Stories for August 2004 | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Stories for August 2004

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Tuesday, August 31

Music

August 31 Music Releases

Although this listing is scant, below are new music releases for August 31. Unfortunately, Billboard has not updated their releases page. Hence, this information is culled from Pitchfork, Brainwashed and …

Music

"Medulla," Bjork

Reviewed by Alex Slawson and Herman Snell

Bjork has always been the name on everyone's tongue- Icelandic pixie eternal and diva of cutting edge electronic music. After 2001's intimate masterpiece, "Vespertine," fans were evenly divided. Most thought …

Politics

‘Skinny Kid' Barack Wows Dems in Jackson

JFP Web Exclusive

"A skinny kid with a funny name" brought his fund-raising efforts to Jackson today, speaking at a multi-racial fund-raising breakfast at Mikhail's Northgate. Democratic star Barack Obama, a state senator …

Politics

Bush Flip-Flops on ‘Winning' Terror War

AP is reporting that President Bush is trying to take back his earlier statement that the war on terror cannot be won, a statement that is causing a firestorm just …

Music

213 Takes the Hard Way To the Top of the Charts

The highly anticipated reunion of Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Warren G has resulted in their chart-topping album 213: The Hard Way. The collaboration, that has the perfect blend of …

Books

[Rev] Rogues of the Driving World

Do you have any idea what it involves to be the maid of honor at a wedding? Me neither, but I'm going to be one in my sister's wedding in …

Monday, August 30

[Newitz] Fear is Good

I decided to watch M. Night Shyamalan's latest highbrow horror-nerd movie, "The Village," for reasons I can't properly explain. I think it had something to do with the vague sense …

Politics

Bush Again a ‘Compassionate Conservative'

AP is reporting: "For months, President Bush has been courting his core conservative supporters. Now, in a New York minute, he's shifting his focus to moderates, independents and Democrats not …

Music

Montipaloosa Music Fest

5th Annual Montipaloosa Music Festival Labor Day weekend. Sept. 3-4, 2004. Hwy 84E, Monticello, Atwood Water Park on the Pearl River. (65 miles south of Jxn.) Fri.: 6:30 p.m. Mr. …

Body+Soul

Dr. Weil Answers Daily Questions

A good source for health information from both a holistic and medical approach is the Web site of Dr. Andrew Weil. He answers a new question daily, as well as …

Sunday, August 29

[Lott] A Serious Issue

We say we're upset by gasoline prices. We complain because it costs $30 dollars to fill up our car or perhaps $40 or even $50 to fill up our truck. …

Saturday, August 28

Music

Crunk Juice Does a Body Good

Download the first single "What You Gon' Do" featuring Lil Scrappy from "Crunk Juice":

What do you get when you mix Hennessy and CRUNK!!! Energy Drink?????...CRUNK JUICE. And the aptly titled new album from Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Featuring appearances by …

Friday, August 27

Jackblog

Mayor Johnson Weekly Newsletter 8/27

2004 State of the City Address - August 31, 2004 - 5:30 p.m. Mayor Johnson invites you to the 2004 State of the City Address this Tuesday, August 31, 2004. …

Thursday, August 26

Food

Pulling Double Duty

There's something about the Fondren area that is unique. No, I don't mean the colors of the buildings or the fact that neighborhood is so diverse. What I mean is …

Music

Steve Cheseborough Blues Classes

The popular Acoustic Blues Guitar and Blues Appreciation courses, taught by Delta blues musician and author Steve Cheseborough, are being offered again at Delta State University, Cleveland; and Greenville Higher …

Politics

Oral History Conference

at the community level.

Sept. 17-19; deadline for registration Aug. 30. Port Gibson. Mississippi Cultural Crossroads will co-sponsor a state-wide conference, "Telling the People's Story: From Tape and Transcript to

Music

Yellowcard on Fast Track As One of America's Biggest Bands

(New York, NY) - In 2003, road-tested underground heroes Yellowcard released their major label debut, Ocean Avenue. Just over a year later they now stand as one of America's biggest, …

Politics

Longtime Division Director Named New Head of Department of Archives and History

H.T. Holmes has been selected to serve as the new director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). Holmes will succeed Elbert R. Hilliard, who is retiring on …

Music

Music For America: The Protest Issue

Yoko Ono, MC5, Interpol, Billy Bragg, Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips and others discuss the intersection of music and politics. Musicians photographed with protest signs; autographed signs to …

Cover

JFP Interview: Who Is Ben Allen?

