Stories for September 2005

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Friday, September 30

Armageddon, Part II

Last year, the Boston Red Sox buried the Curse of the Bambino with an incredible eight-game winning streak. First, they rallied from an 0-3 deficit in the AL Championship Series to oust the hated New York Yankees. Then the BoSox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series to claim their first championship since the age of the dinosaurs. But the problem with the ULTIMATE season in baseball is that there's no such thing. There's always next season.

Thursday, September 29

[Hutchinson] The Real Reasons New Orleans Is So Poor

A year ago Total Community Action, an anti-poverty activist group in New Orleans, issued a devastating whitepaper that warned that poverty in the city had reached epidemic proportions. This was not another anti-establishment grouse by a fringe group of activists. The figures on the city's poverty were appalling. The poverty rate was nearly triple that of the national average. More than 40 percent of public school kids were illiterate, and half would drop out before graduation. Many of them would wind up in Angola state prison, an antique facility that, in a throwback to an Old South plantation, forces inmates to do manual farm labor at peon wages.

Wednesday, September 28

This Is My Fault

Since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and thrust her spotlight on the abhorrent conditions of the poorest Americans, I have been pondering poverty. First, I got angry.

[Morris] The Mule Packer

Being married to Willie Morris was never dull. I never knew who might turn up at our house. One day he announced, "An old friend from California is coming to Jackson for the wedding of someone who goes on his mule-packing treks with him. He'll be staying with us for a few days. Great guy. You'll like him."

[Music] Soulful Roots

With hip-hop's presence felt so strongly in the South right now, it is obvious that what started out as a phase is now a permanent musical stronghold. It is one so strong in fact, that it has caused label owners like P. Diddy to make semi-moves to the South in order to attain more marketable talent. Yet, some down-South hip-hop fans find there's a misconception that when it comes to hip-hop; outsiders often view its Southern version as "crunk." If they listened hard enough, they'd also look to the South for its original musical sound.

[Verbatim E-mail] Is This Fact, or Fiction?

My name is Hollis Brown and I live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I recieved a forwarded letter written by Richard L. Johnston, M.D., University of Mississippi Medical Center. I want to know if this story is true, and if it was truly written by this doctor. It sounds like some KKK Krap if you ask me.

Strange Love: A Review Of "Corpse Bride"

Director Tim Burton, a maestro of macabre moviemaking, has certainly had his share of hits (such as this summer's delectable "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" adaptation) and misfires (2001's misbegotten "Planet of the Apes" remake or 2003's underwhelming "Big Fish," for example). His newest feature, "Corpse Bride," is a stop-motion animated musical with a tone and style similar to that of "The Nightmare Before Christmas," but with strangely little of that film's energy or heart. While "Corpse Bride" is visually arresting and exceptionally witty, the characters and story are curiously uninvolving, and the movie's scant 75-minute length, though time well spent, seems much more protracted.

[Fleming] Learn From Our Mistakes

In sports, it is all about follow-through. Whether it is a pitching motion in baseball or a swing motion in golf, if you don't follow through, you lose power. The same can apply to government.

Drama To Die For

Looking for a good whodunit to get you in a spooky, Halloween mood? The Center Players of Madison are performing "Rehearsal for Murder" by D.D. Brooke this month, and we're all invited to put on our thinking caps and try to guess the killer. (Hint: There's no butler, so you can't blame it on him.)

Serendipity's Sweet Sixteen

It took less than two minutes for Bertha McDonald and May Jean Zehnder to realize that their art instructor Tony DiFatta was in the building. He'd told them that he was bringing me to talk to them about their art class and what they've been creating for Serendipity, so they were on the lookout. Looking at me a bit warily—I was an unknown entity—they turned toward DiFatta, and their expressions became bright, cheery and confident in the knowledge that the three of them share.

No Apologies: Inside Mississippi's Pro-Life Movement

Bruce Stuckey and Roy McMillan are doing what many people would consider radical—standing outside the Jackson Women's Health Clinic in mid-September, protesting in the rain. They are flanked by a visiting group from Kansas City, young protesters with the word "LIFE" etched onto the red tape that covers their mouths.

Evacuees Face Confusion, Long Lines

Stories are still trickling in from major damage zones across the south. Disturbing tales of personal failures and the greater breakdown of government in the face of unconscionable disaster roll in with the grim faces of the haggard, the beaten—and the progressively more faithless.

*Jackson Newbie: Urban Living FAQ

What media should I turn to for the most in-depth news?

After you've read the Jackson Free Press online and in print, head to The Sun Herald online. Then check out The Magnolia Report for around-the-state offerings. If you're more of a television-type, WAPT boasts the best, and most hard-hitting, broadcasts.

Katrina Helps, Hinders Local Business

Hurricane Katrina is costing literally billions of dollars—potentially more than $125 billion—and at least some of that burden is hitting home for businesses right here in Jackson.

No. 2, September 29 - October 5

<b><u>The Place to Be</b></u>

I very much enjoyed the recent cover article, "The Place to Be," and beautiful accompanying artwork (although lacking the key Standard Life building in its layout) about the growth of downtown Jackson (Sept 22 - 28, 2005). I am very interested in seeing our downtown reinvigorated and was encouraged to hear that things are happening to see this take shape.

[Stiggers] Help Is On The Way!

It's time for "Rescue 911 is a Joke" with Flava-Flav: "Yeah boyeeeee! Check out this phone call between Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans and Sis Ernestine, the Emergency Operator."

Immigrants Left Behind

Many immigrant workers labored in the Gulf Coast's thriving hospitality industry before the wind and water of Hurricane Katrina reduced the industry to matchsticks and filthy shreds of insulation. Three kinds of workers made up the majority of production: native-born, H2B workers (hired directly through the Labor Department with labor certification) and those contracted out—housekeepers, mostly undocumented.

[Kamikaze] The Beat Goes On

I have been busy planning the Music To Heal Mississippi Benefit (which was a huge success, thanks) and recording a new album. But I'm back this week and talking directly to music lovers of all ages and colors who always whine that there's nothing to do in Jackson.

Daniel Guaqueta

Daniel Guaqueta, 29, is a young man with an achievable goal that he's passionate about—to enlighten Jacksonians to the city's cultural diversity.

White House Blocking Hurricane Aid

AP is reporting:

With Gulf Coast governors pressing for action, Senate Finance Committee members complained Wednesday that the Bush administration is blocking a bipartisan $9 billion health care package for hundreds of thousands of evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "We've got people with needs today," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said. She was joined by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who testified via a teleconference hookup, in urging quick action on the legislation.

Tom Delay Indicted, Steps Down

The Austin American-Statesman is reporting:

New David Banner Album

Jackson native David Banner's album debuted in the top 10 this week. Every copy of the album comes with UmixIt software, right on the disc, giving fans the ability to remix the album's hit "Play" and create a version all their own. They can throw in new samples, play new instruments, add a whole new verse with their own lyrics, or just rap along.

Haley Barbour's Katrina Special-Session Speech

[verbatim transcription]September 27, 2005—Thank you. Governor Tuck, Speaker McCoy, ladies and gentlemen of the Legislature*. Fellow Mississippians.

