Another reason for me to hate the state of Mississippi

I have been to Mississippi once and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I've only been to Jackson, but I figure, if that's how it is in the state capitol then the rest of there is no hope for the rest of the state. My impression is that the place got stuck in 1953 or so and just never moved on. One of my favorite blogs summed up my feelings for MS well:

Surprise! Who knew Mississippi was still a state? We just assumed that after the Civil War and Trent Lott, America would just kind of let the lease run out.

Well, I read this little jewel in this month's issue of Essence Magazine:

George Lambus, a Black republican running for mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, says he's tough on crime - and thinks the best way to fight it is to bring back the hanging noose.

Go figure.

Is there an end to the stupidity?

A card sent to Jewish leaders had a distinctly Yuletide flavor.

WHITE HOUSE (CNN) - Whoops! A picture of a Christmas tree is not the first thing you would expect to see on an invitation to an event celebrating Hanukkah, but that is exactly what recipients of invitations to this year’s White House Hanukkah reception initially got in the mail.

The invitation sent to American Jewish leaders on behalf of the President and First Lady, requesting “the pleasure of your company at a Hanukkah reception,” bore an image of a Clydesdale horse drawn cart, carrying the White House Christmas tree, with a Christmas wreath-adorned White House in the background.

Mrs. Bush’s press secretary, Sally McDonough, attributed the snafu to a “staff mistake” in not printing separate cards for the different White House holiday events, as has been the custom in years past. “Mrs. Bush is apologetic, It is just something that fell through the cracks,” she said, referring to the role of the First Lady’s office in sending out the invitations.

The card as originally intended featured a menorah given to the White House during Harry Truman’s presidency. That mailing was to have gone out today, according to Mrs. McDonough.

McDonough added that the White House had received “dozens” of calls of support from members of the Jewish community to express their appreciation for what President and Mrs. Bush had done for them through the course of Mr. Bush’s presidency.

***I highly doubt that's true***