Stories for June 2003

Watermelon Classic

The 20th running of one of Mississippi's oldest road races takes place at 7:30 a.m. on Friday July 4, 2003 in front of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum at 1152 Lakeland Drive in Jackson, MS. Registration forms are currently available at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, Fleet Feet stores and all Baptist Fitness Centers for The Baptist Health Systems Watermelon Classic 5K Run & Walk. Entry fees for the race are $15 for pre-registration, $20 on race day. Entry fees for the fun run are $10 in advance, $12 on race day. Advance team and family entries are welcome.

[Drive] Mr. K's Used-Car Primer

For someone that Ms. D claims is obsessed with cars, I'm not all wrapped up in the lore and legend of sports cars or racing cars like many aficionados—rather, I'm obsessed with transportation. I like to see a good, functional, efficient, handy, inexpensive car. One I could afford and appreciate and be proud of. For instance, I repeatedly eyed a little Honda Civic four door that's for sale by its owner down the street from me in Belhaven. It's a little five-speed with 147,000 miles (I peered in the window). The paint is a little sun worn, but the five-speed looks shifty, and it would be good, practical transportation—if the AC works. It's a good image car for the struggling entrepreneur—efficient, practical, devil-may-care styling—plus it would look great in the Co-Op parking lot with a few "granola head" bumper stickers sprouting on its hind quarters.

Faded

My flag is a little faded. It has been projecting out from its bracket on the front porch for years but is still in remarkably good shape for such an old piece of cloth. The colors aren't as vivid as they once were, but it doesn't have any holes and is wearing its age well. I hung the flag there because the brown log exterior of the house needed a little color. So I painted the front door and porch swing red, added a few green window frames and hung my flag from the shaded front porch. The flag gives dignity to the patriotic Christmas gingerbread house motif that is the end result of my misguided decorating. I spend far too many evenings sitting in my red swing watching the coordinating flag catch an occasional breeze. It is a beautiful flag. It inspires and reminds me of the remarkable achievements of a country that is occasionally as misguided as my decorating.

Confession

I have a secret. I am not the biggest fan of America. I have never waved a flag. I'm no jingoist. Even in elementary school I was reluctant to say the Pledge of Allegiance. And this was long before I was ever given a valid reason for my unenthusiastic attitude. It would feel as if I sold myself for 30 pieces of silver to sit here and say that I love my country. However, I cannot ignore the bit of envy I have for our American patriots. It must be a beautiful thing to wake in the morning and be able to say, "I will defend and even die for my country if the duty calls." Unfortunately, I do not have a reason to make that same pledge.

No Magnolias Admitted

In 1971, Lesley Silver started the Attic Gallery above a Vicksburg gift store. Many folks didn't know that above all the candles, china, and soap was a gallery distinguished by its "whole different level of funkiness," according to husband and artist Daniel Boone. (Yes, he even has a pony tail.) Today the Attic Gallery is still in the rafters above a coffee shop on Washington Street, also known as Highway 61. Thirty-something years later, the funkiness quotient has led to a quintessential, artistic celebration of Southern culture. Not the nostalgic south, the real south: "No magnolias or hoop skirts," Boone says. Blues, folk and African-American cultures are represented rather than the confederate symbols some might expect of a Vicksburg gallery.

It's About Children, Stupid!

Samuel Johnson said, "A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization." In that case, our state may have a ways to go on the road to civilization. The Annie E. Casey Foundation released the newest Kids Count report June 11 showing that, once again, Mississippi resides close to the bottom in most categories. Some of these, like poverty, are on a national upswing. Twenty-one percent of all children in America live in poverty-ridden conditions, a higher rate than in 1975.

Cordie Aziz

Seated behind a bare executive desk at Cindy Ayers-Elliott's campaign headquarters, Cordie Aziz seems right at home. She radiates hope for her future and confidence in her ability to do anything she decides to do.

Tell Me the Truth, JoAnne

Q. I'm fairly recently divorced, and have even more recently returned to the North Jackson area after a few years away. Do your sources have any idea where interesting single/divorced women hang out? Some places I won't name are just packed with 22-year-olds who wouldn't give me the time of day.

Out in Left Field

Last week, Mississippi sent three baseball teams to NCAA Regional tournaments and was fortunate enough to host two of them. I had the opportunity to attend the Starkville Regional at Mississippi State's Dudy Noble Field. Usually I sit above the third-base dugout, but this trip I had an invitation to the Left Field Lounge. On occasion I had walked through the outfield, but I had not hung out there since my college days. As I sat in the outfield on some sort of constructed contraption, I observed the ingenuity and creativity of the evolved fan and how they have contributed to the evolution of the Left Field Lounge.

Here Comes Da Judge

Damn, it's time for more Morgan-Quitno rankings. The last time we got dinged, it was for being the 10th most dangerous city, based on 2001 crime statistics and released last fall (and reported by daily media this spring as if they had just come out). In this round, though, the Lawrence, Kan.-based book publishers have the state of Mississippi in its sights. (Didn't that town learn anything about needless agitating back in frontier times?) This hellhole of a state we live in, it seems, is the 14th most dangerous, our second-worst ranking ever. We were more dangerous in 1999 (13th) and hit our safety peak in 1994 (the first year of the rankings). And, after all, Vermont is the safest state, and we wouldn't want to rank anywhere near them wussy-butts, even if they do, too, appreciate the right to arm bears, er, bear arms.

The Smell of the Matrix

The Toyota Matrix keeps growing on me. Initially I wrote it off completely as aimed a little too young for my taste. As I dig deeper into the idea of a sporty wagon, however, I find myself back at the Matrix, still feeling a bit squeamish about the rakish lines but ultimately realizing that it's a perfectly fine car that gets outstanding mileage with a price that starts down near Ford Focus territory if you go for the base model. Maybe I'm a bit younger at heart than I realized.

Tell Me the Truth, JoAnne

Q: What should I do about a partner who snores? —Sleepless in South Jackson

How to Fake Being a ‘Real Man'

What does it take to be a real man? The serious answer is probably something about listening to the people around you, being able to patiently explain the infield fly rule and being strong enough to help other people when they're temporarily weak—whether that weakness is psychology, physical or both. In honor of Father's Day, however, we've put together a few slight less weighty thoughts on how those of us who still teeter on the brink of manhood can push ourselves over the edge. It only occurred to us after writing this piece that real men probably don't write tongue-in-check lists about how to be real men.

Senators in town!

Jackson Senators Baseball Now - July 23. Game times Tues.-Sat. 7:05 p.m., Sun., 6:05 p.m. Gates open 1 hour before start time. Tues. - 2 for $1 drinks. Wed. - .50 cent drinks. Thurs. - $1 drinks. Fri.- Kids run bases after the game. 362-2294. http://jacksonsenators.com

To Be a Man

man n the personification of qualities traditionally associated with the male sex, including courage, strength, and aggression, or somebody with such qualities

Legs

I will never ever forget the first time I saw her. She was the tallest, most graceful, most beautiful creature I had ever laid my eyes upon … Marlo Thomas … a gorgeous Marlo Thomas gliding through the Rec Hall. She had dark, shoulder-length hair flipped up at the ends with the longest, most beautiful, curvy legs God has ever created.

A Pioneer Passes

Larry Doby, the second black player in modern Major League Baseball, died Wednesday. He was 79. Jackie Robinson crossed the color barrier in 1947 with the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers. Eleven weeks later, Doby became the first black player in the American League when he joined the Cleveland Indians. But in many ways, Doby had a tougher, lonelier fight than Robinson.