Rita Victims Living Like ‘Cavemen' on Texas Coast

AP is reporting:

Nearly four days after Hurricane Rita hit, many of the storm's sweltering victims along the Texas Gulf Coast were still waiting for electricity, gasoline, water and other relief Tuesday, prompting one top emergency official to complain that people are "living like cavemen." In the hard-hit refinery towns of Port Arthur and Beaumont, crews struggled to cross debris-clogged streets to deliver generators and water to people stranded by Rita. They predicted it could be a month before power is restored, and said water and sewer systems could not function until more generators arrived.

Tuesday, September 27

Brownie Slams States; GOP and Dems Slam Him

MSNBC is reporting:

Former FEMA director Michael Brown aggressively defended his role in responding to Hurricane Katrina on Tuesday and blamed most coordination failures on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. ... His efforts to shift blame drew sharp criticism from Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike. "I'm happy you left," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn. "That kind of look in the lights like a deer tells me you weren't capable of doing that job."

Censored! 10 Stories The Mainstream Media Ignored

Just four days before the 2004 presidential election, a prestigious British medical journal published the results of a rigorous study by Dr. Les Roberts, a widely respected researcher. Roberts concluded that close to 100,000 people had died in the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Most were noncombatant civilians. Many were children.

Censored – or Bogus?

Some stories get ignored by the mainstream media because they're too controversial, or too much of a challenge to the rich and powerful, or just too hot to handle.

Get Goth For Halloween

Two seminal entities of contemporary sub-culture, Epitaph Records & Suicide Girls, are uniting to create the ultimate celebration of Gothic club culture, THE SUICIDE GIRLS BLACK HEART RETROSPECTIVE CD!

Monday, September 26

Bohemian or Philistine: Which One Are You?

Ignore that last statement! :-P

I know I have a more bohemian personality, but I don't fit into the stereotypes of drug use and hygiene problems.

[Lott] The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

Mississippians should be proud of the way we've met Hurricane Katrina's challenges. Since Katrina, we've seen just about everything this world can offer – a lot of good things, some downright bad sights and some very beautiful people.

Sunday, September 25

Contract to Former Barbour Client Under Investigation

The New York Times is reporting Monday that a debris-removal contract awarded to a former lobbying client of Barbour is under congressional investigation:

Billy Jack: The Ultimate Collection 5 DVD Set

BORN LOSERS: The first film in which the character Billy Jack ever appeared. Tom Laughlin had written Billy Jack back in the 1950's, but couldn't get anyone interested in a film about Indians – half-breed or otherwise. Tom Laughlin toned down the Indian and political themes in order to get Born Losers made. It became a very successful independent film!

Surviving Mao's Religion of Communism

Hard Bigotry of No Expectations

New York Times editorial today:

Police: Suburbs Dropping Their Homeless in L.A.

WORKING CLASS HERO: THE DEFINITIVE LENNON Drops Oct. 4

MOST COMPREHENSIVE JOHN LENNON COLLECTION TO DATE. 2 CD SET COMMEMORATES THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH. Capitol Records will commemorate the 65th anniversary

Saturday, September 24

Anti-War Demonstrators March on Washington

AP is reporting:

Crowds opposed to the war in Iraq surged past the White House on Saturday, shouting "Peace now" in the largest anti-war protest in the nation's capital since the U.S. invasion.

MSU Game Moved

Mississippi State announces:

Friday, September 23

Does GOP STILL Want to Cut Taxes, Services for Poor?

New York Times editorial today:

JUST IN: New Orleans Levees Breaching

The Weather Channel just reported that the levee along the industrial canal in New Orleans has a 35 to 40-foot breach. There are other small breaches already.

As Rita Looms, Mississippi Fears Being Forgotten

Knight-Ridder is reporting:

No Way Out: Many Poor Stuck in Houston

AP is reporting:

September 22,2005 | HOUSTON -- Wilma Skinner would like to scream at the officials of this city. If only someone would pick up their phone. "I done called for a shelter, I done called for help. There ain't none. No one answers," she said, standing in blistering heat outside a check-cashing store that had just run out of its main commodity. "Everyone just says, 'Get out, get out.' I've got no way of getting out. And now I've got no money." With Hurricane Rita breathing down Houston's neck, those with cars were stuck in gridlock trying to get out. Those like Skinner -- poor, and with a broken-down car -- were simply stuck, and fuming at being abandoned, they say.

Thursday, September 22

Poll: Katrina Changed Americans' Attitudes

AP is reporting:

A 64-year-old Alabamian frets about frayed race relations. A Utah software programmer ponders the slow government response to Hurricane Katrina and decides he'll turn to his church first in a disaster created by nature or terrorists. A woman scraping by on disability pay in northern Virginia puts her house on the market because of surging post-storm gas and food prices. Cheaper to live in Pennsylvania, she figures.

Glover and Belafonte on the ‘Poverty of Imagination'

Editor's Note: The following are texts of speechesdelivered by Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte at the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief benefit concert, an all-star jazz concert Live at Lincoln Center on Sept. 17.:

Wednesday, September 21

Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music Fall Season

St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Jackson

Shawn Leopard and John Paul on 2 Lautenwercke, Thurs., Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m. Music of Bach's sons. The world's only Lautenwerck duo is from Jackson, Mississippi! Well-known to audiences from Mississippi to Boston, the Leopard/Paul duo performs on a pair of matching instruments. The instruments are gut strung, and were designed to sound like a lute (laute), but from a keyboard. The delightful program includes music from sons Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel, Johann Christian, and grandson Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst, and well as a couple of pieces by the old man himself. This music encompasses the entire gamut from the baroque to the classical period, performed with style and wit by our very own folks. Don't miss it!

*Jackson Newbie: Nightlife FAQ

To all of you evacuees-turned-Jacksonians: Welcome. Whether you're looking for the hippest hip-hop scene, the hippest hipster scene or another hip-in-its-own-way scene, Jackson has plenty to offer you. And the Jackson Free Press has your guide to all of those offerings—every week in the print edition, and updated every single day online at jacksonfreepress.com. Meantime, though, here are some answers to some sure-to-be frequently asked questions about our city. This is only part one in a series, though. This week, we present you with the FAQ about Jackson's nightlife—everything from eating to grooving with art.

The Place To Be: Developers Catering More To City's ‘Creative Class'

Since the early 1970s, an outflow of businesses and residents to the suburbs has decimated downtown Jackson. Until recently, the lower taxes demanded of cow pastures and the cheap gas used to get there made moving somewhere else and starting anew easier and attractive to many people.

Talk Radio Munchies

It was Thursday morning. First, the egg yolks in the Hollandaise sauce overcooked. Next, my English muffin burned in the toaster. My Eggs Benedict ruined, I resorted to a bowl of cold cereal—the breakfast of plebeians. How, you ask, could this happen to Andrew Scott—noted gourmand and at least passable breakfast chef? I blame it on "talk" radio.

You Can't Beat A Meat Thermometer

There's just no way to describe the usefulness of a meat thermometer without sounding clinical, as in "use this essential kitchen tool properly, and you won't end up in the clinic under the influence of the salmonella and e. coli that can result from undercooked meat."

The Will of Grace

From outside, Grace House looks like a family home. Swing sets, lawn furniture and a deck dot the back yard. Bicycles rest on the back porch. Inside, the vibe is much the same. On Friday, Sept. 16, residents are watching "Gunsmoke" in one room. Another resident prepares a meal of homemade fried chicken, rice and beans, and cornbread in the kitchen.

