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Travis Childers: Why I Voted Against the Bailout

Congressman Travis Childers just released a statement on why he voted against the $700 billion bailout today. Verbatim:

Evangelist Prez Steps Down Because ... Gay?

Oh. My. Word. When I was editor of the Colorado Springs Independent, this right-wing preacher was one of the most outspoken in the city's Religious Industrial Complex (with Focus on the Family at the center) against homosexuality—and preached right-wing politics from the pulpit. Now, this gay prostitute says Haggard has been paying himf or sex. What other October surprise is in store for the "family values" posers!?! Associated Press is reporting:

Senate To Investigate "Mega-churches" and the Pastors Who Run Them.

The senate annouced yesterday that they will be asking several so-called "Mega-churches" to come before them and answer some questions about their financial practices. On CNN yesterday, several pastors of those churches were asked to respond, but Atlanta's Creflo Dollar was the only one to come forth and give any comments. Dollar, the owner of TWO. not one, but TWO Rolls Royces and a sprawling mansion says in so many words that nowhere in the bible does it say that you should not be prosperous. What do yo think of these "mega-churches"? and the flashy pastors that run them? do you even agree with "state" interfering with "church" business. What are your thoughts?

GOP Using Katrina Aftermath to Gut Anti-Poverty Efforts

The New York Times is reporting that conservatives in Washington are reacting in a very cynical way to the poverty exposed to the world by Hurricane Katrina:

‘It’s Not About Me’: The JFP Interview with Mayoral Hopeful Frank Bluntson

Jackson City Councilman Frank Bluntson, 77, is not exactly a newcomer to local politics: He has served almost eight years on the Jackson City Council, and several as council president.

Abortion ban passes

Did Clarion-Ledger Columnist Plagiarize?

Update, Aug. 2, 2006—Today, The Clarion-Ledger published a statement (see below in Comments) saying that Courtney Taylor's work will no longer appear in the newspaper. We guess that answers the question posed by an astute reader on the Ledge forums accusing Taylor of plagiarizing a Southern Living article. The post starts:

New Word Of The Day:"PROJACK" are you one?

YOUR NEW WORD FOR TODAY IS: PROJACK! pro-jak n. 1.To be pro jackson. Champion of all the good things your city has to offer. 2. To hold your city down, be knowledgable of all new development & a registered voter in tune with city politics. Are you a PROJACK?

The Siren Song of Food

The world first met the vivacious Mandisa, with her powerful voice and mega-watt smile, during the fifth season of "American Idol" in 2006. Unfortunately, she also became known for Simon Cowell's negative comment at her audition: "Are we going to have a bigger stage this year?"

SPANN: Attitude Makes All the Difference

Somehow a white co-worker and I found ourselves talking about race relations. Sitting comfortably in my downtown Jackson office a year after the controversial state-flag vote, we joked about Mississippi rednecks and the Confederate flag-emblazoned halter tops we hoped to add to our wardrobes.

[Greggs] Why Not Just Turn Gay?

The other day I was lying around with a friend discussing my less-than-stellar dating life and wondering what it would be like if I expended all that time doing something useful, like eating. At one point during the conversation she looked at me very knowingly and asked the question I have heard from more than one person on more than one occasion, "Why don't you just turn gay?" This is asked like sexual orientation is a knob on the stove that keeps the cookies from burning.

Lost in Translation

"He is like a prodigal son, pondering whether he should return to his native soil." So wrote now-freelance Clarion-Ledger columnist Eric Stringfellow this week in a hand-wringing column about the future of Jackson.

Lawmakers Tackle Teen Pregnancy

A 13-year-old Jackson Public Schools student kisses her 30-year-old boyfriend as he drops her off at school one morning. When school officials call the teen's mother. She shows little concern saying, "He takes care of her, he helps her get the school supplies she needs."

JATRAN's Convenience Factor

"Don't let it be gone already," I repeated to myself, like a mantra, whizzing down State Street to meet photographer Amile Wilson. I'd spent a little more time than I'm willing to admit trying to figure the schedule out. "This seemed a lot easier in Chicago," I mumbled.

Farish Street, Capitol Green Moving Forward

B.B. King Blues Club has signed a lease deal with Farish Street developer Watkins Development, LLC. John Reeves, a member of the Jackson Redevelopment Authority, confirmed the deal this morning that aims to put a Beale Street mainstay in Jackson.

More Than A Maid

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother. I didn't have to; I wanted to. Most of my summer days, we watched "Donahue" re-runs and "Sanford and Son" and "Benson." I stayed over at her house every Friday night from the time I was in kindergarten until the sixth grade, and we started out every Saturday morning watching the "Smurfs." Then, every day after school until I was in the 11th grade (when I started driving myself to school occasionally), my routine was the same: Get off the bus, drop my backpack on the floor in the "little room," make a snack, and then my grandmother and I would watch Oprah. I miss those predictable times with my grandmother.

With Gentleness and Reverence

When Todd and I used to live in Belhaven, we'd often walk in the mornings. Nearly every morning, we would watch a harried mother--often in a big SUV talking on a cell phone with at least one kid in the car--screech through the streets, presumably taking the child to school. Almost every day, we watched moms run stop signs, and more than once, had to jump out of the way to keep from getting hit.

The First Step

My small group of friends and I spent the majority of last Saturday at Smith Robertson Museum. Our still nameless singing group and band performed at an art opening featuring many budding talents in our city. The exhibit's title: "Trapped Flowers." Jason Thompson, who emceed the show, said that a trapped flower was any woman who was stifled or suffocated, whether by domestic violence or by something more prosaic.

[Balko] Justice for Sal

Last week The Washington Post reported that Sal Culosi's parents have reached a $2 million settlement with Fairfax County, Va., police Detective Deval Bullock, who shot and killed the 38-year-old optometrist during a January 2006 SWAT raid on his home. The unusual settlement reflects the outrageous facts of this case, in which an unarmed man suspected of nothing more than betting on sports was recklessly gunned down during an unnecessarily violent operation.

[Stiggers] Drop It Like It's Hot For Jesus

Bruh. Sylvester: "Welcome to my art exhibit titled 'Talkin' 'Bout the Ghetto and Other Stuff,' sponsored by the Ghetto Science Team's Museum of Natural History, Science, Art, Urban Mythology and Culture. Although I'm known for my seasonal creations of 'Christmas Missing-Toe Art,' I want to share with the arts community four of my latest works.

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