As of Oct. 31, Farm Town had 18,591,852 active users on Facebook.
Farm Town is a nice place. It's always sunny there and no real catastrophes occur — except for the big Farm Town blackout back in June.
I first heard about it through Facebook friends asking if I could get on Farm Town. It was a major panic. A problem had developed between the creators' server and Facebook. Farm Town really was gone for a while.
They say only “real” men can wear “PINK.” Not sure what a “real” man is, but I know I have been wearing a lot of pink lately—not by choice but for two reasons… certainly, not because I look good in pink or that I consider myself a “real” man. I have been wearing pink most of the month of October due to the fact that it is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
The notion that the Constitution guarantees representation in the U.S. House of Representatives to non-citizens is one that seems contradictory on its face.
“When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” That's the conclusion of a recent report from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. The report, a synthesis of research on parent involvement over the past decade, goes on to find that, regardless of family income or background, "students with involved parents are more likely to:
Yes, it’s true! This week the cat nation (and people, too) celebrated the greatness of cat-hood. The official date was October 29.
DOGS DROOL – CATS RULE
Quickly, I must add – the above statement is not mine, but meowed recently and very sweetly by my little kitty, Miss Sarah Bell. At least it seemed this is what she meant, but maybe I’m wrong.
The fact that liberal Democratic New York Gov. David Paterson and conservative Republican Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour find themselves political bedfellows over proposed federal health care reform is indicative of the obstacles the legislation still faces.
The current Senate and House health reform packages would represent the largest expansion of Medicaid since its creation in 1965. The proposed reforms would change Medicaid from an existing federal-state program targeted mainly at children, the disabled, and pregnant women into a Medicare system for the poor.
When you're dealing with the public and, more importantly, taxpayer dollars, it's best to be careful that business be done the way our framers intended — in public.
Pumpkins, ghosts and goblins, a full moon, and a chill in the air --- yes, then it must be almost time for the gingerbread house extravaganza! Boy! Does the Meridian Episcopal Church of the Mediator, 3825 - 35 Avenue, have a deal for you! Read on as I tell you all of the details of their upcoming Gingerbread House Contest and Silent Auction.
The mission to rename Mississippi University for Women will likely lose momentum now that MUW President Claudia Limbert has announced she’ll retire next year.
There has been a major trend in economic development in recent years that can probably best be summed up using a professional sports analogy: states and local communities across the country have been the team owners, economic developers have been the agents, and the businesses looking to expand have been the talented prospective athletes.
States and communities have offered huge tax breaks and incentives to lure jobs to their areas, in much the same way star athletes are offered hefty signing bonuses. Economic developers have leveraged more incentives, including utility deals, and acted as a liaison between the companies and communities — similar to the way agents market their athletes and sell their talents to teams. And businesses — like star athletes — have had the luxury of sitting back and being pretty selective in where they expand or start up.
For some communities, especially those with appealing locations who are willing to up the ante, that strategy has been a good one. Some have seen businesses come to town with everything they promised, sparking the local economy and providing people jobs. If that star athlete comes to a franchise and puts up big numbers and takes the team to the Super Bowl, it looks like a smart investment.
But what if the star athlete blows out a knee and never plays a down? What if that $10 million signing bonus only sells a few hundred season tickets or some t-shirts?
The UN’s declaration of carbon neutrality for the upcoming Copenhagen Environmental Conference is a curious example of modern logic. In order to counter the environmental impact of air travel for some 50 presidents, 35 prime ministers, their staffs, and thousands of attendees (estimated at 450 tons of carbon emissions), the UN has promised to earmark funding for a power plant in rural India that uses corn husks instead of fossil fuels to produce electricity.
Here’s the principle behind offsets: You’re planning on doing something you think is20bad and feel guilty about it. Rather than altering your actions, pay someone else to do something good to offset your negative impact and presto—no more guilt. Surely if the Copenhagen Conference organizers were concerned about the environmental impact of air travel they could have limited attendance or conducted meetings via video-teleconference. But curiously they decided to go ahead and do what they scold everyone else for and then offer to fund a Third World environmental project in their honor.
Whether through my previous or current work in press relations and public affairs, or through this column, I have had the opportunity to meet and build relationships with many of Mississippi's newspaper editors and publishers.
Last week, the Newspaper Association Managers sponsored national newspaper week, a more than 60 year tradition to promote newspapers "as a vital and vigorous news medium."
