Jackson Jambalaya

State Senators Hewes, Gollott, and Michel are sponsoring a bill that would require recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to submit to random drug testing:
http://index.ls.state.ms.us/isysnative/UzpcRG9jdW1lbnRzXDIwMDhcbm90ZGVhZFxzYlwyNDAwLTI0OTlcc2IyNDE5aW4ucGRm/sb2419in.pdf

See if you can spot it:
Investors cautioned as credit bureaus being probed
NEW YORK — For the big three credit rating agencies, growing criticism this past week that their ratings systems are flawed must have sounded like a familiar refrain.
Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings are being criticized by government officials and some investor groups for not identifying weakness in subprime mortgage-backed securities before they went sour and contributed to massive loss in financial firms and, in turn, the stock market. They're also criticized for having too cozy a relationship with the debt issuers that pay them for their ratings....
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080210/BIZ/802100345/1005/biz

I'm ready to try something I've been wanting to do for awhile. If you have poetry or short stories that you would like to submit for posting on this blog, send them to kingfish1935@gmail.com. You retain the copyright as I prefer to bring exposure to poets and writers. When your work is posted, any personal or contact info can be posted along with it, including your website, blog, Myspace, etc. Don't assume what I will or will not publish as you don't know what my tastes or what I think is good (DWF will pick some as well as she has a degree in English. Renee, that means you have a chance at getting some stuff published.) The only thing I ask is don't submit something vulgar (some profanity is ok) nor something libelous.
Screen names can be used if you wish to protect your identity. I care about the work itself, not who wrote it. Therefor, you don't have to submit works under your real names either. Don't worry about length. If the short story is too long, I can post it over on google groups and post the link and an excerpt here. This is something I have always wanted to do as it is something that used to be common in newspapers decades ago and has been lost as they dumbed down their publications over the years.

Once again Domestic violence is discussed in the media and as usual, the reporters and the legislators miss it. They focus on minor issues such as restraining orders, which are not worth the paper they are printed on. If there is going to be a serious discussion on strengthening domestic violence laws in Mississippi, here is a repost of something I wrote earlier:

1. Change the loophole in the law that allows a judge to suspend a sentence in exchange for "counseling". The law states: "Every conviction of domestic violence may require as a condition of any suspended sentence that the defendant participate in counseling or treatment to bring about the cessation of domestic abuse. The defendant may be required to pay all or part of the cost of the counseling or treatment, in the discretion of the court. " Section 97-3-7(6) of the Mississippi Code. http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/97/003/0007.htm In reality what happens is too many judges use this loophole to let someone off of the hook who has beaten his wife or children. For example, in the earlier post http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/09/domestic-violence-and-divorce-in.html, a man beat his ex-wife in Rankin County. This was his second arrest for domestic violence with a different wife. He completed his anger management class and voila, he was back home. Did I mention he later lost his visitation rights to his child after he assaulted him?Do all battered families some good and close this loophole. The legislature will soon be in session and will have an excellent opportunity to actually do something about domestic violence.

2. MAKE POLICE REPORTS PUBLIC!!! How many crimes of domestic violence would be avoided if women had the ability to see if someone they were thinking of marrying or dating had ever been arrested for domestic violence or other crimes for that matter? Many states such as Louisiana make police reports available for a small fee. It's time Mississippi followed suit and allowed for police reports to be made public. In the above example, the wife-beater coached soccer for small kids after TWO arrests for beating different wives. There was no way to obtain a copy of the police report in order to protect the children from such a violent person. Although each agency can release the reports, most choose not to do so. However, don't worry. They'll tell you they take domestic violence seriously even while they cover up for the wife beater.

3. Set up as part of the continuing education for judges visits to battered women's shelters (not in their jurisdictions) so that they can better see how serious a crime domestic violence really is. Including Sheriffs and Chiefs in such a program probably is not a bad idea. If possible (and make it volunteer only for the victims), arrange for discussions on such tours.

4. Upgrade Simple Domestic Assault from a misdemeanor to a felony. One observation made about the Spencer case was SDA was the only charge that allowed the police to pursue the complaint against George Bell, III without the victim's consent. The problem is, that charge is a misdemeanor. A thug can take a baseball bat, beat his wife within an inch of her life, then face only a misdemeanor charge after somehow pressuring her to drop the charges. Since current laws are clearly not working, it is time to change the rules and make Simple Domestic Violence a felony. See http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/09/jpd-and-heather-spencer.html

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-long-must-we-read-news-every-day.html

My sincere sympathy goes out to Jackson Free Press reporter Adam Lynch, whose mother passed away this week. This is obviously a tough time for him and his family and I wish them the best while they deal with their loss. To Adam, I leave you with this quote:

Life is eternal, and love is immortal,and death is only a horizon;and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.~Rossiter Worthington Raymond

Sincerely,
Kingfish

Robbie Bell, the mother of convicted murderer George Bell III, is currently under indictment for accessory after the fact. The Clarion-Ledger reported this week "Robbie Bell's trial is tentatively set for March 31 on the accessory charge. The case was reassigned last week to Kidd." http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802050376

This is good news for those who wish to see Ms. Bell prosecuted as the judge first assigned to the case was Judge DeLaughter, who also handled her arraignment. Why is this good news? Well, it seems there is a little bit of possible incest among the lawyers and judges in this case.

George Bell III's lawyer was esteemed local defense attorney Tom Royals. Mr. Royals was once the law partner of Ed Peters before he became Hinds County District Attorney over 30 years ago. Mr. Royals represented Mr. Peters several times:
1. The NASA case where Mr. Peters was judged by the court liable for fraud.
2. Mr. Peters indictment in 1975 for extortion. He was acquitted.
3. In 1975, Mr. Peters was indicted for practicing law after assuming the office of D.A. (Charges dropped by court after prosecutors requested dismissal).
4. A 1977 incident where Mr. Peters was accused of taking payoffs to protect a prostitution ring. Mr. Peters was not indicted.

Mr. Peters and Judge DeLaughter now stand accused of working in concert with Joey Langston in order to "fix" civil cases:
"The 50-year-old Langston, who will never practice law again, had just admitted to offering a bribe and the hint of a federal judgeship to Hinds Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter in exchange for a favorable ruling in a legal fees lawsuit.
Langston said he did so with the full knowledge of famed Oxford attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, and he said he used former Hinds district attorney Ed Peters to ferry messages to the judge." http://yallpolitics.com/index.php/yp/post/langston_says_ed_peters_his_money_man/
Text of Langston's plea: http://djournal9to5.wordpress.com/

Is it any coincidence the case was going to be heard before Judge DeLaughter, who has been accused by others of criminal conduct in cases involving Mr. Peters? While it is true Mr. Royals is not representing Ms. Bell, it does not require one to suspend reality in order to conclude Mr. Royals and Ms. Bell's lawyer (who I am told is in the "Ed Peters crowd") have probably worked together on the defense of their clients. Until the case was reassigned to Judge Kidd last week, the Judge accused by Joey Langston of fixing cases for him through Ed Peters was going to hear a case where the recently convicted son of the accused was represented by the former law partner of Mr. Peters.

