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FOUR SCOREAND SEVEN YEARS AGO
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH,
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From the CitizenPage 9
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A Day in the Life of Tennessee Williams
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Culturally SpeakingPage 20
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SPORTSTALK
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EDITORIAL
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Colonel Sears! page 2
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EDITORIALEDITOR-IN-CHIEFJ.B. ST. JOHN
SPORTS WRITERJEREMIAH SHORT
FEATURE COLUMNISTSRON PARLATO
[email protected] SPENCER
[email protected] SHAW
WRITERSINVINO VERITAS
MEAGAN M. O’NANCANDI VEZINA
MELINDA DUFFIECLARE MALLORY
MOLLY MURPHREEJOYCE SHAW WHITE
TORI HAWKINSWHIT HARRINGTON
PAIGE CANIDA-GREENEEMILY GAITHER SMITH
ABIGAIL HATHORNRYAN MUNSON
ASHLEY GARRIGA
GUEST FEATURE WRITERDICK MAHONEY
ART & PRODUCTION
ART/LAYOUT DIRECTORRENEE REEDY
PHOTOGRAPHERSMOLLY MURPHREE
ADVERTISINGBRENDA MINOR
DISTRIBUTIONCINDY LYNCH
CUSTOMER SERVICEKATE SPENCER
PUBLISHERJ.B. ST. JOHN
CONTACT US:[email protected]@realstorypublishing.com
[email protected]@realstorypublishing.com
THE REAL STORYP. O. Box 403
Columbus, MS 39703Editorial 662.497.2914
Advertising 662.251.1839Check for daily updates online:
http://realstorypublishing.comFacebook.com/rspublishing
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editor’snote by Joseph B. St. JohnEditor-in-Chief
On Wednesday, June 27, 2012, the Wing Change of Command was Columbus and the Columbus Air Force base at its best. In spite of temperatures in the high 90s, a large crowd of civilian and Air Force per-sonnel gathered on the base to watch the ceremony officially recognizing Colonel James R. Sears as the new commander of the 14th Flying Train-ing Wing.With the requisite pomp and circum-stance, Colonel Sears assumed com-mand of the Training Wing, and, with its usual flair, the CAFB set a high standard in service and professional-ism. From the time the media was picked up at the gate until they were ushered back to their cars, a sense of honor and commitment was demon-strated when any Air Force personnel interacted with the community. The media, guests and honorary wing-men were all treated with a respect and dignity that made the event seem special, even before it began. And that is what all gov-ernment agencies - local, state and federal - should attempt to accom-plish: complete professionalism. The CAFB is always official without being overly officious. They are proud and dedicated without being cold and stuffy. PR man-extraordinaire Sonic Johnson masterfully conducts every move of every event, as well as com-municating with the media behind the scenes, ensuring that the base is always presented in a positive light. The Columbus Air Force Base and the City of Columbus’70-year love affair is well documented. From the time of World War II until the present day, the City has taken
great civic pride in its “own” Air Force base. It is a touch of Americana that has been lost in many areas that have military bases. In many regions, the nearby military base is an afterthought until they read in the paper or hear on the news that Washington is thinking about shutting it down. Their worry, then, is about losing a tax base, not a military base. They are concerned about missing dollars and not missing relationships. Columbus stands head and shoulders above this misbegotten idealism. Columbus loves their Air Force Base like an old friend who is always there for them. The base, in turn, embraces the community with an unheard-of zeal. The leaders of the base and their spouses are always there for the area. Whether it is volunteering for Pil-grimage and other events or patron-izing local merchants, the Air Force personnel leave an undeniable mark on Lowndes County. The commu-nity and the base are one, and it is a special relationship. The Wing’s Change of Command ceremony is short and efficient. No mat-ter how many times a per-son sees it, it leaves a great impression and makes you proud to be an American. It is a magic moment where the past meets the present and all things of glory and honor come together. In short, it is perfect.It is an instant of frozen history, a second that will be frozen in time forever in the CAFB record books.
Another chapter of perfection in the perfect marriage between the CAFB and the City of Columbus. After the ceremony, Colonel Sears answered questions from the media. He was polite, steady and pro-fessional. In his eyes, you could see a man who wanted to give the right an-swers, a man who was committed to making sure he started his tenure at the base on the right foot. He showed confidence and poise as he went through the mindless media intro-ductions and handled the awkward-ness with grace. He is a new person in a new challenge. But he handled it like an old pro. After the questions were asked and last photos were taken, the media was escorted off of the base. The festivities continued, and the new beginning had started. It was a great day to be at CAFB. Here is wishing Colonel Sears all the luck in the world. And may his time in Columbus be blessed.
Some Good News! Columbus Welcomes Colonel James R. Sears, Jr.
EDITORIALEDITOR-IN-CHIEFJ.B. ST. JOHN
SPORTS WRITERJEREMIAH SHORT
FEATURE COLUMNISTSRON PARLATO
[email protected] SPENCER
[email protected] SHAW
WRITERSINVINO VERITAS
MEAGAN M. O’NANCANDI VEZINA
MELINDA DUFFIECLARE MALLORY
MOLLY MURPHREEJOYCE SHAW WHITE
TORI HAWKINSWHIT HARRINGTON
PAIGE CANIDA-GREENEEMILY GAITHER SMITH
ABIGAIL HATHORNRYAN MUNSON
ASHLEY GARRIGA
GUEST FEATURE WRITERDICK MAHONEY
ART & PRODUCTION
ART/LAYOUT DIRECTORRENEE REEDY
PHOTOGRAPHERSMOLLY MURPHREE
ADVERTISINGBRENDA MINOR
DISTRIBUTIONCINDY LYNCH
CUSTOMER SERVICEKATE SPENCER
PUBLISHERJ.B. ST. JOHN
CONTACT US:[email protected]@realstorypublishing.com
[email protected]@realstorypublishing.com
THE REAL STORYP. O. Box 403
Columbus, MS 39703Editorial 662.497.2914
Advertising 662.251.1839Check for daily updates online:
http://realstorypublishing.comFacebook.com/rspublishing
__________Don’t miss an issue!
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!$19.95 for 6 Months
$34.95 for 12 MonthsDon’t Miss An Issue...
Subscribe Online!Or send your payment and
address information to:P.O. Box 403
Columbus, MS 39703
June
28
- Ju
ly 4
, 201
2
2
editor’snote by Joseph B. St. JohnEditor-in-Chief
On Wednesday, June 27, 2012, the Wing Change of Command was Columbus and the Columbus Air Force base at its best. In spite of temperatures in the high 90s, a large crowd of civilian and Air Force per-sonnel gathered on the base to watch the ceremony officially recognizing Colonel James R. Sears as the new commander of the 14th Flying Train-ing Wing.With the requisite pomp and circum-stance, Colonel Sears assumed com-mand of the Training Wing, and, with its usual flair, the CAFB set a high standard in service and professional-ism. From the time the media was picked up at the gate until they were ushered back to their cars, a sense of honor and commitment was demon-strated when any Air Force personnel interacted with the community. The media, guests and honorary wing-men were all treated with a respect and dignity that made the event seem special, even before it began. And that is what all gov-ernment agencies - local, state and federal - should attempt to accom-plish: complete professionalism. The CAFB is always official without being overly officious. They are proud and dedicated without being cold and stuffy. PR man-extraordinaire Sonic Johnson masterfully conducts every move of every event, as well as com-municating with the media behind the scenes, ensuring that the base is always presented in a positive light. The Columbus Air Force Base and the City of Columbus’70-year love affair is well documented. From the time of World War II until the present day, the City has taken
great civic pride in its “own” Air Force base. It is a touch of Americana that has been lost in many areas that have military bases. In many regions, the nearby military base is an afterthought until they read in the paper or hear on the news that Washington is thinking about shutting it down. Their worry, then, is about losing a tax base, not a military base. They are concerned about missing dollars and not missing relationships. Columbus stands head and shoulders above this misbegotten idealism. Columbus loves their Air Force Base like an old friend who is always there for them. The base, in turn, embraces the community with an unheard-of zeal. The leaders of the base and their spouses are always there for the area. Whether it is volunteering for Pil-grimage and other events or patron-izing local merchants, the Air Force personnel leave an undeniable mark on Lowndes County. The commu-nity and the base are one, and it is a special relationship. The Wing’s Change of Command ceremony is short and efficient. No mat-ter how many times a per-son sees it, it leaves a great impression and makes you proud to be an American. It is a magic moment where the past meets the present and all things of glory and honor come together. In short, it is perfect.It is an instant of frozen history, a second that will be frozen in time forever in the CAFB record books.
Another chapter of perfection in the perfect marriage between the CAFB and the City of Columbus. After the ceremony, Colonel Sears answered questions from the media. He was polite, steady and pro-fessional. In his eyes, you could see a man who wanted to give the right an-swers, a man who was committed to making sure he started his tenure at the base on the right foot. He showed confidence and poise as he went through the mindless media intro-ductions and handled the awkward-ness with grace. He is a new person in a new challenge. But he handled it like an old pro. After the questions were asked and last photos were taken, the media was escorted off of the base. The festivities continued, and the new beginning had started. It was a great day to be at CAFB. Here is wishing Colonel Sears all the luck in the world. And may his time in Columbus be blessed.
Some Good News! Columbus Welcomes Colonel James R. Sears, Jr.
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CONTENTS
25
Sandusky Verdict Allows Penn State to Move On
5
Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors Discuss Selling Oktibbeha County Hospital
17
The Adventures of the V.I.P.: 4th of July Tribute
20
How’d These Dogs Get Such a Bad Name?
REGULAR FEATURES2 .................. Editor’s Note
5 .................. Political Talk
7 ................... Perspectives
8 ......... Business Spotlight
10 ........... Financial Focus
11 .... Portrait of the Artist
16 ...................... Lifestyles
18 ................... Horoscope
19 .......... Comics/Puzzles
21 ......................... Recipes
26 .................. Ask Meagan
27 .................... Classifieds
About the CoverColonel James R. Sears is pictured at the Changing of
Command on June 27, 2012 at Columbus Air Force Base. Col. Sears is the new 14th Flying Training
Wing Commander.photo by Rick Manning
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The hot topic at the June 25, 2012, meeting of the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors was the possible sale of Oktibbeha County Hospital Regional Medical Center. However, before the Board could consider the sale, the county dis-cussed spending up to $30,000 on a study which would analyze OCH and its current operating conditions. After taking comments from the floor and formally discussing the matter, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervi-sors accepted District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer’s motion to begin the process and start accepting proposals from qualified firms that are objective and have an unbiased prospective. Formal discussion on the potential sale of OCH opened with former Alderman Frank Evans, who spoke on behalf of a grassroots group that represents the citizens of Oktibbeha County. His speech was concise and direct, outlining factual information rather than being fueled by rhetoric. Advocating for keeping OCH as is, Davis said his group is committed to securing 1,500-2,000 signatures. He humbly asked the Supervisors not to sell OCH to an outside group. He continued to convey his loyalty to
OCH and the community that built the facility. “I tip my hat to the board of supervisors who envisioned OCH and secured 20 acres of land on what we know today as Hospital Road, and they, and we, built OCH,” he said. He also reminded the Board of OCH’s positive financial standing. “As I un-derstand the financial shape of OCH, as administrators told me today, we have a good bottom line,” he said, and he concluded by asking the Board to
refrain from selling OCH. However, he did note that if the Board must spend $30,000 dollars to hire a con-sultant group to evaluate OCH, it is very import to secure a reputable and unbiased firm to conduct the analysis of OCH. Mr. Evans’ presentation was met with a standing ovation from the audience. Supervisor Orlando Trainer suggested that Mr. Davis needs to press the Board to put this item on November’s ballot by altering the wording on the petition, and he stat-ed that calling a referendum will give the people of the community a voice. He went on to encourage everyone who plans to attend the educational meeting on July 9 to have an open
mind. Yet as the discussion contin-ued, citizens expressed their opposi-tion to the analysis, the potential sale and even Trainer’s public educational meeting. Despite being the object of harsh words, Trainer firmly held his position. He believes selling OCH is best for the community and wants research and analysis conducted in order to collect data that will convey the facts. The common denominator
among the citizens could be summed up by a simple question: Why sell the hospital? Yet the Board did not an-swer why or any other specific ques-tions on the matter, and, as the other board members remained silent, Mr. Trainer expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming educational meeting in which Richard Cowhart, from a law firm in Nashville, will present pos-sible benefits of this potential trans-action. Throughout the discussion, Trainer advocated the sale, explaining his intentions are to improve health-care for everyone in the community. Indeed, despite the opposition that he encountered, Trainer maintained this stance, expressing enthusiasm for improving healthcare.
The discussion continued with several individuals voicing their opinions, most of which consisted of sentimental memories glorify-ing the services they had received at OCH. During the meeting, Trainer asked that emotion not be allowed to drive opinion and said that he plans to address any individual concerns. However, in order to answer specific questions in detail, further research must be conducted. After the meeting adjourned, Trainer stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling on the constitutional-ity of the health insurance mandate provision of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act will have a bear-ing on the decision regarding OCH. In the coming months, as analytical research brings forth facts, this matter will certainly be discussed further in a public forum.
