Telle's Tales

Starkville Now in High Res on Google Maps

2006-07-11T11:34:00.000-04:00

The Drill Field

It's a beautiful thing.

The same is true for Google Earth

The best part: Left Field Lounge trailers were set up when the photos were snapped.

Drew Snyder's In D.C.

2006-05-31T10:32:00.001-04:00

According to sources deep inside Club 6-1-8, Drew Snyder of SnyderNews fame is living in an Arlington, VA basement. Our sources are also telling us that this basement is the exact same basement that houses a weight bench a certain former Telle's Tales writer is using to get swoll.

As walls between the ASB and SA are torn, look for this once-pedestrian basement in Arlington to join the Appomattox Courthouse on the National Registry of Historic Places.

MSU Alum Selected "Hottest Woman in U.S. Politics"

2006-05-31T10:26:00.000-04:00

Blackburn

Story from The Hill

In this poll, MSU alumna and Tennessee Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn was selected America's hottest politician.

Hail Dear Ol' State.

The Shots Fired at the Rayburn House Office Building

2006-05-26T13:58:00.000-04:00

From Saxton's chief... The elevator had just opened and he (Jim) stepped out, and then he said it sounded like someone was "emptying their gun" so he jumped back into the elevator, came back to the office, and I called cap police immediately. They had no idea what I was talking about and the next thing we knew the police were here and we were in a lock down.

Jim Saxton of NJ was the one who heard the shots and my friend Elise (his
chief) was the one who reported the incident to the Cap police! Geeeez!!!

Quote of the Week

2006-05-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

Arena

Original Yahoo! article here.

"And maybe in this country no one understands this because we have our nice little — not little — nice professional leagues where we call whoever turns out the winner the world champion, which is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard, and never win a world championship in any of these sports anymore. This is it. This is the real world champion in sport."
-U.S. Men's Soccer Head Coach Bruce Arena on the World Cup, which begins June 9.

Hidden Messages in Popular Songs

2006-05-22T13:10:00.000-04:00

This little backmasking application unlocks hidden messages in songs.

From this you will learn about the religious beliefs of Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, and Pokemon. You will discover how Brittney Spears made it to the top. And, most importantly, who killed John Lennon.

Really funny.

The SEC's Best Football Stadiums

2006-05-19T10:23:00.000-04:00

Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium

This article, written by a biased Alabama fan, has forced me to unveil an unbiased rebuttal: Telle's Tales Best Stadiums of the SEC.

Before we start, I have to throw out Arkansas and South Carolina as I have never visited those locales. Arkansas wins an award for biggest Jumbotron. South Carolina wins an award for most dedicated fanbase. Here are my rankings of the rest:

10.) Vanderbilt Stadium (41,203), Vanderbilt -- Simply put, this stadium is bush league. It's half-filled on a good night, and it's downtown Nashville setting is less-than-friendly for tailgaters. Things could be worse, though. Vandy isn't a bad place to watch a game considering it's the SEC's worst. And at least all the blue-blooded frat boys look nice in their shorts and ties.

9.) Commonwealth Stadium (67,606), Kentucky -- This stadium sucks too. The huge parking lot it's the centerpiece for screams NFL, not SEC. Not only that, but it's located on the periphery of the SEC's ugliest campus. UK looks more like a communist compound than a place I would want to spend four years studying. Keeneland, not Commonwealth, serves as Lexington's best stadium experience. The redeeming qualities: Every fan in Commonwealth is wearing blue and the UK uses their Jumbotron as well as anyone in the league.

8.) Vaught-Hemingway Stadium(60,580),Ole Miss -- Unlike the fellow who wrote the original article, I think Vaught-Hemingway is one of the SEC's most aesthetically-pleasing stadiums from the outside, but it has a cracker-jack box feel to it once you get inside. Not only that, but it's best seats and nicest amenities are in its endzone. I don't think luxury seats in an endzone are a luxury at all. The Grove is a truly unique tailgating experience. Too bad it outshines the Vaught-Hemingway experience by leaps and bounds. And let's be honest, "Forward Rebels" has to be the SEC's worst fight song, and has more-or less been replaced by the controversial "Dixie." Ole Miss gets props, however, for booking celebrities to lead Hotty Toddy via Jumbotron. And you won't find prettier co-eds anywhere.

7.) Sanford Stadium (92,746), Georgia -- Georgia football is something special. Athens is something special. The heart of Georgia's campus is something special. Sanford Stadium,however, is bland. Being "between the hedges" is overrated. Almost every SEC field is "between the hedges." Congratulations. Georgia fanbase might win Miss Congeniality among the SEC for their overall hospitality and respect, but it doesn't make for an intimidating atmosphere as Georgia fans have long been known as a bunch who sits on their hands during games. Not only that, but Sanford's club and box seats are a little outdated. That bridge that runs over the endzone sure is cool though.

6.) Davis Wade Stadium (55,082), Mississippi State -- The so-called "Dawg Pound," an endzone set of high school choir risers, needs to be done away with. Davis Wade is the second oldest stadium in Division I football, and its west side shows its age. But the stadium has its redeeming qualities: It's east side has some of the best luxury amenities in the SEC. It's closer to the heart of campus, a beautiful campus, than any other. It, not Auburn, regularly wins awards for the nation's best playing surface. And the cowbell might be the SEC's best in-stadium tradition. But let's be honest: The best part about visiting Davis-Wade if your an opposing fan is that you are almost guaranteed to leave with a win.

5.) Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548), Florid -- O-ver-rated. Yep, I said it. The Swamp has always garnered lots of attention for its atmosphere, and it's rich with atmosphere, no doubt. But it's just not as loud or intimidating as people say it is. And not only that, it doesn't have that Southern charm that places like Sanford and Bryant-Denny burst at the seams with. Ben Hill Griffin, however, definitely wins the award for most blue-painted, almost-naked, bellybutton-piereced, just-got-this-new-tribal-tatoo, girls per capita. Some redeeming qualities: The Swamp is located at the periphery of one of the SEC's prettiest campuses, and you're sure to leave with a nice sunburn.

4.) Bryant-Denny Stadium (92,158), Alabama -- As if a historic, beautiful, packed-to-the-brim experience weren't enough, Bryant-Denny also sends fans home with a heavy dose of unintelligible Jumbotron mumblings from "the Bear." You gotta love the way Bryant-Denny looks as it rises over the majesic oaks that populate UA's campus, and you gotta love tailgating in the shadow of Denny Chimes on the picturesque Quad, but a huge cemetary accross the street from the stadium? Come on. The fellow who wrote the origical article claiming that Bryant-Denny is in the middle of Alabama's campus was sadly mistaken. I guess if he considers a giant graveyard and the notorious Tutwiler women's dormatory intgral parts of campus, that would be an accurate statment. On the street, Alabama fans are the loudest, most arrogant folks you'll find. But sadly, once they enter Bryant-Denny, they become some of the quietest per capita in the SEC.

3.) Neyland Stadium (104,079), Tennessee -- Large? Yes. Intimidating? Yes Most mullets per capita? Absolutely. All the orange is cool. "Rocky Top" is cool. And the Volunteer Navy is cool. But every toothless hilbilly within a hundred mile radius loads up the pickup with his rat-tailed children and descends on Knoxville for gameday. A tragedy indeed. A quick note to the city of Knoxville: You hosted the World's Fair. You have that cool golden water tower downtown. You're home to a major university. But you are terrible. Your nightlife is terrible. Your scenery is terrible. Your skyline is blighted. Please, take care of yourself. For all of us.

2.) Tiger Stadium (92,400), LSU -- I love Tiger Stadium. By far, the loudest, most intimidating place to play in the SEC. If you get out of Baton Rouge without your tires slit, your kids crying, and your wardrobe smelling like corndogs, consider yourself lucky. This place is one giant carinival, full of booze, crawfish, and funnel cakes. But the magic in the air when the Bayou Bengals play at night is undeniable. The Golden Band from Tigerland, or whatever it's called, gets wasted and brings it. And they don't play traditional football songs. They play some kind of zydeco hybrid that only LSU fans understand. But watching those drunk coonasses dance to it in unison, mardi gras beads flailing, is an experience second to none. Baton Rouge: Where every morning feels like the morning after.

1.) Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451), Auburn -- That eagle that flys down right before kickoff is amazing. This stadium is clean, beautiful, and orange and blue all over. Auburn fans are loud, but some of the nicest around, and Jordan-Hare is the SEC's best experience, bar none. "War Eagle" also happens to be the SEC's best fight song. Unfortunately, I have nothing bad to say about the whole Auburn football experience. The fellow who wrote the original article is dellusional about this one.

Lockheed Martin Buys Full-Page Ad for Sonny

2006-05-16T08:58:00.000-04:00

Today's Roll Call features a full page ad honoring Sonny Montgomery. It reads:

A Veteran Passes
Rep. G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery
August 5, 1920 - May 12, 2006

He served his country for nearly forty years.
In war and in peace.

He championed the cause of veterans,
leading the way to pass the Montgomery G.I. bill,
which extended benefits to thousands of
soldiers in the all-volunteer service.

He workded tirelessly to strengthen
the Reserves and National Guard.
And to bring home POWs and MIAs.

He earned numerous awards, from the
Bronze Star for Valor in World War II to
the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

America's fighting forces have never had
a better friend than Sonny Montgomery.

We honor his service, confident that his legacy will live on.

A message from the men and women of Lockheed Martin

Sonny Searched

2006-05-16T08:56:00.000-04:00

Did anyone else see where Sonny Montgomery was the third most searched keyword on MSNBC yesterday?

A Thousand Words

2006-05-12T13:56:00.000-04:00

Sonny Montgomery Dies at 4:15 a.m.

2006-05-12T09:17:00.000-04:00

Sonny will give his Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mississippi State.

R.J. Morgan's Quote of the Day:
"He was 'Mr. MSU' the year he graduated and he remains so today."
-MSU President and Retired 4-Star Air Force General Robert Fogelsong

Sid Salter
Clarion-Ledger
Daily Journal
CNN
MSNBC
Yahoo!
Boston Herald
UPI
New York Times
Washington Post
Forbes
Wikipedia

Sonny Montgomery Hospitalized

2006-05-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

Montgomery's statue stands on Mississippi State's Drill Field.

Original Clarion-Ledger article here.

Sonny Montgomery, former Student Association President and Mississippi Congressman, is in 'serious' condidtion at a Meridian hospital.

I would like to say on behalf of the MSU Family: Sonny, we love you.

Northport McDonald's to Pay Tribute to Reagan's #1

2006-05-09T12:12:00.001-04:00

This is not the actual bust, nor the actual big mac.

Original AP article here.

Ronald Reagan stopped in the McDonald'ss in Northport, Alabama in 1984 to eat a Big Mac. Now the owner of that McDonald's will be paying a tribute to that famous day when Reagan joined two locals for lunch on his way to give a speech at the University of Alabama.

The Colbert Report is the Funniest Show on TV

2006-05-08T11:02:00.000-04:00

Steven Colbert. Always in search of truth.

Colbert Report Clips

I could go on for days about the genius that is Steven Colbert.

But I'll just say this: His right-winged quips are purely satrical jabs at the likes of Bill O'Reilly, but Colbert has a permeating grasp of current issues that surpasses that of most cable news talking heads.

His "Better Know a District" interviews with Congressmen are priceless. They make Congressmen squirm and take a refreshing look at national politics. One that forces our representatives out of their serious political mode into one that intelligent young folks can understand and enjoy.

I'll put it this way: Making an appearance on The Colbert Report is fast becoming 'the thing to do' among campaigning Congressmen.

MSU Photo Circulating Internationally

2006-05-05T15:29:00.000-04:00

On Friday afternoon, the above photo of a newborn gray fox, taken by Russ Houston at Mississippi State, was the second most emailed news picture in the world according to Yahoo! Unfortunately, it finished second to the below picture of the world's heaviest man, which is sitting atop the rankings for the 3rd or 4th straight day.

Kappa Delta Takes Tea Title

2006-05-05T13:46:00.000-04:00

The Kappa Delta house at Mississippi State University

According to sources deep inside the Kappa Delta house, the ladies of the AOT won Starkville's first-ever Sweet Tea Challenge.

As a veteran of Friday lunches at the SEC's largest greek house (by a closet), I can vouch for the quality of that KD sweet tea. Known campus-wide as competitors, the KD's are consistently winning championships, from Derby Days to Intramurals to Watermelon Fest.

What is the Sweet Tea Challenge?

Cinco de Mayo

2006-05-05T12:31:00.000-04:00

White cheese dip (left) is pictured here with its ugly, but far more popular, step brother, yellow cheese dip (right).

White cheese dip, an infinitely superior concoction, does not exist outside Alabama and Mississippi.

Discuss.

Media Bias Against Mississippi Prevails

2006-05-05T10:17:00.000-04:00

This picture is of Barbour discussing the bird flu, not being a dirty racist.

AP Story: Mississippi Governor Denies Pardon for Black Veteran

Would this even be a story in Oregon? Would it have the same headline?

Fair or not fair?

Here's The best article I've ever read on the national media bias against the South
Then there's Mississippi. Believe It!
But then again, we do have Whiskey Alley

Nats Finally in Good Hands

2006-05-04T11:32:00.000-04:00

Washington Real Estate Mogul Ted Lerner

Original Washington Post article here.

Look out Major League Baseball. The Washington Nationals have arrived.

Until yesterday, the franchise was really just the Montreal Expos in a clever disguise. In 2002, the commissioner's office took over the troubled Expos. In 2004, the MLB transferred ownership to the District of Columbia. The organization was being run by the Mayor's office and the City Council, and it showed.

Now, the Donald Trump of Washington, DC is in control. Well, minus the hair and hamboning. Ted Lerner, who has built 22,000 homes, 6,000 apartments, and numerous shopping destinations including Tyson's Corner during his 80 years in the district, knows how to do it right. Lerner, who spent his youth as an usher at Redskins games, is a product of a DC high school and George Washington University Law School.

With a new 41,000 seat state-of-the-art stadium being built down South Capitol Street on the Anacostia River, the franchise is looking better than a Walter Johnson fastball.

