Jackblog

Rick Perry Wishes You Happy Holidays

Rick Perry, please shut up.

"Newt Gingrich is the Kim Kardashian of the GOP"

Evangelical explains why Gingrich doesn't deserve your vote via this YouTube clip.

Child Abuse, Bad Diets Lead to Brain Issues Lead to Crime?

It's kind of one of those scientific findings that ought to be obvious, but here it is: Children who are physically and emotionally abused often become violent criminals. In the exciting world today that is neuroscience—that has really taken off in the last 20 years with myriad discoveries about our brains—study after study is helping us look at the roots of criminality in our society, if we bother to pay attention and think about the different society we could have if we collectively ensure that children are adequately cared for. (Don't balk at "collectively"; plenty of mean people want us to collectively punish, imprison, disparage and neglect the same children. I argue at we do something else before it gets to that point, and science backs me up.)

LA Times: Cancer Victim Apologizes to Obama

Am I the biggest fan of Health Care Reform? No... I think a number of additional steps, like the public option, could have been taken to make this a more comprehensive solution. And I'm worried that it doesn't yet do enough to curb the costs of medicine in this country while making sure access (and cost sharing of the system) are universal.

Guns: A Public Health Issue?

It's difficult to have a serious conversation about the prevalence of guns in American society because it's one of those issues where so many people are strident one way or the other, and usually without the benefit of having done any actual research. We're working on a big project about guns for next year and are reading a variety of scholarship on the subject—much of which isn't particularly interested in the politics of guns, but in the public-health components. In recent weeks, I've read about the problems with gun control as well as about the realities of gun prevalence. One of the saddest parts is the number of accidental guns deaths, many to children. It is also a rather open secret how much more lethal suicide attempts can end up if someone tries with a gun.

Archie Manning Talks Ole Miss: Nutt to Freeze

The University of Mississippi has released this video of Archie Manning, Ole Miss alum and former football great, who co-chaired their search committee for a head coach to replace Houston Nutt.

Repub Govs: Fear Occupy, Divert Attention from Middle Class to Win

At a Republican governors meeting this week, GOP partisans were warned to keep the subject away from the middle class in the upcoming presidential election—or President Obama will win.

Our Anti-tax Governor Just Endorsed Online Sales Tax

I can't say I disagree with this: The Hill is reporting that Haley Barbour endorsed it in a letter to lawmakers today, urging them to close a loophole that lets online retailers forego sales taxes that are sorely needed at home (and hurts local businesses):

Ouch: Barbour's Advisers Were Embarrassed to Show Him What They'd Dug Up

Imagine being all set to run for president, and your advisers have dug up so much "opposition" dirt on you that they don't have the courage to present it to you? That, apparently, is what happened with our own Gov. Haley Barbour, according to a new e-book by Politico. And all that opposition dirt (which I'm more than positive included Ronni Mott and Sophie McNeil's investigation into his pardoning of all those brutal domestic murderers I mean: How do you explain that crap away!?). The Deseret News reports:

Where's Melton's portrait?

Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. appears to be taking his time in hanging a portrait of his predecessor up in City Hall. Part of the delay, however, stems from the fact that the City Council hasn't bothered to hang up Johnson's portrait from his first term.

Former Gov. Waller Dies

Former Gov. Bill Waller has died.

Please help this family in need

Photographer Christina Cannon send this email around today; please do what you can. Her verbatim email follows:

Arbor Day, brought to you by Toyota

Gov. Haley Barbour announces Toyota Arbor Day.

My Advice to James ‘Kingfish' Hendrix

I woke up this morning very concerned about a particular race that appears on some area ballots. No, it's not Personhood, voter ID or the governor's race, although I'm very concerned about those, too. It's about what amounts to a late entry into a local judge's race. But before I explain why I'm worried, I want you to do a quick Google on "Ronni Mott" and see what comes up. When I Google my managing editor's name, the seventh headline is, "Jackson Jambalaya: Is Ronni Mott a liar, hack, or just plain stupid?"

Ben Stein Makes Sense: ‘Raise Taxes'

And it was there that I saw something I least expected: common sense.

An exchange here on the site lead me to do something I don't any more often than I absolutely have to... I launched Newsmax.com, the swelteringly conservative website and magazine based in South Florida.

Former Gov. Bill Waller has died.

And it was there that I saw something I least expected: common sense.

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