Ashley Garriga is a writer living in Starkville, MS, who covers the local politics beat. She has a biology de-gree from Mississippi University for Women. Next year, she plans to study journalism in graduate school. In her spare time, she writes short fiction and poetry.
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Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors Discusses Selling Oktibbeha County Hospital politicaltalk by Ashley Garriga
A Columbus Air Force Base airman died Friday night from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident near West Point, Miss., ap-proximately 20 miles from the base. Senior Airman Geoffry Cul-len, a firefighter assigned to the 14th Civil Engineer Squadron at Colum-bus Air Force Base, was in his first
permanent duty assignment with the Air Force. Local and Air Force officials are investigating the accident. In ad-dition, an Air Force safety investiga-tion board will convene to investigate the mishap.
Special to The Real Story
Columbus AFB Airman Dies in Vehicle Accident
communitytalk
A group of five members of Hope Community Church of Co-lumbus left for Honduras on June 19, 2012, and returned on Thursday, June 28. Their mission was to assist Pastor Luis Sorto and his family by “showing God’s love in practical ways” to the people of Zambrano and surrounding villages. Celsie Staggers, the trip coordina-tor, along with her husband, Robert, and team members Nikki Boland, Roni Bo-land and Kyndle Powell, individu-ally raised money for their trip. The team also raised $3,000 to provide enough meals to feed 500 families for a week. “For a family of five to eat for a week, it only costs $6! We distributed 700 bags of food,” said Celsie Staggers. Team members spent an entire day creating individual food bags to hand out to people in different villages. Each food bag consisted of: three cups of beans, five cups of rice, two bags of noodles, one pound of sugar, one pound of lard and one bag of spaghetti sauce. To their amazement, the $3,000 that provided 500 bags, last year, provided 700 bags of food this year. Celsie Staggers explained to the people who had come for the food bags, “We don’t think for one mo-
ment that we can solve all of your problems, but if just for today we can help you, we want to do so. A great lady, Mother Teresa, once said, ‘If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.’ Today, we offer you a bag of food. Our prayer is that you never go hungry ‘physically,’ but always hunger
for the Lord.” Each Saturday, about 600 people from surrounding villages walk up to seven miles each way to attend a church service. A provision for a meal at the service is available about once every six or seven weeks. The people who walk the long distance to the compound never know in advance if food will be offered that day. The team held Vacation Bible School sessions in Zambrano, as well as the villages of San Francisco and El Espino. Nikki Boland, a retired nurse, assisted medical teams in the village of San Francisco. Bags filled with 20
Tylenols were handed out to approxi-mately 50 people, some of whom had walked up to four miles for the pain reliever. Robert Staggers spent a lot of his time helping with the building of a new home. He moved adobo bricks that weigh about 50 pounds; they are
similar to our cinderblocks. Other construction work included finishing roofs on newly built homes and con-tributing to building a concrete floor for a VBS room. Other activities included handing out large hand-made cloth purses to mothers of infant children. Nikki Bo-land and others had made the purses before the trip. These bags will make it easier for the mothers to carry their items. The group spent their free time playing soccer with the children. This is Robert and Celsie Stag-gers’ second trip. They went last year with a group from another church in
Macon. Both have developed strong relationships with the people and children. One of the boys, Eduardo, received some presents from the Staggers. Celsie Staggers exclaimed, “He was so appreciative. I think his favorite gift was the mirror on the mint pack-
age. He does not see himself often.” Eduardo showed his gratitude by giving Mrs. Staggers a gift of six pre-pack-aged apples. She stated that she couldn’t take them, but he insisted that she accept his gift. Pastor Sorto told Mrs. Stag-gers, “This is a great thing. You are teach-ing them to also give, not just re-ceive; take them Celsie, for I will eat them.” Goodbyes were the hard-est for the team. Celsie Stag-gers said, “It’s so hard to say good-bye to
these precious people with hearts of gold.” She overheard 10-year-old Roni Boland comment during their last de-briefing, “I don’t think I can wait till next summer to come back. I think we should come in December!” Her comment touched all the hearts on her team.
Paige Canida-Greene is a senior com-munication major (theatre minor) at Mississippi University fir Women, and lives in Columbus.
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talk by Paige Canida-Greene
Local Church Lends Helping Hand to Villages in Honduras
Front row (Left to Right): Rony of Zambrano (works for Pastor Sorto’s ministry); Robert Staggers of Columbus; Kyndle Powell of Birming-ham, Ala.; Celsie Staggers of Columbus; Alba of Zambrano (cook for Pastor Sorto’s ministry); Lauren Heim of Birmingham, Ala.; Roni Boland of Columbus; Pastor Luis Sorto of Zambrano Seond Row ( Left to Right): Mayra Sorto of Zambrano (Pastor Sorto’s wife); Caroline Sorto of Zambrano (Pastor Sorto’s daughter); Rachel Heim of Birhmingham, Ala.; Nikki Boland of Columbus
Ruy Teixeira, writing in “The New Republic” (6.19.12) reviews “A Cooperative Species: Human Reci-procity and Its Evolution” by Bowles and Gintis and summarizes the book’s premises, below: “First, people cooperate not only for self-interested reasons, but also because they are genuinely concerned about the well-being of others, try to uphold social norms, and value behaving ethically for its own sake. Contributing to the success of a joint project for the benefit of one’s group, even at a personal cost, evokes feelings of satisfaction, pride, even elation. Failing to do so is often a source of shame or guilt.” “Second, we came to have these “moral sentiments” because our ancestors lived in environments, both natural and socially constructed, in which groups of individuals who were predisposed to cooperate and uphold ethical norms tended to survive and expand, relative to other groups.”The book attempts to rebut the pre-vailing view that man acts selfishly and is driven by self-preservation and the extension of wealth, power, and status to expand his protective perimeter; but the rebuttal ignores 5,000 years of recorded history char-acterized by the inexorable drive for supremacy. The “selfish” drive – i.e. human nature – has been seen and chronicled at every level of human society, from the family, to larger social groups, to national political entities. The issue is not whether human beings act “altruistically”, but whether or not that altruism is a fun-damental component of survival and supremacy; and the authors ignore this premise. The selfish-selfless wars have been fought for decades, although not in the same arena. John Locke acknowledged that the natural desire for individuals was to pursue their own selfish aims, but that true liberty resulted from a rejection of these nar-row interests in favor of higher values of civic harmony, honor, and jus-tice. Nietzsche wrote that the absolute will of the individual was “beyond
good and evil” – beyond morality – and that man always acted according to his own personal will. Christians believe that man was originally good, but fell from grace. We are all sinners, but can be saved. Karl Marx believed in an acquisitive, selfish human na-ture; but that it could be bent to the will of a collective society. Rousseau famously thought that man in a state of nature is good; but outside that utopia, the corrupt-ing influences of civilization will force him to act badly. In other words, even a proto-optimist like Rousseau
does not ignore selfish human nature. Despite the persuasive evidence of history, the persistent search for an undeniable clue to our basic goodness continues. Teixeira goes on: “According to this [selfless] view of human nature, we are defined by our sense of fairness, adherence to group norms, willingness to punish those who violate such norms, and to share and work for the good of the group. We are not a species of seven billion selfish individuals, uninterested in anything save our own welfare and willing to cheerfully break any rule and hurt any other individual to secure it. Indeed, we think of such people as sociopaths.” This is an obvious and self-serving conclusion – of course human
beings group together, enforce laws, and work for the good of the group. We grouped together as cavemen to hunt and kill more effectively and to protect and extend our hunting perimeters. Now, we group together to save the planet; or to protect and defend liberty and free enterprise. In other words, we behave altruistically within our own narrow communities; but we are as hostile to outsiders as our caveman ancestors. The authors of the book cite the well-known “dictator” game as evidence of selflessness. In it one person is given a sum of money and told to share whatever he wishes. If he gives nothing, he would be acting selfish-ly. Since most people gave away some of their money, researchers concluded that man is selfless. The experiment, however, was deeply flawed and did not consider key social expectations which affect giving. For example, a parishioner who drops a dollar into the basket on Sunday but, enriches himself through borderline business practices, is no more selfless than Eb-enezer Scrooge. Bowles and Gintis do make some concessions: “We all have a [selfish] drive to help those with whom we share our genes. When asked if he would give his life to save a drowning brother, biologist J.B.S. Haldane said, “No, but I would to save two brothers or eight cousins.” (He would share 50 percent of his genes with a brother but only 12.5 percent with a cousin.) So altruistic behavior may occur, but it is moti-vated by the self-interested payoff of reproducing our own genes through helping close kin. In reciprocal altruism the idea is simple: you scratch my back, I scratch yours. Thus animals, includ-ing human beings, may help one an-other out at some cost to themselves but it will always be in expectation of some future payoff. Once again, these are obvious conclusions. We, first, are concerned with our own survival and that of our families; and then and only then do we look to others. However, there must be something more that we have not been able to find, say the authors;
but after three hundred pages of dense academic arguments (painful to follow, says the weary reviewer), they come up with only this facile and expected finding, says Teixeira: We learn much, for example, about the critical role of norms and cul-tural institutions in punishing non-cooperators and enforcing altruistic behaviors. Thus, our capacity to form these norms and institutions and pro-mulgate them over time - unique to human beings - helps to explain how altruism could survive and spread within groups. Once again, of course we have evolved norms, standards, and the cultural institutions to promote and preserve them. As above, “our way of life” needs all the support we can muster for it. In short, while the debate on the selfishness or unselfishness of human nature will continue, there is only one reliable indicator – the long series of predatory civilizations, kings, empires, powerful republics, rogue states, and modern nations that make up human history. If that isn’t good enough, what parent does not recognize the whining complaint: “She got more than me.”
Ron Parlato is a writer living in Washington, DC. He has close ties with Columbus, which he visits frequently. His writings on litera-ture, politics and culture, travel, and cooking can be found on his own blog, www.uncleguidosfacts.com.
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The “selfish” drive – i.e. human nature – has been seen and chronicled at every level of human so-
ciety, from the fam-ily, to larger social groups, to national
political entities.
Altruism as a Biological Imperative – Nonsense!perspectives by Ron Parlato
Along the stretch of Highway 45 that some people would refer to as “just coming into Columbus” or, perhaps, “the outskirts” is a place that offers a smorgasbord of products that are sure to suit the needs of anyone looking for home and truck accesso-ries. H & H Home and Truck Acces-sory Center, located across from Carl Hogan Toyota, is that place. Now, to give you a break-down of just all there is to see and purchase at H & H, let’s start with...hmmmm - truck accessories! Why just be average, riding around in your factory-issued Dodge, Ford, or Chevrolet, when you can stand out? “Trick” your truck with bed liners, tool boxes, and vent shades in a pleth-ora of brands. Need to load that ATV or lawnmower? Well, loading ramps are another item offered at H & H. Not just one type of loading ramp - eight! So, you are sure to find the one that fits your needs. You say that you love your truck, but sometimes there is the inconvenience of needing to haul things when it is raining or snowing. Yes, even in Mississippi! Try a camper top. Durable and stylish, they are available in many different colors and styles, to ensure customer
satisfaction. Now, let’s talk about some home accessories. In today’s busy society, where work, work, work is the main focus; all you want to do is
relax at the end of a busy day. How about an outdoor spa? More com-monly known as a hot tub, they are not only for relaxation; spas also promote good health. Maybe you are too hot-natured for a spa. Well, take a refreshing dip in a pool. H & H offers both in and above-ground swimming pools. Even though there is “water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink,” you might need some ice cold
beverages, poolside. Two words: Yeti Cooler. Yeti coolers are all the rage, now, and are known for their insula-tion, durability, and all-around high quality. Need a deep tan in a little
time? H & H has different styles of tanning beds and tanning lotions! Now, you have a great tan and a pool to show it off in, you decide to host a party. As a great host, you decide that you will need something more to entertain your guests, so you keep the party rolling with a Legacy Billiards pool table! The list doesn’t stop there - H & H also offers trailers. Top-of-the-
line cargo trailers of many sizes are sure to keep anything you are hauling protected from the elements. Now that you have a new trailer and you’ve accessorized your truck, you need a place to store them! H & H has carports, too! Last but not least, this list stops at buildings. Whether you need a storage building or a gazebo to complement your new pool or spa, H & H offers many styles, sizes, and varieties to suit your needs. Stop by or call H & H Home and Truck Accessory Center, today, and begin transforming your truck, yard and home, today!
Molly Murphree is a resident of Columbus who enjoy reading, cooking, cake decorating, and spending time with her family. She is a member of Lighthouse Baptist Church.
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H & H Home and Truck Accessory Center:A Veritable Smorgasbord of Products
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“I really wanted to fo-cus on the changing of the landscape and the detrimental effect it
[the flood] had on the land” - Everson
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Director Kevin Everson of Virginia is in Columbus making a documentary/movie about the flood of 1973, which resulted in 33 fatalities and caused $252.7 million in damag-es. Columbus was affected drastically by the flooding and Everson wants to catch the dramatic event on film.