The new stadium will provide a breathtaking view of the U.S. Capitol

Lerner hired Stan Kasten, the mastermind behind the Atlanta Braves' 14-year stay atop the NL East, as the Nationals' president. I guess it's cool that his old boss was Ted Turner and his new one is Ted Lerner. Lerner believes that, with time, the Nationals have the ability to surpass the success of the Braves. He says the capabilities provided by Washington's media capacity make the team marketable to both fans and prospects. Kasten also promises to stay away from the free-agent spending sprees Washington fans have watched Daniel Snyder embark on.

"I understand people ask about payroll. Respectfully, it's the wrong question. The questions we should be asking: Are you going to be spending money right away on the minor leagues? Are you going to be spending money on scouting? Are you going to be spending money on instructors at every level? . . . And the answers to all those questions are, 'Yes.'"
-New Nationals President Stan Kasten on franchise priorities

The Jackcent: A Theory in Progress

2006-05-04T09:44:00.000-04:00

Prep and JA are two of the most prominent breeding grounds for the Jackcent.

Ok, this is going to be an admittedly tough topic to discuss through the blog medium for obvious reasons, but here goes.

People from Jackson, Mississippi talk different than anyone else in the world. They don't have a Southern accent, they have a Southern Jackcent. But they won't admit it. Don't ever tell anyone from Jackson they have a Jackcent. He or she will deny till he or she dies.

I can't explain it, but I know it doesn't leave the city limits and is most prevalent in kids associated with certain private high schools in greater Jackson. Folks from Byram, Raymond, Sandhill, and even Pearl sound just like other Mississippians, except for those who reside south of I-10, of course.

People with a Jackcent call their hometown "Jockson." Many of them go to "Uul Muuss," but plenty wind up at "Mussussuppi Stuut" too. People with Jackcents like their vowells, especially the short U. They hold them a little longer than most. Many times, people with Jackcents seem like they're running out of breath when they talk.

Here's the recipe for a Jackcent:
1 lb. healthy Birmingham accent
2 dashes British aristocrat
A pinch of Tidewater Republican
Stir well, let cool.
Sprinkle lots of short U's on top
Drain excess oxygen

Ok, I give up. I'm struggling with this one. Call me and I'll do it for you.

Disclaimer: Many of my closest friends have Jackcents, and I'm secretly jealous.

Quote of the Decade

2006-05-03T11:13:00.000-04:00

"We do not need students making our laws in Starkville."
-Longtime resident Dot Thomas in response to student Alderman Richard Corey's Sunday alcohol initiative

I think I remember reading something about taxation without representation in my history books.

The Boston Tea Party. Maybe it's time for a Starkvegas Beer Party, whatever that means.

Original Daily Journal article here.
SixPack's Salty Response

This article harkens me back to the debate of the decade.
Students should register to vote. (Telle)
Students should stay out of it. (Bogard)
Bogard is a heretic. (Telle)
Bogard makes no sense. (Boyd)
On Second thought. (Bogard)

Foglesong Aide Apparently Likes Rebels

2006-05-02T13:34:00.000-04:00

McGrevey Note: This is not necessarily a true representation of the sticker.

According to sources deep inside the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Assistant Chief of Staff Mike McGrevey, picks up his boss, MSU President Robert Foglesong, from GTR in a BMW bearing an Ole Miss sticker of some sort. The source would not reveal the style or placement of the sticker.

McGrevey previously held a position with Meridian's Montgomery Institute, the organization that some rumors report recommended Foglesong for his current post.

Let's just hope the sticker didn't look anything like this:

Daily Journal: McGrevey gets hired.

Night Route, Student Association Mentioned on AP Wire

2006-05-02T10:16:00.000-04:00

Heck yeah

AP article here.

Dirty Josh Blades started it all. He, former SA Director of Transportation and Parking Clay Stamson, and former SA Executive Assistant Seth Stevenson are a big part of why the MSU shuttles will be expanding into the community.

This fine piece was penned by a man I've heard called both "the best young newspaper reporter in the state of Mississippi" and "an unethical and unprofessional person posing as as journalist." None other than the venerable Robbie Ward.

Student Added to Mississippi Board of Trustees

2006-05-02T09:33:00.001-04:00

SBPCM President J.R. Love

Original Reflector article here.
Where it all started.
Bigtime publicity by the Clarion-Ledger
The Reflector's take on student activity fees

Well, it happened. Last year, we completely restructured the Student Body President's Council of Mississippi in hopes of building strong enough ties statewide to move the legislature ahead in this initiative. The positive publicity we received from the Clarion-Ledger along with tremendous behind-the-scenes legislative work by current SA Vice President Lee Weiskopf yielded results quicker than anticipated.

Congratulations to J.R. Love for being elected president of SBPCM. He follows ASB President Rebecca Bertrand, who served as president last year, and SA President Adam Telle served as president in 2004-05. As the No. 1 face of students in the state of Mississippi, J.R. is taking on a huge responsibility, but one that can yield huge results.

The needs of each of the eight public student bodies in Mississippi are different. I challenge J.R. to listen to the needs of the student bodies at Jackson State, Ole Miss, and the W and respond with quality board representation.

Just because Mississippi students have been given the privilege to sit on the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees does not mean they should take it for granted. Their continued ability to sit there will depend on their commitment, preparation, and participation in the future. Lack thereof will result in removal of the student representative. SBPCM must form a strong "front office" to ensure its reputation stays intact.

And let's not forget the original intent of this whole operation from the perspective of Mississippi State students. It's to gain control of the athletic, student activity, and other fees students are charged under the guise of "tuition." With control over these fees, students, not people sitting in Jackson's ivory towers, can control their entertainment, education, and athletics fates.

With control over these fees, you would no longer see students taken for granted by the likes of Larry Templeton. You would see MSU begin to have the type of quality lecture and concert series an SEC university deserves, and the Student Association could be much more responsive to student needs.

And let's not forget tuition either. It has risen every year for the past five-or-so years. While Mississippi universities fare very favorably against their peers in terms of the cost of an education, it's SBPCM's duty to represent the interests of students. And from a student perspective, taxpayers, not students, need to bear a larger portion of this state's educational burden.

Mississippi students, you have been given a tremendous opportunity. One that student leaders have dreamed of for decades. Don't take it for granted. Do take advantage.

Falcons Backfield Now "Starkville Central"

2006-04-30T09:52:00.000-04:00

The Atlanta Falcons chose Virginia Tech CB Jimmy Williams and MSU RB Jerious Norwood on the first day of the NFL Draft

Falcons' Norwood Central

Check out the video where Falcons RB Coach Ollie Williams talks about Norwood and calls the Atlanta Backfield "Starkville Central."

With the addition of Norwood, the Falcons now have three Mississippi State running backs on their roster. Justin Griffith and Fred McCrary run first and second string fullback, respectively.

Khayat Talks About Race and Higher Ed in Mississippi

2006-04-28T10:41:00.000-04:00

Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat

Commercial Appeal interview.

"But, anyhow, on the flag, people from Missoula, Montana, and Oklahoma City and Tulsa and Tuscaloosa and Columbia, South Carolina -- I mean they were sending in death threats about the flag. The Sons of Confederate Veterans wrote (thousands of) identical postcards calling me a heretic and all that stuff. It went on for a long time."

"So that was done. And it was painful, but it was worth every bit of the pain. We'd been trying to get a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for about 100 years, and we failed every time for a variety of reasons. And when we were successful in 2000, I was told by one of the leaders that had that flag still been a part of the culture, you wouldn't shelter a chapter of Phi Beta. And I would take a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for our students over any symbolism that I can think of."

"And so our number one goal is to be sure that our salaries are competitive and at the midpoint of the southeastern United States. If we do that, because of the quality of life (in Oxford) and because of the strong reputation of our university nationally, people want to come to Ole Miss and teach. There's something romantic about William Faulkner's hometown."

From the Halls of Colvard Union

2006-04-27T09:33:00.001-04:00

Nesbit

According to moderately reliable sources deep inside the Colvard Student Union, Kelly Nesbit, who runs Music Maker Productions, has been telling students she thinks this was pretty funny.

If this is true, I, for one, agree with my dear friend Kelly.

Absolutely Hilarious.

Screwing up and letting someone else take the fall always leaves me chuckling.

Background Info

Reflector Opinions on Telle's Tales Issues

2006-04-25T09:56:00.000-04:00

These opinions are on some of last weeks hot issues:

SA Chief of Staff Jennifer Glaze on the Old Main Music Festival confusion.

Blogger Laura Rayburn on legislating morality as it relates to Sunday alcohol sales in Starkvegas.

Mohawks are in for MSU Grads

2006-04-24T15:10:00.000-04:00

Jonathan Papelbon and Tyler Young

Mississippi's Top '07 Hoops Prospect Chooses State

2006-04-24T09:45:00.003-04:00

Coahoma County's Ravern Johnson

Original Clarion-Ledger article here.

Just after completing his '06 signing class, Rick Stansbury has started '07's off on the right foot by receiving an oral commitment Ravern Johnson of Coahoma County.

Johnson is ranked among the top five players at his position nationwide and has been compared to NBA legend Reggie Miller in ability and style. If he indeed suits up for the Bulldogs, the 6'6", 180-pound Small Forward will become MSU's most highly-touted instate player in the Stansbury era.

Stansbury received oral commitments from Picayune's Jonathan Bender, Starkville's Travis Outlaw, and Jackson's Monte Ellis. Those players, however spurned State for the NBA.

Summer Weddings

2006-04-23T18:26:00.000-04:00

Frank Haynes and Andrea Slocum

I've decided to start keeping up with friends' weddings over there on the side. Please let me know of the ones I've missed.

Paige DeAngelo Loves MSU Too

2006-04-23T16:35:00.001-04:00

DeAngelo, a Jasper, Alabama native and 2003 MSU grad, gets it.

Other than Paige and Landon Howell, Jasper is also known for its coal mines, busy Saturday-morning Hardee's, and busy Walmart. Oh yeah, due to its proximity to Smith Lake, Jasper was likely the the inspiration for the Craig Morgan hit, "Redneck Yacht Club"**

Paige's MSU love-fest.

I must say, #10 Summers in Starkville, #13 realizing that in Mississippi everybody knows everybody, and #20 midnight trips to Oxford all hit close to home.

Thanks Paige. You've been added to my "Buddies" section.

**before all of Walker County gets upset about this, I must say I learned to water ski on Smith Lake, have jumped off many a Smith Lake bluff/bridge, have caught rainbow trout down river from its spillway, and would readily join any such club were it formed.

Travel Channel Comes to Starkville for Sweet Tea

2006-04-22T15:24:00.002-04:00

The Sweet Tea Challenge will be held at today's Cotton District Arts Festival

Original Daily News article here.

The Cotton District Arts Festival, which includes the Sweet Tea Challenge, and Old Main Music Festival will be featured on the show "Celebrating Festivals." The shows host will be a celebrity judge in the Sweet Tea Challenge.

As you know by now, the idea for Sweet Tea Challenge originated here at Telle's Tales.

Duke Lacrosse Players Looking More Innocent Daily

2006-04-21T12:48:00.000-04:00

Kim Roberts, Stripper No. 2

Original Telle's Tales post here.
Original AP article here.

"I was not in the bathroom when it happened, so I can't say a rape occurred, and I never will."
-Stripper No. 2

"I've found myself in the center of one of the biggest stories in the country. I'm worried about letting this opportunity pass me by without making the best of it and was wondering if you had any advice as to how to spin this to my advantage. Why shouldn't I profit from it. I didn't ask to be in this position ... I would like to feed my daughter."
-Stripper No. 1 in an email to a New York crisis management firm

"If the boys are innocent, sorry fellas Sorry you had to go through this."
-Stripper No. 2

"She (the accuser) was passed out in the car."
-Stripper No. 2

Student Association Receives Unwarranted Criticism

2006-04-21T11:37:00.001-04:00

This image is hosted on Music Makers' website, not the SA's

Original Reflector letter here.

For the record, Old Main Music Festival was ripped away from the Student Association by administrators who think the SA has no business entertaining students with the likes of Bulldog Bash or Old Main Music Festival. The SA had little to no input in logistical decisions concerning this year's festival. They were only solicited for manpower. Kelly Nesbit and her Music Makers are running the festival, but the SA is still taking the blame for blunders.

Unfortunately, these administrators obviously forgot the importance of community relations. J.R., your administration is suffering as a result. The SA has always prided itself on stellar community relations, and this is a huge blow to its reputation.

This is exactly why my SA administration fought tooth and nail to keep this festival out of the hands of administration-driven organizations. The SA puts on Starkville's best festivals, by far. Its track record is stellar.

Here's a little history lesson: In the year 2000, entertainment for MSU students consisted of an occaisional concert with a hefty ticket price. Jenny Reeves and Lee Beck started Bulldog Bash. By 2004, it had ballooned to become Mississippi's largest free outdoor event. It came into existence, not because of funding, but because of vision, hard work, and community outreach. Old Main originated in 2003 to build on the success of the Bash. In a matter of four years, the SA took student entertainment from zero to sixty, with top-notch festivals in the Fall and Spring.

In addition, the SA helped secure a portion of the city's 2% tax, yet another shot in the arm to student entertainment at MSU. Some believe the SA has no place in the entertainment business. Although I understand this argument's origin, the SA was almost solely responsible for reinventing student entertainment, period. Those who believe entertainment doesn't belong under the SA's domain are taking advantage of the short institutional memory of the SA to pry it away.

This letter and the events that surround it place the SA at a crossroads. Either disassociate yourself completely with Old Main, and ask for the name to be changed, or take back complete control of the situation. Any more fence-straddling will produce more undesired results just like this. Some MSU employees just can't come to grips with the fact that students run a tighter ship than they do.

As a proud MSU alum, I want to see these events continue to be successful, and I also want students to experience what it's like to build something from the ground up and have COMPLETE ownership of it. I'm afraid if the trend continues, we'll see mediocrity return.

To the folks running OMMF: I told you so. You owe J.R. an apology. He probably doesn't want to rock the boat this early in his administration, but he should accept nothing less than a public apology in Tuesday's Reflector.

To J.R.: Don't buy the snake oil that is being sold over there. There are administrators who will take the side of students no matter what, and there are others who will take the side of students as long as those students are agreeable. The same crew will approach you in the Fall asking to provide "help" with Bulldog Bash. Don't accept it. You are fully capable of pulling it off.

My Take on Sunday Alcohol Sales in Starkville

2006-04-20T11:02:00.000-04:00

The rumor of the week is that Buffalo Wild Wings will locate in Starkville if it chooses to legalize Sunday alcohol sales. I don't believe it, but it's fun to think about.

