Monday, January 31
Herman's Picks
This week quality and quantity have got their proverbial jam on in high gear. On Thursday Rufus McKay, R&B/Blues lead vocalist for The Red Tops will perform with the Ben …
Sunday, January 30
Reggae Jam on WMPR - Saturdays
Mr. C-Lecta is on the air Saturday nights at WMPR 90.1 FM or http://www.wmpr901.com
Herman's Picks: Afrissippi
Afrissippi returns to the Hal & Mal's Restaurant, Wed., Feb. 9, 8 p.m. free. There is nothing quite like Afrissippi, with the spoken word beat story teller and rock legend …
Vicksburg Blues Society
Vicksburg Blues Society Meets monthly. 601-634-1921. www.VicksburgBlues.com
Gospel Cruise
WOAD 105.9 Gospel Cruise 4-days from New Orleans to Cozumel, Mexico, July 7-11, 2005, featuring The Williams Brothers, Larissia Tate & Romans VIII. 940-6514. www.mcgeheecruise.com
Friday, January 28
Revealing The Revolutionary: A Review of "The Motorcycle Diaries"
The journeys—one a cross-continent road trip on a motorcycle, one an emotional exploration into the human condition—taken by a latent revolutionary leader and his friend form the plot of one …
Thursday, January 27
Kent Going North
Former Jackson State quarterback Robert Kent has found a new job in pro football. The former Tiger signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Kent went to …
Driving While ‘Alien'
Why are your vegetables at your local grocery store so cheap? It may well be because the farmer that grew your vegetables was able to hire cheap help via immigrants—some …
Mary Grace Brown of Mardi Gras
Jackson has set big goals to renovate downtown. Lots of private business people have been getting in on the ground floor of some very exciting downtown developments. Mary Grace Brown, …
The Inaugural Purpose
It was a great honor for me as chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to emcee the presidential inauguration and to help plan it. Since Washington's day, …
Wednesday, January 26
We Got A New At-ti-tude
Cue the Patti LaBelle, baby. As we prepare our third Best of Jackson issue, it strikes me that Jacksonians are starting to take for granted the idea that "best" is …
2005: The Future Is Now
This year at least doubled the number of ballots we had to contend with for the Best of Jackson 2005 reader poll and for that we are eternally grateful to …
2005: Community
Best Elected Official and Most Under-Appreciated Jacksonian: Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.
2005: Urban Living
<b>Best Locally Owned Business: All of Chane's (Fondren)</b>
Think global. Shop local. It's emblazoned on one of the many bumper stickers on the back of my car. It's all over the JFP. It's on the lips of my …
Best of Jackson 2005: Food & Drink
Best New Restaurant: Pan Asia (862 Avery Blvd. N., Ridgeland, 956-2686)
2005: Food & Drink
Best New Restaurant: Pan Asia (862 Avery Blvd. N., Ridgeland, 956-2686)
[Stiggers] You Get More Than A Drug Store
Cough Syrup: $12. Asprin: $5. Chunky Chicken Soup: $2. Cold Medicine and Vapor Rub: $20. You have bad cold and no sick day benefits at your job: FIRED!
Best of Jackson 2005: Food & Drink (cont.)
Best Mexican: La Cazuela Mexican Grill (1401 E. Fortification St., 353-3014)
2005: Food & Drink (cont.)
Best Mexican: La Cazuela Mexican Grill (1401 E. Fortification St., 353-3014)
Best of Jackson 2005: Nightlife
Best Musician: Barry Leach. Tall and slender, looking for all the world like a red-headed poet who might have spent some time in the country, Barry Leach is one fine …
2005: Nightlife
<b>Best Musician: Barry Leach</b>
Tall and slender, looking for all the world like a red-headed poet who might have spent some time in the country, Barry Leach is one fine guitar player.
