By Bob Garver 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” was one of the most critically-lauded action movies not just of its year, not just of its decade, but of all time. I will forever curse “Pitch Perfect 2” for opening the same weekend and doing better at the box office, thus keeping me from reviewing “Fury Road” (for the record, I would have given it an enthusiastic B). While Tom Hardy’s Max was an important presence in that movie, audiences seemed to find themselves drawn to another character, one that had an even more commanding screen presence, did more to make the film instantly iconic, and more than warranted an expensive prequel. Alas, we’ll have to keep waiting for that origin story for the guitar-playing Doof Warrior. In the meantime, we have this movie about another beloved “Fury Road” character, Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa. “Furiosa” follows the character (played as a child for much longer than the advertising implies by Alyla Browne, then by Anya Taylor-Joy as an adult) as she is taken from her home in the lush Green Place and put in the custody of aspiring warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Surprisingly, he genuinely wants to take care of the child and sees her as a sort of daughter. The feeling is not mutual, as Furiosa seethes with hatred toward Dementus for killing her mother and raising her among his deplorable biker crew in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. When she sees an opportunity to be traded to crazed ruler Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), she takes it just to spite Dementus, though she quickly finds out that it’s not much of upgrade to be a breeder for Joe. Furiosa quickly ditches the breeder life and takes up as a mechanic on Joe’s many armored vehicles. She also gets in on the security detail for Joe’s best driver Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke). She tries to steal the vehicle to get back home to the Green Place, and while Jack can’t allow this, he does allow her to stay on as a student, and later as a partner. The two are caught in the middle of a war between Dementus and Joe, and even though both bosses are utterly despicable, Furiosa’s hatred toward Dementus is her literal driving force. The story is exactly what I’d expect a Furiosa origin story to be. Taken from family? Check? Robbed of her childhood and subjected to horrors at a young age? Check. “Toughened up” on her way to becoming an action heroine? Check. Loses her arm at some point (as we know from “Fury Road”)? You know that’s a check. Misses out on a happy future with Jack? The guy isn’t in “Fury Road,” so what do you think? About the only bullet point I wouldn’t have predicted was Dementus’s big fake nose, and the trailers gave that away. Admittedly, the appeal of “Furiosa” doesn’t lie in character development. It lies in the action sequences: all the shooting and stabbing and exploding from every vehicle the movie can conceive. And yes, you’re going to get that. Frankly, I contend that we get too much of that. As the movie went along, I had increasingly nagging thoughts of, “Let me guess, they’re going to settle this with cars and violence.” And I was right every time. It’s a wonder how this movie manages to be so long considering how many people get killed in every scene. It seems like the world should be plum out of people by the end. I’m not saying “Furiosa” doesn’t do the action well, it does it just as well as its multiple-Oscar-winning predecessor. To paraphrase a line from this movie that’s gradually weaving its way into popular culture: “Furiosa” definitely has it in itself it make it epic, but I’m sorry, I don’t think it has it in itself to make it interesting. Grade: C “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is rated R for sequences of strong violence, and grisly images. Its running time is 148 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

A new Mississippi law commemorating the life of a young Wesson man who died in a Mississippi River boating accident allows persons to petition a court of competent jurisdiction, prove by clear and convincing evidence that a loved one is deceased and obtain a death certificate accordingly. Before the new Zeb Hughes Law, recently signed by Governor Reeves, issuing a death certificate when the body of a deceased person cannot be found could not be considered for at least two years.  After the law, which Lincoln/Copiah County State Representative Becky Currie had proposed in a stand-alone bill, died in committee, Lincoln County Senator Jason Barrett successfully attached it as an amendment to another bill that passed both the State House and Senate. Hughes’ mother pushed for bill after the legal problems she faced following her son’s accident after which he could not be found.