Gone With The Wind

Three weeks after Hurricane Katrina, state Attorney General Jim Hood unleashed a storm of his own. Hood announced a Sept. 15 civil action against some members of the insurance industry last week, declaring that provisions excluding flood damage from the policies of hurricane victims are void and unenforceable.

[Fleming] On Earth, As In Heaven

Hurricane Katrina was truly an act of God. God in His own way reveals things to us and forces us to act upon them no matter how reluctant we are. A reporter from the Chicago Tribune nailed it on the head when she stated that the current administration in Washington had done their dead-level best to perpetuate poverty in America as a myth, but Katrina washed these huddled masses onto our screens.

[Stiggers] To Whom It May Concern

Dear F.E.M.A.: This is Brotha Hustle applying for a job with your organization. I figure if Mr. Brown can get a job with ya, so can I. Please check out my resume!

[Greggs] Finding My Manners

Emotions are interesting things. Because I am a therapist and ultimately a huge nerd, I spend at least three hours a day explicating mine. Due to this, if you cut in front of me in line, I will tell you this makes me angry. This is because in the second grade, a nun at my elementary school thought I struck a child while waiting in line and made me go to the back. I hadn't hit the other little girl, and I always felt powerless when I thought about that situation. As with most other humans, feelings of powerlessness in situations lead me to get angry.

Letters No. 1, September 22-28

<b><u>The Repressive Regime</b></u>

In George Bush's televised prime-time speech to the nation revealing his plan to move forward after Katrina, he dropped this little bomb: "It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces."

Gene Edwards

Gene Edwards has a deep, comforting voice. Edwards, 56, is the deputy director of content operations for Mississippi Public Broadcasting. When Hurricane Katrina struck Mississippi, Edwards and his colleagues took to the air, providing information and solace to those who were cut off from the world by the storm.

Lott: Scrap Medicare drugs, pay for storm

Gannett News Serviceis reportingt:

FEMA: Flood Insurance to Expedite Claims

[verbatim from FEMA/Homeland Security] September 20, 2005/Washington, D.C., – In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the National Flood Insurance Program will modify the way it settles claims to expedite the response to those policy-holders in storm-stricken areas under a new policy announced today by Acting Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response R. David Paulison.

Rita, Now Cat 4, Barrels Toward Texas

Here we go again. Pray, y'all.

Widespread Panic in Jackson

Fri., Oct. 21, in the Jackson Coliseum. For information on pre-sale tickets for fans visit Widespread Online Ticketing. Tickets go on sale to the general public on 9/17 at 10 am Central. Tickets are $30 general admission and can be purchased through www.Ticketmaster.com, and all Be-Bop Record Shops, Charge by phone at 601-355-5252, 800-488-5252. http://widespreadpanic.com/ontour/ FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2005 8:00PM

New Poll: Katrina Raises Doubts About Bush

AP is reporting:

Hurricane Katrina and the bungled government response have weakened President Bush, raising questions among Americans about his Iraq and Gulf Coast spending plans and spreading fears among fellow Republicans that his troubles could be contagious. An AP-Ipsos poll shows a sharp increase in the percentage of people concerned about the economy since the storm. Less than half approve of Bush's handling of Katrina. Less than a third give him good marks on gas prices. As many Republicans fear, the survey shows signs of conflict between Bush's top two priorities: the Iraq war and post-Katrina recovery.

U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq Top 1,900

AP reports:

The war in Iraq passed a sobering milepost Tuesday when U.S. officials reported 12 more Americans were killed - eight of them members of the armed forces, raising to more than 1,900 the number of U.S. service members who have died in the country since the invasion.

The Real Test of Katrina

John Kerry in a speech at Brown University:

Tuesday, September 20

Separate-But-Equal Schools for Katrina Evacuees?

Melton Tells City Workers to Help Red Cross

Facing a growing crisis with evacuees who have been ejected from the Mississippi Coliseum and other shelters, with some now reportedly without a shelter over their heads and now sleeping in cars, Mayor Frank Melton told WAPT that he is going to send city workers to help the Red Cross speed the process:

Monday, September 19

Bush's Numbers Lower After Speech

Calling it a "can't win" dynamic, SurveyUSA has completed a three-day poll that show his already-falling approval numbers declining in the wake of his announcement of the "Gulf Opportunity Zone." 56% of Americans disapprove of his response to Katrina, with some of that increase actually coming from Americans who say Bush is doing *too much* for Katrina victims; he's "antagonizing his core supporters," says SurveyUSA, by throwing cash at the problem. In fact, 41% say that the Gulf should be rebuilt with private money, while 27% say it should be rebuilt with public money.

TONIGHT: 4Tell Films, JFP & Crossroads Present French Quarter Film to Benefit Victims

Attend a special screening Monday night (Sept. 19) at 7:30 p.m. of "The Quarter by Carriage," the first of a multi-volume DVD project that explores the colorful history of the famed French Quarter of New Orleans. Post-production had just concluded on the documentary prior to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The screening is at Hal & Mal's restaurant located at 200 S. Commerce St.

Sunday, September 18

Herman's Picks

Make sure to check out the Reverend Jeff Mosier and Blueground Undergrass at Hal & Mal's Thursday, September 22, 10 p.m. $8. Think of Blueground Undergrass as a rootsy jam of banjo fiddle bluegrass juke. Frontman Jeff Mosier, one of the founders of Colonel Bruce Hampton's original Aquarium Rescue Unit is juxtaposed nicely against Widespread Panic's sit in fiddle player David Blackmon.

‘He Thought He Had a Mandate'

AP is reporting:

Hurricane Katrina swamped President Bush's second-term domestic agenda, reordering his priorities and changing the political landscape. His open-ended commitment to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast has become his No. 1 domestic imperative. Swept away was Bush's pledge to cut the budget deficit in half. His centerpiece proposal to restructure Social Security - in trouble even before the storm - probably is a casualty, too. Also suddenly endangered are his proposals to make permanent certain tax cuts, repeal the estate tax, overhaul immigration law and rewrite tax laws.

Friday, September 16

JFP Web Traffic on Fire!

T.G.I.F Humor Break

Quote o' the Week: The following statement is the funniest thing I've seen in a while, although The Onion is outdoing itself of late:

[Lott] Worst of Times; Best of Times

<b>Web Exclusive</b>

Three weeks after America's worst storm directly hit Mississippi, the Katrina recovery effort has miles to go, but we are making progress. As we recover, we must continue addressing immediate needs while formulating mid and long-term strategies to deal, not only with this disaster, but also the next. As we do, the best of America will show through, even during some of our worst days.

Thursday, September 15

No Help in Gulfport

Web Exclusive

I arrived in Jackson, Miss., from Washington, D.C., last Wednesday, hoping to help the Mississippi Center for Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm, coordinate pro bono attorneys, law professors and legal aid offices, an army of whom are ready to respond to the overwhelming need hurricane victims have for legal assistance. In the midst of this effort, two other out-of-state volunteers and I left for the Mississippi coast. Armed with 25 copies of Help After a Disaster, FEMA's applicant guide, and cases of bottled water, we headed south to let people know law schools and lawyers would be providing help with the myriad legal issues they'd be facing.

Iraq Edges Toward ‘Full Scaled Civil War'

Rory Carroll reports from Iraq:

[Chick] Your Racism Is Not Wanted

I don't know about y'all, but the Monkey and I were needing some Jesus real bad this last week, so we got ourselves to church even though I was very uncertain about the message we might receive. Chalk it up to a rural Southern Baptist upbringing, but I for one was not up for the wrath of God sermon if you know what I mean. Our family was thirsty for some hope and for a place to direct some helpless energy.

Lott: Senate Passes Katrina Relief Measures

[verbatim/Sept. 15, 2005] The Senate on Thursday, by unanimous consent, passed a sweeping tax relief package, co-sponsored by Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, to provide tax relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Lott, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, provided significant input on the bill's provisions, tailored to Mississippi-specific needs. In addition to Lott, the bill, authored by Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Max Baucus of Montana, was co-sponsored by Senators Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, David Vitter of Louisiana, and Richard Shelby of Alabama.

Sign and Pass on the Katrina Pledge

Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute (Proverbs 31:8).

Brownie Describes Frustration and Chaos

In his first extensive interview since resigning as FEMA director Monday, Michael Brown blames Gov. Blanco, tried to deflect criticism from the White House—and raised the spector that the administration may have known much more, much sooner than they reacted:

Peggy Noonan: The Republican Party is ‘Torn'

Wednesday, September 14

Casino Near Farish Street?

A card-carrying Republican on a local blog that shall remain unnamed had what I think is a pretty clever idea: Why not campaign to end restrictions on casino locales? They generate great business for other southern cities. And to take the idea a step further: A casino near the proposed Farish Street Entertainment District would bring actual traffic to the businesses there, guaranteeing their viability. (Of course, the businesses themselves may generate traffic--but a casino would guarantee traffic in a way that other entertainment venues seldom can.)

Focus On The ‘Mayor Stuff'

It wasn't until Friday, five days after Katrina had blown through Jackson, that a visibly uncomfortable Mayor Melton fielded questions about city response from what was a visibly frustrated, angry even, Jackson City Council.

[Tisserand] City of The Dead

<b>Unabridged version</b>

"I can't go back there," says my wife, Tami, talking on the cell phone. We're driving from Carencro into Lafayette to find an insurance office and check out the food stamp line.

[Music] Son Volt, Recharged

Jay Farrar may be the most normal man in rock. As the co-founder (with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy) of Uncle Tupelo and leader of Son Volt, Farrar is often named as one of the founders of the "alt. country" movement. He should have been in and out of rehab several times and destroyed countless hotel rooms by now.

God's Country: Katrina Sows Uncertainty In The Eye of The Storm

This story appeared five years ago in the days after Hurricane Katrina as many Gulf Coast residents sat waiting for help

Another Storm Brewin'

David Baria says he's one of the lucky ones. That's a bit hard to fathom. After evacuating from Bay St. Louis with his wife, three children and their pets to family in Pascagoula, he returned the morning after the storm to see what was left, working through the maze of roads, around debris and then walking down the railroad track to get to his home.

In Survival Mode

I would daresay during the past two weeks, most of the population of Mississippi has been stressed out. In graduate school I once had a professor who made it her mission to dispel ideas about language that she believed weren't very conducive to true communication. The word "stress" was one of them—focusing most of her time convincing us that the idea of stress was a social construct, much like the idea of race. There were days toward the end of the semester where I truly felt what my mouth might not be able to explain as "stress," but my body would have absolutely no problem pinning down.

A Toast To A City

This has been a tough week for me. My hometown of New Orleans is under water—under terrible, toxic water. Fellow New Orleanians are suffering, having lost everything, and I feel powerless to help them. Sure, I took several bags of non-perishable food, baby formula, blankets, etc., down to the Trade Mart, but I still feel as if nothing I could ever do would really help. At times like these it's easy to get caught up in the bad stuff, almost to the point where I feel like I'll never see my beloved city again. Of course I'll return someday, but it will never be the same.

[EarthReport] The New Gas

The high price of gasoline is starting to make alternative fuels look better. Biodiesel, a simple derivative of vegetable oil, ethanol and lye that can be brewed in a backyard still, was written off for decades while oil dribbled out of the ground at costs of $1.80 a barrel. On Sept. 9, however, the same barrel of light crude stood at $64.08—a short-term drop of 41 cents from the previous day.

No. 51 Sept 15-21

An Open Letter to the people of Mississippi:

The Disaster That Shouldn't Have Been

With outrage still building over the excruciatingly inadequate federal response to Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is facing a political storm of its own. The question of how FEMA—the government agency most responsible for containing the damage of such catastrophes—seemed to have abandoned hundreds of thousands of suffering Americans now seems destined for multiple government investigations.

‘Destroyed' By The Curfew

Mayor Frank Melton announced Sept. 9 that the emergency curfew issued for the city of Jackson—a curfew that some city officials called "unenforceable"—in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina had been lifted, ending days of businesses closing prematurely and perhaps unnecessarily.

Nafeesa McCoy

For Nafeesa McCoy, a 24-year-old mother and Katrina refugee, the choice was simple: Leave New Orleans or die.

[Stiggers] Save Money With Pass-N-Gas

The following is an unpaid testimonial for the GST and LMHFD National Bank's Pass-N-Gas discount and roadside assistance card.

Tuesday, September 13

Bush Admits Response Blunders

Good. This is what he should have done in the first place rather than blaming the victims. AP is reporting:

Monday, September 12

Tougaloo Student Aid For Hurricane Victims

TOUGALOO COLLEGE ESTABLISHES STUDENT AID FUND FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS

Tougaloo, MS – President Beverly W. Hogan announced today the establishment of a fund to aid college students impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Almost half of the College's current student population was affected including the displacement of many students' families. In addition, the fund will assist with the academic and personal needs of newly enrolled students from Dillard and Xavier Universities as well as other schools in the Mississippi and Louisiana areas that were devastated by the hurricane.

Lott Wants Pascagoula Naval Station Left Open

[verbatim statement] September 12, 2005—WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of problems with the Administration's response plan to Hurricane Katrina, U.S. Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi has asked President Bush to review the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) recommendations to close the Gulf region's two naval bases – including Naval Station Pascagoula, located in one of Mississippi's storm-devastated counties.

Brownie Resigns from FEMA Post Altogether

MSNBC is reporting:

WASHINGTON - Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Brown said Monday he has resigned "in the best interest of the agency and best interest of the president," three days after losing his on-site command of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

Homeland Insecurity

Award-winning reporter Eileen Lou Harrist wrote this story a year ago for The Gambit Weekly, the alternative newsweekly in New Orleans:

Names of First Coast Victims Released

The Sun-Herald is reporting:

6 New Stereolab Songs Sept. 13

Stereolab are releasing six new songs on September 13th 2005. Completed in May at Stereolab's Instant Zero studio in Bordeaux, France, six new songs from the band will be released across three 7''s and as a download on September 12 2005. The release also marks the first new recordings from the band to be released under the recently forged Duophonic / Too Pure partnership.

GIANT DRAG "Hearts and Unicorns"

Giant Drag are a Los Angeles-based twosome on Kickball Records whose debut, Hearts and Unicorns, has landed the band on Rolling Stone's 10 Artists to Watch list this year. They remind you of The Breeders, early Liz Phair and My Bloody Valentine while still sounding unlike anything else you've ever heard. Vocalist/guitarist Annie Hardy writes blissfully fuzzy riffs and sings with a voice coated in cough syrup and sugar. Drummer Micah Calabrese plays both the drums and the synth bass at the very same time. Their songs are absolutely sublime. Do not sleep on this band!!! -- Herman Snell

Sunday, September 11

JFP Art Show/Benefit Raises More Than $3,300!