The theme, "Carrying the Torch of Freedom" sought to communicate that newspapers "work outside government to represent [the public's] interests. [Newspapers are] free as privately owned businesses outside government to have that precious power as guaranteed by the First Amendment. That power, that freedom will continue to serve the public in the future. Newspapers continue to carry a torch of freedom."
So I reflected on local newspapers: the people, the business, the public service.
Although smart business strategies are important in any economic situation, the current weak economy makes sound business decisions critical. Your small business can take several steps to maintain your stability in the current economic environment.
Don’t panic. Don’t assume the sky is falling. Remain confident to employees and customers. With continued hard work, planning, and perhaps some tough decisions, you will survive.
Communicate. Share information about your positioning in the weak economy. Let customers, vendors, and employees know that you are on top of the situation and making changes to sustain your business.
Service-learning is a teaching and learning method that combines service to the community with classroom curriculum. The academic skills taught in the classroom are used to create a community service project to impact real community issues, such as safety, hunger or diversity. It’s a hands-on approach to mastering subject material while fostering civic responsibility.
Service-learning provides a context for talking about learning in terms of not only what students know but also what they are able to do. Critical to this type of learning is building in the time for students to reflect on their service experience. Reflection time helps the students make the connection between classroom and community learning to ensure they understand the extent to which they can impact positive change.
The sports adage “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game” has a unique link and application to how the future of a free press plays out in the 21st century.
Would you like to be part of a memory-making, historic event? Well, load up granny and the kids, and head for The Meridian Activities Center on Saturday, October 24. The local storytelling chapter, Tall Tales & Recollections, plan to host their first storytelling festival with tellers from across the state, Alabama, and local tellers, too. The day begins at 10:00 am and will conclude at 5:00 PM for the regular stories (children and adult stories). After a two hour break, it will be time for Scary Stories from 7-9:00 PM. This will be an indoor event at The Meridian Activities Center as well.
This festival would not be possible without the generous support of the City of Meridian and The Meridian Activities Center, Director Barbara Wells. Barbara has been onboard with great excitement since we (Tall Tales & Recollections) first discussed the idea with her. As our local storytelling chapter compared notes with other groups from around Mississippi and Alabama, we soon realized the first hurtle (a place to hold the festival), was usually the most difficult, but we soon learned that we would be supplied with a place by the City of Meridian through the Meridian Activities Center. Thank you to Barbara and our city!
Meridian Activity Center is a non-profit community center. Our instructors are paid by the city of Meridian on an hourly basis, depending on the number of students signed up for their class.
Most classes require at least six students to make. Considering our low entrance fees for an eight-week class ($10 for adults over the age of 55), one might understand the importance of a large number of sign-ups. The average class is 24 hours of instruction during an eight-week period.
We are very fortunate to have the area horticulture agent for Mississippi State University housed in our office. Dr. Wayne Porter is always sharing ideas for things that can be done with your gardens, whether it is from your vegetable garden or your flower garden.
This week we talked about fall beginning and the things you could do with your flowers before frost bites them. Before long the first frost will ruin the last of most of your beautiful blooms. However, if you want, you can continue enjoying some of this beauty during the dreary winter days.You can preserve some of the flower’s summer beauty by drying them.
I did it. I made it 30 days without eating meat, no seafood, either. A lot of you out there didn’t think I could do it. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I could do it.
Now it’s over and, after today, I can start writing about something other than my intimate relationship with vegetables. This navel gazing has gotten old, even for me, who has spent my entire writing career navel gazing.
The Louisiana Democratic Party chairman's Federal Election Commission complaint alleging that former Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering's political action committee attempted to politically launder a campaign contribution to a Louisiana GOP Senate candidate with a pass-through donation to Gov. Haley Barbour's PAC doesn't appear to carry much weight as an FEC complaint goes.
Mississippi Power Co. officials will meet before the Mississippi Public Service Commission this week for key hearings on whether or not the proposed lignite coal gasification plant in Kemper County is needed.
During the next several months, I plan to include columns, intermittently, about famous Mississippians who have made a positive difference in the world. This week, I have featured Al and Fred Key.
On his radio show Wednesday Rush Limbaugh called former President Jimmy Carter a national hemorrhoid and said he should be an embarrassment to the Democratic party. He also said Carter was the worst president of the 20th century.
Almost to a person, state lawmakers asked about the current state budget and the Fiscal Year 2010 now under construction by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee will reply with one voice that they expect more budget cuts in FY 2009.
In a recent speech on education, President Obama re-asserted his promise of “cradle to career education for all Americans” by offering 55,000 first-time parents, “regular visits from trained nurses to help make sure their children are healthy and prepare them for school and life.” He also added 5 billion dollars in additional funding for Head Start in the last stimulus bill, echoed Al Gore’s desire for universal pre-school, and proposed lengthening the school year.
I am in hearty agreement with Plato that "Knowledge is food for the soul." My oldest daughter, though not necessarily a fan of Plato, also agrees. She and I share a voracious appetite for learning and understanding the world around us. I love that about her. She continually asks questions about what she sees and we're both prone to distraction and to "chase rabbits" instead of staying on point (this column may be another example of rabbit chasing).
The Rev. Helen Tester, Rector, and folks at the Church of the Mediator are delighted to announce the up-coming Gingerbread House Contest and Silent Auction.
Katie Watkins, Assistant to the Rector for Ministries and myself, have teamed up to coordinate the contest and launch what we hope will become an annual event. Some of you may remember that I was involved with a gingerbread house contest back when I worked at the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library and won’t be surprised to see me involved again. The Mediator is offering a similar contest with a few fresh twists. Contest entries will be displayed at the Meridian Art Museum from Nov. 3 through Dec. 5. The grand winners will be moved to the front window of the MSU Riley Center for the festivities of Merry Meridian. The public display will be a delightful exhibit of community creativity at its best.
Contestants that give the Mediator permission will have their entries photographed and placed on the silent auction block at the Mediator Web site. Funds raised from the sale of entries will go to support community outreach programs and Mediator children’s programs.
For just under a decade, Alex Dees walked 17.5 miles a day delivering the mail in his hometown of Philadelphia, Miss., as part of a 33-year career with the U.S. Postal Service.
On his rounds, Dees gave away gum he carried for children. He doted on postal patrons who were aged or handicapped. Soft-spoken, he wore his uniform - short pants and all - with pride and good humor.
My late mother always appreciated having Alex wait on her at the post office. But what many people in his hometown - especially younger people and newcomers - didn't know was that Dees had worn another uniform before he wore the uniform of a small town postal employee.
Pound-for-pound, Alex Dees may well have been the best college football player to grow up in Philadelphia. How can one make that claim about someone from Marcus Dupree's hometown?
Welcome to day 21 of my 30-day journey into vegetarianism.
I have learned a lot over the last three weeks.
I have learned that there are many in-the-closet vegetarians out there, and if one writes about becoming a vegetarian, they will out themselves. They’re like zombies in a low-budget horror movie. When the sun goes down the zombies come out and wander slowly through the streets. With vegetarians, after you become one, they will show themselves to you. Vegetarians don’t wander aimlessly like zombies, but they do walk a little slower, I think it’s the lack of meat-based protein.
Some wise fellow once said that when the price of the status quo exceeds the cost of change, then it’s high time to shift gears. That’s kind of the crossroads at which Mississippi finds itself relative to the community colleges’ “Dropout Recovery” program.
The program, which is designed to produce GED graduates with viable jobs skills, has been only partially funded the past two years by the Mississippi Legislature. Each of Mississippi’s 15 community colleges has been awarded $100,000 for the purpose of bolstering its number of GED graduates, and the colleges have done that.
Much of the current energy policy debate today is on the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act known as the “Waxman-Markey bill.” Unfortunately there has been a lot of confusion and political posturing regarding this bill and energy policy in general. While the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey bill by a narrow 219-212 vote, the U.S. Senate has yet to begin debate. Now is the time that Mississippians can speak up on legislation that if passed, will have a dramatic impact on the sources, cost and perhaps availability of the electricity that powers life at home and work.
If you are one of the 1.8 million drivers in Mississippi, you probably don’t think much about the road you travel each day. That is until you hit a pothole, the most common sign of a poor road.
The bad news: Mississippi’s roads and bridges today pose far more serious problems than potholes. According to TRIP (The Road Information Program), a nonprofit research organization which gathers technical data on America’s transportation system, a growing number of Mississippi’s roads and bridges are in dire need of repairs or improvements. Not only are bad roads uncomfortable to drive on, they can cause damage to vehicles or even accidents.