Demoting Colonel Rebel

Ole Miss has banned its Colonel Rebel mascot, just in time for Eli Manning's Heisman Trophy campaign. Some Ole Miss fans see this as a long overdue update of the school's image. More reactionary UM fans see this as another stripping away of the school's traditions and another step toward getting rid of the Rebels nickname completely. (Check out the terrific column by Rick Cleveland in Thursday's Clarion-Ledger.) Since the Oxford Eagle broke this story on Tuesday, athletic director Pete Boone hasn't been returning phone calls. And UM chancellor Robert Khayat refused to talk about Colonel Reb's ouster at a state college board meeting on Wednesday. Dr. S predicts the firestorm is just beginning.

Good Ole Boys

I have a new found love for the good ole boy. Growing up here in the class and race turmoil of the '70s, I saw the good ole boy as the enemy. The Southern man who embodied all I despaired of. Bigotry, hatred, active destruction of all that I thought could change and be good about the South.

LOTT: The FCC's Mistake

The Federal Communications Commission has voted in favor of rules allowing more concentrated media ownership in which newspapers can own radio stations, TV stations or vice versa within the same market area. I think the FCC made a mistake. I know less concentrated ownership would better serve Mississippians, and I oppose these new rules.

Gay in Jackson

Gay. I've never really understood that word. I mean, are we all supposed to be happy because we're in love with members of the same sex? If so, is that why some people choose to persecute us, because of our happiness, to prevent us from being happy?

Slick Rick

The Slate sports columnist Jonathan Chait offers an interesting take on the dismissal of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel: Neuheisel deserved to be fired, but not for the reason the U of W is giving for letting him go.

Tyner Accuses Barbour of Gambling Ties

From a Tyner statement, quoted by the Magnolia Report: "'Somehow, Mr. Barbour believes it is morally sound to expand gambling nationwide, even within miles of our state's border, but we should give him a free pass if his efforts failed to expand gambling in Mississippi,' Tyner states while smiling and shaking his head in the negative. "I do not accept that proposition and I also question the integrity of his representation that he has not been paid to help get more gambling in Mississippi,' says Tyner."

How the Left Lost Teen Spirit

Read a Salon interview with Danny Goldberg, author of the book, ""Dispatches From the Culture Wars: How the Left Lost Teen Spirit." The reviewer writes: "As Goldberg points out -- and no other political pundit, to my knowledge, has noticed this -- in 1996, Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole by 19 points among voters under 24. In 2000, George W. Bush and Gore were dead even in that age group, a total of about 9 million votes. Restore even half of Clinton's '96 edge with youth, and the result of the election is clearly different, with or without the much-debated Nader factor." He adds: "But would it really be so daring for Democratic candidates to make it clear that they support free speech, and that what Americans want to watch and listen to is entirely their own business? Wouldn't it be OK for candidates to the left of Bush to admit that fact, and to point out that they represent a party that, at least historically, has stood alongside the civil rights movement, the abortion rights movement, the environmental movement and the lesbian and gay liberation struggle?"

State Games, Olympics Style

State Games of Mississippi June 20 - 22, June 26 -29. Two full weekends of Olympic-style games feature more than 4,500 amateur athletes from across the state, competing in over 28 sports. Opening ceremonies offer top-name entertainment, parade of athletes, lighting of the torch and fireworks. 800-482-0205. http://www.stategamesofms.org

Shagadelic Senators Back at Home

Jackson Senators Baseball Tues., June 17 - Tues., June 24. Game times Tues.-Sat. 7:05 p.m., Sun., 6:05 p.m. Gates open 1 hour before start time. Tues. - 2 for $1 drinks. Wed. - .50 cent drinks. Thurs. - $1 drinks. Fri.- Kids run bases after the game. Shagadelic Saturdays with Austin Powers. 362-2294. http://jacksonsenators.com