In Robbie Ward's article in today's Daily Journal, local resident Vickie Robertson said, "Six days of the week is enough. Sunday is the Lord's day."

Agreed, sweetheart. But you're missing one crucial point. Legalizing Sunday alcohol sales isn't going to change that fact in Starkville or anywhere else. It's not going to force you to drink. It's not going to infringe on your ability to be spiritual. If you go to Sunday lunch at Harvey's and see your neighbor sipping on a mimosa, are you going to be so offended that your day of spiritual rest is disrupted?

As I've said many times, we cannot legislate morality. Getting drunk on Sunday is just as sinful as getting drunk on Monday. And nothing is preventing anyone from drinking on Sunday currently. I'm sorry Jerry Falwell, God does not have a legal counsel who interprets local or federal law to determine a governmental body's level of legal holiness.

Don't get me wrong. I believe drunkenness is condemned by God and His Word. But we cannot make government, local or otherwise, into a false god somehow capable of preventing sin. Want to know why so many youngsters are turned off by the faith? It's this style of legalism, a false gospel of works-based salvation, distant from the love and grace that I know.

Lenwood Brooks sent me this quote from Yale Law professor Arthur Leff that says a lot about our tendency to attempt to use government to free people from sin:
"You can say it is wrong for majority to disadvantage any minority but that is an assertion not an argument. You can say all sorts of things but what you can not say is why one say is better than any other say. If someone says 'it is alright to control this minority with force' and you say 'no, it's not right' whose to say your view of reality is right and theirs is wrong?

Maybe it helps to put the question this way: If there is no God, who among us gets to impose our will on everyone else into law so it must be obeyed? Stated that boldly, the question is so intellectually unsettling that one would expect to find what we do find: plenty of legal and ethical thinkers trying not to come to grips with it at all."

How Logan Young Died

2006-04-19T15:27:00.000-04:00

Memphis Police theory of the sequence of events leading to Logan Young's "accidental" death.

This has become a conspiracy theorist's playground.

And I don't buy that he went to the laundry room. I think someone else did.

Here's a great orange-colored account of the situation.
Here's a great crimson-colored account of the situation.

Original Telle's Tales post here.

Why Didn't I Think of That?

2006-04-19T12:33:00.000-04:00

Kyle MacDonald started with this red paper clip. He may soon have a new home

Kyle McDonald's Blog

Kyle McDonald traded his paper clip for a fish-shaped pen, which he traded for sculpted doorknob, which he traded for a coleman stove, and so on.

Seven trades later, he has one year's free rent in Phoenix. He's on his way to celebrity status as the man who took a paper clip and turned it into a house.

How cool is this?

Fire Ron Polk?

2006-04-18T11:08:00.002-04:00

Ron Polk gets in the face of an umpire after being ejected from Saturday's game against Auburn.

Well, it happened. fireronpolk.com is up and running. People are none too happy with the Diamond Dawgs' .500 record since being ranked #1 nationally by Baseball America a few weeks ago.

It's an argument that has been filtering through more pessimistic Maroon circles since Polk's 2001 return to Polk-Dement Stadium. No College World Series. No Super Regional in Starkville. Mediocrity by MSU standards.

They say Polk's not bigger than the program. They say the most traditon-rich and atmosphere-filled baseball program in the country deserves better. If MSU fans were unaware of the means by which the Dawgs reached a 26-9 end, would they look upon the record so menacingly?

Is Polk a victim of his own success? Many members of MSU's fanbase are fully prepared to bite the hand that has fed it for the past three decades.

What do you think? Is Polk bigger than the program? Does he deserve Joe Paterno-like status around here? Hey, Penn State suffered through some tough years watching what they thought was JoePa slowly fading.

JoePa proved Happy Valley wrong. I'm eager to see if Ronny Atmosphere can do the same with the Left Field Lounge naysayers.

All time SEC records
All time SEC NCAA tournament records
2005 Attendance Numbers
More Attendance Numbers.
All-time Records vs. SEC Opponents (through 2005)

Foglesong's First Day on the Job

2006-04-17T15:38:00.000-04:00

Foglesong addresses prospective students at Honors Orientation.

Quite a resume, Doc.

Impressive enough to push alumni favorite Mark Keenum out of the picture.

Quotes attributed to Foglesong in a March 29 Charleston, West Virginia newspaper article, however, gave some MSU faithful reason to doubt Fogelsong's commitment:

"I agreed to take this position with the understanding that I'd still be engaged in West Virginia as deeply as I needed to be. Especially with Marshall, Concord and Shepherd Colleges."

"In addition to running MSU, I can put some bookends on Appalachia with this foundation and try to start working in a more regional sense. But my commitment is to West Virginia, and I want to continue my partnership with the foundation."

"If you had asked me a month ago if I would have been president of MSU, I would have said I don't know what you are talking about. But this opportunity came up and frankly, it's just too tempting."

"I'm a homey. The fact that I'm running MSU doesn't mean for one second that I have forgotten my roots. I will be back to West Virginia quite often."

Whether the sentiment expressed above will have an impact on his ability to lead MSU is yet to be seen. Here's my general recipe for a successful administration.

Areas for Emphasis

We must take steps to attract and retain quality faculty. Money is obviously the key.
We must renew our commitment to athletics. There is no better cure-all at an SEC university than a winning football program.
We must continue our stellar relationship with the federal appropriations process. Hopefully Foglesong can build bridges and make sure Keenum & Co. are still committed.
Loyalty. Foglesong better be decked out in Maroon & White when the Dawgs suit up against his alma mater this fall.

Keep on keeping on

Community relations. Foglesong must work to maintain the town & gown relationships refined by Dr. Lee. Starkville is improving daily. Don't mess it up.
Economic Development. Foglesong must be a major player in bringing business to the Goldent Triangle.
Campus Development. Foglesong must continue to allow Ray Hayes and his gang to work their magic.
Student Affairs. Foglesong must continue to allow Bill Kibler and his gang to work their magic

Telle's Tales Turns Three-Sixty-Five

2006-04-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

Sure. It's been inconsistent at times. It's been extremely consistent at times too.

Ah, the memories.

Mississippi

2006-04-13T15:03:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I was sitting at work in the nation's capital like I sit at work any other Friday in the nation's capital. Surely, the trailers in Left Field Lounge were being stocked with crawfish, sausage, and spirits. But those of us here in DC who love the Maroon & White had planned a weekend of baseball spectating via the internet. With a splash or two of cold beer thrown in for good measure. Not a bad weekend plan by any means.

But suddenly I found myself standing up in my little cubicle, walking out onto the cherrytree-lined streets of capitol hill, hopping into my messy truck, and roaring down I-66 with cowbells on my mind. Thirteen hours later, I arrived at Old Venice in downtown Starkville just in time to hear Semisonic's "Closing Time" qued up right after last call. I hadn't even realized yet what I had done. Roadweary, I was home. Home and happy.

While there I got to see the groundbreaking ceremony for the Junction. Jeff Ellis took jabs at Larry Templeton and Hightower Hall among other things. I got to enjoy the Spring football game with none other than new SA President J.R. Love. I got to see us lose two baseball games and continue our fall from glory. I got to be a member the fourth largest crowd in the history of Dudy Noble. And, most importantly, I got a darn fine sunburn.

The second thirteen hour drive of the weekend wasn't quite as fun. It was filled with Merle Haggard, Red Bull, and sunflower seeds but lacked the anticipation that rode down with me. Not because I wasn't excited about returning to the big city, because I like Washington. But I love Mississippi.

I had lunch with a buddy today, also a State grad. We were talking about MSU just like we always do on our trips to Union Station for dips into Panda's Rice Bowl. On our way back, I asked him: Is it weird that we live in Washington, the center of the universe in many ways, yet spend our hours, days, and minutes talking about a state-owned plot of land in East Central Mississippi? Nope, he said. I plan on being back in Starkville in the next 5-10. Maybe Jackson if I can afford an RV. Washington's a side trip.

I'm with you, buddy.

I've traded the Drill Field for the National Mall.
I've traded New Covenant Church's gravel parking lot for the parking deck at 11,000-member McLean Bible Church.
eI've traded the Night Route for the Metro.
I've traded the Noxubee Refuge for Shenandoah National Park.
I've traded the Angry Snakes for the Timber Rattlers.
I've traded parking tickets in yellow envelopes for pink ones, no envelopes.
I've traded friends from all over Mississippi for friends from all over the world.
I've traded Old Venice for Daily Grill, Mugshots for Saloun, Bulldog Deli for Cosi.

Good things for great things, some might say. But folks don't jump in the truck and drive 26 hours in a weekend for good things when great things are at their doorstep. That's what I say.

J. Charles Leaves With A Bang

2006-04-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

MSU's 17th President, J. Charles Lee, will be stepping down at the end of the week. Judy and Bobby Shackouls sent him out with a bang by giving $10 million to the university for the creation of a state-of-the-art honors college.

Original Daily Journal article here.
Original Clarion-Ledger article here.
University Relations Press Release here.

Lee's already rich legacy just got richer. A quiet leader, Lee moved mountains during his time at the People's U.

Nancy "Big Mac" McCarley just got a raise. And that's good news. She deserves it.

Here's to the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College.

Lewis Mallory, of NBC and Cadence Bank fame, also gave the university $1 million in academic scholarship money to be named after Lee.

I Know It's Not Cool to Take Up For College Athletes, But...

2006-04-11T12:44:00.000-04:00

Rape allegations against Duke's Lacrosse team have turned Durham, N.C. upside down. But the latest evidence shows that the players may not be guilty after all.

The latest string of accusations and media responses has me wondering if male college athletes are being treated unfairly.

First, the Duke Lacrosse team was all but destroyed over the last few weeks by the media after being accused of raping a stripper at a house party. Not only that, but the fact that the players were white and the accuser is black has buried Durham in town vs. gown racial conflict.

In the story's latest twist, the team's 46 white players have been somewhat exonerated by initial DNA tests, turning this case into he-said-she-said affair. It's looking, now, like this case will go away without any convictions. But everyone associated with Duke Lacrosse has been criminalized by the media. The coach has resigned, and the season has been cancelled. An NPR roundtable has even called all of Duke University into question, turning the lacrosse incident into a microcosm of race relations in higher education nationwide.

A little closer to home, six MSU football players were arrested for assaulting an off-duty Starkville Police Officer at a downtown sorority function. The initial report by the Starkville Daily News painted the players as the agressors, using the incident's police report as its only source. The story made national news, and the players were labeled gang-banging thugs on internet message boards nationwide.

Further accounts from students who attended the function show another side to the story that papers didn't pick up on. Two days later, Ian Rappaport of the Clarion-Ledger attempted to give another perspective, but it was too little, too late. This story, much like the Duke story, won't likely yield actual convictions.

These examples make me wonder if male college athletes are a little too demonized in our society. Using a police report as your only source might be an acceptable journalistic practice as long as the story does not involve a police officer. If six members of the chess club were accused of taking down an officer at a party, would reporters dig a little deeper? If a group of Duke thespians were accused of rape, would the media and the public it puppets so readily jump to guilty conclusions?

Two allegations, that are now looking to be more false than true, balooned unecessarily. No one took the side of these athletes, whose reputations and college experiences have been seriously tainted. Duke University in its entirety took a big hit. Coach Croom's reputation as a disciplinarian took a big hit. And the worst part: No one even thought to question the media, because everyone assumed guilt. These are, after all, athletes. Of course they were guilty.

Were these athletes guilty? I don't know. But I do know that if they aren't guilty, they'll never regain what the media has stripped them of with its sterotyping.

Infamous Bama Booster Found Dead

2006-04-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

Young is pictured here (right) with his attorney. Apparently, Young's death is being investigated as a homicide.

WMC-TV Report
Commercial Appeal Story

Logan Young, a Memphis native and Vandy grad, was perhaps the most infamous booster in college football history. The University of Alabama was placed on serious probabtion after Young paid the coach of high schooler Albert Means $150,000 to direct the recruit to Tuscaloosa.

If it's murder, one must wonder about the motives.

Update:The latest internet rumors have Young being shot twice in the head by his son, who apparently has a drug history.
Update:Memphis police have now cleared Young's son, and are calling the death "accidental."

Elation

2006-04-05T07:44:00.000-04:00

www.yall.com

Where it all began.

Did MSU Study Force FDA to Ban Basa to Save Catfish Industry?

2005-08-22T15:40:00.000-04:00

Workers harvest catfish at a Delta Pride catfish farm in Mississippi

Several weeks ago, a Mississippi State University study really ticked off the catfish industry. The study, carried out by MSU Food Sciences researcher Doug Marshall, claimed that consumers preferred Vietnamese catfish (Basa) 3 to 1 over U.S. farm-raised catfish in blind taste tests.

The catfish industry is one of the staples of Mississippi's economy. Over 100,000 Mississippi acres are dedicated to raising catfish. Basa is considered a chief rival of catfish.

Now, just a few weeks later, the FDA is on the verge of banning Vietnamese catfish nationwide, claiming that it has detected traces of harmful antibiotics in the fish.

It sounds like home cooking to me.

But even if the FDA bans Basa simply to prop up the U.S. catfish industry, I would be glad for Mississippi's sake.

Even more interesting is the fact that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture has called on MSU researchers to further study the harmful chemical contents of the Vietnamese catfish. The findings may present a chance for the university to redeem itself in the eyes of catfish farmers.

What do y'all think? Should MSU release studies that could potentially damage Mississippi's economy? Should it alienate an industry with such deep MSU ties? If the FDA does indeed ban Vietnamese catfish do you think it is related to the MSU study? Should the FDA make these kinds of moves for economic reasons?

Brighter Days

2005-07-25T21:28:00.000-04:00

Don't stop even for the right thing
does it matter what I say?
my whole world was by that river
flowing off to meet the sea each day
I don't want to move away.

You look at me and you say "what's wrong boy?"
What else do you want me to say?
I don't want to leave tomorrow
been and gone but I belong here now
Your big world can wait another day.

Brighter days where did they go?

I am hopeful for where I'm going
but I belong in The South
That was where I was born a poor boy
Living life like there's no end in sight
even so I've done without

Brighter days where did they go?

Boy, you're about to hit the bottom
I feel alone, I feel I'm moving there
To a land you never saw and I see you're about to hit the bottom
Lord help me move away to a land you never saw
and I've seen.

