Grey's Anatomy season finale

First, yes, I'm a guy and I watch Grey's. I also watch CSI and Fringe at the same 8 pm (CST) thursday nite time slot. That and another male co-worker of mine (same age) watches it so other guys watch it as well.

Alright, I did catch up with the 2 hour Grey's Anatomy season finale over the weekend. Interesting ending, but certainly not what I was expecting after watching all the ABC previews (commercials) and hearing comments about the Grey's finale.

First of all, there were only 2 possibilities for shooters anyway (other than a terrorist). The first and most likely was the guy who actually did the shooting. The other possibility (although a long shot dark horse) was Dr. Hunt, largely because of his PTSD history, but he was a medic in the military, not a fighter.

In terms of who was actually killed off the show, it appears Grey's wanted to eliminate a couple of the residents they added during the merger because the cast had gotten too large. Shepard was shot (he was the target of the most likely shooter) but he had too survive. Hunt was shot but he also survived. Alex was shot but he also survived. So of the major cast, no one was killed off. To be honest, I actually expected Chief Weber to be the one who was killed off (he's largely outlived his major role on the show. Also, it would have been a fitting way for Chief Weber to go, and would have been a major character death (George was the one from last season; Izzie left mid-season) as opposed to the two minor character's deaths that actually occurred.

In the end, the major loss was Grey's miscarriage, although she made it less than one show pregnant so they didn't really carry out the pregnancy part.

Anyway, those are my quick rumbling thoughts.

Back to the real world.

"24" & my thoughts

Tonite is the series finale of "24," the hit tv show on Fox. Looking forward to it. Hopefully they have a movie afterwards but who knows and only if it stars Keifer Sutherland (as Jack Bauer of course). Regardless, they better not kill off Jack Bauer. That guy deserves to go live the rest of his life in peace, especially with his granddaughter. They may even bring back his love interest from a couple of seasons ago (since they killed off Renee which makes me think they will kill off Jack as well). Forget her name, but she was the Secretary of Defense's daughter.

Long live Jack!
---------------------------------------------------------

Alright, obviously they set up 24 for a movie. Not surprising the way it ended (Jack on the lamb, likely to leave the country, with Russian assassins likely to chase and maybe the American justice system). Something tells me the next President pardons Jack though. Either way, not surprising that 24 ended the way it did since Fox's (& 24's) decision to renew or end 24 did not come until April of this year. However, it has been speculated for a year this season (the 8th season) would be 24's last, but that a "24" movie would be spun off. Now that Jack has been left on the run (not dead or with Renae or some other love interest), I certainly see a movie in the works .... and am very much looking forward to it. Even enough so that this college football crazed person would venture off on a fall saturday nite to the movie theatre to watch it (my luck would be it would premier then) although I'm certainly the "24" movie comes out in the summer.

Dunk time

Doing something I never thought I would do in the morning. Well, maybe at some point, I thought I might. But things happen. And after three years of debating it, tomorrow morning at around 11:00 I will get dunked under the water. Rather apprehensive about it and unsure of what will follow, but my gut tells me its time and my gut is usually more right than my brain. I just haven't always listened to my gut when making important decisions or most decisions but I'm learning to do so more. Putting my brain at rest a little more often.

In other news, I don't think I use this blog enough. Not that anyone really reads it anymore, but I do like to type out my thoughts on a journal every so often. Helps with the stress I suppose.

Independents vs. Chains Studies

copied below

Independents vs. Chains Studies

*United States

Reports and Studies on the Economic Impact of Shopping with Local Businesses versus Chains

Thinking Outside the Box: A Report on Independent Merchants and the Local Economy, by Civic Economics, commissioned by The Urban Conservancy, 2009. This report shows that local businesses generate two to three times more local economic activity than chain businesses. Analysts compared the locally owned businesses on Magazine Street in New Orleans, which recycled 32 percent of their revenue back into the local economy, with an average SuperTarget, which recirculates only about 16 percent of their sales revenue into the local economies where they are located. The report suggests that if just 10 percent of retail purchases in Orleans Parish were to shift from chains to local merchants, the effect could translate to $60 million for the local economy.

Local Works: Examining the Impact of Local Business on the West Michigan Economy, by Civic Economics, commissioned by Local First Grand Rapids, 2008. This study calculated the economic impact of local and chain pharmacies, groceries, restaurants, and banks in Grand Rapids and the surrounding Kent County, Michigan. Local restaurants were shown to circulate 56.1% of their revenue into the local economy in the form of paychecks, products and services purchased locally, profits, and charitable giving. In contrast, chain restaurants only recirculated 36.8%. The study determines that $1 million spent at local restaurants generates $900,000 in local economic activity and support 15 jobs, while chain restaurants only bring $600,000 to the local economy and 10 jobs. Similar findings were true for the other categories (with the exception of banks, which researchers were unable to analyze necessary data sets). The study suggests that if consumers were to shift 10% of their spending from chains to locally owned businesses in the Grand Rapids area, it could generate $140 million in new economic activity, and add 1,600 new jobs and $53 million in payroll.