[Chick] The Baptist and The Feminist
One of my most difficult struggles as a Christian involves feminism. There. I said it. I'm a feminist. No, I don't wear combat boots, and yes, I love men like …
The Best In Sports In The Next 7 Days
Thursday, Jan. 27
College basketball, Mississippi State women at Ole Miss (7 p.m., FSN South): This rivalry makes the women's hoops that much more interesting. … William Carey at Belhaven (women, 5:30 p.m.; …
Bob Moses
Robert P. Moses, who turned 70 Sunday, is usually surrounded by young people, especially Lanier students and college-age mentors for the Algebra Project, which he runs from his classroom in …
Video Killed The Print Star
The Slate's Stephen Rodrick offers a witty and penetrating analysis of how TV -- specifically, ESPN -- has killed the newspaper sports column and turned many columnists into entertainers rather …
Tuesday, January 25
Trail Blazers
Belhaven College did some trail blazing on Monday when the school named Don Lee the Blazers' new head football coach. Lee becomes just the second black head football coach at …
Monday, January 24
[Geek] Gawking At Gadgets
Image courtesy of Apple Computer
Topping the gadget list this week is Apple's new Mac mini, an entire computer that is only a little bulkier than a stack of six or so CDs in jewel …
Friday, January 21
America's Courage
This is my first weekly newspaper column of the new Congress, and although I've been busy helping to plan President Bush's inaugural ceremonies and dealing with cabinet confirmations in the …
[Opera] Blinded By The Light
When I was invited to attend a "Gospel at Colonus" chorus rehearsal at the Jackson Revival Center, corner of Silas Brown and Langley Avenue, chill bumps swept over me. Alan …
Thursday, January 20
You Are a Jacksonian If ...
1. You eat at Hal & Mal's more than once a month.
4. You shop at Video Library or Video Café before you go near Blockbuster.
The WORST of the New South
In the aftermath of the Edgar Ray Killen arrest, the tough-on-crime stalwarts at The Northside Sun fretted over whether the old Klansman can possibly get a fair trial in the …
* Corrections to Talk of Jackson *
The JFP's Talk of Jackson section has a couple really dumb errors this week. (As a result, two writers are currently hanging in the newsroom from their toenails. Don't tell …
Take Me to Your Leader
Citizens of Jackson looking to strengthen their voices in the community are about to get the chance to learn how. The Pew Partnership of Civic Change, a civic research organization, …
Great Balls of Fire
Traffic was snarled for miles around the Fondren shopping area, on Old Canton Road, early Friday morning. As many drivers took detours on their way to work and school, those …
Wednesday, January 19
"Big Silver Shining Motor of Sin," Two Lone Swordsmen
On the heels of their spectacular LP "From the Double Gone Chapel," which was released in May 2004, Andrew Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood give their fans a post coital treat …
The Best In Sports In The Next Seven Days
Thursday, Jan. 20
College basketball, William Carey at Tougaloo: The old rivals battle in North Jackson (women, 5:30 p.m.; men, 7:30 p.m.).
Feel The Music At 930 Blues Cafe
Mississippi has such a unique history and culture of blues music, why would Jackson, the state capitol, not have a venue to recognize it? That is exactly what Isaac Byrd …
Threading Our Path
Sixty-one-year-old Gwen Magee grew up surrounded by arts and crafts, immersed in her mother's passion for knitting, crocheting, ceramics—anything except sewing. "She hated anything to do with sewing. I took …
First, Do No Harm: State Struggles With Record of Juvenile Injustice
At 17 years old, Tommy Croft has grown up faster than most youth his age in Mississippi. Croft conveys the pain and genuineness in his story about his dark past …
An Answer In Baton Rouge?
Pulling into the parking lot of the Baton Rouge Marine Institute, you wouldn't think of it as a building that kids walk in and out of daily that changes their …
Don't Light The Fire
When the airport renaming story broke, it had the potential of yet another racial war in a place that certainly didn't need any help in that department.
[Sawyer] It's A Rich Or Poor Thing
Each morning during the semester, the bell rings for thousands of Mississippi youth. Mississippi teachers bear a great burden in their cause to shape every young mind. They know that …
The Weak Shall Inherit The State
A coalition of children's advocates are declaring 2005 the "Year of the Child" in Mississippi. It's about damned time. It's way past the point that we Mississippians must start standing …
Domini Bradford
"You have to try today's soup before you leave," said Domini Bradford, 37. So I did. The soup in the small bowl she placed in front of me was thick …
Bill Hicks Lives On DVD
After President Bush's re-election on Nov. 2, I found myself singing the line from Hamell on Trial's song, "I Wish Bill Hicks Were Alive." Man, do we need Bill Hicks …
[Stiggers] Please Sir, How About Some Change?
The Ghetto Science Team and the George Washing Carver Holistic Health Commission of Tuskegee, Ala., present Grandma Pookie's year-end radio address to the "peoples" from the rigged ham-radio station inside …
[Stiggers] The Pink Slip Is A Joke, Right?
Too Much Drama fo' Yo' Momma Street Corner Theatre Productions presents "Free Like Government Cheese," a one-man play by Filmo Jones.
Tuesday, January 18
Rep. Cecil Brown
Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Hinds, represents the 66th District in the Mississippi Legislature. He is an investment adviser educated at Ole Miss and the University of Texas. Born in Meridian June …
Monday, January 17
Singer/Songwriter Night at Hal & Mal's
Acoustic singer-songwriter folk night at Hal & Mal's Red Room, Sat., Jan. 29, 9:30 p.m. free. Goodman County, Wooden Finger, Justin Lamoureux of Midwest Dilemma, Korey Anderson, Reagan Roeder.
Pears, Onions, and Truffles
Over the Christmas holidays, while Mama and I were in Portland, Ore., visiting my two 20-something sons who cook for a living, we dined out when they weren't cooking for …
[Rev] (Don't) Sound The Alarm!
Saw a sad sight today, reminding me to get to writing my column about noise pollution and car alarms. There she was: a honking, lights-flashing Ford Taurus being pulled by …
The American Nightmare
"Maria Full of Grace" is available on home video and DVD.
The drug drama, a filmmaking genre that has recently soared in popularity, is a rather precarious sort of film to make. It risks presenting desperate, unlikable characters, depicting their struggles …
The Artist and the Councilman
Photograph by Jessica Kinnison
Mid-afternoon on New Years Eve, Ward 1 City Councilman Ben Allen is finishing an eight-year run on the Jackson City Council, and artist William Goodman is heading toward his first …
Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
When the message came Thursday that a grand jury in Neshoba County had indicted at least one conspirator in the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, I …
Friday, January 14
** Best Music of 2004 **
With Be-Bop gift certificates and returns in tow, you may be wondering what good music from 2004 you may have missed out on. After many hours of music listening, we …
Mayor Johnson Weekly Newsletter 1/14
Smith Wills Stadium to Get State-of-the-Art Turf
2004 Crime Numbers Released. Today, Jackson Police Chief Robert Moore announced that crime in Jackson decreased 21% in 2004 from the previous year. Seven of the eight categories of major …
[Stiggers] No Food In The Fridgidaire?
Pookie Peterz and the Ghetto Economic Development Association present the Let Me Hold Five Dollars National Bank.
Thursday, January 13
The Best in Sports in the Next Seven Days
Thursday, Jan. 13
High school basketball, Battle of the Border Basketball Classic: The boys prep showcase at the Mississippi Coliseum has expanded to two days. Saturday's games: St. Andrew's vs. Corinth (1 p.m.). …
Justice Overdue
In 1964, three civil rights workers—James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman—were murdered in Neshoba County by a mob of Klansmen and buried 15 feet underground. Their bodies were found …
Helping the Tsunami Victims
When he heard about that the disaster had struck on Dec. 26, Jackson attorney Taylor Ferrell made an phone call to Chennai, one of the devastated cities in southern India. …
Tsunami Benefit Raises $4,311
The JFP-Collective-Rock 93.9 benefit last night at the Red Room at Hal & Mal's has raised $4,311.50 for disaster relief! Hal & Mal's donated 10 percent of sales for the …
Wednesday, January 12
[Music] Dead-ends and Transits
Goodman County is a place where the road had fallen in Goodman, a town near Lexington, Miss. In a place generally occupied by hunting and drugs, this fallen place in …
[Geek] Everything Old Is New Again
There have been many comic eras—the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age and the Grim/Gritty Age. Currently (in what is called, funny enough, the Modern Age) comics are …
Jackson's Young Influentials 2005
by Skyla Dawn Luckey, Ayana Taylor, Brett Potter, Catherine Womack, Natalie Irby, Robert Williamson, Jessica Kinnison, and Randy Perkins
Capitol Report: Will They Or Won't They?
The Legislature only has until Jan. 31 to decide whether it will reinstate the Medicaid benefits taken from 50,000 people characterized as Poverty Level, Aged and Disabled (PLADs) last session. …
[Chick] How Not To Dump A Guy
I feel that writing a "chick" column has not ruined my dating life quite enough, so I have thus pursued the answer to yet another post-divorce dating question: How do …
Taylor Jane Hodges
Taylor Jane Hodges, 9, will introduce you to her goldfish: Bob, Billy, Katy and Samantha. She will perform tricks for you on her swing-set. She will tell you every last …
Monday, January 10
Matador Records News
The latest in upcoming albums, tours, and more from Matador Records.
Early Man - Matador Records has the privilege of announcing the signing of NewYork's EARLY MAN to a worldwide, long-term recording contract.
Sunday, January 9
George Street Grocery this Week
Oxford's Absylom Rising play upstairs on Monday and happy hour lasts from 4 until midnight. The blues jam is always rocking on Tuesday night. New Orleans' twang and groove returns …
Herman's Picks
It's Goner Records international night of party jams at Martin's Wed., Jan. 26, beginning at 10:30 p.m. Mark Sultan (ex-Spaceshits/Les Sexareenos) from Montreal will turn his one man band BBQ …
Friday, January 7
Thacker Mountain Radio Live at Hal & Mal's
THACKER MOUNTAIN RADIO RETURNS WITH A NEW HOUSE BAND AND TWO JACKSON PERFORMANCES. Legendary Memphis producer Jim Dickinson fronts new house band. Two shows in Jackson, Fri., Feb. 11. Thacker …
From The Ring To The Pen
3-time boxing champion Hector "Macho" Camacho has been on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, training for a fight later this month. Apparently that's not all he's been doing. On Thursday, he …
Thursday, January 6
Herman's Picks
If your New Year's resolution was to indulge in your favorite nightlife vices, you can crank things into high gear this week. The perfect prescription to get your rhymes in …
I Was a Teenage Curfew Violator
January 6, 2005—For the third time the Jackson City Council is considering implementing a youth curfew law. The recent curfew, which expired in August, affected kids under 18 who were …
Trash Talk: Kim Wade Disses the JFP
"Last week the Jackson Free Press had an interesting article in there where the editor was lamenting the fact that 'hey, you know Lefties are religious, too,' and she was …
DIY: Daniel Johnson on Dreadlocks
Daniel Johnson's face is distinctive: eyes bold and blue, nose prominent. He sat across from me with a comfortable reception of each question, his hair down by his face, fine …
Babes in Liquor-Land
Every day Poindexter Elementary students pass by Super Discount Wine and Liquor. This store poses an interesting dilemma for these under-age students because in the back there is a convenience …
Wednesday, January 5
Ground Zero in Clarksdale Events
Live Blues at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Ms.
Fri., 1/21 - Marshall Drew Blues BandSat., 1/22 - Kenny Brown Blues BandWed., 1/26 - Jay KirgisFri., 1/28 - Super Chikan & The Fighting CocksSat., 1/29 - Earl The Pearl …
I Resolve, I Resolve, I Resolve
I just took a glorious week off. This hasn't happened to me much since we started the Free Press two and a half years ago. We managed to get away …
The Best in Sports in the Next Seven Days
Thursday, Jan. 6
College basketball: Schreiner at Mississippi College (7:30 p.m.): The Mountaineers try to get over at the Golden Dome.
[Geek] Viva San Andreas!
A review of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas"
First, let me assure you that "GTA: San Andreas" is NOT for the immature. Parents, if your children show enough intelligence to separate real and unreal, there is little to …
Running with the Young Guns
I just typed "04" in the date for this file and then corrected myself. It's that time of year again. After our week off for the holidays, we're back and …
Which Way is Texas, by Eric Stracener
In 1986, I was a junior at Millsaps College and was an impressionable, if enthusiastic, blues neophyte. One night at Hal & Mal's, I saw one of the best blues …
Capitol Burning: The War Between the Branches
Mississippi is known for many things: great authors, beautiful antebellum plantations, Sweet Potato Queens, civil rights troubles and a ridiculously tight state budget. In the poorest state in the country, …
Hear No Truth: The 10 Most Censored Mississippi Stories
It's an open secret that here in the Jackson area and in the state at large we suffer from superficial, incomplete, unfactual and sometimes non-existent coverage of vital news stories. …
[Sawyer] Replacing the Law Book with the Good Book
"Value voters" is becoming the new buzz phrase in politics. They are identified as evangelicals, fundamentalists, so-called suburban moms and NASCAR dads, and conservative Catholics. When it comes right down …
Dent May
Watching a Rockwells show will bust open any preconceived notions you might have had about four college students, home for the holidays, getting together to play with their old band. …
The Best 10 Movies of 2004
2004 was not an especially great year for movies. Though there were many good films (and a handful of highly memorable ones), this year's awards season has surprisingly few quality …
The Road to Wellness: Week 1
Ah, the South. The smell of the pine trees, the thrill of a cool evening after a storm, and … the fried food. I like to joke with friends in …
The Road to Wellness, Week 2
Zen and the Art of Monkey Training
"I don't think there are barbecue chips on the Road to Wellness," Ms. D opined, as we ambled away from the Semiahmoo Marina in Blaine, Wash., after enjoying a sunset …
The Road to Wellness, Week 3
<b>To Creet or Not to Creet</b>
A recent article in The New York Times suggested that workplace stress is costing us $300 billion a year in the United States, and that's just what corporations are spending …
Road to Wellness, Week 4
<b>A Change In Lifestyle</b>
"So how is your diet going?" wrote David, my best friend from grade school, who pops up on iChat for a conversation every day or two.
The Road to Wellness, Week 5
Super Deluxe Lifestyle Diet
I've managed to completely swear off sodas in the past few weeks—I've switched mostly to unsweetened brewed tea and water. Likewise, I've kept away from fried chips, except on Fridays …
The Road to Wellness, Week 6
<b>Walking on the Dock of The Bay</b>
Since I pretty much get to decide where the Road to Wellness takes me, then I say it goes through Bay St. Louis, Miss. Ms. D and I always enjoy …
The Road to Wellness, Week 7
<b>: Fruits For Our Labors</b>
Ms. D is a fan of the book "The Healthy Hedonist," by Janet Bridgers, which, while it may have a title that scares off some of our fundamentalist-leaning friends, need …
The Road to Wellness, Week 8
<b>'Uncombining' Your Meals</b>
Adding more discipline to your diet means that the occasional indulgence is more satisfying. That's how things felt when we settled into some decadent desserts after a fine Italian dinner …
The Road to Wellness, Week 9
<b>Getting Well Again</b>
This past week has been a challenge for wellness—both Ms. D and I have been under the weather, she more so than I. That's meant relatively little exercise and, while …
The Road to Wellness, Week 10
<b>Working to Live</b>
After 10 weeks of the wellness column, I'm still no wellness guru. There's an awful lot more that I could be doing for myself, but when I started I promised …
The Great American Experiment
Here's the column that drew the ire of Mr. Kim Wade, radio talk-show host, as reported in this week's issue.
Skys of Fire at W.C. Don's
The post pop-punk, alt. rock and Sacramento based band "Skys of Fire," on Poisoned Fate Records, will perform at W.C. Don's on Monday, January 10, 10 p.m. Skys of Fire, …
Tuesday, January 4
Pop/Punk outfit Relient K to tour
Relient K has announced an impressive run of tour dates headlining venues from 1000-3000 in capacity, marking the first extensive outing in support of the band's newly released fourth album …
Sunday, January 2
[Sawyer] A Stroll Down Prosperity Street
"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, …
Saturday, January 1
Kill Rock Stars News
THE MAKERS will be entering the studio in early March '05 to work on their tenth full length (their second for Kill Rock Stars). The boys are set to work …