The controversial councilman on being conservative, Mayor Johnson, gun control and meeting Muhammad Ali. The unabridged version.

Cover

JFP Interview: Ben Allen, Part II

Unabridged version of Ben Allen interview, continued ....

My biggest issue with Chief Moore is that he keeps talking about crime being a perception—so is leadership. Leadership is a perception!

Wednesday, August 25

Feature

More Blue, Less Mountain, by Eric Stracener

Is there really a such thing as a "can't miss" show? Well, yes, any time Cary Hudson plays, there is. Many Mississippi music fans have long been familiar with Hudson …

Games

Rap and Basketball

Have you ever had a really bad idea? I mean, ever had a quick thought and then slapped yourself for thinking it? That's what those evil Midway executives did—only instead …

Talk

What Would God Think?

George County Justice Court Judge Connie Wilkerson kicked over a fire ant mound when he wrote in a letter to the George County Times, published March 28, that "in my …

Editor's Note

This Here Alternative Universe

I'm sitting here, OK lying here, in a humongous, brick-colored sofa far away from Jackson in the Pacific Northwest, counting my blessings about life in Mississippi. I didn't start out …

Talk

Serendipitous Art

If you mat it, they will come. That could be the theme for the Serendipity Art Show and Silent Auction at the Mississippi State Hospital on Sept. 2. It's the …

Talk

A Handshake with History

From the griots of West Africa to men toasting on rural Mississippi back porches, oral history has been a major part of African-American traditions. However, with the birth of each …

Jacksonian

Kathryn Rodenmeyer

Jackson native Kathryn Rodenmeyer, 37, was described to me as a filmmaker, so when I met her in her Fondren home, I first asked her about her work in film.

Talk

JFP Index: Who Is Watching?

• Number of government surveillance programs currently in operation: 14

• Year that Congress voted to de-fund the "Total Information Awareness" surveillance program due to civil liberties concerns: 2003

Talk

Quote o' the Week

"If people are going to sit here and believe (crime) statistics when they are bad, they ought to be man enough to believe statistics when they are good." — City …

[Hutchinson] Bush Had a Point About the Democrats

In a July speech to the National Urban League Convention, President Bush asked: "Does the Democratic Party take African-American voters for granted?" The answer: a resounding yes.

Tuesday, August 24

Music

August 24 Music Releases

Hello JFP Music Bloggers! First, I offer my apologies for being remiss in posting releases for last week. To be honest, last week was a bit "off" in terms of …

[Stiggers] A Transplant for a Brand-New Start

It's another episode of "All God's Churn Got Shoes!" This week Grandma Pookie, Dr. Peanut and the Ghetto Science Team attend a briefing at a stem cell research conference. When …

Music

Bloodshot Records Releases

Nora O'Connor, TIL THE DAWN, out Aug. 24 -- Hot on the heels of a sold out CD release show in Chicago, today we release a gem of a record-- …

Music

"Sorry I Make You Lush," Wagon Christ

Reviewed by Alex Slawson and Herman Snell

Luke Vibert has recorded under several guises over the last decade [Plug, Amen Andrews, Kerrier District, Luke Vibert], but Wagon Christ remains the most playful of the lot. Combining the …

Music

"Winchester Cathedral," Clinic

Reviewed by Alex Slawson and Herman Snell

Rumored to be Radiohead's favorite emerging band, Clinic are a strange lot indeed- their faces always cloaked by doctors masks. With a knack for combining avant-garde, garage, surf and Kraut …

Body+Soul

Lose the Chemicals!

The The Georgia Straight helps you figure out how to purge your home of household toxins: "Just as not smoking can reduce the risk of lung cancer, not using harmful …

Monday, August 23

Food

Attack of the State Street Sandwiches

If there's anything Jackson offers in spades it's a good lunch—particularly plate lunches and meat-and-veggie smorgasbords such as Collins' Dream Kitchen, Two Sisters, George Street Grocery, 930 Blues Café, Gloria's …

Music

"Refractions: Thru the Rhythms Of Time 1989 - 1997," Spectrum

Reviewed by Alex Slawson and Herman Snell

After the demise of the ever cool and influential Spacemen 3, Pete [Sonic Boom] Kember went on to release several albums under the pseudonym- Spectrum. Dabbling in the experimental side …

