Jogging our memories

You know you totally forget about something then someone else brings it up as a meaningful memory then you can suddenly recall a slice of your past life vividly?

That happened to me when I read about Kevin Sessum's memoir, Mississippi Sissy.

Here's a summary of the book from some literary website:

"...the stunning memoir from Kevin Sessums, a celebrity journalist who grew up scaring other children, hiding terrible secrets, pretending to be Arlene Frances and running wild in the South. As he grew up in Forest, Mississippi, befriended by the family maid, Mattie May, he became a young man who turned the word "sissy" on its head, just as his mother taught him. In Jackson, he is befriended by Eudora Welty and journalist Frank Hains, but when Hains is brutally murdered in his antebellum mansion, Kevin's long road north towards celebrity begins."


Here's an excerpt from the first chapter:

“Fuck,” said Frank Hains. “I knew I shouldn’t have given that last bourbon to Eudora.”

It had taken me almost a decade after that day of my mother’s funeral, but I had finally found the only equivalent that Mississippi offered to a What’s My Line? life. Frank — a John Daly–like presence in Jackson — was the arts editor of the state’s afternoon newspaper, for which he also wrote a column called “On Stage.” Eudora was writer Eudora Welty. We were at a cast party for New Stage Theatre’s latest production, Long Day’s Journey into Night, starring Geraldine Fitzgerald as Mary Tyrone. Frank and Miss Welty were active members of New Stage, and he was playing host that night at Bleak House, the name given facetiously to his antebellum home by the local literati of Jackson. The Dickensian nickname derived from the house’s outward appearance of haunted dilapidation where it sat, rather spookily, on a hill opposite Jackson’s lone Jewish cemetery....

Frank would often allude to his “dusky endeavors,” as they had come to refer politely to his interest in young African Americans, some of whom had touched him deeply with their aspirations and narratives of maternal love. Miss Welty welcomed these stories of nuanced carnality, as Frank was careful not to tell her the details.

I was in high school when Frank Hains was murdered, and he'd just directed a play in Vicksburg, Mississippi, that my brother and a friend were in. We used to sit there as he'd explain his inspired plans for the set, and we thought he was so sophisticated.

Then he was murdered. Everyone was shocked. My father, a forensic pathologist, told me that the crime scene indicated that it was a homosexual murder. I was additionally shocked by that news.

My brother then started a gag where some of us would go around confessing that we were the murderer of Frank Hains. (The crime was unsolved.)

A friend from high school recalls how my brother would "creep around muttering, 'I murdered Frank Hains.' It was SO funny because we'd be watching TV or making cookies, or whatever, and he would suddenly appear and say that, in a sepulchral voice, then just walk off."

Also a friend from Jackson recalls actually attending the party that Sessums writes about. She wrote: "Do you remember the very first page of the book, when he describes that party where Eudora Welty got drunk, and Frank Hains was oozing around hosting so urbanely? I wuz thar (as Tom Joad would say.) That very exact party, for the cast of Long Day's Journey into Night. I felt mighty sassy and grown-up, there among the big folks, rubbing shoulders with Geraldine Fitzgerald and all. It made me feel better to read that Miss Welty was so drunk that Kevin had to drive her home because she was horribly rude to me that night. It never occurred to me that she was full of bourbon---I was so naive I didn't think old ladies drank anything but coffee."

I enjoyed the whole experience of thinking about something again that I'd forgotten, and the memories of others from that time rounding out the story for me. Hope someone else is out there writing a memoir that will jog my memory again soon.

The sky's the soft blue of a work shirt

Isn't this a beautiful poem that my friend just sent me:

Today, the sky's the soft blue of a work shirt washed
a thousand times. The journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step. On the interstate listening
to NPR, I heard a Hubble scientist
say, "The universe is not only stranger than we
think, it's stranger than we can think." I think
I've driven into spring, as the woods revive
with a loud shout, redbud trees, their gaudy
scarves flung over bark's bare limbs. Barely doing
sixty, I pass a tractor trailer called Glory Bound,
and aren't we just? Just yesterday,
I read Li Po: "There is no end of things
in the heart," but it seems like things
are always ending—vacation or childhood,
relationships, stores going out of business,
like the one that sold jeans that really fit—
And where do we fit in? How can we get up
in the morning, knowing what we do? But we do,
put one foot after the other, open the window,
make coffee, watch the steam curl up
and disappear. At night, the scent of phlox curls
in the open window, while the sky turns red violet,
lavender, thistle, a box of spilled crayons.
The moon spills its milk on the black tabletop
for the thousandth time.


"Poem on a Line by Anne Sexton, 'We are All Writing God's Poem'" by Barbara Crooker

Have you ever put a lampshade on your head when tipsy?

In a speech to Irish leaders on St. Patrick's Day, Barack Obama jokingly urged the audience to go easy on the spirits. "Stay as long as you want, try to avoid putting any lampshades on your head, because there are a lot of photographers here," he said. When did putting a lampshade on your head become a universal symbol of drunkenness?

Probably in the 1910s or 1920s. While it's impossible to pinpoint the first instance of a man donning a lampshade at a party, the image most likely came out of vaudeville and was popularized in early silent films. In The Adventurer (1917), Charlie Chaplin plays a rich yachtsman who, pursued by the police, puts a lampshade over his head and stands still as the cops pass by. While that example is more about disguise than inebriation, the lampshade on the head had become a drunk gag by 1928, when the Baltimore Evening Sun ran a satirical piece called "The Life of the Party": "It is usually customary for the life of the party about the middle of the evening to put a lampshade on his head and give an impersonation of [Scottish soprano] Mary Garden, after which he tells a joke that is not meant for mixed company."

Me again: I think I have put a lampshade on my head once after too much champagne. Sort of embarrassing to recall, but I think I am guilty of this one. Are you?

Scanwiches

Check this site out, and be sure and scan your next sandwich for the site.

Scanwiches



My sandwiches are too boring to scan. I get a turkey, cheese and lettuce sandwich every day at the office. The deli staff at Nokia (I work for the cellphone maker in their European headquarters outside London) start making my sandwich when they see me come down the stairs (11:45, so I can get the sandwich before the line forms, then I wrap it up and leave it until I come back from the gym). I don't even have to speak to them, they just make it and hand it to me.

It's the same with my skinny lattes too. They see me come downstairs first thing in the morning, they start making my latte.

If only the rest of my life could be so simple.

They do say to me, "Don't you get bored having the same sandwich year in and year out?" But I say it's too much to ask me to choose a different sandwich every day. I can only handle so much excitement in my life.

Stuck at Rowan Oak

I made one of my mother's staple recipes recently, Salmon Cakes. They are easy, delicious and nutritious. My family fights over them -- they are that tasty. Here's how to make them:

Can of salmon, drained, and thrown into a mixing bowl. Add bread crumbs or crackers in a zip lock bag that you've whacked with a rolling pin so they are crumbly. Add an egg to bind it together, worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper and any other spices -- I put paprika or anything with a zippy flavor. Mix them up with your hands and shallow fry in a pan. Delish.

Now I know that my friend Brenda would say to add some mashed-up potato to this mix because William Faulkner's nephew told her to do that. But I say keep it pure.

My friend and I went to Faulkner's home Rowan Oak in Oxford one November day a few years ago for a nostalgia tour. It was there in 1979 that we first visited as students, and her car got stuck in the mud. I mean hopelessly stuck. We went asking people at Rowan Oak for help -- among them Shelby Foote and other Faulkner scholars who were there for a reception. Did they help? No. They left us to die out there while they drank mint juleps and talked about books.

