Roberts Confirmed As Chief Justice

John Roberts easily won confirmation 78-22 in the U.S. Senate Thursday to become the nation's next chief justice. Republicans were behind him, and about half the Democrats voted in favor of his confirmation. You have to like a guy who finishes No. 1 in his class at Harvard Law yet drives a minivan.

Amazing How Forwarded E-mails Travel

Trying To Make It Right

by Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press
Photo Courtesy of Dr. Ricky L. Johnston
September 28, 2005

The e-mail about the Jackson doctor came all the way from Canada. Hollis Brown, a singer/songwriter in Saskatchewan, wanted to know if an e-mail he had received, calling New Orleans evacuees in the Astrodome ungrateful “n*ggers,” had really been written by Dr. Richard L. Johnson of University Medical Center. “It sounds like some KKK Krap if you ask me,” Brown wrote.

The e-mail he had pasted indeed had Johnston’s signature, including a Woodland Hills address and his home, cell and pager numbers. It was long, supposedly written by someone who had volunteered at the George R. Brown convention center in Houston.

The author described his supposed experience among “ordinary Houstonians” the Saturday after the hurricane, giving out cold water, sub sandwiches and clothing to the evacuees getting off the buses from New Orleans. They were rude, he said. They wanted sodas rather than water, McDonald’s instead of Jason’s Deli, beer and liquor. “They refused food and laughed at us,” the volunteer wrote. “They treated us volunteers as if we where SLAVES (sic).” They said things like, “Ya Cracker, you got a home we don’t,” he wrote.

Then: “I saw only ONE white family and only TWO Hispanic families. The rest were blacks. Sorry 20% to 30% decent blacks, and 70% LOSERS!!!!” He added, “I would call them N*GGERS, but the actual definition of a n*gger is one who is ignorant, these people were not ignorant… they were ARROGANT A**HOLES. The majority of which are thugs and lifetime lazy ass welfare recipients.”

Dr. Richard Johnson, a Vicksburg native and Mississippi State grad known as Ricky, did not answer his home phone when I called. Instead, a recorded message explained that he had just copied the post off a Web site and e-mailed it to friends—with his e-mail signature typed at the bottom. I left a message.

Johnston called back the next day, eager to set the record straight. “I definitely wouldn’t do it again,” he said. “It was a mistake, a lack of judgment. My intent was not malicious, not to promote racism. I’m not a racist.”

Since he hit “send,” the doc has been hearing from people from all over the world. Many people are distressed that he might have written such a thing—which is similar to other false blame-the-victim urban legends circulating the Internet since Katrina—while others are calling to congratulate him. “Many said, ‘Way to go, Man,” Johnston said.

The doctor said he originally saw the posting on a Myspace page that at least looks like it belongs to a young Syrian libertarian in Houston. Indeed, the posting dated Sept. 4 is still on that site, and www.snopes.com (the urban-legend-buster site) says someone answering to that name claimed the original posting and maintains that it is true. (Read about this urban-legend e-mail here.)

The hard question is why Johnston copied the shocking post and pasted it into e-mails to about 20 of his friends. He told his friends: “It’s long, but worth the read. Pretty sickening attitude and I hope not representative of all of those who were evacuated.”

Johnston said, in the Katrina aftermath, he was tired of “watching the big race issue get made over and over and over. I don’t think it was a race issue; it was a poverty issue.” Then he saw the post. “I couldn’t believe it,” said Johnston, who offered that he is Republican. “It made an interesting point about the mentality of groups that have been given things their whole lives and don’t have the impetus to do anything different.” He passed it on without confirming it. “I should have, in hindsight. I was just so overwhelmed when I read it.”

He said that the author’s “objective observations” seemed important: “I think there’s probably a degree of truth to it. Whether it’s relevant or not is the question.” Johnston had volunteered to help evacuees in a free clinic at the Mississippi Coliseum, many of whom were black, and had “wonderful experiences.”

Dr. David Hilfiker, an M.D. who moved his family to the inner city of Washington, D.C., to work with the poor, was also shocked when he read the e-mail, which I sent him after hearing him talk about “Seeing Poverty After Katrina” the Sunday before on NPR’s “Speaking of Faith” program. Hilfiker said by phone that the e-mail is “pretty virulent stuff.”

“He’s talking about a person being ‘objective’,” he said of Johnston, “but goes down to the shelter and didn’t have any of those experiences. I’m no psychologist, but we’re clearly talking about people with certain predispositions to believe such things. If you don’t understand how deeply your attitudes have been shaped by underlying centuries-old racism of this country, you think that what you’re seeing, you’re seeing objectively; in fact, you’re filtering through these old stories.”

Hilfiker, the author of “Not All of Us Are Saints: A Doctor’s Journey with the Poor” and “Urban Injustice: How Ghettos Happen,” used the e-mail as an example of how people are taught to believe the worst about poor blacks—especially since the Reagan ‘80s when political strategists promoted mythologies about “welfare queens” and the breeding of inner-city “thugs” to gain racist votes.

“A marked war on the poor has been carried out largely for political reasons that has spread so that most of the information, most of the stories support these stereotypes. Most people see what they’re ready to see,” he said.