Sunday, August 22

Music

Jazz, Art & Friends

Jazz, Art, and Friends - Thurs., Aug. 26: Rhonda Richmond, Sept. 30, Oct. , Nov. 18, Dec. 2. Once a month at the Miss. Museum of Art, 6-9 p.m. $7. …

Music

"Radical Connector," Mouse on Mars

-- Herman Snell and Alex Slawson

Hailing from Cologne, Germany, Mouse on Mars have left an indelible mark on the face [and ears] of electronic music. Their signature sound of glitch and scratch beats submerged in …

Saturday, August 21

Politics

Women for Kerry - Jackson Event

Unita Blackwell, internationally known voting rights activist and the state's first black female mayor, will headline a women's voter registration rally at the State Capitol Thursday, August 26--the 84th anniversary …

Friday, August 20

Food

A Vegetarian's Cafeteria Survival Guide

It's noon on your first real day of classes, and you can't remember a time you were this hungry. You could eat a horse, if eating horse wasn't against your …

Culture

[Space] Your Own Space-Age Bachelor(ette) Pad

Improving a living space with tasteful art and design can be difficult for a college student, especially if you want a unique and interesting place. Original art pieces usually cost …

Thursday, August 19

Politics

The Myth of a Red South?

Alternet is discussing several polls and news articles that seem to indicate that Bush does not have the South all sewn up: "But as the election draws nearer, polling trends …

Music

Submissions to the Musicians Database

If you have sent in your stats for our musician database and don't see it online, please resend it. It was not intentional. Our appologizes as we find, and work …

Wednesday, August 18

[Colleges] This is Your Life, Baby

It's 8 in the a.m. on your first official day of college, and you and several hundred of what you hope will become your closest friends are gathered in the …

Music

Shock G releases ‘Fear of a Mixed Planet'

(Los Angeles, CA. August 12, 2004) - 33rd Street Records announces the release of Shock G's first independent album 'Fear of a Mixed Planet' due in stores October 12, 2004. …

Film

Lights, Camera, College

Who knows about college life better than a 45-year-old writer in Hollywood, right? Before you embark on your many higher-ed adventures, make sure you've checked out Hollywood's best college films. …

Sports

The Best in Sports in the Next 7 Days

High school football, Canton Academy at Tri-County Academy, 7:30 p.m.: The 2004 high school football season starts in Flora. The rest of the MPSA teams kick off on Friday.

Feature

A Jackson Scene? by Randy Perkins

Take a survey of college music scenes around the country. College towns such as Austin, Chapel Hill, Athens and Olympia appear to be churning out indie-label rock bands by the …

Sports

the Heat is On in College Football

The state's college football teams have reported for preseason practice. Millsaps and Mississippi College play their annual grudge match at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Sept. 2. The rest of the …

Best of Jackson

[Best of Jackson]

Just moving to Jackson and unsure of where to go? Check out our readers' picks for the Best of Jackson from earlier this year.

Technology

Reach Out and Blog Someone

It's back to school, and chances are you and your friends won't be enrolled in the same college, much less the same city. You'll be making new friends, of course, …

Jacksonian

Mike Padilla

Mike Padilla, 20, a Millsaps College student—an actor, a director, a techie and an award-winning playwright—is involved in the theater at Millsaps on every possible level. Right now he's working …

Talk

Stepping Stones

"I never thought I'd be going to a community college," Josh Raila laments. "I imagined that I would immediately get a bachelor's and a master's and a Ph.D."

Talk

Big, Fat Tuition Hikes

Every summer college students get a new billing statement from their chosen college, and every summer the total amount due increases. The envelope may be skinny, but the amount of …

Talk

JFP Index: Prices are Risin'

Compiled by Robert Williamson

• The average percent tuition increase nationally for the 2002/2003 school year for 4-year public institutions: 9.6

[Casey's Note] The Bubble Isn't Enough

My parents wouldn't let me have a car my freshman year of college. It only bothered me the first week. After that, I quickly found that college campuses are pretty …

[Jacobson] Free Higher Education for All

For the past two decades, the cost of college has skyrocketed to heights most lower- and many middle-income families cannot afford. In Mississippi, and all over the country, financial aid …

Music

Elliott Smith's Final Album

Nick Patch reports: "The Los Angeles Times has reported that Elliott Smith's final album, titled "From a Basement on the Hill", will be released on October 18. However, it seems …

Cover

Is Jackson a [Good] College Town?

Image by Ken Patterson

Forget Boston, it's too far away. Baton Rouge, too. Hell, forget Oxford and Starkville while you're at it. Home to five major colleges (Belhaven, Jackson State, Millsaps, Mississippi College and …

Cover

Don't Stereotype Me

I sat on Belhaven College's campus, on my lunch break, right after school had finished for the year and summer school was beginning. I watched as people came in and …

Cover

Fall Trends: What You Need to Know

Fashion: Tweed, or its textile counterpart bouclé, dressed down with dark denim and pumps make an easy outfit choice for the college fashionista who can either wear it to a …

Monday, August 16

Music

CelticFest Mississippi Headliners

September 10, 11, 12, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum, Jackson. www.CelticFestMS.org

Politics

Historic Preservation Review Board Meets

The Mississippi Historic Preservation Professional Review Board will meet on Thursday, Sept. 16, at 1 p.m. in the boardroom on the third floor of the William F. Winter Archives and …

Friday, August 13

[Gonsalves] The No-Stupid-Question-Rule

So how come conservative Christians aren't insisting that Jefferson is burning in Hades, quoting verses from Paul's letters about what hellish future awaits those who mess with the Word?

Music

Mouse on Mars to tour in support of new album

According to the Sonig Label website, the German avant-electronica duo of Mouse on Mars will be touring North America in the Fall. To my knowledge, this will be the first …

Music

Releases for the week of August 09 - August 13

Apologies for the delay, but here are the music releases for the week of August 9 - 13. They are seperated by genre: blues, country, folk, indie/electronica/underground, jazz, latin, rap, …

Theater

[Rev] Summer Movies: Fast Cars and Life Lessons

Spoiler alert: I may spoil movie surprises below: Beware and skim, dear reader, skim.

Thursday, August 12

Music

Bach to Blues Sunday Concert Series

Bach To Blues Series Trinity Lutheran Church hosts a series of sacred and secular music, every 3rd Sunday, 6 p.m. 6401 Hwy 18 W. at Siwell Rd. Share music and …

Wednesday, August 11

Politics

Ron Reagan's ‘Honest Guy's Critique of George W. Bush'

Here's the text of Ron Reagan's piece in the September issue of Esquire—and he seems more willing to speak his mind than he was at the Democratic National Convention: "The …

[Silver] Kick ‘Em When They're Down

In Carl Hiaasen's brilliantly funny and entertaining novel, "Strip Tease," the villains belong to the South Florida sugar lobby—a group that bribes congressmen to vote for sugar subsidies. Although fiction, …

Food

Take a Little Trip

"A restaurant-as-icon is at 509 North Farish St. The Big Apple Inn, 354-9371, has been at that location over 60 years—just north of the Collins Funeral Home and across the …

Jacksonian

Spit McGee

I had only known Willie Morris through his books. It was his words, read in faraway places like Colorado and Manhattan and Nantucket, that helped me realize how southern I …

Sports

The Best in Sports in the Next 7 Days

Thursday, Aug. 12

Pro baseball, Jackson at Shreveport, 7 p.m. (1240 AM): The Senators play Game 2 of a four-game series in Sin City. … High school football, MPSA jamborees: The state's academies …

Film

A Bride's Revenge

A Review of "Kill Bill Vol. 2," R

One of the best films of 2004, Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill, Vol. 2" is a swift, funny, potent continuation of one of the most exciting film sagas in recent memory. …

Feature

The Best, New Essential Hip-Hop, by Matt Conaway

7L & ESOTERIC – "DC2: Bars Of Death"

After spending the better part of 2003 involved in a bitter feud (sometimes of the physical variety) with fellow underground clique The Weathermen, Boston's 7L & Esoteric return with "DC2: …

Film

School Movies

OK, some are better than others, but all the following movies set in one way or another in a school are worth renting, if for no other reason than to …

Cover

Kerry's ‘Merit Pay' Plan

A while back, I had occasion to talk to a woman named Lillian Lopez about a bold choice she had decided not to make. Lopez, who lives in a barrio …

Cover

‘Merit' in Mississippi

The teacher merit-pay mindset is attracting more believers here in Mississippi, despite hesitation on the part of teachers' organizations and many lawmakers who worry that it's just another way to …

Talk

Let Them Braid Hair

Three African-American women from Tupelo joined an attorney from Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Aug. 5, in front of the James O. Eastland Federal Court Building downtown to demand the right …

Cover

‘Merit Pay:' So Many Meanings, So Little Time

Some people might find it confusing that so-called liberal Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., supported President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act, and is pushing for "merit pay" during …

Talk

Civil Anarchy

Monica Baldwin, a member of Pro-Life Mississippi, an anti-abortion organization, sued the city on July 15 for its anti-noise ordinance that was stopping her organization from using a keyboard to …

Cover

Merit Pay: A Wise Idea?

