By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB            I remember being a big fan of the 1976 “Freaky Friday” with Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris. Granted, I saw it when I was young enough to not know the tropes of the body-swap comedy, but I still have fond memories. I got a few laughs out of the 2003 update with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, and I have some fond memories of watching it with my mom and cousins, though those are more about spending quality time with family. I mostly just squirmed impatiently through new follow-up “Freakier Friday,” and the fondest memory I’ll take away is that Manny Jacinto from “The Good Place” has a prominent role, and I have fond memories of that show.             Over 20 years have passed since teenager Anna (Lohan) switched bodies for a day with her mother Tess (Curtis). The two had some wacky fun before developing newfound respect for one another and coming out of the experience with a stronger bond. Anna has since become a mother herself to teenager Harper (Julia Butters), with grandmother Tess always eager to help, occasionally overstepping boundaries that Anna wishes she’s recognize, while Harper would like both adults to give her some space. At a parent-teacher conference, single mom Anna falls for Eric (Jacinto), the widowed father of Harper’s British classmate Lilly (Sophia Hammons), and the two are soon engaged to be wed, even though the teens can’t stand one another. All four women are in mopey moods the night of Anna’s bachelorette party, where they get readings from psychic Jen (Vanessa Bayer), who sets them on the course to change their hearts, which of course means more body-swap shenanigans.             The next morning, Anna has switched bodies with Harper and Tess has switched with Lilly. Fortunately, not much time is wasted on the shock or acceptance of the arrangement, since Anna and Tess have been through this before. As such, it doesn’t take long for everybody to start going about each other’s days. Anna-as-Harper and Tess-as-Lilly have to go to school, where they have detention as the result of a food fight. But since they figure that they won’t have to worry about getting more detention themselves, they sneak off and eat junk food in bodies with higher metabolism.             It’s Harper-as-Anna and Lilly-as-Tess who get most of the screen time, which is to be expected given the advertising’s focus on Lohan and Curtis. Jokes about Curtis’s senior citizen body, especially when it comes to having to use the bathroom, abound. The girls dislike each other enough to want the wedding to be called off, so they agree to use the body-swap to break up Eric and Anna. This involves dragging Anna’s old boyfriend Jake (Chad Michael Murray) into the couple’s wedding plans, even though he still carries something of a torch for Tess following the first movie. As if that weren’t enough, they get a chance to bond with Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a pop star managed by Anna, who invites “Anna” to play at one of her shows with her old band Pink Slip. Harper never knew her mom was such an awesome musician and neither girl really understands how much their parents love each other and them. Hijinks in the first half give way to lessons (but also more hijinks) in the second half.               Maybe I wasn’t digging “Freakier Friday” because I’ve seen enough body-swap comedies since the 1976 “Freaky Friday” to know exactly what to expect from these movies. Or maybe it was because I was a male watching a movie with not two, but four female leads and I wasn’t the target audience. Or maybe the movie just isn’t that sharp (I definitely found the food fight to be lazy and unfunny). I laughed at a scant few jokes, but not enough to give the movie a recommendation. I’m glad “Weapons” won the last two weekends at the domestic box office instead of this over-pushed mess. Grade: C- “Freakier Friday” is rated PG for thematic elements, rude humor, language and some suggestive references. Its running time is 110 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at  rrg251@nyu.edu .