Hilfiker, who started a center for homeless men with AIDS, said poverty is both a class and a race issue. “You’re right; it is both. … There is a great deal of classism going on. I don’t think the classism approaches the virulence of racism.” He warned about today’s sneaky race coding. “People who are supporting the wealthy people, who believe the function of government is to take money from the poor and give to the wealthy, are quite consciously manipulating these images. That is a class phenomenon, but all the code is about race.”

Even the anger at the alleged lack of gratefulness—in this case from people who likely had been ignored and stranded for days in New Orleans, stepping over dead bodies and scrounging for water—fits the pattern, he said. “If you go a couple layers deeper, people who are very poor and who are in a lot of pain don’t always act the best. People who are not poor and in a lot of pain don’t always act the best. I don’t know whether the e-mail has any truth to it at all, but clearly, the guy is expecting to be so overwhelmed with appreciation within the first two or three bottles of cold water he gives out. When he doesn’t get that, it apparently reinforces all of his preconceptions.”

These preconceptions, which lead to uninformed stereotypes and ultimately anti-poor and racist policies, result from people who simply do not know enough about the plight of the poor. “People can be highly educated, but most of us middle-class white people have zero contact with people who are poor, especially poor and black, Hispanic, minority. All we know is what we know. We don’t have any first-hand experiences,” Hilfiker said. That problem is compounded by increasingly re-segregated schools and children growing up without any contact with people in different socioeconomic classes, he added.

“These are really deep issues. Unless you live in pretty close face-to-face relationships with people who experience the other side of life, you’re just not going to get it. The issues are too deep; you are not going to learn about it in a course on racism,” Hilfiker said.

But try we must, he said. “What’s important is that you start where you are. If that means going down to a soup kitchen once a week, serving soup and not saying anything for 10 weeks until you’re ready, that’s a good place to start. One of the best things to do for people who are kind of scared of this is to get them working with kids from the inner city. Suddenly finding out what’s happening to children through no fault of their own will change you quick. It does take consciously putting yourself in a situation with face-to-face relationships, but you don’t have to live in the streets with them.” He said of the poor, “ultimately we’re not going to fix any of this until we are inviting them into our neighborhoods.”

To fix the problem, he emphasized, it is helpful to “take the blame out of racism”—and realize that susceptibility to racist stereotypes isn’t just about old KKK-type behavior.

“I had to recognize that I don’t have to be a bad person to be racist; I don’t have to intend to be racist. Just by growing up white in this culture, I am going to be racist,” Hilfiker said.

Dr. Johnston—who loves the diversity of living in Jackson and hates the suburbs—said his 15 minutes of fame is giving him pause, and making him think. “I don’t want to run. I want to stand up and admit I make a mistake and try to make it right,” he said.

The full e-mail is at jacksonfreepress.com.

This Week in Jackson

From Jackson Free Press:

TODAY ... Patti Carr Black is at Lemuria at 5, signing and
reading "Eudora Welty’s World." … Footloose, Shucker's and
Left Field have karaoke. … Henry Rhodes' Mo' Money Band is
at Hamp's, 9 p.m. … At 8 p.m., catch D'Lo Trio at Hal & Mal’s.
Soop's has a talent showcase ... Swing De Paris is at Fenian's
Blues Divas at 930 Blues ... Pates are at Lagers.

THURSDAY FEATURED...(From Charles Hooker) This Thursday night
at the Mississippi Museum of Art, hear Scott "Goose" Johnson
and his artful saxophone! Scott is a product of Jackson APAC
and one everyone here should be extremely proud of. He's
played with the area's best, so come hear what he's put
together specifically for this gig at "Jazz, Art, and
Friends!" It's from 6 til 9 p.m. this Thursday at The
Mississippi Museum of Art, Pascagoula at Lamar Streets.
There are delicious complimentary hors d'oevres(good enough
for supper!) and a cash bar. Admission is a bargain $5 for
Museum members and $7 for non-members. All are welcome!
Bring someone with you, too!

THURSDAY ALSO FEATURED ... The big event today is the
Serendipity Art Show and Silent Auction at Mississippi
State Hospital, 11-6 p.m. Building 71 Conference Center,
Whitfield. All artwork is created by patients and residents
of the hospital. 601-351-8262.

THURSDAY ALSO ALSO FEATURED ... At 8 p.m. Rainbow Natural
Grocery hosts "Doin' It" for the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society and the Katrina Relief Fund. The event features
Mississippi Afrocentric Drum and Dance Ensemble, DJ C-Lecta,
spoken word with YaYa, Poetry July, Sabir and others.

THURSDAY ALSO ALSO ALSO FEATURED ... Millsaps Arts and Lecture
Series hosts Southern writers Mark Childress and Inman Majors
at 7:30 pm on the Millsaps Campus -- cost is $10 at the door.
601-974-1043.

THURSDAY MUSIC ... Crossfade (heavy metal) at Headliners.
MS Academy of Ancient Music at St. Phillips Episcopal
Church. Smoke Stack Lightning and Jackie Bell at 930 Blues.
Lyric Lounge and Open Mic at Santiago's ...Vasti Jackson
at Crystal's Lounge ... Open Jam w/Casey Philips at Martin's.
Sergio Fernandez at Edison-Walthall ... Chris Gill Trio at
Mardi Gras...Snazz at Panino's ... Sofa Kings at Shuckers.
Emma & Ben at Gravity Coffeehouse ... DJ Phingaprint at
Freelons..High Frequency at Executive Place.

PLAN for FRIDAY ... The Attic Gallery in Vicksburg hosts a
Katrina benefit art show from 7-9 p.m. The show features
Ellen Langford, Jean Blue, Kennith Humphrey, Lorraine Gendron,
Ky Johnston and other regional artists.

SATURDAY in GREENWOOD ... Books 'n' Blues -- The Books ‘n Blues
festival of music and words brings writers, musicians and other
artists and interested people together in Mississippi to raise
funds for successful and effective non-profit organizations.
These organizations have demonstrated a proven record of helping
deserving people who need a “hand up” not a “hand out.”
www.booksnblues.org

SATURDAY FESTIVAL ... Farish Street Heritage Festival features
Kamikaze,Eddie Cotton, Nappy Roots and Original P. Tickets $12
in advance or $15 at the door. Starts at 4pm on Farish Street.

SUNDAY BENEFIT ... JFP, Miller Lite and Hal and Mal's sponsor
Katrina Jam, Sunday October 2, 2005 from 2pm to 10pm.
$10.00 entry fee, with all door profit going to the John Grisham's
-- Rebuild The Coast Fund.org. The line-up looks great -- plan for it!

DeLay Indicited by Grand Jury; Will Temporarily Step Down as Majority Leader

CNN.com is reporting that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has been indicted by a Texas grand jury on conspiracy charges associated with campaign finance reportings. CNN is also reporting that DeLay will temporarilty step down from his position as majority leader.

Click here for more details

Benefits of Moderate Drinking Outweigh the Hazards

Just what we need, justification to drink. According a recent article, 2 drinks a day for men and one per day for women may be healthier than not drinking at all. However, the article clearly states that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to many health complications so saving up all seven drinks for one night is detrimental to one's body.

So next time a co-worker asks if you want to go out for a drink or two, take them up for it--and drink to your health.

Top 10 Costliest Hurricanes

Rank

Hurricane

Date

Estimated insured loss*

1.	Katrina	August 2005	$35.0 billion
2.	Andrew	August 1992	$20.9
3.	Charley	August 2004	$7.5
4.	Ivan	September 2004	$7.1
5.	Hugo	September 1989	$6.4
6.	Frances	September 2004	$4.6
7.	Jeanne	September 2004	$3.7
8.	Georges	September 1998	$3.4
9.	Opal	October 1995	$2.6
10.	Floyd	September 1999	$2.2

*Adjusted to 2004 dollars
Source: Insurance Information Institute, MSNBC research

Out of the Rubble...Condos & Slots?

Click here for a good article by Biloxi native and former Newsweek editor Annalyn Swan who tells of the Mississippi Gulf Coast's past and voices her opinion about its future.

Will MS Casinos Rebuild on Land?

From Clarion-Ledger
By Nell Luter Floyd
September 27, 2005

State lawmakers begin meeting today to finally answer that question

Not even the gaming industry can agree about exactly where Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos damaged by Hurricane Katrina should be allowed to rebuild, the chairman of the House Gaming Committee said Monday.

"They have varying opinions on this based on where they are located and where the competition is," said Bobby Moak, D-Bogue Chitto, chairman of the Gaming Committee.

Some gaming companies don't want to move an inch from where they are, while others suggest re-building on land at distances varying from 800 feet to 2,000 feet from the shoreline.

The Legislature is set to convene today in a special session focused on rebuilding the Gulf Coast. Allowing gaming companies to move casinos onto land rather than back on floating barges will be considered.

State law says casinos can be built only over the waters of the Mississippi River or the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the 13 Gulf Coast casinos were severely damaged when Katrina blew ashore Aug. 29.

Bernie Burkholder, chief executive officer and chairman of Treasure Bay Casino in Biloxi, said he expects the majority of Gulf Coast casinos will agree to a move on land 800 feet from their mean high tide mark. "The minimum feet needs to be enough to take care of every casino," he said, and 800 feet would do that.

Harrison County, Hancock County, the city of Biloxi and Mississippians for Jobs support a move inland 800 feet, he said. Harrison County supervisors passed a resolution asking lawmakers to let Coast casinos move up to 1,500 feet inland from their current locations.

Harrah's Entertainment, which operates Grand Casino-Gulfport and Grand Casino-Biloxi, is asking for shore-based casino resorts up to 2,000 feet from the current locations on land adjacent to where the barges previously existed.

"What we're trying to show is everybody has misconstrued inland gaming as if we're looking for a major expansion of gaming in Mississippi," said Jan Jones, senior vice president of government relations and communications for Harrah's. "What we're looking for is to replace the existing property and lost jobs on a stable foundation."

The two Grand Casinos could possibly reopen in 14-18 months if the Legislature acts quickly, Jones said. The two casinos employ almost 4,000 people.

