Jackson Free Press

‘Merit' in Mississippi

The teacher merit-pay mindset is attracting more believers here in Mississippi, despite hesitation on the part of teachers' organizations and many lawmakers who worry that it's just another way to …

‘Merit Pay:' So Many Meanings, So Little Time

Some people might find it confusing that so-called liberal Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., supported President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act, and is pushing for "merit pay" during …

JFP Index: It's About Jobs, Silly Goose

• Number, in thousands, of new jobs the Bush administration predicted for July: 215 to 247

• Number, in thousands, of jobs added in May: 208• Number, in millions, of U.S. jobs lost since Bush took his oath of office: 1.1• Number of years since a …

(Film/Performance) The American Astronaut

Scattered across the desolate solar system exist the bleary-eyed mining men of Jupiter who know nothing of women, and the sexually frustrated, all-female (Southern Belle no less) population of Venus. …

[Lott] Eliminating Bad, Brown Water

Recently I was pleased to join our Congressional delegation in announcing almost $6 million in federal assistance for water system upgrades throughout Mississippi. Every year I vigorously support water and …

T.O. Calls Garcia Out

NFL teams are preparing for the first full weekend of exhibition games. So naturally it's time to start talking about players' sex lives. In an interview in the next issue …

Mississippi Opry

Mississippi Gospel and Bluegrass Opry Sat., Aug. 14, Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m. The Born Again Quartet, Murray Stewart & friends, The McCobes, Matt & Laurie Jones, Hardeman Duet, Harmony & …

[Rev] Veggie Car Road Trip, Part III: South America!

We left off last week wondering how DM&E (David, Mali and Emilio )would get across the Darien gap, the 54-mile impassable portion of the Pan-American Highway. The answer turned out …

International Organization to Observe U.S. Election

CNN is reporting that, for the first time, the U.S. presidential election will have international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The request for observation came …

Faultline's "Your Love Means Everything" Re-issue +

"The Colossal Gray Sunshine," featuring guest vocals from the Flaming Lips, has been remixed as the emphasis track for Faultline's lost electronic classic "Your Love Means Everything", which will be …

Mayor Johnson Weekly Newsletter 8/6/04

Mayor Johnson was handed a check for over one million dollars Thursday for demolition of the White Rock Apartments. "We appreciate HUD's commitment to the city of Jackson," said Johnson. …

Slam Poets Organize Against Bush

[Verbatim] Coming off the heels of the their hugely successful Rhyme Night showcase series, Contrabandit.com has been recruited by Slam Bush PAC and the Indy Voter PAC to organize Slam …

Love Me, Hate Me: The JFP Interview with Kenneth Stokes

Councilman Kenneth Stokes slapped me the other day. His large hand hit my sweat-beaded skin in one swift swoop to kill the mosquito getting ready to bite. He did not …

August 3 Music Releases

As promised, here are the music releases for Tuesday, August 3. They are seperated by genre: blues, country, folk, indie/electronica/underground, jazz, latin, rap, rock/pop/r&b and world. Culled from Billboard Magazine, …

The Beta Band call it quits!

According to Pitchfork and the band Website, The Beta Band have decided to call it a day. This is especially sad, given the creative dynamic on their latest release, "Heroes …

The Best in Sports in the Next 7 Days

Thursday, Aug. 5

Extreme sports: X Games, 8 p.m. (ESPN): Hey, with a little more practice, you could be on TV next year, bro. OK, make that a LOT more practice.

Let's Do the Time Warp, Aga-inn

This is a hard column to write. Sometimes something is so painful, so heart-wrenching that you don't want to expose it. You just want to ignore it, and hope no …

Springsteen, Raitt, Babyface, Pearl Jam, Others Stump to Unseat Bush

AP is reporting: "In an unprecedented series of concerts in nine swing states, more than 20 musical acts -- including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and the Dixie Chicks -- will …

[Wine] D.I.Y. Wine Tasting

It starts with the spark of an idea (usually over drinks) and involves 10 willing friends (who enjoy wine and its relaxing buzz). Invent a theme, grab some cocktail food …

JFP INDEX: Feed, Then Starve, The Beast

•Amount, in billions, of U.S. budget surplus when G. W. Bush took office: $230

•Amount of 2004 U.S. budget that's going to Medicare: $300 billion