[Stiggers] Summertime, and the Livin' Ain't EasyLadies, gentlemen and po' folks, playwright and entrepreneur Pookie Peterz presents his critically acclaimed ghetto-tragedy opera "Porgy and Bush."
[Solomon] Backlash Against OutrageLooking at visual images from U.S.-run prisons in Iraq, news watchers now find themselves in the midst of a jolting experience that roughly resembles a process described by Donald Rumsfeld: "It is the photographs that gives one the vivid realization …
Watch Those Low-Carb TortsThis past week I've taken advantage of my access to a press pass to sit in on some fascinating meetings in the Capitol. From Judiciary A meetings on "both sides of the hall" (as we insiders say) to the floor …
[Spann] Banishing the Labels"Honey, I think I'm becoming a Republican!" I exclaimed to my husband one sunny spring afternoon while perusing a magazine. As usual, he calmly examined me for physical evidence of my latest revelation, questioned me about my claim and decided …
[Stiggers] Watch Yo' Metaphors, Similes and Allegories<i>The following is an editorial from chief linguist Dr. Trey Cognac Courvoisier Jackson Jr. of the James Brown "Say It Loud" Ebonics Speech Therapy Centers of America.</i>
[Ladd] Ask the $34,000-A-Day QuestionsIn January, I wrote an editor's note about the governor that miffed some Democrats around the city. They told me I went too easy on Barbour. I wrote then that although his wink-wink, race-tinged, nationally financed campaign tactics had really …
[Lott] Base ClosureBy a razor thin 49 to 47 vote, the Senate narrowly missed an opportunity to put overseas military bases ahead of domestic facilities in the anticipated 2005 base closure round. I introduced this amendment because a growing number in Congress …
[Young] Cruelty Cuts Across Nationality, Gender LinesAlmost anything that can be said about the recently revealed abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American and British troops is going to be a cliché. It's horrifying and sickening; it's a disgrace to the uniform; it damages our cause in …
[Ask JoAnne] The Free and the GraveSure, there are many faults in Bush, just as there are in any politician. I am the first to admit it. But in the JFP "Donkeys Have a Shot?" you directly imply that Bush is retarded. If it were a …
[Stiggers] Yes, You Have RightsThe "Nu Apprentice: First Hired, Last Fired," starring Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, will return after this message.
[Irby] Trouble in MindI set foot back in Jackson on Feb. 10, 2004, after a year and a half of moving around. I had traveled to what I considered the most liberal parts of the country, California and New York. I left in …
[Ladd] Thin Line Between Love and HateI was talking to a young woman the other day who is in the family of a Jackson man who toiled and lobbied and prodded and threatened for many years to try to block school de-segregation and then to encourage …
[Tucker] You Have a ChoiceMy daughter attends a historically black university, the school from which I graduated, as a matter of which I graduated, as a matter of fact. But she could go anywhere, provided she has the grades and her mother and I …
[Stiggers] The State of Dee-wishous Queem-O-WheetThe Cream-O-Wheat Meals on Wheels Foundation International (We Got A Big Hot Pot In the Back) presents Commentary Concerning Cream-O-Wheat by the Cream-O-Wheat man.
[Ladd] Doing Mama's Business<i>This column was originally published in 2003. We feature it this week in honor of a very special mama. The first issue of the JFP was published on Sept. 22, 2002, Miss Katie's birthday.</i>
‘Gone Weekly'If there's one JFP-related question I've heard more than any other from folks around Jackson in the past few weeks and months, it's been this one: "Are y'all going weekly?"
[Ask JoAnne] Donkeys Have a Shot?Do the Republicans have a lock on the state of Mississippi? Does a Democrat, or even just a non-elephant like myself, have a chance of voting for the winning candidate in the upcoming presidential election? Or should I just give …
[Stiggers] There's No Hidin' Place Down HereFunkee Finger and Pookie Peterz Homeboy Hook-up Productions present M.C. Booty Cheeks' premiere hip-hop CD, "Their Eyes Are On The Ghetto: The Real Crack Epidemic." This controversial, socio-political CD features chart-topping hits like "Don't Drop Yo' Drawers," "Sumbuddy's Looking, Put …
[Mimi] Last of the Red-Hot Sugar MamasEach suburban wife struggled with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material, ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, chauffeured Cub Scouts and Brownies, lay beside her husband at night—she was afraid to ask …
Calm the 'Runaway' Rhetoric; Do the HomeworkAs we go to press, it seems likely that Gov. Haley Barbour will call a special session this year to try and push through more "tort reform" measures after failing to reach a compromise with Democratic leadership in the House. …
[Johnson] ‘60 Minutes' Missed Pickering's Real Record"60 Minutes" seemed intent on making the point that African Americans within Pickering's hometown know best about Pickering's qualifications for the appellate court, and that their support is revealing: "Pickering enjoys strong support from the many blacks who know him." …
[Ladd] Life in the Fast LaneNot to be a drama queen here, but hanging out at the Mississippi Legislature can really shatter one's faith in humanity. After doing years of research on harmful youth policies (zero tolerance, adult sentencing, "superpredator" rhetoric, media demonization of youth), …
[Stiggers] Adventures on the U.S. Censor ShipWurd Up, peoples! As summertime approaches, the news seems to get as hot as a Nelly "It's Hott In Herre" album release party in a steam room. And as Dr. King said, "Trouble is in the land, and confusion is …
[Ask Joanne] Think Big, and SmallQ. What is the single most obvious opportunity for a citizen to assist the City of Jackson in addressing a community problem? By this question, I am referring to all the problems faced by our city. Isn't there one that, …
[Stiggers] Help Wanted: WMD Detectives NeededThe Weapons of Mass Destruction Detective Agency is looking for a few good people! Now, a few words from our founder head inspector/agent Mr. Cholly Banks.
[Stauffer] A River Running Through ItThe LeFleur Lakes project will be something that Jackson talks about for some time to come. Originally the brainchild of developer and engineer John McGowan, the "Two Lakes" project, as it�s often called, is a plan to dredge a canal …
[Browning] As Good Fridays GoI am constantly haunted by water. I try to drink eight full glasses a day, swim as often as possible (the dog paddle is my favorite stroke), do some menial hard labor task so that I coax tiny droplets to …
[Hughes] Travels with GaryI didn't know when I called Gary Baldwin the other day that I'd be going on a 25-mile bike ride. I just wanted to talk with him about the newspaper he's published for 13 years in Vicksburg, where my mother …
[Fleming] A Come to Jesus MeetingWhere were you at 4:30 p.m. on March 18, 2004? I know where I was. I was sitting at my desk in the House Chamber, listening to Rep. Willie Bailey, D-Greenville, rail against a bill, House Bill 1435 to be …
[Stiggers] Tale of Two CriminalsFrom the producers of the Sci-Fi horror film "Very High Unemployment in America" ... This is a story about two women who escaped their wrong decisions. Martha was a rich, powerful, intelligent and popular celebrity who owned her own corporation. …