She said if the Legislature fails to OK a move off water, the company would have to study whether to build back. "The Grand Casino-Gulfport barge was two football fields end-to-end, and Katrina picked it up like it was a ping pong ball and threw it across the highway," she said.

Beau Rivage, Isle of Capri and Casino Magic have so much infrastructure already built that it's gong to be difficult to separate those casinos, Burkholder said.

"I believe they will not actively oppose it (the 800-foot move) but will not be supportive," he said.

The Mississippi Economic Council Board of Directors favors "allowing construction of Gulf Coast casinos on dry land, but within close proximity of the shoreline."

The Gulf Coast casinos, including Hard Rock, which was scheduled to open Sept. 1, employed 16,000 people. The 12 casinos operating when Katrina hit contributed $500,000 a day in state gaming tax revenue.

Not only are employees out of work while they're shut down, but vendors who supply casinos also are affected, Moak said.

Treasure Bay sustained more than $100 million in damage and doesn't have insurance to cover all its losses, Burkholder said. The casino barge wasn't insured, but its land-based structures were insured, he said.

"If I'm forced to rebuild over water, we'll take our insurance money and look for opportunities elsewhere," he said. "My company would like to re-build in Biloxi a safe distance north of the water across Highway 90."

He said if the Legislature OKs the move, he expects to put half the casino's 1,000 employees back to work in the next six months.

Moak said he hopes taxation of the gaming industry and payment of tidelands leases don't become an issue during the session. "I think the issue should be clean," he said.

Gov. Haley Barbour is calling for casinos to be allowed to build 1,500 feet from the water. He also calls for structures not located in tidelands to pay the state an amount equal to a comparable tideland area.

Jones said Mississippi has the ability to make the Coast a complete resort destination.

She said gaming companies would consider expanding non-gaming space such as restaurants and meeting space if Coast casinos are allowed to move onto land. Casinos on the Las Vegas strip derive over 65 percent of revenue from nongaming, she said.

Tornado Hits MSU on Sunday

Here are pictures taken by MSU student Thomas Gregory of the damage done by Sunday's tornado. Unfortunately, the tornado took down many of the largest trees in the central part of campus while damaging Perry Cafeteria, Colvard Union, George Hall, Lloyd-Ricks Annex, Magruder Hall, McCool Hall, Pace Seed Laboratory, Plant Industries Building, and Thompson Hall.

Additional photos of tornado damage

35,000 Expected in Cotton District Friday

From Commercial Dispatch- Starkville Bureau:

Crowd of 35,000 expected for annual Bulldog Bash

STARKVILLE - Organizers expect nearly 35,000 people to attend Friday's Bulldog Bash, billed as the largest free outdoor music festival in Mississippi.

The Mississippi State University Student Association puts on and raises money to host the event, now in its fifth year. The festival is typically held before Mississippi State's Southeastern Conference home opening football game, which will be against Georgia this year on Saturday.

Nine acts will appear on three stages.

A pep rally will take place at the main stage on University Drive at 6:45 p.m.

Fanfare, a family-oriented portion of the event, runs from about 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will include games, chances to have photos taken with MSU's mascot "Bully" and other related activities.

Parking will be available at Humphrey Coliseum and the Hunter Henry Center.

MSU's Night Route bus service will run as normal Thursday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday night, organizers will eliminate the Cotton District Grill stop. Instead, the Bulldog Bash drop-off point will be at the intersection of Nash Street and University Drive. The Night Route will otherwise run until 2 a.m. Saturday.

The Night Route will not run Saturday night to due the game.

The Bulldog Bash schedule is as follows:

n Main stage: Will Hoge, 7:30 p.m.; 112, 9:30 p.m.; Julie Roberts, 11 p.m.

n Bulldog Deli stage: Nash Street, 5 p.m.; Josh Byrd, 7:30 p.m.; Gabby Johnson, 10 p.m.

n Cotton District Grill stage: Chris Love, 7:30 p.m.; Bill Cooke and Band, 9:30 p.m.; Loose Chain, 11:15 p.m.

Street closings will be as follows:

n University Drive between Nash and Maxwell streets will close starting at 6 a.m.

n Page Avenue and Col. Muldrow Avenue will close after 9 a.m. Friday.

n All streets in the vicinity except Nash Street, Hogan Street to Holtsinger Avenue and Lummus Drive will close after 2 p.m. Friday. Vehicles in the area must be moved by 2 p.m. or face towing at the vehicle owner's expense.

For information, call the MSU Student Association office at 325-3917.

2 Dates to Remember in Jackson

The invite has gone out for Bobcat Entertainment's Halloween Party on Oct. 28th at W.C. Don's.
Also, the Christmas Party, which will may be dressy casual (I've never understood that term), will be Dec. 16th at Hal & Mal's.

Both parties are open to all. Spread the word.

Also, we need pictures from the Studio 54 party last summer if anyone has any. Please send them to neilraggio@hotmail.com.

Katrina Causes $40 M in Damages to Ole Miss & MSU

From Daily Journal:

Damage at Ole Miss, MSU could total $40

BY JENNIFER FARISH AND ROBBIE WARD

Hurricane Katrina's impact on Mississippi State University's buildings, financial aid and lost revenues totaled more than $28.7 million, while the storm damage at University of Mississippi campuses in Northeast Mississippi could be as much as $11.8 million.

