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[Stiggers] Summa Time Tips And Stuff

Ghetto Science Public Television presents "Energy Savin' Spring and Summa Time Tips and Stuff" with Grandpa Pookie and Bruh JoJo.

[Lott] Protecting Forests

Recently passed by the Senate thanks to the strong leadership of Senator Thad Cochran and supported by President Bush, the Healthy Forest Restoration Act will be a major benefit in states like Mississippi where forests cover 60 percent of our state, account for 10 percent of all jobs and consistently compete with poultry as the state's number one agricultural product. This act will use sensible measures to ensure that wildfires like those which scorched California last year will not harm Mississippi's wildlife or human life.

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 up for our weakest residents. Young people have rights. They have needs. They make mistakes. It's not all about them respecting us; it's about us treating them with dignity and compassion and understanding, helping them instead of inflicting further harm.

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.

[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.

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.

The Governor Sacrifices His Rook

One burning question from our past two weeks of reporting at the Capitol on the governor's special session is a simple, if surprising, one. Does Haley Barbour really want tort reform?

Houston, We Have A Problem

As soon as the Best of Jackson 2005 issue was put to bed, the JFP turned our attention to the upcoming city elections. My personal mayoral bias was that Harvey Johnson Jr. had done a pretty good job as mayor, certainly in the last four years; our readers thought so, too. They had voted him Best Elected Official and Most Under-Appreciated Jacksonian in the Best of Jackson awards—largely, I suspect because his long-term visions had started coming to fruition in the last couple years, and because he has embraced the emerging diverse, determined creative class here. It didn't hurt any that crime was falling and private investment was returning to Jackson.

[Stiggers] The State of Dee-wishous Queem-O-Wheet

The 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.

[Spann] The Power of ‘Passion'

A year or so ago, a young man visiting my Wednesday night Bible study class relayed his encounter with a non-Christian who questioned how Christianity could be a monotheistic faith yet have a God who describes himself as three beings: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. "He explained to me that 1 + 1 + 1 = 3, not 1," said the young man. "I had to admit that he was both clever and correct, but then shared with him that 1 x 1 x 1 = 1."

Eating Popcorn and Paying Dues

This week marks the Sixth Annual Crossroads Film Festival, and in this issue of the Jackson Free Press you'll find reviews, recommendations and a program guide to give you a sense of what to look for this Thursday through Sunday as the film festival is going on. I hope, if you're reading these words, you'll make an effort to attend. It takes all of us to bring quality independent film to Jackson, and attending the Crossroads Film Festival is a big part of making that possible.

[Stiggers] Help Wanted: WMD Detectives Needed

The 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.

[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 Lil' Ray-Ray's detail shop.

[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 that a few conservative views did not a Republican make. But I wasn't so sure. Besides, if I wasn't a Republican and I couldn't identify with the Democrats anymore, what on earth was I? I had to have a party affiliation and fast.

[Williams] The Easy Feeder

Weight problems are nature's perverse intersection of passion and pain. Anyone who has tried to diet knows this. But it is especially true for horses. Like goldfish, there are some horses that can literally kill themselves with one abundant meal. They're called "easy feeders."

[Whitley] ‘Movin' On Up' Not Working Anymore

The generation of African Americans that came of age during the '60s and '70s was taught that having the American dream—a job, a house, a car—was the pinnacle of success. They used every tool at their disposal, and demanded those that weren't, in the struggle to achieve that goal. And now that they've achieved it, those now-parents, most of them nicely settled into middle-class life, are teaching that same definition of success to their children.

[Fleming] Give Barbour Credit Where It's Due

In time, we all can agree on something in our political lives. This week, I can honestly say that I am in agreement with Gov. Haley Barbour on several points. First, I am glad that the governor has had a change of heart considering the Vulnerable Adults Act, which he had vetoed earlier this month.

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.

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 started screaming. Staffers bolted into my office to see what had happened to me. I could barely squeak out that the one thing I've wanted most in my adult life had come true. My hometown was facing its past that's not yet past.

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 ready to take on the world, even if we can't get the year right yet when writing a check or dating a file.