Pros: Merit pay raises the professionalism bar because teachers are evaluated based on the effectiveness of other teachers. CONS: Research regularly shows that merit pay doesn't improve teachers' classroom work, …

Talk

Taking the Long View

Once again, determined legislators beat the Medicaid drum at the Capitol on Monday, Aug. 9, when about a dozen of them gathered to demand that Gov. Haley Barbour reconsider his …

Editor's Note

Mrs. Hodges and Mrs. Salter

Back in the '70s when I was at Neshoba Central, a gawky girl from a trailer park bursting with ideas that I didn't know where to put, two women saved …

[Stiggers] Meet Ghetto-Economist Pookie Peters

Welcome to "Ghetto-nomics 101": The common people's show! I'm yo' ghetto-economist Pookie "Hustler International" Peters. My guest is grandma Peterz, affectionately known as Grandma Pookie. She will share on surviving …

Talk

Target: Labor (Day)

Assistant Police Chief Edna Drake took a seat next to Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. at a recent City Council meeting in full uniform, her black gun bridled by its shiny …

Talk

JFP Index: It's About Jobs, Silly Goose

• Number, in thousands, of new jobs the Bush administration predicted for July: 215 to 247

• Number, in thousands, of jobs added in May: 208• Number, in millions, of U.S. jobs lost since Bush took his oath of office: 1.1• Number of years since a …

Feature

(Film/Performance) The American Astronaut

Scattered across the desolate solar system exist the bleary-eyed mining men of Jupiter who know nothing of women, and the sexually frustrated, all-female (Southern Belle no less) population of Venus. …

[Lott] Eliminating Bad, Brown Water

Recently I was pleased to join our Congressional delegation in announcing almost $6 million in federal assistance for water system upgrades throughout Mississippi. Every year I vigorously support water and …

Sports

T.O. Calls Garcia Out

NFL teams are preparing for the first full weekend of exhibition games. So naturally it's time to start talking about players' sex lives. In an interview in the next issue …

Music

Annual Gospel Fest

Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church "Voices of Love" Annual Gospel Fest - Aug. 14, 2:30 p.m. 1000 W. Ridgeway St. All choirs and soloists welcomed to participate. 366-5463, 573-1099.

Tuesday, August 10

Music

Mississippi Opry

Mississippi Gospel and Bluegrass Opry Sat., Aug. 14, Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m. The Born Again Quartet, Murray Stewart & friends, The McCobes, Matt & Laurie Jones, Hardeman Duet, Harmony & …

Monday, August 9

Music

The Concretes

The Concretes - Creation-era Brit-pop [a la The Pastels and Jesus and Mary Chain] immediately comes to mind upon first listen. More subtle undertones bring a Mazzy Star and even …

Music

The Futureheads

The Futureheads - Like a lightening bolt out of the not so distant past, this [post] post-punk 4 piece from Northern England deliver the goods in the same vein as …

Culture

[Rev] Veggie Car Road Trip, Part III: South America!

We left off last week wondering how DM&E (David, Mali and Emilio )would get across the Darien gap, the 54-mile impassable portion of the Pan-American Highway. The answer turned out …

Politics

International Organization to Observe U.S. Election

CNN is reporting that, for the first time, the U.S. presidential election will have international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The request for observation came …

Music

Faultline's "Your Love Means Everything" Re-issue +

"The Colossal Gray Sunshine," featuring guest vocals from the Flaming Lips, has been remixed as the emphasis track for Faultline's lost electronic classic "Your Love Means Everything", which will be …

Sunday, August 8

Games

Just Killing Time

A Review of "Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Game of the Year Editon" Platform: Xbox/PC

I usually review newer games, but after picking up a copy of "Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition," I had to review it. I love this game. It's in-depth, creative …

Friday, August 6

Jackblog

Mayor Johnson Weekly Newsletter 8/6/04

Mayor Johnson was handed a check for over one million dollars Thursday for demolition of the White Rock Apartments. "We appreciate HUD's commitment to the city of Jackson," said Johnson. …