So we went back to Rowan Oak in 2000 to remember those days. We went into the house, and surprisingly there was William Faulkner's nephew, Jim, and he was telling visitors interesting little-known facts about his uncle. (Jimmy Faulkner wrote a book about his uncle called Across the Creek .)

Anyway, I don't know how the subject got on to salmon cakes but Jimmy said William F loved them with potato in them, but I'm sure my mother's way is superior. Faulkner might have been a Nobel-Prize winning author but I'm sure my mother knew best about salmon.

Who's Buying Natchez Regional?

Around September, we learned that Natchez Regional was up for sale and towards the end of the year, we learned there was a secret buyer. In early January, we were supposed to hear who that was. Well, we're still waiting. In the meantime, NRMC has filed for bankruptcy - which was somehow a good thing. We recently learned that our secret buyer is also interested in buying Community Hospital, although they deny knowing anything about it. This whole thing is beyond bizarre.

Today I ran across a blog article that claimed Essent Healthcare in Nashville was planning to buy NRMC. This blog is written by some current or former employee of one of their hospitals, who is not fond of Essent, who has filed a lawsuit against the blog, which doesn't seem to be worried. I have no idea how reliable this information is, but it's worth looking into. Kevin Cooper, are you listening?

Beauty and terror

Natchez was a wonderful place to grow up -- full of interesting people and places. We loved participating in the spring pilgrimage every year -- photo above is of me and my brother Kevin, all dressed up for the pageant.

But there was a dark side to Natchez in the 1960s during the Civil Rights movement. My father was the town's pathologist and coroner and every Saturday night, it seemed, he was called out to attend to some brutal murder scene. Because I was a small child, I thought these murders were a normal part of life. I had no idea that the era I was growing up in was an especially violent one.

My father would come home with pictures and tales of each slaying -- a bomb planted in a car, a man set on fire or shot. It was horrifying.

When we would drive past rural gas stations, my father would say, "That's one of their meeting places."

"Meeting place? Of who?" we would ask.

"The KKK," he'd reply.

I recently came across some additional photos of Natchez during my youth. I debated about putting these up, but if these guys decided it was OK to march in public in Natchez in the '60s, then they can march again in this blog. I'll make a concession and not put their names here, even though they are printed on the back of the photos.

International Tourist Impacts Projected

The Mississippi Development Authority's Division of Tourism held it's annual Governor's Conference on Tourism in Hattiesburg on February 15, 16, & 17. The purpose of the conference is to help tourism professionals keep up to date with travel trends, learn new marketing ideas and strategies, and a myriad of other helpful travel related subjects. One particular session I attended, focused on "The International Market", and I chose this particular session because of the wonderful influx of foreign travel writers that come through Natchez each year. David Nicholson of the UK and Wolfgang Streitberger of Germany, have been bringing European travel writers to the South for nearly a decade, and they work with professional tour planners from around Europe to assist them in putting together travel packages that are appealing and solid.

David began the presentation with some facts and figures, indicating some interesting travel statistics. For instance, Europeans spend an average of $154 per person, per day; they stayed an average of 3.8 nights (in Mississippi), and they come primarily from Ireland, UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, and France. David pointed out that Europeans like to "collect" states in that, even if they only drive across the corner of Southwestern Georgia, while crossing from Florida into Alabama, it counts as a state they can mark off their list as "having visited". I collect coffee mugs, refrigerator magnets, and baseball caps when I travel.

There is a non-stop charter flight that is booked quite frequently, which travels directly between Memphis and Amsterdam. The reason? The King! Yes, after all these years, they are still flocking to Graceland, but it's truly because they have a deep passion for The Blues. The Mississippi Blues Highway is fast becoming a huge draw for Europeans, and as the trail approaches completion, not only will we see that market expand, we'll also see those trips expanded and extended. For now they've limited their time to Memphis and the Mississippi Delta, but, as they are taking longer vacations, and the value of the pound and euro are so strong against the dollar, we will begin to see more and more of those "groups" trickling further down Highway 61, ultimately completing their journey in Natchez. If you happen to be in London in the future, be sure to keep an eye out for those cute little taxi's driving down the wrong side of the street. They're almost completely wrapped in artwork depicting Mississippi scenes, with visitmississippi.org plastered down the sides, complete with a huge image of B.B. King laid out on the vehicle's roof with Lucille laying across his lap. And, once you step inside and sit down, you'll see Mississippi ads on the two jump seats that fold down for additional passengers.

Group tours from these European markets book well in advance, and even with the present state of the economy, Wolfgang and David both assured us that tour operator action is still going strong and they receive calls from planners and operators daily seeking assistance when planning itineraries. There were 20,000 European visitors to Mississippi in 2008, but both felt as though that number was extremely conservative as it does not account for Europeans who used the internet or other means to book their travel. It would be quite easy to overlook someone who flies into Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, or New Orleans, rents a car, then drive themselves to a variety of pre-selected destinations. There is simply no way to record their movement like you can when these vacations are set up through tour companies. Swedish and Dutch travelers tend to book their travels based on the best price, while Germans and Brits like to travel according to weather. You'll see many more of them during our "off" season, as that's when it's cold, wet, and dreary in their parts of the world; plus, David says they don't like the heat and humidity associated with our summers, and he thinks it has more to do with that than the other.

I'll write again in a few days and tell you about the Asian/Indian position on traveling to America. Sally D.

Arts Funding: Economic Stimulus or Joke?

The National Endowment for the Arts received $50 million in the Economic Stimulus bill. Unfortunately, it's become a joke on right wing blogs and talk radio. Do they think artists don't work? Is building a car intrinsically better than painting a picture? I just don't get it - maybe if a conservative happens to read this, he (I'm sure it will be a he) will enlighten me with a comment.

Let's look at the economic effects of art in Natchez. Many of you know that I was involved in founding ArtsNatchez Inc, a nonprofit with the mission of "promoting the arts in the greater Natchez area". We provide a Gallery where over 30 local artists can display and sell their art. While none of those artists can support themselves on what they earn from ArtsNatchez, it does help to make it possible for them to stay in Natchez and earn a living. Many of those artists came here from New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina. But they stayed because they discovered they could work here. That's a lot of wage earners living in Natchez and spending their money.

But even more important, artists bring money to a community. As I've written about previously (here and here), art is Big Business - and it feeds on itself. The more art a town has, the more money it attracts. Natchez is a growing arts community. In addition to ArtsNatchez, we also have other relatively new businesses - Burns Pottery, Natchez Clay, Natchez Artists Association, Natchez Art & Framing, Southern Interiors - to name a few.

So what does this have to do with the Economic Stimulus Bill? ArtsNatchez is supported entirely by donations from generous local patrons. However, like other nonprofits, we're suffering during this economic crisis, because many of our patrons have been affected. Although ArtsNatchez will probably survive, many art nonprofits will not. When they fail, all those economic benefits will disappear as well.

Fifty million dollars is a drop in the bucket considering the whole package, but this money can enable thousands and thousands of nonprofits all across the country to stay open - and maintain the economic benefits in their communities. This is exactly what the legislation is for. These organizations don't need lots of money, the money is only needed temporarily, and it produces major economic benefits. Fortunately, Congress agreed and kept the money in the package.

Being intimidated by British accents

I'm a Mississippi girl who married an English man and have lived in the UK for almost 20 years.

I've been noticing that Brits are starting to call each other 'Hon' or 'Honey' with abandon. Being a Mississippi girl, I used to be the only person in the UK who called people 'Hon' but now they are all doing it. There is nothing stranger than hearing British people use American slang, especially when they say something is 'way cool' or something similar that they heard from a Simpsons episode. It's just not right.

But just because Brits assume I am stupid because I have a thick Mississippi accent, I have learned to avoid the mistake of assuming that a person with a posh British accent is intelligent. In fact, it can often be the opposite -- the posher the accent, the dumber the person.

Americans, we have to stop being intimidated by their accents. One time I saw Jeffrey Archer (before he became a convicted criminal) intimidating an American interviewer on TV by speaking like he was a member of the Royal Family. (Brits exaggerate their accents when they feel the fear of an American being intimidated, I can tell you.) I was annoyed with her for displaying her Accent Insecurity like that.
Remember, a posh accent does not equal intelligence!

Worst Husband Competition

Which entry do you think wins the Worst Husband Competition?

This one from Ireland?


Or this one from Greece?


Or what about this guy from Scotland?


I vote for the last one from Scotland as the worst husband because he has the temerity to hold hands with his marital donkey.

Incarcerating teenaged mothers

My mother was a social worker and especially loved her job when we lived in Natchez, Mississippi, and she worked in an unwed mothers' home (called Kings' Daughters). It's so interesting to me how times have changed. In those days, parents sent their unmarried teenaged daughters to a maternity home to have the baby so no one would know she'd been pregnant. When the baby was born, the mother would sign adoption papers and the baby was taken away. My mother used to say that the girls who held and cuddled their babies after they were born suffered the most when they gave them up.

Now times have changed so much that these homes for unwed mothers are viewed as prisons for teenagers forced to give up their babies against their will. I saw a website to help women who have been in these types of maternity homes find each other. My mother would have been horrified to see the title of the website:

This is for Women who are searching for others who were incarcerated in the same Maternity Home at the same time.

Incarcerated!

I found the name of a woman whose mother had been in the home my mother worked in and wrote her. She wrote back:

"I have done some research on the home and have been there a few times. I have letters that my Mother and Grandmother wrote to each other while she stayed there and I can tell you ... my Mom loved your Mother and her help was invaluable. She even had my Grandmother bring her some pecans from home. I tried to find some information on your Mom but didn't have much luck. Maybe you can let me know more about her. Regretfully, I wished I could have found here sooner. Just so you will know, I was not put up for adoption, my Mom, with much prayer and guidance from people like your Mother decided to raise me."

This all happened two weeks after my mother died. She would have loved to have known about this woman but it just happened too late.

Why Mississippi Is Always Last and What We Can Do About It

You know how Mississippi is always ranked last in everything good and first in everything bad. It's embarrassing to be the laughing stock of the nation and also infuriating because we know what Mississippi really has to offer. Well, there may be something we can do about this - it's really easy and doesn't cost a thing.

Earlier this week, I wrote a post about my solution to the economic crisis. If you read it, you know that increased involvement of women in government leads to economic responsibility and prosperity.

After that post, I got to thinking (always dangerous!) about how Mississippi is ranked last in income and other economic indicators - and wondered how we do relative to other states in women's involvement in government. Guess what? We're last again.

We're one of only four states who has never elected a woman to the U S Senate or U S Congress. The others are Delaware, Iowa, and Vermont, but they beat us on other measures.

We've also never had a female governor, a dubious honor we share with Iowa. Ruth Ann Minner just retired last month as Governor of Delaware, the longest serving female governor in the US. Vermont had one of the first female governors, Madeleine Kunin, the only female governor to serve three terms.

However, Iowa has us beat on other measures. We've only had two women serve in statewide office - Evelyn Gandy and Amy Tuck, while Iowa has had eleven. Iowa also currently has a female Lt Governor, Patty Judge, who is interested in being Governor. So we may soon be the only state that has never had a female governor.

So how's our farm team - the state legislature? Not good. We're ranked 47th in the country in percentage of female legislators. - slightly better than Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. Iowa is 28th.

So, we're at the bottom of the country economically - and in terms of females in government. But my theory is that they're related. If we want to get off the bottom of the barrel, we must elect more women.

Electing women is not a Democratic/Republican or liberal/conservative thing - which you can tell by looking at this map. So all of us can get together on this effort to save Mississippi by electing women. Now, a few insecure men may have a problem with this strategy, but real men will realize that women's talents, skills, and opinions need to be represented in our state.

Save Mississippi - Vote for Women!

Tidbits from the News

Here are three stories I read today - the first made me laugh, the second made me angry, and the third was just interesting.

1. Do you know what Twitter is? It is a social networking and microblogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets or twits), which are text based posts of up to 140 characters in length. It is becoming a major source of news. For example, the first news of the plane landing in the Hudson River came from a passenger sending tweets. Today there was a story with the suggested headline: "Loose Twits Sink Shifts". You should read the original story, reported in successive twits, but here is the basic summary. A Virginia state senator was about to switch parties, which would shift control of the Senate. But it was all behind closed doors until it became public knowledge due to someone's tweets, which caused the whole deal to fall apart. I love the headline.
2. Today President Obama announced his choice for "Drug Czar". Why did this make me angry? First, it was a guy, and I'm getting tired of all these posts going to men. Secondly, the guy is a big city police chief and military veteran. This means Obama is going to continue the "war on drugs" and to treat drug abuse as a crime. We've been doing this for years, and it simply doesn't work. Drug abuse is a health problem - not a criminal one - and until our leaders realize this, we'll never make any progress.
3. Do you believe in evolution? That depends on your level of education, according to a recent Gallup poll, conducted in honor of Darwin's 200th birthday today. 21% of those with a high school education believe in evolution and 27% do not. The rest (52%) had no opinion - obviously not taught to think. 74% of those with a post graduate degree do and only 11% do not. Those with some college or a college degree fall in between. Whew, I'm sure glad you need a post graduate degree to be a doctor, because I certainly wouldn't want a doctor operating on me who didn't understand that evolution is the basis of all science.

Happy Birthday Charles Darwin

"Has the Vatican done something right? Yesterday, Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture declared that Darwin's theory and Christian faith were not only compatible, but that Darwin's views could be traced to St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinus, The Times of London reports. Ravasi said, 'what we mean by evolution is the world as created by God.'

Organizers of next month's papal backed conference marking the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species also dismissed Intelligent Design, which credits a higher power for the complexities of life, as "poor theology and poor science" and will only discuss it on the fringes of the convention as a "cultural phenomenon." The recent admissions settle speculation that Pope Benedict XVI might endorse Intelligent Design, and come just in time for Darwin's 200th birthday."

from The Daily Beast website

We Can Fly

I attended a seminar this morning sponsored by the Natchez Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Development Association. Though I'm not a business owner I wanted to glean information for, perhaps, personal application as well as what might be good for the city of Natchez.

John Brandon, Mississippi Development Authority, gave a presentation which he called "Buy-Ology of Business: How to Thrive in a Difficult Economy". He's a great speaker with a wonderful sense of humor and excellent delivery of pertinent information.

He related a maxim from the writings of the French poet, Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918). The story in one of Apollinaire's poems is about a group of people who are encouraged time and again to come to the edge of the cliff but they are afraid and eventually, pushed over the edge of the cliff, "they flew". I think the point of this story is that we are all somewhat fearful of the consequences of the current economic crises and are hesitant to move in any direction but what is needed is the courage to move forward, to invest in a new vision for this country. We might just need a little push over that fearsome edge to realize our dreams.