Amy Tuck's $510,000 Question

Press statement from the Mississippi Democratic Party: Recent press accounts of $510,000.00 in "unexplained loans" to the Amy Tuck campaign raise serious questions that must be answered: 1) Does she still owe the debt? 2) Is she paying off the debt? 3) Has the debt already been paid off? 4) If there were personal loans made to her, who provided those personal loans? 5) What were the terms of any personal loan agreements? 6) If the loans were secured, who secured the loans? 7) Were there written or verbal promises or commitments made in exchange for the loans? 8) Did the bank give Tuck the same consideration that would have been given to an individual of comparable financial standing who was not a candidate for high public office? 9) Do the loans or the repayment of the loans involve anyone giving or donating $200.00 or more to Tuck or to her campaign? 10) Was the money loaned from Tuck's personal assets? If so, will those assets be publicly disclosed? 11) What does Tuck mean exactly when she says that she is "honoring financial commitments over time?" Does that mean quid pro quo arrangements or political paybacks? 12) Were any legislators, lobbyists, state or federal officials, or other prominent public figures involved in helping Tuck secure or pay these mysterious loans?

Chip Pickering Celebrates Medgar Evers

Press statement: Congressman Chip Pickering: CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MEDGAR EVERS ... House passes resolution commending the lives and accomplishments of Medgar Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams ... (WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Today, the US House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 220, commending the lives and accomplishments of Medgar Evers and his widow Myrlie Evers-Williams. Discussion on the House Floor followed a special ceremony held at Arlington National Cemetery. The resolution was sponsored by Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS, 2) and co-sponsored by Congressman Chip Pickering (R-MS, 3). A similar resolution passed the US Senate last week, sponsored by Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran (R) and co-sponsored by Senator Trent Lott (R-MS).

Myths of War

This reminds me of the "myths" story the JFP ran as the Iraqi war began:

Knight-Ridder reports on the factual misconceptions many Americans hold about the war: "A third of the American public believes U.S. forces found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, according to a recent poll, and 22 percent said Iraq actually used chemical or biological weapons. But no such weapons have been found, nor is there evidence they were used recently in Iraq. Before the war, half of those polled in a survey said Iraqis were among the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001. But most of them were from Saudi Arabia. None were Iraqis. How could so many people be so wrong about information that has dominated the news for nearly two years?"

SPANN: It's a Crime and a Shame

Sitting in the beauty salon last week, I listened while my stylist and a friend of his sparred about the criminal-justice system and the political mechanism they believe runs it all. As they argued the finer points of rehabilitation and prisons, I got to thinking about all the finger-pointing that's going on these days. Can we really blame any one person or entity for crime in the metro area?

STIGGERS: Head Start Ho' Howse

Support for Ken Stiggers' "The Haley Barbour Head Start Ho' Howse" is brought to you courtesy of The Dan Quail Spellin' Bea (Sowwy, that's BEE) Literacy Tour; Rudyard Kipling White Man's Burden Post Moredom Therapy Center, International; The Trent Lott Reparations Council, and the Condoleeza Rice, Colin Powell Anti-Ebonic Urban Youth Literary Initiative.

Such a Chill

For Josh Kelley, there's something inescapable about Mississippi. The first thing one sees after opening Kelley's press kit is a AAA map of Mississippi with the city of Oxford highlighted and encircled. The map serves as a background layout for his biography, but also neatly connects his hometown Augusta, Ga., with his college stomping grounds in Oxford.

O, Happy Day

The day was Sept. 22, 1862. Tension had built between two opposing forces—the North and the South. The impending decision: whether bringing the institution of slavery to an end would change the tone of the Civil War and give the Union the added power it needed to defeat the Confederates. It was at this point that President Abraham Lincoln decided there was no choice but emancipation. Following the victory for the Union at Antietam, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that stated, "That on the 1st day of January, A.D. 1863, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States and shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."

Get Your Tickets Early

Warm up for this fall's Women's World Cup (moved from China to the USA due to the SARS epidemic in Asia) by watching the American women play Brazil in a friendly in New Orleans on Sunday, July 13. Like you need an excuse to go to New Orleans.