The 1973 flood was caused by a series of unusually cold winters, which resulted in the melting of ice from the Rocky Mountains down into the tributaries of the Ohio Val-ley and the lower Mississippi Valley. Those conditions, coupled with heavy rainfall, caused the third-largest flood in the 20th century in Mississippi, and was the biggest flood since 1927, at the time. During the 1927 flood the Mississippi River overflowed, as well as Columbus’ Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway.
“My parents grew up here [Columbus] and I find Columbus to be a friendly town. I wanted to capture the effect the flooding had on the community of Wes Port, which is located on Old Highway 82, near St. Matthews Church. People lost every-thing. My family lost a wide variety of old documents and pictures and this is my way of giving back some sort of documentation,” commented Everson, who brought a crew of four with him. “We’ve been shooting about two-and-a-half weeks and probably have another week-and-a-half before we finish.” Everson’s casting method for this project is finding random citizens from Columbus and simply meeting people and asking if they can do it. “I basically just went to differ-ent churches and met people who were willing to do it.” Everson had no problem finding amateur actors, with Columbus being the congenial town that it is. To illustrate the contrast between the present-day and flood-stage conditions of the river, Everson shot scenes of people water skiing to present the serenity of the now-calm water and will present that up against a recreated scene of raging, flood-gorged river. “I really wanted to focus on the changing of the land-scape and the detrimental effect it [the flood] had on the land,” Everson
stated. “This is an experimental film, which you see a lot of these days. It is a documentary, but at the same time, part of it is scripted.” Everson had no screenplay written in advance, but instead rolled with the ideas and people, as they came to him. According to the crew, the film should be finished by the end of the summer. The shooting is almost completed and the director and crew are enthusiastic and optimistic. The full-length film, lasting approximately 70-80 minutes, will be presented at
film festivals and galleries. “We’re def-initely not putting it on the internet,” said Everson. The movie is untitled so far, but will be available for pur-chase from Everson’s website, www.keveverson.net after the summer.
Whit Harrington is a Marine Corps veteran, who has a B.A. in English (creative writing) from Texas State University. He enjoys reading, and has been a working drummer for the past eight years.
communitytalk by Whit Herrington
Independent Filmmaker Comes to Columbus
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Once again, Independence Day is here, bringing fireworks and barbeques. Of course, the Fourth of July is more than hoopla - it’s a time to reflect on the many freedoms we enjoy in this country. Yet for many people, one important type of free-dom - financial freedom - is still elusive. So you may want to use this holiday as an occasion to think of those steps you can take to eventually declare your own Financial Indepen-dence Day. Here are some moves that can help: •Createastrategy.Financialfreedom doesn’t just happen - it takes planning, patience and persever-ance. To work toward your financial independence, you’ll need to create a financial strategy in conjunction with your financial advisor, and stick to that strategy. Over time, you’ll need to make adjustments, but if your overall strategy is appropriate for your goals, time horizon and risk
tolerance, it should help you get you to where you want to go. •Contributeasmuchaspos-sible to your retirement plans. Each year, put in as much as you can afford to your 401(k) or a similar employer-sponsored retirement plan (such as a 457(b) if you work for a state or local government, or a 403(b) if you work for a school or other tax-exempt organization). These plans offer the potential for tax-deferred earnings, so your retirement funds can grow faster than if they were placed in an investment on which you paid taxes every year. Also, if you’re eligible, try to “max out” on your IRA every year. •Maintainadequatelifeinsurance. If you have a family, you aren’t just thinking of your own financial independence — you have to think of theirs, too. And that’s why you need to maintain adequate life insurance, particularly during the years when your children are grow-ing up. But even after they’ve left the
home, you may find that life insur-ance can be valuable in providing retirement funds for your spouse, should anything happen to you. And if you have permanent life insurance, which contains an investment com-ponent, you can generally access the cash value through policy loans or withdrawals to help pay for your own retirement. •Protectyourselffromlong-termcare costs. You may never need any type of long-term care, such as a stay in a nursing home or assistance from a home health aide, but if you do, the enormous costs can threaten your fi-nancial independence — and possibly even put an economic strain on your spouse or grown children. After all, the national average rate for a private room in a nursing home is more than $87,000 per year, according to the 2011MetLifeMarketSurveyofNurs-ingHome,AssistedLiving,AdultDayServices,andHomeCareCosts.Andthe national hourly rate for home
health aides is $21, according to the samesurvey.Medicaretypicallypaysvery little of these costs, which puts the burden on you. Fortunately, some investment vehicles can help you deal with long-term care expenses. Consultwithyourfinancialadvisorto determine which of these vehicles may be appropriate for your needs. A national holiday won’t be declared when you achieve your financial independence — but for you, it will be a time well worth cel-ebrating. So do what it takes to work toward the arrival of that happy day.
Ryan Munson is a financial advisor with Edward Jones. E-mail reaches him at [email protected]. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
Work Toward your Own Financial Independence Day
by Ryan Munsonfinancial
ClaraRustin,NursingfacultymemberatMississippiUniversityfor Women, has been awarded the NenaF.SandersAwardfromSamfordUniversity’sIdaV.MoffettSchoolofNursing. TheNenaF.SandersDNPAward was established by graduates ofthefirstDoctorofNursingPractice(DNP)classtohonorDr.NenaSand-ers,DeanoftheIdaV.MoffettSchoolofNursing.TheawardisgiventoaDNPstudentwhodemonstrateslead-ership, service and academic excel-lence. Rustin was presented the award attheuniversity’sNursingAwardsday. Rustin has been the recipient of many awards, including the Sigma ThetaTau“ExcellenceinNursingPracticeAward,”BoardofTrusteesoftheStateofMississippischolar-ship and an academic scholarship fromMUW.Shehasservedasboardmember on several committees and is amemberoftheNationalLeagueforNursing,AmericanNursesAssocia-tion,MississippiNursesAssociationandZetaRhoChapterofSigmaThetaTau. She is currently completing
herDoctorateofNursingPracticeatSamfordUniversityinBirmingham,Ala.RustinreceivedbothherBSNandMSNdegreesfromMUWin1983 and 1992. She is also a graduate ofPearlRiverJuniorCollege,whereshe earned her associate’s degree.
TheWestPointnativeisafamilynursepractitionerattheMUWCam-pusHealthCenter.
Special to The Real Story
Rustin Awarded Nena F. SandersAward from Samford School of Nursing
communitytalk
In a departure from our usual format of profiling a single area artist, we have decided to share some infor-mation on a group of artists known collectively as Studio 206.Although the members of this group of 16 ladies (yes, the group is exclu-sively female) do have some things in common, they are rather diverse, in both their styles and their personali-ties. Selden Lambert, who has been creating art since the early 1970s, works primarily in acrylic. She has studied under Caroline Haney and lists Elayne Goodman, a local folk artist, as someone from whom she draws inspira-tion. Lambert’s usual subjects are animals and sea-scapes. She has also published a book consisting of an al-legorical story that she wrote. Marga-ret Smith is just a delight. She not only works in a variety of media, such as oil, watercolor and pot-tery, she also has the distinction of hav-ing taught several of the current Studio 206 members, each of whom recalls her with fondness. Smith has an art degree from Mis-sissippi University for Women and has taught art in the local public schools. She lists Monet as an influence and has been creating art for all of her life. Anne Easley, who counts Van Gogh and Picasso as influences, has been mak-ing art since the mid-1970s. She has experience with oils, acrylic, char-coal and watercolor and has used a technique called “stack knife paint-ing” (similar to palette knife paint-ing), which involves applying the paint in incredibly thick layers, which then take months to dry. Her subject matter consists of landscapes and still lifes. Patti Johnson, who has a very bubbly personality, says that she has been creating art since she was a “youngster.” Johnson describes herself as a “kitchen artist” and says that she took her first art class when her husband (a now-retired chiropractor)
was going to college. Johnson draws inspiration from artists Sydney Law-rence and George Inness. Johnson, now an art major at MUW, works in ceramics and creates mixed-media art dolls. Her doll entitled “King of Mardi Gras” was featured in the centerfold of “Art Doll Quarterly” in 2005. Gwin Edie, who has been painting since her 20s, attributes her artistic talents to the fact that her father was a painter, saying, “I chalk it up to genetics.” Edie, whose subject matter is primarily botanicals, works mostly in acrylics (with some photog-raphy), and she lists Georgia O’Keefe,
Vermeer and Rembrandt as influ-ences. Judy Howle, who has been profiled in this column previously, is a master photographer and spent some time painting in the 1990s. Although Judy mostly photographs birds, landscapes and architecture, she likes to experiment with iPhone photography and says that she likes to photograph “anything that interests me.” Jane Rogowski likes to cre-ate doll clothes and work in other crafts. Although she started creating art when she was 6-8 years old, her talents were put aside during her military career. Lately, she has been creating collages and has been weav-
ing wool wall hangings. Carol Duvall has a BFA in interior design, works mostly in col-lage and counts MUW art instructors Tom Nawrocki and Sean Dickey as influential figures. Ann Chilcutt has been paint-ing since 1965. Fellow “206-er” Mar-garet Smith was her first art teacher. She draws inspiration from painters Seurat and Monet. Her work, which is primarily in acrylic and watercolors, employs landscapes, postcards and places that she has been as subject matter. Kay Calaway, far and away the most vivacious of the group, says
that her entire family is made up of artists and that she draws her inspi-ration from her fellow Studio 206 artists. Her signature series of paint-ings, entitled “Large Nekkid Ladies Lounging,” consists of Rubenesque nudes. Once, when she received criti-cism about these paintings being on public display, instead of removing them, she simply adorned them with strategically placed feather boas.Pat Wayman, who recently cel-ebrated her 80th birthday with a fantastic party at J. Broussard’s, has a BFA in visual arts and says that her first grade teacher, Emily Wharton, inspired her. She works mainly in oil and acrylic and has exhibited her work in Japan, among other locales.
Shirley Catlett says that she has been creating art “all of my life” and works mostly in decorative arts, such as faux finishes. She has created chandeliers made of seashells and glass beads. She said that lately she has been “piddling with ceramics.” Kevin Voller works primar-ily in acrylic and oil but also sculpts. She received a degree in art education in 1973, but went back to school, this time at MUW, and received a BFA with an emphasis in painting in 2007. Although she mainly paints large, col-orful abstracts, she also uses people and animals as her subject matter. Voller cites Helen Frankenthaler, Joan
Mitchell and Robert Moth-erwell as artists that inspire her. She also notes that, during her studies at MUW, she was most in-fluenced by Alex Stelios-Wills, an instructor there. ‘I didn’t always agree with him, but I always learned something,” said Voller. Debbie Alexander has been creating art since she was 4 years old. She works in photog-raphy and acrylic paint but has also designed jewelry and cre-ated hand-made paper. In her photographs, she takes a realis-tic image and manipulates it
to make it abstract. When painting, she employs a similar tact, but uses vibrant colors in the work. Alexander, who received a BFA in printmaking in 1984, cites Georgia O’Keefe as her inspiration. Studio 206, which was estab-lished in 1989, has seen its member-ship range from six charter members to a high of 26, and it now counts 16 local artists as members. In addition to those profiled above, other mem-bers include Betty Stone, Lane Pierrot and Pat Brown. For more information on these artists, e-mail [email protected].
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portraitoftheartist by Real Story Staff
The Artists of Studio 206
Left to Right: Patti Johnson, Anne Easley, Gwin Edie, Margaret Smith, Jane Rogowski, Shirley Catlett, Selden Lambert, Kay Calaway, Judy Howle, and Anne Chilcutt
Camilla from Italy, 16 yrs. Enjoys dancing, playing the pianoand swimming. Camilla looks forward to cooking with herAmerican host family.
Daniel from Denmark, 17 yrs. Loves skiing, playing soccer and watching American movies. Daniel hopes to learn to play football and live as a real American.
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communityKyvan Salsa
Mississippi native Reggie Kelly, a former Mississippi State Bulldog and currently a professional football player, demonstrated his line of sauces and seasonings at the Columbus Walmart on Friday, June 29. The product line’s brand name, Kyvan, is a combination of the names of his son, Kavan, and his daughter, Kyla. Reggie signed autographs and offered samples of his salsa to shoppers. For more product information, visit www.reggiekelly82.com/kyvan
Columbus AFB Awards Runway Reconstruction Contract
Columbus AFB has awarded a contract for the reconstruction of its center runway (13/31C). The con-tract was awarded on July 2, 2012 to Babcock Construction Company of Pheba, Miss. for $31,295,571. Con-struction is scheduled to begin March 2013 and is estimated to last six months. The 12,000’ long and 300’ wide runway was originally built in 1958. The reconstruction will provide years of utilization to continue pro-ducing Air Force pilots. “The center runway is vital
for our ability to train the number of pilots our Air Force needs every year. It is our primary runway for instru-ment training, teaching pilots to land in poor weather,” said Col. Steven Stater, 14th Operations Group Com-mander at Columbus Air Force Base. “The deterioration of this runway has been increasing over the last few years and this reconstruction will provide continued safe operations on Mississippi’s longest runway for decades to come.”