The San Francisco Retail Diversity Study, by Civic Economics, commissioned by the San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance, 2007. This study calculated the market share in San Francisco and adjacent communities for independent and chain bookstores, sporting goods stores, toy stores, and casual dining restaurants. In each category, independent businesses capture more than half of the sales within the city. The data demonstrates that independent businesses have a greater economic impact than chains across each category. For example, every $1 million spent at a local bookshop, creates $321,000 in additional economic activity in the city, including $119,000 in wages paid to local workers. A chain bookstore, on the other hand, generates only $188,000 in economic activity and $71,000 in local wages. Another example: For every $1 million in sales, independent toy stores create 2.22 local jobs, while chains create just 1.31. The study concludes that if consumers shifted 10% of their spending from chains to independents that it could generate more than $191 million in economic activity for San Francisco, provide $71.8 million in new income for workers, and create 1,295 jobs. http://www.civiceconomics.com/SF/

The Andersonville Study of Retail Economics by Civic Economics, commissioned by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and the Andersonville Development Corp., 2004. The study examined the economic impact of 10 local businesses in the Andersonville commercial district in Chicago against that of chain businesses. The study concluded that for every $100 spent with local businesses, $68 remains in the Chicago economy; $100 spent with a chain, $43 remains in the Chicago economy; for every square foot occupied by a local firm, local economic impact is $179; for every square foot occupied by a chain firm, local economic impact is $105; 70% of consumers surveyed prefer shopping with locally owned businesses; and over 80% of consumers surveyed prefer shopping in traditional urban business districts.

The Economic Impact of Locally Owned Businesses vs. Chains: A Case Study in Midcoast Maine, by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance with the Friends of Midcoast Maine, 2003. Eight local businesses in Rockland, Camden, and Belfast shared their revenue and sales data to prove that three times as much money circulates into the local economy of Midcoast Maine when spent on products and services from locally owned businesses. The combined total sales in 2002 for the eight businesses was $5.7 million, of which 44.6% was spending in the surrounding two counties and 8.7% was spent elsewhere in Maine. The businesses, which employed 62 people all together, funneled their local dollars toward paying employees' wages and benefits; on products and services from other local businesses; and on taxes. In contrast, a big-box retailer in the region circulates only 14.1% of its revenue into the local economy, mostly in the form of wages, while the bulk of revenue earnings returns to the corporation's headquarters or suppliers outside of Maine. This shows that when Midcoast Maine shoppers spend $100 at a local business, it generates $45 in local spending, while $100 spent with a big-box store only generates $14 in local spending by the retailer.

Economic Impact Analysis: A Case Study: Local Merchants vs. Chain Retailers, by Civic Economics, commissioned by Livable City, 2002. The study compared revenue and expenditures of two local businesses against Borders, which was slated to occupy an adjacent storefront and was publicly subsidized. Researchers determined that for every $100 in consumer spending at Borders, the total local economic impact is only $13. The same amount spent with a local merchant yields more than three times the local economic impact. They suggested that if each household in Travis County redirected $100 of planned holiday spending from chain stores to locally owned merchants, the local economic impact would reach approximately $10 million.

This study concludes that if residents of Grand Rapids and surrounding Kent County, Michigan, were to redirect 10 percent of their total spending from chains to locally owned businesses, the result would be $140 million in new economic activity for the region, including 1,600 new jobs and $53 million in additional payroll. The study calculates the market share of independent businesses in four categories: pharmacy (41%), grocery (52%), restaurants (50%), and banks (6%). It analyzes how much of the money spent at these businesses stays in the area compared to national chains. Local restaurants, for example, return more than 56% of their revenue to the local economy in the form of wages, goods and services purchased locally, profits, and donations. Chain restaurants return only 37%. Measuring the total economic impact of this difference, including indirect and induced activity, the study estimates that $1 million spent at chain restaurants produces about $600,000 in additional local economic activity and supports 10 jobs. Spending $1 million at local restaurants, meanwhile, generates over $900,000 in added local economic activity and supports 15 jobs.

Happiest Times in My Life to Date

Being thankful, see previous post, I figure I better be thankful for some of the happiest times in my life to date and hope there are more to come.