A heavy angry fist slammed down on the desk. To say the least, anyone near that room would have definitely understood that things were not going well with the owner of that fist. Wouldn’t have to study the scowl on his face, or hear the frustrated cursing that erupted from his mouth. Larry was married going on 23 years. He and his wife Marsha had a son finishing his education at the local university, and their daughter was turning seventeen next month. They owned their nice home, and Larry had a good job. Marsha also worked part-time at a clothes boutique in their town, where she loved taking advantage of her employee discount. In the eyes of Larry’s neighbors, their family life seemed solid and they were financially doing well. But neighbors usually know so little about the truth inside the house. All they saw was his friendly demeanor to them, and his obvious devotion to his family. And Marsha’s attitude gave nothing away, either. She portrayed a woman who, although not wealthy, was certainly not living in want. Relaxed, a little introverted, but accepting and at peace with herself and her life. So why the heavy angry fist slam? Larry was sitting at his desk at home, paying the monthly bills. Never an enjoyable experience for anyone. But so much worse for someone existing in a cesspool of debt from overspending. Dread, depression, anger, fear and hopelessness had moved in to sit on his chest like a four-hundred-pound elephant, making it hard to think and even harder to breathe. Making it all the more impossible was the fact that he kept his wife and kids in total oblivion. He loved his family and wanted them to have everything. No worries for them. So, every maxed-out credit card was quickly rolled over to another one, and every harsh phone call or unpaid bill was hidden. But all this deception meant a double whammy for Larry. Believing that everything was fine, Marsha and the kids they spent as they wished, adding to his growing burden. The second part of that whammy was carrying that monstrous burden alone, mentally and emotionally. You can easily guess the ending. That kind of stress takes its toll on the body. Larry’s stress eventually ended with a heart attack. Marsha’s began with his death, when in the midst of her grief, she discovered their impossible mountain of debt.  And suddenly had to deal with it all alone. Husbands and wives, please, face it together. Whatever the problem, or the heartache. You may think that you are doing your spouse a loving favor by shielding them from the severe truth. But actually, you are accomplishing the opposite. While you are lone-wolfing the stress, you are setting up your spouse to have to do the same if you die from that stress. And that isn’t fair to either of you. Learn to share the truth - and the stress.

First Prize Second Prize Honorable Mention Friends of Library (FOL) recognized three local amateur photographers for their pictures taken during National Library Week to celebrate the contributions libraries. FOL awarded the $100 first prize to Aubree Williams, the $50 second prize to Tabatha Ragan, and cited Lexis Ryan for an honorable mention. Williams photographed a young lady carrying a globe and holding up her library card at Wesson Public Library.  Photography contest judge Bob Arnold, editor of Wesson News, said it “pictorially communicated that you can capture the world if you use the library -- the National Library Week message.” Ragan photographed her two sons -- AJ and James -- positioned to run a race, starting  at a “ready, set, library” sign with Co-Lin sports stadium in the background.  Arnold said it “pictorially communicated that the two prospective runners were set to race from a venue of physicality -- the sports stadium -- to a venue of the mind and soul -- the library.” Ryan’s photograph was a work of art full of symbolism, Arnold said.  A shade of purple radiated comfort and a sense or royalty from a blanket to the subject matter -- fountain pens, two Christian Bibles, a book -- Happiness is Not an Hallucination . . . .It Is a Way of Life, a basket with an encyclopedia.  The scene, Arnold observed, provoked thought:  “Fountain pens and a basket -- old, but convenient technologies for recording and storing ideas and knowledge; Bibles --  sources of classic stories, timeless wisdom, guidance for living; a book about exploring the reality of happiness -- a lesson on living a meaningful and satisfying life; an encyclopedia in a basket -- ideas and knowledge neatly stored and readily available.”

