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Sabri Agachan
One immediately feels welcome when entering Sabri Agachan's home. Take your shoes off and put on the slippers offered; accept tea in delicate glasses and an offer of food. The house is spotless, almost Spartan; hospitality and cleanliness are blessings to the Muslim home, Agachan will tell you.
Tekla Sanders
Tekla Sanders fairly shone on the sunny day when we met for lunch, her glossy curls framing her expressive eyes and wide smile. At 27, she still considers herself a newly-wed after 18 months of marriage, and she's expecting her first baby, a boy already named David Caleb, in May. Sanders' mother has 12 siblings, 10 of them girls, so "the fact that we're having a boy is very big news," Sanders said. Her mother wants to see the proof for herself.
Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond understands changing careers; his call to church ministry is the third major shift in his life. At 51, "Reverend Fred" is the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson's new minister, and a novice to the profession.
Jason Marlow
Jason Marlow, the 2007 Best Filmmaker, isn't a guy who is going to wait for success to come knocking. At 27, he's seen more of the world than most of us ever dream. He recently returned from a trip to China, where he met several Oscar-winning filmmakers working on a new project. "It turned out to be awesome," he said. The people were just people, not what he thought of as "Hollywood" types, he told me, and were welcoming and supportive.
Sean Wade
Sean Wade is a big guy. He could use his stature to threaten, but instead, he exudes tranquility to those in his presence. Wade, 32, speaks with clarity and precision, his voice steady and soft. His demeanor is welcoming and inclusive, and he tends to be almost self-effacing. His kindness and gentleness are evident in every move and word.
Jarvis Dortch
Since 2006, Jarvis Dortch has worked as a communications coordinator for the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program, which aims to improve health care for all Mississippians, "especially those whose health is threatened by poverty, racism, malnutrition and violence."
Time to Recommit
I have allowed myself to become a victim to a couple of common phenomenon: I messed up, so f*ck it; and I over-committed, so I'm not doing anything.
Rocky Road to Wellness
(And that's not rocky road ice cream.) Someone once told me that the minute we humans decide on a course of action and make a commitment, the next thing that invariably happens is that all the reasons show up why we can't keep our commitments. "It's not a good time," "I don't have the money," "Whose idea was this anyway?" are among my favorites, regardless of the actual commitment. Hmmm... talk about a pattern of behavior.
Built for Comfort
For the last issue of BOOM magazine, one of our photographers sent a photo to a professional retoucher to um, retouch. For those of you who don't know, that's a person who takes photos of normal folk and makes them look taller, lankier, thinner and poutier-lipped than they ever will be in reality. The photo came back looking bizarre in a Vogue magazine kind of way. We went back to the original.
Financial Wellness
I'm really awful about letting go of ideas and things that no longer serve me. Once upon a time, I pulled down a fat little corporate paycheck. It was great while it lasted, but these days, that is not my reality.
Hot Stuff This Weekend
The weather isn't the only thing hot this weekend. Here are a few options, courtesy of the JFP Event Calendar, Best Bets and Music Listings.
Jam, Y'all
Jackson's biggest music and art street festival kicks into high gear Friday, June 13. This year marks the 21st time that Capitol Street downtown will transform into a rockin', dancin', jumpin' good time, with Jubilee!JAM 2008.
Dr. Samuel Okoye
Jackson physician Dr. Samuel Okoye received national recognition when the Congressional Medal of Honor Society awarded him the Above & Beyond Citizen Honor on March 25. The award is remarkable in part because it comes from a society of all living recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor in the United States.
Barbour Pardons Two More Woman Killers
Gov. Haley Barbour's going-away present for Mississippi is to put a trio of convicted murderers back out on our streets, including two more who brutally murdered the women in their lives.
Green Stops Pardons; Barbour Explains, Sort of
Also see: JFP investigation of Barbour's 2008 Pardons of Domestic Killers
Don't Catch It!
No doubt, stress lowers your resistance. But there are things you can do to stay healthy while everyone around you is bleary-eyed and runny-nosed. Here are some basics, old and new, from the most recent research:
Dan Blumenthal
Fast cars have been a passion for Dan Blumenthal since he was a little kid. He inherited the bug from his father, and was reading Road &Track magazine at age 7.
Grandma's Got Rhythm
I admit it. I was a dancin' fool at the JFP 2007 Best of Jackson party. I've lost 50 pounds since last July, and I think I look better than I have in 20 years. I bought a fabulous new outfit for the occasion and I had my high heels on. I had an absolute blast.
All Shook Up: Jam-Packed Weekend Ahead
End August by doing something good for Mississippi's youth. Tonight, attend the "Rise Above for Youth" benefit dinner and silent auction at the Safe Harbor Family Church, starting at 5 p.m. Or, if the words "swine flu" have you all shook up, get the facts on prevention and a prognosis for the future from Dr. Paul Buyers at Belhaven College at 6 p.m. Find more details on those events and more on the JFP Events Calendar. If your thoughts head more toward an after-work drink and live music, the place to check is the JFP Music Listings page, for the city's most complete list of who's playing where.
Envisioning Your Future & An Event for Women
Abraham Maslow said, "What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself," and Albert Einstein said, "If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts."