[Stiggers] Tastefully Ghetto CatwalkMr. Announcement: "It's the First Annual Tastefully Ghetto Fashion Extravaganza, located on aisle three of JoJo's Discount Dollar Store. Your commentator is cashier and part-time security guard, Miss Doodle Mae Jenkins."
[Johnson] Letters From VietnamLast week, President Bush urged us to continue the war in Iraq by comparing our experience there to the war in Vietnam, warning us that withdrawing from Iraq might produce similar results.
Guide to Driving the Right WayI suppose I was a late bloomer by most standards: I started dating at age 16, drinking coffee at 18 and got my driver's license at 19. I wasn't one of those weird, closed-off adolescents with no social awareness. No, …
Don't Let Stokes Stop ProgressLivingston Village rode in on the violent tendrils of Hurricane Katrina. It's one of those once-in-a-century opportunities made possible through astounding tax credits from the federal government, but the federal GO-Zone legislation that makes it possible comes with a deadline. …
[Stiggers] Welcome to Silicon GhettoBoneqweesha Jones: "In the world of home entertainment, consumers pay $300 to $500 for a brand new Blue Ray or High Definition DVD player. In the ghetto, financially challenged consumers pay $300 to $500 a month for an entertainment center—complete …
[Kamikaze] The Chip on Czech ShouldersSince my arrival in the Czech Republic, I've been getting abreast of Czech politics and a lot of the lightning-rod issues that folks here have to deal with.
[Dickerson] Who's Zooming Whom?Earlier this month, President Bush signed into law revisions to the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It gives the Bush administration new power to screen your e-mails and listen in on your telephone conversations.
Why Peterson Needs to Stay DAI didn't know Faye Peterson from Eve when she ran for re-election four years ago. I knew much was being made about the criminal "backlog" (that she inherited). I knew that her white Republican opponent, oddly endorsed by The Clarion-Ledger, …
Barbour: What's In a Name?This week, with the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaching, it's worth noting that the storm is still trying to knock down one more person as it blows its way into the history booksHaley Barbour.
[Stiggers] Theory of GougenomicsBoneqweesha Jones: "Welcome to the Hair-Did University School of Cosmetology's Summer Lecture Series, at the Club Chicken Wing Multi-Purpose Community Development Complex. The guest speaker is Dr. Otis 'Nickel-N-Dime' Wilson of the Ghetto Science Team's Economic Development Council."
[Kamikaze] Letter From the Czech RepublicGreetings, all. It's my second week across the pond in the Czech Republic, and my body is still on Mississippi time. I've tried to intimate to people how physically demanding touring can be. Five shows in five days in five …
[McLemore] Red and Blue QuandaryIf college has done anything for me, it has piqued my interest in politics. This year for the first time, I truly invested in the state and local elections. I researched candidates; I even braved the heat and humidity of …
A City With SoulHere is the soul of Jackson breathed onto paper.
Be a Good SamaritanMany Jacksonians know about N.U.T.S. (Neat Used Things for Sale), but they don't know about the social organization behind the trendy thrift store, the Good Samaritan Center. When Good Samaritan Center was founded in 1972, their goal was to assist …
Listen to the MoansSunday morning, I was organizing my new writing room at home and turned on the Galloway Methodist broadcast on WAPT to keep me company. I didn't pay much attention until I heard Rev. Ross Olivier challenge his audience to "listen …
[Stiggers] Nurse Tootie, Private EyeCootie McBride: "The Ghetto Science National Broadcasting Corporation Network presents the premiere of 'To Catch a Predator Who Takes Advantage of Senior Citizens, Racial Minorities, Poor Folk and the Uneducated'. The McBride family and I produced this television program to …
[Mott] Sicko NationOn the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the radio reported a plane flying into the World Trade Center as I was driving to work. The word "terrorists" hadn't yet entered into the picture. Later, settling in at my desk, I …
Still There in the MorningThe primaries are almost here, and too many young hipsters in the 18-29 age bracket couldn't be further away from knowing what it means for Mississippi, and moreover, themselves. It always shocks me when someone tells me that they will …
[Dickerson] Charlie Hosemann Gets My VoteMy family has never flirted with the GOP, primarily because we view Republicans as rabble-rousing upstarts who stand in opposition to the unimpeachable liberalism of Jefferson and Madison.
Hello, and GoodbyeI've never been great at goodbyes. When I meet people I dig, I want them around. But I've learned that a life filled with interesting experiences and people does mean, sometimes, saying goodbye. Since I've been in the weekly newspaper …
Delay Political?Last week, four city council members voted to delay a zoning change for a major development initiative near the Jackson Medical Mall, with Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes leading the vote. His concern is drainagewhich, it seems, the city has …
[Stiggers] Le Tour de GhettoBart Starr-Child: "Welcome to the fourth annual low-power television broadcast of the Tour de Ghetto bicycle race. I'm Bart, your token Caucasian announcer for the Ghetto Science Team Sports Network. Providing the colored commentary is Ike "On a Bike" of …
[Kamikaze] Mississippi on the World StageThere comes those undeniable moments in a man's life when doubt—even fear––can set in. One of those moments when, despite experience and confidence, you're not ready for the unexpected. As I get ready to embark on my first overseas tour, …
[Grayson] Don't Bash ImmigrantsSome Americans believe that this country has grown out of its oppressive past and into a unified nation. For some, racism no longer exists, and everybody has their fair shot at living the "American Dream". Many people seem to believe …
‘Lower Lake': A Good First StepFrankly, I was a little surprised to hear the news this week that the Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District has selected a new flood-control plan for the Pearl River called the "Lower Lake" plan. The plan is very …
This Election, Demand Real AnswersEvery election season, in the few weeks leading up to a major vote, the Jackson Free Press gets a front-row seat for the way candidates tend to run for office in this state. We hear very little from the candidates …
[Stiggers] A Terrible ThingBrotha Hustle: "Welcome to the grand opening of the United Ghetto Science University, Vocational School and Community College Fund headquarters, located at the new Clubb Chicken Wing business complex.
[Mott] The Business of BlissI can't tell you the plot of the 1,453rd episode of "Law & Order" I watched last night. I can't tell you about most of the TV I've watched because I usually don't commit too many brain cells.
The Mayor and His WomenIt bugged the hell out of me when I got an e-mailed press release from Police Chief Shirlene Anderson's office late on July 3 with this subject line: "Chief Shirlene Andersons wants citizens to have a happy and safe Fourth …
C-L: This Political Cycle, Try Actual ReportingWe know that asking The Clarion-Ledger not to cover the upcoming primary like it was going to be held in Louisiana Downs is like asking a Palmetto bug to stay off the porch on a warm, rainy Mississippi night. But …