BOOK SIGNING!!! (and more)

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

Thursday, Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. at Lemuria Books (I-55 in Banner Hall).

I’ll be signing 10! (My greatest hits book), telling a few stories and doing some drawings, too. Come by while you’re out Christmas shopping and say howdy!

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Tuesday Links: Not sausage — news and stuff

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

Son of a snowball, it’s cold out there this morning! It’s 25 degrees as I type this. BRRRRRR.

It’s Pearl Harbor Day. While the veterans are slipping off into history, the message shouldn’t be forgotten.  We learned that on Sept. 11, 2001.

Glad to be back in town and with you this morning.  I went to my brother-in-law’s wedding in Roswell, Georgia (it was outdoors, beautiful and chilly).  So the Ramsey family is happy to be back at home and off the road.

Like I mentioned, it’s cold.  And there’s a chance of snow (maybe up to a 1/2 in the Jackson area).  So go panic and buy all the milk and bread you can find in Mississippi.  I want to get ads from grocery stores.

Here’s the morning Free-For-All. You can talk about the snow or any other topic.

News:

Speaking of trips, State Fan will be going to the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day and will play Michigan.  The Gator Bowl wants more cowbell.

Sad news: I know most Americans are pulling for Elizabeth Edwards.  Yesterday’s news that doctors have recommended no further treatment because it won’t help is a heart breaker.

Wikileaks founder arrested in London.  Juian Assange turned himself in as part of a sex-crime investigations.

Bush Tax Cut update: Republicans dictated most of the terms in the tax cut compromise.  The wealthiest families (over $250,000) will still get them.  But for only two years.  The Repubs wanted them to be permanent.

MNF: New England routs the Jets — 45-3. Santa better bring the Jets a new butt. Theirs got kicked.  And speaking of MNF, here’s a blog memorializing “Dandy” Don Meredith.  And here’s Rick Cleveland’s great piece on the man. Like he used to sing at the end of every game: Turn out the lights, the party’s over.  So now, he and Howard Cosell are teamed up again.

Box Office: Tangled took over the top spot from Harry Potter. But don’t feel sorry for the HP sequel.  It has made nearly a billion bucks worldwide.  There’s the full weekend chart.

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Waldo said, “Where’s Marshall?”

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

Good question, Waldo. I have no freakin’ clue where I am right this second. No, actually, I do. I’m about to start a video project I’ve been working on. And from the looks of the big tree in front of me, I’d guess I am at home.  Although I’ve been over a dozen places in the past two days.  Hmmm, where to start:

  1. Friday night I was at a Cub Scouting event with my two sons.
  2. Saturday morning, I was in the Madison Christmas parade.
  3. Saturday afternoon, I was driving across three states to my parent’s house in Marietta, Georgia.
  4. Saturday night, I was hanging out with one of my sisters and her family (and my parents)
  5. Sunday morning, I was having breakfast with my parents
  6. Sunday morning, I was checking out my in-law’s new house.
  7. Sunday afternoon I was working on the blog and a project.
  8. Sunday afternoon, I was having pictures taken with my wife’s family.
  9. Sunday evening, I was sitting outside in Roswell, Georgia watching my wife’s brother get remarried to a nice person.
  10. Sunday evening, I was having dinner with my wife’s family.
  11. Monday morning, I was driving back to Jackson.
  12. Monday evening, I am here, writing you to tell Waldo to keep looking.
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Random Cartoon

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

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Scars

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

You can approach scars one of two ways: You can hide them because of shame or you can celebrate them because of the stories they allow you to tell.

I tend to fall into the second camp.

I’m covered with scars. Over 7o of them actually.  And they’re mostly from having suspicious moles carved out of my skin.  Of those 70, three were melanomas. And one of those cancers was malignant.  I look like I fought pirates and lost. But each scar is a blessing. Each tells an individual story of survival.  If I didn’t have them, I’d be six-feet under the ground. And I can guarantee I wouldn’t look any better than I do now.

Scars don’t just have to be on your body. They can be in your mind. Or as part of your history. I think about Mississippi and all the trauma our state has been through.  Hurricanes, tornadoes floods, civil war battles, racial strife, bombings — all moments of great strain on the people of this state.  Some don’t like to talk about the tough times.  They like to cover up the scars. Not me. I want to learn all I can from those moments of pain.  I want to tell (and hear) the stories survival has brought.

Scars make life more interesting. They make life worth celebrating. I live in a place that has its fair share of scars and like the my own set, I’m thankful for it.

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Stones

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

I was thinking about the stones the other day. Oh, not the Rolling Stones — although “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” might apply pretty well here. No, I’m mean the stones that were part of an old motivational-speaker trick I once saw at a time-management seminar.  The speaker was lecturing about setting priorities in our lives (and I’m sorry I can’t remember his name — it’s been 15 years since I saw the show in San Diego). He plopped a jar with some sand in it on a desk. Then he tried to put some stones in it, too– and failed.  Each stone represented a priority in our lives. And the sand was the small, unimportant stuff that eats up our time.

It would have taken a miracle to fit everything into that glass container.

The speaker smiled and then dumped the sand out on the desk and started putting the stones back into the jar one at a time. He said the big rocks represented the most important things in our lives.  In my case, that would be family.  He then put in the next size down. They represented career. And so on and so on.  Finally, all the stones were in the jar. Then he scooped the sand up and poured it in: It all fit!

I’ve got a jar full of sand, that’s for sure.  Lots of little things that get in the way of the important stuff.   Now that I am starting my own company and working for The Clarion-Ledger part-time, my time has become more precious.  I need EVERY second — And I need a plan to fit everything into my life’s jar.  I need to decide exactly what are stones and what is sand.

I’ve put a jar full of stones on my drawing board to remind me that I can’t always get what I want but if I plan my time carefully enough, I just might get what I need.

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Monday Links: Special edition

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

I’m away from wi-fi this morning, so I can’t update my blog (this is done ahead of time.)  And since I can’t predict the future (I’d be on Wall Street if I could), here are  a few links to hold you over until until I can update my blog!  Today’s weather in Mississippi will be cold

Seth Godin’s Blog: Love Seth Godin — I read his blog every day.

Love reading Carl Hiassen, too. Here’s a link to his page on The Miami Herald.

Here a few selected pieces from David Sedaris. He’s who I’d like to write like when I learn to write, although my family would kick my butt if talked about them like he does his.

Here’s a Poynter blog (Romensesko) that I read to keep up with my industry.

News sites to quickly scan:

CNN, NY Times, news.yahoo.com, Clarionledger.com

A few local blogs and websites to keep you busy:

  1. Kingfish,
  2. EatJxncom,
  3. Othor Cain’s Blog,
  4. Y’all Politics,
  5. Y’all Sports
  6. Magnolia Report.

As soon as I get a little time, I will do a little more comprehensive blog roll of humor and news sites.  But this should hold you over until I get back into wifi range.

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Sunday Links: News and other stuff

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

Good frosty morning to you today — today will be in the brisk 40’s and the lows will drop into the lower 20’s over the next few days (pipe burst time). There is even a slight chance of snow on Tuesday.  Perfect weather for Christmas shopping. So go out and go get me my gift.

Today’s Sunday Free-For-All.

Sports Scores: Summary:

HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE. Highlights from Memorial Stadium in Jackson: West Point beats Brookhaven for 5A championship. Lafayette County goes a perfect 16-0.  And Forest Wins the 3A.

Mississippi State could be headed to Music City Bowl and not the Peach Chick-Fil-A bowl.

BASKETBALL: The in-state showdown — Chris Warren scores 20 to lead Ole Miss to a 86-81 win over Southern Miss in Oxford.

Auburn 56  South Carolina 17: Cam Newton is a man among boys.

Oregon 37 Oregon State 20 : The BCS Championship is set.

Oklahoma 23 Nebraska 20: Do you know what the N on Nebraska’s helmet stands for? Knowledge.

Virginia Tech 44 Florida State 33: The Basketball conference names a football champion.

Other news:

Iran now nuclear self-sufficient. You could even say it glows.

World’s hottest pepper can strip paint. It’s gone nuclear, too.

Saturday Senate showdown: Republicans block tax cut bill for middle-class Americans unless wealthy get them too.

Even being a little overweight is risky.

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Saturday Morning Links: Stay Calm! All’s Well! Parade edition

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

Good morning! Many people are having Christmas parades and my kids will be in one of them. And so will I. So this will be brief because we gotta go get our Santa on.  If you’re not parading, I highly recommend going to the grand upwrapping (like a big fat Christmas present) of the Mississippi Children’s Museum.  It’s off I-55 off the Lakeland Drive exit in LeFleur’s State Park. (Click here for a map)

Weather: Well, there’s weather today. And it will be cloudy and warm.  Near 70. VERY Christmasy.  If you don’t live here, well, it will be whatever it is where you live.  Weather’s funny like that.

Saturday Free-For-All: Join in the discussion.

Mississippi FINALLY gets a State Chief Medical Medical Examiner. What?  Dr. Douglas Posey punked us and backed out due to health issues?  OK, it’s back to the drawing board.  Anyone have this guy’s number?

South Panola wins their ninth State Championship; Is set to play in the BCS championship and then will take on the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. They beat Meridian 28-7.

The latest on the tax cut extension battle in Washington D.C.: The Senate is to vote on a Democratic plan to extend the Bush Tax cuts for married people who make $250,000 and over (single is $200,000) but not those over. Republicans want the tax cuts extended to everyone. The Dems are trying to paint the Repubs as coddling the super-rich — this has a lot to do with 2012 as well.

Mansion used in “The Godfather”is up for sale: $2.9 million. It’s an offer you can’t refuse.

Best pictures of the week: From Time Magazine.

GRINCH coming to Whoville: Millions are bracing for cut-off of extended unemployment. Ho. Ho. #$%#$ H0.

Mississippi’s Patrick House is in the final four of The Biggest Loser. Awesome!

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Bonfire!

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Marshall Ramsey

Sons’ Scout group had a bonfire tonight. Note the devil face in the flames.

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