For other posts on the Heather Spencer Case, see section in the lower sidebar on the right side of the page.
NASA Post: http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/02/ed-peters-do-leapords-ever-change-their.html
Robbie Bell indicted: http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/11/wheels-slowly-turn-robbie-bell-indicted.html

Two weeks ago Jackson Jambalaya asked in a poll what the District Attorney should do in regards to former District Attorney Ed Peters and Judge Bobby DeLaughter. Four choices were given and 163 votes were cast. The choices and their votes received were:
Nothing. They did nothing wrong. 4 votes (2%)
Nothing. Let the feds investigate. 30 votes (18%)
Disassociate himself from Ed Peters publicly. 9 votes (5%)
Open an investigation & prosecute if needed. 114 votes (69%)
Its all a Frank Melton conspiracy. 6 votes (3%)

Until the "Hottest Reporter" polls were conducted, this poll received the highest number of votes ever on this blog, proving that this is an issue that matters to may people. 70% of the voters thought (not felt) that Mr. Smith should investigate and prosecute possible judicial corruption. I suspect that if a more scientific poll was conducted, the results would be somewhat similar.

My personal opinion is that the D.A. should open an investigation. Mr. Smith was elected to prosecute crime in Hinds County. That includes corruption among judges and former district attorneys if it occurred. It is a safe bet to say that more than a reasonable suspicion of such corruption has been raised.

Mr. Smith, there are going to be few moments that define your term. Some of us are sick and tired of seeing corruption cleaned up by the feds and wonder when our local officials for once will prove themselves up to the task of cleaning up Mississippi. We elected you to make such a stand. It is understandable if the feds have told you to back off while they handle it. However, these allegations, if true, occurred in Hinds County and are under your jurisdiction. There is nothing to stop you from announcing you are opening an investigation, then a few days later say you are deferring to the feds and will continue with the matter when the federal prosecution is substantially over. However, there has been no comment from your office, raising questions in the minds of many in Hinds County. The integrity of the legal system has been severely damaged(we won't even discuss the Keith Shelton case) as many people now question whether all the judges are paid off by the "right" attorneys, thus depriving them of any possibility for a fair hearing in Hinds County. It is your responsibility to restore faith in the judicial system and punish those who have corrupted it.

This is the Robert Smith's chance to define his term and show what kind of D.A. he will be. For over 30 years, Hinds County has been plagued by contoversy in the D.A.'s office. Mr. Smith should demonstrate to the voters that he is truly independent of Mr. Peters and that he truly thinks no one is above the law in Hinds County.

Don't forget to vote!

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/02/dwf-metro-media-men-hottest-hunk.html

http://www.insurancecoverageblog.com/archives/industry-developments-third-update-state-farm-v-hood.html#discussion

This week's humor comes from our local alternative newsweekly:
"I think I'm longing for the return of segregation. We live in a white Polish/Irish town now. I, frankly, will never live with large numbers of white people again. White people are just too f***ing crazy.
Our interest in Jackson is the possibility of living in a black neighborhood, because, well, the city is so black it seems possible that we could find an accepting black neighborhood and go live in it.
Is that what has to happen, return to formal segregation, so the two of us can know what neighborhood we can live in? We want to live somewhere away from white people, because racism is a mental illness, and the color brown makes white people crazy. Making the mistake of thinking people are free to live where they want in America has been is extremely costly to us." willdufauve Feb 06, 08 11:17 pm http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/forums/threads.php?id=16146_0_16_0_C#106065

The irony.

The City of Los Angeles used eminent domain to take a popular Hollywood bar and numerous other small businesses, so the city could hand the land over to private developers planning to build a "W "hotel and million-dollar condos. Fortunately, there's a better way to revitalize neighborhoods. In contrast to Hollywood, Mayor Curt Pringle of nearby Anaheim has found a way to encourage redevelopment by working cooperatively with property owners, without using the power of eminent domain. http://reason.tv/video/show/58.html

More information on Anaheim's revelopment project:
http://www.anaheim.net/administration/PIO/Perspectives-Pringlev4sm.pdf

Turns out the author of the National Intelligence Estimate, Michael McConnell, is clarifying what his report said:
"We judge with moderate confidence that the earliest possible date Iran would be technically capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon in late 2009," U.S. National Intelligence director Michael McConnell said. "But that is very unlikely."
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/ss_iran_02_06.asp

Huh? I thought Iran was not working towards producing a nuclear weapon. That is what the media told us the NIE said anyway. I wonder if the media will give the same headlines to McConnell's testimony. (The NIE is available here: http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/12/read-nie-ffor-yourself.html)

Another example of how the media got it wrong as its the missiles stupid:
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/12/missiles-enriched-uranium.html

http://yallpolitics.com/index.php/yp/post/6452/

http://folo.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/shelton-the-mother-of-all-wtfs/

http://folo.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/shelton-and-jennings-a-folo-up/

While the controversy rages over the of role former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters in the Dickie Scruggs scandal, the media has so far ignored his involvement in the long-forgotten NASA fraud case from the mid-1970's. (469 F. Supp. 54) See http://groups.google.com/group/jackson-jambalaya/files (click on Peters case link)

NASA (National Account Systems Association) was an investment scheme cooked up by Mr. Peters and Charles Steen which promised to pay a rate of return at 12% interest (The market rate then was 6%) to investors. Charles Steen was earlier convicted in Alabama of operating a similar bogus investment scheme and served a three-year prison sentence. NASA was shut down by then-Mississippi Secretary of State Heber Ladner in 1974 for violating state securities laws after the scheme took in $340,000 from Mississippi investors. ( See "Peters Liable for NASA Fraud" by Bill Minor, Capitol Reporter, December 7, 1978)

The victims sued Mr. Peters and three other defendants in federal court to recover for alleged violations of federal and state securities law. The Court ruled Mr. Peters "was a controlling person of the issuer and is jointly liable for all violations of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act". The scheme involved the selling of accounts receivables purchased at a discount(with the money from the promissory notes) as promissory notes to investors. Unfortunately for the investors, the receivables originated from STARCO, a bogus paper company. Mr. Peters was also the attorney for STARCO (Conflict of interest?).

"NASA itself never issued any stock and never had any paid-in capital as required by law. Neither Peters nor Steen paid for any stock and none was issued. NASA was a corporate sham." (page 10 of Court's opinion). It should also be noted these companies had no reserves nor collateral, in violation of the law.

U.S. District Judge Orma Smith issued the following findings about Mr. Peters in the opinion:
"In the present case, Peters owed a special duty of diligent investigation and disclosure. Not only was he the lawyer responsible for the issuer's compliance with applicable laws, he also permitted his name (and his office) to be exploited as “president” of NASA when he clearly knew the daily operation of NASA would be controlled by Steen. He permitted NASA to utilize his signature stamp and made no effort to determine how his signature was being used...."

"Peters, as lawyer for the issuer, secured an exemption based on promotional material furnished to him by Steen. He did not make a reasonable inquiry to ascertain the truth or falsity of the representations when these statements could have been readily verified by a lawyer. He secured the certificate of exemption without which these securities would not have been offered or sold when he knew or should have known that NASA was in violation of law, had issued no stock and had no paid-in capital. During the term of the offering, when Peters had ample opportunity to detect the misrepresentations, he failed to report violations to NASA, to the Secretary of State of to the Securities & Exchange Commission."

The court concludes that without the active, affirmative assistance of Peters as lawyer for the issuer, including the use and exploitation of his name, the sale would not have been accomplished. Therefore, under applicable law, Peters was a participant in the sale and is jointly liable with the issuer for all damages....

Further, the Court concludes that, because of his approved designation as “president” and his role in connection with the sale, Peters was a controlling person of the issuer and is jointly liable for all violations of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act..

Peters, moreover, materially and substantially aided and abetted the issuer in connection with the offer and sale of these securities. The “scienter” requirement is satisfied because the evidence establishes overwhelmingly that Peters' conduct was grossly negligent and reckless. His conduct was an extreme departure from and a gross violation of the duties imposed on him as lawyer for the issuer. The preparation and assistance with the materially false and misleading statements and the course of conduct of Peters clearly imposes aiding and abetting liability on him as a matter of law...

The court concludes, therefore, that Peters, as lawyer for the issuer, is jointly liable for all violations of s 12(2) and s 17(a) of The Securities Act, s 10(b) of the Exchange Act, Rule 10b-5, Mississippi “Blue Sky” law and common law....

It should be noted the same court ruled "In the case of defendant Peters, the evidence does not show that he profited financially in any way in the subject transactions and the court cannot find that he intended to defraud plaintiffs.."

Despite this Panglossian finding by the court, it does not take a genius to figure out what happened. Mr. Peters acted as President of NASA and the attorney for other companies in the scheme controlled by his partner, Mr. Steen. Mr. Peters was so negligent in this deception the NASA phone line rang in the Hinds County District Attorney's office. (To think Tyrone Lewis was demoted for less). The offices of NASA and the District Attorney were in the same building. Mr. Peters inexplicably did not check the background of Mr. Steen, which would have revealed a criminal record. He allowed Mr. Steen to have his signature stamp, something an attorney should never do. It boggles the mind to think Mr. Peters took a prominent role in the companies involved yet was able to escape a harsher judgement. Bernie Ebbers is probably wondering right now why this defense did not work for him.

Mr. Peters' claim was he was just a Mississippi bumpkin who had no clue as to what a security was even though he was the District Attorney for the largest county in Mississippi and one of the sharpest lawyers in the state. The Court accepted his defense and merely charged him with being reckless, ignorant, and negligent BUT liable for the fraud anyway even if he did not profit from it. Hmmm....he gets involved in a case that blows up but yet there is no finding he profited from it. Does anyone see a pattern here?

The plaintiffs were awarded damages of $240,000. The defendants appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals but the case was settled before it was heard. Despite the Court's findings, the state of Mississippi NEVER PROSECUTED ANYONE IN THE CASE! One must wonder where the true negligence occurred: in the office of the Hinds County District Attorney or the Mississippi Attorney General.

Do not even ask what action the Mississippi Bar took against Mr. Peters as it waited two years before issuing a cute little public reprimand to the District Attorney. However, it should come as not surprise to anyone who studies this case that Mr. Peters is once again involved in a controversy involving corruption and fraud.

Additional reading:
The Clarion-Ledger, "Hinds D.A. Reprimanded for 1974 Legal Job", January 6, 1981
The Clarion-Ledger, "Peters Stays Quiet on Reprimand by Peers, November 13, 1980
The Clarion-Ledger, "D.A. Asks Overturn of Ruling", March 8, 1979
The Clarion-Ledger, "Ex-D.A. Peters, Lawsuit was only NASA Benefit", October 6, 1978
The Capitol Reporter, "Book Closed on Ed Peters' NASA Boondoggle", January 8, 1981

George Bell III received a sentence of life without parole for the September beating death and sexual assault of his girlfriend, Heather Spencer, after a plea bargain was reached between Mr. Bell and Attorney General Jim Hood (who appeared in court to represent the state). Mr. Bell also received a sentence of 30 years (will run concurrently with the life sentence) for the kidnapping of Ms. Spencer's roomate (she will not be identified here). A shaky George Bell, III apologized the to courtroom and the family, then read a scripture. Mr. Bell was represented by attorney Tom Royals, former law partner of Ed Peters.

Robbie Bell, who has been indicted as an accessory, did not appear in court.

Update: I just saw something that caught my eye on the WJTV website:
"Bell admitted to kidnapping, sexually assaulting and then beating and strangling his girlfriend, Heather Spencer, to death. " http://www.wapt.com/news/15211732/detail.html

This very interesting for several reasons. This is the first time a possible strangling was mentioned. All other media coverage has omitted that word as it has been consistently reported Mr. Bell beat the late Heather Spencer to death and sexually assualted her. It is strange suddenly today, Mr. Bell said under oath that he strangled Ms. Spencer.

If Ms. Spencer's death was caused by strangling, that would mean she probably died during Monday evening, not Tuesday morning. This is VERY important since Mr. Bell's mother, Robbie Bell, was indicted for being an accessory as the media reported it was possible Ms. Spencer died Tuesday morning, not Monday evening. Such a scenario would provide Ms. Bell with a possible defense as she would probably not at home when the attack occurred.

There is just one problem with this defense and it is the fact the autopsy established a time of death. Either she died earlier of strangulation, which would shut off the oxygen to the brain or she died of the beating. This is important as it has been alleged Ms. Spencer did not die for several hours. The coroner's report will state the cause of death and if the allegations are true, consequently, there remains a strong possibilitly a conspiracy between Mr. Bell and his mother exists and his statement he strangled Heather (the family was outraged when they heard this, one of the relatives started shouting it was a lie in the courtroom) is his attempt to get Robbie Bell off the hook.

For other stories on the Heather Spencer case, scroll down and see sidebar on the right side of this page.

Note: watched all three news broadcasts at 5:00. WLBT had the best as Wendy Suares gave good analysis and was able to get several good interviews.

Here is Heather's mother's statement in the courtroom. See Featured videos below screen:
http://www.wlbt.com/

I can't hold it in any longer. Bert Case is my all-time favorite hottest hunk in the metro area. For years, his "Berrrrrt Case" brings chills to my skin. He is in a class of his own!

Long live Bert!

The IRS tax liens that were filed against The Jackson Free Press that were reported in a January 17, 2008 post (http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/01/tax-problems-at-jfp.html) were released by the IRS on January 28, 2008.

The following liens are now reported as released by the IRS on January 28, 2008 and recorded by the Hinds County Chancery Clerks office on January 29, 2008:

Lien: April 16, 2007 for $33, 323.81. It was for the following tax periods: 12/31/2005: $9,721.58
3/31/2006: $11,356.32
6/30/2006: $12,695.91T
https://secure.sos.state.ms.us//busserv/ucc/soskb/FilingChain.asp?FileNumber=20070076269M

Lien:November 13, 2007 for $11,962.06 for the following tax period:
9/30/2006: $11,962.06
https://secure.sos.state.ms.us//busserv/ucc/soskb/FilingChain.asp?FileNumber=20070256154C

There has been no comment by the Jackson newsweekly publication except for the following post by the editor, Donna Ladd, on January 29, 2008: "Also, I'm going to say this only one time because I just saw one of the JFP-haters surface with it on Folo: The JFP does not owe back taxes." This statement was made by the editor in a post on her website and contained several false allegations (not wrong, but false) about this blogger and Jackson Jambalaya. Her post and my response to her untrue statements were posted Wednsday, http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/01/sigh.html.

The JFP recently announced the publication of its esteemed "Best of Jackson" issue as well as the launch of a new publication, Boom Jackson, sponsored by Downtown Jackson Partners, the Hinds County Economic Development District, the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau, and other sponsors and "will celebrate urban living, working and creating in Jackson, with an emphasis on downtown, Fondren, Belhaven and JSU-area developments." http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=16069_0_7_0_C

There. I said it.

Dayum. Cops going at it over on Othor Cain's blog. Hopefully he will zap some of it and when he does this post comes down but damn this is good:
http://www.othorcainreport.com/b2/?p=170
Gets real good at 11:08 PM.

Magnolia Bar President Carleton Reeves publicly criticized Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Smith for not appointing black judges to help clear the backlog of criminal cases in Hinds County. Mr. Reeves claimed:
"Chief Justice Smith has made a habit of only appointing white male special judges to Hinds County," said Magnolia Bar Association President Carlton Reeves, a Jackson attorney.....
"The net effect of these appointments is that although Hinds County has only four elected Circuit Court judges, the representation of African Americans among Hinds County Circuit Court judges has been reduced from 50 percent to 29 percent, and the representation of women has been reduced from 25 percent to 14 percent," Reeves said...."
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/NEWS/801310363/1001

This is a serious charge leveled by the Magnolia Bar President against the Chief Justice. However, the Chief Justice stated that he has tried to find black judges to appoint and several have refused to serve:
"Smith said he has made a concerted effort to find African Americans willing to serve as special judges in the county but to no avail.
"For two years, I have actively looked to appoint an African American as a special judge in Hinds County without success," Smith said.
Smith said he recently offered a special judge position to Reeves and has offered positions over the last two years to retired African American judges and others.
Smith said he has told Magnolia Bar Association officials to send him names to consider, but he hasn't received any.
Reeves confirmed Smith asked him to consider a special judge appointment. "I told him it was not about me," Reeves said."

The Chief Justice also stated he was trying to use retired judges as it costs the state less money than paying an active full-time judge. In case Mr. Reeves has not noticed, this is Mississippi, which is not exactly the richest state in the union (am I allowed to use "union" in this state?).

In fact, the Chief Justice states he asked Mr. Reeves if he would like to serve and that Mr. Reeves declined. This makes one wonder what Mr. Reeves is more interested in when he has spare time: helping to reduce crime in Hinds County by serving as a judge or lapping up the attention and prestige that goes with being the president of the Magnolia Bar. So much for leading by example.

In case anyone thinks I am being too critical of Mr. Reeves, consider this suggestion. If Mr. Reeves thinks there are retired black judges out there who have something to contribute to the Chief Justice's attempt to improve the backlog in Hinds County, why doesn't he compile a list of them (after contacting them to see if they would be willing to serve) and publicly give it to the Chief Justice? The media would love to publish such a list as it would allow them to create some controversy. If they don't, send it here and I will gladly publish it on this website. However, making such a list does require some initiative and effort, but it would put the burden on the Chief Justice to either choose from these jurists or explain why he has chosen to ignore them. In fact, one would think as Magnolia Bar President, that would be part of his job. I hate these public food fights and would rather see these two learned men work together to help those of us who do live in Jackson. Mr. Reeves, get a list together and give it to Mr. Smith so we can tell him to put up or shut up.

Note: Feel free to offer in the comments sections any black jurists in the Jackson metro area so that the public can determine for themselves if Mr. Reeves's charges against Mr. Smith are true.

Why does controversy constantly follow JPD investigator Kent Daniels? It's understandable a police officer will occasionally receive some attention due to the nature of the job. However, it seems Officer Daniels appears in the news more frequently than other officers.

I first became aware of Mr. Daniels when he inexplicably reduced the charges against George Bell, III for his "alleged" beating on June 3, 2007 of Heather Spencer. I questioned his actions in an earlier post, http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/10/heather-spencer-case-update-after.html :
"The police reports states she had 57 staples ( 3 rows), a finger splint, a spring wrap on her wrist, and that he tried to strangle her. Ms. Spencer also states in the report she had a fracture....
It is at this point several questions about JPD's conduct are raised. The charge was reduced to Simple Domestic Violence, a misdemeanor, by Detective Daniels....
He stated the reason was the assault was not life-threatening.
The statute does not say that an injury or attack has to be life-threatening for a successful prosecution of Aggravated Assault. It says there only has to be an attempt. The case law on this statute also says that the issue of whether the mallet was a deadly weapon was a question of fact for the jury, meaning NOT the police officer. His stating that the attack was not life-threatening boggles the mind and makes one think this is more than an error in judgement. However, since that is not really an issue in the charge of Aggravated Assault, it is pretty clear that Mr. Bell attempted to cause serious bodily injury to Ms. Spencer. I don't know what type of training Mr. Daniels has received, but broken bones, severe lacerations, and repeated heavy blows to the head would be proof of an attempt to cause serious bodily injury to most people. One must really wonder what was going through Mr. Daniels' mind when he reduced the charges. It makes one think he is incompetent....or something else...."
The police report is available at http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/foi_pdfs/jfp_spencer.pdf

The next time Detective Daniels surfaced in the media was during the coverage of the Elicia Hughes trial as it was reported he took the statement of the girlfriend of the victim at Red Lobster (according to trial testimony). Police procedure dictates such statements are to be taken at the police station, not at a restaurant. Why exactly was Mr. Daniels interviewing a young woman at Red Lobster? Would the crab cakes and wine make her feel more comfortable? Such behavior is unprofessional and raises several questions. Such actions by the investigator violate the principles of basic ethics which hold that a law enforcement official should always avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Unfortunately, Detective Daniels's questionable actions do not stop at Red Lobster but unfortunately include an arrest back in 2000 as The Clarion-Ledger reported":

November 2, 2000 •• 417 words •• ID: jak9946482611217
"Patrolman allegedly had drugs in vehicle when stopped by trooper" By Theresa Kiely, Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
A Jackson police officer was on administrative leave without pay Wednesday following his arrest earlier this week on a misdemeanor drug charge. Precinct 1 Patrolman Kent Daniels was stopped around 4 p.m. Sunday by the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol as he traveled north on I-55 in McComb. Jackson police spokesman Robert Graham confirmed Daniels' arrest."

Obviously the good detective was not convicted as he is still a police officer although one must question exactly how he avoided a conviction if he was caught with drugs in the car. Was it part of an investigation that JPD had in McComb? The police protecting one of their own? What exactly did happen? Why is he even a detective still?

What is even more troubling is this officer who has such a checkered past was assigned last year by Frank Melton to be a bodyguard for newly-elected District Attorney Robert Smith. The Jackson Free Press reported Meantime, D.A.-elect Robert Smith has two police officers—Ken Daniels and James Cornelius, we’re told—assigned to watch over him 24-7 due to vague threats. http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=14929_0_7_0_C .

After examining the history of Mr. Daniels, one must ask why his name keeps appearing in the media. It is unfortunate he was picked by Melton to be a bodyguard for Mr. Smith but considering Melton's penchant for surrounding himself with shady individuals, it is par for the course. Frankly, I have a serious problem with an officer who reduces charges for no reason against a guy who beats his girlfriend within an inch of her life, is caught with drugs in his car, and likes to interview young women at restaurants. On the other hand, maybe Mr. Daniels can mentor Jared Foster as every Sith Lord must have an apprentice.

There is too much bad writing among the Jackson media. JFP uses dangling participles way too much, Clarion-Ledger uses the passive voice with reckless abandon, and the tv reporters, let us not even talk about them. So....here is the first grammar lesson. We will start at a level low enough for everyone:

does that mean Jim Hood is similarly tainted as well by the strong financial support from Scruggs, Balducci, Langston, and others?

The editor of The Jackson Free Press finally addressed my post of two weeks ago concerning the listing of IRS liens on the JFP, http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2008/01/tax-problems-at-jfp.html.

Here is what Ms. Ladd posted:
Also, I'm going to say this only one time because I just saw one of the JFP-haters surface with it on Folo: The JFP does not owe back taxes. Suffice it to say, there has been an amateurish attempt locally to smear us without even a call to us to ascertain the actual facts. This is a teachable moment on the topic we're discussing—that anonymous blogger's story is getting a lot of play considering that it was *inaccurate*. On this side of the ethical line, we have to call and get a response, double-check facts, and not believe everything we see on the Internet before spreading rumors meant to do harm to someone's business..."
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=16097_0_67_0_C#105340

Well, I certainly do not want to be accused of smearing someone or being unethical, so I will address this point by point.

1. "The JFP does not owe back taxes."
I merely reported what is listed on the Secretary of State's website and is filed at the Hinds County Chancery Court. Those liens were reported by the Chancery Clerk's office and SOS as being active. There were three liens and one was released. However, there were at one time THREE IRS liens. Period. Case closed. Two of them are still reported by the government as open. If it were my business and reputation, I would have gone to the IRS, Courthouse, and SOS's office and made sure those liens were reported as released. If you take certified funds to the IRS, they will immediately fax a release to the courthouse if you provide them with a fax number. Her gripe is not with me but with the government.

2. " there has been an amateurish attempt locally to smear us .."
There was no smearing of the JFP. I merely reported what is listed with government agencies. There was NO editorial comment made in the post as I merely posted the information, nothing more, nothing less. Now what I would consider to be a smear would be when she reported young Michael Taylor as "Frank Melton's 17 year old live-in companion." or this post where she tried to smear Marshall Ramsey of The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=8659_0_27_0_C . Having said that, there was no attempt to smear the JFP.

By the way, if I were to speculate, I would guess at one time the publication had a tax problem and is probably on a repayment plan as it is a large sum of money to pay in full and probably would not be reported as released until paid. Many businesses have tax problems and work them out with the IRS.

3. "without even calling us to ascertain the actual facts..."
As there is no attempt to smear the newsweekly here, I will gladly post any explanation or rebuttal sent to me by its staff. There is a very good reason why I didn't call to ascertain the facts. Last year, Ms. Ladd and I had a spirited disagreement through emails. Here is what she told me in her last email to me (The emails had started that day with her criticism of one of my posts criticizing a writer) on October 18, 2007: "I want no more communications from you."

Sorry guys, but when someone tells me that, they get EXACTLY what they want. I'm not about to get accused of cyberharassment or any other form of harassment by anyone, much less by someone who is probably an expert on such laws. I personally have nothing against Ms. Ladd or her staff. Dealing with her or anyone else on my blog is similar to when I was in law school. In law school, you ripped each other to pieces in debates, then when you left the classroom you left it at the door as it wasn't personal regardless of how mad you got in class. Having said that, Ms. Ladd can't have it both ways by telling me in writing to never communicate with her, and by extension, her publication, and then complain I never contacted the JFP because I honored her wishes.

4. "ethical..."
Does this even deserve a comment? I bash everyone. I didn't do anything sneaky or underhanded. I did not make any sleazy comments. I didn't steal any personal information. I personally went to the courthouse to confirm what the SOS website reported. I did not say any back taxes were owed. I reported what the government reported, nothing more or less. By the way, I am not a journalist. I never have claimed to be one. I consider myself a commentator and one better educated than most reporters. I comment on different aspects of Jackson and other issues. At times I try to connect the dots or post tidbits of information I come across but I have never claimed to be a journalist. If something is suspect when I post it, I try to include a disclaimer so as to show how credible the information is. There is no agenda or goal to "get" anyone. This blog is about whatever catches my interest at a particular moment and what I think about it.

That is my rebuttal to these false claims made on the JFP website.

Oh, as for my being an anonymous blogger....I think everyone, including most of the JFP staff, knows who I am.

Some of the rumors I'm hearing tonight. This week, and maybe tomorrow, should be interesting if they are true. If not, well, it's late and I do enjoy a good bedtime story.

As the Scruggs wildfire rages, there has been much bloviating by the media and politicians over reforming the legal system in Mississippi. Unfortunately, the only reason these pinheads are even discussing such changes is because the Scruggs scandal hit the fan. While they are shocked, shocked mind you, at the extent of the corruption, they are also interesting in keeping in place a system that benefits them while proclaiming that they are doing something about the problem. Their dupes in the media, like the uncritical lapdogs most of them are, refuse to truly examine the flaws in our legal system, beginning with the Mississippi Bar.

Last week Chief Justice Jim Smith and Mississippi Bar President Bobby Bailess came down from Mount Olympus, leaving with The Clarion-Ledger editorial board some proposed reforms while receiving much worship and praise by our esteemed media. Of course, they thought nothing was really wrong with the system itself as the editorial page stated, "I don't believe (the corruption) is widespread," says Smith. But, says Bailess, "We want to come up with a remedy that will be meaningful and responsive." Ah yes, the old "we want a proportional response" tactic. Can't have the rubes reforming the system as they might break some of the china. Let the gods on the State Street Mount Olympus handle things as they always have. In typical mealy-mouthed and uncritical fashion, the editorial page dutifully wrote:
"Smith and Bailess are right to worry about the public perception of the judiciary.
Given these scandals, it's understandable that "justice for sale" is being alleged.
Smith and Bailess should name a panel to recommend to the Legislature reforms of the judiciary that could be made to insulate judges more thoroughly from the potential for corruption. Smith favors appointment of judges at the appellate level, at least. Certainly, having judges take cash in the form of campaign contributions from those who appear before them is an issue.
The panel could also look at the way cases are handed out to outside counsel by the office of the state attorney general, which also can involve millions of dollars in legal fees for private attorneys doing public business.
While hiring private trial lawyers to sue on behalf of the state has proved lucrative for the state's taxpayers, too, the method of selecting them and determining their pay is problematic.
Mississippi's judiciary needs reform by a bipartisan, impartial panel."
Article . Just to make sure that we get the point, Mr. Hampton wrote in an earlier column (January 20, 2008) "The legal system cannot function without public confidence. People must have faith in the law and courts to fairly administer it. It's time to reexamine that system with reform in mind. No joke." Wow. Strong stuff as he strikes a blow for..........what? justice? True reform? Nope. Just studying the problem.

The fix is in as the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, the President of the Mississippi Bar, and the largest newspaper in Mississippi had their summit and announced they wanted to have a panel study the problem. While the subject of judicial corruption and awarding state contracts (to sue) to campaign donors were somewhat addressed, the subject of reforming the Mississippi Bar, which licenses, investigates, and prosecutes attorneys was completely ignored. Just as Katrina didn't wake up the leadership in New Orleans, apparently the worst legal scandal in US history failed to wake up our elites in Mississippi for if there is part of our legal system that should be examined it IS the Mississippi Bar.

What exactly is the Mississippi Bar and why should we examine its role in the Mississippi legal system? It is the Mississippi Bar that licenses attorneys. The Bar handles complaints against lawyers, investigates the complaints, and makes recommendations on disciplining wayward attorneys as the Mississippi Code (Section 73-3-3) empowers the Bar with such responsibilities and powers while the Mississippi Supreme Court issues the final decision on disciplinary measures taken against attorneys.

The problem with this arrangement is incest. Lawyers elect the members of their governing body, write their own by-laws, and discipline themselves. The bar is governed by a board of commissioners and officers, who are elected by the members of the bar (meaning lawyers). Section73-3-105 Articles 3,4, & 5 of the Mississippi Bar by-laws, http://www.msbar.org/bylaws.php.

The code of conduct for lawyers is determined by the bar (lawyers), subject to final approval by the MSC. Sec. 73-3-143. Thus the lawyers determine what is ethical. The bar is given the authority to handle complaints by consumers against lawyers. However, the bar deters bar complaints by its policy of how bar complaint forms are issued. If one wishes to file a complaint, the bar website states: "You may file a complaint against a Mississippi lawyer by contacting The Mississippi Bar. You should call or write The Mississippi Bar to request a complaint form. The address and telephone number are listed elsewhere in this brochure. The Mississippi Bar will be happy to furnish you a form on which your complaint can be written." There are no complaint forms available on the bar's website. One can feel the sarcasm dripping from that last sentence as the Mississippi Bar sticks a finger in the eye of the public with a smile on its face. If the bar is truly interested in helping victims of crooked lawyers, then it should make the forms available on its website. Its simply hard to believe that the bar refuses do so in a 21st century where even the IRS publishes all of its forms on its website. It is ironic that the federal government moves faster than the Mississippi Bar.

However, back to the "process". A lawyer for the bar investigates the complaint and submits his findings to the Committee on Professional Responsibility. The committee, made up of lawyers, appointed by officials of the bar (which are elected by lawyers), then determines what action should be taken on the complaint. This can range from a dismissal to filing a request with the Court to take action against the lawyer. Mississippi Bar complaint. Keep in mind that the bar can NOT investigate or prosecute a lawyer unless a complaint has been filed or the attorney has been convicted of wrongdoing. The power to investigate attorneys by the bar is very limited. Suppose a lawyer is accused of wrongdoing; the bar can not do anything regardless of probable cause unless a complaint has been filed. The failure of leaders of the Mississippi legal profession such as Justice Smith and Mr. Bailess to not ask for more power to prosecute corrupt lawyers gives away their true agenda. They are all lawyers and if there is one thing they all agree on, regardless of political party, it is to keep you, the public, from looking too closely at their noble profession even as it tarnishes and torpedoes the rest of the state.

The incest among Mississippi lawyers becomes much more obvious when compared to other professions regulated by the state. The following is a sampling of how various professions are regulated by Mississippi:

Nurses: Chapter 15 of Title 73
The nursing profession is governed by the Board of Nursing whose members are appointed (to staggered terms) by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. "Charges may be brought upon sworn affidavit filed by the Board of Nursing against any licensee who has allegedly committed any act in violation of this chapter that is grounds for disciplinary action." (Sec. 31) The Board does not wait for the filing of a complaint by a patient or a conviction of a crime by a nurse. It can initiate its own investigation into a nurse's conduct.

Realtors: Chapter 35 of Title 73 The Real Estate Commission regulates Mississippi Realtors. Members are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Commission establishes standards for the profession and licenses Realtors. Section 73-35-23 states "The commission is hereby authorized and directed to take legal action against any violator of this chapter. Upon complaint initiated by the commission or filed with it...". UNLIKE THE BAR, the Commission has a complaint form that is available on its website, http://www.mrec.ms.gov/docs/mrec_forms_sworn_statement_complaint_form.pdf

Dentists: Chapter 9 of Title 73. The State Board of Dental Examiners oversees dentists and consists of members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate (Section 7). "Each member of the board and each licensed and practicing dentist and dental hygienist is constituted an agent who may investigate all complaints and all alleged cases of noncompliance with, or violation of the provisions of this chapter and may bring all those matters to the notice of the proper prosecuting officers, where it appears probable that an offense has been committed..." (Section 45). Unlike the Bar, the Board can initiate investigations instead of letting the newspapers do its job for them or waiting for a member brave enough to file a complaint. Complaints can be made via telephone and complaint forms, UNLIKE THE BAR, are available on the website. http://www.msbde.state.ms.us/msbde/msbde.nsf/webpages/Complaint_Complaints?OpenDocument

Public Accountants: Chapter 33 of Title 73, h Once again, the members of the Board of Public Accountancy are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate (Section 3). The Board regulates and licenses public accountants, sets fees, promulgates standards, and disciplines errant accountants. UNLIKE THE BAR, the complaint forms can be downloaded from the Board's website, complaint form and the website also states the the Board can initiate its own complaint.

Mortgage Brokers: licensed by the Department of Banking and Consumer Finance. Chapter 18 of Title 81, The Commissioner of the Department of Banking is appointed (once again) by the Governor with (once again class) the advice and consent of the Senate. Due to the financial nature of the profession, the Department employs examiners that conduct audits of Mortgage Brokers every two years. The Department can initiate its own investigations.

There is no disputing the level of incest in the Mississippi Bar between lawyers and those empowered to regulate them. Unlike other professions, Bar officials are NOT appointed by the state but are instead either elected or appointed by the members of the Bar. They write their own rules and discipline themselves. They make it more difficult for victims of crooked lawyers to file complaints. They play good cop/bad cop with the Mississippi Supreme Court. In the event the Bar does prosecute a lawyer, the actual punishment is meted out by the Court. Consequently, the Bar can claim it tried to prosecute the lawyer but then blame the lack of justice on a lenient Supreme Court. "I'm sorry, we tried to get that scumbag but the justices on the court reduced his proposed disbarment to a reprimand." Unlike other professions, the lawyers have also neutered Bar officials from initiating their own investigations against unscrupulous lawyers. In the professions listed above, they authorities were all given the power to police their professions without waiting for a complaint from a consumer, unlike the bar. Hey, if no one complains, there is no problem, right?

The Chief Justice, President and Legal Counsel of the Bar, the media, and politicians have made it clear there is no true interest cleansing Mississippi of this incest. Governor Barbour should call a special session for the sole purpose of reforming the Mississippi Bar. The Bar frittered away countless chances to police itself. The legislature should take jurisdiction of regulating the legal profession away from the Supreme Court and give it to a state agency or change how the Bar's commissioners and officers are chosen. The best solution would be to revoke the power to elect commissioners and officers given to the lawyers and divide it among the Governor, Attorney General, and Chief Justice thus allowing for the structure of the Bar to remain intact. The Bar would resemble other professions in that the board members are not elected by the members they are supposed to regulate. It should be asked if there is going to be a board and executive director if the office of the President should even exist. The transformed Bar should be given the power to initiate its own investigations against lawyers. The responsibility for regulating and disciplining lawyers should be taken completely away from the lawyers as they have driven our legal system into the proverbial ditch while they whined and dined at Char.

There is no reason why the incest should be allowed to continue as Mississippi lawyers have enjoyed a position of privilege not available to other professions. The "noble" profession should be governed by the same principles as doctors, realtors, nurses, and others. Unfortunately, The Clarion-Ledger, The Jackson-Free Press, and the broadcast media are not interested in such reform as shown by their coverage and editorials. Meanwhile the elites buy each other drinks at Ticos while laughing at how gullible and lazy Mississippians are as they blame the bastardization of our legal system on a few bad apples when its the grove itself that is rotten.

To think you people thought the s0-called economic stimulus package would settle the housing market because it was going to raise the loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Get ready for your rates to go up. Thanks Congress & Bush. Too bad none of the candidates except for Romney understand basis economics and markets (and that is NOT an endorsement of him).

Read why at Housingwire.com,
http://www.housingwire.com/2008/01/27/tainted-tbas-conforming-limit-increase-may-increase-mortgage-rates/

Additional commentary: http://www.housingwire.com/2008/01/25/commentary-on-economic-stimuli-and-raising-the-conforming-loan-limit/

Compare those articles with this one written by a CNN staff writer: http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/25/real_estate/stimulus_plan_targets_pricy_housing/index.htm
who doesn't know what the hell she is talking about.

Time for some exposure to the classics. No, I don't meant Hugo and Shakespeare. I mean the real classics. Some history is better than fiction. Suetonius wrote a book "The Lives of the Caesars" that provided biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 Roman emperors. His accounts are pretty lurid and racy, giving one a sense of what absolute power can do to human nature. Here is a passage from the chapter on Caligula. Start with paragraph XXIV as the first XXIII paragraphs are pretty boring. If interested in reading more Suetonius, start with his account of Julius Caesar, Nero, and Tiberius.

"XXIV. He lived in habitual incest with all his sisters, and at a large banquet he placed each of them in turn below him, while his wife reclined above. Of these he is believed to have violated Drusilla when he was still a minor, and even to have been caught lying with her by his grandmother Antonia, at whose house they were brought up in company. Afterwards, when she was the wife of Lucius Cassius Longinus, an ex-consul, he took her from him and openly treated her as his lawful wife; and when ill, he made her heir to his property and the throne. When she died, he appointed a season of public mourning, during which it was a capital offence to laugh, bathe, or dine in company with one's parents, wife, or children. He was so beside himself with grief that suddenly fleeing the city by night and traversing Campania, he went to Syracuse and hurriedly returned from there without cutting his hair or shaving his beard. And he never afterwards took oath about matters of the highest moment, even before the assembly of the people or in the presence of the soldiers, except by the godhead of Drusilla. The rest of his sisters he did not love with so great affection, nor honor so highly, but often prostituted them to his favorites; so that he was the readier at the trial of Aemilius Lepidus to condemn them, as adulteresses and privy to the conspiracies against him; and he not only made public letters in the handwriting of all of them, procured by fraud and seduction, but also dedicated to Mars the Avenger, with an explanatory inscription, three swords designed to take his life...." Read the rest of Suetonius's Life of Caligula (Gaius Caesar) at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-caligula.html

The Index to The Lives of the Caesars: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-index.html

If I am going to criticize Bennie Thompson for not going to Iraq then I must do the same for former Senator Trent Lott as The Hill reported that as of August 1, 2007, 76 Senators have visited Iraq, http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/have-you- been-to-iraq--76-sens.-say-they-have-2007-08-01.html, and that former Senator Trent Lott was one of the Senators who would not comment or return a phone call. So the question remains, did Mr. Lott ever visit Iraq?

It is important for congressional leaders to visit Iraq for several reasons. As they have voted to send those troops in harm's way, they owe it to them to see to their well-being as well as making sure they have the support they need to succeed. It helps the morale of the troops when they see their political leaders are making the effort to visit them while they are away from home. The soldiers are making great sacrifices, are away from friends and loved ones, face danger on a constant basis, and too often are crucified by the media for perceived mistakes before the facts are known. In the age of the internet, the soldiers are affected by negative media coverage and outrageous sound bite politics. Political leaders, even those that are critics of the war, make a difference to the soldiers when they visit the troops. It's one thing for a politician to look tough on crossfire or making a speech against the war on CSPAN, it's another to actually take the time and visit the troops who endure much for little reward.

Having said that, did the Senator ever visit Iraq?

In the military there is a term, REMF. It stands for Rear Eschelon Mother F*******s. REMFs are those sitting in their air-conditioned offices in their expensive leather chairs sipping on expensive bourbon in the ivory tower with no clue as to what is going on in the real world, while the real soldiers are in battle fighting for their lives trying to survive the stupid decisions made by the ignorant REMF's.

The Clarion-Ledger reported today Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson FINALLY visited Iraq for the first time this week: "Rep. Bennie Thompson made his first trip to Iraq on Friday and predicted the Democrat-led Congress "will get more and more involved in the war."
The Democratic 2nd District congressman, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said he made the trip to try to determine the impact of the war on national security issues. ..." http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/NEWS/801260327/1001/news

This fits the classical definition of a REMF: Mr. Thompson is the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and after FIVE years in Iraq he FINALLY decides to visit Iraq to see what all the fuss has been about, while courageous soldiers from Mississippi make sacrifices, fight terrorists, are shot at, wounded, and at times killed in battle. While friends and families mourn their losses, Congressman REMF lives in Washington, sleeping in comfort every night after enduring the hardships of battle as the real combat rages at the cocktail parties in Georgetown.

Philistines such as myself should be grateful that Congressman REMF finally deigns Iraq worthy enough to visit. One would think a leading Congressional Democrat holding such a position would have gone to Iraq MUCH sooner as many other Congressmen, including war critics such as Senator Biden, have.

The New York Times reported on April 3, 2007 that "According to the Pentagon, as of mid-March, 365 members of Congress had visited the country since May 2003.....
A recent survey by the Medill News Service found that about two-thirds of House Republicans had been to Iraq, while fewer than half of Democrats had visited. ..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/world/middleeast/03visit.html?ex=1333252800&en=c0383ac8cc500e3d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
(Incidentally, the lapdog, uncritical media in Jackson has not bothered to ask Mr. Thompson why he waited so long before visiting the troops.)

Congressman REMF should face the families of the soldiers from his district and explain why he has been so derelict in his duties, and apologize to them. To Mr. Thompson, the soldiers are meaningless fodder as has been shown by his disinterest in Iraq. Always watch what one does and not what one says as Bennie Thompson, for all of his rhetoric, has shown what he is NOT made of by not visiting Iraq while our soldiers face danger on a regular basis, never knowing a moment's peace. For Congressman REMF, Iraq is a talking point on Meet the Press, not a sacrifice faced in Mississippi.

For more posts on Bennie Thompson's actions as Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, see http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/07/more-on-bennie-thompsons-approach-to.html, http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/07/bennie-thompson-terrorist-sympathizer.html

The Washington Post is examining the role of jihadist websites in radicalizing Muslim-Americans to the point that they were willing to adopt the the jihadist agenda and carry out its foals.

"Ultraconservative Muslims from Georgia, were making surveillance videos that could help extremists plan "some kind of terrorist attack," as one man later acknowledged, according to court documents disclosed last week. One of their videos was sent to a notorious al-Qaeda publicist in London, authorities said.
New details about the videos -- featuring such sites as the World Bank headquarters, the Pentagon, fuel tanks and the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria -- emerged in pretrial hearings in Atlanta. The pair are charged with providing support to foreign terrorists and could be sentenced to 60 years in prison if convicted. They have pleaded not guilty. ....
Analysts said it also provides a glimpse of the growing threat posed by radical networks that have sprung up as a result of the Internet. One of the men, Syed Haris Ahmed, told authorities that they got to know extremists through Web forums and chat rooms, and they uploaded their D.C. surveillance video to "Jihadi people" online.
For a terrorist organization, "it doesn't matter anymore where your location is, and how many visa requirements" a country has, said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intelligence Group, which researches Muslim extremists and their online activity. "Being on the virtual network, [terrorists] have people virtually all over the world." ....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/23/AR2008012303857.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2008012303922

Such a story should not be a surprise to anyone who reads this blog as I have been warning about the danger posed by jihadist websites for some time now. For additional reading on the subject, Douglas Farah writes about how the increasing use of encryption by jihadist websites, http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/terrorism.php?id=1386318. The Middle East Media Research Institute now has on its website a "website monitor project, http://www.memriiwmp.org/. One may wonder how Americans could be influenced by such websites. The New York City Police Department published a study last year on the dangers of home-grown terrorism, http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu.x698ZGICwB1w9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE5Mjc4YzlrBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1BSMDA0XzgzBGwDV1Mx/SIG=134lpmo4s/EXP=1187531002/**http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/pdf/dcpi/NYPD_Report-Radicalization_in_the_West.pdf. Boring stuff. If not interested in staying abreast of how the dangers posed by jihadists, there is always Heath and Brittaney.

This is a very interesting explanation of the current crisis in the markets, the effects of the subprime mortgage implosion, and the current economic problems. The author makes many good points and is very colorful in his language. Although this is a VERY long column, it is worth reading and should be read by more than a few politicians and reporters, who tend to be ignorant about economics. Pour a cognac and enjoy.

"The Year In Review And a Look Ahead for 2008
This year saw “subprime” become the buzzword in the mainstream media, as people crowed about how horrible it was that banks and others made loans to “poor despondent people who could never pay them back”, and harping on the “predatory” nature of 2/28s and other similar death-by-debt traps.
The market saw three major swoons, the first in February, the second in August, and the last in November. It also saw multiple “Hindenburg” crash omens, all of which (on a technical basis) confirmed with the predicted plunges (a 5% move off the first observation downward qualifies as “confirmation”.)
Finally, in November, we got a primary bear market indicator according to Dow Theory.
There are many who argue that The Bear Market, however, not only did not arrive but that we will rocket to new highs, and have a solid market in 2008.
It is my view that they are sorely mistaken, and soon are to be not only dead wrong but dead broke....." http://market-ticker.denninger.net/2007/12/year-in-review-and-look-ahead.html

Damn. We done hit it big now. Ok, seriously, thanks to The National Journal for giving it a mention. For those of you first time readers, and there are many today, I apologize for the funky colors. This is a site about serious commentary, politics, culture, jazz, the war on terrorism, and at times "jackassery". The green, yellow, and red colors are a spoof on a comment a local alternative weekly made this week (The colors are normally black and red text on a black background), calling Mississippi the "Mexico of the U.S." Thanks for visiting the site and for voting in the poll.

My apologies for not posting a link as the link to "Last Call" is password-protected.

In honor of Jackson Jambalaya's change to Mexican Jambalaya, here is a program about jazz great Charlie Mingus called "Tijuana Moods", brought to you by the show, Jazz at Lincoln Center. Listen as Ed Bradley gives you a fiesta of Mingus's Mexican flair:
http://www.jalc.org/jazzcast/program.asp?programNumber=244