Spring Fever……catch it!

Posted on February 23, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “It’s spring fever….you don’t know quite what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”     –Mark Twain

It seems like everyone I know is lately falling victim to cold, flu and infection of some sort. TB has so far suffered only the mildest of colds this warm winter, but I’ve succumbed to a particularly vicious strain of spring fever.

My Grandmother lived way out in the country in Yazoo County, and she kept a flower garden the size of many surburbanites’ yards in a fenced area next to a pasture. She’s been gone over twenty years now, but one of the images of her that leaps to memory when I think back is of her jungle safari hat and gloves and opening the rickety barbed wire gate that led from her yard to the garden. So far as I know, she never missed a day out there. Three years ago I was walking through what used to be her garden with my Dad and we spotted flowers coming up all around. They were, and are direct descendants of the flowers Grandmother cultivated that managed to survive two decades of life in the wild. Knowing nothing about flowers, I was lucky to have my Dad there and to go along with his suggestion to dig up a sackful. I brought them home and planted them all over my yard along with some irises and day lilies transplanted long ago from her garden to my folks’ house in Pascagoula, and eventually up here to Ridgeland. They are thriving here with little assistance from me and about two weeks ago the bulbs started blooming. Besides what I’ve already said in this paragraph, I can’t really explain it, but they bring me great joy.

They also serve as something of an alarm clock. When those flowers come forth, I come down with the spring fever. As a kid I caught the fever when baseball tryouts were announced, always in February. I think it was the excitement of knowing a time of opportunity and achievement was on the horizon that brought upon the sickness then. I’m far away from the sporting life now, but when I see those flowers each spring I get the urge to do….something. Something grand. Maybe to go somewhere new or to learn a skill I’ve long delayed. Definitely to be outside. Preferably to be away from the routine and the mundane and to spend that time away with friends and a cold beer or twelve and maybe a bubbling pot of crawfish.

I don’t think there is anything particularly unique about my condition. I suppose it has something to do with our DNA that humanity will never develop resistance to this strain of sickness. It probably started back when our ancestors had to survive the long, cold winters with dwindling stores of grain until suddenly one day the wildflowers bloomed and the caves could be left behind and the fields could be tilled and the fish could be caught. I have friends who take to the waters about this time of year, some who want to eat and drink outdoors in spite of their allergies and friends who begin to dig in their surburban soil. My ancestors were apparently ne’er do well’s who just wanted to go on a long trek to finally see what was around that next bend in the river, then to come back to the big shade tree outside the cave and sit around telling about all they saw over a few home brews. Because I’m not sure exactly what it is the fever is making me want to do, but it definitely involves the living and telling of a new story.

 

 

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Posted in Life, Philosobaen | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Jackson County HOF Round III Results and Final Ballots

Posted on February 21, 2009 by travellinbaen

Elected in Round III were Eddie Khayat and Hugh Pepper, both receiving 16 of 21 votes cast. Below are three special ballots. One for Moss Point athletes, one for veterans (defined as playing in the county prior to 1970), and one for girls. Votes cast as of Tuesday, February 24, 2009, will be counted. Top vote getter in each poll gets enshrined.

Posted in Mississippi, Sports | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Is Mississippi the Nation’s Unlikely Bellwether State?

Posted on February 19, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quoted of the Day:    

Herbert Hoover

“Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt.”

“It is just as important that business keep out of government as that government keep out of business.”

“Wisdom oft times comes of knowing what to do next.”

If you’ve been around the blog awhile, you know TB’s brain travels to weird places when I’m on the road. Today, somewhere around Pelahatchie, I was listening to a radio program debate the pros and cons of the Obama mortgage rescue plan. Other than philosophical purists against any governmental intervention, most of the opposition seemed to center around people who didn’t want others to be “bailed out” for their reckless or unwise decisions while responsible people are left with nothing but increased future tax bills. Its really an unassailable position, though I take the parallel view that preventing foreclosures will help property values for everyone, thus timely bill payers like me will benefit indirectly. But mainly, my mind ignored the debate at hand and moved on to bailouts in general, spurred in that direction when the moderator mentioned Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour’s posturing about not wanting the money from the stimulus plan. I was thankful for my friends and family that he did not take that position when the Feds bailed out property owners on the coast after Katrina. 