Update: As of right now, the take from the art show last night is coming in over $3,300 for John Grisham's Rebuild the Coast fund, as well as to purchase art supplies for the Arts Alliance "Express Yourself" program.

Mississippi Gulf Coast in the Shadows

The New York Times reports today on the largely overlooked devastation on the Gulf Coast:

The Storm Next Time

Nicholas Kristoff writes in The New York Times:

Saturday, September 10

Overwhelmed Locals, Hesitant Feds

A New York Times analysis dissects what went wrong last week in Louisiana:

UPDATED/URGENT: What to Donate NOW in Jackson/on the Coast

This thread orginally started Tuesday, Aug. 30, and has been updated over the last several days. Be sure to read the comments to the bottom to determine the way you can help as the needs change. And please post information here about donations, specific needs and where to take them.

Hark: Who Goes There?

Here's an account by two paramedics in New Orleans to attend a conference who were trapped during the hurricane. It rather debunks the excuse that the people stranded there could have just walked across the bridges to safety. The entire story is chilling, but here is the part about being blocked from crossing the bridges; this has also been reported in media reports:

Voices in the Storm

The Nation has a collection of very telling quotes from the last two weeks:

Bush's ‘Shameful Proclamation'

New York Times editorial today:

TRUTHWATCH: Is E-mail About Bush Response to Katrina Factual?

Please click here to read a new JFP Truthwatch thread that presents unattributed "facts" about the White House's response to the Katrina disaster. You can also help factcheck the e-mail by clicking on the link to it in our Truthwatch Blog. Also, here's a second one culled from the Freeper site, claiming that the state of Louisiana refused assistance from the feds. Let's vet it, too.

Don't Miss Killen Cover Story, Irby Column

Note: For now, the JFP's current 4,000+ word cover story, "After Killen: What's Next for Mississippi?", is not posted here in the Killen trial blog. Click here to access that story, read the more than 100 comments to date and add your own comments. Also don't miss Natalie Irby's column this week about Killen attorney James McIntyre's closing statement, which she says represents the "worst Mississippi has to offer."

Friday, September 9

Point That Finger Somewhere Else, Wouldya?

Watch this eight-minute compilation of clips showing how the spin cycle is working the phrases "blame game" and "finger-pointing." Very interesting.

Essay: ‘The Uses of Disaster'

A compelling essay by Rebecca Solnit in Harpers:

JPS Athletic Events Rescheduled

JPS Athletics has rescheduled events for high school football, B-team football, middle school football, and middle school volleyball. High school volleyball will resume its original schedule on Monday, September 12. Cross-country track and softball will resume their regular schedules on Tuesday, September 13. Division softball and volleyball games will be rescheduled. Please visit the Athletics page for complete schedules.

Mayor Lifts Jackson ‘Curfew'

The city of Jackson today lifted an emergency "curfew" that they told the JFP a week ago was not enforceable for either individuals or businesses. Here's the press release:

Edgar Ray Killen Back In Prison

AP is reporting:

A judge Friday revoked the bond that allowed Edgar Ray Killen to stay out of prison while he appealed his manslaughter conviction for the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers. Circuit Judge Marcus Gordon ordered Killen returned to prison after a court hearing where District Attorney Mark Duncan said the 80-year-old Killen may have misrepresented his physical condition.

FEMA Chief Relieved of Katrina Duties

Good news: Brownie's off the case. MSNBC is reporting:

BLOC PARTY TO ISSUE REMIX LP AND RETURN TO THE STATES!!

If you're anything like us, you've nearly worn out your copy of Bloc Party's Silent Alarm, one of 2005's breakthrough albums, with repeated listens. But now, thanks to Vice Records and a little help from their musical peers, there's a way to make all of Bloc Party's incredible songs sound new again – Bloc Party will be releasing Silent Alarm Remixed on September 13th!

Katrina Delivers Second Blow To Gay Families

365Gay.com reports

Recovering from the devastation of hurricane Katrina may be particularly difficult for same-sex couples who are not recognized in any of the three states directly hit by the storm or in those states where refugees have fled.

Thursday, September 8

Diarrhea kills 4 in Katrina's wake

Deadly disease is spreading on the Gulf Coast:

LOTT: FEMA should be a "freestanding agency…"

AP reports:

Lott didn't want to blame anyone for the government's response to the disaster, saying he doesn't want to "bite the hand" that's trying to save him. His own home in Pascagoula, Mississippi, was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Feds Trying to Block Media from New Orleans?

NBC's Brian Williams write on the site blog:

An interesting dynamic is taking shape in this city, not altogether positive: after days of rampant lawlessness (making for what I think most would agree was an impossible job for the New Orleans Police Department during those first few crucial days of rising water, pitch-black nights and looting of stores) the city has now reached a near-saturation level of military and law enforcement. In the areas we visited, the red berets of the 82nd Airborne are visible on just about every block. National Guard soldiers are ubiquitous. At one fire scene, I counted law enforcement personnel (who I presume were on hand to guarantee the safety of the firefighters) from four separate jurisdictions, as far away as Connecticut and Illinois. And tempers are getting hot.

Wednesday, September 7

[Greggs] The Storm of the Century

This is the first time I've written since The Storm of the Century hit the Coast. This has bothered me more than not sleeping in my own bed, as writing is my own form of sustenance. I've been a "displaced person" since Monday. I'm not quite sure when I will be able to return to my house, as I will probably be one of the last people to get power. During the storm, a 150-year-old oak tree fell on the power lines in my front yard. Minus it being one of the scariest moments of my life, it also means there is a lot of work to be done before I am restored on the Almighty "Grid."

[New Release] The New Pornographers "Twin Cinema"

— Herman Snell and Alex Slawson

The New Pornographers — "Twin Cinema" In the Byrds/Beatles power-pop reflection of Elephant 6, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Beta Band, The Comas and The Shins, the rise and fall of the indie psych pop flavor-of-the-month continues to shine on The New Pornographers on their third proper album. Much like its predecessors, "Twin Cinema" is a mish-mash of brilliant collaboration by each of the band members, losing the cohesive masterpiece shown in frontman A.C. Newman's "The Slow Wonder." These beautiful flaws run the psychedelic gamut from the haunting pop melodies of Newman's tracks to something straight out of Robyn Hitchcock's seminal works with The Soft Boys.

[Johnson] An Imperfect Storm

I'm sitting in my modest but comfortable Fondren home on a Saturday night, nursing a summer cold. My power is finally back on; my AC, television and Internet are working, and my car even has some gas! My wife and I are expecting our first child any minute now, and I feel fairly confident that we'll be able to bring him into this world with some semblance of safety. And although I am grateful for all of this (except the cold), I am also extremely angry, almost to the point of despair.

Supernatural

Razputin, the psychic son of a circus trapeze artist, runs away from home to enter Whispering Rock Summer Camp, a training facility for possible psychic secret agents, the "Psychonauts." Using powers like clairvoyance, telekinesis, pyrokinesis and levitation, he will uncover a sinister plot involving the stolen brains of his fellow campers.