The largest financial impact for MSU is student financial aid, estimated at more than $20 million for this year and next, for students to offset "direct losses and losses of family income resulting from the hurricane," said university spokesman Joe Farris.

About 1,100 MSU students live in the hardest-hit areas of Mississippi and about two-thirds of them are expected to encounter storm-related financial problems. But the total cost associated with financial aid is likely to peak during the 2006-07 academic year because students have likely paid their fees for this semester, Farris said.

Ole Miss estimated it will cost $10 million to provide financial aid and assistance for displaced students and students from the Coast, said Jeff Alford, assistant vice chancellor of University Relations.

"That is the number that the university is using, but that is a flexible number because we don't know how many students' family incomes were affected by the storm," Alford said.

Damage to campuses

A report from the state Institutions for Higher Learning estimated Katrina's damages to universities and colleges could hit at least $673.5 million. Repairing and rebuilding campus facilities will cost about $495 million, with $440.8 million of the damages at public universities, $47.2 million at community colleges, and almost $7 million at private institutions, the agency said.

Actual property damage and labor costs at Ole Miss are estimated at $1.24 million, according to Larry Sparks, assistant vice chancellor of finance, but that number could move higher as contractors make some permanent repairs.

"I would not categorize any of our damages as major, just numerous," Sparks said.

The figure includes the cost of repairing damage from water leaks, roof damage and downed trees Aug. 29, as well as the cost of paying those who responded to the calls.

Damage to MSU, meanwhile, occurred mostly at facilities in the southern part of the state, including the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the MSU Extension Service, the Forest and Wildlife Research Center and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Damage to those areas totaled about $5.5 million.

Benefit Gala in Oxford on Oct. 1st

Stars Appearing: Jason Alexander, Debbie Allen – Along with 10 dancers and 1 instructor, Steve Azar, Lance Bass, Jill Conner Brown, Delta Burke, Gary Collins, Cat Cora, Kristian Dambrino, Days of Our Lives – Kristian Alfonso, Deidre Hall, Peter Reckell, Alison Sweeney, Billy Davis, Jr., Morgan Freeman (Host), Kathie Lee Gifford, Whoopi Goldberg, Gary Grubbs, Mary Haskell, Marilu Henner, Faith Hill, Guy Hovis, Kathy Ireland, Hugh Laurie, John Larroquette, Marilyn McCoo, Brian McKnight, Gerald McRaney, Mary Ann Mobley, Gary Morris, Bernadette Peters, Gail Pittman, Doris Roberts, Ray Romano, Jean Smart, Pam Tillis, Sela Ward, Young and the Restless – Greg Rikaart, Melody Thomas Scott, Michelle Stafford, Doug Davidson Article from the Meridian Star JACKSON - For the first time since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Mississippi Coast, a major national fund-raising concert will originate from the state of Mississippi. The Gala Concert, called Mississippi Rising, will be led by Meridian native Sela Ward and fellow native Mississippians Morgan Freeman, Archie Manning and John Grisham, who are serving as national co-chairmen. The event will be performed Saturday, Oct. 1, on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Proceeds for the three-hour show will go to the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund, which has been established to provide for the rebuilding of storm-ravaged Mississippi. Gov. Haley Barbour welcomed the assistance. "Mississippi Rising is going to be a tremendous boost not just in providing desperately needed funds for our recovery effort but also in bringing national attention to our efforts as we transition from emergency relief to rebuilding Mississippi stronger, bigger and better," he said. "I'm thrilled to be a part of Mississippi Rising," said Ward, "as it will raise much-needed funds for the recovery efforts that lie ahead. Mississippi's gown may be torn and tattered, but she will prevail." The October event is being organized by native Mississippians Sam Haskell III and Lanny Griffith. Haskell, former worldwide head of television for the William Morris Agency, has produced Stars Over Mississippi in Amory every two years to raise scholarship money in the name of his mother. Griffith is the chief executive officer of Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers, LLC which was founded in 1991 by Haley Barbour. While the list of entertainers continues to grow, a partial list of those confirmed includes Morgan Freeman, Ray Romano, Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Alexander, Sela Ward, Marilu Henner, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kathy Ireland, Lance Bass, Delta Burke, Gerald McRaney, Jean Smart, Debbie Allen, Doris Roberts, Mary Haskell, Gary Morris, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr. and Steve Azar. "We are so pleased to be able to host this event at Ole Miss," said Chancellor Robert Khayat. "Although our Oxford campus was largely spared by Katrina's destructive force, we are eager to do our part in rebuilding this remarkable state." The costs of the entire event are being underwritten by a contribution to the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund by UnitedHealth Group Foundation in Minnesota. Corporate sponsorships are being solicited by a national finance team, and all proceeds will go to the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund (www.mississippirecovery.com) or a similar fund in Louisiana administered by Foundations for Recovery named The Hurricane Katrina Displaced Residents Fund (www.foundationsforrecovery.org). "I have been devastated by the site of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina," said Executive Producer Sam Haskell. "We are doing Mississippi Rising to help ensure the future of Mississippi is filled with recovery and renewal." The event will be produced by Michael Seligman, a renowned producer of television events. Tickets will be on sale through the University of Mississippi Athletic Department (800) 732-8587 or (662) 915-7167 beginning today. - special to The Star GET INVOLVED What: Mississippi Rising, a concert fund-raiser led by Meridian native Sela Ward and fellow Mississippians Morgan Freeman, Archie Manning and John Grisham, to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. When: Oct. 1 Where: University of Mississippi, Oxford Tickets and information: Tickets will be on sale through the Ole Miss Athletic Department beginning today. Call (800) 732-8587 or (662) 915-7167.