Statistics, Men and Mississippi

• 100 years ago, most Americans were men under the age of 26, living in the Midwest and renting; today, more Americans are women over 35 who live in the South or West and own a home. Men are older, too—the median age for all Americans is 35.3 years. However, there is a higher ratio of men to women today than there was in 1980. Seven states, all in the western U.S., have more men than women. (source: U.S. Census data)

Voter Empowerment Project encourages family member to register to vote

The get out to vote Voter Empowerment Project sponsored by the Mississippi NAACP is asking that a committed person in each family take the initiative to encourage each family member to register to vote.

6/17 Trade Mart Small Business Showcase

The Tri-County Council of Chambers presents "Prospecting in the PM," a trade show specifically for small businesses located in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties will be held June 17, from 3 to 7 pm at the Mississippi Trade Mart.

Community Arts & Social Service Grants

The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, July 11, 2003 by 6:00 p.m.

The City of Jackson Department of Human and Cultural Services announces that it will have Request for Proposal (RFP) information for General Funds Community Arts Grants and General Funds Social Services Grants available now at the City of Jackson Department of Human and Cultural Services located in the Jackson Medical Mall, 350 Woodrow Wilson Blvd., Suite 311-B. Interested organizations are encouraged to stop by.

Partyin' with the Lawyers

The Mississippi Center for Justice will host a street party on Congress from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 13, on Congress Street."

Seeing the Light? Challenging ‘Compassionate Conservatism'

Ala. Gov. Riley is causing serious discussion and though by arguing that the Bible supports raising state taxes to care for the poor. He is arguing for--drum roll-- a progressive tax system. The New York Times reports: "If Governor Riley's tax plan becomes law — the voters still need to ratify it in September — it will be a major victory for poor people, a rare thing in the current political climate. But win or lose, Alabama's tax-reform crusade is posing a pointed question to the Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family and other groups that seek to import Christian values into national policy: If Jesus were active in politics today, wouldn't he be lobbying for the poor? ... Alabama's tax system has long been brutally weighted against the least fortunate. The state income tax kicks in for families that earn as little a $4,600, when even Mississippi starts at over $19,000. Alabama also relies heavily on its sales tax, which runs as high as 11 percent and applies even to groceries and infant formula. The upshot is wildly regressive: Alabamians with incomes under $13,000 pay 10.9 percent of their incomes in state and local taxes, while those who make over $229,000 pay just 4.1 percent. ... Governor Riley's plan, which would bring in $1.2 billion in desperately needed revenue, takes aim at these inequalities. It would raise the income threshold at which families of four start paying taxes to more than $17,000. It would scrap the federal income tax deduction and increase exemptions for dependent children. And it would sharply roll back the current-use exemption, a change that could cost companies like Weyerhaeuser and Boise Cascade, which own hundreds of thousands of acres, millions in taxes. Governor Riley says that money is too tight to lift the sales tax on groceries this time, but that he intends to work for that later." For more info, see Riley's Web site. National Review fires back.

Mr. Dylan, Mr. Evers

A bullet from the back of a bush took Medgar Evers' blood.A hand set the spark Two eyes took the aim Behind a man's brain But he can't be blamed He's only a pawn in their game. —" Only A Pawn in their Game," Bob Dylan, 1963

Bringin' It Back Down, by Scott Barretta

Country stars Merle Haggard and Marty Stuart stopped in at William Faulkner's home, Rowan Oak, in Oxford recently to announce an effort to bring the music back to its roots and away from the mega-glitz of Nashville, Los Angeles and New York City. Stuart—a native of Philadelphia, Miss., who went on the road with Lester Flatt when he was 13, played guitar for Johnny Cash in his 20s and then found his own fame as a bandleader in the early 1990s—dreamed up the "Electric Barnyard Tour," which will kick off July 6 in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Keeping Medgar's Work Alive

"If I die, it will be for a good cause." These fateful words were uttered by Medgar Evers—who died to help save Mississippi from its sins against black people. Now, in 2003, 40 years after his assassination, the Medgar Evers Institute is continuing the teachings of its namesake. Evers' widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, told me at the institute on May 23 that she established it here a year ago as a means of "advocating proactive social change by inspiring and educating youth on emerging issues." She added, "It continues his work in a positive, progressive and proactive way."