There is no greater place than the family pool. However, as water holds endless fascination for tod-dlers, you must take every precaution to prevent your child from entering the pool without you. Small children lack the cognitive ability to discern danger. It is the adult’s responsibility to protect these curious and impul-sive explorers from entering any body of water unsupervised. Fortunately, many proactive strategies do exist providing multiple layers of protec-tion to help minimize the risk of a child “accidentally” falling into the family pool or any body of water. Supervision, com-bined with bar-riers (including double door locks, door alarms, pool alarms and pe-rimeter yard fenc-ing), pool safety fencing, gentle swimming lessons and CPR/water safety awareness can help keep our children safe. The following safety precautions are excerpts from the “Diaper Dolphins Safety Circle Poster” included in Volume II of our Video series, “Diaper Dol-phins” SUPER-VISION by adults in and out of the house is para-mount. Always know where your children are. Around water, stay close while maintaining constant eye contact and never leave a child unattended even for a second. Never assume someone else is watching your child. At social gatherings, des-ignate an adult water watcher. If your child is missing, always check the pool first. Keep toilet lids closed and locked. Remove all buckets as babies can fall in head first. Never leave a child unattended in the bath. Ensure that each caregiver understands the importance of all safety precautions. BARRIERS leading to the pool or any body of water must be in-stalled AND maintained. Capabilities of toddlers change daily. Today they sit, tomorrow they crawl. Toddlers can slip through an unlocked door in the time it takes to answer the phone. Keep all entrances to the pool closed and locked. Install a second lock on each door leading to the pool well out
of the reach of a growing toddler’s grasp. Door and pool alarms can alert adults of unauthorized access. A see through mesh type fence should completely surround the pool, with a minimum height of 48 inches. This pool safety fence is especially impor-tant in separating one’s home and all of its exits from the pool. When not in use maintain and lock the pool safety fence gate. Keep all climbable objects away from the fence in the event they could enable a toddler to gain access over the fence. Approved pool safety covers can add yet anoth-
er layer of protection. Perimeter yard fences should have self-closing and self-latching gates. SKILLS are a vital supple-ment to supervision and barriers. Even during the water adjustment stage infants/toddlers who are relaxed in the water and can hold their breath provide their parents a few extra seconds to pick them up out of the water. This is a common scene near pool steps or baby pools where the family is sitting and playing. As the children progress, advanced aquatic abilities can provide a final safety net of protection if an unsupervised water entry should occur. Such skills include jumping in, turning around and swimming back to the side, recovering up for a breath and rolling to the back for a breath (refer to “What Can Babies Learn” page). INFANT CHILD CPR and
first aid certification are needed for all parents and caregivers. Prepare an emergency action plan and in the event of an accident stay calm and react quickly and effectively. Maintain a portable phone by the pool and post emergency numbers, including 911 on all phones. Keep all toys etc. out of the pool when not in use. Keep tri-cycles and wheel toys out of the pool area. It is never too soon to teach your child pool rules, such as never entering the water without mommy or daddy.
Remember, for the safety circle to be most effective, it must remain unbroken. No one segment should create a false sense of security. All four pieces of the safety circle pie must be applied. Respon-sible parents and caregivers will put into action all the measures neces-sary to safe guard their child. Always know where your chil-dren are. Around water, stay close while maintain-ing constant eye contact and never leave a child unat-tended even for a second. Under the direction of famed swimming person-ality and Olym-pic Swim Coach Laurie Lawrence, Queensland, Australia has in-
stituted a “Keep Kids Alive Program” to reduce the incidences of drowning in Eastern Australia. The program is working. Laurie known for his down to earth folk songs has written the following verse to remind parents and care givers of their responsibility to their children in regard to water safety. His song is entitled “Keep Kids Alive and Do the Five.”
Keep Kids Alive and Do the Five ...Fence the poolShut the gateTeach your kids to swim - its Great !Supervise-watch your mateLearn to resuscitate.Mime the rhyme to surviveand Keep Kids Alive. Pool Drain Cover Safety
Check drain covers to ensure they are not loose or broken. If you have
doubts, call a pool professional to inspect it.
Do not get in pools that have loose, broken or missing drain covers.
Replace old drain covers with ones that meet standards of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, marked VGB 2008
Install an automatic pump shut-off system
Install a safety vacuum release systemsource: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals More Great Pool Safety Tips
Never leave children younger than 4 alone in or around water.
Never allow children to swim alone or swim without adult supervision.
An adult should be within arm’s length of infants and toddlers in or around water.
Install a 4-sided isolation fence around the pool with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
Store toys away from the pool when not in use so childen won’t be tempt-ed to go near the water.
Keep a phone by the pool for use in emergencies.
Keep water levels full in pools to help child reach the ledge.
Educate caregivers and neighbors about water safety. Adults supervis-ing childen should learn to swim and learn CPR.
Adults supervising swimming children should not be distracted by talking on the phone, reading, social-izing, cooking or other activities.
Water wings and other inflatable swimming aids do not replace adult supervision.
Rigid pool covers and pool alarms are supplemental layers of protection but do not replace fencing around pools.
Keep approved life jackets, life pre-servers or a shepherd’s crook by the pool.
Install anti-entrapment devices on pool drains
source: American Academy of Pediat-rics; National Drowning Prevention Alliance
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lifestyle
Summer is a time of good friends, nice laughs and pure excitement. It is a time of joy and great adventures. Unfortunately, it can also be a time of great tragedy. The Real Story would like for everyone to follow the listed safety tips and a have a safe and wonderful summer.
Summer Time Safety
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The honor and the glory
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The honor and the glory
I’m a little slow when it comes to following pop-culture trends (except maybe when it comes to the “Real Housewives” series). I didn’t see any of the “Star Wars” movies until 1996 and none of the “Godfather” movies until about 2001, and I watched the first “Harry Potter” movie when the seventh one was de-buting in theaters. I haven’t read (and don’t intend to) “The Hunger Games,” and I do not plan on reading “Fifty Shades of Grey.” I wasn’t always like this. I had an ill-advised Madonna/Cyndi Lau-per phase when I was about 9, with neon headbands and lip synching and all. If I didn’t have jelly shoes on my feet, I wasn’t wearing shoes, and I remember being utterly outraged that my sister had parachute pants and I didn’t. In retrospect, I guess that was the tentative dawn of cargo pants, but I still don’t understand why anyone who is not GI Joe needs that many pockets and zippers. Similarly, if you’re not a rap star or involved in an active war, I don’t understand why you need a Hummer to drive your kids to soccer. In high school, there was the “grungy flannel Doc Marten-phase.” I suspect this was just a way to assert that I did not want to be like everyone else. Also, I really liked Nirvana. A few years ago, someone I went to high school with described me to some-one else as “goth,” which makes me laugh. Except for the fact that I was the shade of liquid paper (still am), I was about as “goth” as Justin Bieber. Learn your teen angst terms, people. I have to point out, though, that even though I wore flannel shirts and my dad’s Army boots, I still wore full make-up and curled my hair most days. I’m not sure I was fully commit-ted to the movement. I think I would say high school was the last time I embraced any kind of “trend.” Since then, I’d like to say that I have prided myself on being an individualist, but mostly I’m just oblivious a large part of the time. About six months ago, my 10-year-old niece asked me if I liked
Nicki Minaj, and I said, “Is she on ‘Wizards of Waverly’ whatever?” My sister couldn’t believe that I didn’t know who she was, but I don’t have kids, don’t listen to the regular radio and don’t follow current music at all. I have no idea who half these people are singing today, but if you only have one name or initials, I’m not going to learn who you are. It’s that simple. The only pop culture that I consistently try to keep up with is the movies. Since I was a little kid, my dad would tell me about actors and directors and who was in what, and now I’m like Rain Man when it comes to the movies. It’s not lucrative or particularly useful, but if you want to know where you’ve seen “that guy” in a movie you’re watching, I can give you five examples and tell you who directed him in each film. When movie awards season starts, I will not answer the phone during the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, or the Oscars unless you are on fire, and even then, you’ll have to leave a voicemail first. My point is, there’s noth-ing wrong with following trends and keeping up with the latest and greatest, if that’s what you genuinely enjoy. However, if you’re doing it just to keep up with everyone, isn’t that exhausting? I guess my hope is that more people vote in Novem-ber than saw “The Hunger Games” opening weekend or read about Kim Kardashian’s divorce. Speaking of whom, when is that 15 minutes over, seriously? We need a culture coup in which Rachel Maddow or Anderson Cooper is finally discovered to be infinitely more entertaining than the 97 Kardashians running amok.
Emily Gaither Smith is a former resident of Columbus, and now lives in Albertville, Alabama with her hus-band. Read Emily’s blog at msdemi-crat.blogspot.com.
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lifestyles by Emily Gaither Smith
Fifty Shades of Avoiding Trends
artsCool Culture in Hot Times
www.randomactsofculture.biz | 662.368.8181
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July 1-30, 2012
Opening Reception July 7, 2012 @ 5:30 p.m.Renee Reedy Studio | 101 5th Street South | Columbus, MSbelow Café on Main
designed by Nisa Moody
Burn, baby, burn! It seems as if that could be the theme in the Golden Triangle. As this article is being written, the Columbus area is in the midst of a multi-day stretch of 100-plus-degree days. Just because we all feel as if we are broiling doesn’t mean that there isn’t something interesting go-ing on in terms of art and culture.On June 23, the American Wind Symphony Orchestra wowed a crowd that was estimated at 2,000. If the temperatures had been milder, I am sure that we would have seen many more people in attendance. As it was, those who did brave the heat were treated to a rare experience. Maestro Bob Boudreau and the talented musi-cians covered a wide range of periods and genres. This was AWSO’s first visit to Columbus since 2001; hope-fully, it won’t be their last. If you passed Tampico Bay Restaurant last Friday night (June 29), saw the overflowing parking lot, heard the incredible music emanat-ing from the place but didn’t stop, SHAME ON YOU! The most recent installment of “Words and Music: An Evening of Spoken Word and Songs” was a smashing success, not only in terms of the stellar performers that took the stage but also the packed house and enthusiastic audience that showed their appreciation for the poets, singer/song-writers and spoken-word artists at every turn. Why, there was even a co-median! Local arts organiza-tion Random
Acts of Culture wants to thank event sponsors The Real Story, Tampico Bay, Café Quartier Latin, Signature Sound and Printing and Party Market for their participation. The next “Words and Music” open mic night will be held on Friday, July 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Tampico Bay (1515 College Street). For more infor-mation, including pictures from June 29, visit www.realstorypublishing.com or randomactsofculture.biz, or the Facebook pages of Tampico Bay, The Real Story and Random Acts of Culture. Last, but not least, there’s a “hot” art exhibit opening this Satur-day. “Seven Deadly Sins,” the latest of-fering at the Renee Reedy Studio (101 5th Street South), opens with a recep-tion on Saturday, July 7, at 5:30 p.m. This group show will consist of works that are themed around one or more of the seven deadly sins. The gallery partners have let on that the exhibit will contain some fairly edgy works of art, so we can hardly wait! The event, which will also include refreshments, is FREE and open to the public. For more info, visit randomactsofculture.biz or call 662.368.8181. Do what you can to stay cool, but whatever you do, remember to…
Get out, and get your culture on!
Did y’all know it’s already July? I’m almost positive that I lost a week somewhere, but I’m determined to find it - my apologies for arguing with my calendar and believing that there was more time in June. Last week, I promised an exclusive Accessories Challenge, but things have changed since I lost that week. Do not fret, because this week I have substituted a special Fourth of July Tribute article consisting of random patriotic things. The Fourth of July is an awesome holiday. Who doesn’t love parades, fireworks, cookouts, and AMERICA! Well, I am sure some of you are currently making a mental list of anti-Americans, but take a day off from the negativity and enjoy the celebration! I love our military men and women! Those uniforms are just splendid. My grandfather and cousin both served in the United States Army - there are many other of my relatives who have served and are serving in our nation’s military, but I would need all of The Real Story paper to list and discuss them - that would be a bit selfish on my part. For the sake of not taking over, I will limit my family tribute. My Paw Riley was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1964-1965. Speaking of Alaska, I have always wanted to visit Alaska, but not to see polar bears. I do not like bears - I have a death fear of being mauled by a bear. “They” say to play dead if you’re attacked by a bear - “they” obviously don’t know me, because I wouldn’t have to play dead, I’m pretty sure I’d have a massive coronary ex-perience before the bear mauled me. But I digress-where was I? Oh yes, my tribute. Paw Riley accomplished some other stuff, but I must skip all that due to my bear attack rampage and tell a little about my cousin, Jon Eaves. He was stationed in Hawijah, Iraq, as a sniper during his service. I love being able to celebrate not only my relative’s safe returns and sacri-fices but also all the men and women who fought and have been fighting to protect our freedom and liberties.
Since I’m on the topic of freedom and liberties, I want to share Five Founding Father Facts. Warning: these are not your classroom text-book facts; instead, I have chosen
unusual ones. Perhaps I watch too much History Channel and PBS….