Seaside Planner DPZ To Help Rebuild MS Coast

September 21, 2005

Architects, engineers offer to help rebuild coast

Article from the Clarion-Ledger

BILOXI — The state of Mississippi is fielding offers of help from architectural planners, engineers and management consultants from around the country who are interested in helping rebuild the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

"These folks are offering their services anywhere from totally free to partially free," Leland Speed, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, told The Sun Herald.

"We also have offers from third parties that are interested in funding planning activities," Speed said.

Companies that receive building contracts would be among those who will help foot the architectural and planning costs.

Speed said the designers will work with local officials and planners.

"Whatever is going to be done is going to have to be done with the total input of the local professionals and elected public officials," he said. "Nothing is going forward that they don't agree on."

Jerry Creel, director of community development for the city of Biloxi, said he'd be willing to listen to anybody who wants to help rebuild. He said it is a planner's dream to design a community from square one.

"Certainly, the storm brought a lot of disaster to the coast, and words can't describe the damage and the deaths that came with the storm," Creel said. "However, if there is a bright spot to some of this, it's opened the doors for bigger and better development."

Among those interested in helping is Andres Duany, a planner best known for conceptually designing the traditional town of Seaside in the Florida Panhandle.

Duany is co-principal of the planning and design firm Duany Plater-Zyberk and Co. along with his wife, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. The Miami-based firm is widely recognized as a leader of the New Urbanism, an international movement that seeks to end suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment.

"In Mississippi it's about getting it done right, having it better than it was before. This is a tremendous opportunity to do that," Duany said. "We want to create areas that are more diverse, less auto dependent, more environmentally friendly, and more secure from hurricanes."

Duany said he talked with Gov. Haley Barbour this past week about the rebuilding of such communities as Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula.

While nothing has been finalized, Duany said he hopes to recruit as many as 50 national and international firms and pair up their planners and designers with local officials on projects of varying scale.

"It's all about bringing in absolutely the best practices from the United States and abroad and providing it to the local officials, planners and stakeholders," Duany said.

Most of the firms would work for cost, or about one-third to one-quarter of their usual fees, Duany said.

"These firms are not looking for work," he said.

Duany's firm has experience with post-disaster reconstruction. DPZ and Co. drew up a plan for the reconstruction of Florida City, including its city hall, after Hurricane Andrew flattened much of the rural town south of Miami in 1992

Son Volt Plays Tomorrow in Jackson

SonVolt will play Wednesday night at Hal & Mal's in Jackson. Son Volt lead singer Jay Farrar and former drummer Mike Heidorn, along with Wilco lead vocalist Jeff Tweedy, were members of the the first true country alternative punk band, Uncle Tupelo. Unfortunately, Uncle Tupelo broke up in the mid-90's but not before establishing a new genre of music that has spawned artists with increasing popularity like Ryan Adams and Wilco. Son Volt continues to stay true to their Uncle Tupelo roots and often plays a few of their songs at concerts. I was pleased with their new album Okemah and the Melody of Riot though I wish they would have included more of the heavy jams that accompanied the acoustic tunes that filled Uncle Tupelo albums.

What's In A Name?

With Rita already approaching landfall, the the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations agency responsible for choosing hurricane names, only has 4 names left for this year's hurricane season. What will happen when these last few names are used up?

Read this interesting artricle from MSNBC.com about what names we will probably see over the next two months.

Times Article: Tours For the Rich and Compassionate

September 18, 2005 US tourists take charity handout holidays in India Amrit Dhillon, Delhi