This past week, the Meridian City Council once again had a packed crowd for their regular board meeting. That's a good thing.
Welcome to day 14 of my 30-day excursion into vegetarianism.
Here are some observations from the other side.
Observation 1.) I’ve actually become a carbotarian. As long as it doesn’t have a face or a tail, I’m eating it. Pancakes, French fries, bagels, hash browns, nachos, Cap’n Crunch, and cheese pizza all have one thing in common— no meat. My motto this September: No meat, I eat.
My wife said, “That’s cheating. You’re supposed to be eating only vegetables.” Who said so? I have several good friends who are vegetarians. They love pancakes and stuff like that. I’m just following their lead. No veggie burgers and soy patties for me.
Observation 2.) People walk up to me in restaurants and check my plate. “Got any meat on there?” one man said last week. Nope, just waffles, eggs, and hash browns.
As we pause this week to remember the more than 3,000 lives lost eight years ago when terrorists struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon, we do so with a combination of sorrow and pride.
Welcome to my life as a vegetarian, day seven. Strange things are happening.
I am living life as a vegetarian during the entire month of September. I am eating nothing with a face or a tail, and believe it or not, I’m still alive and breathing.
Yes, it’s true. Meridian Symphony Orchestra will celebrate fifty amazing years with the 2010-2011 season. Meridianites, that’s FIFTY YEARS! The enduring success of any organization for fifty years is a significant financial accomplishment, but a cultural accomplishment that is embraced by the community is more than significant, and it came to Meridian in 1961. But mainly, I like to think; MSO has been, and continues as a beautiful gift for the community. Let us spend a few moments with some MSO memories, shall we?
The fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina this weekend hopefully motivated people to put together survival kits if they haven't already done so.
These kits are not just for hurricane season, but should be maintained throughout the year is case of any disaster, including a fire, tornado or some other event.
I am sick and outraged at voters showing up at town hall meetings to confront Congressmen on their noble efforts to finally bring about government run health care. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big believer in free speech but only so long as it moves the country forward in the right direction. But seeing my personal hero, Barney Frank, have to suffer the indignity of listening to angry voters in the supposedly liberal state of Massachusetts is more than I can bear.
As you read this column, I am driving to Indianola as a guest of the B. B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. I am so excited that I haven't slept well this week – just anticipating the wonder of it all.
You see I am invited to present my originally written historic literary program where I portray Eudora Welty, and perform a staged reading from her work. I dress in costume and share tidbits about her extraordinary life – so, on Friday, I'll be the one in the pink Pill Box Hat (a style from the late 1950s/early 1960s), wearing short white gloves, and a smile. Oops, of course, I will wear a suit and heels as well -- typical of the day. In addition, while there, I will present a reading from my recent publication “Historic Photos of Mississippi” and sign copies as well. The next day, Saturday, August 29, I will sign copies of my book at Turnrow Books, Greenwood, 12-2:00 pm. Oh, how I love the Delta!
Heaven help lawmakers in deciding whether to rename Mississippi University for Women. They’ll be tugged in all directions by competing political, economic and social groups — and whatever they do, they’ll make plenty of people mad.
This past week, the American College Testing program (ACT) released their national reports on the most recent graduating senior high school class. The ACT examination is taken by about one-and-a-half million graduating seniors every year, and the scores are used as a predictor of success in college. There are four components of the test: English, math, reading, and science. Once again, out of all the states and the District of Columbia, Mississippi found itself last in just about every component of the ACT test.
My friend David invited me to lunch at his club in Jackson. The club was nicely decorated and comfortable. In one room there was an upscale buffet and in another a salad bar.
I don’t eat at many buffets. Actually, since my neighborhood Thai joint changed hands, I don’t eat any buffets. I have nothing against them; it’s just a personal quirk.
There's no doubt officials with Mississippi State University got it right this time by hiring Jack E. Tucci as the new dean and executive director of MSU-Meridian.
Uh-Oh, she's finally gotten to politics, some may have said this morning. Hey, I'm smarter than that – I don't believe I have ever discussed politics in this pressure free, fun-fun-fun, fact-filled, and (most of the time), uplifting column. I have always wanted my space in “The Star” to give my readers a reprieve from some of our ongoing (from-time-and-eternity, it has seemed) problems. I want to give you a chuckle, or a thought provoking subject, maybe a little bit of local history, or state history – all good stuff, you know. If at times I have stepped on your toes, then, perhaps, I have made you think -- maybe from a different prospective? So, dear ones, please allow me to tell you of a time when the power of our good people of Mississippi, every area of the state, and all-inclusive, will always be remembered by historians as one of the greatest accomplishments of our state – when the people came together with power.
For many years my good friend, W. Walton Moore, Jr., Director of Rose Hill Cemetery, has shared the true historical facts about a time when the people of this area stepped up to overcome a tragedy – a horrible time when a Yellow Fever epidemic was a killer, and was more deadly than any enemy imagined.
I just took a trip around the world with my family.
We ate in Italy first, then Japan on the first night, followed by Mexico, India, Austria, Viet Nam, China, Cuba, Morocco, France, with a few stops in different regions of America and at friends and family’s homes along the way. We were supposed to eat in Spain and Ethiopia, but last-minute changes to our schedule got in the way.
Actually, I took my kids on a culinary field trip— 10 days, nine states, 2,500 miles— with the intention of eating in as many exotic and international restaurants as possible.
When the poetic line “Oh what a tangled web we weave …” was penned a few centuries ago, Sir Walter Scott had no idea what irony those words might have when applied to the 21st century’s world of blogs, tweets, Web sites and free expression.
I drove the old neighborhood today. The joy of the memories of my childhood once again was a balm to my soul. Oh, the innocence of childhood when the world loomed large, and our little minds automatically accepted that there are many things bigger than our little corner of the world. Sometimes, it has seemed, we have thought, yes, perhaps even have been taught, that the control of the world is within our grasp. Yes, we have always been a competitive nation, but, I think, it is best that we accept ourselves as tiny specks of humanity -- nothing more, nothing less, don't you?
Someone, somewhere once said something about “the little things.”
I don’t know who it was, why he said it, or what publication it was printed in after he said it. I don’t even know if it was a he. Maybe it was a she who talked about the little things in life. Nevertheless, I know that many times, the little things aren’t “little” at all.
My maternal grandmother did a lot of little things that, at the time certainly, seemed little. But sitting here as a 47-year old father, I realize that they were big indeed.
Do you have your coffee, and a few minutes to spare? Great! Here’s the thing:
By the title of this column, one could clearly discern it is all about the subject of a day (one day), and it is, but not entirely. I was struck by the words of a prayer uttered this week at my church by one of my good Christian friends, Jack Davis. Jack prayed, “Thank you for this day — a day which we have never seen before, and will never see again.”
Today I leave on a 10-day old-fashioned family road-trip vacation.
We are loading up the family truckster and embarking on a 2,500 mile excursion that will take us through Nashville, Asheville, Winston-Salem, and up to Washington D.C. with the ultimate goal of taking my kids to see Paul McCartney in concert. We’ll spend a few days in our nation’s capital and then swing through Charleston, Savannah, and Atlanta before heading home.
I am excited about the driving portion of the excursion and look forward to visiting friends and family at every stop. It seems that when we travel nowadays, everything is hurried. We are rushing to pack and leave the house, we always seem to be rushing to the airport, all of the earlier rushing has left us running late to catch our flight, and when we finally get there, we’re rushing to cram it all in during the few short days we’re there.
Our founding fathers certainly had many things right, chief among them being The First Amendment. The roots of those words provide the very backbone for the wide range of opinions available on pages such as this one.
Yes, it is a strange phenomenon, but according to eyewitnesses (of which I am one) the kitties are on the literary scene and in a big way. It all started, for me, that is, when I visited Square Books at Oxford. The lovely bookstore is on the courthouse square located at downtown Oxford -- home of the University of Mississippi. As I entered the front door of the charming bookstore, there sat a pretty little pussycat with a pink collar. She looked longingly at the clothing store located across the street, and when she could, she would make a dash for it. Shortly, thereafter, one of the clothing salespeople would bring her home. I noted that upon arriving back to the bookstore she seemed to make plans to leave again. Perhaps she would like to change her career path to the world of fashion?
For years I have said that if I were ever asked to choose a “last meal,” I would select my grandmother’s leg of lamb.
With all due respect to my late grandmother, I am amending my last-meal appeal. Sorry, Mam-Maw, my last meal is coming from the French Laundry.
The beauty of eating a last meal prepared at The French Laundry is twofold: I would be able to eat the most skillfully prepared, best-tasting, unique, subtle, and creative food, prepared by the nation’s most talented chef— Thomas Keller. It would also be an extremely long (in a good way) dinner.
Perhaps it is my age, but I have found it disconcerting in recent days to see all the color film and video clips and still photographs of the late Walter Cronkite. In my memories, Cronkite always appears in slightly flickering monochrome.
And that's the way it is . . .
Cronkite, the beloved CBS anchor who truly was "the most trusted man in America" during the heyday of network television, died Friday at the age of 92.
We are fortunate, as a community, to be served by an outstanding group of men and women who make up our Lauderdale County volunteer fire and rescue departments.
Here it is the third week of July and many families are off on the final trip of the summer and those memories will last forever. No, I didn't mean that you would pay for it forever – even though it might seem that way. Yes, it’s the trip that you didn't think you could afford, but felt obligated to make memories for your children. Let me assure you – it’s all worth whatever the cost.
Our big family trip was to the Grand Canyon. Our two sons were about eight and eleven years old, sort of curtain-climber type kids, and they still are come to think of it. But anyway it was “Grand Canyon or Bust” for the McKee’s – that was our motto and at the time we didn't realize just how close we would come to the bust part!
The good news: we now have a complete state budget. The bad news: the special sessions — remember, this wasn't the only one — likely will cost taxpayers an additional $200,000-plus by the time it's all said and done.
On July 4, I was honored to participate in the Meridian Tea Party. First off, hats off to Wayne Lagrone and his team for making it happen. Without people like Wayne "real change" would never happen. When the soccer moms and the guys who run the pancake suppers of the world set their sights on something, the world is transformed for the better. They are a far more powerful force than armies of community organizers.
In 2006, I invited three friends to join me at The French Laundry, in Yountville, CA, for what would turn out to be the dinner of a lifetime.
The French Laundry is widely considered the nation’s finest restaurant, a reputation it has earned over the course of the last 15 years. I wrote about the meal and the subsequent column turned out to be a piece that I am still asked about, today. Looking back through my notes from the meal, I wrote, “I have just eaten the best meal of my life. Hands down. Period”
A newspaper article published in April highlighted teachers accusing parents of failing in their assignments as guardians and undermining the effort schools put forth to educate their children.
As the current fiscal year ticked down to a close, the House and Senate agreed on a budget for K-12 education, both passing House Bill 49. The Senate passed the bill with no dissenting votes and only four members of the House voted against the bill when it was sent back from the Senate with minor amendments. Governor Haley Barbour signed the bill into law last night.
Congratulations to all the moms and dads who know how to interpret OMG, IDK, and LOL (Oh My Gosh, I Don’t Know, and Laughing Out Loud). But don’t enroll in the “hip parent club” just yet – apparently the kids are way ahead of us.
My dear departed friend Gale Denley said years ago of his first visit to the Neshoba County Fair: "It's a lot like what I always imagined Hell would be - it's hot, it's dusty and all my friends are there."
For over 25 years, the primary focus of my professional career has been food.
In my personal life, food has played a major role, falling just behind faith, family, and friends.
I create, prepare, and sell food for a living. When I’m not working, I’m traveling, eating, and writing about traveling and eating. I eat a lot. When recognized while out of town, I’m often asked, “Aren’t you that guy who eats a lot?” Again, food.
I grew up in a modest middle class home, raised by a single working mom, though I never wanted for food. I could probably count on the fingers of one hand the times I’ve been truly hungry— possibly never.
When the proverbial white smoke appeared above the state Capitol Building on Tuesday and it appeared that lawmakers and Gov. Haley Barbour had reached a compromise on Medicaid to complete the state's budget process, it was evident that while Barbour and the Mississippi Hospital Association had buried the political hatchet - the handle was still sticking up.
Well, here we are.
It's not a good position. In fact, some longtime lawmakers have said the state has never pushed it this close to the wire. With less than three days to go, the state lacks a spending plan for the fiscal year that begins Wednesday.
When the Magnolias make that perfect bloom -- all is right with the world or so it has seemed to me. I mean what a double treat to gaze upon the creamy white blooms, and then breathe the luscious fragrance -- yep, a double whammy. Now I don't mean to brag (well, maybe just a little) but don't you think that Moonlight, Magnolias, and Mississippi (all together) would bring us very close to a Heavenly scene? Oh come on, you do, don't you?
What do you do with all the vegetables from your garden? You will cook what you can but then there is always more than you can use. Why not can or freeze it?
Several free publications are available from the Mississippi State University Extension Service that will tell you exactly how to safely can, freeze or dry your fruits and vegetables. Check with our office or go to msucares.com to read or download the publications right to your computer. Publications are: Home Canning – Publication 1152; Freezing Fruits – Publication 663; Freezing Vegetables – publication 974; Back to Basics Drying Fruits – Information Sheet 725; and Back to Basics Drying Vegetables – Information Sheet 723.
Here are a few excerpts from our publications to get you started.
The golden rule of home canning is, "The quality of the foods preserved will only be as good as the quality of the foods when they were fresh." You should use only fresh, firm fruits and young tender vegetables for preserving.
My wife and I dropped the kids off at summer camp in Arkansas and then spent a week eating our way through Tennessee (summer camp for adults). Here are the top ten culinary highlights from the journey.
10.) BBQ Memphis— Actually, I had planned on eating bbq in Memphis, but we arrived too late and everything was closed. However, the night before in Hot Springs, AR, we ate at a restaurant named McClard’s. The restaurant has been there for decades and the bbq is OK., but what really blew us away was a tamale dish. It is called Tamale Spread and it looks just like a big cheesy-brown blob on a plate. I wasn’t too excited about it, and ordered it for the kids. The adults laid it to waste. It had tamales, chopped beef, beans, bbq sauce, corn chips, cheese, and onions. Surprisingly tasty.
Yes, my husband made that statement this week. My first thought was of the slimy and wiggly things involved with fishing – two of my least favorite things. After I regained from the shock that he really meant it, I inquired – why? Then it was his turn to be shocked.
Well, okay, we went fishing on Tuesday. The argument that won me over was that we were taking our five-year-old grandson, Jordan, with us. Yes, I would deal with the slimy and wiggly stuff in order to spend the afternoon with our little man.
Yesterday I drove a carload of kids— under the age of 12— on a seven-hour trek that ended in Arkansas’ Ouachita National Forrest so they could attend summer camp.
Early on, the van was relatively calm. Most surprising, the van was quiet. I think it’s because my wife packed the snacks. The kids were munching on pita chips, cheese crackers, and bottled water. I stopped for gas in some small town an hour from our destination and the kids went inside by themselves to get their own snacks— ice cream and candy bars.
I learned two things: 1.) Even though they might claim to have the capacity, kids have NO clue how to take care of themselves. 2.) Left on their own, they would die from sugar poisoning and daily overdoses of chocolate and corn chips.
The van instantly became raucous. The sugar fueled their madness as arguments began to break out between warring factions of the middle seat versus the way-back seat. Things were being thrown, toys were getting broken, and strange odors began to materialize. The tranquility that had enveloped the van moments earlier was a distant memory.
There are so many dangers lurking around the home and farm. Just about every day you can read or hear about someone you know getting injured just working around the house.
I do not know the statistics, but I would venture to say that most of these injuries come from not paying attention to what we are doing or just completely being unaware of our surroundings.
On May 19, many of your fifth-grade students had the opportunity to participate in Progressive Agriculture Safety Day at the Lauderdale County Agri-Center. While they were participating they learned all about different ways they could be safe around their home or when they are in a place they may be unfamiliar with.
My favorite flowers are almost always scented.
Some are shy and retiring and require that I bury my nose in the bloom and really inhale to get a whiff. Others, like a bevy of teen-aged girls doused in cologne, announce their presence to the neighborhood. Their wafting fragrances can be almost overpowering.
Gardenias definitely fit into the latter category. Their scent is not subtle!
Last week I picked gardenias for my kitchen window vase. I was rewarded for my efforts when the small bunch of blossoms perfumed the whole kitchen for several days.
Hot and sticky, muddy and one of the best times of my life.
That's how I would describe my first Neshoba County Fair experience in 2007. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect. I had always heard from my cousins how much fun they have and I decided to try it out two years ago. I liked it so much that I returned last year and am looking forward to attending for my third time this year.
To get the full effect of the fair, it's a must to stay in a cabin. My aunt's family has a cabin and I can't imagine spending time at the fair with anyone else. I'm not a big breakfast eater during the week and some weekends I might fix myself some shake and pour pancakes. But at the fair, they do it right.
The Small Business Administration defines a small business as having fewer than 500 employees. According to the SBA Office of Advocacy website, these businesses employ about half of all private sector employees. The latest year’s data, 2005, reveals 78.9% of all new jobs created were by small business. The more than 500 employee businesses created 21.1%. Small businesses employ 50.3% of the non-farm private sector workers. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees are responsible for 18.3% of the total 116.3 million jobs.
It’s that time once again. Yes, I really enjoy this time of year. June is my favorite month of all because there is so much happiness and much anticipation of wonderful times to come.
I was recently invited to a lovely wedding. The church was packed with smiling attendees, lots of children, and, it seemed, many family members. The bride was Chemeeka Tucker and the marriage took place at her home church – the one where the pastor is her father. The wedding vows were said after two ladies presented a dance program – smooth and sweet. There was a small jazz combo located to the right of the bride and groom that played softly as the large wedding party all took their places. Yes, it was, indeed, a very lovely wedding.
Few public policy initiatives in Mississippi has generated more heated arguments than the so-called "hospital tax" or provider assessment as a means to fund Medicaid - the federal-state program that provides health care for the poor, the blind, the disabled and children.
Ah, it’s vacation time – Hallelujah!
Now, mustn't worry about the $2.25 and upwards price per gallon for “you know what.” No, don't worry – just have fun. I mean in one hundred years, who will care? I can foresee a time to come where humans, and aliens alike, grip about the high cost of a good bunch of light years. It’s always something, isn't it?
My grandmother made the world’s best biscuits.
She passed away 20 years ago and I have been trying to replicate them ever since. Her biscuits were small, light, and slightly salty with a hint buttermilk. She never followed a recipe, yet they were consistent every time she made them. I could eat a dozen over the course of a Sunday afternoon meal.
A few years ago I gave a speech in Natchez. Afterwards my hosts invited me to lunch at the Carriage House Restaurant. At the Carriage House, they served my grandmother’s biscuits, or at least a recipe that tasted exactly like my grandmother’s biscuits. They were great. I ate a dozen of them.
Inventor, you ask? Yes, and maybe it was you or perhaps, could it be me? Oh, my!
Now that I have your attention, let us contemplate the world of an inventor or "inventoress" – a very exciting world, indeed! It’s true. Inventors think outside the box and they make their own rules as they work along. I like that part.
Probably the number one and best-known US inventor was Thomas Edison who said, “Restlessness is discontent – and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man – I will show you a failure.”
Budget negotiations at the state Capitol are slowly grinding toward stalemate as House and Senate leaders are as yet unable to overcome old arguments about the Medicaid program.
Gov. Haley Barbour and the Division of Medicaid maintain the posture they've held consistently for the last several years - that the state's hospitals should help fund Medicaid with $90 million in provider fees, commonly referred to as the "hospital tax."
The House leadership several years ago refused to discuss the "hospital tax" at all, calling it "a tax on the sick." But in the current economy, House leaders and the Mississippi Hospital Association leadership that has their ears apparently have decided that while it's not acceptable to "tax the sick" at a $90 million annual rate, taxing them at a $53 million annual rate wouldn't be so bad.
A couple of weeks ago The James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony was held in New York to honor the nation’s best chefs, restaurants, cookbook authors, and food journalists.
The James Beard Foundation Awards are the Academy Awards of the food
business and my home state of Mississippi was represented well.
John Currence, chef/owner of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss took home the Beard award for Best Chef: South. Martha Foose, the Mississippi Delta chef and cookbook author, won a James Beard Book Award in the category “American Cooking” for her cookbook, “Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook.” John T. Edge, also of Oxford, a director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, won recognition as Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America.
Yes, it was a wonderful day in May, such as today, when I first experienced the world of Performing Arts. It’s just that I didn’t know it at the time. You see – we were having our end-of-school pageant or perhaps a May Day Celebration (that part is foggy in my memory). It was at Highland Elementary School in Meridian during the mid 1950’s and I was in the first grade. The school has long been disassembled or destroyed by bulldozers to make room for something else. But at that period of time, Highland Elementary was well known for excellent educational opportunities or “good teachers.”