By: Kara Kimbrough Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna is the perfect antidote to a chilly winter night when time is short but dinner must still be served. Call me strange, but I don’t despair during the short period of time in which we experience a rare phenomenon: winter. Chilly temperatures and early nightfall provide permission to take our lives down a notch and spend cozy evenings indoors. And the other reason to savor cold weather? Savory, hearty and yes, delicious winter food. What’s not to like about thick soups, chili, jambalaya, red beans and rice and the other heavy foods that are typically too heavy to enjoy when warm weather arrives? And one other reason I don’t abhor cooler weather? Winter's dishes provide warmth and comfort, and who could hate that when the thought of sky-rocketing electrical bills causes us to set the thermostat "just a little" lower than we’d like? Last week, I was excited to discover recipes for new winter dishes. The best part? They contained elements of my favorite things: pasta and soup. Anytime I can partake of either one is a good day…or night. Learning that the recipes could easily be cooked in a Crockpot was the icing on the cake. If, unlike me, you dread winter, remember there’s no better prescription for a gray day than one of these hearty dishes. I’m hoping they’ll chase away the worst case of winter blues and create a meal that will warm body and soul until spring. 4-Ingredient Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna 1 pound ground chuck 1 jar pasta sauce 1 package (25-ounce) frozen cheese ravioli 2 cups mozzarella cheese (or your favorite combination of cheeses) Optional: Seasonings to taste: garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper Brown ground chuck until no longer pink; drain excess grease. Stir in pasta sauce and any seasonings (if adding). In a 4-quart (or larger) lined Crockpot, layer half of ingredients in this order: meat sauce, frozen ravioli, cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until ravioli is tender. Meaty Pasta e Fagioli (Traditional Italian versions of this soup don’t usually include meat, but I added it to mine. If you prefer a meatless version, just omit the meat) 1 pound lean ground chuck 3-4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups chopped onion 2 cups chopped celery 2 tablespoons minced garlic (adjust amount more or less to your taste) 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 4 cups low-sodium beef broth (add more broth or water if mixture is too heavy at end of cooking) 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste 2 cups ditalini pasta (or your favorite shape) (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed Seasonings to taste: dried thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain grease and set aside. In the same pot, heat olive oil. Cook onion, celery, garlic and black pepper until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes. Stir in beef broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with favorite seasonings. Pour into lined Crockpot and cook for low for 6-8 hours. 30 minutes prior to end of cooking: stir in cooked beef, pasta and beans; cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until pasta is tender. Increase heat to high if needed to finish cooking pasta. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at  kkprco@yahoo.com .

The Mississippi Department of Education urges all education stakeholders to recognize Attendance Awareness Month in September. Schools, districts and local organizations are encouraged to promote the benefits of students maintaining regular attendance at school and reducing chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% (18 days) of the school year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences and suspensions. Students who miss two days of school each month of a school year are considered chronically absent. Research shows that students who are absent 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school. Anyone interested in raising awareness about the importance of regular school attendance may utilize MDE's online Attendance Awareness Toolkit, which includes resources from the agency's Every School Day Counts – Attend to Achieve campaign. "We all have a role in combatting chronic absenteeism in schools and preventing students from dropping out," said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. "MDE offers professional training and resources to districts, but we ask that local communities and service organizations join in as well. Regular attendance is essential for a student's success in school." Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is supporting MDE's attendance awareness efforts. His office has created resource materials available to the public that have been added to MDE's Attendance Awareness Toolkit. "Students' attendance is a key indicator for success not only in the classroom but in life," Hosemann said. "It is imperative for the long-term success of our children and our state that our communities focus on keeping our students in the classroom." MDE began reporting chronic absence data in 2016. The lowest rate of 13% was in 2018-19. The COVID-19 pandemic is believed to be the major factor that led to higher state and national rates in 2021-22 when Mississippi's was 28%. The state's 2023-24 rate was 24.4%. MDE will soon release the 2024-25 Chronic Absenteeism Report. MDE's Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement and Dropout Prevention is tasked with ensuring all Mississippi public school students attend school. School attendance officers work out of this office to connect with families and help them eliminate barriers to school attendance. The office collaborated with the North Mississippi Education Consortium earlier this year to offer Attendance Improvement Institutes for school districts from Feb. 24 – May 16 across the state. The professional development event helped school teams create research-based and effective attendance improvement strategies to increase attendance rates. MDE will host the Statewide Chronic Absenteeism and Dropout Prevention Conference Sept. 8–9, at the Hilton Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi. The conference will offer expert-led presentations and breakout sessions focused on innovative strategies to boost student engagement and reduce dropout rates. Additionally, it will provide a platform for sharing best practices and deepening understanding of how to effectively address chronic absenteeism. Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news .

