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Notes from the Buddha

When I sat down to write about the Buddhist take on "doing good in the world," I began by searching for a few choice quotes from the Buddha himself. Being a contemporary sort of Dharma practitioner, I quickly pressed the power button on my MacBook.

The Down There Blues

The waiting room at the Hinds Comprehensive Health Center's women's clinic was full. Women of all ages and races sat, some silent and some on the phone, anxious to go back to one of the examination rooms.

'We're A Miracle'

Ballet Magnificat! Marks 25 Years

As a professional ballerina, Kathy Thibodeaux began to pray about her career and her future when she became a Christian in 1979. "Should I keep dancing? Do I give up dancing?" She wondered. At that point, she says, no one in the country was really dancing for Jesus. Her Christian friends were skeptical that dancing was something a nice Christian girl should do.

Facing the Truth

On Friday night, I made the road trip to my aunt and uncle's Flowood home to finally see "Mississippi ReMixed," a documentary by Jackson native Myra Ottewell who examines her personal beliefs about relationships between blacks and whites in Mississippi. Ottewell, who is a teacher in British Columbia, had set out to show how far the state has come in race relations since the 1960s. Her quest, however, revealed aspects of history of which she was unaware.

No Sex in This City

A few years ago, I went on a journey to find my Mr. Right by going on 100 dates in a year. I blogged about each date, with plans to write a best seller and have Drew Barrymore play me in the blockbuster movie that I just knew would come to fruition.

Dem Hopeful Calls for Drug Enforcement

Democratic Hinds County Sheriff candidate Tyrone Lewis says he wants more drug enforcement on the highways dividing the city of Jackson and Hinds County.

Just How Much Can the State Restrict a Peaceful Protest?

As protests supporting Occupy Wall Street have swelled in recent weeks, hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested across the U.S. This weekend, nearly 100 people were arrested in New York [1] and 175 in Chicago [2]. More than 100 protesters [3] were arrested in Boston last week; a few weeks ago, 700 were arrested [4] on the Brooklyn Bridge.

JATRAN Proposes Cuts

Proposed changes to Jackson's JATRAN bus routes to save money drew anger from some at a public hearing Tuesday evening. Others expressed relief that the reductions in service are much less drastic than those proposed last December.

Vote ‘Yes' on the Tollison-Bell Amendment

The worst dirty trick we saw this last election wasn't a campaign ad, a robo-call or an "astroturf" campaign from a shadowy coalition of instigators and carpetbaggers. (Of course, all three happened.) In fact, this dirty trick didn't happen in the lead-up to the election at all.

[Kamikaze] We Are Awake Now

Do you really want to know why we're mad? I'll tell you why, although it should be painfully obvious:

Going Rogue

On his county-provided laptop, Phil Fisher has replaced the standard mouse icon with a sword. A former Marine and a current brigadier general in the Mississippi Army National Guard, Fisher has a bit of the warrior in him, and his stint on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors has been marked by vocal opposition to many of the board's actions.

Council Bans Smoking in Jackson Restaurants

After three failed starts this morning, an amendment to change a 2003 city ordinance banning smoking in all businesses except standalone bars passed the Jackson City Council this morning. "We're very excited," said Jennifer Cofer, executive director of the American Lung Association of Mississippi and chairwoman of anti-tobacco group Communities for a Clean Bill of Health. "The council saw that they needed to revisit this issue and vote on something today for the city of Jackson. Although it is not 100 percent inclusive, it's the best we can do given the current environment here in the city. This means we can protect the most Mississippians we can without that one exemption.

Regions Plaza Facelift, Steam Room Grille Moves

Regions Plaza downtown is set to begin $1 million in improvements this month. The Hertz Investment Group is updating fixtures and floors in the building to help attract new tenants. Duckworth Realty, which has managed the building for Hertz since late 2009, has brought on four new tenants recently, including Disability Rights Mississippi and Hayes Dent Public Strategies.

Judge: Melton Trial Postponed Until Feb. 2, 2009

Over the objection of federal prosecutors, Judge Dan Jordan has announced that the trial of Mayor Frank Melton and bodyguard Michael Recio has been postponed until Feb. 2, 2009 due to the mayor's bad health. The order (PDF, 41 KB), just filed today, states that Melton's counsel just notified the judge on Dec. 23, 2008, that Melton had been in the hospital in November and December for severe heart problems that are life-threatening.

CAUTION: More Pet Food Recalled

Del Monte is now on the list of recalled pet food. The long list now includes Pounce Cat Treats, Meaty Morsels and Jerky Dog Treats.

How to Beat the House

On July 15, the Mississippi Legislature finished up a 90-minute special session in record time and with plenty of smiles. Both the Senate and the House passed similar bills providing $14 million for Baxter Healthcare in Cleveland, allowing Baxter to expand its product line and settling fears that the company's almost 800 employees might lose their jobs.

Evacuees Face Confusion, Long Lines

Stories are still trickling in from major damage zones across the south. Disturbing tales of personal failures and the greater breakdown of government in the face of unconscionable disaster roll in with the grim faces of the haggard, the beaten—and the progressively more faithless.

Then I Got Mad

Click here to view a petition to recall Gov. Haley Barbour.

As the Capitol Turns

This year, the lawmakers at Mississippi's Capitol have had time to do great things such as reforming the juvenile-justice system and settling some Medicaid issues. They have also spent many hours rubbing elbows with B.B. King and Faith Hill, criticizing Jim Barksdale's offer of $50 million for education (Gov. Haley Barbour's chief of staff called it a "bribe"), naming a state reptile and declaring that the Magnolia state does not need new streams of revenue—especially in the form of a tobacco tax.

Congress Probes 'Witch Hunts'

With Congress nipping at its heels, the U.S. Justice Department is looking into its own alleged political prosecutions, including that of Paul Minor and Oliver Diaz in Mississippi.

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