The overall import of Mr. Brandon's message dealt with the small business owner but I felt there was a practical application, in a larger sense, for our city. What do we have that we are passionate about? What can we do better than anyone else? We can become the world's best ____? We can create a "Mecca", a center for the world's best something! And, he reminded us that 78% of the jobs in Natchez are tourism related.

I hear a lot of bemoaning that tourism just isn't going to cut it for the jobs we need in this city. I can and do understand that concern. But I also feel we've not, as a city, created a vision of what we can become. When we develop a thriving heritage tourism "Mecca" other kinds of jobs and industry will eventually spin off of that success. Mr. Brandon talked about the thousands of international tourists who visit Memphis each year. And what is it that makes Memphis so special?  They have a heritage tourism industry related to blues music, right? Well, we could have a smaller version of just that. We already have a great start as an Arts community. Why not have an Art and Entertainment District rich with galleries, music venues surrounded by shops with related merchandise?

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Fredericksburg, Texas, an agricultural community in the West Texas Hill Country. This lovely little hamlet, remote from the interstate and populated areas of Texas, is a thriving tourist destination chock full of antique stores, galleries, gourmet restaurants. On that weekday of our visit the sidewalks were teeming with tourists perusing the shops and galleries. The buildings are historic and new construction takes on the characteristics of the old. The Chamber of Commerce website says that "Over the last 20 years tourism has taken a giant step forward and is now a big part of our economy." And, they, too, have ordinances for their historic district. (www.fredericksburg-texas.com) Their community calendar is full with lots of live music events, theatre, festivals and fairs...and a First Friday Art Walk like ours, thanks to Carrie Lambert, Natchez DDA.

I should point out that Fredericksburg is half the size of Natchez and they don't have our beautiful and amazing Mississippi River. Someday we, too, will fly!

Why I Left United Mississippi Bank

Today I removed all my funds from United Mississippi Bank and deposited them in Britton & Koontz. Here's why - read carefully.

This horror story has two parts, the first of which was beyond UMB's control.

Part I

Heartland Payment Systems (hereinafter called Heartless) processes credit and debit card transactions between commercial entities - like retailers, restaurants, and other businesses - and the financial institutions that issue the cards. They are one of the largest such companies in the country. Sometime last year (probably May), their system was "compromised" - a fancy word for criminals hacking into the system and stealing information. However, they had no system in place to pick that up, much less prevent it. The way Heartless found out in October was that Visa and MasterCard noticed suspicious behavior. It took Heartless from October until January to find it. Then guess when they announced it - on January 20, Inauguration Day! They sure know how to bury bad news.

Heartless did not publicly disclose who has been affected. Isn't that amazing? They didn't even contact all the banks and let them know their cards had been hacked. Banks heard about it in different ways, and it was difficult for them to determine who was affected. But surveys of banks have been done - and this security breach may be the biggest ever.

Let's summarize: Heartless has no way to detect hacking - about 6 months after the fact someone tells them about it - it takes another 3 months for them to find it - then they hide it from the public. Nice guys!

Part II

This data breach has affected at least three of our local banks: B&K, UMB, and Regions - and it is NOT their fault. But how they react to this crisis tells us a lot about their competence and how they treat their customers.

I have no idea how Regions handled this.

Here's what Britton & Koontz did. They hustled until they were able to find out which of their customers might be affected. Then they sent them letters a couple of weeks ago telling them what happened, that their cards would be cancelled and new cards issued on a certain date, and in the meantime, they should check regularly for any suspicious behavior with their accounts. You couldn't ask for a more professional response. I've read local news stories from all over the country, and this seemed to be the response of most banks.

Now look at what United Mississippi Bank did. They cancelled the card first and then sent the letter. So suddenly your card is no good, and you have no idea why. I, and many, many other people, use our debit cards instead of checks. I tried to use mine to pay some bills online, and it didn't work - but I assumed that was the vendors fault. On Tuesday, I went to WalMart and had a cart full of stuff when I discovered my card was no good. The checkout clerk knew all about it - she said there were a lot of unhappy campers there. That little UMB branch in WalMart was jammed full of people. Fortunately for me, I did have one check in my purse - because the bank had run out of counter checks.

As it turned out, I was only inconvenienced. However, this could have had serious consequences. What if I had been out of town? Or needed my card for an emergency?

I went over to UMB today for an explanation, which was totally unacceptable. They said they were protecting us from unauthorized charges. Guess what? Other banks across the country were forgiving those charges. UMB was just protecting itself. I pointed out that everyone who uses online banking or has the NetCheck account is required to have an email. Why didn't they send an email if they were in such a hurry? Other banks were calling their customers. Why couldn't UMB do that? Because, no matter what they say, I don't think they really care about their customers. And I don't think they showed competence and professionalism in handling this crisis.

I took my money out of their bank and immediately deposited it in B&K, because I'm much more confident in their abilities and concerns.

Oh, when I got home, there was a letter from UMB. Thanks a lot for nothing.

The Solution to the Economic Crisis

UPDATED

I am so excited - I have found the solution to the economic crisis, thanks to an article on The New Agenda, of which my daughter is a cofounder.

What is the solution? It's very simple. Women.

I know you're thinking I have finally gone off the deep end - but hear me out.

Let's start with Iceland. Iceland was famous for its financial system, which was its major industry. This fall, the headlines were full of its total collapse. In a way, it was more shocking than America's, because it was so highly regarded. The country is now teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. It's a small country, so the collapse of its major banks was a total catastrophy.

So what did Iceland do? In a recent election, it threw the men out, and women are now running the country. A new woman Prime Minister takes office next week, and she has thrown out all the good ole boys. At least half her cabinet will be women. The two major banks are now being run by women. The Prime Minister says:

"We are going to base our economic policies on prudence and responsibility, but we also stress social values, women's rights, equality and justice."

Are they nuts? Not according to research. Diverse groups do a much better job of problem solving. Wall Street has been run forever by white guys - who all look and act alike. Nowadays, however, they are looking desperately for diversity - especially women. So if you're a woman banker, now's the time to head to New York.

One study showed that elevated testosterone leads to increased risk taking. Other studies show that men are more likely to take high risks when surrounded by male peers. Women don't act like this.

Other research showed some unexpected benefits came just from women getting the right to vote, because politicians suddenly had to pay attention to what women wanted. (Imagine that!) One demonstrated benefit was increased public health measures. One professor says 20,000 lives are saved each year just because of women getting the vote.

In 2006, Muhammad Yunnus of Bangladesh was awarded the Nobel Peace Price, along with the Grameen Bank which he founded. Why? He popularized microlending - small business loans of around $200 to poverty struck people in his country (and now around the world). Over 97% of his loans go to women. Why? Women are far more likely to use their earnings on their families and to educate their children. Women are successful and pay their money back. They found when they lent to men, it was much more likely to be squandered.

Unfortunately for us, by the time we realized we were in an economic crisis, Hillary Clinton was no longer a candidate. And even more unfortunately, Obama is surrounding himself with men. He has the same number of women in his cabinet as Bush had - and only half as many as Bill Clinton. Did you notice all those guys with tax problems? I don't know about you, but that makes me nervous. The only woman with similar problems was because her husband filed separately and screwed up. You just can't trust men with money.

Message to Hillary: Send Barack to Iceland - maybe he'll learn something.

UPDATED: Today's Washington Post has an article about this very issue being discussed in England and Europe. It discusses a study showing that companies with higher percentages of women in management have weathered this crisis much better than male dominated companies. This is the lead, datelined London:

"Fred, Tom, Andy, Dennis, Eric, John, Stephen, Antonio and Paul ran British banks that lost billions of dollars. So they have been called in for a grilling by Nick, Graham, Colin, Jim, Stephen, Michael, Andrew, George, Mark, Peter, three Johns -- and a single, solitary Sally."

Civil Rights in Natchez

I lived through the Civil Rights struggle when I was growing up in Natchez. My father, Leo Scanlon, was the pathologist and coroner, so he had to go out almost every weekend to attend a murder scene, mostly for black men murdered by KKK members.

I went to Montebello School when I was very young, and Mr. McCraney, one of our neighbours, was a policeman and handled the traffic every morning. We loved to watch him direct the traffic, and felt sorry for him when he had to stand outside in the pouring rain.

One morning, he had a big traffic mess to handle when parents in the school started protesting the upcoming integration of Montebello. I had no idea what was going on when I saw angry parents at the school entrance with signs saying to keep the school whites only -- they shouted at everyone who drove past and looked so frightening.

The following school year, however, we had our first black student, Calvin. I can't imagine what that was like for him, being the only black person in an all-white school.

Anyway, we all liked Calvin, and one day, we had big excitement when we got to tour the Honey Bun factory for a school trip, and we each got a Honey Bun freshly made to eat. The bus was driving through a poorer part of town on the way back to school, and I decided to be clever. I whispered to a friend, "Hey, we're driving through Calvin's part of town." Then she whispered it to others, and others whispered it, and I was sitting next to Calvin and soon noticed big tears rolling down his cheeks.

He'd heard my remark. I'd made him cry! I was so ashamed of myself. How could I have done such a thing? I hadn't meant to hurt his feelings; I was only trying to be cute and wasn't thinking.

It made me think hard about racism. I was so sure I wasn't racist because we'd welcomed Calvin to school, yet I could make a remark like that. I'm still ashamed to this day of what I did, and it makes me think that we all have to struggle with racism, feeling superior to others for no reason, etc., no matter how we pride ourselves on our perfection in public. The internal struggles are the hardest.

Pat Head Summitt - A Heroine

Growing up, I was a tomboy and played intramural sports, the only kind available to girls at that time. I always thought it unfair that girls didn't have the same opportunities that boys had in sports.I was very involved in the 1972 passage of Title IX, the legislation outlawing sexual discrimination in education - but most famous for its impact on women's sports. Shortly thereafter, a phenomena arrived at the University of Tennessee.

Pat Head Summitt was born on a farm in Tennessee and was an outstanding basketball player, whose parents actually moved to another town so she could go to a school that offered girls basketball. She went on to become an All American at the University of Tennessee - Martin, but her big goal was to play in the Olympics - if and when women's basketball became an Olympic sport.

When Pat graduated, she was thrilled to be offered a graduate assistantship as assistant coach of the women's basketball team. She owes that opportunity to a female physical education teacher who was impressed with her. Imagine her shock and surprise when she showed up for her first day on the job and was told the coach had quit - and she was now the head coach! She was 22 and barely older than her players.

During her first two years there, she completed her Masters Degree and prepared for the 1976 Olympics, the first time women's basketball was an Olympic sport. She not only made the team, but she was a team captain and they won the silver medal.

In spite of other pressures, she coached her players to two winning seasons. However, that was the last time one of her teams would win less than 20 games - and the last time they would not go to NCCA Playoffs. How many male coaches can make that claim? None. She's been my heroine ever since I saw her in the Olympics - and I've followed her career ever since.

Thursday, she reached a benchmark that has never been reached before by any collegiate basketball coach - male or female. In fact, no one is even close. She just won her 1000th game! And she's knocked off almost every other record set by her male colleagues.

The only record she hasn't broken is one by the legendary John Wooden (UCLA) who won ten national championships. She has eight, and she's only 56, so she'll get that record as well. She already passed Kentucky's coach Adolph Rupp. With 18 Final Four appearances, she easily passed Wooden's record of a mere 12.

Her Lady Vols have won more NCAA victories (104) than any other team. Wooden, Rupp, Bobby Knight? Not even close! She was the first women's coach with a perfect season (1997-98). Her Lady Vols were the first women's team to win back to back to back national championships.

Last year, she was the first woman to receive the John Wooten Legends of the Game Award. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame the first year she was eligible. Needless to say, she's also in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. ESPN named the Lady Vols the team of the decade (1990s) tied with the Florida State Seminoles Football Team - take that FSU! In 2000, she was named Naismith Coach of the Century - and one of her players was named Naismith Player of the Century. She's earned a myriad other awards and honors.

She was the first female coach to earn more than a million dollars a year. But shortly after she signed that contract, she gave $600,000 back to the University's women's basketball program and endowing a scholarship.

In 1980, she married, and in 1990, she gave birth to her only child, Tyler. She went into labor while on a recruiting trip to Pennsylvania. She finished her business, then told the pilots of her plane to hurry because she wanted her son born in Tennessee. She took Tyler to work with her, and the team loved him. She was honored at a White House luncheon given by then First Lady Hillary Clinton for The 25 Most Influential Working Mothers, as selected by Working Mothers Magazine.

So in March, when everyone else is obsessed with the men's NCAA tournament, I hope you join me in watching Pat Head Summitt take another team to the women's tournament. She and the Lady Vols are a lot more awesome than whoever wins the men's tournament.

Small towns

When my father moved the family from beautiful eccentric Natchez to the teeny dull Halstead, Kansas, when I was 12, I was devastated. Halstead had about 2,000 people in it, and everyone knew everyone. I hated that. There was no anonymity. Anything you did was watched and talked about.

I missed the greenery of the South. Kansas was so flat and the landscape was boring - just pale brown with wheat. I was interested, though, in how people from Kansas hated the landscape of the South -- too claustrophobic, too many plants and trees -- you couldn't see for miles like you could in the Midwest.

So I guess it's whatever you grow up with that you love the best. But I thought of Halstead last night as I was finishing up Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. Of small towns, he wrote:

The tradition, repeated in scores of magazines every month, is that the American village remains the one sure abode of friendship, honesty, and clean sweet marriageable girls. Therefore all men who succeed in painting in Paris or in finance in New York at last become weary of smart women, return to their native towns, assert that cities are vicious, marry their childhood sweethearts, and presumably, joyously abide in those towns until death....

It is an unimaginatively standardized background, a sluggishness of speech and manners, a rigid ruling of the spirit by the desire to appear respectable. It is contentment...the contentment of the quiet dead, who are scornful of the living for their restless walking. It is negation canonized as the one positive virtue. It is the prohibition of happiness. It is slavery of self-sought and self-defended. It is dullness made God.

Taking flowers to shut-ins

This is where I grew up in Natchez. This house is on a street called Brightwood, but it was built across a little stream from Montaigne, the antebellum home. (It was built by some owners of Montaigne for their relatives to live in.) My mother's best friend was Betty Shields McGehee who is a relative of the current owners.

Miss Betty, as I was allowed to call her as a child, is still active in the Natchez social scene today. When I was 12, Miss Betty had the great idea to share her enormous crop of daffodils with 'shut-ins,' as they called people who couldn't leave their homes then. She got all the young people in her church class to wrap brightly colored sticky paper around empty tin cans to make vases. Then we got bunches and bunches of daffodils to put in them. Each of us was assigned a house to take the flowers to.