Volunteers at the Mississippi Food Network pack kits for the Backpack Program, ensuring students across the state have healthy meals to take home. Soul City Solar, a project by Apex Clean Energy, is now accepting applications for its Fall 2025 Community Grant Program, offering $1,000 to $10,000 in funding for grassroots organizations, schools, law enforcement agencies, and nonprofits working to make life better in Hinds County. Since launching, the program has invested more than $200,000 into over 20 organizations across Bolton, Clinton, Jackson, Raymond, Utica, and Edwards. The Program has supported initiatives from STEM education and youth programs to public safety, and community beautification. “Real progress happens when we invest in the communities we serve,” said Quita Bride, Public Engagement Manager for Soul City Solar. “We’re proud to stand alongside those who are creating lasting change and building a stronger future right here at home.” The Fall 2025 funding cycle is open through August 29, with awards announced in October. Grants will be considered for initiatives in four focus areas: • Safe and Healthy Communities • Economic Development • Environmental Sustainability • Education Past grantees say the impact is tangible. Dr. Heather Denne, Community Engagement Director, with student at Jackson State University/Blackburn Middle School Learning Garden.  “With the support of Soul City Solar, the JSU/Blackburn Garden is able to grow fresh food, strengthen community ties in West Jackson, and give our students meaningful, hands-on learning experiences,” said a representative from Jackson State University. “Thanks to Soul City Solar's unwavering commitment to the community, this grant will allow us to provide meals, engaging activities, and educational resources for children ages 7 to 12 in the Bolton area. This grant is a powerful example of what’s possible when businesses and communities come together for a greater purpose,” Lisa Nelson, Founder and Director of Sowing Seeds for Success. Summer participants in the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation’s Young Futurists Project The full list of past recipients includes Hinds County Public School District Foundation, the Bean Path, Operation Shoestring, Central Hinds Academy, Raymond Fire Department, and community organizations across the county. “We’re not just building a solar project. We’re investing in the people who make this place what it is,” said Bride. “If your project is making a difference in Hinds County, we want to hear from you.” To apply or learn more, visit: https://www.soulcitysolarpower.com/grant

By Ben Milam, courtesy of SuperTalkFM Tommy Rice has been named the ISSA 2024 Songwriter of the Year. (Tommy Rice Music) A Mississippi musician who got an unorthodox start to a late career in the entertainment industry has experienced an even rarer rise to prominence. Tommy Rice lost his wife Deborah in 2020 to glioblastoma – a rare form of brain cancer. She would outlive the initial prognosis by nearly 2 and a half years, with much of the fight occurring at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. As Rice describes, her death spun him to a place he had never been. "She changed my whole life. Watching somebody you love so much, seeing her leaving. It was tough,” Rice said on Good Things with Rebecca Turner . “When she passed, it was devastating. I was grieving myself to death.” After losing his wife of 20 years, friends encouraged Rice to attend grief counseling. It was there that he was told to put his pain to paper – something he had never done. But when he read aloud the short story about Deborah’s battle and death to his group the next week, a new life in music was born. Rice was spurred to turn the writing into song by those who heard it. It became his first single – “Miss Her More Today Than Yesterday.” Four years and about 400 songs later, Rice is among the premiere songwriters in the world. He was recently named the 2024 International Singer-Songwriters Association Songwriter of the Year. Though the journey was unexpected and began with the visceral grief of losing a loved one, Rice says the music has helped him heal. In a way, it’s also kept Deborah alive. “Life was an adventure with her. Now I’ve got a new adventure, but she’s still alive to me,” Rice said. “I feel her presence all the time. It’s become a passion for me now.” The Magnolia State native had never so much as penned a poem before becoming a nearly overnight songwriting sensation. But he’s become a well-known force in Nashville and the global music industry for his heartfelt, soul-wrenching lyrics. “Debby would be happy with it. She loved music,” Rice said. “We just started doing it and one thing led to another. The music has been heard in 119 countries now. We had 10 million views last year. I’m so humbled by that.” Rice has hewn his own corner of the music universe and doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon. He’s also using the success to help those who have been through the same path he and Deborah walked down, donating the proceeds from his songs to help those with terminal illnesses and those fighting alongside them. For those who hear his songs, Rice wants them to come away with one clear message. “Take your life one day at a time,” Rice concluded. “Be thankful you have people to love. It’s not money, what your net worth is, how big a car you drive, how big your house is – that’s all temporary. But the love is forever. Love is the key to life.” Those interested in learning more about Rice’s music can c lick here .

