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Ring in the New Year

It's been a blast attending great parties and concerts, but I'm ready for the holiday hustle and bustle to be done and to get back to the normality of life. Between your own holiday parties and writing those New Year's resolutions, make plans to hear awesome music in the capital city.

Where The Jobs Are ... and Aren't

Where are the jobs? Everybody should move to North Dakota, where there are more jobs than people and more people than housing. But you don't have to go so far as Fargo to find work. While Mississippi has more folks out of work than a lot of other places, growth is happening here, too.

[Stiggers] The Dirty Lowdown

Congressman Smokey "Robinson" McBride: "Citizens of the Ghetto Science community: I am honored to host the premiere broadcast of 'Christmas at Clubb Chicken Wing Holiday Television Special.'

Gifts for Your Sports Fanatic

A few years ago, my wife, Lacey, gave me one of my favorite books. "The Sports Book" (DK Publishing, 2007, $19.95) has an Astroturf cover and contains information about multiple sports. Not only has the book been great to read, but it has been a resource and help for articles I have written. It was one of the best gifts I've ever received.

[Stiggers] Survive, Thrive, Stay Alive

Brother Hustle: "Newt the Ging-Grinch said this about poor people and children: 'Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works. So they literally have no habit of showing up on Monday. They have no habit of staying all day. They have no habit of "I do this and you give me cash," unless it's illegal.'

[Hales] Death of the College Dream?

For the past two months, Americans have struggled to figure out what exactly the Occupy Wall Street movement is about. Who are the protesters? What do they stand for? What is their agenda? Many have asked these questions, but no one has seemed to produce a solid answer.

Making a Place

Author Lalita Tademy describes Mississippian Lynne Bryant's debut novel "Catfish Alley" (New American Library, 2011, $14) as being "In the tradition of 'The Help,'" by Kathryn Stockett. True, both Mississippi authors have white women as central characters and black women struggling against racial hatred. Both novels have multiple perspectives. That's where they diverge.

[Kamikaze] The War Outside

"There's a war going on outside no man is safe from." —Prodigy of Mobb Deep

[Jones] A Lottery for 3-Year Olds

In 1962, 58 Michigan toddlers won a lottery. To pick up their prize, these 3-year-olds were dropped off at a row of buildings in Ypsilanti, a small town near Ann Arbor, on a September morning. All the children were from disadvantaged backgrounds, and expectations for them had not been particularly high.

Doomsday for Black Folks?

By all measures, the state of black Mississippi should be strong. Mississippi's concentration of African American residents, 37 percent, is the highest of any state. Mississippi also has the highest number of majority-black counties, 25, and black elected officials (900+). So why did the Mississippi Black Leadership Summit, which took place in downtown Jackson last week, strike such a somber tone?

Making Joyful Noises

Jackson comes alive when Christmas comes to town. With the Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree, Chimneyville Crafts Festival and several other local traditions, most people seem to get into the holiday spirit. This year's joyful noises not only help get everyone into Christmas mode, but also help those in need.

Losing is Better?

Southern Miss' Bowl Championship Series hopes died when they lost 34-31 to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Nov. 17. The Golden Eagles only had a chance to earn a BSC bid if they won the rest of their regular season games. Instead, USM ended its regular season Nov. 26 with 44-7 victory over Memphis, giving them the C-USA East division title and a berth in the C-USA title game.

[Kamikaze] Just the Messenger

Mississippi, and Jackson particularly, suffers from "shoot the messenger" syndrome. You know: If you don't like the message, just attack the person(s) delivering it. If the message could possibly upset your gravy train, then you discredit the source.

Blowing the Roof Off

Baby Jan Smith and Chalmers Davis joined forces in the spring after meeting and working with each other in the choir loft at Wells United Methodist Church. The two hit it off, and have been performing all over Jackson since mid-summer.

What the Mamas Taught Us

When I heard 40 days before Election Day that the "No on 26" folks were trying to hire a spokesperson, I just knew women didn't have a chance. Thankfully, I was wrong.

Occupy Local

Corporate America wants to cash in this holiday season with a highly visible campaign to support small businesses. Gannett Co. Inc., owner of The Clarion-Ledger, joined this effort with full force.

How to Host Out-of-Town Guests (Without Going Insane)

Aunt Jean is coming to town. You've known about it for months, but you're days away from her camping out in your guest room with a plethora of denture accessories. And she knows just how to cook your turkey. Face reality and get a game plan, because compensating with bourbon refills can get pricey.

Grassroots Mamas Tell All

'This is How We Do It!'

Lori Gregory-Garrott opened her front door suddenly and looked at her sleepy Fondren neighborhood with anticipation. It was just before 10 p.m. Nov. 8, Election Day.

Shop Local

The Small Business Association encourages Americans to shop at small businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26, is part of an effort to get people to support community businesses on the year's biggest shopping weekend.

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Jesmyn Ward didn't intend to be in southern Mississippi when Katrina hit in late August 2005. In fact, she was just on her way back to grad school in Michigan as the storm approached. "I just thought, 'Oh, well, I'll just stay until the hurricane passes, and I'll go back home,'" she told the Jackson Free Press in September.

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