WEALTHY Americans are paying more than £3,000 to go on controversial package tours to India that mix shopping and sightseeing with handing out food and medicines to the poor. The tours, organised by Alexander Souri, who has worked on special effects for Hollywood films, take groups of up to 15 people on horseback through the western desert state of Rajasthan, stopping off at villages along the way. Poor villagers are said to be bemused at the sight of the American cavalcade galloping towards them across the dunes. But curiosity turns to pleasure when free livestock, food and medicines are handed out. Caroline Duncan, 31, an actress from Los Angeles, who was on the first tour organised by Souri’s company, Relief Riders International, last October, was also delighted. “To hold a sick child in your arms, give her the medicine she needs and then ride into the desert on a beautiful horse under a starry sky to have a fabulous dinner in a fairytale fort is an extraordinary experience,” she said. Some Indian commentators have dismissed the tours as condescending and an easy way for rich foreigners to achieve a “moral high”. “I’m sure their motives are sincere but they need to understand that poverty is part of a wider reality,” said Ranjana Kumari, a social worker. “They’d do better to work in their own country to get their government to pursue policies that help India.” However, Mahesh Arora, a Red Cross doctor who attended the medical camps, has applauded the tourists’ desire to connect with ordinary Indians. “I know holding camps is not much but it doesn’t do any harm, does it.” he said. “Both sides get something out of it.” Souri, who is half-Indian and half-French and said to have worked on films such as The Matrix and X-Men, revealed that the idea came to him when his father’s death made him take stock of his life. “People are looking for a life-changing experience away from the tourist circuit,” he said. “They want a good time but they also want to leave an imprint on people they meet.” The tourists set out from Dundlod Fort in Rajasthan, a seven-hour drive from Delhi. They then assemble their caravan: 15,000lb of food, medicines, educational materials, booklets on Aids and other supplies — all of which they have paid for — are loaded onto camel carts. The group visits five or six villages during their fortnight’s stay. Souri arranges for a medical team to give the villagers routine check-ups and treat them for minor ailments and infections, mainly of the eyes or teeth. Some 1,800 villagers were treated during last October’s tour. Souri is keen to extend the project and is planning trips to Sri Lanka for a mixture of sunbathing and rebuilding schools devastated by the tsunami.

Poll: Most Evacuees Won't Return to New Orleans

A poll taken last week of evacuees shows that only 43% of those displaced by Hurricane Katrina
want to return to New Orleans. Forty-four percent said that they will permenantly relocate, most will just stay in Houston according the poll.

The evacuees polled, all from New Orleans or elsewhere in Louisiana, also said:

-More than half of their homes were destroyed. Two-thirds were renting
their homes and a third were owners.
-Almost three-fourths don't have insurance to cover their loss.
-More than half didn't have health insurance, a usable credit card with
them, or a bank or checking account from which they could withdraw money.
-Nearly three-fourths heard before the hurricane hit that an evacuation
order had been given; a fourth did not.
-More than two-thirds said they didn't evacuate because they didn't realize
how bad the storm and its aftermath would be. More than half -- 55 percent
-- said one factor was that they didn't have a car or a way to leave.

The survey of 680 randomly selected evacuees at Houston-area shelters was
conducted September 10-12 by ICR. The margin of error is plus or minus
4 percentage points. The Harvard School of Public Health collaborated on the project.

Home Sweet Home

After closing on my first house and moving in over the last week, I am glad to be one of the newest members of the Fondren Neighborhood. I apologize for the lack of posts over the last week or so but the internet won't be hooked up at my house for nearly 2 more weeks.

Mississippi Sues 5 Insurers Over Katrina Claims

BILOXI, Miss., Sept 15 (Reuters) - Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood sued five major insurance companies on Thursday, saying adjusters sought to cheat Hurricane Katrina survivors out of millions of dollars in homeowners' claims.

According to Hood, adjusters for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and others asked policyholders to sign forms that acknowledge they sustained flood damage, which is not covered by homeowners insurance.

Adjusters are cajoling victims to sign the forms, saying they are necessary to receive an immediate check for living expenses. Then the companies can use the sentence regarding flood damage against policyholders later, Hood said.

He named Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., State Farm Fire and Casualty Co., Allstate Property and Casualty Co. and United Services Automobile Association as defendants. The complaint also allows more insurance companies to be brought into the suit since it also covers unnamed insurers.

Bird's Eye View of the Gulf Coast

Here are some pictures taken by Duke University of the cities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

You can click on the map and see pictures of that area.

Pictures

Find the Cheapest Gas in Your Area

This is a web site that is updated every night for 90,000 gas stations and shows you the lowest prices for gas based off your zip code:

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx

Interesting Development in Killen Case

According to today's Clarion-Ledger, former Klansmen Edgar Ray Killen may have been faking or exagerating his injuries during the recent trial in which he was found guilty of orchestrating the murders of three civil rights activists over 40 years years. Six deputies for the Winston County Sheriff's Department testified that they have seen Killen "walking with no problem." Circuit Judge Marcus Gordon has ordered Killen to return to prison after he was let out on $600,000 appeal bond.

Amazing pictures from the MS Gulf Coast

Picture: Fellowship Hall of the 1st Presbyterian Church of Gulfport.

These slides were taken by Stewart Rutledge and Parker Green, friends of mine from law school, along with Randolph Turnbull and Drew Vann on their four-day trek to help out those in south Mississippi whose suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina. Be sure to check out Stewart's war wound.

Slideshow

Good Article on Law School

Click here for an article from Slate that advises readers not to go to law school unless they really, really want to-- Advice most attorneys wish they had received many years ago. If you're considering law school or are currently a law student, I recommend that you read it .

Here's an exerpt for those of you currently in law school:
Get out. Go to movies. Volunteer someplace. Make friends with the people at Starbucks. Get drunk but kiss someone when you're actually sober. Do anything to remind yourself that there is a life out there, and that missing one night of reading will not turn you into someone who lives in a garment box under the freeway.

I second the motion except that I don't recommend going to the movies in Oxford until they complete the new theater.

National Geographic Predicts Details of Disaster

National Geographic ran an article last year predicting nearly everything that would occurr if a Level 4 or 5 huuricane hit New Orleans. Read the article- it's very wierd how accurate it was. If many New Orleans' residents had read this, they may not have stayed.