By: Bob Garver   Poster credit IMDB            In a weekend that I could have sworn would be dominated by family-friendly franchise fare “Freakier Friday,” it was R-rated horror movie “Weapons” pulling off the upset. What happened here? I know stars Julia Garner and Josh Brolin have important roles in the MCU, but were they such draws without Garner in silver polymer or Brolin with an oversized chin? Did horror fans flock to the film because of writer/director Zach Cregger? His last film, 2022’s “Barbarian,” has already had its entire domestic box office run eclipsed by “Weapons” in its first weekend alone. An inundation of advertising? I knew the film was coming, but I’d had “Freakier Friday” shoved down my throat for months thanks to the Disney promotional machine.             I think it all just came down to early reviews and word-of-mouth. The film held a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score in the days leading up to its release, and late-stage advertisements wrang every last drop of ketchup out of that (it has since dropped to a still-very-impressive 95%). By the time it opened, the film had a reputation as a surefire future classic. So maybe it’s not a huge surprise that by the time I saw it, the bar might have been set a little too high for the movie to clear it by much.             The advertising didn’t give away much about the film, other than that it’s about missing children. One night, 17 elementary-aged students from a single class of 18 all run away from home, their arms outstretched in the “airplane” pose (which the movie makes very creepy, so get ready for months of references and imitations). The next day, teacher Justine Gandy (Garner) comes to class to find only Alex (Cary Christopher) at his desk and everyone else missing. What happened to the other kids?             The community wants answers, and as days turn into weeks, uncertainty turns into anger, especially among the parents. The police have a battery of questions for both Justine and Alex, but neither know anything. The town doesn’t want to go too hard on little Alex, but they’re not letting Justine off the hook. She becomes a local pariah, even though everyone knows from camera footage that the kids ran away on their own while they were in the care of their parents. If this wasn’t technically an abduction, then what was it? And how can the kids be brought back?             The film switches between several points of view. The film starts out with Justine as the main character, trying to solve the mystery herself and clear her name. But after a while, it starts following frustrated parent Archer (Brolin), who wants to confront Justine. Then it switches to cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich) and follows him for a while. Same with principal Andrew (Benedict Wong), drifter James (Austin Abrahms), and of course, Alex. Every character gets the viewer a little bit closer to the answers they crave, before the film backtracks to follow someone new with their own story to tell and their own part to play in the mystery.             Part of the appeal of “Weapons” is how tightly the film can intertwine these characters, so by the end the audience will hopefully feel like they’ve rightly untied a particularly difficult knot. But the movie isn’t as tight as it thinks it is. Sometimes it relies on cheap dream sequences and jump scares, in case people get so wrapped up in the grounded mystery that they forget this is a horror movie. Other times characters have to make stupid or inexplicable decisions to hold off the resolution. Also, sometimes its child narrator (Scarlett Sher) flat-out lies. Those quibbles keep the film from achieving greatness for me. But the film still easily achieves goodness, with some memorable performances, an unsettling atmosphere, some great payoffs, and even a well-earned laugh or two (can’t forget that Cregger was mostly known for sketch comedy prior to “Barbarian”). If my heart is an armory, there’s just enough room for “Weapons.” Grade: B- “Weapons” is rated R for strong bloody violence and grisly images, language throughout, some sexual content and drug use. Its running time is 128 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at  rrg251@nyu.edu .