Five Founding Father Facts:
George Washington’s “wood-en teeth” were NOT really wooden. His teeth were actually made of gold, ivory, lead and animal teeth…Ay! Mr. Washington…that’s a fancy set of dentures you got there. Alexander Hamilton had the very first sex scandal in America. During his affair with Maria Reyn-olds, Mr. Hamilton was forced to pay Maria’s husband money in order to keep the affair out of the public eye. Long story short, Alexander admitted his folly to the people.
Benjamin Franklin’s illegitimate son, William, supported British efforts during the war (the number of illegitimate children our Founding Fathers had is ridiculous!). William, the royal governor of New Jersey,
was the head of a pro-British party that went against the colonies. Wil-liam’s support of the British caused his dad to disown him. “A summary of Washington’s French and Indian War service is: He inadvertently started the War, surrendered an important fron-tier fort and participated in a disastrous campaign resulting in major defeat. Yet he emerged a colonial hero” (www.revolu-tionarywara-rchives.org). Washington at-
tended the Second Continental Con-gress dressed to impress in his French and Indian war colonel’s uniform - a brilliant and fashionable commander-in-chief campaign plan! “In all, 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention ses-sions, but only 39 actually signed the Constitution. The delegates ranged in age from Jonathan Dayton, 26, to Benjamin Franklin, 81, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair” (www.archives.gov).
Despite the illegitimate chil-dren, sex scandals, family problems and defeats, the Founding Fathers were determined to begin the great
est nation in the world. We should be just as determined to not only preserve but to better America.I hope you have enjoyed my little his-tory lesson. To learn more interesting facts about the Founding Fathers, you can purchase “Founding Fathers” from the History Channel online. Not only do I love Fourth of July fireworks, parades, cookouts and Founding Father factoids, I also adore getting dressed up in a patriotic outfit consisting of only red, white and blue! I admit that it can be a challenge putting these colors together, but with a little creativity and fashion genius, your patriotic outfit can be fabulous! My Fourth of July Tribute outfit for this year’s festivities is a men’s blue dress shirt (from the Salva-tion Army in Starkville) that I jazzed up with tie-dyed navy stripes, vintage red shorts (from The Attic in Colum-bus) and dark silver Jessica Simpson heels. I can easily convert the shirt to a swimsuit cover-up, pair the shorts with a white bikini top and change my accessories to make this outfit versatile for all the events that make up my Fourth of July! I challenge you this Fourth of July to dress for the occasion and deck yourself out with a festive red, white and blue tribute outfit! Be sure to join me next week for that Accessories Challenge I promised last time! For more information and sneak peeks “like” my page on Face-book @ www.facebook.com/Vintage-InspiredPassionista Also, check out my blog web-site @ www.vintageinspiredpassionis-ta.com to find fashion inspiration and much more! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with me while I am on the go this summer! (Twitter: @Abbysauce Instagram: @VintagePassionista)
Stay Fabulous!
Abby Hathorn is a sixteen year old blogger and student who enjoys shop-ping, traveling, and all things vintage.
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The Adventures of the VIP: 4th of July Tribute
lifestyles by Abby Hathorn
Senior Pets Need Extra Checkups
Dear Paw’s Corner: How often should my 12-year-old mutt, “Akira,” see the veterinarian? He’s very healthy for an older dog, but my girlfriend says he needs to have more than a once-a-year physical. Is that true? -- Matt C., Longwood, Fla.
Dear Matt: Twice a year is a good guideline for senior pets to visit their veterinarian, if they’re otherwise healthy. That’s because older dogs and cats can develop conditions com-mon to pets of advanced age quickly -- conditions that sometimes go un-noticed but should be treated sooner rather than later so the pet’s quality of life doesn’t diminish.
It’s normal for a pet to slow down as it ages. But the reduced activity that an owner sees as normal can mask developing conditions like arthritis, thyroid imbalance, heart disease or cancer. A dog or cat’s slowing pace also can lead to obesity, meaning owners need to regulate and monitor their diets closely so that senior pets get proper nutrition while avoiding excess calories.
Many vets will recommend a twice-yearly exam once a pet reaches an age considered senior. (This varies a bit for dogs. Larger dogs are often considered senior pets after age 8 or 9; smaller dogs might be 10 or older.) It’s not a moneymaking move -- it’s a good recommendation. The exam should include a full physical, along with testing for developing conditions like diabetes or other illnesses that, untreated, can drastically shorten a pet’s life.
Additionally, you should keep Akira’s vaccinations up to date and read up on pet care for senior dogs. There are many things owners can do to improve their pet’s quality of life be-yond extra medications: special diets, specific exercises and modified play are among the steps owners can take.
Send your questions or comments to [email protected], or write to Paw’s Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Or-lando, FL 32853-6475. For more pet care-related advice and information, visit www.pawscorner.com.
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
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For the weekbeginning July 2, 2012
Paw’s CornerBy Sam Mazzotta
Senior News LineBy Matilda Charles
Tai Chi Benefits
In a new study, researchers discov-ered that seniors who engage in tai chi, the gentle Chinese exercise, expe-rienced an increase in brain size and improvements in cognition.The research was done in a controlled trial, which means that the partici-pants were carefully monitored. The group attended tai chi classes three times a week, as well as a social dis-cussion afterward. The results showed an increase in brain function, as well as improved results on memory and thinking tests. It’s thought that the gentle movements of tai chi, as well as the social interaction, was able to reverse the gradual loss of nerve cells in the brain that leads to dementia.Tai Chi has been explored in other research as well, with positive results.Arthritis: Seniors with knee osteo-arthritis improved physical function after learning tai chi, and experienced less pain. Participants took a 60-min-ute class that included instruction in breathing and relaxation, twice a week for three months. A control group received only diet instruction and did stretching exercises. At the
end of the three months, those who took the tai chi classes experienced “a significant decrease in knee pain.” According to the research. 4.3 million seniors have knee osteoarthritis. Depression: Seniors who attended a weekly tai chi class experienced improvement in their depression, memory, quality of life and energy.Prevention of falls: Multiple studies have shown that tai chi’s slow exercise movements and deep breathing are effective in helping to prevent falls.Ask your doctor if tai chi could be beneficial to your overall health. If you call your senior center to inquire about tai chi classes, ask whether the instructor is experienced in working with seniors.
Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Or-lando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Be prepared to face some challenges stirred up by an envious colleague. Your best defense is the Arian’s innate honesty. Stick with the truth, and you’ll come out ahead.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your sensitivity to the needs of others is admirable. But be careful to avoid those who would take unfair advan-tage of your good nature, especially where money is involved.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Having an optimistic attitude is fine, as far as it goes. But don’t be lulled into a false sense of confidence. There are still problems to deal with before you can totally relax.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You might feel somewhat “crabby,” as you fuss over plans that don’t seem to work out. Maybe you’re trying too hard. Ease up and let things happen without forcing them.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Heed that keen Leonine instinct. It’s trying to tell you to delay making a decision until you’re sure there are no hidden problems that could cause trouble later on.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) This is a good time to reach out to those who might be nursing hurt feel-ings over recent events. Best advice: Ignore any pettiness that could delay the healing process.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your understanding helps a colleague get through a difficult period.
Although you didn’t do it for a reward, be assured that your actions will be repaid down the line.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You score some high marks in the workplace, which will count in your favor when you face the possibility of changing direction on your current career path.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your goal lies straight ahead. Stay focused on it and avoid distractions that could throw off your aim and cause potentially detrimental delays.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to Janu-ary 19) Keep that burst of exuberance in check and resist pushing through your new project before it’s ready. In your personal life, a family member again needs help.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to Febru-ary 18) Paying attention to your work is important this week. But so are your relationships with those special people in your life. Make time for them as well.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Good news. Someone is about to repay a long-standing debt. But be warned. That same someone could try to charm you into lending it back unless you say no and mean it.
BORN THIS WEEK: You are sensi-tive to matters that involve your home and family. You would make a fine family-court judge or social worker.
(c) 2012 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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“The pit bulldog, if it is a normal, sound member of its breed, will probably greet you like a long lost friend, turning inside out with pleasure and dancing out a jig with its front feet, prompting you to wonder how in the heck these dogs got a bad name, anyway.” - Diane Jessup My husband and I have been trying to remember all the things that we have gone through or experienced during our 30+ years with American pit bull terriers, and we have recalled some great memories. The problem is in putting them in the timeline from our first dogs through today - it’s a long road! We’ve written about Cujo before, and I remember two other things that stand out about him for me. Once, I was walking out to the car to go to work and Cujo was stretched out in the side yard on his back, feet up in the air. I called out to him, but he never moved. I called several times, getting louder each time, because I ac-tually thought he was dead! That dog never even twitched. I finally threw my purse down on the ground and ran to the side yard, yelling and screaming his name! Wouldn’t you know, that stinker rolled his head over towards me, opened one eye and looked at me like he was winking! I could just imagine him thinking, “Ha! I gotcha, mommy!” Another thing about pit bull dogs is that they are mostly silent. We’ve been lucky in that most of our dogs mind really well. Cujo was no exception. In fact, whenever one of the other dogs would get in trouble, he’d back up so far in his dog house that all you could see was the tip of his nose! I guess he thought if we didn’t see him, he wasn’t the guilty one! One night, Cujo was barking his head off, and when my husband would tell him to stop, he would start back up within minutes. Ken-neth (my husband) finally got out of bed and went outside and told Cujo that if he had made him get out of bed for nothing, he was going to be in some serious trouble. Cujo kept barking, and Kenneth went out with the flashlight. He couldn’t see a thing, but Cujo kept barking and looking at a certain spot in the yard. Kenneth fi-nally found the culprit - a little turtle was moseying around the yard, and Cujo couldn’t stand it! Cujo lived to be about 9 or 10
years old, and we never had a single behavior or aggressiveness problem out of him. The next pit bull we acquired was Gypsy - a light brindle female with white markings. She was the cutest little thing (aren’t they all?) and was the first pit bull I reared from a pup. She and Cujo loved each other and were never apart. Cujo and Gyp-sy had two litters of pups, and we had to bottle-feed the first litter. Gypsy didn’t want anything to do with them, so I would take them to my grand-mother’s house in the morning. She would look after them until I got there at lunch to bottle-feed them, and again until I got off work and took them back home. We kept one pup, Grizzly; another, Bandit, went to my brother-in-law.
I’ve said before that these are tough, hardy dogs. Bandit managed to escape from her yard and was run over by an 18-wheeler one afternoon when she was about 2 or 3 years old. She looked pretty bad but made it through, with the help of some good old-fashioned medicine. She didn’t run back out in the highway after that, though! She healed very nicely, and you would never know she’d been run over. My husband reminded me last night about a funny story re-garding Grizzly (or Gizzy-Bear, as I liked to call him). It was that one year when it snowed pretty hard in Columbus - you know which one I’m talking about. I was sitting in the snow, playing with Gizzy-Bear, with socks - yes, socks - on my hands be-cause I didn’t have any gloves. Gypsy and Cujo were running around in the yard, playing with Kenneth, and Gyp-sy decided she was going to harass Grizzly. Well, she got a little too ram-bunctious with him, so I grabbed him and stood up, but she was still trying to harass him. Kenneth tells the story best; he says he turned around and saw me, with snow all over my pants, like I’d been rolling around in it, swat-ting at Gypsy with one sock-covered hand and holding Gizzy-Bear up in
the air as high as I could reach with the other. Boy, if we could only play back the memories we have so that others could see them!! I can become a little long-winded talking about things I’m passionate about. So look for more pit bull stories next week!! I’ll close with the following - and I couldn’t say it any better than Diane Jessup:
The next time you meet a pit bull, take a moment to stop and engage the owner in conversation. Ask them (nicely) about the dog. Be prepared for suspicion and defen-siveness. After all, this is an owner who more likely than not adores his/her life companion, has a strong
and wonderful bond with the dog, and faces almost daily threats to this friendship from every conceivable source. Neighbors, friends, family, the media, PETA and even some “humane” organizations, all sadly, often feel compelled to add to the general “fad panic” about the lat-est “fad breed.” This dog and his/her owner are truly under constant siege, and you must forgive them this wariness. This pit bull and its human life-companion are soldiers on the front line of the new battle against companion animal ownership and the growing “anti-dog” movement. So called “breed specific legislation” - those laws which ban all dogs of a certain appearance based solely on appearance and not behavior are a reality - a reality pit bull owners live with everyday. Imagine for a moment having a dear friend you know to be the paragon of loyalty, sweetness, pa-tience, and good humor, only to have that friend constantly portrayed as “evil”, unpredictable and savage, and you will begin to understand the frus-tration. We know of fighting dogs, who have known nothing but years of unspeakable abuse, who have had their lives blighted by neverending confinement to a heavy chain, who will lick with humility the hand of the animal control officer who has come to end their life, and we know that no other breed could withstand so much neglect and hate, and still have that pure love of man shine through to the end. The injustice of it can drive you mad.
Aimee Shaw is the office manager at Malone Electric Company, Inc. and als has her own freelance graphic design business. She is married to Kenneth Shaw of Columbus.