As I reflected on Barbour’s talking points, it dawned on me that Mississippi and our Katrina bailout really set the stage for all we are seeing now. After all, federal money came in to fill the insurance void saving insurers from a public backlash that could have changed the laws affecting their business practices in Mississippi and beyond and more obviously saving Mississippi’s coastal economy from collapse by injecting massive amounts of cash into the hands of most homeowners. It was similar in many ways to the current mortgage bailout proposal that will reward a small cohort of citizens and a specific industry, this time banking and finance. I remember back then my anger at radio hosts and callers who thought the problems of these people were of their own making by choosing to live on the coast and having inadequate insurance and that nobody else in the country was getting anything out of the deal. Each subsequent bailout has been a little different in the details, but has followed the same basic model and given rise to the same basic and widespread and legitimate complaints.

Bailouts aren’t the first important political storm that saw its genesis in Mississippi. The Republican Revolution of 1994 was presaged by Kirk Fordice’s election as Mississippi’s first post Reconstruction Republican governor in 1993. In 1999, the race for Governor between Mike Parker and Ronnie Musgrove was thrown to the Mississippi House of Representatives after the popular vote ended in a virtual tie. Then in 2000, we saw Bush v. Gore and hanging chads in Florida.  And in 2007, Democratic Congressman Travis Childers won a race to fill the seat of Republican revolutionary Roger Wicker in a district that votes heavily Republican in national races, an early indicator of the Democratic wave that occured in 2008.

All of that is interesting, but this last one is a bit disconcerting. In 1927, Mississippi was struck by a great flood that remains the worst natural disaster to hit this country. Among the many lasting consequences of that flood, it contributed to and preceded the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. Katrina, the storm that topped Camille struck in 2005, preceded the stock market crash in 2008. Mississippi, partly as a result of Katrina experienced an increase in foreclosure activity beginning in 2006, beating the rest of the nation to the punch by one year. And both the Bush and Obama administrations have been telling us we are on the brink of another era of Depression.

So is all this just coincidence or is there underlying data to tie all these events together, proving my observational but undocumented and otherwise unsupported thesis? I don’t know, but as I get older I believe less and less in coincidences.

ed. note–If you’ve never read “Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America” I recommend it highly. Among many consequences of the flood, the author provides evidence of how the storm and its aftermath helped lead to banking collapses, particularly in New Orleans, and was a major factor in the coming Depression.

Posted in current events, History, Mississippi, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

For My Republican Friends

Posted on February 19, 2009 by travellinbaen

As a patriotic American, the last thing I want to see is a major political party fail. GOP leaders will eventually have to come up with their own ideas to get us out of the mess we’re in and I hope they are good ones. In the meantime, I offer the following as consideration for a theme song that captures their current philosophy of governance. The idea was inspired by media reports of Republican leadership’s damn dubious decision to begin to criticize Obama’s mortgage plan before it was announced and Alexis de Toadville’s mention of walking a mile in the shoes of the great Groucho. I hope to see this in campaign ads that should begin to run for November 2010 in about a week.

Posted in current events, Humor, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Jackson Countians, Help Make the HOF Great

Posted on February 18, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do without thought of fame. If it comes at all it will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after.”     –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It is only natural, and I think good that people will complain about how the Jackson County Hall of Fame is being established. It proves the need for one if nothing else. TB already has seen several things I would’ve done differently so I’ll try not to be too defensive about whatever criticism comes my way on this. I find in other parts of my life that if you take action, you almost always later realize you could have done something better. But if you take no action you can be certain you do nothing right. I can assure you of one thing–that my intent is to produce a real Hall full of deserving members.

To make this thing work, I need your help. Constructive criticism is unwelcome but necessary. I’ll make some changes and not others. Though this is a collaborative effort, I have to make the final calls on a lot of issues. But one of those will not be membership. Whoever finds the site gets an equal voice in this and your participation is vital. Next, spread the word about the Hall. The more memories we tap, the better the final product will be. 

So the Hall will be more than just another internet list, I’m also asking for your help on filling up these virtual walls with memorabilia. If you have video of an enshrinee or a great game (particularly title games), I want to post them. In particular, if someone can turn the old football game tapes into digital form, they would make the site gold. Post video to youtube and send me the link or send me a dvd or email and I’ll get them on the site. Just brainstorming, old news clips and home videos would also be welcome. I know at least one poster has access to some old newspaper files. Articles about our members or our great teams would be great and I’ll post them all. You can also scan in articles and photos from your scrapbooks, email them to me and I’ll get them on here. I think it would be cool to get photos of some of the old high school trophies if someone can score them. Photos of old programs, ticket stubs, yearbook pages–whatever else you can think of–think what a historical repository we can make of this with enough participation! I’ll be scouring the web for links and bios and will also use any links you folks send me.

I’d also love to collect your stories as a fan and a participant in the great sporting events of our county’s past. The discussion thread has been a good start on this, and you will see some of that in the new hall. Finally, if anyone is able to get comments from the players we induct, or their families, it would add a lot to the record.

I’m fully aware of the possibility this request will be met with the sound of crickets, but if I don’t ask, the result is no better. But if I can get some good material, I’m going to set up a separate website that we can all enjoy and improve for years to come. So help dammit.

My email address is benwhite731@aol.com

Posted in History, Mississippi, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Jackson County HOF Round II Results and Round III Voting Thread

Posted on February 17, 2009 by travellinbaen

Fred Cook, Jim Marsalis and Sam Leslie received enough votes to join Matthews, Buckley and Jones in the Hall. Here’s who came up short of the votes needed in this round:

  • Eddie Khayat 12 votes
  • Litterial Green 12
  • Hugh Pepper 12
  • Tony Dees 11
  • Ben Garry 10
  • Jerry Alexander 10
  • Johnny Olsen 8
  • Blair Varnes 8
  • Richard Harvey 8
  • Sarah Bailey 7
  • Erin Sims 7
  • Chuck Commiskey 7
  • Billy Miller 7
  • Kim Seaman 7
  • Verlon Biggs 6
  • Mike Moreland 5
  • Johnny Woitt 5
  • Antonio Harvey 4
  • Earl Gilbert 4
  • Calvin Huey 3
  • Kez McCorvey 3
  • Hal Lee 3
  • Eric Lane 3
  • Paul Tanner 3
  • Raymond Brown, Ray Costict, Treg Thomas, Joe Ladnier, Johnny Zelenka 1

Vote for whoever you like in Round III whether you voted in Rounds I and II or not. You also are not restricted by your prior ballot or the names on this list. Its time to get on with the process, so voting on this round closes Friday, February 20, 2009 at midnight. Then we’ll decide on the need for a special ballot and/or veterans committee ballot. Please continue to make your pitches in the old thread, which is destined for a special window in the Hall all in itself. New committee members are welcome to join in the process at any time and I hope you will continue to spread the word to anyone who might find this topic interesting. Once again, you can include 10 names on your ballot and any over that number will be disregarded along with any votes for Smily.

Posted in Mississippi, People, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Octo-outrage

Posted on February 17, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “Some things you must always be unable to bear. Some things you must never stop refusing to bear. Injustice and outrage and dishonor and shame. No matter how young you are or how old you have got. Not for kudos and not for cash. Your picture in the paper nor money in the bank, neither. Just refuse to bear them.”     —William Faulkner

TB doesn’t watch a whole lot of television these days, preferring to spend my idle time on the net. But it seems like every time I turn it on or walk past one or hear about one being on, all the rage is the story of the octuplet mom. And I get it. She’s obviously crazy, her kids have almost no chance at a normal life and the taxpayers will undoubtedly subsidize their upbringing. It’s ridiculous. So I should be outraged, right? Well, I’m outraged at the outrage.

Fourteen kids at a couple hundred grand a pop (tops) to get to the age of majority means the frugal and sensible American taxpayer may have to fork over as much as two or three million bucks over the years, assuming no movie money or Inquirer windfall comes through for them. And assuming the nutty lady starts getting more than the 500 bucks a month she’s raking in on food stamps. No matter how you look at it, financially, its next to nothing in the grand scheme. Other than money, what? Is it that we’re worried about the kids? Really? We’ve got hungry and ignorant and abused kids by the millions in this country and all the sudden we care about 8 to 14 specific ones? Are we worried it will become a widespread problem? This story is a novelty. Its worth a derisive chuckle. Then forget about it. And in honor of those eight tiny babies, here’s eight suggestions for things that deserve outrage, regardless of your politics, to say nothing of a little more tv time:

  1. Genocide in Darfur. It’s more than a cause celebre. It’s a travesty that the world has stood idly by and watched it progress.
  2. Remember “oil for food”? Billions disappeared–not just wasted. 
  3. Remember Baghdad Emperor Paul Bremer?  Billions disappeared–not just wasted.
  4. A 93 year old World War II vet froze to death in his house this year when his heat was cut off. He had the cash to pay the back bills sitting on the kitchen table, not that that should have mattered. The way we treat the aged and infirm in this country is too often an outrage.
  5. There are a certain few chains of nursing homes, well known in my profession that collect government money while they let the flesh literally rot off their charges and there is damn little that can be done about it under the current state of our law. The way we treat too many of our aged and infirm is an outrage.
  6. Remember the story and the you tube video from a couple of months ago of the boy that was murdered by the San Francisco transit cop? Is O’Reilly still covering that story? Olbermann?
  7. A peanut mogul finds out he has a salmonella problem in his plant in twelve separate tests over a couple of years. And does nothing. Neither does the FDA, who warned him. Is the televised reporting comparable to that of the octomom? Is the CEO getting death threats and losing his publicist?
  8. Some of my choices for the Jackson County Hall of Fame are not going to get elected!!!! (that’s four times the outrage).

Ok, I had to throw in at least one semi-joke. But join with me and save your outrage for the big picture problems. Let’s not let the networks, liberal or conservative, manipulate us so easily. These stories come and go. Give them a blank stare and move on. Now I gotta go. Michael Phelps is supposed to be issuing another apology and I don’t want to miss it.

Posted in Blank Stares, Life, Lists, Philosobaen | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

I’d Like to Walk a Mile in These Shoes

Posted on February 15, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”     –Jack Handey

Some of you may be wondering why TB hasn’t commented on the “Stimulus Plan” that passed through Congress this week. It’s not that I don’t have thoughts on it, but rather that I don’t have any conclusions yet. It basically boils down to whether one trusts Obama or the Republicans as to whether one supports or opposes it. Before I could even begin to know if I thought it was a good idea, I’d have to know for sure whether our economic stability is as fragile as it is depicted by the Obama and Bush Administrations or whether this is just another inevitable recession over which we should not panic. From what I am reading, I’m convinced we’re on thin ice. I know the debt being undertaken is risky. I believe doing nothing or simply slashing taxes is even more risky. So I’m with the President on this for now, but I’m not sure I’m right. What I am certain of is that I wouldn’t want to be in Obama’s shoes right now. Two wars, calamitous economic conditions, constant terrorism threats, and a multitude of other smaller issues that would be enormous problems in normal times–the job doesn’t pay anywhere near enough for me to want it.

Having established that I would not want to be in President Obama’s shoes, I naturally turned my thoughts to whose shoes I would walk a mile in if I could. I’ve decided I’d rather be a King than a President. Below is my list. I’d like to see yours too. (Insert “that’s what she said” joke here.)

  • Babe Ruth– in 1927. Forevermore, the home run king.
  • Neil Armstrong–high steppin on the moon. Crowning achievement of mankind.
  • Bill Gates–on the day he first realized his little hobby was gonna pay off. Big time. A King’s ransom at hand.
  • Clarence Darrow–during the Scopes Monkey Trial. King Kong vs the Ted Haggards of the era.
  • Ernest Hemingway–on a Kingfishing day out of Havana.
  • Leo DiCaprio–the “king of the world” and a nice harem to boot.
  • George Washington–at Yorktown when he probably realized he’d beaten King George. I’d write this quote down and leave it in his pocket for when I was back in my own sneakers: “We got ’em beat. We finally got the bastards beat.” (This is an infamous TB quote–read about it here) 
  • Richard Petty–the King crossing the finish line in Daytona in 1979.
  • Louis XIV–they say “its good to be the king.”
  • Mel Brooks–to say “its good to be the king.”
Posted in Lists, People, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Pascagoula and the Golden Age of Sports

Posted on February 11, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “Friday night at the stateline bar, where the waterfront people dwell; I better watch my step, if the floor caves in, I’ll go right straight to hell.”     –Jimmy Buffett, The Pascagoula Run

Link of the Day:     TB’s Golden Age of Sports

If you are new to the Travellinbaen blog, you will notice that its been dominated lately with talk of elections for the Jackson County Sports Hall of Fame. If you are from Pascagoula, all the debate and discussion undoubtedly seems very important, interesting and long overdue. However for readers less familiar with my hometown, it may seem a bit melodramatic. I thought it would be a good idea to write about how all this came about and to try and convey why it is such a big deal to those of us native to Goula.

Several months ago I wrote the post linked above, reminiscing about the sports world of my childhood. That led me to post about the great Rooster Jones, a Pascagoula tailback who helped lead the Panthers to the 1976 Mississippi state championship. That post has been the most frequently searched post of the site, and its popularity led to the creation of the Jackson County Sports Hall of Fame that is being passionately debated on the site right now. All of these posts have increased the readership of the blog and have allowed me to reconnect with some old friends and to meet some new ones. I have a lot of fun with this blog, and the participation of each of you is what makes it worthwhile. I am hoping that old friends who have been participating in the discussion will also join in on other topics and that the blog will continue to grow and improve, both in content and audience. There have been enough delusions of grandeur in my life to know that it’s unlikely I’ll ever make a career at writing, but I’ve found pursuing the dream is a fulfilling activity in itself. Much like playing sports as a kid.

Pascagoula in the 1970’s and 1980’s was a bustling place. Ingall’s Shipyard experienced rapid growth and several industries at Bayou Cassotte were thriving. In a state dominated by agricultural interests on the one hand and the old guard blue bloods on the other, Pascagoula was neither. It was a true blue collar town, and the men who came home from work every day around four o’clock were tired, oily and dusty and strong and tough and they produced kids that were just like them. We kids spent our time playing at getting tired and dirty and growing strong like our old men. If you could take satellite imagery of Pascagoula from those days and zoom in where you wanted you would find baseball games going on in every neighborhood every day of summer. If it was winter you’d find football games. You would see that virtually every driveway had a basketball hoop and you would find those driveways crammed with kids after every school day. On weekends, I recall hating that I had to go to church on Sunday because it meant my Dad and I would not be able to find a field for batting practice by the time we got out. Every schoolyard, vacant lot and of course all the baseball, soccer and softball fields would be claimed by someone else by the time we’d start looking. And there were dozens of places to play ball back then.

From age 8 to 18, the kids in Pascagoula would spend their summers hopping on their bikes or on the handlebars of some other kid’s bike to ride over to Gibson Field and play in elaborate unorganized ballgames. Getting the chance to be on the same team with some of my heroes, many of whom have commented on this site, was a thrill and is still one of my fondest childhood recollections. Those guys were heroes because they were good. 

From Dixie Youth Baseball up to Pascagoula High’s all sports program, Goula boys excelled and did it with style. We wore the best looking uniforms. We were aggressive. We were combative. One thing I learned when I went to college is that most of the rest of the state could agree on one thing when it came to amateur sports in Mississippi–they all hated Pascagoula. Man, I still relish that. Even the other towns on the Gulf Coast, separate from the rest of Mississippi culturally and economically are united in their disdain for Pascagoula. They hated Pascagoula because its teams pulled trick plays, slid hard into second, brought big crowds, rode the umpires and referees unmercifully, gloated in victory and howled in defeat. And I think they hated us because we were a social anomaly in our state. And we won a lot. 

It was a challenge to each generation of kids to meet the standard set by those a few grades ahead of us. We were cheered on by our elders and idolized by the little ones. We all bonded, knowing subconsciously our town was different and we were privileged to wear that “P” on our hat. If you were lucky enough to play for a team that won a state championship, it meant–it means–having permanent credibility in our sports world as someone who has carried on our traditions. If you were on a high school championship team, the honor is even greater. And in true Southern tradition, if you were on a team that lost the big one in controversy or heartbreak, your story is given space in the hierarchy of our collective memory alongside those of the victors.

Outside of sports, Pascagoula never had much to brag about. The industries that brought the good jobs and the tough kids also made the town lose ground in what is nowadays called “liveability.” Much of the beauty of the place can only be seen by a native who knows where to look. Many of the kids who grew up and stayed to work in Pascagoula now live out in the county, where not coincidentally the athletics have dramatically improved in recent years. Others of us have moved away altogether in pursuit of better opportunities. But we all miss those days. We all feel our old connections strongly. We all defend our hometown and support our teams. And we honor our heroes, even though it is all, admittedly, a bit melodramatic.

Posted in Life, Mississippi, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Jackson County HOF Voting Thread, Round II

Posted on February 10, 2009 by travellinbaen

Like in Round I, please vote below. Make your pitch for a particular athlete in the “Official Home” thread and keep the comments here to your actual ballot. The only candidates to consider are those who received at least two votes in Round I, which are listed below or candidates who received a motion and a second in the debate thread to be included. Again, 2/3 of the voters in this round are required for induction. You are free to vote however you like, regardless of your Round I ballot. If no non-Pascagoula athletes are elected in Rounds II or III, we will have a special ballot to address the issue since most of the current committee members have a substantial Goula bias. You may vote for as many as 10 candidates in this round and any number after 10 will be disregarded, though the top 10 will be counted. This round will close at midnight Monday, February 16, 2009.

ROUND II BALLOT (choose up to 10):

  • Sam Leslie
  • Tony Dees
  • Fred Cook
  • Jim Marsalis
  • Blair Varnes
  • Verlon Biggs
  • Ray Costict
  • Ben Garry
  • Hugh Pepper
  • Billy Miller
  • Jerry Alexander
  • Johnny Woitt
  • Johnny Olsen
  • Chuck Commiskey
  • Hal Lee
  • Eric Lane
  • Kim Seaman
  • Mike Moreland
  • Sarah Bailey
  • Erin Sims
  • Kez McCorvey
  • Litterial Green
  • Richard Harvey
  • Treg Thomas
  • Earl Gilbert
  • Paul Tanner
  • Raymond Brown
  • Antonio Harvey
  • Eddie Khayat
  • Calvin Huey
Posted in Mississippi, People, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , | 26 Comments