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com Alex suddenly realized he was  starving , according to his standards. Of course, that standard set low, as his stomach pretty much governed his life. Forty-five minutes without something going into his mouth seemed like forever to that growing teenager. Flinging aside his American History homework, he leaped off his bed and made a beeline for the kitchen. Mom was working a double shift tonight as a nurse at the hospital so he was on his own, but there had to be something in the fridge that he could microwave. A deep dive into the depths of his mom’s refrigerator yielded…not much. Some fruit, ugh, definitely not his favorite. A forgotten small container of leftover tuna casserole from a few nights ago….nope, ain’t happening! Hmmmm, lettuce, cornmeal…  peanut butter , oh yeah, that’s it! All he had to do now was toast about eight slices of bread and smear them with peanut butter and jelly. Then began the search for the jelly. But that was diverted when his eye hit upon something tucked up high on one of the refrigerator door shelves. Something oblong and enclosed in a Hershey chocolate bar wrapper.   His love of anything chocolate, combined with his elephant-sized appetite made this decision a complete no-brainer. Abandoning the peanut butter jar and opened bread loaf on the counter, without a second glance he ripped off the wrapper and began scarfing down the candy bar while reluctantly returning to his bedroom to study. Quickly giving up, he spent the rest of the evening on his laptop, reasoning that reading three pages was enough to be able to honestly tell his teacher that he had  tried  to prepare. It really wasn’t his fault that history had to be the dumbest, most mind-numbing class in the whole school. About 8:30 he looked up and remembered that with mom gone, it was up to him to make sure that Adrian got in bed. School mornings came bright and early, and ten-year-old Adrian was no natural-born early bird. And if that kid was late getting out the door tomorrow, Alex knew who would automatically get blamed. Adrian wasn’t really much trouble to kid sit. After supper he usually just sat in front of the boring TV kid shows until bedtime. He was easy to ignore, and Alex was an expert at it. Even when his little brother picked at him to get his attention. Which did happen a lot. After a short argument with plenty of sharply worded insults exchanged, he finally got the kid in his room, lights out. Alex went back to the kitchen, fixed the abandoned sandwiches and returned to his own bedroom with his hands full. About midnight, it began. An uncomfortable gurgling in the region of his normally bottomless pit. Then the cramping began. Followed by an uncontrollable urge to find the closest bathroom. The next few hours involved clutching his stomach and running urgently. The next morning after complaining shakily to his mom, the truth came out. That suspicious lady looked at the now suspect wrapper in the trash, and immediately shouted for her youngest. A giggling Adrian appeared in the doorway and yelled “Gotcha!” at his brother. The subsequent punishment for substituting chocolate-flavored Ex Lax in a candy bar wrapper was swift. But in Adrian’s eyes…totally worth it. He definitely had Alex’s attention.

By: Kara Kimbrough Hearty egg muffins filled with spinach and cheese (or favorite protein like bacon or ham) are easy to eat on the go and are a healthy breakfast option.     Whether you’re getting kids off to school, hurrying out the door to work or simply not in the mood to spend a lot of time cooking in the morning, finding easy-to-make, grab-and-go breakfast items are an ongoing dilemma for many. Don't get me wrong, a stack of fluffy pancakes or crispy waffles covered in maple syrup or homemade biscuits served with bacon or sausage sound appealing. But who actually has the time – or energy – to make a hearty morning meal on a regular basis? Instead, try these quick and easy (but still delicious) breakfast items that can be made the night before, wrapped and refrigerated and grabbed on the way out the door. If you’re like me, drinking coffee and eating breakfast during my morning commute is about the only way to insure I’ll get any nourishment in the morning. Making sure everything is easy to pick up and here’s the important part – can be eaten without causing a mess while traveling - is a basic requirement of my early morning meals. Here are three of my favorite breakfast items, with the first doubling as an afternoon snack or simple dessert when needed. Favorite Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread 5 tablespoons butter, melted, divided ½ cup white sugar 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1 medium apple - peeled, cored, and minced 2 (17.5 ounce) cans refrigerated cinnamon roll dough with icing ½ cup walnuts, chopped and toasted Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the inside of a fluted Bundt pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Combine 1/4 cup of the spiced sugar mixture with minced apples and stir until coated. Separate cinnamon roll dough rounds and cut into quarters. Set aside the icing. Spoon 1/2 of the apple mixture and 1/2 of the walnuts into the bottom of the prepared pan. Roll 1/2 of the cinnamon roll quarters in the remaining spiced sugar and place on top of the apples and walnuts. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining butter over dough. Repeat with remaining apples, walnuts, dough, and butter. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate. Cool for 5 more minutes before coating with icing. Slice and serve. Miniature Egg and Spinach Muffins 6 large eggs1 cup fresh spinach, chopped (can substitute chopped ham or bacon) 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.   In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and garlic powder until well combined. Fold in the chopped spinach (and protein, if using) and crumbled feta cheese, mixing until well distributed. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins are set and lightly golden on top. Apple Pie Overnight Oats For the apples: 1 medium apple, chopped 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, or sugar-free maple syrup For the oats: 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk, or milk of your choice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup, or sugar-free maple syrup 1 cup old fashioned oats, or gluten-free oats 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, for topping For the apples: Add the apples, cinnamon and maple syrup to small sauce pan over low heat. Mix to combine then cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the apples and excess liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat and set aside while you make the oats. For the oats: In a small bowl, add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup. Add the oats and mix to combine. Pour into Mason jars or a large airtight container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at  kkprco@yahoo.com .