[Music] Nona Mae Would Be So Proud

You know the cliché—the sincere hippie chick with a nice voice and sincere, if a bit vapid, lyrics. Well, throw your preconceived notions out the window and run out and get Laurel Isbister's new release, "Nona Mae's Wishes," a live recording of performances the now Jackson-based songwriter gave in California a couple of years back. Yes, Laurel looks a bit like a hippie chick, and yes, her lyrics and delivery are unabashedly sincere. But it works wonderfully, as Isbister's breathy voice, sonorous guitar phrasings and evocative subject matter gel beautifully.

[New Release] Aarktica "Bleeding Light"

— Alex Slawson and Herman Snell

Aarktica — "Bleeding Light" Jon DeRosa and his project Aarktica has been a staple of the Darla Records camp since 2000. The somnambulistic gauze that shrouds every guitar chord of his catalogue recalls shoegaze, ambient and folk. His newest collection, "Bleeding Light," steps forward with a new and more organic dimension: horns. Quoting DeRosa on his reasoning behind making this album; "Bleeding Light" is an album about New York City. It is a product of urban isolation, and the songs are aural manifestations of the loss of self." However morose his reasons may appear to be, the result is is one of his most ambitious releases to date.

[New Release] Kill Rock Stars "KRS Video Fanzine III"

— Herman Snell and Alex Slawson

Kill Rock Stars — "KRS Video Fanzine III" This 26-track DVD has great videos, rare live performances, spoken word, short film clips and more. It features old favorites like Sleater-Kinney, Deerhoof, Juliana Lueking, Unwound, Mecca Normal, Slumber Party, Xiu Xiu, Kleenex and others, with new friends like The Decemberists, Mae Shi, Amps For Christ and more.

The Hope Sleeps Tonight

What a week of pure, unadulterated emotion. As we put out this issue—the first one with power and resources and staff fully restored—I am spent due to what I've seen, read and experienced in the last week.

Heaven's Kitchen

The air in St. Andrew's kitchen is filled with the heady aroma of garlic and roasting chicken as a dozen volunteers prepare meals for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina's devastation.

[Kamikaze] I Am Hip-Hop

Looks like I'm going to have to get on my soapbox, yet again. Folks around here should know by now that if you say anything derogatory about hip-hop, I'm going to come after you hard. Especially when your comments are not stemmed in fact, but based on outdated stereotypes and profiling, you are sure to read about yourself in my next column.

[Stiggers] Caught Looting? Call Cootie McBride

Here's an important message from the McBride family representing the Ghetto Science Team's Emergency Assistance Task Force.

The Next Meal

A good meal is something many of us take for granted. But for others, food, especially hot meals for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina and those diligently working to return our lives to some sort of normalcy, is now more scarce than most could imagine just a few days ago. Right now in Jackson there are those who want to help and those in need of knowing where their next meal is coming from. Here's a list of spots to find that next meal, as well as places to donate necessary supplies and assistance.

‘This Don't Make No Sense'

The tone was tense at a hastily called Sept. 2 emergency briefing between City Council members and Jackson Mayor Frank Melton. Though slow to release public statements in the days after Katrina struck, Melton announced at the briefing that the city was under an emergency order "to give us the latitude" to address massive power outages across the city and the corresponding fuel shortage attributed to Hurricane Katrina.

The Tails of Katrina

They may become one of the largest set of casualties, evacuees and victims without family, homes, shelter, food, water and medicine. They are the dogs, cats, birds, pot-bellied pigs, horses, livestock, and other pets and animals left behind as Katrina hurled winds and water on the coasts of Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

Alone And Forgotten

Novella Buckley's house is a nondescript brick and asbestos shingle structure, tucked away on the corner of Woodrow Wilson and Morton Avenue, just knocking on the very edges of the Georgetown Community. The home itself could be no more than 60 years old, possibly one of the many homes thrown up when the boomer population exploded upon the return of combatants from World War II.

Making A Shelter A Home

A week after Katrina, Jackson's largest shelter—the Red Cross-sponsored Mississippi Coliseum—is a whole new ballgame. Each day at the Coliseum possesses a completely different vibe. Saturday filled itself with excitement—from the meet-and-greets with Deuce McAllister and David Banner to the wedding officiated by Rev. Yamily Bass-Choate. Thanks to the donations of a wedding gown, tuxedo, wedding cake and other essentials, Hurricane Katrina evacuees Joseph Kirsh and Trenise Williams wed on Saturday night in what 24-year-old evacuee Nafeesa McCoy called a "beautiful service," with Jackson saxophonist eZra Brown providing the processional.

Anthony DiFatta

Tony DiFatta is something. I met Tony, 38, not too long before we started the Jackson Free Press, and he came on board immediately. He did the art for our very first cover, and he's done memorable covers for us ever since, including a certain one of Sen. Trent Lott in a dunce hat. And most of you know how popular his art shows are at spots like Nunnery's Gallery.

Aquarium Rescue Unit Founder at Hal & Mal's

In a career that has spanned nearly two decades, the man who is best known as the purveyor of psychedelic hickhop bluesgrass, brings his newly incarnated BLUEGROUND UNDERGRASS to Hal and Mals in Jackson MS Saturday Thursday September 22. Showtime is 10:00pm and Tickets are $8.00. Blueground features Reverend Jeff Mosier as well as musical partners David Blackmon on fiddle (WIDESPREAD PANIC) and Matthew Williams on vocals and guitar.

Jucos On Hold

The start of Mississippi's junior college football season has been delayed again, this time until Sept. 22, due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Tuesday, September 6

Christopher Hitchens on Katrina and Bush's Response

The neo-cons' favorite Brit did an interview with Austrailian Broadcasting Corp. yesterday that won't fly so well with Bush supporters. Here's an excerpt, but read the whole thing:

Chertoff: Hurricane, Then Floods A ‘Surprise'

CNN is reporting:

Defending the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff argued Saturday that government planners did not predict such a disaster ever could occur. But in fact, government officials, scientists and journalists have warned of such a scenario for years.

Mississippi Death Toll May Top 1,000

Clarion-Ledger is reporting:

Transcript: GOP Senate Press Conference on Katrina

SENATE NEWS CONFERENCE ON HURRICANE KATRINA, U.S. CAPITOL, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2005

HUTCHISON: We are going to have the senators who are affected by this terrible natural disaster in our country, Katrina, talk about the efforts in their home states. And I want to start with Senator Lott , because he certainly suffered the most direct loss, and we have called and e-mailed both he and Thad Cochran, but so many of us had gone to his beautiful 150-year-old home and were just touched by the loss of that beautiful home.

FEMA Expands Disaster Area in Mississippi

[Statement from Chip Pickering/verbatim] PEARL, MISS -- Congressman Chip Pickering announced today that FEMA has added 31 counties to the individual assistance disaster designation and 29 counties have been added to the public disaster designation.

Catholics Charities Present Crisis Response Training

[verbatim statement] Beginning on September 12, 2005, Catholic Charities' Trauma Recovery for Youth Project will host a week long training on Post Traumatic Stress Management by Dr. Robert Macy. Dr. Macy is the Director of Community Services for the Trauma Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He has 20 years experience doing clinical interventions and academic research in the field of behavioral health, crisis intervention, and traumatic incident management. Robert conducts dozens of trainings annually on youth suicide prevention, threat profiling, threat management and violence prevention, and School and Community Based Post Traumatic Stress Management.