By Kara Kimbrough Memorial Day marked the official start of summer and that means it's time to enjoy the great outdoors. An easy way to do that is to dine al fresco, or outdoors, as often as possible. By that I mean, as long as our tepid Mississippi weather allows you to eat a meal beside the pool, on the patio or porch or sitting around a picnic table without suffocating in the ever-increasing heat. Whether you're grilling burgers, serving a cool salad or presenting a light dessert, here are three of the best summer recipes that are perfect for serving outdoors...again, as long as the thermometer doesn't exceed 90 degrees. Mediterranean Pasta Salad 8 ounces fusilli pasta 1 cucumber, diced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup baby spinach ½ red onion sliced ½ cup crumbled feta cheese ¼ cup kalamata olives, halved Dressing: ¼ cup olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon dried mint 1 garlic clove minced ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Set aside. Meanwhile, make the salad dressing in a large serving bowl by whisking together the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Add the pasta on top of the dressing and toss to combine. Add the remaining salad ingredients, and toss the pasta salad until everything is evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately or allow to chill in the fridge until ready to eat. Sheet Pan Burgers Spicy Mayo: 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha Burgers and Toppings: 4 green leaf lettuce leaves 1 large tomato, sliced Dill pickle spears 2 pounds lean ground beef Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 strips bacon 2 sweet onions, sliced into 1/4-slices 8 slices American cheese 4 burger buns For the spicy mayo: Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup and sriracha in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside. For the burgers and toppings: Prepare a grill for medium heat.  Put the lettuce, tomatoes and pickles on a cutting board or serving platter. Form the meat into 8 thin patties and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the bacon, onions and peppers in 4 quadrants on a sheet pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Put the pan on the grill, cover and cook until the bacon begins to turn golden on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, flip the bacon and toss the vegetables in the bacon drippings. Cover and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft and the bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes more. Move the pan to the side of the grill off the heat to keep warm while you cook the burgers (if you have a small grill, remove the pan entirely). Grill the burgers until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side for 2-3 minutes. Top each burger with a slice of cheese, cover and cook until the cheese melts and the patties are browned on the bottom and cooked to the desired doneness. Toast the rolls on the grill during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Stack two patties on the bottom half of each bun. Serve with the spicy mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, cooked toppings and potato chips. No-Bake Peaches and Cream Pie  Shortbread Crust: 2 cups shortbread cookies, crumbled fine 1/4 cup butter, melted Peach Filling: 3 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced ½ cup sugar 1½ teaspoons corn starch 1 tablespoon lemon juice Whipped Topping: 1 pint heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar Cream Filling 1 box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix 1 cup half and half, cold 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature Directions: Shortbread Crust: Mix shortbread crumbs and butter in a medium bowl. After it is well combined, press into the bottom and barely up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Let it chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the recipe. Peach Filling: In a medium saucepan, add peaches and sugar and mix together. Let the peaches rest in the sugar for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and lemon juice. Mix well and then pour into the peach mixture. Mix to combine everything and then set over medium-low heat. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the liquid has thickened slightly. Set aside while you make the whipped cream and cream filling. Whipped Topping: Add heavy cream to a mixing bowl. Start mixing at the lowest speed, and then gradually increase speed to medium until the cream starts to get thicker. (The gradual progression prevents you from spraying yourself with cream.) When the cream starts to thicken, stop the mixer. Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar and then resume mixing again, starting with low speed and increasing to medium speed and eventually moving to a high speed. The cream will thicken and start to peak. Mix on high until the cream is thick and stiff. This happens quickly, the stage between soft and stiff peaks, so watch it closely. Cream Cheese Filling: In a medium bowl, mix together pudding and half and half. Whisk until well combined and thickened with little to no lumps. Add in room temperature cream cheese and half of the whipped topping and combine well, removing all lumps. Set aside. Assembly: Spread the peach filling evenly into the prepared crust. Spread the cream cheese filling over the top of the peach filling. Spread the remaining whipped topping over the top of the cream cheese filling. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Serve cold. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

By Guest Columnist Eddie Smith If you’re considering adding some vibrant color to your landscape, bougainvillea might be the perfect choice. Mississippi’s climate can be quite different from the tropical regions where bougainvillea is native, but with a little care and attention, you can successfully grow these stunning plants.  In containers, they perform well as a climbing vine, shrub or small tree. Because bougainvilleas are not cold hardy in most of Mississippi, it is best to keep them in containers and bring them inside during the winter.  I have grown several bougainvillea plants over the years in hanging baskets on my front porch. Their colorful and papery bracts, which are often mistaken for flowers, come in shades of pink, purple, red, orange, white or yellow. The colors are really attractive, even from afar. Bougainvillea thrives in warm climates and prefers full sun exposure.  In Mississippi, they should be treated as an annual if planted in the ground.  When planting bougainvillea, choose a container with well-drained soil to prevent root rot. With a lot of light and constant feeding, these plants will bloom for many months of the year.  While bougainvillea is relatively drought-tolerant once established, regular watering promotes healthy growth and flowering.  Overwatering can lead to root problems, so it’s essential to strike a balance. These plants are heavy feeders and respond best to a water-soluble fertilizer applied at least once a week during summer and fall.  Pruning is crucial for maintaining the plant’s shape and promoting flowering. Prune after each flowering cycle to remove spent blooms and encourage new growth.   Be cautious when handling the plant, as the sharp thorns can give you a nasty poke. If growing your bougainvillea as a climbing vine in a container, provide a sturdy support structure such as a trellis. As the plant grows, gently guide branches along the support system, securing them with soft ties as needed. Regularly check the ties to prevent girdling or damage to stems. During the winter, protect your plant from freezing temperatures. One way to do this is to place it in a room with a sunny window where it will continue to thrive. Whether grown as a climbing vine, shrub or tree, bougainvillea is sure to brighten an indoor or outdoor space with its dazzling display of vibrant bracts. EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Eddie Smith is a gardening specialist and Pearl River County coordinator with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.  He is also host of the popular Southern Gardening television program.  Locate Southern Gardening products online at http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/southern-gardening.]

Angela Smith-Wilkinson, who has served on Co-Lin’s faculty since 2005 as a Science Instructor, is a recipient of the annual National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award. NISOD’s Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues.  In 1989, in connection with a University of Texas at Austin national study of teaching excellence, NISOD hosted its first ceremony honoring NISOD Excellence Award recipients.  The response to that ceremony was so positive that NISOD started what has become the largest gathering that recognizes the contributions and achievements of community and technical college faculty, administrators, and staff. “Angela is a long-time member of the Co-Lin faculty and well respected amongst her colleagues,” said Co-Lin President Dr. Dewayne Middleton. “She is deeply dedicated to her students and goes above and beyond to ensure they have all the tools needed to be successful. She embodies all characteristics of the NISOD Excellence Award and is very deserving of this recognition.” Excellence Award recipients will be recognized during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence May 25-28, 2024. Excellence Awards recipients receive a specially cast, pewter medallion hung on a burnt-orange ribbon. The names, titles, and colleges of all Excellence Award recipients are included in a special booklet that features congratulatory ads from many of the recipients’ colleges.  In addition, presentations at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the Conference Program with a special icon. “Recognizing those individuals who have contributed to student success and their colleges’ mission is something we look forward to doing each year,” said Dr. Edward J. Leach, NISOD’s Executive Director. “The extraordinary work of these men and women includes not only what they do for their students and colleagues, but what they do for the communities in which they live and work. We’re honored to be able to play a part in celebrating their achievements.” NISOD is a membership organization committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership at community and technical colleges. NISOD provides budget-friendly, high-quality, and faculty-focused programs and resources for community and technical colleges that want to make the most of their professional development dollars.  For more than 40 years, it has aligned a wide array of benefits with the needs of its members, and American Association of Community Colleges named NISOD “the country’s leading provider of professional development for community college faculty, staff, and administrators.” For more information about NISOD, visit www.nisod.org.

ALDI, a national grocery chain, is planning to open a store in Brookhaven, following a recent announcement of Save-A-Lot’s plans to close and several years of searching for stores after Piggly Wiggly closed its two Brookhaven locations. Earlier this year, ALDI said it would open 800 new stores across the county, with a focus on the Southeastern U.S.  ALDI spokespersons say shoppers can save 40 percent on grocery items at its store.  The company has not announced where it will locate in Brookhaven and when it will open the new grocery store.

The Butterbeans, the Wesson Garden Club (WSG) Young Gardeners, highlighted the WSG April meeting dressed up as butterflies, ladybugs, dragonflies, hummingbirds and bees in a delightful performance about pollinators. The pollinator programs featured Mother Nature (Brooke Coleman), a charter member of the Butterbeans Young Gardeners. Others in the program were (left to right in front row) Lisa Smith, Myles Smith, Cam Peets, Kori Peets, Georgia Jackson, Azalea Harrison, (left to right in back row) Jennifer Peets, Brooke Coleman and Anne Houston Peets. WGC is a member of Natchez Trace District, Garden Club of Mississippi, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc.