The following are some of the happiest times of my life:

• Playing checkers with my grandfather (he passed away when I was in the 5th grade)
• Playing Rummy with Thad
• Kindergarten thru 3rd grade = Tifton
• Playing with Mickey and Benjamin (and the other Thomases)
• Playing with Mickey and Chris and Jeff
• Playing with Kevin and William
• 4th – 6th grade = Starkville
• Playing with Mickey and Kyle
• Playing with Mickey and Nick
• Playing soccer for Coach Crowell in 4th & 5th grade
• 6th – 8th grade = Jackson, TN and North Parkway = awesome years
• Playing with Mickey, Paul, and Rebecca (the 4 Aces)
• Helping Coach Scott coach North Parkway Girls Soccer in the 7th and 8th grade
• Playing for North Parkway Boys Soccer in the 6th-8th grades for Coach Scott
• Lunch table discussions 10th -12th grade with Mickey, Landon, Robert, and Rusty (those were crazy discussions) --- outside of Refreshments, this was the only thing I liked about my years in Corinth
• Working with all the great people at Refreshments and having fun
• College = MSU Football Games with Mickey and Robert even though we had 5 losing seasons
• College = Going to MSU baseball games with Mickey, Uncle Alva, and others
• Soccer fields with Mickey and Robert in college
• Game nites with Mickey and Robert in college
• Golf outings with Mickey and Robert
• College Democrats (most of the time)
• College Republicans (most of the time)
• SA Election Campaigns in Spring 2004 and Spring 2005
• SA Senate with Mike and Nish (and Bramuchi) MBA year
• Humane Society Events with Suzanne, Chris, and Rheda among others
• Last weekend in October, 2005 (even with the Thursday nite speeding ticket) (MSU Kids Halloween Carnival, Becca in town, Humane Society fun day, Kristen, Tom, Suzanne, Chris) --- That Sunday afternoon was sad though
  

If it is not here, it doesn't mean it wasn't a happy time. These are just the times I remember really well and would go back to in a heart beat.

Am I Thankful?

Per Static (Tuesday, April 14, 2009)

I heard recently there are two kinds of people: those who fill entitled and those who fill thankful. Immediately I started thinking about what I am thankful for. I came up with the following list:

1. Hershey, Muffin, Beau, and Sly (the dogs in my life)
2. My parents
3. Having a twin brother (Mickey) (I always had a best friend, no matter what town I lived in)
   
4. Moving around a lot because I gained a lot of great friends, had a lot of new experiences, and met a lot of great people
5. All the friends I have made through the years (if only I kept in better touch with them)
   
6. The five years I spent in Starkville going to MSU
7. My great friend Papa Nick
8. Living in this great country (USA)
9. Coach Scott (my favorite teacher and my favorite soccer coach = 6th-8th grade)
10. Coach Crowell (my other favorite soccer coach = 4th-5th grade) (baseball coach one year as well)
11. Hare and Mrs. Hare of Tallahassee (my second set of grandparents since my mom’s parents died before I was born)
12. My high school history teachers
13. My college English teachers, especially KC (I hated Lit and English in High School)
14. college professors Dr. Britton (political science), Dr. Goodman (political science), Kwame (political science), Dr. Long (business)
15. Those who volunteer with the humane society
16. US Military
17. police, firemen, and other first responders
18. Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights
19. Freedom & Liberty
20. The people I worked with at Refreshments
21. Mr. Ted and Mr. David along with the MSU Bulldog Club at my current job
22. Static = the only church I have ever really liked other than First Methodist in Tifton, GA
23. The ability to think and learn

There are others but these are definitely 23 I can believe in

Me and Religion (The Great Inner Debate) (for me anyway)

Me and Religion (The Great Debate) (for me anyway)

Sort of different and a little freeing writing this. I proceed none the less.

---------------------------------------------------

In November 2006, I started going to church again for the first time since high school other than a few visits to Catholic Mass (never have been Catholic although I like the play calling hand gestures and the reflecting pool) with a friend of mine. When I was little, I always complained about having to go to church. Something about church never really set well with me. Yeah, I didn't like that extra day of getting up early (kids already have school 5 days a week) but there was more than that. I never really understood church or why people were so obsessed with it (obessed not being a bad thing in this case, just the word I have to describe it off the top of my head). I don't think my twin was ever a big fan either but he has always been less spoken in complaint than I have. I mean, I still was drawing on the program during the sermon when I went to church my freshman and sophomore years of high school. That, and for some reason, I just never could connect with the message of church or God at that age. There was always some reason I didn't like church and in return, God. Partly, I'm sure because my parents insisted upon me going and so I never really could envision why church and God was such a big deal. That, and as I told other people, I was really interested in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War and past history of kings and oppressors and dictators. So, as I grew up and even still today, I would always equate God to King James of England or someone of similar stature. (See senior high school research paper -- well, if you could access it anyway) I always heard from Church or talking to other people about church that God was king, set the rules / mandates, and such. Even today with the songs people sing at church, I still have trouble singing the words or saying the words when we sing "praise to the King" or "glory to God" or similar type passages.

