Losing the Numbers Game

LOSING THE NUMBERS GAME Manassas, which opened in 1899, has heart, guts, and history. Entertainer Isaac Hayes and school board member Sara Lewis are among its distinguished graduates. But it has a serious numbers problem both on the football field and in the classrooms, with a total enrollment of about 350 students.

• by John Branston

RON JEREMY'S COMING

RON JEREMY'S COMING

• by Chris Davis

The Blame Game

Who's responsible for last week's massive power failure? Why, nobody, of course.

• by Molly Ivins

CITY BEAT

OUT ON A LIMB WITH LYNN LANG The root question in all of this: Did Alabama booster Logan Young pay Lynn Lang $150,000 cash to get Means to enroll at Alabama, as Lang said he did in making his guilty plea last November?

• by Ed Weathers

TAKING IT FROM THE TOP

THE UN BOMBING IN IRAQ If you have a high-speed connection, and you have a strong stomach, you might want -- note, I say, might -- to view this unedited CBS News "as it happened" footage of the UN bombing today [Tuesday] in Baghdad: CBSNews.com or try: http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/videoplayer/newVid/framesource2.html?clip=/media/2003/08/19/video569057 Yes, while watching this, I felt anger and disgust at the demons who do such things to innocent men and women. Anyone (else) who was around the aftermath of an IRA bombing in the Seventies would feel the same outrage, whether the innocent lives lost were taken in Belfast or Jerusalem, Beirut or New York City. But the same kind of anger and disgust, I believe, must be directed at the man ultimately responsible for the madness in Baghdad these days. And yes, the buck stops there.

• by Ed Weathers

DANCE FEVER

DANCE FEVER

• by Chris Davis

City Reporter

Child-care providers weigh options as subsidy deadline looms, and other news.

• by Flyer Staff

THE WEATHERS REPORT

THE ONLY-CASE SCENARIO I have a friend who is betting money that George W. Bush will not be the Republican nominee for president in 2004....I envy my friend his childlike ability to believe that his wishes can come true. And I can only smile at his confidence in the American voter.

• by Ed Weathers

Back to School

More and more large urban school districts are going to an appointed school board. Will it work in Memphis?

• by Mary Cashiola

SOCCER MOMS PREVAIL: MINOR SPORTS ARE BACK

The Memphis City Schools administration and board agreed Friday to put nine "minor" sports such as soccer and tennis back in the $735 million budget. All eight board members approved the decision at a Budget Committee meeting where Supt. Johnnie Watson made the proposal, reversing a controversial plan that attracted widespread media attention earlier this week.

• by Ed Weathers

HOW IT LOOKS

• by Ed Weathers

EUROTRASH BLUES

EUROTRASH BLUES

• by Chris Davis

FROM MY SEAT

HELMETS ON The last time the University of Memphis met Tennessee Tech on the gridirion, the Tigers edged the Golden Eagles 12-6. The Memphis touchdowns were scored by Dave Casinelli (the first of 11 heÕd score that season) and former Central High standout Russ Vollmer. All three extra points were missed. The year was 1962, home field was Crump Stadium, and those Tigers had to muster all their strength to avoid looking a week ahead to their showdown with the third-ranked Ole Miss Rebels.

• by Frank Murtaugh

Hurts So Good

Joe Pernice turns romantic misery into sharp songcraft.

• by Ross Johnson

Short Cuts

Warhols toke; Led Zep bloats.

• by Chris Herrington

Map or Trap?

Memphis becomes the scene of resistance to President Bush's Middle East proposals.

• by Jackson Baker

20?/20!

The Memphis Theatre Awards turn 20 this year, sort of. Plus, picks and pans.

• by Chris Davis

Frightening

Focusing on horror films: The Eye and Freddy Vs. Jason.

Postscript

Flyer readers respond.

• by Flyer Readers

180 Days of Tan

Are uniforms the great equalizer or do they just dress up a problem?

• by Mary Cashiola

Out on a Limb with Lynn Lang

Out on a Limb with Lynn Lang

• by John Branston

The Point of No Return

The Point of No Return

• by Editorial

Absinthe-Minded

On the trail of the Green Fairy.

• by Leonard Gill