Report: FEMA Has No Plan for Body Removal

From the Times-Picayune today:

20 Folding Tables Needed IMMEDIATELY for Coast

20 lightweight folding tables are needed ASAP to go to Gulf Coast – we have a truck ready to drive them down if anyone knows of a source. Please reply if you do. Thanks, Emma

Hastert: New Orleans ‘Could Be Bulldozed'

Here's a link to the now-infamous story about House Speaker Dennis Hastert's truly execrable remarks about the city of New Orleans. No KatrinaBlog would be complete without this story in its archives.

O, What A Start

Ole Miss began the Ed Orgeron era with a 10-6 victory over Memphis on Monday. The Rebs didn't look like a national championship team, but at least they beat Memphis for a change. Micheal Spurlock earned a shot of redemption and DeAngelo Williams' Heisman Trophy hopes went down the drain.

Monday, September 5

What to do about New Orleans?

Towanda posted an article in that thread that included the following paragraph that outraged me:

Starting a new topic here so as not to hijack the "What to Donate" thread.

Lott: ‘I Am Demanding Help for Mississippi'

[Sept. 5, 2005/verbatim statement] POPLARVILLE, Mississippi – U.S. Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi emerged from a one-on-one meeting with President Bush today in Poplarville asserting, "I am demanding help for the people of Mississippi to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina."

AP: Katrina Death Toll Could Reach 10,000

The Associated Press is reporting:

URGENT: 250 Folding Cots Needed NOW for Coast, More Needs

Rev. Emma Connolly wrote Sunday:

We are getting calls from all over the country, thanks to your networking. We are in need - NOW - for 250 folding cots to deliver to the Gulf Coast ASAP. These items cannot be found in the Jackson area at this time. Do you have connections to ask this? Anyone can call my husband, Robert Connolly, 601-573-5796, if they can find any cots and get them to Jackson quickly. He will let them know how many are needed. Thanks again for all you have done.

UPDATED CONSTANTLY: Hurricane Jxn: What's Open?

What are services you need? What is open; what isn't? Where's the place to go for cheap with AC you can hang out a long time ? Is there a movie theatre with power that's open ?

Letter from Sweden

This came today from a filmmaker we know—a Mississippi native who divides his time between Oxford (Miss.) and Sweden. His message is important:

New Orleans Police Spokesman Commits Suicide

He shot himself with his own gun.

As the White House develops a political strategy to blame the terrible conditions on Louisiana, the spokesman for the New Orleans Police Department, Sgt. Paul Accardo, 38, who has been quoted all week in media reports about the disaster, has committed suicide.

Sunday, September 4

Times-Picayune's Open Letter to the President

<i>OUR OPINIONS: An open letter to the President

Reprinted verbatim from the Sunday edition of the Times-Picayune:

AP: Census Shows Many Couldn't Afford to Evacuate

An Associated Press analysis of Census data shows that the residents in the

Here's one for the dumbasses who tried to blame the victims, saying they just should have evacuated like the other folks did. The Associated Press is reporting that an analysis of Census data show that, surprise!, many of the victims were simply too poor to evacuate. It seems—alert the media—that not everyone can afford a car, or even the fuel to run one.

Money, Supplies Needed for Nursing Home Residents

September 4, 2005/verbatim: Hurricane Katrina Destroyed Several Mississippi Nursing Homes Needs of Senior Citizens Continue to Grow

Gulf Coast: Not Much Better

The Sun-Herald reports:

Authorities fear a disease outbreak could add to the toll of fatalities from the hurricane. The number of confirmed deaths in the six southern-most counties rose to 134. Family and friends are driving through the streets of ravaged neighborhoods asking the few residents still in their homes if they know what happened to their loved ones. The stench of decay - human and animal - was growing stronger in flattened neighborhoods where cranes would be needed to untangle the debris. Bodies swept out to sea in the storm Sunday are still coming back, authorities said.

‘This Country Is Better Than That'

Great New York Times editorial today:

Saturday, September 3

The Psychology of Looting

Very good article. The reasons for looting are looked at from just about every angle.

‘Looking for Friends': A Gallery of Post-Its

Our two new young friends, Pierce and Zon, drove down from Madison, Wis., to do what they can to help with the disaster. Right now, they're helping the JFP with our KatrinaBlog and getting us hooked up with the Indy Media network, as well as interviewing and photographing evacuees around the city. See this gallery of notices posted in the Coliseum of people who are trying to find loved ones that they just uploaded into the JFP galleries. (If one is hard to read, try the Zoom In button.) Thanks, guys.

‘My Heart Is Just Breaking for Your Pain'

Just in via e-mail/verbatim from Toronto:

I know you need so many things right now. I wish I could be with-in arm's reach to offer you a hot meal, a warm bed... or just a change of clothes. Many of us in other countries are appalled by the lack of support that has been provided to the people in the US (by your Federal Government), to the people that need it most. I believe that most of your fellow American's are also feeling inpotant(sp?) that there is not more being done to ease your suffering in a more efficent manner.

Disaster Remarks by Barbour, McCoy, Tuck, Others

Transcribed Remarks by the Governor and other state officials/MEMA Press Conference/Jackson, MS

Governor Haley Barbour: "Before I start trying to share some briefing with you… First, I'm pleased that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker accompanied me to the coast today to meet with the President and tour some of the devastated parts of Biloxi, with him, Senator Lott, Senator Cochran, and Congressman Pickering. So before I have anything to say, I want to invite the Lieutenant Governor to say some remarks."

Malik Rahim: ‘This Is Criminal'

The following report by Malik Raham was e-mailed to us by Jan Hillegas, a Jackson-based veteran of the Civil Rights Movement. Rahim, a veteran of the Black Panther Party in New Orleans, for decades an organizer of public housing tenants both there and in San Francisco and a recent Green Party candidate for New Orleans City Council, lives in the Algiers neighborhood, the only part of New Orleans that is not flooded. They have no power, but the water is still good and the phones work. His remarks are reprinted verbatim.

Salon: Report About Jackson, Hattiesburg

Stephen Elliott reports for Salon:

Days After Disaster, Bush Sending Active-Duty Troops

The Associated Press is reporting:

Friday, September 2

[Tisserand] Submerged

New Orleans is gone. I left it behind me on Saturday, with my two kids in the backseat, the soundtrack to "Shrek" on the CD player.

Growing Black Outrage Over Katrina Victims

The New York Times is reporting:

U.S. Senators: Congress to Probe ‘Immense Failure'

Reuters is reporting:

Transcribed Remarks of Barbour, Pickering, Red Cross Head

Transcribed Remarks: Governor Haley Barbour, U.S. Congressman Chip Pickering, and

Governor Haley Barbour: Let me start off by introducing a great ally to Mississippi, and somebody that is a genuine pleasure for me to have here and to let visit with you. Marty Evans is the President of the American Red Cross. Marty.

Lott: $50 Million Temporary Katrina Recovery Jobs

[September 2, 2005/verbatim] Pascagoula, Mississippi — Federal grant funding totaling $50 million is being awarded to the state of Mississippi, specifically to hire temporary workers for ongoing hurricane recovery and rebuilding efforts, U.S. Senator Trent Lott said today, following notification by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

City Explains Curfews

Raised issue about JPS schools ... something

Nash Nunnery, the city's new public info guy, just explained to me how the curfews are working. Other than the youth curfews, they are basically "unenforceable," both for businesses and individuals, he said. "There is an unforceable business curfew between 12 midnight and 6 a.m. He said they request and encourage businesses to close so police can be doing other things. But, he acknowledged, there are workers who have to travel after midnight. "It's more of a request than an enforceable curfew. I seriously doubt somebody going to get arrested because business open past midnight." Likewise, the curfew against individuals out after midnight is "unenforceable" as well, he said. "Like I said, nobody is going to be picked up because they're out and about. How can you distinguish between emergency workers and other people?"

Boil Water Alert Lifted; Other City Info

September 2, 2005—HIGHLIGHTS OF 3 P.M. BRIEFING FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS REGARDING STORM RECOVERY

The City of Jackson and the Hinds County EOC will conduct briefings twice daily to update information in the continuing recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Briefings are at 9:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. The pressroom at the Hinds EOC is available. Highlights from today's afternoon briefing:

JSU's Katrina Response

(Jackson, Miss.) – Jackson State University is thankful to those who have expressed sympathy and offered assistance in response to Hurricane Katrina. We would like to assure the public that we are able to move forward with the 2005–06 academic year, and will do everything within our ability to assist those students and families in need. Accordingly, we will implement the following emergency response measures:

President Bush's Remarks From the Coast

[verbatim]REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

Biloxi, Mississippi12:15 P.M. CDT

The Times-Picayune Feeds

The feeds from New Oreans' The Times-Picayune have been added to JFP's Katrina Blog. The feeds are updated live by the staff of The Times-Picayune now located in Baton Rouge. View them (on the left column of the Katrina Blog) by visiting http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/katrinablog.php.

Open Letter to City: Open Briefings; Let Info Flow

As rumors swirl about everything from gas prices to lawlessness, the City of Jackson has seemed to take a bunker mentality. They are, apparently, having "briefings" twice a day between the city and the Hinds County EOC—but are not opening them up to the media, or media questions. They give us a hand-out of "highlights" afterward, but we cannot ask questions about where power is being restored, the priority of restoration, the problems, gas issues (and all sorts of rumors are floating on that), issues regarding potential crime and looting and what should be done. Very importantly, there doesn't seem to be key people addressing issues of refugees and what the people of Jackson can, and should, do to help them. Here at the JFP, the e-mails and phone calls are fast and furious with questions and requests—and we can barely handle them, although we are doing our best.

Bush ‘Not Looking Forward' to Coast Trip

But he's coming ... Clarion-Ledger is reporting:

Lott: Coast Relief Efforts to Intensify

[September 2, 2005/verbatim] PASCAGOULA, Mississippi - On the heels of site visits Thursday to the Hurricane Katrina Emergency Operations Center in Gulfport, the National Guard's relief coordination center at the Gulfport Guard base and briefings at Northrop Grumman Ingalls Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Senator Lott said he is confident that the effort to get more food, fuel, water and supplies onto the coast will intensify.

Braves Take A Seat

The Mississippi Braves have cancelled the last four games of the season due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The Braves were scheduled to begin a four-game series with the Carolina Mudcats on Friday. The team had already canceled its three-game home series with Chattanooga. Meanwhile, Alcorn State postponed its football game with Grambling State, scheduled for Saturday in Lorman.

Thursday, September 1

Shelter In A Storm

Visit the Jackson Free Press' KatrinaBlog here.

Confusion, Chaos Increasing in Jackson

*Web Exclusive*

Car lines at the gas pumps can easily stretch for miles in the city of Jackson today. Stations regain their electricity, only to drain their pumps within a few hours as hungry vehicles buck and stamp for a turn at the pump. Tempers have risen and threats have been made, prompting police supervision at many pumps.

JFP Index: Hell Hath No Fury

• Peak winds of Hurricane Katrina when it made landfall: 150 mph

Formality – A Necessary Evil

This week I'm absolutely ga-ga over a winery whose wines have just now become available in Mississippi. This new kid's name is Castle Rock Winery. This winery is exciting to me for a few reasons: 1) the wines come from several different viticultural areas (AVAs), 2) all of them are really, really good and 3) they are really, really cheap. In my opinion, these are some of the best low end wines I've ever tasted. (And I've tasted a lot of 'em; just ask my liver.) In a blind tasting I would never guess that these wines are bargain-priced.

Melton's Lies Cost Taxpayers

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton admitted to lying in legal documents for more than two years on Aug. 22, saying he had been confused, as he stood before a judge in Lauderdale County Circuit Court. Three days later, Judge Robert Bailey called his explanation "ludicrous" and declared Melton the loser in the lawsuit due to lies he'd told to the court on numerous occasions - leaving the Mississippi taxpayers to pay his damages.

Destruction and Hot Tempers

"They said I needed to get out, and that's what I did," said Tony Porter, who says he owned a photo and camera repair shop not too far off the northeast section of Magazine Street in New Orleans. Porter, who was passing through Jackson on the way to a friend's house in Memphis, speaks of his small, young business in the past tense as he sits at a Phillips 66 gas station in North Jackson.

Real Life

As I start this column, I'm in a hotel room in Baltimore, Md., just outside of BWI airport, having had my flight back to Jackson canceled repeatedly for the past two days because the airport had no power and water. I'm watching the Weather Channel and CNN and checking in to post things on the JFP Web site, because I'm the only member of the staff with Internet access. Or power. The devastation on the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans is heartbreaking and, seemingly, getting worse by the hour.

[Lynch] Black Flammable Goop

Thanks to Katrina, the power is out at my place, just like it probably was, or is, at yours. As I walked out of my electricity-bereft house Wednesday morning and parked my wheezing car in the nearest gas line in the hot Mississippi sun, I tried to imagine what gasoline means to me these days, and I came to realize that I fear it's soon going to mean the end of life as we know it.

Donna Gunn

She's an angel with a meaningful purpose. As she spoke, it seemed as if her words slowly came to life. I was taken by this woman's presence and her love for God.

[Fleming] Pragmatic, Not Un-patriotic

Despite your personal opinions about Cindy Sheehan's political beliefs or motives, she has single-handedly brought into focus the lack of an exit strategy in Iraq. She has done more in the last few weeks than all of the politicians and special-interest groups in Washington to make us painfully aware that we are mired in a conflict similar to Vietnam and Bosnia, where we really have no consensus plan to pull out our valiant military forces in a timely and successful manner.

Issue No. 49

<b><u>Dear Kamikaze,</b></u>

Just to let you know, I enjoyed your somewhat predictable response to my letter ("you're white, so you can't possibly understand," ("The New Racism," July 13, 2005)). What an insult to so many, many people, both white and black, but that seems to be your credo. Sorry it took so long for me to get back with you, but I've been working and paying taxes. You know, that stuff Jim Crow allows me to do.

Sun-Herald: MISSISSIPPI NEEDS HELP NOW

<i><b>South Mississippi needs your help</b>

The Sun-Herald published a desperate editorial Thursday on its Web site.

Black and White ‘Looters' Being Covered Differently?

Salon has an intriguing story, with screen shots, exploring whether the media are treating blacks who are taking items from stores differently than whites doing the same thing.

Can Bush, U.S. Troops Handle Katrina and Iraq?

Today in the New York Times, David E. Sanger explores the haunting question of whether President Bush's administration can balance the pressing needs of Iraq with the largest domestic disaster relief needs in our history: