of the schools of philosophy in Athens. She was quite familiar with the conspiracy as Petronius would usually brag about it after consuming large quantities of wine (Sicilian wine of course. These vultures were never cheap when it came to their own pleasures). Once after she had not satisfied him adequately, he punished her severely. When he traveled, she read more than a few documents he kept in his study for safekeeping as he never imagined his Pontic slave was literate in latin and greek.

Rufus traveled to Campania, where the slave had told him Petronius had placed much of his fortune in a Campanian bank. As Rufus was Consul, he was able to look at the bank's transactions and thus was able to see what exactly Petronius had deposited and withdrawn from his account at the bank. What was interesting was that within a week after Cotta lost his fortune, Petronius deposited one million sesterces in his account. The Consul was staggered by the sum as Petronius had been named the judge in that case. Rufus returned to Rome with his information and evidence. The Consul left two lictors at the bank with orders to prevent any movement of Petronius's money.

The Consul then had Petronius brought before him in the dead of the night for interrogation. With Rufus was the other Consul and the Princeps Senatus (the leader of the Senate), and several other leading Knights and Senators who had been untainted by the corruption of the legal mafia. Petronius was a Roman citizen and thus due certain rights. Therefor, he was granted immunity in exchange for testifying against the legal mafia. They were floored by the web that had been woven as Petronius detailed which Senators, Praetors, Judges, Tribunes, and other officials were paid off. Of chief interest to them was Scrulinius, Langilus, and Baltius.

As Baltius had always been known as a social climber who knew no Greek (the Roman way of saying someone was uncultured as literate Romans were expected to know Greek), he was their first target. He was someone who cared more about what people thought about him, possessing a weak character. He succumbed quickly to their pressure and told them everything he knew in exchange for the seizure of only half of his riches. As it was the corruption of the praetors, judges, and tribunes (which during the time of the Gracchi had become a thorn in their side) along with Scrulinius that was their target, they were willing to cut a deal with some of the conspirators.

Langilus, who was smarter than Baltius, better-connected, and had more to lose, blustered for awhile before he cut a deal. In exchange for his evidence and testimony, he received an exile from Rome of only three years and had to leave Italy while suffering a fine that still left him some of his money but not enough to where he would ever be a power in Roman society again. In the scrolls he provided, there were 25 judges that were shown to be in the legal mafia's pay. Now Rufus had a real and provable case for the extortion court. Scrulinius was summoned but resisted for several days. When he realized that his former cohorts in crime were lined up against them and the choice was either selling out the rest of his group or being thrown off of the Tarpenian Rock, he made a deal and received six years of exile and had to surrender his entire fortune as it was clear to him that even though he that he was related to several prominent senators through marriage, he was getting no protection in this case.

Many wondered why Rufus made a deal with Scrulinius. Rufus would reply that there would always be individuals who were looking to get rich and Scrulinius was merely one of those people. However, it was the praetors, judges, and tribunes who made it possible for people like him TO get rich and manipulate the system. His real target was not the advocates involved but the past two Praetor Urbanae, Juncus Hortensius and Michaelis Milo, who had made it possible for Scrulinus to win his lawsuits as they would threaten the victims with prosecution and had helped in corrupting the tribunes to safeguard against any honest verdicts. It was Hortensius and Milo who sold Rome out to the vultures, who had corrupted their class and Roman traditions, who had shown a despicable breed of advocates a way to power that left them immune from repercussions if left alone.

Scrulinius provided them with the documents implicating his former conspirators. Then the fun began. The Consul declared a state of emergency, backed by the Senate, and was made Dictator of Rome for 3 months (the other consul kept his office and imperium), thus protecting him from any legal repercussions after his terms was over. Rufus arrested Hortensius, Milo (who had just announced he was not going to run for consul after being a heavy favorite to win the election), and the other implicated officials. As this severely affected the governing of Rome, Rufus sadly assumed the role of Dictator in order to assure Rome that it would survive this crisis.

At trial much evidence and testimony was produced. The judge was Gnaieus Cethegus, who was so rich he couldn't be bought and whose family was one of the original families that over threw the King of Rome, establishing the Republic. At trial, there was no way Hortensius and Milo could overcome the mountain of evidence that stood against them. They had paid off judges over the years. Tribunes had been bought and sold like cheap Gallic slaves.

It soon came out that the conspiracy didn't stop at rich defendants but at smaller, lesser ones who had committed some slight upon them to earn their ire. One judge testified that they paid him so well that if the praetor wrote his charges on a linen napkin he would find in favor of the praetor without even looking at the evidence. The number of victims who were thrown in jail, exiled, made penniless, and extorted exceeded all estimates. Not even suicide was an escape as one victim's family discovered after he ended his life after being falsely prosecuted. They merely declared that his wife and children were responsible for his alleged misdeeds and exiled them from Rome after making them paupers. One poor soul chose to fight the suit Scrulinius filed against him. He lost when the judge appointed by Hortensius ruled against him (the jury rigged by the judge) and then Milo still prosecuted him. The victim lost everything in the civil suit then was exiled from Rome and Greece for the rest of his life. As the extent of the corruption became known, public opinion turned against the two defendants, who had been previously loved by the masses for their more progressive politics. Many a drink was raised at a crossroads college or tavern by the Tiber to the two heroes who were seen as sticking it to the rich and protecting the poor.

After the cases were presented, the verdicts were a foregone conclusion: Milo and Hortensius lost all of their riches. They were stripped of their Roman citizenship. None of their descendants would be allowed to regain the citizenship. The court decreed that the two should be thrown of off the Tarpenian Rock. Justice for the moment, had been done, Rufus and everyone else concluded after their final screams ceased. Rufus set about righting what wrongs he could and when the three month term ended, he finished out his term as Consul and lived out the rest of his days known as a hero of the Republic.