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lifestyles by Aimee Shaw
How’d These Dogs Get Such a Bad Name?
I call this cat, “Mine”
PitBull
Corner
PitBull
CornerAll You Ever Wanted to Know
about American Pit Bull Terriers
“The pit bulldog, if it is a normal,
sound member of its breed, will prob-ably greet you like a long lost friend, turning inside out with pleasure and dancing out a jig
with its front feet, prompting you to
wonder how in the heck these dogs got
a bad name, any-way.”
Who knew that a single phone call, this past Friday afternoon would be the beginning of a pit bull rescue weekend?! I received a phone call from a friend about a pit bull puppy in need of a home. The owner was moving and couldn’t have dogs at the new location. All it took was one photo of this beautiful baby boy to know that I had to take action. My husband and I drove to Starkville, later that after-noon, to pick up this white-faced, brown-spotted beauty, and to foster him for a few days (can’t take any-more - he would become a perma-nent fixture). Before we even picked him up, Heather McInytre had agreed to foster him and we would find him a permanent, loving home. We brought him home, and our dogs, Lexi, Toby & Sadie wanted so badly to play with him, but he was just too small. Porkchop - that was another story. After he got over his fear of the new pup, he made it very clear that a new addition to the family was not only not welcome, but was to get no love, attention, or food, if he had anything to say about it. As I was posting a photo of the male pup on Facebook, it oc-curred to me that another pit bull-loving family may be interested in adopting the pup. Once again, all it took was one photo! Ironically, they drove from Starkville (where we had been, earlier that day, to pick him up) and a new home for the beautiful boy was found. Thank you, Stacy & Blake - and Dozer, for being so pit-friendly and able to help! On Saturday, as some Real Story folks were going to enjoy a day on the river with me, another pit bull was spotted. This time it was a mama dog, and it was clear that she had recently weaned some puppies. Molly Murphree, a photographer and writer for The Real Story, was the first to spot the poor girl. She immediately pulled over, and called me and Heath-er, and sent a photo to us. I had a Subway sandwich that I hadn’t eaten, from the night before, so I grabbed it and a bowl, so that we could at least give her some food and water. Cindy Lynch, The Real Story advertis-ing sales executive, and her signifi-cant other, Rusty Mitchell, were next on the scene. The three attempted to approach the mama dog, but she seemed to be very protective of some-thing. Rusty finally noticed she was protecting her puppy that, unfortu-nately, had succumbed to the heat and lack of food and water.I finally arrived with the sandwich and approached the poor dog. She was a little leery, of course, and gave me a warning growl, but she is a pit bull. I was not afraid, and she was not afraid of me. I finally fed her the sandwich - even let her lick the sauce off of my fingers - that’s how sweet and trusting she was. I covered the poor pup up, so at least she wouldn’t
have to see it, even though she knew it was there. I finally coaxed her out of the woods and picked her up; to sit down with her while Molly and Heather tried to figure out how to get her to Heather’s. We made the deci-sion that Molly, Cindy and I would load up this beautiful, sweet, aban-doned girl and take her to Heather in Caledonia. Cindy bought her a bright, new pink collar, and spoiled her with beef jerky sticks. She rode like a champ, and when we arrived at Heather’s, we put her in her new, tem-porary home - a considerably shaded pen, with pine shavings on the floor and plenty of food and water. Cindy and I had purchased bags of dog food to help Heather in her rescue efforts - who knew it would come in so handy, so quickly, and for a pit bull! Again - thank you, Heather, for all you do. Not only do the animals, but Cindy, Molly, and I appreciate you more than you know. I’m writing this at 7pm on Saturday night. I wonder what Sun-day will bring? Whatever it is, I know three people who will be right there with me! Our weekend pit bull rescue was extended to Monday. Debbie, from Liberty, AL called me about a pit bull and her puppies. She had been follow-ing the Pit Bull Corner and other pit bull stories in The Real Story and was hoping we could help her find good homes. The mama dog appeared at her home about seven weeks ago, severely malnourished, and pregnant. Debbie, a dog lover, couldn’t turn her back on this mama dog in need, so she began to feed and care for her. A few days later, eight beautiful pit bull puppies were born. Fast forward six weeks, and now that the pups are weaned, and mama dog has gained some weight back, foster or forever homes are needed. Three of the eight puppies had already found loving homes, and after a few hours of phone calls, texts, and Facebook messaging, I, along with Heather McIntyre, found homes for all but two puppies and the mama dog. The remaining two puppies are both females - one brown; the other white with black spots. The mama dog is black brindle with a half-white face, and is super friendly.
If anyone is interested in fostering or providing a lov-ing (approved) home, please contact Aimee Shaw - 662.386.1012
Aimee Shaw is the office manager at Malone Electric Company, Inc. and als has her own freelance graphic design business. She is married to Kenneth Shaw of Columbus. re
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Grilled Sweet PotatoesWe steam and slice sweet potatoes, and then give them a turn on the grill to create this deliciously unexpected side dish.
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled if you like1 tablespoon olive oil1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepperParsley, for garnish
1. Prepare outdoor grill for covered, direct grilling on medium.2. In 5- to 6-quart saucepot or Dutch oven, place collapsible steamer basket and 1 inch water. Cover saucepot; heat water to boiling on high on range top. Cut sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices.3. Place potato slices in steamer basket; reduce heat to low. Cover saucepot and simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are just fork-tender; do not overcook. (Potatoes can be steamed a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to grill.)4. Transfer potato slices to jellyroll pan; brush with olive oil and sprin-kle with salt and pepper to season both sides. Place potato slices on hot grill grate. Cover grill and cook potatoes 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly charred and tender, turning slices over once with large metal spatula. Transfer potatoes to serving bowl; garnish with parsley. Makes 4 side-dish servings.
¥ Each serving: About 245 calories, 4g total fat (1g saturated), 0mg cho-lesterol, 170mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate, 6g dietary fiber, 3g protein.
For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.good-housekeeping.com/recipefinder/.
(c) 2012 Hearst Communications, Inc.All rights reserved
Gourmet Grilled Angel Food CakeStore-bought angel food cake goes gourmet when it’s grilled and topped with sweetened balsamic-soaked strawberries.
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled and each cut in half, or into quarters if large2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon sugar1 (9-ounce) store-bought angel food cakeWhipped cream (optional)
1. In medium bowl, toss strawberries with balsamic vinegar and sugar. Let stand at room temperature until sugar dissolves, at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.2. Meanwhile, prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium. Cut angel food cake into 6 wedges.3. Place cake on hot grill rack and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly toasted on both sides, turning over once. Spoon strawberries with their juice onto 6 dessert plates. Place grilled cake on plates with strawber-ries; serve with whipped cream if you like. Serves 6.
„ Each serving: About 155 calories, 1g total fat (0g saturated), 0mg cho-lesterol, 320mg sodium, 35g total carbs, 3g dietary fiber, 3g protein.
For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.good-housekeeping.com/recipefinder/.
(c) 2012 Hearst Communications, Inc.All rights reserved
lifestyles by Aimee Shaw
Pit Bull Rescue Weekend Recipes from
Good Housekeeping
If you haven’t yet read “The Four Agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz, I highly recommend that you purchase a copy today. In it are out-lined four profound and yet simple (as profound usually is) spiritual tools which offer a totally different and fulfilling way to experience life. One of the things I love about these four agreements is that they span cultures, religions, and race: No matter who you are or where you’re from, these agreements apply to you in the same way they apply to me. I have been practicing these tools for years now, and they have changed my life completely; they have given me a clear picture of how each person’s ex-perience of life is their own, and that when I fail to remember that, I slide back into all sorts of guilt and blame and misery. In a nutshell, Ruiz talks about
how our perception of life is based on what we have been taught and agreed to - “agreements” we have made about what life is. We are told life is a certain way, and at some point in our upbringing, we have socially agreed to see life that same way. We are also told who we are, and we have agreed to that, too - we are smart, we are dumb, we are fat, we are going to be a doctor, a lawyer, what-have-you. We have been told that life is hard, and we’ve agreed to that. Or that life is easy, and we’ve agreed to that. We have been told that we should be, and we’ve agreed to that. Or that we shouldn’t be, and we’ve agreed to that. Whatever our perception of life, it is based on beliefs we have agreed to believe at some point, whether con-sciously or not. Ruiz offers four new agree-ments which, when mastered (and even long before that - when just practiced), will turn the other agree-ments we’ve made upside down and change the way we see life forever. They are:
Be impeccable with your word;
Don’t take anything personally;
Don’t make assumptions; and
Always do your best.
Simple, right? Simple, but not easy, by any means. Being impeccable with your word doesn’t mean just saying nice things - being impeccable means taking responsibility for every single thing you say, understanding the power of words and that words, in effect, are “spells.” If you doubt that, think about what happens when a young girl is told she is ugly. The effect that has on her entire life is nothing short of a spell. Or think about what happens when you’re told some-thing - negative or positive, it doesn’t matter - about someone before you meet them. Doesn’t it shape what you think of them, from the get-go?
We are all spell-masters with our words, and the saddest part about it is that we are not even aware of it.
You will be, after reading “The Four Agreements.” “Always do your best” goes along the same lines as “Be impec-cable with your word”: Both are about integrity. If you always do your best, then in any situation you can end the day feeling good about yourself. When you feel good about yourself, you don’t find the need to feel badly about others (any time we berate
others, either mentally or verbally, it is because we are unhappy ourselves, on some level). Ruiz reminds us that who we are today isn’t necessarily who we are tomorrow; sometimes we are tired, and at those times our best won’t be as good as when we are energetic. If we know this about ourselves, we can extend compas-sion towards ourselves, and when we extend compassion to ourselves, it is naturally extended to others as well. Serious win-win. The remaining two agree-ments, “Don’t take anything person-ally” and “Don’t make assumptions” are absolutely life changing. “Don’t make assumptions” results in not taking anything personally, so let’s go straight to that one. Pretty much any time we are sensitive about anything,
we have made an assumption about the other per-son. This agree-ment is about understanding that not one of us knows what
it is like to be any other person in the world but ourselves. I have no idea what it’s like to be someone else, no matter how close to them I am: I have not experienced life in every single moment for years and years the way they have, and so there is no way on earth that I could possibly know what it is
like to be them. Understanding this, it follows that I am in no position to make any assumption about the other person or their intentions. We all put our own view of life on other people, and this is unfair. When someone slights me by not responding to a question, for example, to me, that is rude. To them, however, perhaps the silence is because they were taught never to respond until you have given something considerable time - in that sense, their (lack of) response means exactly the opposite of what I have assumed it to mean; i.e., that they are (not) responding out of respect and a desire to be a good person. We don’t know - ever - what is going through a person’s mind and
what their complete picture of life is, and to take things personally is to assume we do. If you never pick up a copy of the book for yourself, I hope that just this one concept will cause you to stop for a moment, because it has the potential to change your life. All the great teachers in history offered simple lessons to live by - simple, but not easy. Ruiz’ “Four Agreements,” based on ancient Toltec tradition, are no different. Under-standing more about ourselves, being willing to look within and change ourselves and learning to be more compassionate with ourselves will ultimately change the world. Change comes from within, and “The Four Agreements” offers powerful tools to do just that.
Clare Mallory, L.Ac., M.Ac., holds a master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She is the owner of North Mississippi Acupuncture in Co-lumbus, MS. Visit her website www.claremallory.com
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thewholebody by Clare Mallory
You Agreed to Your Life
“Don’t take any-thing personally.”
“Don’t make assumptions.”
North Mississippi Acupuncture had its ribbon cutting as a new member of the Columbus Lowndes Development Link last Thursday. Clare Mallory, licensed acupuncturist and owner of North Mississippi Acupuncture, has been in business here for a year and is the only licensed acupuncturist north of Jackson.
North Mississippi AcupunctureRibbon Cutting
“Be impeccable with your word.”
“Always do your best.”
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Topic: Living in a Conservative WorldQuestion:Dear Meagan,I’ve recently moved to Columbus from a much larger city and have discov-ered that this area is very conservative politically, as well as very religious. The thing is, I am a liberal and am not religious. The problem comes in when I am with a group of people, even friends - I feel outnumbered. Inevita-bly, the conversation shifts to politics, and they make rude comments about liberals, Democrats and President Obama. I don’t offer my opinion for fear that I will be attacked verbally. This makes me seem detached and also makes me very frustrated. How should I handle this?Sincerely, Detached
Answer:
Leave Columbus! Well, that might be the easy way out (and I was just joking), but no matter who we are or where we are, there will always be the same challenge: being ok with your own personal beliefs AND giv-ing people an opportunity to get to know the real you. I have clients, all the time, who make excuses for not speak-ing their truth; not saying what they really want to say for fear of being rejected. My response is always this: You won’t know how someone will respond unless you give them the opportunity. I have been hurt before – I have had people reject me and attack me verbally - but I have chosen to move through that hurt and give people a chance again. I am not always open immediately, but when I am afraid to speak up (no matter the group I am surrounded by) or add to the conversation, then that is a cue for me to look at myself and figure out what I need to do to build my confidence in who I am and who I want to be. Differing opinions are what help us grow, open our eyes to other perspectives and be challenged in a way that helps us figure out more of who we are as an individual. If you feel attacked by rude comments about liberals, Democrats and President Obama, then it might be wise to sur-round yourself with people who think like you do until you are able to put yourself in this kind of group again without feeling “less than.” Being a minority or feeling oppressed by a larger group of people is actually just a mindset. Overcom-ing that mindset is not for the weak; it is an opportunity to test your cour-age and strength - to see if you can face your fear and see what happens.