By: Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB I have fond memories of “The Bad Guys” from 2022. The opening scene was an extended “Pulp Fiction” reference, which I was not expecting to see in an animated kids’ movie. It put me in a good mood for the rest of the movie, which was standard “villains eventually learn to be good” fare, albeit with a slick style and nary an irritating Minion in sight. “The Bad Guys 2” doesn’t have the cushion of an extended reference to one of my favorite very-R-rated movies, so it has to get by on style and humor alone. It succeeds, but to a lesser degree. When we last saw Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and tarantula Ms. Webs (Awkwafina), they had renounced their heist-crew ways after defeating villainous guinea pig Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) with some help from Governor Foxington (Zazie Beetz), herself a reformed master criminal. They were all set to put their smarts and skills to good use, and as is typical of sequels, we open by learning that not much came of it. In the first movie, people didn’t give The Bad Guys a chance because they were of unappealing species, so they turned to lives of crime. Now people don’t want to give them a chance because they have histories leading lives of crime. They keep screwing up job interviews, sometimes because of prejudice, sometimes out of nervousness, and sometimes because they keep applying to places they’ve robbed. They’re getting increasingly frustrated and desperate with their inability to find a legitimate place in the world – not to mention the cash flow problem. Just when they think things can’t get any worse, they find out that the local police commissioner (Alex Borstein) suspects them in string of heists that for once they aren’t perpetrating. The Bad Guys soon find themselves in the company of The Bad Girls: snow leopard Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks), raven Doom (Natasha Lyonne), and boar Petrova (Maria Bakalova), the real perpetrators of the crimes. The Bad Girls need The Bad Guys to help pull off an eight-person (that is to say, eight animal) heist against a tech magnate (Colin Jost) who owns a giant magnet that they can use to steal all the world’s gold. The Bad Guys go along with the heist with plans of sabotaging it later, ostensibly because The Bad Girls have blackmail material on good friend Foxington (who has her own strategy for foiling the plan that involves visiting the imprisoned Marmalade, “Silence of the Lambs”-style, which I’m counting as less funny than the “Pulp Fiction” stuff from the first movie), but also possibly because they miss the Bad Guy lifestyle. Will The Bad Guys succeed in stopping The Bad Girls, fail to stop them, or be brought back over to the side of Bad permanently? My biggest problem with “The Bad Guys 2” is that it’s all about The Bad Guys “stopping” The Bad Girls, instead of trying to teach them why they shouldn’t be Bad Girls. There are some late-stage debates in the course of fights about how it’s better to be respected than feared, but it’s like they’re trying to convince themselves, rather than their opponents, that they’re “better” than their new adversaries. Aside from that, the humor just isn’t as sharp as I remember from the first movie, though I might have been viewing that movie through rose-colored glasses after the opening sequence. The good news is that there’s still plenty of decent humor and still a good time to be had with these movies, even in the case of the inferior sequel. Grade: B- “The Bad Guys 2” is rated PG for action/mild violence, rude humor and language. Its running time is 104 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at  rrg251@nyu.edu .

Send responses to:  andybowman839@gmail.com You have probably been told a few times in your life to not let anyone take away your own peace. That you responsible if you are filled to the brim with good will toward all mankind - or had your fill of all mankind.  “Your happiness is in your hands, and it depends upon your own reactions to events.” Hmmm. Maybe that saying is true for the deliverers of that message, I’m in no position to judge. But there are always two sides to every pancake. Here is one side of a typical young mommy’s pancake. Her alarm clock rang at six, telling her that morning had arrived whether she’s ready or not. Immediately, dread and exhaustion returned. But then she remembered the promise she made to her pastor just yesterday in their counseling session ,  when she had confessed her depression and anxiety. She had agreed with him that she needed to start approaching her days with a positive outlook on life.  So the self-talk began. “Today’s is gonna be a great day. I am declaring here and now that I refuse to let anyone or anything change my mind and bring me down. God and I are in charge of my day, and this is gonna be a good day, dadgum it!” Stretching and yawning, she headed to the kitchen for a quick breakfast and even downed a few vitamins. (“After all, you are determined to make it a great day, aren’t you, girl?”) She then headed back to the bedroom to make the bed (great day, remember?) and threw on her clothes. Pasted on a hopeful, determined smile, ready to meet the day head-on. Then it started. Her three-year-old woke, bellowing that he is starving and wants his breakfast –  now . Her six-month-old baby girl is awakened from her every-two-hour-sleep-schedule by her older brother’s belligerent demands for food and attention, and begins her own hysterical crying, with decibel increases every seven seconds that mommy doesn’t appear crib-side. With a whining toddler hanging on to her leg, she began setting out a toddler-friendly breakfast in one arm while holding her breastfeeding baby girl with the other. Her cell phone rang, and she answered it with a quick “Speak to me!” Only to hear Aunt Linda’s Southern drawl that she “is callin’ this morning to check on my favorite niece and nephew. And tell them Auntie will be droppin’ by this mornin’ just to play - and by the way, to ask you a teeny-weensie favor.” She breathed deeply, and with an inward sigh she graciously lied and said that she would be looking forward to the visit. She laid down her phone, only to have it shrill again. This time it was the washing machine technician letting her know that he wouldn’t be able to keep his repair appointment today – “gonna have to be next Monday, sorry about that.” Her resolve to see the world through rose-colored glasses began slipping sideways into a distinct shade of dingy gray. It’s only 7:30. Go ahead. Tell that overwhelmed mommy that “You should never let people upset your peace.”

By: Kara Kimbrough Brown sugar bacon jam took this smashburger at Cuz’s Old Town Oyster Bar & Grill in Bay St. Louis to a new level. Make your own using the recipe provided to create the best Labor Day burgers you've ever tasted.    It’s August, which means Labor Day weekend can’t be far behind. "Summer" as we know it is officially over for those who are either in school or have children / grandchildren in attendance, but a long Labor Day weekend offers “one last chance” to host friends or simply prepare a special meal. As summer’s final holiday approaches, I'm sharing a few recipes to make Labor Day a time for relaxing, not laboring in the kitchen.       I can’t let the summer end without sharing the Best-Burger-Ever recipe I was given by a restaurant owner. To create it for your Labor Day table or cookout, combine 1-1/4 pounds of lean ground chuck, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and two tablespoons of grated onion in a bowl. Gently shape into large patties and place on a platter in preparation for grilling or baking in the oven.     Just before cooking, lightly sprinkle each patty with a special combination of spices: two teaspoons paprika, one teaspoon each of salt and ground black pepper, half teaspoon dark brown sugar and quarter teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder and ground cayenne pepper.    Speaking of burgers, I enjoyed a great one this summer at Cuz’s Old Town Oyster Bar & Grill in Bay St. Louis. If you haven’t dined at Cuz’s, I highly recommend stopping by the next time you’re driving down Beach Blvd. in The Bay. Everything about Cuz’s large, juicy burger was delicious (especially when paired with Cuz’s famous Swamp Fries!) but it was the “brown sugar bacon jam” topping that elevated the taste to new heights. While I don’t have the restaurant’s special recipe, I found a similar one that I’m sharing below.      Last, for some, a Labor Day cookout isn’t complete unless the grill is smoking. But since temperatures will still be close to triple digits, I’m sharing an easy barbecue chicken recipe that can be prepared indoors.          However or wherever you celebrate the end of summer, may it be filled with fun, friends, family and of course, delicious food. Easy Oven Barbecue Chicken 1 cup barbecue sauce 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts  Dash of onion powder Dash of garlic powder Cooking spray      Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken on bottom of pan, sprinkle with onion powder and garlic powder (to taste) and brush barbecue sauce over chicken. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Brown Sugar Bacon Jam 1-pound thick sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 yellow onion, diced small 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar      Cook the bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned, but not burned or overly crispy. Scoop out the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate. Cook the onions and garlic in bacon grease until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.     Add all the bacon back to the skillet and combine with cooked onions and garlic. Add the vinegar and brown sugar to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Cook stirring and scraping up browned bits from the skillet for 2 minutes Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the liquid turns syrupy; about 30 minutes. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at  kkprco@yahoo.com .