House No. 2 leader gives up extra salary from duty
Today's Clarion-Ledger reports:
"J.P. Compretta, second-in-command in the Mississippi House, said Friday he will no longer accept the additional $3,300 a month he's received since health problems sidelined Speaker Billy McCoy in 2004.
The House management committee approved a pay raise for Compretta, the speaker pro tempore, after McCoy suffered a stroke that year. McCoy returned to work in 2005.
Compretta, D-Bay St. Louis, took over McCoy's duties while he was ill. ...
Compretta was the top earner last year in the House. He totaled $95,501 in salary and travel expenses, more than $3,000 above the pay of McCoy, D-Rienzi. Compretta's earnings included mileage and travel expenses." http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080112/NEWS010504/801120345/1001/news

One more public official with his snout in the public trough. Billy McCoy has been back on the job for quite some time. He was healthy enough to run a re-election campaign as well as assume full duties as Speaker of the House for more than a year. This was nothing more than a chance for McCoy to give a payoff to one of his buddies. Interesting how the payments stop after McCoy stops his payments only after he narrowly kept the Speakership this week.

By the way, over at a certain alternative weekly newspaper that publicly backstabbed their endorsed candidate, State Representative John Reeves, because he would not support McCoy, there has not once been any mention of McCoy arranging his friend to receive the speaker's pay for over two years.

Geaux Peggy Geaux
Well well, the Hinds County potentate wannabe and fossil extraordinaire, Doug Anderson, still thinks Hinds County Board of Supervisors President Peggy Hobson-Calhoun is crazy. hehe.

"Anderson recently called Calhoun "crazy" in an interview with The Clarion-Ledger.
He and Calhoun have been on the board together since 1993 and often have butted heads and disagreed on many issues, including whether the county needs to spend $2.8 million on a maximum security pod at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond. Calhoun is for the project.
Calhoun chalks the disagreements up to conflicting "leadership styles."
"He has always tried to defame or discredit me," Calhoun said. She says she's a strong woman and Anderson feels threatened by that.
"Doug likes power and to me some people see power as controlling others," she said.
Anderson said he has not changed his opinion and does not regret calling her crazy.
He would not comment when asked if he thinks Calhoun will make a good board president.
"It is my belief that any politician who votes against the best interests of their constituents has to be crazy," he said. He didn't offer specifics but intimated that he was talking about Calhoun." http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080112/NEWS/801120337/1001/news

There is nothing like watching a punch-drunk angry has been fighter who can't handle losing. In this case, Anderson is just throwing his usual tantrum when he can't get his way. He is so in love with himself that he thinks a WOMAN who dares to stand up to him, beats him, and then puts a stop to some of his crazy government projects is crazy (remember the deal involving the garage and his former son-in-law? Or buying the Mississippi Valley Title Insurance building but having no clue as to what to do with it?). Doug Anderson's legacy is a Hinds County that is bankrupt and can barely meet payroll. Now that Doug Anderson no longer has his enablers on the Board to protect him, he is acting like a typical junkie when forced to deal with reality. Geaux Peggy Geaux.

Grand Jury Probing Scruggs Case
Now the investigation has spread into Hinds County as "One of the cases apparently being looked into by federal authorities is a 1994 lawsuit in which two of Scruggs? former associates, attorneys Alwyn Luckey and William Roberts Wilson Jr., sued Scruggs for a bigger cut of millions of dollars that the attorneys had won in asbestos litigation.Hinds County Circuit Clerk Barbara Dunn said Thursday that the 1994 file was not available because federal investigators took all 7,001 documents related to the case earlier this week.The judge who presided over the 1994 case was Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter" http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/NEWS/80111006

As an expert told me yesterday, the feds copy documents when its cooperation, when they seize documents, that is not a good thing. As I am not familiar with how investigations work, feel free to comment on this development in the comments section.

One man gets it on Mississippi Public Radio
A Mr. Thom Eason writes a letter to The Clarion-Ledger pummeling the bad decisions made by Executive Director Marie Antoon for eviscerating the programming at MPB Radio. He writes:
"Goodbye, Mississippi Public Broadcasting-Radio.
First, Gene Edwards came in and managed to run off all the best on-air talent. I am growing weary of hearing Mr. Edwards' discussions of anal polyps and body hair removal on the weekends, most definitely.
Now that all the good talent has gone, they have been replaced with people who excel in pronouncing words and names improperly, reading news and weather with great pauses and - best of all - who do not monitor the on-air feed to enjoy their broadcasts of music and news on top of each other. "Unprofessional" is a very kind description.
Now I read that Marie Antoon, executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting, wants to get rid of all that icky music and those great National Public Radio shows and replace them with talk radio ("MPB-Radio talks up changes," Jan. 8).....
But for Antoon to tout the new HD feed by claiming "when they hear the signal and the content, I believe they're going to be very pleased" is disturbing to me. I can only imagine how great it will be to hear the untrained readers and two or three simultaneous feeds in crystal-clear HD." http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080112/OPINION02/801120302/1009

Read the comments in the reader's reaction section as there are some good ones. I recently wrote about the changes at MPB Radio in "Mississippi Public Radio...Falling, Falling, Fallen":
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/01/mississippi-public-radio-falling.html.

More Stokes Bafoonery
One thing you can count on is that if you wait long enough, Kenneth Stokes will provide some comic relief. In this case he "wants to propose an ordinance requiring mandatory security guards at convenience stores in Ward 3." http://www.wapt.com/news/15033990/detail.html

First of all, no such ordinance can probably be written that applies this action to just ward 3. Second, its yet one more example of Jackson government imposing yet another burden on business owners, thus making it more expensive to operate in Jackson. The profits derived from operating a convenience store are not great and many of them are not owned by national corporations but are mom and pops that have to watch every penny. Obviously they are hurt by crime but if it was worth it, they would have already hired security guards. What Stokes proposes would probably force some out of business. Good job Stokes. Your idea is a perfect example of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. By the way Mr. Stokes, have you given any thought how you will replace their sales tax revenue after they close because they can't afford to hire security guards?

It is ironic that Mr. Stokes is now focused on fighting crime. Ironic as he once owned some crackhouses. Ironic because in a previous administration, the JPD actually focused on crime in his area. His response was to raise hell and charge that the JPD were not harassing people in Eastover as they were in his ward. So much for taking Stokes seriously on fighting crime as he couldn't care less about it unless it means a headline for him. The most dangerous place in Jackson is anywhere between Kenneth Stokes and a camera. The sooner this buffoon goes, the better off all Jacksonians will be.

Lee Vance: Leader for the JPD
Maggie Burkes writes a good story about Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance, http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=15943_0_10_0_C. After Jackson has suffered from a crime epidemic and turmoil in the JPD, its nice to see coverage like this given to someone who is trying to make Jackson a better place.

Enjoy the weekend.

A black newspaper editor writes about his ordeal at Stillman College, a historically black college, after he decided to give something back and teach at the school. His experience raises the question of whether such colleges are needed today and if they are, what shold their role be in 21st century America.

"A year before coming to Stillman, I had written a commentary for the St. Petersburg Times arguing that Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, remain viable. I further argued that given the increasing reliance on standardized tests to determine college admission and given the nation's conservative turn, HBCUs are needed more than ever to provide an opportunity for many young blacks who otherwise never would be able to attend college because of factors such as low standardized test scores and criminal records.....
Yet I still believed in these schools. So in 2004 I resigned from my job as a St. Petersburg Times columnist and editorial writer that paid more than $70, 000 a year to teach at Stillman for $33, 000 a year. I wanted to fulfill a long-ago promise I made with the professors who taught and nurtured me during the 1960s at two historically black colleges, Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach......
As it turned out, I would last just two years before returning to the Times. I left the campus disheartened and disillusioned, and I regretted leaving behind a handful of dedicated students with real potential. Another graduating class has just left Stillman through the same gates I first entered in 2004, but I no longer feel welcome on campus......."
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/13/Opinion/I_had_a_dream.shtml

Mr. Maxwell deserves our praise and sincere thanks as it is commendable to see someone who wants to "give something back" and improve the lives of young people by helping them develop the tools they need to succeed in life. Its a pity that most of his students were too ignorant and stubborn to pay him any heed and were more focused on skipping class and text messaging than trying to get a decent job one day. Of course, one can be sure that they will blame racism for their lack of success in life and how a black person can't get ahead while voting for candidates that promise to give them everything while sticking it to a racist society while others defend their lack of success as proof of racism. My hat is off to you Mr. Maxwell, a true American hero.

What exactly did Hinds County Supervisor Doug Anderson (who is black) mean when he said, "I just expected more from a black man than that" when referring to fellow Supervisor Robert Graham? Was he referring to his not standing up to the new President who is a black woman? Or was he referring to Mr. Graham's vote on personnel decisions? Does that mean Anderson expects more or less from a white man?

What exactly did Anderson mean by his racist statement?

source: January 9, 2008 edition of The Clarion-Ledger

Former editor of The Purple & Gold Scott McKay is writing an LSU sports-related blog, http://www.bayoubengalblog.com/. He usually has some useful tidbits of information and access to good sources at LSU.

Thelonious Himself by National Public Radio's Jazz Profiles:

" When you hear his name, you can expect to hear some of the most original and challenging music of the 20th century. Whether it's his dissonant chords or his uncanny sense of space and syncopation, pianist and composer Thelonious Monk's sound is easily recognizable. He left behind a legacy that has had a lasting influence on modern music and fellow musicians."

Read transcript and listen to show at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15130418

Othor and his band, the White Power Structure will be the featured headliner this year at Trollfest '08, hosted by Jackson Jambalaya. As the Solid Gold Dancers will not be able to make it for this performance, their place will be taken by Kuchenga and Rico. The newest New Kid on the Block, Matt Allen, will perform Ebony and Ivory with local rapper Kamikaze.

Acts are still being lined up for Trollfest '08 and will be announced here as well as other details such as tickets.

Trollfest '08 is a Beaver Production.

Newt wrote a column that although published today, was written before the New Hampshire primary although most of the salient points are still valid:

"Republicans had better learn that change is going to beat "more of the same" decisively....
Americans are taking seriously the opportunity to express their opinion and to change their government. In Iowa, the Democrats more than doubled their turnout from 2004 and the Republicans had a 40% increase over their last contested caucus in 2000....
So here are the bullet points for going forward:
Message beats money.
Enthusiasm beats paid staff.
Hope beats negativity.
People are smarter than the consultants.
If Republicans don't learn these lessons, they will be in for some very difficult elections..."
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/challenges.php?id=1386102

This is probably the most wide open Presidential race I have ever seen. If there was one thing New Hampshire proved the other night it is that the media once again got it wrong. Before the primary the media reported Obama was going to win by double-digit margins, could Hillary keep going after losing New Hampshire, how could the Republicans beat Obama, etc. Then reality hit and Hillary actually won the primary, bringing to mind past blown calls by the media.

In 1994 the media completely missed the Republican takeover of Congress. Bush beat Reagan in Iowa. McCain beat Bush the Younger in New Hampshire. Tsongas beat Clinton in New Hampshire. Buchanan beat Dole in New Hampshire. The point is that these primaries early on are not indicative of who will win the nomination. The caucuses are not elections but are instead negotiations. The primary in New Hampshire is an anomaly compared to most states. While Obama gets love from the press and adoring crowds, people forget that it takes more than colorful rallies to win elections. In the presidential primaries, it comes down to having a well-run organization in EVERY primary, not just looking good on tv or pumping up a crowd. Due to low voter turnout and state rules restricting voting to party members, turnout is the key and that usually comes down to who has the state organization locked up. The point here is do not count out Hillary. I would still bet money on her winning the nomination as she has this game figured out and even if she comes out poorly in the media, she will have the advantage in machine politics.

It is also ironic that Obama has the change mantra. Sound familiar? It should as in 92 that was Clinton's theme. Change, change, change. What kind of change would Obama bring? Keep in mind that for all of his talk of bipartisanship, he was the third most liberal member of the Senate. That will play well in the primaries, however, that will not be the case in the general election. Don't think he is invincible for one second as history has shown no politician is except for Reagan and FDR.

Keep also in mind that despite what the media says about Romney's chances of winning the nomination, he still has the most delegates. Only the dumbass media would ask if he is going to quit when he is actually winning. However, he faces a vigorous fight from Rudi, Huck, and McCain.

One final note. The Democrats are overconfident right now as they are overlooking one flaw in their candidates. The Democrats have focused completely on their personalities, chances of winning in November,and other more personal criteria. These candidates do NOT differ much on the issues. Health care, foreign policy, taxes, immigration, spending. What substantive difference is there between Edwards, Obama, and Hillary? Meanwhile on the Republican side there is a diversity of opinion on issues. McCain has one position on immigration and taxes different from the others. Rudi is very different from the others on social issues and gun rights. While the Democrats focus more on personality, the Republicans are focusing more on issues. The result is the nominee will have defended his positions against candidates who really do think differently than he does on the issues, not just worry about being caught in a flip-flop or some other meaningless debating trick. This point has been overlooked by the media as well and should not be discounted. It is important because when the winners face each other after the conventions, the issue-tested candidate is going to be much better prepared than the one who is not so tested. Whether the nominee is McCain, Rudi, Obama, or Huck, none of them will be intimidated by Obama or Hillary in a debate nor outclassed. One thing is for sure, this election is shaping up to be like no other in American history.

The trial for the aggravated assault charges against George Bell will be on January 23, 2008 in Jackson Municipal Court. This trial is for the "alleged" beating he gave Heather Spencer.
Police report: http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/foi_pdfs/jfp_spencer.pdf

Sources said yesterday that the judge for Mr. Bell's murder trial will be Hinds County Circuit Court Judge William Kidd.

Meanwhile, Robbie Bell, the mother of George Bell, who has been charged with Accessory after the Fact in the murder case, has been ironically named one of The Jackson Free Press's "Most Intriguing Jacksonians of 2007". The alternative weekly wrote about Ms. Bell:
Robbie Bell, once a matriarch of the Jackson business world, is currently awaiting trial for charges connected to her son’s alleged murder of his girlfriend on Sept. 11. Charged with being an accessory after the fact, Bell allegedly did not seek help for Heather Spencer after George Bell III raped and beat Spencer with a flashlight. An autopsy revealed that Spencer did not die for several hours after the attack.
Bell was with her son when he surrendered to police after a four-hour standoff at a Jackson gas station the next morning. Spencer’s body was in her house, which was also the scene of the crime. Authorities charged George Bell III with first-degree murder, rape and assault, the last charge stemming from a beating he gave Spencer in June. Both Bells pleaded not guilty to the respective charges.
Bell is the former vice president of business development for the Mississippi Business Journal, a post she filled until Spencer’s murder; her name no longer appears on the Journal’s Web site. In that role, she organized many high-profile business events in the city, including the Integrity Awards and the Mississippi Leading Business Women awards.

See the sidebar on the bottom right side of the page for other posts on the Heather Spencer case. http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=15814_0_9_0_C

today as he undergoes heart surgery.

There's a thread at the Jackson Free Press where Donna Ladd decides to drag Melton's wife into his fainting spell at the courthouse yesterday, as Melton's son (identity unconfirmed) posts a reply to her post blasting her for dragging his mom and family into the story. Some of the replies to him are pretty ugly:

The part that makes me the angriest is that Melton—clearly a very sick man on several levels—is surrounded by cultures and enablers who haven't gotten him help or encouraged him to lead a safer, healthier lifestyle. I mean, his wife is a doctor for God's sake; can she really not convince him to live less stupidly??? Why isn't she on his doorstep every night until he goes home to Texas where she can help him take care of himself???Plus, there's the issue of him endangering others, including kids, with the drinking. I think everyone of his enablers should be tarred and feathered. Posted by: ladd on Jan 07, 08 6:38 pm

Be careful Ms. Ladd you are treading very thin ice its one thing to openly disagree with the way someone runs the city. I dont think you know Mrs. Melton at all to say the least. I mean have you ever even spoken to her. It sure is easy to get on here and say what someone should be doing when in fact she has tried. He chooses to live in Jackson because he has always felt like that was his calling to help people. Needless to say seems like you must be perfect yourself I wonder if you have ever had any issues, seeing what you just wrote you couldn't have you must be perfect to get on here and discuss someone's marriage and if i sound too personal maybe its because you are speaking about my parents. I try to ignore somethings but you dont know my mother so by all means BE QUIET. Posted by: MattMelton on Jan 07, 08 8:49 pm

Well MattMelton, What is your family doing about frank's bad habits? You know your father is a public figure, and there are no family secrets until he leave office. That is the cost of being a Public Official. Therefore, if someone voice a concern about the Mayor's lifestlye that is directly related to his health. I hope the public can rely on the 1st lady (???) to get control of the of the Mayor's lifestyle where it relates to his health. So, WE can have a healthy Mayor to carry on with the City's business for a better Jackson. So if you're not contributing to help this problem, and you are his son, YOU BE QUIET. Posted by: Roc on Jan 08, 08 7:42 am

I think we all know your mother well enough, given her absence from Frank's life for many years Matt. Posted by: Ironghost on Jan 08, 08 8:47 am

It must be hard having to go to both the C-L's and the JFP's websites to chastise and even threaten people who dare to share their opinions about your father. Maybe you should stop and look the other direction and figure out exactly what it is that has people so unhappy with the job he has done as mayor. Fainting in public does not give him a free pass, and he deserves a lot of the critical comments he is receiving. Frank is a public official and even though you are his son and take this stuff very personally, you are old enough to know that being in the public eye has its pros and cons. The negative comments are one of the things that go along with the job, and you do yourself and your dad a disservice (if this is in fact his son posting) by reacting the way you have, especially with the comments you made on the C-L website that appeared to be threatening people whose comments you did not like. Posted by: lls32001 on Jan 08, 08 9:07 am

Matt, thanks for posting. I can't imagine how hard all of this must be for you to read, and your family has my prayers. I really, truly pray that you can all pull together and get your father some help before it's too late. Clearly, he is in WAY over his head, and he does everything possible to make his own health worse. I've seen it first hand—with no one around him doing a thing to stop him. Nothing. Nada.I've also heard him talk about the people around him, and how he is a very lonely man and feels like he has few friends. I think he is fully aware that most people around him are there from what they can get from him—and it is very, very tragic that he somehow prefers that to living a healthier life with his own family in Texas. If one could argue that he is actually sacrificing that to help the young people of Jackson, then it would be admirable. But he has proved hands-down himself that, even if he has those intentions as his top priority, he is doing little to help people here. If anything, he is pitting the troubled young people he prefers against those he despises.
I have tried to call your mother, Matt, and I would be happy to have in-depth discussions with her at any time should you care to pass on that message. But one thing I will not do is "be quiet"—either about the way that Melton has tried to run this city, or on the way I believe that people around him have enabled him to hurt himself (when I say that, I mean mostly the vultures here in Mississippi who want his money and whatever else they can suck from him), but I will continue to wonder why your mother has not come and taken him home and helped him through some very difficult problems. Sadly, Melton made his personal life the public's life, not only by running but by using his stories about his family as political fuel. That means that the public now has the right to ask these questions of him. I know that must suck for you, and I have full compassion for you and your sister in all this, but that does not mean that the questions will not be asked, by me or anyone else.
I second Big Tee's post: Talk to your father. He told me that he does not like being mayor. He's not good at it. We all know that. Ask him to do what's right for himself, his family and the city of Jackson: step down and go home to Texas and take care of his health. Please.Posted by: ladd on Jan 08, 08 9:32 am
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=15913_0_27_0_C#103953

Very classy. The editor decides to drag Melton's wife into a discussion about his health, implying she is negligent, and his son who is in college, defends his family. (Of course, if you are a politician's child, the best thing to do is not say anything as you cannot win these public debates). He's then subjected to some posts less than complimentary towards him and his mother. I want Melton gone NOW as much as anyone but this crosses the line. Notice how the editor mentioned she has tried to contact Ms. Melton. Not the first time she has tried to interfere in someone's family. Probably won't be the last, but I digress.

What she should have done was take down some of the more offending comments and issued an apology to Melton's son saying things tend to get heated when his father is discussed but instead defends them and appoints herself as the moralist-in-chief of Jackson. Frankly, I found most of these comments offensive and they are proof of how this bunch can use almost any reason to justify their treatment of anyone that has earned their ire.

From the Dayton newspaper:
A meltdown he — and some other Buckeyes — said happened on the field, on the sidelines and even in the dressing room.
“I couldn’t believe that guys were fighting with other guys, this isn’t a barroom.” the massive junior tackle said. “You don’t need to be fighting with your own teammates. We were here to play football, Some guys didn’t get that though. But that’s not Ohio State football.
“Everyone was fighting with each other and I’m like, ‘Calm down. It’s okay. It’s half time.’ But everyone’s like, ‘This is your fault,’ and then ‘No, this is your fault.’ I was like ‘Calm down, we got a half to go.’ But some guys panicked like the game was over.”
In truth, it was.
The Bucks trailed by 14 at the half and lost by the same margin, though they were down by more than that through much of the second half and only a late score made things look far more respectable than they were.
Ohio State lost its second national title game in a row — and its ninth straight bowl game to an SEC team — for a lot of reasons:
Stupid penalties — including a numbing five personal fouls — costly turnovers and certainly, LSU’s superior play. The Tigers were a better team.
The most surprising thing, though, was the Bucks’ mental collapse that everybody from Boone to linebackers Larry Grant and James Laurinaitis talked about afterward.
“You’ve got to be able to control your emotions in a big game like this,” said Laurinaitis, who, along with a BCS-record 18 tackles against the Tigers, had a costly face mask penalty. “We didn’t do that at all tonight. We did a lot of things we shouldn’t have.”
Grant agreed: “Our mind got where it shouldn’t have been and It cost us the game.”
http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/throughthearch

Carville slams Courso and ESPN.

NUMBER 1!!! My Tigers rocked, rolled, and BEAT THE HELL out of THE Ohio State University. Way to geaux Tigers!!! Nuff said. Here is all the coverage: Clips, photo galleries, opinion, stories, you name it, its here. enjoy.

LSU Fan sites: Tigerdroppings, http://www.tigerdroppings.com/, and Tigerforums, http://www.tigerforums.com/, both are FREE!!!

Tigerdroppings picture thread: http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/messagetopic.asp?p=6772800

Video:
ESPN: Big 10 Weakest?: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3185873&n8pe6c=2
ESPN: Miles sleeps in: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3185898&n8pe6c=1
ESPN: Dorsey Interview: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3185903&n8pe6c=3
Miles remarks: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3185948&n8pe6c=2
Tressel Remarks: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3185914&n8pe6c=1
ESPN Recap: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3186008&n8pe6c=3
ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3186024&n8pe6c=2
ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3186031&n8pe6c=1
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyHolvjJb0A
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwCJZE-gfnw
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jW_b6_XFlA
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLWQOLHazz4
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chTJVt34uV0
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXzlJ59TKL8
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-0axTU3ACI
Buckeye blunder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b90EUMq3KFs
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOFDjecsYCM
Bourbon Sunday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Yq72yP658
FoxSports: http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/gameTrax?gameId=200801070033
OSU fan burns OSU hat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu9vBEQ842I
Carville slams ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3186343&n8pe6c=2
Pregame (band): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lcAFKVsZeo
Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnVX2bwyurw
Tiger fans celebrate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIldURyYAlo
Miles roars: http://cbs.sportsline.com/video/player/collegefootball?id=163469s
Team enters the dome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jSIsHrJXsU
Jai Eugene & Meyer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxb5uHnuT2s
SEC Pride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJiMtKGaw6Q
Steltz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4l6dv4PPeU
National Anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IUuC2GZoGc
Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIITJg3pnjw
Chimes East: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsW7TEdvowQ
Pre-game on Bourbon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZczscyQUps
Neck on Bourbon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVKLXYwuP7c
Neck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hM0Ns6u3BE
Pregame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM049m_q5LA
Shaq: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M35WJIIdhS4
Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mstty5mfJDo
Band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPDhOAp3WHA
Band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqqO_ldLj90
Student ticket line: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a2TvIDsUvA
Band dorks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCeMKGJxXfI
LSU enters dome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40q-YHVpMhs
BCS Party: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPCDPJSM6Ow
Eye of the Tiger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBcQR8XqlFw
Trophy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BybtWpqw2c
Better than Ezra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rO6bbQQKQ
Bourbon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-f86HxPM9M
Shaq: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M35WJIIdhS4
Pregame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evr6pGiYhhI
Gameday at casino: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWSul-rn7N4
1st LSU TD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_mOOEhCXE4
Buckeyes on Bourbon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-umh0F87v8
Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvjpNgNnXUI
Don't cry out loud: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36aB3Enff3s
Pregame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT0pK1YrKEM
Doucet TD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIlMXgfabFM
Wells TD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnuk4X6tajs
LSU enters field: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtYdvehlQpw
LSU TD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIDt5bttQGE