My mother drove me up to an old house in Natchez, and I knocked then went through door (this was in the late '60s and people didn't have all the security locks that they do now). The two ancient ladies who lived there had been told earlier that someone was coming to their door but they still got confused and agitated. "Who is that?" one of them cried as I went through the door. "I don't know who that is," said the other. "Do you?" I told them who I was and what I was doing there but it didn't spark any recognition in their minds. The house was dark and still and gave me the creeps.

These ladies were old and scary to me. I'd never run across people who couldn't see or hear. I tried to tell them who I was but their voices got louder and louder and more anxious. They crept across the room with their canes, travelling slowly but inexorably towards me. I was so frightened. I thought about running to get my mother but she was waiting in the car with the motor running on the street for me. The old ladies continued to shout at each other about who this intruder might be, and I became more and more panicked.

Finally, I just left the flowers in the tin-can vase and ran.

It was only later that I realized that I'd totally forgotten to put water in the can, and the flowers would be dead so quickly, before the ladies were even able to enjoy their scent and color.

I've never forgotten the Daffodil Incident. If only I could turn back the clock and go in and water the things so they would have lived for at least a few days. What a waste. I never even told my mother or Miss Betty; I was that embarrassed.

The Woes of Technology

Last week I accidently spilled hot tea onto my laptop screen. The cat was whining at the door to get out, and the dog was begging with his eyes to be fed. I attempted to get up, with the cup of tea in my hand, when I got tangled up in the wires connecting my hard-drive backup device to my laptop and splashing hot tea all over the screen. I grabbed the soft cloth that comes with the computer cleaning solution trying to frantically wipe the screen, but the tea had honey in it and I didn’t want the cloth to be sticky, so I grab a nearby cotton throw and use that. I clean the screen and all looks okay.

I leave the laptop closed, which I guess was a mistake, because when I return a few hours later and open it, there’s a huge shadow covering the screen. It looks like a lava lamp, but stationary, not moving. I’ve only had the laptop just over a year so I am devastated. I spend the next two hours calling Apple Care. I'm told I have to make an appointment online with the nearest Apple Store. I choose Baton Rouge and spend another hour trying to make an online appointment.

It had only been a few months ago I had made an appointment online because my hard-drive had crashed. I had heard people talking about their computers crashing for years, but I've been through two computers and a laptop with this never happening. So of course, when my new laptop crashed, I had nothing backed up. Hence, the first appointment at the Apple Store in Baton Rouge. Of course, I couldn’t remember how I had made that first appointment online.

The next day I am driving through Baton Rouge traffic to get to the Apple Store at 11 a.m. The young man at the “Genius Bar” tells me there is nothing they can do even though my laptop is still under warranty. He tells me they’ll have to do a T-4 or 10-4 - something that entails taking the entire laptop apart, because there could be moisture damage throughout, and if there was honey in the tea, that is worse. It would be at least $700, but they will sell me a new one for 10% off.

I pack up my laptop, making space for the next person in line, and carry on with my regular Baton Rouge stops: Petco, Target, and Whole Foods. Since it was cool outside, my dog, Frostie, had made the trip with me, and the highlight of his day was his first visit to Petco.

After Whole Foods, I fight my way onto I-10 and, race home, with Frostie panting excitedly in the back. I had left the cat inside, since the morning had been so cold, and I know she needs to get out. So, after two days lost dealing with technology, at the end of the day, I have no doubt it will always be the pets that rule!

My Friend Helen

My friend Helen is well into her eighties, but she doesn't act like it. Not only is she an accomplished artist, but she's very good with a computer - while most people her age are scared to death of them. She recently told me a great story, which I just had to share.

Her computer lost its internet connection. The cable company said nothing was wrong. So she and a friend tried everything to get it working. She had thrown in the towel and was going to buy a new computer. But suddenly, her internet was magically back on. Then she figured out what had happened.

Her next door neighbor had his cable and internet service disconnected because he was going to have a dish installed. He never could get it to work, so after several days of trying, he asked the cable company to reinstitute his cable service.

Helen figured out that the cable company probably disconnected her instead of her neighbor. Of course, the cable company will never admit it, but I'm sure she's right. She's sharp!

Religious nepotism

Hi, I'm Elizabeth Scanlon Thomas (everyone knew me as 'Tizzy' when I lived in Natchez). Thank you, Casey Ann, for asking me to contribute to this blog. I grew up in Natchez but moved away when I was 12 and still miss the place so much. I married an Englishman and live outside London now, but still pine for Southern food, friends and the azaleas in bloom in the springtime in Natchez.

Here's one of my memories of growing up in Natchez:

One of my mother's favourite things was teaching Sunday school to first graders at Trinity Episcopal Church in Natchez. She would let me re-arrange the felt figures on the board after she had taught a lesson so I could make Job sit in the sky, for example, or whatever I wanted the Biblical characters to do.

When I was old enough to be in her class, I felt so grown up. I had perfect attendance, but so did another girl. That was a problem for Mom because she got to select the cast for the Nativity play at Christmas, and every girl wanted to be Mary.

My mother thought and thought about it, and finally she decided that she would give the role to her daughter, even if everyone thought it was complete nepotism. I was thrilled with her choice. I wore her light blue silk bathrobe and used my cherished Thumbelina doll as the baby Jesus.

It was one of those perfect childhood moments I had the day I was Mary in the Nativity. But do you know that my mother felt a bit guilty about that, even after all those years? She would say, as if to re-assure herself, "but you were my daughter, after all, and you had been to every lesson...."

Lilly Ledbetter - A Heroine

Who's Lilly Ledbetter, you might ask. Well, if you're a woman or have daughters, you owe her a lot - whether you know it or not. Today was her day. Today the President signed his first bill, and it was named after her.

In 1979, Lilly, now 70, went to work at Goodyear Tire in Gadsden Alabama and worked there for 20 years, where she was an area manager. As she was close to retirement, someone - she still doesn't know who - slipped her a piece of paper showing the pay scales for other area managers. She was totally shocked. She was the lowest paid, despite her years of experience and an excellent work record. The others, paid as much as 40% more, were all men.

She had heard sexist remarks throughout her career and knew there was sexual discrimination, but she had no idea how bad it was. She immediately filed a suit with the EEOC. Can you imagine the courage that took?

A jury found her employer very guilty of sex discrimination - it was blatant and not debatable - and awarded her back pay and punitive damages. Of course, Goodyear appealed.

After 10 years, in 2007, the case landed before the Supreme Court, who ruled 5-4 against her. But you will not believe why. There was no question that sex discrimination occurred. BUT according to 5 MEN on the Court, the law says you have to file a suit within 180 days of when the FIRST discrimination occurred. Not when it was discovered, as every person in the world except these 5 men believed. Unbelievable! Sandra Day O'Connor, where were you when we needed you? Replaced unfortunately by sexist, unfeeling Alito and his buddy Roberts. Thank you, George W Bush for your final screwing of women.

Think back to any of your jobs. Did you know how much all your coworkers were being paid after 180 days? Of course not. So how exactly are you supposed to know that you were discriminated against? Not to mention proving it. What this ruling meant was that, although it was theoretically against the law to discriminate, if an employer could hide it for 6 months - which is pretty damned easy - nothing could ever be done about it.

Finally, Lilly caught a break. This decision came in an election year, and people were incensed and angry - which means that politicians pay attention. So the 2007 Lilly Ledbetter Act was introduced to counteract what the Supremes did. Although it passed the Democrat controlled house with a handful of Republican voters, it was killed in the Senate by a Republican filibuster - a cloture vote (to stop debate) which required 60 votes came up 3 votes short.

Senator McCain, who was too busy campaigning to show up for the vote, issued a statement against the bill. When Lilly, a Republican, read what McCain said, she immediately volunteered to work for Obama. And we know what a hard worker she is. Her husband, who died in December, voted for a Democrat for President for the first time in his life.

Today, Lilly got her reward. The bill passed both houses of Congress and was signed by the President. She was right there with him, and he gave her the pen - and Michelle gave a lunch in her honor. By the way, the bill will not do a thing for Lilly - her case is over forever. She fought this issue for the women who come behind her.

McCain? Hasn't learned a thing. He was still against it, along with all but one of his male Republican Senators. All female Republican Senators voted for it.

Lilly, on behalf of my daughter, my granddaughters, and all future generations of women, I thank you. Oh, and by the way, a Goodyear tire will never be on a car of mine.

The New & Improved Natchez Blog

I started this blog several years ago in response to some outrageous behaviors by our Mayor and Board of Aldermen. We have a new administration now, and although they're far from perfect, they are a big improvement. I no longer go to all the meetings and really can't report regularly on city happenings anymore. So I've been mulling over what to do with this blog.

I came up with the idea of having a community blog - where lots of local people would blog here whenever they felt like it. And it won't be just about politics anymore. We'll write about whatever strikes our fancy. And we'll all use our real names, so you can tell us in person what you think - as well as posting any comments you wish.

Before announcing this new endeavor, I wanted to be sure someone besides me would actually be writing. I have found three friends who bravely agreed to give it a shot, and they're signing up now. So soon you'll see some new ideas here, just in case you were tired of mine.

And we're looking for more writers - the more the merrier! So if you want to join us or know someone who is, just shoot me an email. The only rules are no major profanity or personal attacks - and you must write using your real name. (Warning:We are picky about spelling and grammar.) The pay is not very good - in fact, it's nonexistent - but the company's good.

You'll be hearing from us soon!

One Last Vienna Tidbit

I couldn't finish this travel log without mentioning the most unusual building I've probably ever seen: Hundertwasserhaus, undoubtedly one of Vienna's most visited sites. It's in the same District as my daughter's apartment, so we see it often. It's hard to take a picture of, but here is one view looking up.

Hundertwasserhaus is the creation of artist Friedenscreich Hundertwasser, a most unusual artist - a painter, sculptor, and architect. He was famous for his bold, unusual paintings, but he is best known for his revolutionary architectural designs. They imaginatively incorporate elements of the landscape and make use of irregular forms. He hardly ever uses straight lines, saying they are "the devil's tools". Just imagine a building with no straight lines!

The first building he designed was Hundertwasserhaus, which is basically public housing and remains so today - so you can only see it from the outside. He charged no fee for its design. It was built between 1983 and 1986, and features undulating floors ("an uneven floor is a divine melody to the feet"), a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with limbs extending from windows. You almost have to see it to believe it - but go to the link that shows Pictures - some are of the inside.

Go to History for other examples of his architectural creations. They are truly amazing.

Christmas in Vienna

Although I did not spend Christmas in Vienna this visit, I did get to participate in one Christmas tradition - Christkindlmarkt - the Christmas Market.

In December, there are Christmas Markets all over Vienna - a tradition that goes back to the early 17th century. It's a outdoor market with lots of booths selling all manner of things: roasted chestnuts, wursts (sausages), gingerbread, pastries galore, candies, toys of all sorts, and other gift items. There is also entertainment, craft and other activities for kids, ponies to ride, christmas decorations.

Viennese visit these markets all during December, trying to visit them all. We went one evening, and it was jammed with people. The whole family comes - and they come in the evenings. We saw the "Christmas angel" who was accompanied by musicians and dancing throughout the crowd. Children loved her - I think she brings toys to Austrian children during the Christmas season. Not to be confused with ChristKindl, who is similar to Santa Claus and comes on Christmas Eve. There were also horses that look like our Clydesdales, full of bells, dancing through the crowds and amazingly not crushing any children. Maple made a candle at a crafts booth and was quite proud of herself. It was a wonderful, festive experience - and to think these people do it every night for a month! Sure beats going to the mall or WalMart.

Every market has hot alcoholic drinks of two varieties - spiced punch and mulled wine. You will hardly ever see a paper cup in Vienna. When you buy a drink at a market, it comes in a commemorative ceramic cup, included in the price. If you bring it back, they refund your deposit. The Christmas drinks are legendary - and most necessary. All this activity takes place outside - and it is VERY cold! This little Natchez girl was freezing her buns off - in spite of all manner of cold weather gear. But when I was drinking that punch, it warmed me all over - and it was delicious - full of spices and flavoring with berries at the bottom. YUM! Unfortunately, I could only drink one - because they are very powerful. The Viennese stay out there for hours, so I figure they must be able to hold their liquor a lot better than I can.

Here we are - Halane, Maple, and I - all bundled up, strolling down the street. Scott took the picture and is pushing Adele's stroller, where she can be zipped into fur.

Gustav Klimt: Vienna's Most Prominent Painter

Gustav Klimt is almost a member of our family. Read on to see why.

Klimt (1862-1918) is Vienna's most famous artist. Like many artists of the time, he had a classical art education, and his early work was rather traditional. He started with interior murals and ceilings in public buildings. In 1892, both his father and his brother (with whom he painted) died, and he had to assume responsibilities for their families. This was said to have a strong impact on his painting - and he veered into a personal style of his own. He was a founder and the most prominent member of the Vienna Secession, which supported unconventional young artists.

Around this time, he was commissioned to paint three murals for the University of Vienna. These erotic and overtly sexual paintings caused a major public outcry and were never displayed - and were eventually destroyed by the Nazis. As a consequence, Klimt never took another public commission. However, he continued to be successful by painting for private sources and enjoyed positive critical acclaim.

One of the most famous of his paintings was The Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer completed in 1907. The wealthy industrialist Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer commissioned this portrait of his wife Adele. Like many of his other paintings during this period, it features generous use of gold leaf - which makes for a stunning effect - and intricate mosaic patterns. The incredible details make it understandable why it took three years to complete.

This painting has an interesting history. In her will, Adele Bloch-Bauer indicated that she wished the painting to be donated to the Austrian State Gallery. She died in 1925, but her widowed husband had to flee Austria later when the Nazis took over, and all of his art - including this painting - was confiscated. The painting remained in Austria after the war, as Austria thought it was rightfully theirs because of the will. However, in 2006, after a lengthy court case, the painting was awarded to one of Ferninand Bloch-Bauer's nieces, living in California. It was sold at auction for $135 million (the highest price ever paid for an individual painting at the time) by Ronald Lauder for the Neue Galerie in New York.

Losing this painting was considered a national tragedy in Vienna. (Sort of like a court telling us we had to give the Statue of Liberty back to France.) Before the painting left Austria, everyone was invited to come say goodbye. The entire city was plastered with posters that said "Caio Adele". It was at this time that my daughter and her family moved to Vienna and immediately noticed these posters everywhere. They were very impressed with the story - and that a city was so in love with a painting. They decided if they ever had another girl, she would have to be named Adele.

In September 2007, they had a little girl born in Vienna - and her name is Adele.

While I was in Vienna, The Belvedere, which is a huge 18th Century palace that is now a museum of Austrian art, had a special exhibit in honor of Klimt and the 100th anniversary of the Secessionist 1908 Kunstschau (art exhibit). They attempted to replicate the exhibit as it was in 1908, borrowing originals whenever possible.

For this exhibit, our whole family went so we could pay homage to Adele's namesake. Unfortunately, the Neue Gallery would not loan that painting to the Belvedere, so there was only a replica. Adele did not seem to be bothered, but her older sister Maple was incensed. There were many other original Klimt paintings - as well as work by other artists. We purchased prints of the Adele painting in the museum shop, and Maple was appeased by getting a bookmark with the Adele painting - which she used religiously until I left.

So you see why we consider Adele and Klimt part of our family.

Vienna: A City of Culture II

Vienna's love of music extends to the visual arts. There are so many quality museums that I doubt I will ever visit them all.

On this visit, I started with the Albertina, a grand Viennese palace built in 1744 and named after the collections' founder, Duke Albert, a son in law of Empress Maria Theresa, who received the palace as a gift from the Emperor in 1794 - nice gift! It stayed in the family until 1919, when the newly formed Republic of Austria "expropriated" the palace and the art collection. Like much of Vienna, it suffered serious bomb damage during World War II, but it has been meticulously restored.

My reason for visiting at this time was to see the Van Gogh Exhibit, which included fifty of his paintings and a hundred of his watercolors and drawings. I have always been a Van Gogh fan and seeing his actual work was inspiring. It was the last day of the exhibit and a national holiday, and the place was jammed! Just another example of how Viennese love art. The crowds made it difficult to view the art, but it was worth it.

While at the Albertina, I noticed a permanent exhibit entitled Monet to Picasso. Well, I was in heaven! There were over 500 paintings by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso, Signac, Chagall, Rothko, Munch, and others. Plus this section had recently been reopened after renovations - and there were no crowds. I guess this exhibit was old hat to the Viennese.

I also visited another art museum, but that one requires its own article.

Vienna: A City of Culture I

Vienna is known for its cultural attractions - especially music. December is the beginning of opera season, when people come from all over Europe. Last time I was here during the opera season, we were unable to get tickets, but this year we were lucky. We saw Verdi's Don Carlos, performed in Italian. I don't know what was more impressive - the performance or the opera house.

You must check out the Vienna Opera House, which was built in the mid 1800s. (For a special treat, check out the panoramic views available here.) It suffered bomb damage during World War II but was meticulously restored, with some modern safety and acoustical modifications. We had fantastic seats on the front row of the middle row of box seats toward the center. One really neat modern convenience was a small screen in front of each seat that translates the lyrics into the language of your choice - but can only be viewed from directly in front, so it is not a distraction.

Opera tickets are very expensive, but there are a large number of standing room only seats that are very reasonable. They become available the day before the performance, and people stand in line for hours to buy them. Although the opera audience is exceeding formal and polite, those in the standing sections are known to be more rowdy - showing enthusiastic appreciation of good performances and displeasure with poor performances. Since the most popular standing section was below us, I checked them out periodically, and they seemed to approve.

The opera lasted almost four hours with one long intermission, during which the opulent public rooms offered food and beverage for sale. We settled for a bottle of water and spent our time admiring the rooms and their occupants.

The opera orchestra is composed of members of the Vienna State Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the best in the world, and is as impressive as the singers themselves.

Music is to Vienna as football is to America. The streets of Vienna are full of street performers, but not the kind we are used to. You can see opera singers and violinists performing for tips - trying to earn a living until they can make it to the big time.

To be continued.

Around and About Vienna

We did eventually make it outside to see Vienna, even though the granddaughters had passed their colds to their grandmother. We started with a stroll around the neighborhood, which is right downtown.

Vienna is a very interesting city. The first thing you notice is how clean it is - and it's virtually crime free. The only crime that is prevalent is pickpocketing, so if you protect yourself against that, you'll have no problems. The streets tend to be narrow, so the cars are small. Another reason for small cars is the price of gas, which is highly taxed to discourage use. And parking is expensive and very hard to come by. However, you really don't need a car in Vienna - you can get anywhere on very affordable and convenient public transportation.

Viennese are Germanic in language and culture - and they always obey the rules. For example, on escalators a sign says to stay to the right. If you forget, someone is sure to remind you. And you never cross the street until the traffic light says to walk. Viennese are not friendly - in fact, I think they are rude. This is quite shocking to someone from the overly friendly town of Natchez.

As we wandered around downtown, we saw lots of small stores. Chain stores and large stores are virtually nonexistent. (I did see a McDonalds and a Starbucks.) Bakeries are everywhere - and they are awesome. Not only do they have breads and incredible pastries, but they have sandwiches and beverages. They sort of serve as the fast food of Vienna.

We also saw many outdoor food vendors - mostly bratwurst. And they were many open air markets with fresh fruits and vegetables, along with other goodies. However, you get very confused in looking at prices, because their commas and periods are backwards. For example (using $ instead of euros since that sign is not on my computer), if something costs $1,598.75, they would show it as $1.598,75.

There are no bargains here. Almost everything is more expensive than in the States. One reason is that the taxes are built into the prices, and their taxes are higher. But the Austrians get a lot for their taxes - like an excellent health care system which covers everyone.

All in all, I could easily live here, but my daughter just moved into an apartment without an extra bedroom, so I guess I'll have to come home.

I'm in Vienna - Sort of

The trip was loooong, but I made it. On the Memphis to Amsterdam leg, I was seated next to a woman on her way to Kenya. She lives in Memphis now but was originally from Kenya, and she was on her way home for a visit. She knew the Obama relatives there, and talked about how excited the country was that he was elected. A meal was served shortly after takeoff, and following that meal she went to sleep and I was reading.

Europe is 7 hours ahead of us, so I was having a time dilemma. To my body, it was about 8 pm, but it was really 3 am where I was headed. I was hoping the reading would eventually put me to sleep. Since airplanes are noisy places - loud talking, snoring, babies cyring - I put in the earphones and played soothing classical music. Around midnight my time, I was getting sleepy, so I turned off the light and started to drift off.

Through the haze of my sleepiness and the music in my ears, I became aware that my seatmate was talking - but I couldn't understand her. I took out the earphones and realized she wasn't talking to me - but talking to herself. She had seemed perfectly rational before, so I tried to listen to what she was saying. About all I could understand was that she didn't feel good, so I called for the flight attendant. She talked to her for a while, and then asked over the PA system for a medical doctor. In the meantime, I had to move so the woman could stretch out across the two seats. The doctor spent quite a long time with her, and finally the flight attendant told me she thought she would be okay. She was sleeping with oxygen.

Needless to say, there was no sleeping for me after that. As I left the plane I talked to the Kenyan woman, who said she was much better, but was going to the medical facilities at the airport for a check up. My flight from Amsterdam to Vienna was fairly short, and I had no opportunity for sleep.

People always wish you a safe trip, and they're thinking of the planes. However, I knew I was about to enter the most dangerous part of my trip - the taxi ride in Vienna - but I survived.

I went to bed early (around 9:30 pm) and slept like a dead person. For the past two days, we have not left the house. My two granddaughters are sick with coughs and cold, and the weather outside is very cold. We stayed inside and played and had a great time - but it doesn't make for a very interesting travel log. Today (Tuesday) we vow we are going to go outside for at least a brief visit - since we're getting cabin fever. So maybe my next post will be able to describe Vienna!