By: Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB The “First Steps” part of the title of the new “Fantastic Four” movie is misleading. We don’t see the superhero quartet take their first steps, not as changed individuals and not as a team. The movie takes place four years after a space anomaly altered the DNA of astronauts Reed “Mister Fantastic” Richards (Pedro Pascal), Ben “Thing” Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Johnny “Human Torch” Storm (Joseph Quinn) and his sister, Sue “Invisible Woman” Storm (Vanessa Kirby). Fortunately, the alterations turned out to be mostly positive, and the team uses their newfound gifts to better the planet of Earth-828. The team certainly uses their powers for the greater good, but they don’t rely on them as much as you’d think. Richards is such an outstanding intellectual that he barely ever calls upon his ability to stretch. Sue uses her diplomatic talents to broker a peace deal that has nothing to do with her (admittedly poorly-defined) force-field powers. Johnny tries to prove his worth to the others by tackling problems without relying on his fire powers. Ben is more than happy to lend his rock-body to issues that require physical force, but he’s just as happy to live as normally as he can. The team is certainly good for fighting off the occasional supervillain, but they also motivate the inhabitants of Earth-828 to do good with their own lives so they don’t need to rely on superheroes. Of course, sometimes the world needs the Fantastic Four at their most Fantastic. As couple Reed and Sue are preparing to welcome a baby, extraterrestrial being Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), later known as the Silver Surfer, arrives on Earth-828. She’s there to herald the impending arrival of planet-eating giant Galactus (Ralph Ineson). Nice of her to give everyone a chance say goodbye to their loved ones, though I don’t see why Galactus needs a herald to give away the element of surprise. The Four won’t stand for their entire world to be eaten, so they go on a space mission to try to reason with the hungry humongoid. He’s willing to cut a deal: he’ll spare the planet in exchange for Reed and Sue’s baby, which may have an all-powerful combination of his parents’ powers. The team refuses to hand over the baby, of course, but that does leave them with the residual problem of Earth being doomed. Can the Fantastic Four save their world from a villain the size of a skyscraper? Do the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its Disney overseers want to keep making money off of these characters? Story-wise, there’s not much new here, other than maybe how little action there is for a superhero movie. There’s a chase scene midway through the movie, and a typical-of-the-MCU battle involving a big glow-y thing at the end, but other than that we see little more than quick bursts and highlights. The Four actually try to stop Galactus by calling upon help from civilians on a global scale. I seriously doubt that enough people on our Earth would be willing to chip in and make these sacrifices, but remember, this movie doesn’t take place on Earth, it takes place in a parallel universe on Earth-828. The appeal of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” doesn’t lie in the likeable-but-familiar heroes, it lies in the setting of Earth-828. The world looks like what people in the 1960’s thought the world would look like in 2025. Technology has advanced and there are things like flying cars, but style and decoration have retained what I would call a retro aesthetic. Yes, there’s even an agreeably-chirpy, charmingly-cumbersome robot servant in the team’s headquarters. It’s the most memorable MCU setting since Wakanda, and it might even have that one beat. I can see why the Fantastic Four want to work so hard to save this world. Earth-828 elevates this otherwise-middling MCU entry into the best installment in years. Grade: B “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is rated PG for action/violence and some language. Its running time is 115 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at  rrg251@nyu.edu .