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The Skinny on Polk

Hattiesburg native Patrik-Ian Polk has wrapped another film and is working on more television shows to add to his credentials. Polk, who is gay, explores issues of race and sexual identity in some of his projects. His work has won national awards and is gaining a more mainstream audience.

Cycling Safely

Instead of your kids watching television and playing videos games Saturday mornings, take them to be a part of the Youth Cycling Group. Personal trainer Tammy Thomas of MS Fitness Pro will lead the group every Saturday beginning Sept. 3 to teach the proper and safe way to ride a bike.

Au Naturel

Singer-songwriter Graham Colton, an Oklahoma native, is on a two-month tour of the South in a tour van that runs on compressed natural gas. Singing pop ballads and promoting CNG, Colton is marketing both a new CD and an alternative energy source.

The Dummy Mummy Returns

Picture this: An intrepid medical student from a local university gets permission to examine the most prized artifact in the state's history museum­: a centuries-old Egyptian mummy. The student, simply taking part in an adventurous exercise to further his medical studies, makes a startling discovery that shocks the city and the antiquities community.

DIY: Healthy, Green Halloween

Hosting a healthy Halloween party for kids is a great way to have fun without inviting cavities, obesity and other health problems. TOPS Club Inc., a nonprofit weight-loss support organization, suggests limiting candy consumption by eating a nutritious meal before the treats and substituting fruit and nuts for sugary snacks.

Fashion For a Cause

The Tougaloo Fashion For a Cause show starts at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Holmes Hall.

The No-Name Problem

When feminist leader Betty Friedan passed away in February 2006, traditional and online media were flooded with stories from women who were affected in some way by her 1963 book, "The Feminine Mystique." Scholarly eulogies attempted to explain or contextualize the book's significance to the American feminist movement. My favorite assessment came from the feminist blogger Echidne of the Snakes, who emphasized Friedan's role as "name-giver."

Myles Cast

Jackson State University theater professor Yohance Myles is acting with Bruce Willis and rapper-turned-actor 50 Cent.

Day Trippin'

When I was younger, my parents would take me to the beach every school break. Dragging towel-laden plastic bags, we'd make the five-hour trip to Pensacola, Fla. The sea and the sand were great, but by about the 10th trip, I was so bored with the beach.

Left Brain, Right Brain

Natchez inspires Vidal Blankenstein. She says that growing up around all the visual art there molded her as an artist. "Art was never anything that anyone talked about, but it was always there," she says. "It was everywhere."

Untangling Knots

On Sept. 22, Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202) will hold a book signing for Diana Abu-Jaber, author of the new novel, "Birds of Paradise." Abu-Jaber is an Iraqi-American author who has already published three novels "Origin," "Crescent" and "Arabian Jazz," and the memoir, "The Language of Baklava."

[Hero of the Year] Sgt. Reginald L. Cooper

Following a childhood incident in which he encountered a police officer with a terrible attitude, Sgt. Reginald L. Cooper vowed that he would become a police officer himself and would never behave like the officer he met that day.

Work as Inspiration

Anthony DiFatta got the first art show of his career at Nunnery's Gallery after he donated some of his paintings to a HeARTS Against AIDS fundraiser. Mike Nunnery saw his work and proposed the exhibit. The popular Jackson artist, who now has shows all over the country, still helps arts organizations.

Bringing out Your Inner Kid

Sometimes it can be freeing and fun to think like a kid when looking for things to do. Various health experts suggest kid-like activities to relieve anxiety and open up the mind.

Extended Hours for Sisters

The Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, 528 Bloom St, Jackson, is extending its Freedom's Sisters exhibit to Aug. 22.

Rising and Converging

"Grace" is one of those words I struggle with. There are the simplistic, surface definitions like charm or loveliness. I tend to find it a complicated word, though, filled with lightness and darkness struggling for domination, with the clouds shrinking if we're lucky. I guess that means I lean more toward it meaning mercy, forgiveness, prayer, clemency, even immunity or reprieve.

Chicks We Love

For years now, the Jackson Free Press has chosen and honored a slate of amazing women each year, a line-up we cheekily refer to as "Chicks We Love."

Holiday Hands

I had a hard time getting in the holiday spirit this year, but that quickly changed once I got my spirit fingers. I recently made a visit to AQUA the Day Spa to let Keisha Alexander show me the hottest shades for the holidays, and let me tell you—sparkles get me every time.

Fresh Produce in Byram

The Byram Farmers Market (20 Willow Creek Lane, Byram, 601-373-4545) has been open for seven years and is off Siwell Road behind BankPlus. The market is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. until late October and reopens every year in March.

Alternative Weddings

Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue just might be out the door as brides and grooms want their special day infused with creativity and personality. Couples pull their cultural trends into their weddings these days, aiming to make their special day exactly how they want it to be.