Anyway, back to the present. The church I went / go to (haven't been in a month = vacation, olympics, political conventions, thought process) is a nice place to go. The church I went to I almost never went back to after the first Sunday school class unless it was for meeting some people after sunday school class (instead of the Link) and talking around in the hall with them. I liked those people. They were nice and I could relate to them in some way. And I had been going to that church since for the last 18 months (up until about 6 weeks ago). Also, for several months in the Spring of 2008, some Mormon missionaries also came and though I normally would have said no, I was interested to see what they said. They too were great people, I could relate to them, and there religion made as much sense to me as any of the others. Of course, all religions require a great leap of faith and that is partly what makes them great.

(There's a more in depth version of the last two paragraphs but that is the short version).

I decided I needed a break from church (and work) so vacation, 2 weeks of the olympics, two weeks of the political conventions (sort of a perfect storm of weeks for a guy like me who likes sports, the olympics, and politics). During that break, I have been considering my future with religion and what I think about religion and Heaven and Hell and God and all that sort of stuff. Here's what I came up with for religion and how it relates to me:

1) I don't think I will ever get baptized. I'm pretty sure of that. I just don't think I could commit to one religion or even Christianity as a whole. I believe that all faiths are great from Christianity to Islam to Judaism to Buddhism to Hinduism to native spirits to mother nature. That being said, I don't think any one faith is for me. I have always had as one of my core values that no one is better or in higher regard than anyone else. As a result, I could never see myself worshiping God or taking Jesus as my Savior or the corresponding options for the other religions. To be honest, I don't know about the Buddhist and the Hindus but I have always thought Christians (including Mormons), Muslim, and Jews all worshiped the same God. They just get there different ways. And of course Christians have Jesus, Muslims have Mohammed, and the Jewish savior is yet to come. In the end though, they all seem to me to have the same common faith and ideas from the big picture. Buddhism and Hinduism are I believe different but I do not know enough about those religions to say. Either way, I think most all religions and faiths are pretty great in binding their believers together for a greater cause above oneself.

2) Do I believe in God? I've never seen him nor do I know without a doubt that God exists. I do know that millions and millions (more like a couple of billion) believe their God (same one or not) exists and that beliefs are sometimes more powerful than the real thing. Whether God is out there or not, there is at least a God-like power that binds each of these faiths together in their respective faith. That drives them toward good. That provides comfort and strength for them when they are in need. That builds a greater family among a bunch of individuals that stretches across national borders, oceans, race, socioeconomic status, political preferences, etc. And hey, the world had to be created somehow and since none of us were around then, I don't think we will ever know for sure.

3) As far as Heaven and Hell, I don't know. All I do know is we get buried or cremated, at least I hope so. But I definitely hope Heaven and Hell do exist. I hope Heaven exist for all the people who suffer courageously with disease and traumatic injury, who die protecting others, the children and women who leave this life the way no one ever should, for families torn apart to be brought back together, for the dreams of those shattered in this life to have a chance to strive again, for the people who wake up and try to make others lives around them better. I'd hate to know there wasn't a heaven for these people and only pray that their is one. And I hope there is a Hell out there as well for all the people who harm innocent women and children, for the dictators / tyrants / cruelists that rape and plunder communities, for the people who value riches over life and will do anything to get them. For those people who do the unthinkable to hurt or harm others, I pray their is a Hell and would not want to know their isn't one.

----------------------------------------

That is where I am at so far. Good or bad, I do not know. But it is me.

MBJ: "MSU Enrollment Hits All-time High" = Go Bulldogs

"MSU Enrollment Hits All-time High"
Mississippi Business Journal
September 13, 2007

STARKVILLE — For the first time in its 129-year-history, Mississippi State University (MSU) is surpassing the 17,000-mark in enrollment.

The university reports a record enrollment of 17,039, including the largest-ever freshman class of 2,281 entering students, as fall 2007 classes get underway. The total includes an all-time high at the MSU-Meridian campus and a record number of graduate students, says president Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong.

Fall 2007 enrollment exceeds the previous year by more than 800 students, with more than 16,200 on the Starkville campus.

Current enrollment includes: a record number of African-Americans at 3,351; 76.8% of the student body from Mississippi; MSU-Meridian enrolling a record 821 students; and, graduate and professional enrollment at an all-time high, increasing by 255 last year to 3,831 this fall.
International students number 717 this fall, an increase of 133 from last year. More than 70 countries are represented in this group.

Foglesong says MSU also is increasing the number of students it retains from the freshman to sophomore years. Through the Pathfinders program, a mentoring and intervention effort, the retention rate for freshmen is 83.4%, another record.

"Mississippi Teams Win Dell, Inc. Solar Car Contest"

The Clarion-Ledger
July 27, 2007

MISSISSIPPI TEAMS Choctaw Central High School Team members: Tia Anderson (captain), Caleb Willis, Rusty Chapman, Appallonia Clemons, Amber Sampson, Liberty McMillan, Trisilla Willis, Norma-Chae' Isaac, Lynjorae Williams, De'jorae Williams, Tarica Thomas, Colton Wilson, Dakota Farve, Joshua Denson and Rick Wilson Team advisors: Joey Long, Jason Roberson and Liddia Hughes Houston Vocational Center Team members: Leigh Anna Springer (captain), Paige Lancaster, Alisha Holder, Jodie Watkins, Brooke Shankie, Ericka Medders, Paige Smith, Hilary Hancock, Jeri-Laken Alexander, Tyler Davis, Patrick Pearson, Lance Whitworth, Caleb Alford Clay Fisackerly, Austin Marshall Blake McCoy, Josh Griffin and Jayla Alexander Team advisors: Keith Reese & Beverly James Newton County Career & Technical Center Team members: Jonathan Federick (captain), Mickey Skinner, Brandon Hughes, Casey Shoemaker, Tyler Peebles, Craig Kelly, Billy Yelverton, Ellen McCaskill, Tyler Davis and Tyler Laird Team advisors: Stacy Addy, Ricky Wyatt and Aaron Cooley Keys Technology Center Team members: Caydee Riser (captain), Brandon Rice, Matthew Johnson, Robert Schuman, Isaac Baylis, Jacob Yeagar, Alexander Jewess, Austin Handler, Jordan Lewis, Trey Tinsley and Daniel Watts Team advisors: Jason Smith & Scotty Nichols

Four groups of Mississippi high school students competed in the Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge that ended Tuesday, including two teams that brought home first-place honors in their respective divisions.

The Newton County Solar Car Team from the Newton County Career & Technical Center in Decatur took first in the Classic Division, followed by the Ocean Springs Solar Team from the Keys Technology Center in Ocean Springs.

The Houston Solar Race Team from the Houston Vocational Center in Houston tied for first place in the Open Division with a team from Newburgh, N.Y. The CCHS Solar Car Project from Choctaw Central High School in Choctaw was awarded third place.

Jason Smith and Scotty Nichols of the Ocean Springs Solar Team also received the Randall Murphy Award, presented to teachers who best demonstrate the spirit of solar racing.

The Houston Solar Car Team was the winner of the Texas State Conservation Energy Office Award, the prize for sportsmanship.

The challenge, a part of the Winston School in Dallas, was created 10 years ago to help motivate students in science and engineering and to teach high school students how to build practical solar cars. On odd-numbered years, competing teams drive cross-country to share their projects.

The 2007 challenge took teams across the eastern United States, starting from Dell Headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, on July 16 and finishing in New York.

For details, go to www.winstonsolar.org/challenge.

History of Humans: Conservatives vs. Liberals from a beer beginning

Hope ya'll enjoy.  This was a rather funny e-mail I received.

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1. Liberals

2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can was invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known asthe Conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at uniting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement.

Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girlie men.

Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided. Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.


Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food is standard liberal fare.

Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are engineers, IT persons, big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, Marines and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history. It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it. A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers and to more liberals just to tick them off.

Navy returns Singing River Island back to Mississippi

July 10, 2007

"State regains control of Singing River Island"

The Associated Press

PASCAGOULA — The state of Mississippi has formally taken control of Singing River Island, a prime piece of industrial property on a deep-water port on the Gulf Coast.

Economic development officials have been shopping around for businesses to locate on the island for months and those efforts are expected to continue. Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, the state’s largest private employer, has expressed an interest in using some areas of the island for its operations.

Secretary of State Eric Clark represented the state Monday during a ceremony in which ownership of the 437-acre island was transferred from the Navy. Jimmy Anderson, director of the federal Base Realignment and Closure Committee’s program management office, presented Clark with the Naval papers signifying the transfer.

The island was home to Naval Station Pascagoula for 14 years. It housed 900 sailors and provided a total annual economic impact of $100 million before being closed Nov. 15 by the BRAC commission.

The Navy was expected to vacate the property last November, but Hurricane Katrina left the government with damaged buildings and a major mess to clean up.

The state gave the property to the Navy in the late 1980s with the understanding that it would automatically revert back to state control if the Navy stopped using it.

The Coast Guard already has a permanent presence on the island and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a base there temporarily until hurricane repairs are completed at its facility on the coast.

The island consists of approximately 437 acres, with about 187 acres comprising the developed area of the island, Clark said. There are some additional 150 acres of developable property.

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems officials have said they’re interested in using the naval station’s buildings and other facilities to help the shipyard facilitate operations that were damaged by Katrina.

Mississippi up 16 spots in latest business climate poll

July 10, 2007

"State’s Business Climate Moves up Magazine’s List"
By Laura Hipp
lhipp@clarionledger.com
Clarion Ledger

A national magazine for corporate directors ranks Mississippi’s legal climate a little better than they once did.

A Harris poll in Directorship Magazine bumped Mississippi to 33rd from 49th place in the publication’s annual composite standings, according to Gov. Haley Barbour’s office.

“I am very pleased that we’re making strides to change our once tarnished image as a state with an unfair legal system,” Barbour said in a statement.

Barbour and several Republicans are highlighting tort reform efforts in their campaigns this year. Reform efforts included caps on non-economic damages and a revised punitive damage cap.

The magazine praised Barbour’s efforts stating the 2004 tort reform battle makes the “state attractive for growth and job creation.”

Directorship Magazine used three indicators for its annual review of state litigation climates – Hantler-Weighted Variable Index, Pacific Research Institute, and the Harris Poll. The magazine’s 15,000 readers are comprised of boards, chief executives and general counsels who consider state liability climates when making decisions about expansion and investment.

State's soldiers should have their day

Blogger's note: The following is an opinion article I found on the Starkville Daily News website that was written by Dirk Waldrop, a columnist for The Bolivar Commercial in Cleveland.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Mississippi House has passed a resolution designating April 29 each year as Dale Earnhardt Day in the state.

The NASCAR star, also known as The Intimidator was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. The resolution states that Earnhardt “... created a legacy in Mississippi by amassing so many wins.” It further decrees that Earnhardt changed the sport of racing, bridging the past, present, and future generations of fans by upholding the finest NASCAR traditions while remaining a cutting-edge competitor throughout the entirety of his career.

In Mississippi, the unemployment rate is 8.4 percent. The median income is $33,659. Eighteen point nine percent of the population lives below the poverty threshold of $19,484 per year.

Dale Earnhardt earned $42 million over his 27 year career. In 1975, his first year of racing he earned $2,425. In 2001, he earned $296,833. The only reason for his paltry earnings that year was because he was killed 49 days into the year. In 2000, he made $4.9 million. So over the course of 27 years of driving a car in circles, he averaged $1.5 million per year just for driving a car really fast and only turning the car to the left.

The average Mississippian would have to work for 46 years to make what Dale Earnhardt made in just one year.

Did Mr. Earnhardt ever spend any of his money in Mississippi? Maybe so. Did he ever do anything to improve the lot of Mississippians with his money? Nope. Did he ever race in Mississippi? Nope.

So why is it that my (our) representatives are spending my (our) time (and money) coming up with a resolution honoring a guy that drives a car for a living?

Why not honor the hard working professional truck drivers of this state with a paid day off? Some of these men and women are away from home for weeks at a time and get no recognition other than the satisfaction of a job well done and the knowledge that without them, the American economy would be crippled. Dale Earnhardt got a million dollars for driving 500 miles, or $2,000 per mile. Truckers get 35 cents per mile, or $175, if they drive the same distance.

It makes me ill that my state government would spend the time and taxpayer money on such frivolous matters. While your hard working government is busy passing useless resolutions, voting raises for themselves, and then giving each other high fives and eating hot meals on your dime, American soldiers are dying in a faraway land. More specifically, Mississippi's sons have died in a faraway land.

Can any member of the House or Senate even name any of Mississippi's soldiers who died in Iraq? One Mississippi soldier, Sergeant Robert S. Pugh, was awarded the Silver Star for his heroic deeds in Iraq. Sgt. Pugh was a combat medic with the 1-155th Infantry Battalion of the 155th Brigade Combat Team. When a roadside bomb detonated near his dismounted patrol, Pugh was severely wounded. Instead of looking out for himself, he directed his fellow soldiers to tend to another soldier who had a piece of shrapnel sticking out of his guts. Pugh's heroic actions saved his comrade but cost him his life. His posthumous Silver Star is this country's third highest honor for military heroism.

When is Robert Shane Pugh Day in Mississippi?