Click here for the article.

Here's an exerpt:

The storm hit Breton Sound with the fury of a nuclear warhead, pushing a deadly storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain. The water crept to the top of the massive berm that holds back the lake and then spilled over. Nearly 80 percent of New Orleans lies below sea level—more than eight feet below in places—so the water poured in. A liquid brown wall washed over the brick ranch homes of Gentilly, over the clapboard houses of the Ninth Ward, over the white-columned porches of the Garden District, until it raced through the bars and strip joints on Bourbon Street like the pale rider of the Apocalypse. As it reached 25 feet (eight meters) over parts of the city, people climbed onto roofs to escape it.

MGM Commits to Rebuild Beau Rivage

According to a CNNMoney.com article, MGM will begin work soon to rebuild the Beau Rivage. This is good news as some Mississippi officials had predicted that many of the casinos would not rebuild if they had to be on the water. I have no problem with gambling not being on the water but I'm just glad the casinos will not abandon Mississippi since we have almost become dependent on their tax revenue.

Improv in Jackson on Saturday For A Good Cause

SPORTANEOUS Improv Comedy - Saturday

Love to laugh?  Enjoy live theater?  Have no social life
and know you won't have other plans on Saturday,
September 10th? Well, have we got a show for you!

Starting at 7:00 p.m. at Highland Village, Fondren Theatre
Workshop, The Madison Center Players, and Julep Restaurant
will proudly bring you Off-Kilter’s SPORTANEOUS!:
The Improv Athletic Games, a truly hilarious comedy
extravaganza that offers laugh-out-loud fun that’s clean
enough for the whole family!

This fast-paced comedy show features 12 of the area's best
new improv talents striving to earn points, get laughs, and
avoid the wily "Out-of-Bounds Monkey."  The pre-show warm-up
starts at 6:00, and we encourage you to come early to enjoy
dinner and drinks from JULEP before, during, and after the show!

ALL PROCEEDS FOR THIS WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCE WILL GO TO
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF FUND.
DONATIONS IN ANY DOLLAR AMOUNT WILL GLADLY BE ACCEPTED!
(Suggested minimum donation: $5) For more information,
call 601-982-2217 or email fondrentheatre@hotmail.com. 

LSU's Enrollment Greatly Increases

According to CNN, LSU has gained more than 2,300 students after Katrina. That's larger than the entire freshman class at Mississippi State, which is just over 2,000. I'm guessing that Ole Miss' and USM's freshmen class are both around 2,000.

Katrina Victims To Receive $2,000 Debit Cards

Story from NPR.org:

U.S. to Distribute $2,000 Debit Cards to Victims

The federal government plans to begin handing out debit cards worth $2,000 each to adult victims of Hurricane Katrina, according to The Associated Press. The cards could be used to buy food, transportation, gas and other essentials the displaced people need, according to a state official.

Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff described the plan in a conference call with state officials Wednesday morning. The unprecedented cash card program initially will benefit stranded people who have been moved to major rescue centers such as the Houston Astrodome.

Eddie from Pat O'Briens

I just saw on CNN that 95 year-old Eddie Gabriel, the famed "Eddie" who plays at Pat O'Briens in New Orleans is missing. According to Pat O'Briens website, Eddie is a 68-year veteran employee who takes his place on the stage between the two pianos to play his aluminum tray with thimbled fingers, keeping time for the audience and entertainers, just as he has six nights a week from 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM since he invented the act in 1945. This is a true legend who will be missed by many if he has passed away.

Starkville Hotels To Give Katrina Victims Priority

Article from Daily-Journal:

BY ROBBIE WARD
Daily Journal Starkville Bureau

STARKVILLE - No hurricane evacuees will be kicked out of their hotel rooms to make space for football fans, a city tourism official said Thursday. The Greater Starkville Development Partnership and the Mississippi State University Athletic Department asked hotels in the city to give priority to people already here because of hurricane devastation in south Mississippi and Louisiana. Most hotels in Starkville are filled with evacuees, as are hotels throughout the region. Some Golden Triangle hotels, however, are reporting vacancies for the weekend.Arma delaCruz Salazar, vice president of the tourism for the Partnership, and MSU officials asked hotels to display signs that read: "No hurricane evacuees will be asked to leave to accommodate room reservations for the Mississippi State v. Murray State football game Saturday." "All of the managers were very happy to do this, and it seems we are all on the same page," Salazar said in a prepared statement. Room for allChristina Ross, general manager at Comfort Suites in Starkville, stopped short of saying people would be asked to leave for others with reservations. However, she said that because of cancellations and people leaving to get closer to home, everyone should have a room. "We're trying to accommodate everybody as much as possible," Ross said. Comfort Suites, which has 76 suites, was filled Thursday. MSU's athletic department is also sending out news releases saying the football game will not be canceled, but officials encourage people to cancel hotel reservations. "They will also be distributing football tickets to the hotels for the evacuees to help get their minds off things and have an enjoyable weekend," she said.

Contact Robbie Ward at 323-9831 or robbie.ward@djournal.com