Letting a Little Luck InWhat 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.
Soda for TeaAs 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 …
Bringing the Outside In"A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books." —Walt Whitman
The New American MythWhen I was 6 years old, the concept of zero made my brain hurt. "How can there be nothing?" I wailed in utter frustration. "Even when you take away all the apples and all the oranges, you still have the …
History's ReturnGov. Haley Barbour is a sucker for anniversaries, apparently. In his final State of the State address last week, the governor said that 2011—the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides and the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil …
Latinos and LoansMississippi could be headed for a courtroom showdown if the full state Legislature passes an anti-immigrant bill mirroring an Arizona law that forces law-enforcement to profile people they suspect to be undocumented residents.
Stand Up to Senate Scheme for VotesThe Mississippi Senate shamed our state Tuesday when it approved an Arizona-style anti-immigrant law that will require law enforcement to profile anyone they think could be an "illegal" immigrant and demand their papers.
[Stiggers] Le Swanky Steak Shack"It's funny how a lot of people perpetrating disrespect toward ethnic minorities expect them to smile and be pleasant always. Those smiling and shuffling days are gone. Today, ethnic minorities are serious and intelligent enough to recognize the undertones of …
[Dennis] Defensive ReflexAre we ready, yet, to have a serious and civil conversation about guns, violence, and hate?
Reading the Tea Leaves: The Tea Party in MississippiTea Party member Donald Wiggans was different. A small, wiry man, he stood quietly during an August 2009 town-hall meeting on health-care reform featuring U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.
Jackson Jewish Film Festival: A Multicultural CelebrationLike most art forms, there's something about a film that brings people together. Lessons about love, life and relationship always strike a chord, no matter your religious, familial or ethnic background. Some things are just universal.
Art Disguised as MemoirTom Sancton has had an interesting career as a journalist. He is a former Time magazine reporter and editor, contributor to Vanity Fair, Fortune, and Newsweek, and author of a bestselling book about the investigation of Princess Diana's death.
21st Century Spirit"All Day" by Girl Talk is the latest entry in what is rapidly becoming "the" sound of the 21st century. The mash-up fits perfectly in a society where everything competes for attention in a machine-gun blast of information and advertising.
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?When ever I'm driving down to Hattiesburg for gigs, I always enjoy listening to the local radio stations. My favorite on the FM dial is Super Country 99.1. They play all the classic country songs my daddy (pronounced "deddy") and …
The Slippery Arena StudyThe push for an entertainment arena in downtown Jackson, once a private endeavor, is now a matter for city government. Last month, the steering committee of business leaders that has been raising funds for an arena feasibility study handed control …
Tea Party member Donald Wiggans was different. A small, wiry man, he stood quietly during an August 2009 town-hall meeting on health-care reform featuring U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.