Brighter days where did they go?
-Mofro

Tuesday night will be my last in Starkville. Although Washington holds lots of promise and provides me with plenty of reason for excitement, I can't help but wish I could spend more time in Mississippi. Life's tough. Out into the great unknown...time to be a big boy.

New Kids on the Blog

2005-07-20T17:03:00.000-04:00

Kate "The Great" McIntosh and Claire "Backpack" Hardin

A Tale of Two

I promised Claire I wouldn't do this, but I'm going to go ahead and let the world know that there are two new bloggers in town.

Please beware.

Kate McIntosh and Claire Hardin are nothing but trouble when they get together, but everything they touch turns to gold. Namely me, Josh Blades, Nathan Moore, and Garrett LaFleur. OK, maybe Claire doesn't make anything turn to gold.

Well, I've just convinced myself that their blog is going to be amazing only because Kate McIntosh is involved. Oddly enough, Kate had Assistant Claire call me last night to get blogging advice.

What's that? Kate has the biggest internet media guru in the twin-states area wrapped around her finger. I can't provide what Landon Howell can provide on any level.

For those of you living in the dark for the past decade of MSU history, Kate is a former Student Association Chief of Staff, and a darned good one. Claire is a former Student Association Secretary who performed admirably under Kate's direction. Kate is known for being level-headed, responsible, and talented. Claire is known for her swinging arms, refusal to remove her backpack, and gingerbread man impersonations.

A Quick Update

2005-07-20T09:06:00.000-04:00

DC's been great. I had the distinct pleasure of joining Edward "Swashbuckler" Sanders Monday evening at Old Glory in Georgetown for some Memphis-style ribs and sweet tea. We spent the evening discussing all the intricacies of Student Association and Associated Student Body politics. Then, we went to Barnes & Noble in an attempt to find a cookbook for our friend Gordon Fellows.

Yesterday, I had lunch with my future roommate Josh West. Of course, all of the young ladies strolling the halls of Congress let Josh know that they found him attractive in his seersucker. He humbly responded, "That's how we roll at Delta State."

In addition to spending several minutes on Tyler Young's phone with the legendary Lenwood Monday evening, I met the guy in Congressman Wicker's office Tuesday. He is apparently the stud of that office. All anyone talked about was how hard Lenwood worked.

I also met a really cool kid by the name of Kimmel Monts, who is interning at Wicker's office. Kimmel is yet another in a long list of Tupelo High alums to prove impressive. Gordon described him as a "younger, skinner Gordon who doesn't like to eat and doesn't care about campus politics."

Anyway, gotta run to an interview. Love y'all.

Where You From?

2005-07-18T00:36:00.000-04:00

www.davilleoutfitters.com

After months of painstaking preparation, the much awaited DaVille line of clothing is ready for consumers worldwide to purchase.

The line is owned and operated by Hossein Razzaghi, one of Starkville's favorite sons. He came up with the idea after the realization that nearly every trendy clothing line caters only to a specific demographic: FUBU is for urban hip-hoppers. Quicksilver is for coastie surfers. Abercrombie is for sissies.

You get the picture.

DaVille operates on a completely different concept. Razzaghi and his diverse team of cronies believe that their line can be for everyone rather than a particular demographic. That is, the owners of DaVille refuse to set the agenda. They let the buyers set the agenda. The company is founded on a spirit of diversity and flexibility.

As Hosey once put it: "I embody DaVille. Look at me. I'm an Iranian frat boy from the South who loves to play soccer." Just as its founder believes he is the ultimate social paradox, DaVille believes it can sit on every side of the fashion fence. It's motto, "Where you from?," tells customers that DaVille can tell their story.

DaVille's plan starts with attempting to build its brand one step at a time. The company's online storefront currently offers less than a dozen products, but there's much more to come. Razzaghi plans to build the brand by sponsoring local bands and developing a following through the ever-lucrative college t-shirt market.

So please support Hosey and his endeavor. I have personally witnessed the amount of work he, his colleagues, and investors have put into their product. Who knows? Once DaVille develops into a national name, you can say that you bought one of it's first-ever designs. Besides, the products are really cool, and the t-shirts are 50-50 so that they're stretchy and sexy on people like myself.

In addition, I think Parker Wiseman may be involved in this whole operation. He's a poor law school democrat who needs a little boost.

For those not familiar with Razzaghi, you may remember him as the conspicuous Elections Commissioner who organized the Student Association presidential debate that featured an empty podium due to a J-train McCullum protest. A Starkville High School alum, he has also been a long-time companion of Brooke Bliss, a former SA Chief of Staff.

Best of luck to you Hossein. We all want to see you succeed. We're pulling for you.

Blogging From a Mac

2005-07-18T00:20:00.000-04:00

PowerBook G4

I'm in the District. I'm currently blogging from the laptop of my dear friend Margaret Case, a Tuscaloosa County High School graduate and intern at Van Scoyoc Associates lobbying firm. She's amazing.

Margaret

The Three Tenets of Carbonated Beverages

2005-07-16T18:28:00.000-04:00

This weekend's trip to Mississippi's liberal arts university put me in a state of deep philosophical meditation. I have come to three startling conclusions concerning what our friends north of the Mason-Dixon call "soda-pop." So sit back and relax. The truth revealed in the following statements will likely change your life.

1. Red states drink Coke. Blue states drink Pepsi. Apparently, the soft drink industry understood modern American politics long before anyone else. Think about it: Patriotic, no-nonsense Americans with morals drink Coke. Sissy, compassionate, metrosexual liberals drink Pepsi. Coke is about tradition. Pepsi is about the latest and greatest trends. Santa Claus drinks Coke. Michael Jackson drinks Pepsi.

The 2004 U.S. Coke-Pepsi breakdown.

Is it just a coincidence that the primary color of Coke labels is red, and likewise Pepsi labels are blue? I think not.

2. You shouldn't drink Diet Coke with Lime after Labor Day or before Easter Sunday. It's true. While DCwL has served as a welcome addition to your corner store's cooler, unless you're Jimmy Buffet, it would be blasphemy to slurp one down in January. So the next time you think about grabbing a Diet Coke with Lime, ask yourself: Could I wear a seersucker suit right now? What about white shoes? Linen?

If the answer to any of those questions is "no," consider getting another beverage. Otherwise, you'll be laughed at by fashion snobs like myself.

3. Grapico could have been a contender. If you're from Alabama, you know what I'm talking about. Grapico has long stood as the choice beverage for inner-city Alabama junior high students in P.E. class. But it still hasn't expanded beyond that market. If more people outside Alabama tried Grapico, the entire American political landscape would be turned on end. Bipartisanship would crumble and die, because every state would be a purple state.

Oxford: The Land of Redeeming Qualities

2005-07-16T16:34:00.000-04:00

The Square at Oxford

That's Right. I said it.

I spent last night and this morning in the infamous Oxford. And I must say that my host, Gordon Fellows, and hostess, Rebecca Bertrand, treated me right. Everytime I've ever gone to Oxford, I've really enjoyed myself, and this weekend was no exception.

We started the evening by attempting to eat at Taylor Grocery, only to find that it was closed. So we headed over to the new Greek restaurant in town, Volta. Very tasty. Then we went to the Burgandy Room and hung out on the balcony. Gordon spent the evening yelling at people walking around the square and singing show tunes. Gordon is a big ball of entertainment. To be honest, Oxford's Burgandy Room isn't quite the experience that Starkville's version is.

I met a fellow from Starkville. You may be familiar with him. He goes by "Jason" and works as a bartender at the Veranda. He had consumed a few choice beverages and helped me to explain the finer qualities of MSU's edam cheese and F-ing chess pie. Jason was the man.

This morning, we headed over to Handy Andy's for some barbecue. There, I met a man I thought existed only in legends. Tangy, of SnyderNews fame, however, showed up live and in living color. And, let me tell you, he turned out to be all I had dreamed of and more.

So thanks be to Gordon and Rebecca for their hospitality and humor. I'll miss you guys.

I'm Going on Tour

2005-07-15T14:10:00.000-04:00

A Clear Vision Indeed.

Well friends, I'm going to be on the road for the next few days. I'm headed to Oxford this afternoon to visit my old friends Rebecca Bertrand and Gordon Fellows. Sunday afternoon, I will fly to the District of Columbia for a week of interviewing and job-hunting. Next Saturday, I'm flying into New Orleans to meet my parents for some fine cuisine, and Sunday we're driving over to Mobile to see some kinfolk.

I'm going to try to update Telle's Tales pretty regularly, but I won't have a dedicated computer or internet connection with which to do my bidding. The point: be patient with me over the next two weeks. Don't lose the faith. Telle's Tales is a survivor, it's not gongiveup.

In the coming weeks, I will be introducing at least two new Telle's Tales contributing writers. Since I won't be in Starkville after the end of the month, I have comissioned some of MSU's best and brightest to take up coverage of Camp & Co. Your's truly will, of course, continue to offer the smattering of garbage you're used to.

A couple of interesting items I will try to post on soon:

-There's a lady who has moved her bed to the porch of the Oktibbeha County Courthouse in response to Gov. Barbour's Medicaid cuts. She says she won't move "until she gets some help."

-Officials at Oktibbeha County Hospital have apparently confronted members of the local media about their coverage of the Premeir Radiology drama.

-I've met with some folks who are heavily involved in Tuscaloosa's municipal races, including one candidate for mayor. It should be an incredible one to watch. Lot's of rumors are floating around including, you guessed it, hospital administrators covering up scandals in order to maintain political clout. The front-runner for the mayor's seat is a high official Druid City Hospital.

-Lee Blvd. through the middle of campus is shut down from the Union all the way up to Hilbun. I assume it's for the renovation of Lee Hall auditorium.

-Starkville's transformation into the next Milan begins Monday when the DaVille Outfitters clothing line launches. The whole operation is headed up by Hossein Razzaghi, a former SA cabinet member. I'm going to give DaVille some extensive coverage early next week. Look out.

Jimmy Abraham to Head Alumni!

2005-07-13T13:33:00.000-04:00

My favorite person in the world.

Original University Relations article here.

Dr. Abraham has been selected to replace the legendary John Correro. What a man! What a decision! Watch out.

"Abraham will serve as the key liaison between the university and its more than 100,000 living alumni around the state and across the nation. The 126-year-old land-grant institution has more than 80 alumni chapters in locations from Colorado to New York."

With Dr. Abraham's student recruiting experience and the increasing reliance on alumni to recruit new students, he is a perfect fit.

Join NYC's "24/7 Water-gun Assassination Tournament"

2005-07-13T13:10:00.000-04:00

Super-Soakers, along with water baloons and water pistols, are included in the weapons allowed in the tournament.

Streetwars website here.

"At the start of the game you will receive a manila envelope containing the following:

A picture of your intended target(s)
The home address of your intended target(s)
The work address of your intended target(s)
The name of your intended target(s)
Contact information of your intended target(s)

Upon receipt of these items, your (or your team's) mission is to find and kill (by way of water gun, water balloon or super soaker) your target(s).

You can hunt your target down any way you see fit; you can pose as a delivery person and jack them when they open the door, disguise yourself and take them out on the street, etc.

If you are successful in your assassination attempt, the person you killed will give you their envelope and the person they were supposed to kill becomes your new target. This continues until you work yourself through all the players and retrieve the envelope with your (or your team's) picture(s) and name(s). Then you win. Cash…but first live in fear."

read more...

How much fun would this be? Too bad you have to live in one of the five boroughs.

My Top 25 Albums of the Last 20 Years

2005-07-12T11:01:00.000-04:00

Original article here.

With Spin Magazine's recent release of their top 100 albums of the last 20 years, the blogosphere has been teeming with copycats posting their personal favorites. Here's my list. Please keep in mind that these are my personal favorites. I have't listened to everything, and I don't really care for some of these albums now. But over the past 20 years, these have been my favorites:

25.
Widespread Panic - Till the Medicine Takes: This album introduced me to so-called 'jam bands' and opened the door for some of my favorites: String Cheese Incident, Government Mule, and moe.

24.
Billy Joel - River of Dreams: This album was great all the way through although it only received praise for the title track.

23.
Deanna Carter - Did I Shave My Legs for This?: She was my high school sweetheart in my mind, over-the-top country with idealistic love songs, can't beat it.

22.
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals - Diamonds on the Inside: This was my favorite album during the greatest summer of my life (2003), incidentally met Ben Harper that summer in Charleston, SC

21.
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle: Brought out the inner-gangster in me. "G's and Hustlas" is still one of my favorites

20.
Dave Matthews Band - Crash: Solid if overplayed, makes me relive ninth grade everytime I hear it.

19
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill: Straight attitude, paved the way for bitchy feminist rockers to follow.

18.
Oasis - Definitely Maybe: Rainy debut of the second best British rock band of the 90's, this album's poster still hangs in my bedroom at 10567 Loganwood Drive.

17.
Keb' Mo' - Slow Down: Contemporary blues perfected, "Henry" is one of the greatest-ever musical tributes to the Mississippi Delta.

16.
Nirvana - Nevermind: Everyone knows this album changed rock forever, if taken out of context, seems overrated.

15.
Bush - Sixteen Stone: This album represented the beginning of the end of the era Nirvana began. Soonafter, the Creeds and Nickelbacks of the world ruined the genre forever.

14.
Counting Crows - August & Everything After: "Omaha" always made me dream of the College World Series

13.
Sublime - Sublime: Who didn't ride around in high school with their windows down blasting "Early in the morning, rising to the street, light me up that cigarette, and I strap shoes on my feet?"

12.
Beck - Odelay: A hodgepodge of goodness that combines death metal, electronica, cowboy tunes, hip-hop and several other genres with unsettling grace.

11.
Radiohead - The Bends: People talk about OK Computer, but this album represented Radiohead's coming-out party, I knew they were special the first time I heard "Fake Plastic Trees" back in '94.

10.
Weezer - The Blue Album: "Flip on the tele, wrestle with Jimmy, something is a-bubbling behind my back..."

9.
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming: Debut of the band that changed yuppy music forever. Taught me in seventh grade that brass and fiddles are OK to like.

8.
Collectie Soul - Collective Soul: Rocks from the very beginning to the very end, every song is wonderful.

7.
Tim McGraw - Everywhere: There really was no better album for a kid who just got a car. Made me want to head out to Airport Rd., put the seats back, and watch the planes leave town.

