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Hard Decisions

If you are a child with aging parents, or a caring parent with foresight for your children, here are some of the documents that will help you deal with end of life decisions. As difficult as they may be to complete, they will be a comfort during times of high stress and crisis.

Soda for Tea

As 2011 marches on, our well-intended New Year's Resolutions can gradually fall by the wayside. I have found that when my New Year's goals are broad and vague— "Be healthier! Lose weight!—I quickly give them up. When my goals are small, specific and attainable, I'm more likely to keep going.

No Easy Answers

When a black sergeant dies at Fort Neal, La., near the end of World War II, a complicated murder mystery begins. Was it a lynching or something more? The segregated Army of 1944 is the backdrop for Charles Fuller's 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "A Soldier's Play."

Letting a Little Luck In

What do good-looking men, lentils, no housework and kissing all have in common? According to superstition, they all bring good luck in the new year.

Chamber, Work With the Mayor

The Jackson Free Press has often agreed with Sen. John Horhn over the years, and we're finding that new Ward 1 City Councilman Quentin Whitwell can be a breath of fresh air out of north Jackson on many issues.

The Tribal Trend

Fashion watchers spotted Ikats and Aztecs all over the Spring/Summer 2011 runways, and Jackson has definitely caught on to this tribal trend. A little bit boho, a little bit south-of-the-border, you should certainly work these easy-to-wear pieces into your summer look.

You Get What You Give—Or Don't Give

On Father's Day, I always wonder what I should get for my husband to adequately express my love and appreciation. Since Mother's Day is only a month beforehand, I try to gauge my gift giving on what he got for me. It may sound a little tit-for-tat, but it helps to keep things under control. I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable with an extravagant gift.

Chloe Garth-Elkins

Chloe Garth-Elkins' Saturday Upward Bound class at Jackson State University is learning about the word rastaquouere. The students begin to grasp the true meaning of the word through application of its technical definition: "social intruder; upstart." Garth-Elkins patiently guides students through the lesson, inviting them to enter the world of scholars in constant pursuit of knowledge.

Shopkeep: The Art of Flowers

I'll admit I'm a bit of a girly girl, which means I love flowers. When I attend a wedding, they're one of the things I most look forward to—even more than the dress. Flowers bring life and color and texture to an event, and they're a great way to express a couple's personality. So choosing the right person to design the flowers for a wedding is important.

Hands-On Action

It's a rather poorly kept secret that one reason I'm out and about so much is that I don't cook and, well, a girl's gotta eat. While I am an avid fan of culinary arts, the extent of my fandom is appreciation. As a practitioner, I fail miserably. Case in point: I met a neighbor who needed to borrow some flour with a perplexed look and this response: "Why on earth would I have flour?"

Robby Piantanida

Just over five years ago, Belhaven University art student Robby Piantanida borrowed a camera and equipment to shoot a short film for his college film festival. Today, the 23-year-old makes his living producing video and motion-graphics projects in the Jackson area as the owner of Borrowed Productions. And yes, he still occasionally has to borrow equipment.

Dancing Feet

Ballet Mississippi hosts its annual spring performance of "Sleeping Beauty, Act III" on May 1. Ballerinas Margaret Severin-Hansen, principal dancer with Carolina Ballet, and Nicole Graneiro of the American Ballet Theater and February's Dance Magazine cover girl, will undoubtedly awe the crowd with their powerful performances.

PyInfamous Wins ‘Coldest MC' in Nation

Watch PyInfamous perform June 24 at Forever Friday at Suite 106.

Jason "PyInfamous" Thompson, 29, has won the national Coors Light's "Search for the Coldest MC" contest. He was one of four regional finalists.

‘Jail Not Bail'

Fred Clark always felt something was not right with how the South treated blacks.

[Stiggers] Forget the Mess

"Don't allow the troubles of this world to ruin your peace of mind. All you need is a comfortable exercise mat or your favorite blanket, and your imagination."

Coming to Art Late in Life

"All life comes from inside of something. Milk comes out of cows. Eggs come out of a chicken. Babies come out of a woman. If I want to produce something that's alive, it's got to come from inside of me."

Tease photo

King Freak

On a Sunday evening in fall 2009, Patrick Grogan painted his face and arms black and walked into a service at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans. Earlier that day, he had noticed that the congregation was mostly white, and wanted church members to think about why God's temple lacked people of various races and colors.

The Reel Oxford

Every year, Oxford, Miss., holds a festival that reels filmmakers and movie buffs into a uniquely authentic southern experience. One can see firsthand William Faulkner's and other extraordinary Mississippi artists' inspirations. Faulkner and those Mississippi creative whizzes found their voices in the tranquil setting of one of the most picturesque parts of the Deep South.

One Heart's Fasting

When my pastor invited our congregation to take part in a 21-day fast, I was thrilled with the idea. "What a great way to start the year off right," I thought. My zeal soon turned to frustration, however, as I began contemplating how I would fast successfully.

Simple Health

It's been a while since we made our resolutions for 2011. Good health and wholesome eating habits are goals that many of us share, but, no doubt, some of our early enthusiasm disappeared throughout January and February, when freezing weather taunted us, and the couch and comfort eating were more attractive alternatives to exercising and proper nutrition.