Earnhardt had been driving for 27 years. In NASCAR, the track curves to the left. So all he had to do when he went to work was press down firmly on the gas pedal, hold the steering wheel to the left a bit, and cruise on to victory and a million dollar paycheck.

Pugh, on the other hand, had to keep his head on a swivel each day when he went to work. He donned thousands of dollars worth of the most advanced protective equipment his government could offer, he endured years of harsh training and drilling, and honed and developed his skills to give himself the best chance of survival in a brutally harsh environment. In a year, Pugh would earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $35,000. On a cold, cloudy day in March, Pugh's name was added to the long, unbroken line of patriots who have dared to serve and die.

Robert Shane Pugh was a soldier.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Opinion:

While Earnhardt was certainly a tremendous racer and a great asset to the sport of NASCAR, and while NASCAR is considered to be a beloved sport to many Mississippians, It is not the job of our Mississippi State Legislature to be handing out awards for NASCAR. While no price tag accompanied the resolution, the members of the State Legislature wasted valuable time in which to deal with the state's numerous problems and challenges in relation to Katrina, education, job growth, job development, infrastructure, agriculture, etc. Time that the Legislature must desperately need since they continually end up in special session year after year, driving up the cost of the Legislature to the Mississippi taxpayer in terms of extra pay and operating costs.

Focus on REAL issues.

World Cup 2006: Play has begun

The world's largest sporting event began last Friday in Germany. No, it's not football or basketball or baseball. It's ... SOCCER .... , the world's most popular sport. It's the World Cup --- the world equivalent of a month long Super Bowl week where work grinds to a hault around the world as citizens take a couple of hours to cheer and yell for their team, then dance in the streets in celebration. Once every fours years.

32 countries ----- 8 groups of 4 ------ 3 round robin games per team ------ top 2 teams in each group advance ---- then 16 countries cheer their hearts out around the world as their teams battle in a 16 team, single elimination tournament to see who is the best in the world ----- of course, this doesn't include all the countries that were eliminated in the qualifying stages among the 5 regions around the world.

When Germany and Costa Rica kicked off to start the World Cup Friday, estimates said 1.5 billion people around the world watched the game. Even American Idol only had 60 million votes. and that ain't even anywhere close to the sheer population encompassed by the World Cup.

Group A: Germany, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Poland

Group B: England, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, and Paraguay

Group C: Argentina, Netherlans, Ivory Coast, and Serbia & Montenegro

Group D: Mexico, Portugal, Angola, and Iran

Group E: Chzech Republic, Italy, United States, and Ghana

Group F: Australia, Japan, Brazil, and Croatia

Group G: France, Switzerland, South Korea, and Togo

Group H: Spain, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine


My picks to win each region: Germany, England, Argentina, Mexico, Czech Republic, Brazil, Switzerland, and Spain

******* updates to come later this week *******

New MSU College Democrats officers

On May 3rd, the MSU College Democrats elected their new officers for the upcoming 2006-2007 school year. They are young but talented and formidable, and I expect great things out of them. With that said, the new MSU College Democrats officers are:

• President = W.C. McClendon= wcm48@msstate.edu
• Vice-President = Harry Nelson = jhn31@msstate.edu
• Treasurer = open so someone join up and run
• Secretary = Alderman Richard Corey = rjc6@ra.msstate.edu
• Activities Coordinator = Mason Hester = mch98@msstate.edu
• Inter-Organizational Liaison = Patrick Young = pay9@msstate.edu
• President Emeritus = Matthew Holmes (me) = holmes.matthew.r@gmail.com

Feel free to contact our officers for more information on how to get involved with the MSU College Democrats. Look for booths during summer orientation and for more information about upcoming summer planning meetings.

Also, the Democratic Primary for the mid-term election will be June 6th. The U.S. Senate candidates are State Rep. Erik Fleming, Mr. James O'Keefe, and Mr. Bill Bowlin. The U.S. House candidates for District 1 in Mississippi are Robert Shapiro and J. Ken Hurt. The U.S. House Candidates for District 2 in Mississippi are Congressman Bennie Thompson and Mr. Mike Espy. Congressman Gene Taylor is running for re-election in the 4th Congressional District. Sadly, there is no Democratic candidate to face 3rd District republican Congressman Chip Pickering.

As always, Vote Donkey and get involved.

Matthew Holmes, President Emeritus, MSU College Democrats

Why I'm Pro-Choice

After reading the article "Abortion" on Joe's blog, http://magnoliapolitics.blogspot.com/2006/02/abortion.html, a post that outwardly opposes the practice of abortion, I felt I should respond. In doing so, this is what I said:

I'm pro-choice and don't mind saying so. It is a tough enough decision for a woman to make without some fool like me who is not in their situation leveling them with my own self-righteous moral judgements.

As far as God would be concerned, he ain't the mother and he ain't the would be child so he wouldn't be living the would be life or the life that is the mothers. Creator or not, casting judgement on one from a pulpit of "purity" is rather hypocritical and tyrannical.

For a child in a pro-choice view is born out of love, not sex. The world is growing overcrowded in population while 30 million Americans live in poverty (about 10%). When we can't take care of the ones we have, why sentence more to a life of squalor, single parent homes, and a trap "down in the ghetto" as elvis once sang.

When a child is ready to be born, it shall come of a union of love between two people (married or not) who care deeply and fully about having a child. Having a child is not something to be taken lightly or played by the sex lottery. It should and must be a decision that comes with thought and time and love, not a one night stand.

Not Just A Dog

Musings by Richard Biby
Contributing Editor
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog." Just smile, because they "just don't understand."

To Beau, Hershey, and Lacelei: you'll always be more than "just dogs" to me.

SA Senate, the Reflector Editorial Board, and the SA President

The SA Senate does its work. The Reflector Editorial Board did not in its Editorial in Friday, February 11th's edition of the Reflector or in the front page article. In accordance with such, below is my response as a Graduate Student Senator.

Dear Reflector Editorial Board:

FYI, the SA Senate had quorum the whole night. Not that the Reflector or the SA President would check the Constitution as the SA Attorney General Seth Robbins did or the Senate records for the night. Or that any of you were in attendance yourself, just one Reflector writer who did not bother presenting the full story.

The Senate, which passed badly need SA Executive and Homecoming election reform last fall, had one of its best debates of the year concerning Senate size.

A little credible reporting would have discovered that the 2005-2006 SA Senate has has had one of the best attendance records of the last several years. And that, of those Senators absent, all but a couple had class at the time or were sick which would have been discovered had adequate reporting been done.

And as for as the SA President goes, Cabinet had the same percentage of members at the State of the Student Association as Senate did. Cabinet and the office of SA President Jon David Cole were also in charge of advertising and promoting the event to the student body. And the Reflector by virtue of being the "student" newspaper. Yet zero to maybe three students outside of Cabinet, Exec, or Senate attended. That was not reported either if you are taking score.

And lastly, the only real reason the SA President was upset was because he didn't get to speak until after 8 because the Senate, as is their job, was debating a bill. Simply put, the SA President was upset b/c he did not get the moment in the sun he had hoped for.

And for the record, the SA President never asked once to speak earlier in the event (for instance, after Dr. Lee spoke) or asked to have the State of the SA moved to another time.

You, the Reflector Editorial Board, say the SA Senate needs to step up, yet your actions in reporting on the SA Senate have not even come close to comparing to your half information, high horse attack on the Senate. In fact, Vice-President Cory Carter's response was buried in the middle of the second page of the opinion section and a combined response from 12 members of the Senate including myself was not even printed. Apparently, the importance you placed on the SA Senate disappeared by the next edition.

Lastly, you, the Reflector Editorial Board, say cutting the number of Senators is a good thing. Yet you really do not explain why. In fact, there will be less Senators representing the students in 2006-2007 than before the bill passed. And in all likelihood, the more popular people, not necessarily the best Senators, are going to be elected. So Senators who have not missed a meeting this year might not have been elected under the new legislation which must be approved by Constitutional amendment on election day February 21st by the student body.

Things People Should Know About Me

After reading the great blog of laura rayburn (laurayburn.blogspot.com), i figure i should of course copy and come up with lists of my own. So here is the first of a "I dunno number of " series.

Things People Should Know About Me

1. I talk to myself. I rather enjoy it in fact. There's not much better than a good conversation and I'm usually right.
2. I think way too damn much, especially on certain things.
3. I love a good thought out plan. Strategy is always the best option.
4. My friend, at his astonishment, said "You're more calculating than I ever would have thought." My response: "Duh." followed by "Vote Donkey" of course.
5. I'm basically a 5 year old or a 40 year old in a 23 year old's body.

Hmmm, that seems like too much. I'll stop there.

Protect Our College Loans

http://www.democracyinaction.com/dia/organizations/Katrina//petition.jsp?petition_KEY=192

"Congress is expected to vote on Wednesday to cut College Loans by $12.7 billion. Students from the Katrina disaster zone will feel these cuts harder than others. The financial burdens post-Katrina are monumental and these cuts only make recovery more difficult. The MS and LA Congressional Delegation has the swing votes to turn these cuts around. The same legislators that took so long to deliver basic services post-Katrina have an opportunity to demonstrate basic leadership on behalf of their already hurting constituents."

Please sign the petition located at the link above.