You might be accepted or rejected for what you say, but the only thing you are responsible for is how you say what you want to say and if YOU feel good about it. Beyond that, every-thing else is out of your control. You ARE the master of your perception of yourself, and keeping people away from getting to know the real you is depriving them of learning something new - and you are also missing an op-portunity to feel your own confidence grow. Also, by not being yourself you close yourself off from receiving love from others. The fear of speaking our truth is always that we will be rejected and, as a result, feel unloved and not good enough. If you know that is
what is keeping you from saying any-thing in these settings, then it might be easier to overcome; sometimes just acknowledging our fear will push us
forward. The more confidence you have in who you are, the easier it will be to let go of others’ reactions to who you are. You may not be able to speak up immediately, and that’s ok. It’s important to not judge yourself while
you are learning to be ok with who you are. Sometimes it is good to just observe how you are feeling and realize that no one is personally attacking you with their own opinions about politics or religion. If they are being overly judg-mental and you can’t handle it any
longer, don’t continue to put yourself in that position. You have a choice, always. BUT, if you want to overcome your fear and find a way to share your
opinions with confidence, then begin by doing things for yourself that make you feel good about you (i.e., exercising, writing, singing, medi-tating, helping someone, etc.) – it doesn’t matter what gives you confi-dence, just commit to doing it once a day, and it will make a huge differ-ence. Remember, you will never know how someone will respond un-less you give them the opportunity.
Meagan M. O’Nan is a trained and experienced Life Coach, award-win-ning author of ‘Creating Your Heaven on Earth, blogger, poet, and supporter of the underdog. She has a life coach-ing practice in Columbus, MS. www.meaganonan.org
Remember, you will never know how someone will respond unless you give
them the opportunity.
thewholebody
Differing opinions are what help us grow, open our eyes
to other perspectives and be challenged in a way that helps us figure out more of
who we are as an individual.
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Yes. Porkchop IS a hoarder. At any given time in my house, you can find empty bottles, blankets, towels or a random shoe (or rather, mul-tiple random shoes), along with a fat, whiny pig up in the middle of it all. I literally spent 20 minutes this morning searching for a missing shoe. I moved furniture, towels, blan-kets - hell, I even moved Porkchop - just in case he was lying on it! I never found the thing. Then, I noticed that I had another shoe that was missing a mate as well. Why can’t he hide BOTH shoes of the same pair? That way, with my memory, I’d probably forget I even had that pair! And yes, I know, it is, ultimately, my fault; I should have put my shoes up. And you’d think it would be easy for me to do, consider-ing we have a shoe shelf in the kitchen right next to where I leave my shoes - for that very reason! Shame on me! Now that the little thieving, hoarding pig is bigger, I think he misses me holding and cuddling him. He’ll walk around the house, whining and crying and screaming. We know he can’t possibly be hungry (although he always acts as if he is), and we’ll try to pacify him by talking to him or what-have-you. But, no! He wants attention, and prefer-
ably for Mommy to get on the floor and hug him. Fortunately, that’s something that I don’t mind at all! I love spooning with that piggie! He is so sweet. He’ll just lie there and get comfy as I pet him on his face, ears, butt cheeks and belly. I can’t get enough of his butt cheeks (ha-ha!). I call them his ham hocks and always tell him we could eat for two months off of just one hock!
Porkchop’s favorite thing to have in the living room is a big, fluffy blanket. He’ll get on it and root around until he gets it just right, and then he’ll lie down and take a nap. The problem is, though, that the dogs think that it is there for them too. Sadie (our oldest pit bull) came into the living room
the other afternoon and plopped right down in the middle of the blanket. As Porkchop meandered in later on, he saw Sadie lying there and decided he’d snuggle with her. I looked up and saw them lying there together, and it was so cute! Later on, I looked up again, and all three pit bull dogs and Porkchop were all piled up on that blanket, looking like four peas in a pod! I was too far away to get a good
photo with my iPhone, so I asked Ken-neth to get one. Wouldn’t you know it, as soon as he picked up his iPhone to take the photo, Sadie jumped up like we had caught her doing some-thing wrong! I did get a few photos of the three of them lying there together, though. I was sitting in my usual chair the
other afternoon and heard the most awful racket. I muted the television and cocked my head to one side, try-ing to figure out what the noise was, when, all of a sudden, Porkchop and Lexi came flying into the living room from the kitchen. Apparently, they had been playing “grab-ass” (as Ken-neth calls it) and were slipping
and sliding around the kitchen. Lexi plays with Porkchop by nipping (with her lips) at his legs, so he’ll bend them and, more or less, lie on his belly. Lexi will go to his back side and nip him in the rump, and Porkchop will jump up and run a short distance, grunting, and then turn around - and then it’s his turn to pick on Lexi! He’ll mouth her in the lip, sometimes pulling her lip all the way over her head (not really, but he pulls it pretty far out!); then he’ll let go and run around to one side or the other and get a little bit of hide and shake it. It is so funny to watch them play. Who would’ve thought a pot-bellied pig and pit bull dogs would get along so well? I guess I’m going to go home tonight and rearrange my house, just so I can find the missing mates to some of my shoes. I might find shoes (or anything else) that I have totally forgotten about! But I’m sure that whatever I find, that chubby little pig will be right there with me, helping me look! For all the Porkchop photos, updates, and videos you can stand, visit Porkchop on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PorkchopsPig-Tales
pigtales by Aimee Shaw
“Hi. My Name Is Porkchop, And I Am a Hoarder.”
In the midst of the 2011 Penn State football season, the school was knocked on its heels when former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged with sexually abusing eight boys (eventu-ally ten). As the story unfolded, it was discovered that the Nittany Lions’ administration and Head Coach Joe Paterno were alerted about one of Sandusky’s transgressions, in 2002, by then-Penn State Graduate Assis-tant Matt McQueary (McQueary was Penn state’s wide receivers coach in 2011). The media began to probe the allegations and started to call for the heads of all involved. Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President Grant Schultz each were charged with perjury and failure to report child abuse. Curley asked for a leave of absence to deal with the charges, and Schultz stepped down in response. Buckling under the media pressure, the university relieved Pa-terno and School President Graham Spanier of their duties. It brought an end to a historic 61-year coaching career, as well as a 16-year tenure for Spanier. The fan base was unwaver-ing in their support of Paterno. Fans camped outside his house, show-ing their loyalty to the fired football coach. Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley took over for Paterno, for the rest of the 2011 season. The adminis-tration, though, sought to find a new head coach, after the season. New England Patriots offensive coordina-tor, Bill O’Brien, 42, was hired to replace Paterno. The hiring proved to be an unpopular one; several Penn State Alumni and former players voiced displeasure over the hire. LaVar Arrington, a former Penn State All-American linebacker was the most vocal. He had some harsh comments in a Blue White Il-lustrated (Rivals.com site) interview. “I will put my Butkus (Award) in storage. I will put my Alamo Bowl MVP trophy in storage. Jerseys, any-thing Penn State, in storage,” he said. “Wherever Tom Bradley goes, that’s the school I will start to put memora-bilia up in my home. I’m done. I’m
done with Penn State. If they’re done with us, I’m done with them.” While the college was still dealing with backlash from the hir-ing, Paterno fell ill and passed away from lung cancer. Former Penn State Linebacker Matt Millen felt that Pa-terno died from a “broken heart.” It’s not a surprising claim, given the fact that his death came a little over two months after his firing. Things were quiet for a while, after Paterno’s death. The Sandusky trial came sooner than most would have expected. The judge refused any attempts to delay the case, and the trial began on June 12th. There were eight days of testimony with 20-plus witnesses. The first witness at the trial, identified as “Victim #4” gave chilling testimony. He talked about Sandusky, who he met at the age of 13, abusing him 40 times over a five-year period. The victim also relayed how Sandusky took him to bowl games, treating him almost like a girlfriend and also wrote “creepy love letters” to him. The other witness’s accounts were almost as graphic and disturbing. Joseph Amendola, Sandusky’s attorney, attempted to refute and cross-examine as best he could, but it was a losing battle. The trial eventu-ally went to the jury for deliberation, which took 20 hours. The jury came back with a guilty verdict on 45 of 48 charges (not guilty on the charge of sodomy). The judge set the sentenc-ing for 90 days after the verdict (June 22nd). Sandusky faces a maximum of 442 years in prison (minimum of 60). The jury’s decision serves as a point of closure for the victims, their families, and the entire Penn State community. This ugly episode in the schools’ history will forever serve as a “black eye” and a cautionary tale to other colleges with skeletons in their closet. Civil lawsuits are still pend-ing; Penn State officials might be best served settling those immediately. But if their 2013 recruiting rankings are any indication (13th), “State Col-lege” may be ready to move on to a new chapter and restore a once-good name.
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sports by Jeremiah Short
Sandusky Verdict Allows Penn State to Move On Jasper is Making His Dream a Reality ‘Rebel Sports Radio” and ‘Bulldog Sports Radio’ have brought 24-hour internet talk-radio to Ole Miss and Mississippi State fans. These two programs have a combined 25,000 downloads - with 17,000 com-bined registered users. Keith Jasper, the 28-year-old founder of VSporto, is responsible for making both a real-ity. It would seem natural, con-sidering Jasper’s young age, to assume that this was his first foray into team-specific content - but it is not. The Jackson, Mississippi native started a Buffalo Bills website while just in high school. It was called BillsReport.com and featured 15 staff writers, when it was running full tilt, including New York Times writer David Staba. At the same time that he was running a successful website, he enrolled at Missis-sippi State Univer-sity. Jasper dropped out, though, after two years, saying, “I couldn’t find the fortitude or will to keep going to class.” During that same period, he sold the Bills website for an undis-closed amount. The self-professed “geek” in high school began to conduct research on his next venture, a team-specific internet radio chan-nel. He read several books and took advice from those who had expertise in the field. Jasper worked odd jobs and as an independent contractor for Sirius Satellite Radio. He eventually started his own company in 2009, calling it VSporto. The name was born out of sound analysis and creativity. “Ini-tially I merged sports and radio and was going to call it ‘Sportio.’ But, that limits it to radio. I wanted to create a company name that was something we could brand universally. I wanted to brand it where it could adapt. I started off with the word ‘sport.’ I put ‘sport’ down on a piece of paper, and then put ‘V’ in front of it. I had read that anything ending in ‘o’ resonates very well and is easy to remember.’ The next step was to start his first team-specific channel. One of the first things he did was contact Mississippi State about his idea - even before he had anything up and run-ning. “At first, I did something I probably shouldn’t have done. I just called them out of the blue. I had nothing up and running; it was just an idea,” said Jasper.
“I called a couple of people in the athletic department and media relations department. I was trying to learn as much as possible and see what I would need.” Jasper still needed to secure hosts for the original content he planned to bring. Jasper remembers an interesting first call with Brad Locke, a Northeast MS Daily Journal beat reporter. “I called Brad Locke up one day. I just got the number to the Northeast MS Daily Journal. I was like, ‘hey, I got this idea for a 24-hour radio channel. Blah, blah, blah - here it is.’ Brad was like, ‘who is this, what?’ I’m sure he thought I was crazy. He was like, ‘I don’t know,’” Jasper said, with a slight chuckle. He added, “About three to
four months later, he called me and said he was in.” Bulldog Sports Radio eventu-ally came to frui-tion on Septem-ber 26, 2011. The network has grown to
consist of eight shows:
Madkin & Moulds – hosted by former Mississippi State standouts Wayne Madkin and Eric Moulds, this show strikes a balance between providing in-depth analysis of cur-rent topics and discussing the state of Mississippi State athletics with other former great players.
The Bulldog Beat – hosted by Brad Locke of the Northeast Mis-sissippi Daily Journal, this daily show covers the latest headlines from a beat writer’s perspective. Includes regu-lar interviews with coaches, players, notable alumni and administrators.
The B&B Show – hosted by Brian Hadad and Bob Carskadon, this daily show is the staple of Bull-dog Sports Radio’s lineup. The show regularly includes notable guests and stands apart due to its use of humor and honest analysis of sports.
The Daily Grind – hosted by Justin Sutton and Joe Abston, this daily show takes a look at the latest topics lighting up Mississippi State message boards around the web.
Full Court Press – hosted by Matt Stevens of the Commercial Dis-patch, this show takes a more X’s and O’s approach to the big three sports at Mississippi State.
Continued on Page 26
24/7 Recruiting – hosted by Paul Jones of Bulldawgs 24/7, this show focuses solely on Mississippi State recruiting coverage.