By Bob Garver My biggest complaint about writer/director/star John Krasinski’s new movie “IF”… is that it’s a movie. What I mean is that Krasinski clearly has some broad ideas for worldbuilding and there are many interesting characters in the mix, but the movie has to rush so much to stay within the “movie” format of a two-hour runtime that the whole thing is kind of a mess. The story follows 12-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming) as she stays with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw, charmingly reminding me of my own grandmother) while her widower father (Krasinski) is in the hospital for heart surgery. Her family does their best to keep her in good spirits, but Bea can only bring herself to split her time between being bored and worrying that she’ll lose another loved one. One night, while her grandmother is asleep (she’s not the best at keeping tabs on the child), Bea catches a glimpse of a figure that doesn’t look like anything that’s possible. Following some snooping, Bea learns that the cartoon-like Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) is an Imaginary Friend, or “IF,” long forgotten by her human friend, who grew up. Blossom and enormous IF goofball Blue (Steve Carell) live in an apartment upstairs from Bea’s grandmother alongside Cal (Ryan Reynolds), a grumpy adult. Cal has some sort of job trying to find new children for the IFs, but business doesn’t seem to be going so well. As in, I don’t think he’s ever succeeded. Bea volunteers to help. Cal reluctantly takes Bea to a sort of retirement home for forgotten IFs. Bea meets all sorts of unusual creatures, usually anthropomorphic food or the embodiment of some dream occupation. The home’s teddy bear proprietor (the late Louis Gossett Jr.) is delighted that Bea is taking an interest and encourages her to not only put her best foot forward, but push Cal to step up his game as well. The two get to work trying to find new children for the IFs, but are new children really the answer? It might be that what the IFs really need is to reconnect with their old children, despite them now being, well, old. Maybe a burst of childlike inspiration is just what the cynical adults need. This certainly seems to be true in the case of Blue’s sullen, now-grown child Jeremy (Bobby Moynihan). Are Blue and Jeremy still right for each other? Is what’s right for Blue right for all the other IFs? Keep in mind that Bea has to balance all these questions and goals with her father’s critical surgery drawing ever closer (to say nothing of keeping it all secret from the grandmother). Even if everything goes perfectly, emotions will still be high and tears will be shed. The high-stakes business with the father’s health has to bookend the story, I’m not disputing that. But I wish Krasinski, with all his clout in Hollywood, had found a way to expand the middle part of this project. The movie is constantly having to establish rules and exposition that half the time it can’t keep straight anyway. For example, are the IFs in danger of disappearing? If so, under what circumstances, exactly? The possibility is brought up a few times but never expended. Then there are all the IFs besides Blossom and Blue that are voiced by talented people like Bradley Cooper and Emily Blunt that get maybe three lines and are relegated to rapid-fire sequences of no importance. “IF” this movie had instead been, say, a 10-episode television or streaming miniseries, then maybe the first and last episodes could focus on family drama, but the other eight could have been for Bea and Cal just going on adventures to help the IFs, which is what I think Krasinski really wanted for this project. I want to be grateful for what we do get: a half-decent kids’ movie at a time when kids could use a decent movie. But I can’t help but think that when it came to directing more time, money, and resources at this material, what IF… Grade: C “IF” is rated PG for thematic elements and mild language. Its running time is 104 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Co-Lin has received Wesson Garden Club’s (WGC) special spring award for its landscaping around the entrance to the college. The WGC awards program recognizes maintenance principles and elements of landscape design practiced by town organizations and residents to encourage ongoing beautification and cleanliness of the Wesson area and cultivate a citizenry that values and protects natural resources and assumes responsibility for enhancing the environment. The Garden Club's Yard of the Month also awards honor properties in organizational, town residential and rural residential (limited to Wesson School District) categories during the spring, summer and fall.

The Butterbeans Junior Garden Club, sponsored by the Wesson Garden Club, descended on the Frank Oswald Trail at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, where they competed in a scavenger hunt. Keep Copiah County Beautiful donated trash bags, gloves and grab sticks so they could help the grounds keepers by picking up litter along the trail. The Wesson Garden Club is a member of the Natchez Trace District-Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc.