For the 29 faculty members and 21 programs “down-sized” at The University of Southern Mississippi this week. Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rage at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their [...]

USA Today has an animated map that helps put the oil spill into perspective. I’ve been imagining this as a drifting blob. The map helps you see that it is spreading more than drifting. Usually, you want to calm your fears by “putting them into perspective.” I’m sorry this doesn’t do that. I’m sorry that’s [...]

A French Poodle with its head stuck out of the window of a Dodge Ram. A man in work boots and blue jeans, speaking with a country accent, purchasing won ton wraps. A man sitting on a tractor on the side of the road, checking his Blackberry. It’s true then. This is the New South.

1. Despite the fact that tens of thousands of oil rigs have been operating in the Gulf without significant incident for decades, it only takes one catastrophic incident from one rig to kill a whole ocean. 2. No one, not even giant companies with giant budgets at stake, can be trusted to be prepared for [...]

I got to spend some time with Kate Campbell this week, and a fine time it was. When she talked about Eudora Welty at JCJC, she said that she loves Eudora’s writing because Eudora writes the way she thinks. Exactly. Me too. And Kate sings the way I think. This is why when I first [...]