The Prime Objective – hosted by Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger, this is a feature-driv-en show, in which Brandon discusses headlines and takes an in-depth look at particular stories surrounding Mis-sissippi State athletics.
This Is Our Show – hosted by Brian Hadad and Stephen Agos-tinelli, this is the official show of Six Pack Speak.
With the success of “Bulldog Sports Radio,” Jasper felt it would be a good idea to move forward on an Ole Miss channel. “When we started getting money, I was like. ‘Hey, why don’t we start an Ole Miss channel?’ After I saw the success of ‘Bulldog Sports Radio,’ I knew that we could make something happen with Ole Miss and Rebel Sports Radio,” Jasper says, regarding starting Rebel Sports radio. It was a solid move, as “Rebel Sports Radio” has become more popular than Bulldog Sports Radio - which most didn’t expect, according to Jasper. The channel now features 14 shows:
The Ole Miss Beat – hosted by Parrish Alford of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, this daily show covers the latest headlines from a beat writer’s perspective, and includes regular interviews with coaches, players, notable alumni and administrators.
Rebel Roundup – hosted by Scott Spencer of Miss 98 and Jeff Roberson of the Ole Miss Spirit, this show gives listeners in-depth analy-sis, historical perspective and insight from two men who have covered Ole Miss for decades. This show airs on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The Flagship – hosted by Ben Garrett and Steven Godfrey of SBNation.com, the Flagship mixes honest opinion, deadpan humor and intelligent insight with a bevy of interviews from nationally recogniz-able personalities. This show airs on Tuesday and Thursday.
Avery Day Gossip – hosted by former Ole Miss running back John Avery, this show airs once a week and provides John an opportu-nity to share his humorous point of view on current events surrounding Ole Miss athletics. He also has guest co-hosts that have ties to Ole Miss athletics, on each episode.
Dribbling with Purpose – hosted by Hugh Kellenberger of the Clarion-Ledger, this show takes more of a feature-based approach to Ole Miss athletics from a beat writer’s perspective.
Jake’s Take – hosted by Jake Adams of Jake’s Ole Miss Blog and Ken Edwards, this show provides a buddy duo that takes a look at the latest headlines from athletics at all levels around the country and draws comparisons to the current state of Rebel sports. The show airs every Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
Recruiting Central – hosted by Yancy Porter of Scout.com, this show covers the latest news, scout-ing reports and tidbits surrounding recruiting. The show is co-hosted by Ben Garrett and airs on Tuesday and Thursday.
The Show Up North – hosted by Tyler Bischoff and Will East, this show airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and centers primarily on sports other than the big three.
Red Cup Rebellion – hosted by the Red Cup Rebellion crew, this once-a-week show is the reincarna-
tion of the site’s former podcast and includes an extremely sarcastic look at the world of Ole Miss athletics.
Open Mic – our call-in show hosted by Chase Parham from Re-belGrove.com and Ben Garrett. This show airs on Tuesday and Thursday and gives listeners the chance to have their voices heard by calling the Rebel Hotline and leaving their thoughts on a particular topic.
Sideline View – hosted by Patrick Ochs and John Davis of the Oxford Eagle, this show covers high school sports in and around Oxford, with a heavy emphasis on recruiting of area standouts. The show airs on Wednesday and Friday.
The Breakdown – hosted by Chuck Rounsaville, publisher of the Ole Miss Spirit, this show will cover the hot button issues each week sur-rounding Ole Miss athletics.
Pop Time – hosted by Chase Parham, Jeff Roberson and Patrick Ochs, this show focuses on Ole Miss baseball. Including interviews with players, coaches and opponent beat writers, this show airs once a week, on Thursdays.
Daytime Fireworks – hosted by Austin Miller and Bennett Hipp, this is a feature-driven show that airs on Saturdays and Sundays. The show focuses on unique and interesting stories regarding the University of Mississippi.
Billboard Wars, playing off the real battle of the Billboards between the in-state rivals, was cre-ated. The show, which focuses on the rivalry between the two schools and the trash-talking associated with it, has become very popular. Although bringing the two rivals together for a show is a positive gesture, it doesn’t mean advertisers feel the same way. Some still show their disdain for the other side. “You’d be amazed how many people I go out and meet. They are a fan of one team or another; for their business, they only want to advertise on the chan-nel that focuses on the team of which they are a fan,” Jasper said, about ad-vertisers who refuse to promote their product on a rival’s channel. Jasper’s only aim, through all
of this, is to make solid team-specific sports talk-radio. “I was a Bills fan in Mississippi. The odds of hearing sports talk on the Bills is basically none. They aren’t going to talk about them, locally. That’s what really mo-tivated me to create this. Because, if there are people that existed, like me, out there, there have to fans like that of other teams,” said Jasper. “I feel like the media world - radio is very unorganized. You can go find a Mississippi State podcast, but they are all over the place. There is no place where it’s a constant flow of this.” “I tell my radio hosts this all the time: we want to make better radio; we want to be innovative. We don’t want to do your normal sports talk show.” Jasper feels that VSporto is the type of company he always wanted to start up. “This is what I have always dreamed of doing and I knew I would have fun with it. I could never imagine myself working for somebody. I like creating some-thing - building something out of nothing.” Jasper has even bigger ambi-tions for “Bulldog Sports Radio” and “Rebel Sports Radio” - and VSporto. “The way I look at VSporto, I don’t see it as a success, yet, because it’s not where I’ve dreamed I would get it to, yet. There is still a lot of work to do. I want to take it to a team-specific channel for every sports team out there. I want to continue to roll out more college team-specific channels, and then eventually get into profes-sional team-specific channels.”
Jeremiah Short covers Mississippi State University football and basket-ball. Follow him on Twitter, @DaR-ealJShort; join his Facebook blog, Real Story Sports: J.Short’s Blog, or e-mail him, [email protected].
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The Mississippi State Bull-dogs are losing four senior wide re-ceivers: Chad Bumphis, Arceto Clark, Brandon Heavens, and Chris Smith. So, the coaching staff had to load up on receivers in the Class of 2013. They secured the commitments of Devante Scott (junior college player) and Brandon Wells - both receivers. The next receiver to commit was B.J. Hammond, a Gadsden City High School standout, who had 35 catches, 600 receiving yards, and five touch-downs in 2011. He liked the idea of early playing time in 2013. “It’s just a perfect opportunity for me to come in this year. I happen to be coming in at the perfect time. This class doesn’t realize they have five senior receivers leaving and that gives you a great opportunity to play as a true freshman. Whoever comes in with you is in the same spot you are in. They have never played college football. So, you both will have to work hard and the best person will get the spot,” says Hammond, on why he committed to Mississippi State early. “The facilities they are build-ing for the 2013 class; it’s going to be done before we get there. It will give us an opportunity to put some things in there.” After Hammond’s commit-ment, there was a flurry of other players that pledged to be Bulldogs. It’s something that he was aware of and excited about. “I talked about it, the other day, with Coach Collins. I pulled the trigger and it was like everything went crazy. We got a four-star quarterback commitment; the number one quarterback in Florida. We got excited about that; DeAndre Woods committed,” Hammond said. “I know from reading interviews about him that he works hard; I work hard, too. We can go down there and win it. We got a great quarterback. We got two big receivers on the outside and got some quick weapons in the slot. We just got a running back that committed. We’re straight; we can’t do anything but get better. The only thing we have to do is put our name on the dotted line.” The 6’4”, 210 pound receiver is a resident of Alabama and local pressure can be overwhelming to at-tend Alabama or Auburn. He has no intention of switching to either school -even if they were to increase their interest in him. “I see the real side of Auburn and Alabama, now. I feel if I do have a great season, ‘Where were you when I had my bad season? Where was my offer when I had 600 yards, versus this season, where I’m pushing 2,000?’” Hammond has been a sought-after player since his terrific freshman season. The receiver that is first in his family to play football had 39 catches and 739 yards. “In Gadsden, all they talk about is our high school. We have the top players in Alabama at our high school - Dre’ Kirkpatrick, Jerrell Harris, and Ken-dal Kelly. Those guys went on to the NFL -two of them did.
The talented wide out has already got the ball. So, naturally, you wonder if there was hesitation committing to Mississippi State - considering they have always been a run-heavy team. “I was worried about that at first. I do realize that teams can eventually change their offense. I figured talk-ing to the coaches. They were talking about if I committed and I guess I am taking the coaches word for it; if they get some receivers, then they are going to throw the ball a lot. They got B.J. Hammond and DeAndre Woods; so, we are going to show out, “said Hammond. Hammond discussed what his role will be once he arrives in Starkville, Mississippi. “They want me to play the outside; I don’t know if it’s going to be the left or if it’s going to be the right. Right now, I’m all over the field. So, it really doesn’t matter to me,” said Hammond. Outside of learning the Mis-sissippi State playbook, Hammond will have to adjust to the SEC. It’s not the easiest thing for a true freshman to do. “The hardest thing will be adjusting to the game’s speed. That’s the only thing that will get me. I run a 4.5. The adjustment, coming in as a true freshman versus redshirting and getting there and adjusting to it [will be tough]. My first game is going to be like ‘whoa,’” Hammond said. There are things every incoming freshman has to work on. Hammond discussed what improve-ments or improvement he needs to make. He even discussed what some critics have to say about him. “Hon-estly, I think the only thing I need to work on is my speed. I see people criticize like you got “hands of stone”. If you look at my catches versus my attempts - I’ve caught most of my balls. So, where’s that “hands of stone” {comment} coming on? At the camps, I don’t drop the ball. I went to the camp in Atlanta. All those dudes are 4.4 and 4.5 guys; they’re running all across the field. I’m catching the ball in traffic; I’m catching the ball scoring and all that. I think if I get a second faster then that will make a whole lot of difference in me scoring a touch-down or me getting a first down,” says Hammond. Hammond already has an understanding about which players to model his game after. He studies A.J. Green and Julio Jones. The physical receiver likes to mirror Jones’ game. “I study Julio and A.J. Green. I like Julio’s work ethic; I really like the stuff that I have heard about him. That’s a perfect role model for the college player I want to be, is Julio Jones,” says Hammond. I know you got to work hard and all that. I want to be successful down there; I want to have little jer-seys with my number on it and “turnt up” on the back of them. I describe myself as a “swagged out beast” that’s going to destroy anything in front of me. I’m going to stay turned up on the field.
by Jeremiah Short real
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Mississippi State’s moving to a morepass-friendly offense has resulted in apremium being placed on pass-catchersin the class of 2013. e coaching staff se-cured commitments from three re-ceivers, Devante Scott, Brandon Wells,and B.J. Hammond. e next wide-outto cast his lot to be a Bulldog was Clay-Chalkville receiver DeAndre Woods. “Ifelt like I belong there. ere’s a lot of op-portunity, there, to come in and play as areceiver,” said Woods.
Fellow Alabama native Hammondtried to persuade Woods to commit be-fore he actually made the pledge. echance to play with Hammond was ap-pealing to Woods, who met Hammondat an Auburn football camp. “Oh yea,that’s my dude,” said Woods. “We saidthat we are going to be good at Missis-sippi State. He said that he is looking for-ward to coming up there with me.”
Woods should be able to form a dy-namic duo with Hammond at Missis-sippi State. He is used in a variety of rolesand formations at the high school level.“ey are just trying to get me the deepball. When I’m in the slot, they are tryingto get the mismatch with the linebacker,”said Woods, who had 36 catches, 460yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior.
Woods is expected to flash his skillsearly on, as he is expected to play as a truefreshman. “I know they want me to playthe outside - and expect me to come inand play as a freshman. ey are workingwith me, over the summer, so I can knowthe plays and be ready to go,” says Woods,regarding playing as a true freshman.
e versatile receiver knows that heneeds to improve in a few areas. “I justneed to work on routes - catching theball,” said Woods. “You always got to getbetter; I’m going to Mississippi State, butI still got to work to get better.”
Woods already is an impressive blockerfor a receiver his age. “It’s something Ihad to learn - to be the whole package asa wide receiver. I got to block for myteammates,” explained Woods, dis-cussing his blocking skills.
e traits Woods exhibits on the fieldremind Bulldawg 247 publisher PaulJones of current Bulldog receiver, ChrisSmith. “He has great hands and greatsize. It’s one thing to have size, but heknows how to use his size. He uses hissize on slant routes; he is a very physicalreceiver.”
He has already learned to study greatreceivers. Andre Johnson is a player hetries to emulate. “I study Andre Johnson;I like how physical he is and how he goesaer the ball,” Woods stated.
Woods wants to place the focus ongoing to school. Once he arrives at Mis-sissippi State, he plans to get a degree andplay in the NFL. If he keeps up his phys-ical style of play, both goals could becomereality.
Courtesy PhotoDeAndre Woods
Jeremiah [email protected]
Jeremiah Short covers Mississippi State University football and basketball. Follow him
on Twitter, @JeremiahShort26; or join his Facebook blog, Real Story Sports: J.Short’s Blog.
Woods Brings Physicality to the Receiver Position
sportsHammond Wants to Get MSU Fans “Turnt Up”
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