Photo Galleries
LSUSports.net: http://www.lsusports.net/PhotoAlbum.dbml?&PALBID=16078&DB_OEM_ID=5200&FLASH=YES
Pregame: http://www.lsusports.net/PhotoAlbum.dbml?&PALBID=16077&DB_OEM_ID=5200&FLASH=YES
Times-Picayune: http://www.nola.com/lsu/gallery/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/nola/view_gallery.ata?g_id=9544
More from T-P: http://www.nola.com/lsu/gallery/
Advocate: http://www.2theadvocate.com/multimedia/13523727.html
Shreveport Times: http://www.lsubeat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D9&Dato=20080108&Kategori=SPORTS0202&Lopenr=801080803&Ref=PH
Shreveport Times: http://www.lsubeat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D9&Dato=20080108&Kategori=SPORTS0202&Lopenr=801080802&Ref=PH
Shreveport Times: http://www.lsubeat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D9&Dato=20080108&Kategori=SPORTS0202&Lopenr=801080801&Ref=PH
Shreveport Times: http://www.lsubeat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D9&Dato=20080107&Kategori=SPORTS0202&Lopenr=801070812&Ref=PH
MSNBC Slideshow: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22546416/
Rivals: http://collegefootball.rivals.com/photofeature.asp?SID=1144&fid=21062

Stats
http://stats.nola.com/cfb/boxscore.asp?gamecode=200801070033&home=33&vis=76
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/gameTrax?gameId=200801070033

LSUSports.net
Game story: http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=1364725&DB_OEM_ID=5200
BCS Blog: http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=1364646

Dandy Don: http://www.dandydon.com/

WJBO: http://www.wjbo.com/pages/fb_lsu.html

Times-Picayune
Finney: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1199778600323340.xml&coll=1
Recap: http://www.nola.com/sportsflash/index.ssf?/base/sports-14/119976836955930.xml&storylist=college_football
Fan coverage: http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-35/1199778003307780.xml&coll=1
SEC top conference http://blog.nola.com/gladow/2008/01/home_sweet_home_lsu_tops_osu_i.html#addcomments
Posts from the Quarter: http://blog.nola.com/tpsports/offsides_in_the_quarter/
Good as Gold: http://www.nola.com/lsu/t-p/football/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1199777410289380.xml&coll=1
Pelini: http://www.nola.com/lsu/t-p/football/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1199778019307780.xml&coll=1
Flynn bounces back: http://www.nola.com/lsu/t-p/football/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1199777418289380.xml&coll=1

The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
Tigers #1: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/13516667.html
Rabalais: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13518822.html
LSU Dominant: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13520242.html
Blog: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13503417.html
Penalties: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13518912.html
Defense: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521327.html
Coaches rankings: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521887.html
AP Poll: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521547.html
OSU Penalties: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521552.html
OSU fades: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521732.html
Dorsey: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521877.html
Defense: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521872.html
Flynn: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521857.html
Fans: http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/13521847.html
LSU Celebration: http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/13521852.html

Shreveport Times (Gannett)
Tigers make history: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/SPORTS0202/801080350
Miles: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/SPORTS0202/80108001
Flynn: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/SPORTS0202/801080347
Story: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/SPORTS0202/801080308
Blog: http://bayoubengalsblog.blogspot.com/

ESPN
Forde: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3186010&sportCat=ncf
Maisel:http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=3186023
Schlabach:http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/news/story?id=3185309
Wojciechowski: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3185988&sportCat=ncf
Game coverage (AP): http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=280070194
Play by play: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/playbyplay?gameId=280070194
Drive chart: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/drivechart?gameId=280070194
Fan Comments: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/conversation?gameId=280070194
AP Poll: LSU #1: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3185967
Police arrests 9 in Ohio: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/news/story?id=3185913

And The Valley Shook (LSU Blog): http://www.andthevalleyshook.com/


NATIONAL COVERAGE

USA Today (Gannett)
Recap: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/bowls/bcs.htm
Game coverage: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores108/108007/NCAAF794004.htm
Coverage: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/bowls/2008-01-08-lsu-playmakers_N.htm
Laurinaitis fails: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/bowls/2008-01-08-osu-laurinaitis_N.htm
LSU's offense better next year?: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/sec/2008-01-07-lsu-lookahead_N.htm
Lopresti: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2008-01-08-bcs-title-game-column_N.htm
2 faces of New Orleans: http://usatodaytv.feedroom.com/?fr_story=fb088c335f1ad1cb84cf0e37a9789b86c6ec8cc2

CBS Sportsline
Dodd: http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10564155
Eat crow thread: http://cbs.sportsline.com/mcc/messages/chrono/5651377/0/68

Yahoo Sports (Rivals)
Story: http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=758976
Quarter by quarter recap: http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=758977
LSU Seniors: http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=759113
OSU mistakes: http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=759116

MSNBC
Hester: http://www.nbcsports.com/portal/site/nbcsports/menuitem.6f806e473b4cb158fb00ec22493c2d04/?vgnextoid=aea8ba2ff5957110VgnVCM10000075c1d240RCRD&vgnextchannel=9f23d5e59df02110VgnVCM100000dc032c03RCRD&vgnextfmt=defaultesses: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22548886
Coverage: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22546416/
Buckeyes, the new Bills: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22548890/
Tiger Special teams: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22548197/
OSU Defense: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22548215/

College Football News (Scout)
Coverage: http://cfn.scout.com/2/557722.html
Thoughts: http://cfn.scout.com/2/717964.html
More thoughts: http://cfn.scout.com/2/717986.html
Instant analysis: http://cfn.scout.com/2/717963.html

New York Times
coverage: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/sports/ncaafootball/08bcs.html?ref=sports
Flynn: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/sports/ncaafootball/08college.html?ref=sports

Fox Sports
LSU wins: http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/7647554
Fiutak: http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/7650512
Second Title: http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/gameTrax?gameId=200801070033

The Opposition

Buckeyes fight each other: http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/throughthearch/entries/2008/01/08/osus_meltdown_guys_were_fighti.html

Columbus Dispatch
Coverage: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/01/08/follow.html?sid=101
SEC-ond again: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/01/08/bcs_gamer08.ART_ART_01-08-08_S2_GQ90EDO.html?sid=101
Bottom Line: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/01/08/bottomline.html?sid=101
Scarlet & gray matter: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/01/08/sgm08_ART_01-08-08_S3_6G90H6G.html?sid=101
OSU Fans relive pain: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/08/bcs_scene08.ART_ART_01-08-08_A1_Q790BUR.html?sid=101
Coverage: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/01/08/follow.html?sid=101
Dazed & Confused on campus: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/08/buckeye_fans.ART_ART_01-08-08_A1_Q790BUP.html?sid=101

The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
Tressel needs to change: http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/01/bill_livingston_jim_tressel_mi.html

Enquirer (Cincinnati)
Miles had good plan: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/SPT/301080060
Defense fails OSU: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/SPT01/301100001

Two posts on a thread about Melton's fainting spell today as Ladd and someone purporting to be Melton's son get into it on the Jackson Free Press website:

The part that makes me the angriest is that Melton—clearly a very sick man on several levels—is surrounded by cultures and enablers who haven't gotten him help or encouraged him to lead a safer, healthier lifestyle. I mean, his wife is a doctor for God's sake; can she really not convince him to live less stupidly??? Why isn't she on his doorstep every night until he goes home to Texas where she can help him take care of himself???Plus, there's the issue of him endangering others, including kids, with the drinking. I think everyone of his enablers should be tarred and feathered. Posted by: ladd on Jan 07, 08 6:38 pm

"Be careful Ms. Ladd you are treading very thin ice its one thing to openly disagree with the way someone runs the city. I dont think you know Mrs. Melton at all to say the least. I mean have you ever even spoken to her. It sure is easy to get on here and say what someone should be doing when in fact she has tried. He chooses to live in Jackson because he has always felt like that was his calling to help people. Needless to say seems like you must be perfect yourself I wonder if you have ever had any issues, seeing what you just wrote you couldn't have you must be perfect to get on here and discuss someone's marriage and if i sound too personal maybe its because you are speaking about my parents. I try to ignore somethings but you dont know my mother so by all means BE QUIET. Posted by: MattMelton on Jan 07, 08 8:49 pm"

Then a classier post:
mattmelton you are right, we don't know your mother. That's part of the problem, absentee 1st lady! Posted by: maad on Jan 07, 08 10:12 pm
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=15913_0_27_0_C#103936

This is a link to an edition of Jazz Profiles, produced by National Public Radio (and not broadcast in Jackson). http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/miles_styles.html

This particular show featured the styles of Miles Davis:
"Miles Davis was the personification of restless spirit, always pushing himself and his music into uncharted territory. He was an innovative lightning rod for musicians from all genres -- particularly the brightest young players. Davis created some of the 20th Century's most challenging and influential music..."

Enjoy.

Last night I turned on my radio, which is set to MPB, looking forward to listening to some classical music only to hear a news program from the BBC. HUH? So, I did some digging online and apparently MPB made some more decisions to quicken its slide into mediocrity.

"Mississippi Public Broadcasting-Radio will unveil a number of schedule changes starting Tuesday, including the debuts of several locally-produced programs...
MPB-Radio is also adding three information/call-in shows - regarding family issues, financial advice and pets/animals. They will replace the national broadcasts of The Diane Rehm Show at 9 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Other programs that will be dropped include Pipedreams and the 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. weekday block of classical music programming..."
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080104/FEAT/80104012/-1/frontpage

The widespread destruction to its programming is apparent when one checks the website for the schedule. There is no more classical music at night. From midnight to 5:00 AM there is the BBC news. Just want I want to hear, more talk. Its not like there isn't enough of it on cable tv, the radio, etc. No, some Einstein (management is relying on consultants to some degree for its programming decisions) decided that now we need the BBC as well. If this is some attempt at injecting some British culture into public radio, someone should tell MPB there are MUCH better examples of British culture than the BBC. However, the horror does not stop with the BBC.

It is sad as MPB used to be a leading public radio station when it was PRM. PRM was a true asset to Mississippi. I travel outside of Mississippi quite a bit and trust me, there were few radio stations as good as PRM. PRM, although devoted to classical music, turned out a product that was second to none as it was run by true experts such as William Fulton, Frank Lynch, Sam Sherrill, Margaret Baker-Carr, and others. They had a true love for their craft and it showed in the quality of PRM and accolades it received.

Unfortunately, the new management of public radio decided that being the best in one field was not good enough and chose in the manner common to cultural barbarians to get rid of a great product and debase the radio station. I remember one manager at MPB defending the program changes in The Clarion-Ledger by stating she wanted programming that pleased everyone. Apparently this prom queen wannabe didn't learn the lesson in high school that when you try to please everyone you please no one. Now that their programming changes haven't worked out, they are trying to go have more local programming. Its not surprising as most cultural boobs confuse local with good.

There is only four hours of classical music a day. period. No more Mississippi Concert Hall. No more of the popular listener request Fridays. No more Metropolitan Opera. The reputation and legacy of PRM, which brought pride and culture to Mississippi, has now been carelessly cast aside as one would a Christmas tree after spending so much time decorating it. Like the tree, it is now in the street with the rest of the trash, quickly forgotten and taken away.

The carnage continues as there is no more Jazz at Lincoln Center (hosted by Wynton Marsalis, a New Orleans native). So much for exposing local listeners to the best we have to offer in terms of what is truly an American form of music. Good luck finding any jazz on Mississippi Public Radio as there is none. Not even the highly esteemed Jazz Profiles, produced by NPR and the NEA, is carried by MPB. The omission of jazz from public radio's format in Mississippi should be grounds for the firing of whoever is in charge of programming. However, the cultural devastation does not end.

Blues? Mississippi's contribution to music? If you thought a Mississippi Public Radio station would have a moderate amount of blues programming, you would be sadly mistaken as there is none but for a few hours very late on Saturday night. The cultural boobs at MPB have decided in their infinite wisdom to ignore a true treasure of Mississippi in favor of.....talk radio!!!

Yes, instead of radio that reflects culture and Mississippi's contribution to music, MPB has decided to give us talk radio. In addition to the umpteen sports radio programs, WFMN, WJNT, cable news channels, the cultural boobs decreed that we should get more talk radio in Mississippi. One program will be about financial matters. Great. 15 hours of Dave Ramsey a week and the weekend Suzie Orman Gabfest on CNBC is not enough. Don't worry though, this one is local (sarcasm intended). We get a local show about pets! family matters! (Don't worry, Alex will not be hosting). I'm not denigrating these topics, however, as hungry as WFMN and WJNT are for programming, they have tried these topics as well or would have if they thought it was profitable. However, it doesn't matter as these shows are local. The cultural boobs at MPB would replace paintings by Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh with a bunch by Thomas Kinckaide or a local graffiti artist if he was local. Thank you, MPB, for ruining PRM while you wonder what to do with your new toy.

Mississippi Public Radio's website: http://www.mpbonline.org/radio/index.htm

Note: There is still a public radio channel available that is devoted to music if you have a high-definition radio or can sit around your computer for streaming. However, being how this is Mississippi and not Orange County, not everyone has high-definition receivers nor works in an office around a computer all day. That, not the previous programming, is what I would call elitist.

Related stories found online:
The ignoring of Jazz by public radio: http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110006821
How the consultants have ruined public radio: http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=105001948
The destruction of public radio: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/184uadtr.asp?pg=1
Fundraising issues of public radio: http://www.forbes.com/2001/03/30/0330pubradio.html
podcasts a lifeline for public radio?: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/051129glaser/

It's game day beotches. Time for my Tigers to beat the hell out of the Buckeyes tonight.

Good read on the state trooper that accompanies LSU Coach Miles:
http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/13032722.html

“When coach Saban first came in, he said, ‘Why do I need security?’” Edmonson said. “After that one game … he goes, ‘Mike, I never not want you near me.’ We became very, very close.”...

Go to enough college football fan websites and everything in this video will look familiar.

Here is one way for Roger Wicker to get votes on the coast:

http://www.sunherald.com/278/story/280294.html

"PASCAGOULA --District attorneys in South Mississippi are hoping to keep the extra prosecutors and investigators they hired with federal grant money after Katrina.
Whether they do or not will be up to the Legislature.
Coast district attorneys Tony Lawrence and Cono Caranna say the need for extra prosecutors since the storm is there and isn't going away, so the push is on to have the state pick up the cost for the larger staffs.
The federal money runs out in September....."

Seems as though Wicker should think about trying to see what can be done to get that federal grant extended to help the coast. Might help him come election time.

Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

Now maybe crime victims will find out when suspects are indicted or arrested from the DA's office BEFORE they read about it in the newspaper or see it on tv.

The point of this post has nothing to do with football or Alabama. I'll let you figure it out.

Say what?

McMillin said he would look into a report WLBT got that on a Saturday night recently that there were only four officers working beats where 13 would normally be before the overtime crackdown.
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=7568496&nav=menu119_3

What the hell is going on? I'm a strong Mac supporter but what is this about? The newspaper also reported recently not all beats were being filled. What is the problem? What needs to be done? The last thing we need is some generic statement after two years of getting the run around from Melton.

He also says morale is improving. That might be true because Shirlene and Frank are no longer ruining, oops, I meant running the department. However, considering so many officers saw overtime taken away, one wonders how accurate that statement can be.

Well, The Park (no, not THAT park) is now gone:
"The Park on Lakeland Drive in Flowood, home of Mississippi's only ice-skating rink, is officially closed for business. It was shut down despite a bold effort by workers and metro-area ice-skating fans.
A pair of big work trucks block access to the park recreational complex. After 11 years, there are no more games, go-carts or ice skating here."
http://www.wlbt.com/global/story.asp?s=7575097

No surprise here although as a go-cart um, enthusiast I am sorry to see it go. The owners really let the place go downhill over the last few years. The place was always filthy whenever I went. There were times I went and the floor was covered with trash. The bathrooms were out of supplies and not clean. There were only a few go carts working. Some of the games did not work and were not repaired. There were few employees and waits were ridiculous. It's a shame the Park is closing though as it leaves Jackson with one less thing to do for fun and recreation.

Peggy Noonan had a great column a few weeks ago about voting for President.

"This is my 2008 slogan: Reasonable Person for President. That is my hope, what I ask Iowa to produce, and I claim here to speak for thousands, millions. We are grown-ups, we know our country needs greatness, but we do not expect it and will settle at the moment for good. We just want a reasonable person. We would like a candidate who does not appear to be obviously insane. We'd like knowledge, judgment, a prudent understanding of the world and of the ways and histories of the men and women in it...."
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110011048

She writes very insightful and witty remarks on Hillary, Obama, McCain, Romney, and the rest of the field with a prose used by few others. Her comments on Obama bring to mind the great liberals of the past such as Hubert Humphrey before the hard-nosed take no prisoners leftists took over the Democratic Party in 1972. Read the column, you will enjoy it.

Apparently there is still an amendment legalizing slavery in the Southern states passed by Congress, signed by Lincoln, which was submitted to the states although never ratified. The amendment reads:
"No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State. (See U.S. House of Representatives, 106th Congress, 2nd Session, The Constitution of the United States of America: Unratified Amendments, Doc. No. 106-214"

On July 19 the Associated Press and Reuter’s reported an "amazing find" at a museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania: A copy of a letter dated March 16, 1861, and signed by Abraham Lincoln imploring the governor of Florida to rally political support for a constitutional amendment that would have legally enshrined slavery in the U.S. Constitution. ...
http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo104.html . There are numerous references to this find on the internet. It is legitimate and apparently Lincoln did try to get an amendment legalizing slavery approved.

According to Wikipedia, "Technically, though, the Corwin Amendment is still alive and awaiting its chance to become part of the Constitution, but the number of state legislatures that would need to ratify it has climbed to 36." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corwin_Amendment

Unbelievable. There is still an amendment legalizing slavery on the books waiting to be ratified. One would hope either Congress rescinds its approval or the state legislatures vote on ratification and reject it. It's hard to believe in the 21st century this evil amendment is still alive.
related story: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=bizarre&id=4379128

Earlier post: http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/01/leave-park-alone.html

Jackson Association of Realtors website has the latest housing sales statistics for the Jackson area: http://www.jacksonrealtor.com/Information/AreaSalesStatistics.php

Listings around the reservoir area had the shortest time on the market at 104 days. The average price for reservoir homes was $263,514. The Highway 49 to I-55N Corridor listings sat on the market the longest, 166 days with an average price of $199,047.

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/12/issues-in-3rd-congressional-district.html

This post last month discussed the results of the recent online poll on this blog that asked readers to decide which issues mattered most to 3rd district voters.

(Photo of beginning of nature trail at Lefleur's Bluff state park. See rest of nature trail photos at http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/prplhze2000/nature%20trial%20pics/)