Politics

Slam Poets Organize Against Bush

[Verbatim] Coming off the heels of the their hugely successful Rhyme Night showcase series, Contrabandit.com has been recruited by Slam Bush PAC and the Indy Voter PAC to organize Slam …

Wednesday, August 4

Cover

Love Me, Hate Me: The JFP Interview with Kenneth Stokes

Councilman Kenneth Stokes slapped me the other day. His large hand hit my sweat-beaded skin in one swift swoop to kill the mosquito getting ready to bite. He did not …

Music

August 3 Music Releases

As promised, here are the music releases for Tuesday, August 3. They are seperated by genre: blues, country, folk, indie/electronica/underground, jazz, latin, rap, rock/pop/r&b and world. Culled from Billboard Magazine, …

Music

The Beta Band call it quits!

According to Pitchfork and the band Website, The Beta Band have decided to call it a day. This is especially sad, given the creative dynamic on their latest release, "Heroes …

Jacksonian

Cheryl Lasseter

Cheryl Lasseter, the weekend morning anchor at WLBT-TV3, was Cheryl Frazel when she arrived in Jackson, a Baltimore native who grew up in a suburb. While earning her communication degree …

Sports

The Best in Sports in the Next 7 Days

Thursday, Aug. 5

Extreme sports: X Games, 8 p.m. (ESPN): Hey, with a little more practice, you could be on TV next year, bro. OK, make that a LOT more practice.

Feature

‘Bastard Pop' Goes Mainstream, by Annalee Newitz

By waging a war of litigation on file sharers and copyright infringers, the Recording Industry Association of America has unwittingly created a new kind of protest art. Mash-ups—digitally knitted-together compositions …

Editor's Note

Let's Do the Time Warp, Aga-inn

This is a hard column to write. Sometimes something is so painful, so heart-wrenching that you don't want to expose it. You just want to ignore it, and hope no …

Film

Sloppy, Dreary ‘Village'

"The Village" takes forever to reach its destination, and when it does, it's difficult to care. Following a trio of superbly crafted thrillers ("The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable," and "Signs"), writer/director …

[Stiggers] All God's Churn Got Shoes

Presenting the new ABC (African Broadcast Corp.) network soap opera "All God's Churn Got Shoes." Our story takes place at the No Child Left Behind Remedial Alternative School for the …

Music

Springsteen, Raitt, Babyface, Pearl Jam, Others Stump to Unseat Bush

AP is reporting: "In an unprecedented series of concerts in nine swing states, more than 20 musical acts -- including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and the Dixie Chicks -- will …

Your Turn

The NAACP: An Equal Opportunity Critic

Recently, critics have argued that the tax-exempt status of the NAACP should be withdrawn because of attacks that the leadership made upon President Bush and the Republican Party. But those …

Culture

[Wine] D.I.Y. Wine Tasting

It starts with the spark of an idea (usually over drinks) and involves 10 willing friends (who enjoy wine and its relaxing buzz). Invent a theme, grab some cocktail food …

Talk

No Stoplight for Bubba

With his stiff blue collar and black-rimmed glasses, state Rep. Randy "Bubba" Pierce looks and smiles just like a politician. When we spotted him at the Neshoba County Fair, he …

Talk

JFP INDEX: Feed, Then Starve, The Beast

•Amount, in billions, of U.S. budget surplus when G. W. Bush took office: $230

•Amount of 2004 U.S. budget that's going to Medicare: $300 billion

Talk

Quote o' the Week

— Gov. Haley Barbour, Neshoba County Fair, July 29, 2004

"Mississippi taxpayers shouldn't pay for health care coverage that the federal government will pay for."

Tuesday, August 3

Cover

Bold New Party?

<b>New Dem Head Wayne Dowdy on Faux Elephants and Young Voters

It's hard to get past Wayne Dowdy's name. Through no fault of his own, the new head of the Mississippi Democratic Party—a Millsaps grad, a grandfather and a U.S. congressman …

Gov't Used Old Info for Monday's Terrorism Scare

NY Tmes reports: "Much of the information that led the authorities to raise the terror alert at several large financial institutions in the New York City and Washington areas was …

Sunday, August 1

[Ask JoAnne] The Voting Conundrum

A. What can be done to get young people to do anything? As a former high school teacher and a mother of two grown sons*, I know a little about …