Runnin' with the Big Dawgs

We were sitting in the office around 7 p.m. last Friday anticipating another "press weekend." Stephen and I were in a heated discussion about some aspect of the upcoming issue when Donna, sitting at one of the computers in our office, let loose with a scream. "It's up!" She backed away from the computer screen as if sudden movements might cause it to lunge at her. "I can't read it."

Mississippi Dems Uniting?

The Petal News reports: "Mississippi Democrats held their annual pep rally, the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in Jackson this past weekend. And Party Chairman Rickey Cole reported the largest turnout in recent years. It appears at this point that the party has survived the disruptive events of the past two years and is making a recovery."

Mr. Positive Headed into Second Divorce

I sure am glad I missed the days of Mr. Positive Mississippi into the governor's mansion, although it sure was entertaining enough from a distance. Why is it that people who like to talk about "family values" the most often seem to have the least?

‘An Old Washington Hand Goes Home to Mississippi'

David E. Rosenbaum writes in the New York Times today about Haley Barbour's return to Mississippi: "Mr. Barbour must overcome the charge that he has spent his career as a fixer. His law firm, Barbour Griffith & Rogers, ranked seventh among Washington firms in terms of lobbying revenues last year, according to a study by The National Journal, and Fortune listed the firm as No. 1 in terms of political influence."

‘The Young Hipublicans'

Read about young, hip Republicans on college campuses in the New York Times magazine—and the groups that are funding them: "As with college conservative movements in the past, the recent wave has been fueled and often financed by an array of conservative interest groups, of which there are, today, almost too many to keep straight: Young Americans for Freedom; Young America's Foundation; the Leadership Institute; the Collegiate Network; the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. These groups spend money in various ways to push a right-wing agenda on campuses: some make direct cash 'grants' to student groups to start and run conservative campus newspapers; others provide free training in 'conservative leadership,' often providing heavily subsidized travel to their 'publishing programs'; others provide help with the hefty speaking fees for celebrity right-wing speakers. Through these coordinated activities, these groups have embarked in the last three years on a concerted campus recruitment drive to turn temperamentally conservative youngsters into organized right-wing activists."

State Greens to Protest Cheney/Barbour Fundraiser

Members and friends of the Green Party of Mississippi will be out in force to protest at the June 9 fundraising luncheon for Haley Barbour's Republican gubernatorial campaign at the Gulf Coast Convention Center. Vice President Dick Cheney, former CEO of Halliburton, will be the main speaker.

Tell Me the Truth, JoAnne

<i>In her new column, JoAnne Prichard Morris tells it like it is.</i>

Q: What do you think about Haley Barbour's comment that "some of those kids in [Headstart] would be better off sitting up on a piano bench at a whorehouse than where they are now"?--Baffled in Belhaven

Who Owns ‘Local' Media?

"Did you know this was happening? Have you heard about it in the local or national news?" wrote Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 24. He was talking about the June 2 vote that FCC Chairman Michael Powell—son of Colin—has scheduled to lift restrictions on media ownership in the U.S. It's very likely that you haven't heard about this vote, although it will affect all of us, and is virtually guaranteed to happen based on a party-line 3-2 vote if a grass-roots miracle doesn't happen quickly. The vote, if passed, will do away with the cap on ownership of radio stations, newspapers and television channels, and make it possible for one company to own all media outlets. That means: One company could then own every media outlet in Jackson.

ROAD TRIP: A Hill Girl Does Rocky Springs

I had no idea just how geographically snobbish Mississippians could be until the mother of a college friend from the Gulf Coast smugly remarked, "Sooo, you're from the hill country." Now, I grew up in Tupelo, only six hours from her family's ancestral home, but you would have thought I had just hobbled out from behind a still with a corncob pipe clenched in my teeth and a moonshine jug slung over my shoulder. But I was happy to forgive her indiscretion when I was served my first mint julep complete on her grandmother's silver with fresh mint sprigs from the garden while I watched the sun sink into the Gulf from her front-porch swing.

Senators Vs. Bad Sports

Dr. S needs to change medication, obviously, because he's running behind. The Senators are back in town for a series with their new archrival, the Shreveport Sports. The Clarion-Ledger's Mike Christensen offers the lowdown on the Jackson-Shreveport baseball rivalry through the years.

Corky Appeals Suspension

Chicago Cubs cheater Sammy Sosa was suspended for eight games Friday for using a corked bat in a game on Tuesday. Sosa appealed, so he will be able to play in this weekend's series with the New York Yankees. What a surprise. Meanwhile, amid all the craziness surrounding Scammin' Sammy's antics, here's one sure bet.

NBA Whitewash?

Dan McGraw writes in the Village Voice: "[T]he NBA is changing, on the court and off, getting whiter and more foreign, and many African-American fans and players think there is more going on here than international meritocracy. The perception—and perception is always important in matters of race—is that the NBA is acing out the black man because of corporate (read: white) fans and international marketing money. High-scoring white guys equals big bucks."

Home to the ‘Worthy Scrap'

Myrlier Evers-Williams is not boycotting Mississippi and its progeny; she wants to introduce young people to her first husband.

Clinton: Do Well, and Do Good

The sign at the New Village Bar and Grill Road read "Welcome Pres. Clinton Parking $10.00." Parking was indeed a premium, so many people parked near I-55 and trekked up West County Line Road. The marchers were taking part in the rhythm of the morning as hundreds of people arrived at campus to listen to a "heart-to-heart" speech from a man many of them admire greatly.

Put A Cork In It

Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy "Corky" Sosa was ejected in the first inning of the Cubs' game with Tampa Bay on Tuesday night after his bat shattered and umpires discovered that it was corked. Dr. S always thought that Cheatin' Sammy was corked, not his bat. Scammin' Sammy admitted he used a corked bat, but insists he accidentally picked up a bat he uses for batting practice. Uh huh. Expect Major League Baseball to suspend Corky for seven games and fine him $1,000. The damage to Sosa's image and legacy figures to be far more severe. Corky's apologists are already saying that he showed he's a stand-up guy by admitting that he used a corked bat. What the hell was Scammin' Sammy supposed to say, the evidence was irrefutable. Besides, Dr. S doesn't believe a person should get extra points for telling the truth. No matter how rarely it occurs.

Young Democrats Announce Monthly Meetings (Hinds)

The Young Democrats of Mississippi, Hinds County Chapter invites all interested people between the ages of 18 and 35 to attend its next monthly meeting on June 25, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. The meetings are held at the temporary Jackson City Hall located at 400 E. Silas Brown the last Wednesday of every month.

Men Making Promises

Passionate speaking and powerful music are expected this weekend when the Colorado-based Promise Keepers organization (http://www.promisekeepers.org) brings its 2003 Men's Conference series to the Mississippi Coliseum. Founded in 1990 by former football Coach Bill McCartney, Promise Keepers evangelizes men to follow Jesus Christ and to become spiritual leaders in their churches, communities and families—and to keep the promises they've made to their wives and children. Race and denominational boundaries are ignored as the organization strives for racial and sectarian reconciliation. Approximately 6,000 men attended the kick-off rally in Lubbock, Texas, on May 3-4, and the Jackson conference should be as large.

Big 3 Out ... But The Game Goes On Right Here

One of the greatest weekends in Mississippi college baseball history came to a sad end on Sunday. Mississippi State and Southern Miss lost, joining Ole Miss, which was eliminated on Saturday. Still, it was a remarkable year for the state college teams on all levels.

Democrats Getting Fired Up?

"We don't need another Republican Party!" Democrats declared at a Take Back America rally this. Read Salon's report.