6.
Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory?: People remember it for "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova," but those were the two worst songs on the album.

5.
Shane & Shane - Psalms: Best Christian album ever. Captures the Word of God in contemporary music better than anyone ever has.

4.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Wildflowers: Beautiful. Simply amazing. It seems like every song on this album has been my favorite song at some point in my life.

3.
Mofro - Blackwater: This album is incredible, music unified behind a purpose and a sense of identity, makes me want to rocking-chair my life away in the swamps of the Florida panhandle.

2.
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - Live from Mars: Not really a live album, a compilation of several live songs spliced together to make the ultimate concert. The first disc is full of energy, and the second is the best disc of acoustic guitar ever recorded.

1.
Weezer - Pinkerton: I have listened to this album at least once a month since eigth grade, I know every word, nerd-rock perfection: "You are eighteen year old girl who live in small city in Japan, you heard me on the radio about one year ago and you wanted to know all about me, and my hobbies, my favorite song and my birthday, why are you so far away from me? I need help and you're way across the sea, I could never touch you, I think it would be wrong, but I've got your letter, you've got my song"

Honorable Mentions:
Green Day - Dookie
Charlie Mars - Gather the Horses
Keb' Mo' - Keep it Simple
The Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
The Goo Goo Dolls - A Boy Named Goo

NCAA '06 Debuts Tonight

2005-07-11T14:12:00.000-04:00

Desmond Howard?

Tonight at midnight, all of the sports-video-game nerds (including me), will gather outside of Gamestops everywhere. NCAA '06, a staple of male dorm rooms everywhere, will go on sale.

The questions of the day for MSU fans:

Will the addition to Scott Field be included on this year's game? Although it's been there since 2001, the past four editions of the game have left it off.

Will the game have the new uniforms? If MSU players are sporting the "interlocking MSU" logo on their helmets, I'll puke. We want M-State!

Will the Bulldogs be rated higher than the Rebs? Doubt it.

Who's getting this game? For which platform?

Homeless Coiner of the Term 'Weblog' Moves to Memphis

2005-07-11T13:32:00.000-04:00

Barger

Robot Wisdom Weblog
Original Wired article here.

Jorn Barger, a homeless man credited with coining the term 'weblog' (later shortened to 'blog'), is "moving" from Chicago to Memphis according to a recent Wired Magazine article.

"Barger is an online legend I've been following for a decade. He was the unstoppable Usenet poster who could carry on simultaneous debates about Ibsen, Chomsky, artificial intelligence, and Kate Bush"
-Paul Boutin of Wired Magazine

His blog, Robot Wisdom Weblog, which debuted in 1997, features simplistic links to articles and websites containing information about technology, politics, and literature among other things.

According to Wired, Barger was last seen carrying a cardboard sign that read:

Coined the term 'weblog,' never made a dime.

Gardendale's Gaines to Pastor Bellvue

2005-07-11T13:15:00.000-04:00

Gaines

Original Birmingham News article here.

On August 1, the Rev. Steve Gaines of First Baptist Church of Gardendale, Ala. will take over as pastor at Memphis's Bellvue Baptist for the Rev. Adrian Rogers, who retired in March to fight colon cancer.

Rogers has pastored Bellvue since 1972 and has seen it grow into one of the South's largest churches with 29,000 members. My mother, a graduate of Gardendale High School, was baptized at First Baptist Gardendale.

Gaines will deliver his first sermon September 11.

Chief O'Connor?

2005-07-11T13:09:00.000-04:00

O'Connor

Original Washington Post article here.

"I think it would be very tempting if the president said to Justice O'Connor, 'You could help the country now.' She has received so much adulation that a confirmation proceeding would be more like a coronation, and she might be willing to stay on for a year or so."
-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.)

Blogging From A Generator

2005-07-11T11:20:00.000-04:00

This little beast is supplying everything I need.

"I'm not going to say we dodged a bullet... but I think all the people in Alabama understand how truly fortunate Alabama is tonight."
-Alabama Gov. Bob Riley in a statement prepared by Josh Blades

Old Dennis swept through God's country last night, doing very little physical damage to Alabama's beautiful landscape. However, 20,000 power outages have been reported throughout West-Central Alabama.

My weekend home at 10567 Loganwood Drive in Northport is included in that number. Our power went out at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. A falling limb snapped a power line on our street. I'll let y'all know when we're back up and running generator-free.

UPDATE: Went and played muddy tackle football at UA's Million Dollar Band practice field. Got run off by University Police. Returned home to find the power back on.

Dambrino Takes Crown, Foshee Left Out Again

2005-07-10T11:57:00.000-04:00

Miss Grenada Kristian Dambrino

Original Clarion-Ledger article here.

Last year's Miss Mississippi first runner-up Kristian Dambrino, known for her raspy voice, finally seized the tiara. Meanwhile, MSU student and pageant favorite Taryn Foshee took second runner-up for the second straight year.

Dambrino has MSU ties too. Her little sister Kathryn will be a freshman at State next year.

Boycotting Wal-Mart: Eight Months and Counting

2005-07-08T12:39:00.000-04:00

On November 8, 2004 I quit Sprawl-Mart.

Back in November I made a decision to stop patronizing Wal-Mart. Now before you go judging me, I've always been a big fan of mullets, NASCAR, and white denim. I really have. But I felt it was time to act.

My Reasons:

Wal-Mart builds on the perimeters of small towns, usually at the intersection of major highways, in order to allow their trucks to get in and out as quickly as possible and therefore maximize profit. Good business practice? Yes. Good for small town America? No. Doing so sucks energy and activity out of the center a community and into an asphalt parking lot. Strip malls develop along the path to Wal-mart, and a town that was cozy becomes crappy.
Mom and Pop close up shop. Those hometown stores (Ander's Hardware in Northport, Posey's in Jasper) can't compete with Wal-Mart's prices. Low prices good for the consumer you say? Not when those dollars are headed to Arkansas when they could stay in town with people who actually invest in the community.
Low wages for workers. Wal-Mart pays its employees just enough to allow them to shop at Wal-Mart
Long lines, long drive. I can hit up the hardware store, grocery store, and drug store in the time it takes me to drive to Wal-Mart and check out.
The temperature inside Wal-Mart is apparently controlled from Arkansas. I'm not down with that.

So how has it been for the past eight months. Just fine, thank you. Sure, I pay a little more for my shampoo at Walgreens, but its worth it. I really haven't noticed a difference. You don't need Wal-Mart, you just think you do.

One disclaimer: I have been to Wal-Mart once over the past eight months. I was in Haleyville, Ala. on my way to a camping trip in the Sipsey Wilderness. It was getting late, and I was desperate for some water purification tablets so that I could stay alive over the next few days. Wal-Mart was the only place open late enough for me to get my tablets. I suppose life-or-death scenarios can warrant a trip to Wal-Mart.

If anyone would like to join me in my vain attempt to bring down Wal-Mart, you can sign up below.

Blogs Providing Best Coverage of London Bombings

2005-07-07T13:12:00.000-04:00

A picture taken by an office worker.

Project Nothing's coverage
Guardian Unlimited's coverage
Wikipedia entry

Also, Robbie Ward is doing a story for tomorrow's Daily Journal on three MSU students who are currently in London. Should be interesting.

Cornering the Market: A Lesson from Oktibbeha County Hospital

2005-07-07T11:58:00.000-04:00

These pictures make OCH seem so noble.

Original Daily Journal article here.

I'm sorry. Did I miss the memo? Capitalism? Free Market? I guess those principles on which our country was founded don't apply to the healthcare industry in Oktibbeha County, or at least that's what OCH would like us to believe.

Apparently the folks running the show over there, many of them good people, think they're the bully on this block and they can take the lunch money of any new kid who dares to show his face around here.

For those of you still in the dark, here's the story: Premeir Radiology, a for-profit, cutting-edge x-ray clinic wants to set up shop in Starkville. They will offer services that are either currently unavailable in Starkville or cost so much to get done here that a drive to Tupelo is well worth it.

Oktibbeha County Hospital, which relies heavily on its radiology operation to break even, has done everything in its power, including some really shady back-room negotiating, to try and keep Premeir out of their coveted market.

In their latest attempt at blackballing, they have stooped so low that they're sending doctors to Board of Aldermen meetings in an attempt to keep the Premeir's site plan from being approved.

C'mon guys. If you're going to keep them out of here, you're not going to do it because their mulch and shrubbery don't meet code.

So basically, as citizens of Starkville, we are being told that improved services don't matter. We're being told that we should bend over backwards to prevent our fair hospital from enduring any sort of competition.

As a certain citizen recently explained it to me. I can stay here in Starkville and get a $4,700 colonoscopy that is litterally a pain in my backside, or I can drive to Tupelo and get the same look at my colon, agony-free, for $1,200.

Maybe OCH isn't being extreme enough. Heck, if I could charge that much to scope out someone's poop-chute, I'd revert to breaking people's knees to keep the competition out of town.

But I digress. Moral of the story: I'm sorry OCH. Your monopoly has to end. I know it makes you want to cry, but that's business. Get over it. You can't give Starkvillians colonoscopies anymore.

The Lovely George Harris Enters the Blogosphere

2005-07-07T11:41:00.000-04:00

Student Association Director of Freshman Forum George Harris.

George's Blog

Senatobia's finest Sigmachi just launched what appears to be a pretty happenin' web log. He cover's sports and politics and everything in between. A former offensive lineman for Toby-town, he follows in the footsteps of Snyder and Fellows on the path from pancakes to publishing.

George was one of the many all-stars, the rest of which he dated, on Elisha Blades' 2004-05 SA Freshman Forum. Look for him to be active in SA throughout his career at MSU. The only question: Will he represent Sigma Chi's return to political dominance at the People's University? Only time will tell.

Also, if you get a chance, surf over to RJ Morgan's blog. He's been putting in a lot of work lately, and its been one of the best over the past couple of weeks.

Joe Duncan's Blog: A Psychiatrist's Playground

2005-07-06T17:31:00.000-04:00

Joseph Duncan, a convicted child molestor, is accused of kidnapping Dylan and Shasta Groene and killing their older brother, mother and mother's boyfriend

Original Yahoo! News article here.

I don't know if y'all have been following this, and I normally wouldn't post this type of 'national news' on Telle's Tales, except for the fact that I ran accross old Joe's blog today. Scary indeed.

By the way, I gotta give a shout out to my friend Lamar Long, who currently resides in Coeur D'Alene. There's no crying in baseball.

The Most Sobering Website I've Ever Visited

2005-07-06T16:44:00.000-04:00

This is an example of a postcard a reader sent in to PostSecret

PostSecret

Wow. PostSecret is incredible. If you go, you'll leave a little different. Readers send postcards and tell their secrets, most of them extremely heavy. It cetainly makes one as fortunate as me thankful for a life filled with ten times as many blessings as hardships.

Huge Crowd Witnesses Starkville's Shortest-Ever Board Meeting

2005-07-05T20:13:00.000-04:00

Daily Journal article here.
Starkville Daily News article here.

Two Points:
1. I missed the first 30 minutes of Dan Camp's first meeting because there was a logjam of interested citizens at the door, and I couldn't get in to see the action.
2. It was the quickest meeting I've ever been to. Camp plowed through the agenda with reckless abandon and humourous quips. Very entertaining

Major Decisions:
1. The bond issued to build the justice complex has been rescinded.
2. The radiology decision has been passed back to Planning & Zoning.

On the Fourth Don't Grab a Fifth, Instead Get a Six-Pack

2005-07-02T00:20:00.000-04:00

Who could better represent a post about patriotic beer-drinking than good ol' Samuel Adams?

In celebration of the Fourth of July, I decided it would be necessary to turn to our trusty friends over at beeradvocate.com

I've decided to provide you with a list of the five best beers in the world according to Beer Advocate as well as a list of their five worst beers. These are hilarious by the way. I bet y'all didn't know such beer snobs existed.

Beer Advocate's Five Best Beers

Trappist Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap)
Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
Rating: 95
Review Exerpt: "The smell of fruit, nuts, malt and sugar candy. Incredible amount of flavor in the first sip. First, the tingle of alcohol and grassy herbless. In the middle all of the flavors collide and blend into a kaleidoscope of perfection. Flavors of dried fruit, apricot, peaches and golden raisons. Then, very subtle hints of bananas and clove. Followed by the sweetness of toffee and mild chocolate. The finish is smooth and warming. Notes of evergreen and herbal grasses. The mouthfeel is huge and round, very smooth, slippery."

Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Rating: 95
Review Exerpt: "I wish to bathe in this. I kept thinking how much better all other beers would be if I could only pour some of this in them. The deep malt taste is balanced by the massive raspberry tartness. This beer is complex yet soothing. My feeble words don’t begin to convey the true nature of this beer. I can only say: seek. Personally, I’m gassing up the car and driving up to the brewery. It’s only 1,429 miles. Takes exactly a day according to Google. I’ll be there soon. Undying gratitude to Eyedrinkale for the experience."

Dark Lord Imperial Stout
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing LLC
Rating: 95
Review Exerpt: "Black as eternal darkness. Impenetrable by light. A thin skimming of chocolate colored foam rests atop the demonic liquid below. Molasses, raisins, burnt chocolate, loads of dark fruit, and roasted malt aromas wrap themselves around a boozy, brandyish undercurrent. Enticing. Daring you to take a sip. You question your decision to come this far, but you must proceed. Melted dark chocolate, molasses soaked dark fruits, a late, piney hop presence and roasted malts obliterate the palate, coating the tongue completely. A slight alcoholic kick surfaces in the finish, but doesn't distract the senses from the plethora of other sensual delights going on here. Lingering melted chocolate and vinous, dark fruit flavors. Creamy, milkshake-thick, and deliciously rich. Sinful. Devilish. A guilty grin paints your face as you ponder what you just did. Welcome to the dark side."

Trappist Westvleteren 8 (Blue Cap)
Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
Rating: 94
Review Exerpt: "Oh, such an incredibly fine aroma. Raisins and dates, black licorice, sweet malt, just so incredibly fine. Any description of this beer must include the words "incredible" and "impossible" because beer simply cannot get any better than this. Off the scale delicious. Sweet, sweet malt and unearthly rich ripened fruit flavors. Indescribable. There are no words that can adequately describe the flavor of this beer. Truly brings a man closer to God. There is no other way to describe drinking this beer than a near-religious experience. If you do not like this beer you should not be drinking beer at all. Beyond superb. Beyond excellent. A tasty treat to be sipped and savored"

Founders Breakfast Stout
Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Rating: 94
Review Exerpt: "Well okay then, I suppose I will succumb to temptation and have a sip. Holy crap! Rich, dark, chocolate. Smooth, rolled oats. Bitter espresso coffee. A bit of hop bitterness is buried in the background. The dominant character is the espresso though, although the chocolate is a close second. The word decadent comes to mind. The flavors mingle and create such a nice experience, it's almost like the best coffee you've EVER had. Screw Juan Valdez, I say drink this."

Beer Advocate's Five Worst Beers

Corona Light
Brewery: Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V
Rating: 58
Review Exerpt: "I can't review this seriously. How the hell could anyone honestly spend their hard earned cash on this wanna-be-a-beer? Water is free, and so is urine. Why not drink the two and get nearly double the amount of liquid enjoyment, while saving money while you're at it? Why the hell do you think they stick a lime in Corona? You'll need double for this toss."

Michelob Ultra
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Rating: 59
Review Exerpt: "Why? This spits in the face of beer heritage. Beer is not meant to be like this, and if you are drinking this to lose weight, you are not forgiven. Plus, it was one of the first indication of the low carb trend, so this beer has a special place in Hell. Anyways, pale yellow, with little white head, no aroma, no flavor, no body. Thin and flavorless, mostly carbonation flavor. Would make a good fix if you ran out of soda water for scotch and soda."

Crazy Ed's Cave Creek Chili Beer
Brewery: Black Mountain Brewing Co. / Chili Beer Co.
Rating: 60
Review Exerpt: "This is the worst thing ever created. It smells like fermented jalepenos. And since when did it become legal to put poison into beer? I ask only because I feel like I'm going to hurl. I appreciate the novelty, but this doesn't work at all. If I wanted to drink hot sauce, I'd drink hot sauce -- but it would be red, thick, saucy, and have some real flavor. Just horrendously overpowering chili flavors. I'd rather drink the juice from El Paso pickled/bottled jalepenos than ever touch this again. It's novel, I suppose."

Bud Light
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Rating: 61
Review Exerpt: "Ah, my most hated of beers. Bud Light, the beer of choice for teenagers. This "beer" couldn't possibly be worse. Horrible taste. Horrible appearance. Everyone has tried it. Only idiots think its good. This tastes like something that Bud has drained from thie toilets."

Coor's Light
Brewery: Coors Brewing Company
Rating: 61
Review Exerpt: "This is it! The worst beer I have ever had (not counting contaminated or spoiled beer. Though even then, it comes close). This beer is piss yellow, smells like the underside of a dirty mop and tastes...like the underside of a dirty mop...or maybe like the piss yellow color it resembles. Anyway, it is so watered down, that I can't even get a buzz off of it, wind up spending all my time in the bathroom and it makes me think that the best thing I could do for humanity is continue my quest to warn the world of the evils of the Coors brewery! It's that bad."

NASA to Blow Up Comet on Fourth

2005-07-01T23:20:00.000-04:00

This celestial body, Comet Tempel 1, will be no more after NASA blows it up on Independence Day

Original AP article here.

No fireworks stand in the world, not even the ones in Mississippi, can compete with NASA's attempt at Independence-Day pyrotechnics. At 12:52 a.m. Sunday morning, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft will shoot an 820-pound projectile probe into nearby Comet Tempel 1 that will possibly yield a 14 story deep football-field-sized crater.

The comet is expected to grow up to 40 times brighter than normal during the impact. NASA is performing the experiment on the comet to investigate a yet unseen part of the universe, the innards of a comet. NASA scientists are hoping that the inside of the ball of dust and ice is filled with material that could give them clues about the beginning of the universe.

Deep Impact will have 15 minutes to shoot photographs of the explosion before it has to turn and escape the oncoming particles from the collision. The explosion will be equal to that of 5 tons of TNT. Yay America!

It's Official at Last! Dan Camp Now Mayor of Starkville

2005-07-01T17:09:00.000-04:00

A crowd rushes to the steps of City Hall to shake the hands of Starkville's new officials.

Mayor Dan Camp (back center) speaks to a citizen while Downtown Business Ownerss Association President Steve Langston (front left) and Student Association President Jon David Cole (front right) greet each other. Muckraker Robbie Ward (left) wonders where he is.

About 150 Starkvillians and at least one West Pointer, newly elected mayor Scott Ross, witnessed Dan Camp and his Board of Aldermen take office outside City Hall this afternoon. The board includes Sumner Davis, Jim Mills, P.C. MacLaurin, Richard Corey, Matt Cox, Roy Perkins and Janette Self.

MSU President Emeritus Dr. Donald Zacharias provided the ceremony's opening remarks, which were littered with praise for Camp. "Folks, this is a model Democrat, and Dan Camp is a producer," Zacharias said. "People regardless of background, age or race came together to elect Dan as our new mayor," he later added. "It's a brilliant beginning and how it goes from here on depends on (the citizens of Starkville) and the support that we provide."

Vivian Collier, whom many predicted would challenge Roy Perkins in his unopposed campaign for Ward 6 Alderman followed by singing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

After the candidates took their oaths, Camp delivered his short but sweet inaugural address.

"We are about to enter a new day. A day that I am extremely excited about. A day in which I find that we have ingredients all over this community. I've said it's like making a gumbo, and it is. We have all the areas, we have all the items that would make the best gumbo in the State of Mississippi. It's like turning on a light switch, and we have a glowing light that will be coming from this community. Give me your hands. Give me your faith. And I believe that we can do that"
-Dan Camp's Entire Inaugural Address

The event concluded with a reception inside the board room.

Notables in attendence included: Langston, Cole, Ross, Colin Scanes, John Tomlinson, Tommy Tomlinson, George Sherman, Gaddis Hunt, Betty Black, Jerry Gilbert, Marco Nicovich, Lee Beck, Bob Ford, Lewis Mallory, Larry Box and Vic Zitta.

Lamonte Stamps: True American Hero

2005-07-01T05:16:00.000-04:00

Lamunte

Lamonte's World of EntICE
(Don't forget to sign his "Phrozen Guestbook.")

It's a sad day in Mississippi State University history.

Lamonte Stamps, the only person I've ever schooled in basketball, just concluded his MSU career, for now at least. He's headed off to Western Kentucky University to pursue a Master's Degree in student affairs.

I attended a surprise going-away party for Lamonte tonight at the lovely College Station home of Miss Michelle Simmons(for like five minutes on my way home from the library). Even in the summertime, a last-minute party for Lamonte drew a crowd of about 20.

That's how special this guy is. Notables in attendence included, among others, current WKU Master's student and former Bulldog Legend Miss Shawnboda Johnson, "Them Allens" (Sheena and Shara), BSU Presidents Sherman Green and Jeremy Johnson, Miss Kathy Jones, freshman stud Jonathan Rudd, and former Roadrunner C.J. McElroy.

This place will miss this guy. He's held lots of titles including SA Executive Assistant, Alpha Phi Alpha President, Greek Man of the Year, Orientation Leader, Roadrunner, NPHC Vice President, and more. But his greatest title: Friend.

I'll never forget our endless arguments over black & white, my weight, his white-guy legs, J-Train McCullum, my hair flip, Chicago, poetry, and Bobo.

Lamonte, you've left your mark. You've made me a better person. You're one of my best friends. You'll never be forgotten around here.

Reagan Tops List of Greatest Americans

2005-06-30T15:41:00.000-04:00

Ronald Regan

20 Greatest Americans
Discovery Channel / AOL
2.4 million votes cast

Ronald Reagan
Abraham Lincoln
Martin Luther King Jr
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
George W Bush
Bill Clinton
Elvis Presley
Oprah Winfrey
Franklin D Roosevelt
Billy Graham
Thomas Jefferson
Walt Disney
Albert Einstein
Thomas Alva Edison
John F Kennedy
Bob Hope
Bill Gates
Eleanor Roosevelt
Lance Armstrong

Quantity By Occupation:
Political Leaders: 11 (3 Republicans, 4 Democrats)
Entertainers: 4
Scientists: 2
Businesspeople: 1
Religious Leaders: 1
Athletes: 1

Fellows the Matchmaker: Yours Truly Paired with Winnie

2005-06-30T15:09:00.000-04:00

Former ASB President and connoisseur of all things comestible Gordon Fellows has been on a nasty streak of celebrity matchmaking.

He paired me with Wonder Years femme fatale Winnie Cooper. She's hot! Winnie, if you're out there...Wait! I think Matt Vitart has her number!

"During lunch, I realized another couple: Adam Telle and Winnie Cooper. Telle, former Student Body President at MSU, is a gregarious and at times blunt person. Winnie's quiet, unassuming attitude would serve as a soothing foil to Telle. Her intellect would certainly match Adam's, and even challenge him at times. After losing her brother in Vietnam, Winnie also learned how to deal with tragedy, and dating Adam certainly would be. HOOHOOOOO!!!!"
-Mealcaptian Gordon Fellows

Picture of the Week: I'll Have the Number Two, Please

2005-06-30T15:01:00.000-04:00

This is a picture of a restaurant in Taiwan where customers sit on toilets and eat their food out of bowls shaped like miniature toilets.

Original Reuters article here.

"We think the theme is special, and the food is tasty."
-Manager Hung Lin-wen

Hey Kenny Rogers, You Gotta Know When to Hold 'Em

2005-06-30T14:29:00.000-04:00

Rogers rips a camera off the shoulder of KDFW's Larry Rodriguez

Know when to fold 'em.
Know when to walk away.
Know when to run.

Download video here.

If you haven't seen this yet, you need to. Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers just didn't want cameras in his face. I guess people wanted to ask him about punching the dugout watercooler a few days earlier after a poor performance on the mound.

He should have known it would be caught on tape.

Holmes CC President Bought Dog Food with Embezzled Funds

2005-06-30T12:35:00.000-04:00

Starkey Morgan (left) and Dog Food (right)

Original Clarion-Ledger article here.
Original Kosciusko Star-Herald article here.

That's right, folks. Over the past ten years, Holmes County Community College President Starkley Morgan, has embezzled between $10,000 and $12,000 so that he could buy, among other things, dog food.

In addition to dog food, Morgan used college resources to purchase tires, to have his yard decorated for his son's wedding, and to pay veterinary bills.

Morgan has been arrested on $30,000 bond and will still be receiving at least a portion of his $138,500 salary while he is on paid leave.

C'mon Starkley! If you were going to embezzle, you should have chosen to steal from the deeper pockets than those of Mississippi education.

And couldn't you have embezzled with the intent of buying a new Escalade or ski boat? Then it would have at least been worth your trouble. Now you're going to lose your job over dog food. Not too smart.

So this is who is saddled with the responsibility of educating Mississippi's youth?

Wonderful.

Telle's Tales Named June's Top Contributor to SnyderNews

2005-06-30T11:56:00.000-04:00

Jackson Academy's most distinguished son, Drew Snyder

According to Drew Snyder's Blog (SnyderNews.net), Telle's Tales has been the site's top traffic contributor during the month of June. SnyderNews was named the 3rd best blog in Jackson by the Jackson Free Press.

Since its inception in April, Telle's Tales, has steadily climbed Drew's charts from 6th in April to 3rd in May to 1st in June.

I just wanted to extend a special thanks to those of you out there who have been reading and then surfing over to SnyderNews. Keep it up!

Here are the rankings:

June 2005
1. Telle's Tales
2. WillBardwell.com
3. WrestlingClassics.com Forum
4. Blog of Lay
5. Pete's House of Blog
6. Edward Sanders
7. Juicee News Daily
8. Collin for President
9. Lazy Commentary: A Love Story
10. Kilgore's Korner

May 2005
1. Edward Sanders Blog
2. WillBardwell.com
3. Telle's Tales
4. Blog of Lay
5. Pete's House of Blog
6. NJDC
7. Lenwood Brooks, The Blog
8. Cameron Phelan
9. Stories, by JB Ward
10. BlaggBogg

April 2005
1. Edward Sanders Blog
2. WillBardwell.com
3. Lenwood Brooks, The Blog
4. BlogofLay
5 Stories, by JB Ward
6. Telle's Tales
7. The Pete's House of Blog
8. Cameron Phelan
9. Mississippi Law & Politics
10. Nate's Daily News

Final Finals

2005-06-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

Here's a random picture of me camping on top of Swalm Chemical Engineering Building. This picture was taken two years ago on the morning of the graduation of Drew McNeil and Gordon Pace. The three of us smoked cigars and flew kites up there all night. For those who don't know, Drew's going on staff with Campus Crusade either at Auburn or Georgia, and Gordon's headed off to Presbo seminary. Go Golden Wave!

I haven't had time to post today because I've been desperately trying to finish my very last round of undergraduate classwork. I'm taking nine hours this summer semester in order to graduate at the end of this week, and each of my three classes is culminating around this very moment.

Look for about ten posts tomorrow, though. I plan on dedicating my entire existence tomorrow to blogging. I've got some great stuff coming. See y'all tomorrow!

Previous Telle's Tales disc golf post including some more info on Swalm's roof.

Ellis, Roberts Both Picked in the Second Round

2005-06-29T01:26:00.000-04:00

Monta Ellis (left) and Lawrence Roberts (right) were chosen 40th and 55th respectively in Tuesday night's NBA draft.

ESPN.com coverage here.

Lawrence should be happy. He'll make and play for the Grizzlies right in front of a bunch of screaming Bulldog fans.

Monta, not so happy. He'll be cut by the Warriors and be sent to play for the Columbus RiverDragons or some such nonsense. He would be much happier in Maroon next year.

Oh well, the NBA just stole another soul.

Belding and Booze...

2005-06-28T17:41:00.000-04:00

Dennis Haskins, most commonly known as Bayside High's Mr. Belding, is seen here partaking of sweet, sweet liquor.

Belding is seen here tonguing a college-aged gal.

I found these photos linked on Drew Snyder's Blog. Apparently Belding is making the college tour these days and not holding back when it comes to debauchery.

Speaking of which, can someone confirm the longstanding rumor that Belding dated MSU's most elligible bachelorette, Women's Basketball Coach Sharon Fanning, during their college days?

MSU Women's Basketball Coach Sharon Fanning

I've heard it said many a time. I've even heard that Fanning has their picture in her office. We need to get to the bottom of all this immediately.

Update: I have confirmed via the MSU athletics website that Fanning was born in Chattanooga in 1953 and got her undergraduate degree from UT-Chattanooga in 1975.

I have also confirmed via Kappa Sigma Fraternity that Haskins, born in 1950 in Chattanooga, also attended UT-Chattanooga where he was a Kappa Sig.

Google Releases Video Search Engine

2005-06-28T13:31:00.000-04:00

In a search for "Mississippi State," I found this clip from Good Morning America featuring some Mississippi State Women sporting foam lady liberty crowns.

Google Video

Google's stock has more than tripled to $300 a share since the internet search engine went public ten months ago. Its value will likely continue rapidly increasing after Monday's announcement of Google's latest service.

Google Video requires users to download yet another video plugin for thier web browsers, but searches yield impressive results.

In a search for "Mississippi State," I got hundreds of videos, most of them relevant, that featured everything from MSU basketball highlights to a casual reference to MSU by a senator on C-Span.

My search for "Starkville" included six unique videos:

The Food Network's coverage of The Lil' Dooey on its "Best of Barbecue Bites" program
The Weather Channel warning viewers in Starkville and Columbus that a thunderstorm is approaching
Two phone calls from Starkville on C-Span's "The Washington Journal," one from January and one from May
An author on C-Span 2's "BookTV" discussing some time he spent researching former New York Times editor Turner Catledge at MSU
Clips from an Arena Football game featuring a former MSU football star

This is a great service that should catch on very soon. Check it out and see what kind of crazy videos you can find.

Bloggers Fighting Federal Government? Not Really

2005-06-28T13:24:00.000-04:00

Original AP article here.

You may have read healines or seen reports on television of this nature over the last few days. I was watching Fox News, and the anchors just started ranting about this story. They were acting like the federal government was going to start regulating and taxing blog speech.

They followed by saying that some knight-in-shining-armor Political Action Committee called BlogPAC was lobbying congress to keep blogs autonomous.

Well, I looked into it, and these headlines are more than a little misleading. Let me try to clear things up. Here's the truth:

The Federal Elections Commission, who regulate campaign finance among other things, has decided that the internet presents special challenges in regulating campaign finace. They would be correct in that assessment. Last elections cycle candidates, especially Dean and Kerry, revolutionized fundraising by tapping into the power of the internet.

It just so happened that many blogs were either asking readers to contribute to candidates or taking up collections themselves. Obviously, for the FEC, this gets pretty hairy. But I think it's certainly something they have to monitor. We all agree, at least I hope we do, that campaign finance regulation is a good thing for our country.

Anyway, BlogPAC, who according to this article and many others are some kind of freedom-of-speech activist group, has begun fighting any type of regulation of what happens with fundraising in the blogosphere. But BlogPAC is just a wolf in sheep's clothing.

They are a liberal, pro-donkey group that doesn't want to see their means of begging the masses to contribute to the coffers of the Democratic Party taken away. Well I don't want to see it taken away either, but I don't think this is the freedom-of-speech issue the media is painting it as.

This is a campaign finance issue. The fact that blogs are the means by which dollars are being generated is irrelevant to the FEC. If people were using hot-air baloons to collect funds, the FEC would be hot on that trail too.

Moral of the Story #1: The FEC is not going to infringe on yours or my blogging rights.

Moral of the Story #2: The media gets things wrong sometimes. I guess more people pay attention when you sensationalize things a bit. You know, they tried to replace salt & pepper with sexy Mrs. Dash, but in the end people just wanted salt & pepper.

Lawrence Roberts to Find New Home Today

2005-06-28T08:39:00.000-04:00

Former MSU big man Lawrence Roberts

Where will Lawrence Roberts go in today's NBA draft. Most pundits have predicted he will be taken midway through the second round. Some have said he won't be drafted at all.

"If there are 50 better players than Lawrence Roberts in this draft, I don't know them."
-Rick Stansbury

Even if Roberts is drafted in the second round, it won't mean much. Bulldog fans remember the fate of their last star big man, Mario Austin, who was sent to play pro ball Russia after being drafted in the second round two years ago.

Mississippi State signee and Lanier High School star Monta Ellis, on the other hand, could be a first round pick, although his stock has dropped significantly over the past few months. If he's a first-rounder, Ellis will get that NBA contract he covets. If he's not, Bulldog fans will be saying "I told you so."

The Starkville Board of Aldermen: A Look into The Future

2005-06-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

My crystal ball. Bling Bling.

The dust has settled from the June 7 municipal election. Next week, Dan Camp and his board will be sworn in and begin what should be four of the most interesting years in Starkville's history.

It's time for me to look into my crystal ball (which by the way served me pretty well for election predictions) and give the readers of Telle's Tales a small glimpse of things to come.

Here is some of what I see*:

Look for Dan Camp to initially struggle with the details of his job. He'll have to ignore his quirky new-urban agenda for awhile as he learns to deal with department heads and drainage problems. I'm also a little worried about his adherence to Robert's Rules of Order. Camp will be somewhat troubled initially when he realizes that he can't just make decisions. He'll have to give and take, which is often tough for a perfectionist. The key to Camp's administration will be the degree to which he can maintain his close relationships with Mills, Cox, and Corey and make some headway in his relationships with Davis, Perkins, and Self.
Look for developing talk of a city-wide ad valorem tax increase. Even Dan Camp, who would not take a stance on tax increases during the campaign, will be faced with the reality that his vision will not be realized without increased revenue. The key factor that will determine whether or not a tax increase occurs will be the board's ability to communicate with constituents, something the previous board struggled to do with regard to the justice complex. Look for Corey, Self, and Davis to be in favor of a tax increase. Look for Mills and Camp to be in opposition without a city-wide referendum. Look for P.C. MacLaurin to be in favor of a tax increase, but to publicly conceal his stance. Look for Roy Perkins to demand services to Ward 6 before he moves an inch. Look for Matt Cox, a progressive visionary but avid supporter of a referendum on the justice complex bond issue, to be the wild card.
One of the most significant factors affecting the board over the next four years will be P.C. MacLaurin's attempts at positioning himself to run for mayor in '09. Look for a different P.C. than you're used to, a P.C. who will build alliances with Roy Perkins and Janette Self, a P.C. who will wage very public battles that paint him as an at-all-costs advocate of the common Starkvillian, and, perhaps most surprisingly, a P.C. who initially gets along with a very popular Dan Camp. P.C.'s greatest challenge will be to build a coalition similar to the one he's had for the past four years. Beck and Davis are gone, and he's left to challenge Camp for the allegiances of Corey and Self.
Look for Lee Beck to position himself to run for alderman again in '09, probably in Ward 4. He will exert continuous pressure on Richard Corey by rebuilding alliances with students and working behind the scenes with his buddies that are still on the board to ensure that Lee's still their boy. Look for a Beck run for mayor in 2013.
Look for Richard Corey to initially cling to Dan Camp and Matt Cox in an overt attempt to keep himself at a safe distance from the tractor beam of P.C. MacLaurin. Siding with Camp wouldn't be a bad idea for Corey, who needs guidance from someone who knows Ward 4 like no other
Look for Roy Perkins to gain more and more traction in Starkville. Because of the new Ward 7, he will move one seat closer to the center of the board both physically and politically. Perkins was often viewed as an outsider because of his unique constituency and seat at the end of the table. With Janette Self sitting beside him and voting with him, his constituency is not so unique and he becomes the board's second-ranking power broker behind Mac.
Look for Sumner Davis to exert significantly more influence over the board this time around. He came into the game at halftime during the last term with a special election and has just now captivated the residents of Ward 1 who are thankful for Sumner after seeing his competition. Sumner, who always sees issues as clearly as anyone, has been moved from backup to starter and should call a lot of the plays this time around.
Look for Matt Cox to attempt to distance himself from Camp, at least publicly. I wouldn't be surprised if he opposes the mayor's wishes early on to prove he's not a pawn. His level of preparation and ability to reason will challenge other board members to do their homework. Cox will make a quick leap to a position of significant influence. No one will be more popular among citizens. No one will be more popular among his or her peers on the board.

*These statements constitute mere speculation. (That is, don't bet your cowbell on them).

Level of Influence Rankings (1st year)

Dan Camp
P.C. MacLaurin
Roy Perkins
Matt Cox
Sumner Davis
Jim Mills
Janette Self
Richard Corey

Level of Influence Rankings (4th year)

P.C. MacLaurin
Dan Camp
Matt Cox
Roy Perkins
Sumner Davis
Richard Corey
Janette Self
Jim Mills

What do y'all think?

Supreme Court: Ten Commandments Don't Belong in Courthouses

2005-06-27T11:26:00.000-04:00

American Legion post commander Paul Worthington hangs a copy of the Ten Commandments in a Kentucky county courthouse. The Supreme Court ruled that this type of display violates the constitution.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot stands in front of one of the monuments in question. The Supreme Court ruled that the monument, which stands in the Texas State Capitol, did not violate the constitution.

Original AP article here.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in two cases Monday, asserting that the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in courthouses, but can be displayed on government property.

In each case, the same four justices ruled in favor of the Ten Commandments. Likewise, four others ruled against the displays in both cases. Sandra Day O'Connor was the only justice who opposed the religious symbols in one case but voted to allow them in the other.

Some have speculated that Justice Stephen Breyer only ruled in favor of the Texas monument because of its historical significance. The monument has been standing at the Texas Capitol for 40 years. This may mean that any future attempts at religious displays on government property will be disallowed in that they have no history.

What do the readers of Telle's Tales think about the rulings? Does a monument of the Ten Commandments constitute government establishment of religion? Why do Christians promote the displays? Will a monument bring anyone to know Christ? Do the Ten Commandments hold historical significance in our country? Do the displays infringe on the rights of individuals?

Goats Called on to Help Prevent Forest Fires

2005-06-27T00:22:00.000-04:00

Original Reuters article here.

Look out Smokey. In order to rid the California countryside of dry underbrush, locals are turning to goats.

"Goats are just another tool in the toolbox for California and we try to use as many tools as possible,"
-California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Michael Jarvis

Mitch Hedburg

This story reminded me of a true American hero who passed away on March 30, 2005. Comedian Mitch Hedburg used to tell a joke about Smacky the Frog, The United Kingdom's forest fire prevention representative. In memory of Mitch, I have compiled some memorable quotes:

"In England Smoky the Bear is not the forest fire prevention representative. They have Smacky the Frog. It's just like a bear, but it's a frog. I think it's a better system, I think we should adopt it. Because bears can be mean, but frogs are always cool. Never has there been a frog hopping toward me, and I thought 'man, I'd better play dead. Here comes that frog...' You never say here comes that frog in a nervous manner. It's always optimistic. Hey here comes that frog, al-right. Maybe he'll come near me so I can pet him, and stick him in a mayonnaise jar, with a stick and a leaf, to recreate what he's used to. And I'm pretty sure I'd have to punch some holes in the lid, because he's damn sure used to air. Then I can observe him, and he won't be doing much in his 16 ounce world."

"I got an ant farm. Them fellas didn't grow sh**."

"I wrote a letter to my dad - I wrote, "I really enjoy being here," but I accidentally wrote rarely instead of really. But I still wanted to use it so i crossed it out and wrote, "I rarely drive steamboats, dad - there's a lot of sh** you don't know about me. Quit trying to act like I'm a steamboat operator." This letter took a harsh turn right away..."

"I think Bigfoot is blurry, that's the problem. It's not the photographer's fault. Bigfoot is blurry. And that's extra scary to me, because there's a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside. Run. He's fuzzy. Get outta here."

"Sometimes I wave to people I don't know. It is very dangerous to wave to people you don't know, because what if they don't have a hand? They'll think you're cocky. "Look what I got motherf*****, this thing is useful...I'm gonna go pick something up"

"I bought a seven dollar pen because I always lose pens and I got sick of not caring."

"You know they call corn on the cob, corn on the cob, but that's how it comes out of the ground, man. They should call that corn, they should call every other version corn off the cob. It's not like if you cut off my arm you would call it Mitch. Then reattach it and call me Mitch-all-together..."

"If you had a friend who was a tightrope walker, and you were walking down a sidewalk, and he fell, that would be completely unacceptible..."

"I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too."

"I had a bag of fritos, they were texas grilled fritos. These fritos had grill marks on them. Hell yeah, reminds me of something, when we used to fire up the barbeque and throw down some fritos. I can still see my dad with the apron on, better flip that frito, dad, you know how I like it."

"One time i saw a seagull at a lake and I told him - dude I won't tell anybody"

" A burrito is just a sleeping bag for ground beef "
-Mitch Hedburg

Gay-Lesbian TV Network to Hit Millions of American Homes

2005-06-27T00:03:00.000-04:00

Brian Graden, the gay president of MTV networks, created Logo, which will debut June 30.

Logo website.
Original AP article here.

On Thursday 10 million American homes will get a new cable channel. Here is the network's pitch:

For the first time ever, Gay America will have a home on television where we can go see ourselves. On LOGO you will see mofe than 200 lesbian and gay films, an ongoing documentary series, newscasts tailored for a gay and lesbian audience and quality original shows and specials. Programming that reflects our lives. Programming that tells our stories

Oddly enough Brian Graden, the gay MTV executive who created Logo, is responsible for programming on CMT and is also a graduate of Oral Roberts University, one of the most prominent charismatic Christian universities in the country.

Study: Internet News Readers Have Less Extreme Views

2005-06-24T07:37:00.000-04:00

Original MU study article here

Internet news consumers were also some of the least polarized citizens, which the researchers say is surprising since the Internet users could have easily received their news from outlets that matched their existing views.

"By narrowly concentrating their information consumption on content that reinforces their views, Internet users potentially could experience the same reinforcing process that could be taking place with conservative radio listeners," Wanta said, noting that Internet users are actually become less polarized in their views. "One plausible explanation is that Internet users are seeking breadth as well as depth in the information they get from the Internet. This breadth of information shows both sides of political issues, leading to a wider acceptance of differing political views."
-University of Missouri School of Journalism Study

Traditionally, media theory has claimed that consumers will choose media sources that reenforce views they already hold rather than exploring alternative takes. A recent University of Missouri study seems to chip away at that tradition.

The study said that radio listeners rated as the most polarized consumers while internet news readers ranked as some of the least extreme.

Let's analyze this in the context of the blogosphere for just a second.

With internet news, readers have at their fingertips a seemingly infinite supply of sources, each with different styles, slants, and opinions. Traditional theory would suggest that these readers should gravitate towards the sources that agree most with their previously held notions and leave everything else alone. It seems like this type of activity would produce polarization and extremism.

Similarly, when news consumers have only a few choices, as is the case with radio, they should be attracted to those programs that match their personal views and choose not to tune in to anything else.

However, it would seem that if this theory were accurate, that those radio viewers should, instead be attracted to internet news sources. The more options, the closer a consumer can match his or her personal views.

What does this say about the role of blogs in the American media culture? First of all, it says that blogs are absolutely beneficial. They encourage people to explore alternative viewpoints, and based on this study those differing perspectives mold the perspectives of readers into something more universal and certainly more informed.

It also teaches readers how to better filter information. If a consumer is exposed ot more options, his or her tastes become much more discerning. An informed, discerning public is always a good thing.

Of course, there are probably some flaws in this study. The study talks about a correlation between the type of media a person consumes and that person's level of extremism. I think the type of media a person consumes is probably based as much on that person's intelligence and socio-economic status as anything. Because there is likely a correlation between those two factors and extremism, the variable of media type is not anywhere near isolated.

Overall though, I think this study speaks volumes for the positive aspects of blogging on our culture.

Killen Receives Maximum Sentence

2005-06-23T11:23:00.000-04:00

Edgar Ray Killen attempts to push a black photographer's camera aside.

Clarion-Ledger coverage here.

Edgar Ray Killen, an 81-year-old former KKK member, was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 1964 murder of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Miss. The sentence comprises three 20-year sentences, one for each of the murders, to be served consecutively.

Some criticized the jury's decision to find Killen guilty of manslaughter rather than murder, which can carry a much heavier sentence. Killen, who has required oxygen tubes in his nose throughout the trial, shouldn't live much longer. His maximum sentence sends a strong message to the world that justice has at last descended upon Mississippi.

MSU Ranks 48th Nationally In African American Graduates

2005-06-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

Original Black Issues overall study here.
Original Black Issues engineering study here.

"It's a friendly environment and a great campus to be a part of."
-Sophomore Biological Engineering major Darvin Griffin

Top 100 American Universities in Black Graduates (2003-04)
1. Florida A&M University (1,522)
2. Howard University (1,154)
3. Southern University (916)
9. Jackson State University (765)
10. Florida State University (758)
19. University of Florida (615)
23. Michigan State University (565)
31. University of Southern Mississippi (527)
33. University of Memphis (518)
39. University of South Carolina (498)
48. Mississippi State University (450)
69. North Carolina State University (391)
70. University of Alabama (388)
74. Louisiana State University (379)
94. Alcorn State University (309)

Top 100 Traditionally White American Universities in Black Graduates (2003-04)
1. Georgia State University (979)
2. Temple University (884)
3. Florida State University (758)
9. University of Florida (615)
23. Michigan State University (565)
16. University of Southern Mississippi (527)
17. University of Memphis (518)
20. University of South Carolina (498)
28. Mississippi State University (450)
43. North Carolina State University (391)
44. University of Alabama (388)
47. Louisiana State University (379)

Top 100 American Universities in Black Engineering Graduates (2003-04)
1. Georgia Institute of Technology (126)
2. North Carolina A&T (110)
3. Tennessee State University (102)
5. North Carolina State University (79)
8. University of Michigan (56)
11. University of Maryland (46)
12. Michigan State University (44)
14. (T) Mississippi State University (40)
14. (T) Auburn University (40)
18. (T) Ohio State University (37)
18. (T) Clemson University (37)
19. University of Florida (34)
24. (T) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (31)
24. (T) Texas A&M University (31)
26. University of Virginia (30)
28. (T) University of Oklahoma (28)
28. (T) University of Texas (28)
33. Louisiana State University (27)
48. Vanderbilt University (19)

I'm Worn Out

2005-06-22T22:21:00.000-04:00

This isn't 389, but it will have to do. I was too out of breath to take a picture.

Inspired by the work of Starkville in Motion, Daily Journal reporter Robbie Ward and I just got finished with a two-and-a-half hour mountain bike ride. We traveled from the Cotton District north about 10 miles on Highway 389 to Oktibbeha County Lake.

We then rode down to Highway 182. By the time we reached 182, it had gotten pretty dark, so we called our friend Lee Beck to come pick us up at Adaton Baptist Church. Robbie got a horsefly stuck in his eye just before we got to Adaton, and went inside the church, scaring all the women and children as he dug around with a q-tip to pull the monster out. What a trip! Probably 15-20 miles in all. I'll be doing it again soon.

First Mary, Then Jesus, Now Michael Jackson

2005-06-22T14:36:00.000-04:00

It has officially gotten ridiculous.

Original Ananova article here.

This represnts the last time I will post about ordinary items featuring famous faces. This has gotten ridiculous.

My appologies to all fans of edible celebrities/religious icons.

A Tribute to Lee Beck

2005-06-22T14:21:00.000-04:00

The frail child pictured here grew into a heck of an alderman. Let's give it up for Lee Beck!

Last night's Starkville Board of Aldermen meeting represented the end of Lee Beck's historic four years of service. Here's to a young man who, with the help of his peers, placed himself in an uncharted position and performed admirably. Beck's election may prove to be the most significant event in the history of Starkville-student relations.

But Beck didn't let it end with his election. His legacy will be one of building bridges. Over the past four years Beck climbed from board enigma to board equal. He stood as a symbol for all the great things MSU students can do for Starkville if given a chance. He changed a lot of once-steadfast minds. Quite a feat.

Lee, you'll never be forgotten. MSU students owe much of the credit for the progress we've made over the past four years to you. Keep fighting. This town and MSU students still need you.

Here are some quotes from friends of Lee from the post below:

"Lee Beck, I am very proud of you and your service to the City of Starkville and the students at Mississippi State...both current and future. You have helped changed the negative attitude the City had towards students, and I am proud of you!"
-jennymoree

"Lee Beck has, over the years, been my alderman, my neighbor, my coworker and my friend. I am very proud to have known him in each capacity. Ward 4 will miss having such a dedicated and passionate ally. He has rallied for the students on a variety of issues and it saddens me that more of them did not show their thanks and support at the poles this year. But I know Lee, and I know how much he loves Starkville, and I don't think we've heard the last of him. Thanks for everything you've done for Ward 4 and the city of Starkville, Lee. Starkville will continue to need you."
-angie marquez

"I am so grateful that Lee Beck was the first student to be elected in 2001 as a Starkville Alderman. I remember helping him campaign and how exciting it was on election night in the courtroom when the election results were read.

I saw tremendous improvements in Starkville from the day I set foot in the city until the day I left (5 years total!). I am impressed everytime I go back to visit, and I know that Lee had a big part in making things happen in Starkville.

The election did not turn out the way I would have liked it, but I believe things happen for a reason and I know Lee will always be an advocate for the city of Starkville and Mississippi State's students.

Lee is one of my best friends and always has my support in whatever he does! I'm proud of you man and I hope everyone else is too!"
-blake macon

Please share any stories or praise you have for Lee.

Marshall Ramsey

2005-06-22T14:20:00.000-04:00

Who needs the dozens of articles written on the guilty verdict in the Edgar Ray Killen trial when you have Marshall Ramsey? I think this sums it up.

AFI Releases Top 100 Movie Quotes

2005-06-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

Rhett and Scarlett

The Dirty South is at the top again.

From the American Film Institute

”Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.”GONE WITH THE WIND, 1939
”I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse.”THE GODFATHER, 1972
”You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.”ON THE WATERFRONT, 1954
”Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.”THE WIZARD OF OZ, 1939
”Here's looking at you, kid.”CASABLANCA, 1942
”Go ahead, make my day.”SUDDEN IMPACT, 1983
”All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.”SUNSET BLVD., 1950
”May the Force be with you.”STAR WARS, 1977
”Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.”ALL ABOUT EVE, 1950
”You talking to me?.”TAXI DRIVER, 1976
”What we've got here is failure to communicate.”COOL HAND LUKE, 1967
”I love the smell of napalm in the morning. .”APOCALYPSE NOW, 1979
”Love means never having to say you're sorry.”LOVE STORY, 1970
”The stuff that dreams are made of.”THE MALTESE FALCON, 1941
”E.T. phone home.”E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, 1982
”They call me Mister Tibbs!.”IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, 1967
”Rosebud.”CITIZEN KANE, 1941
”Made it, Ma! Top of the world!.”WHITE HEAT, 1949
”I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!.”NETWORK, 1976
”Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”CASABLANCA, 1942
”A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, 1991
”Bond. James Bond.”DR. NO, 1962
”There's no place like home. .”THE WIZARD OF OZ, 1939
”I am big! It's the pictures that got small.”SUNSET BLVD., 1950
”Show me the money!.”JERRY MAGUIRE, 1996
”Why don't you come up sometime and see me?.”SHE DONE HIM WRONG, 1933
”I'm walking here! I'm walking here!.”MIDNIGHT COWBOY, 1969
”Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'.”CASABLANCA, 1942
”You can't handle the truth!.”A FEW GOOD MEN, 1992
”I want to be alone.”GRAND HOTEL, 1932
”After all, tomorrow is another day!.”GONE WITH THE WIND, 1939
”Round up the usual suspects.”CASABLANCA, 1942
”I'll have what she's having.”WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, 1989
”You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.”TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, 1944
”You're gonna need a bigger boat.”JAWS, 1975
”Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!.”THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, 1948
”I'll be back.”THE TERMINATOR, 1984
”Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, 1942
”If you build it, he will come. .”FIELD OF DREAMS, 1989
”Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.”FORREST GUMP, 1994
”We rob banks.”BONNIE AND CLYDE, 1967
”Plastics.”THE GRADUATE, 1967
”We'll always have Paris.”CASABLANCA, 1942
”I see dead people.”THE SIXTH SENSE, 1999
”Stella! Hey, Stella!.”A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, 1951
”Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars.”NOW, VOYAGER, 1942
”Shane. Shane. Come back!.”SHANE, 1953
”Well, nobody's perfect.”SOME LIKE IT HOT, 1959
”It's alive! It's alive!.”FRANKENSTEIN, 1931
”Houston, we have a problem.”APOLLO 13, 1995
”You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?.”DIRTY HARRY, 1971
”You had me at "hello.”.”JERRY MAGUIRE, 1996
”One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know.”ANIMAL CRACKERS, 1930
”There's no crying in baseball!.”A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, 1992
”La-dee-da, la-dee-da.”ANNIE HALL, 1977
”A boy's best friend is his mother.”PSYCHO, 1960
”Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”WALL STREET, 1987
”Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”THE GODFATHER II, 1974
”As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.”GONE WITH THE WIND, 1939
”Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!.”SONS OF THE DESERT, 1933
”Say "hello" to my little friend!.”SCARFACE, 1983
”What a dump.”BEYOND THE FOREST, 1949
”Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?.”THE GRADUATE, 1967
”Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!.”DR. STRANGELOVE, 1964
”Elementary, my dear Watson.”THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, 1929
”Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape.”PLANET OF THE APES, 1968
”Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”CASABLANCA, 1942
”Here's Johnny!.”THE SHINING, 1980
”They're here!.”POLTERGEIST, 1982
”Is it safe?.”MARATHON MAN, 1976
”Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothin' yet!.”THE JAZZ SINGER, 1927
”No wire hangers, ever!.”MOMMIE DEAREST, 1981
”Mother of mercy, is this the end of Rico?.”LITTLE CAESAR, 1930
”Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown.”CHINATOWN, 1974
”I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, 1951
”Hasta la vista, baby.”TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY, 1991
”Soylent Green is people!.”SOYLENT GREEN, 1973
”Open the pod bay doors, HAL.”2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, 1968
Striker: "Surely you can't be serious." Rumack: "I am serious…and don't call me Shirley.”AIRPLANE!, 1980
”Yo, Adrian!.”ROCKY, 1976
”Hello, gorgeous.”FUNNY GIRL, 1968
”Toga! Toga!.”NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE, 1978
”Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.”DRACULA, 1931
”Oh, no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast.”KING KONG, 1933
”My precious.”THE LORD OF THE RINGS: TWO TOWERS, 2002
”Attica! Attica!.”DOG DAY AFTERNOON, 1975
”Sawyer, you're going out a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!.”42ND STREET, 1933
”Listen to me, mister. You're my knight in shining armor. Don't you forget it. You're going to get back on that horse, and I'm going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we're gonna go, go, go!.”ON GOLDEN POND, 1981
”Tell 'em to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper.”KNUTE ROCKNE ALL AMERICAN, 1940
”A martini. Shaken, not stirred.”GOLDFINGER, 1964
”Who's on first.”THE NAUGHTY NINETIES, 1945
”Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac..It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!.”CADDYSHACK, 1980
”Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!.”AUNTIE MAME, 1958
”I feel the need - the need for speed!.”TOP GUN, 1986
”Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”DEAD POETS SOCIETY, 1989
”Snap out of it!.”MOONSTRUCK, 1987
”My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you.”YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, 1942
”Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”DIRTY DANCING, 1987
”I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!.”WIZARD OF OZ, THE, 1939
”I'm king of the world!.”TITANIC, 1997

Starkville In Motion Presents University Drive Plan

2005-06-22T12:49:00.000-04:00

Download Starkville in Motion presentation here.
Daily Journal article here.

Starkville in Motion n.
- a group of concerned citizens, business owners, parents, government leaders, and organizations that wish to see Starkville reach its full potential as a great community through creation of a system of bicycle and pedestrian paths in Starkville that will benefit people who are already cycling and walking and encourage more people to do the same.

Starkville in Motion, which turned out to be one of the 2005 Starkville election's most influential special interest groups, presented a preliminary proposal for a trial University Drive bike lane to the Starkville Board of Aldermen Tuesday night.

The proposal, which called for a speed limit reduction on University Drive from the MSU campus to Montomery Street as well as the net elimination of two parking spots, would narrow automobile lanes from 14.5 feet to 10 feet to create 4.5 foot-wide bike lanes.

Starkville in Motion proposed that the changes only be in effect for one month this summer in order to assess the effectiveness of the plan.

The board took no action in regard to the plan, but will address its viability at a future meeting after examining safety and cost of the project. Ward 3 Alderman P.C. MacLaurin and Ward 4 Alderman Lee Beck both served on the Starkville in Motion committe that developed the proposal.