August 26-September 1, 2004	[2004 issue index]
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Lesson Plans Schools CEO Paul Vallas will announce a sweeping new education-reform package next week. But are his goals realistic? by Amy L. Webb

news

Surveying the Odds: As a task force readies to release a study about how slot parlors would affect the city, opinions in Chinatown are varied.—Helen i-lin Hwang

Rat Link: A new Web site exposes stoolies and undercover agents. Legal? Apparently. Ethical? In the eye of the beholder.—Brendan McGarvey

Wheel and Steal: Three armed robberies have police and residents edgy about bicycling thugs in Fairmount.—Dan Keashen

The Bell Curve: City Paper's weekly gauge of Philly's Quality of Life

columns:

Political Notebook:Political Notebook—Mary F. Patel

Cityspace:River Bred: Philadelphia has a great street system, but we need to turn attention to our once-integral waterfronts.—Alan Greenberger

Cityspace:Car-dominium—Amy L. Webb

opinion

Loose Canon by Bruce Schimmel
Forced Testimony

Slant by Jonathan McGoran
What the Future Holds

Letters to the Editor: by the readers

special section

arts

Shiny Happy People: Artists at Moore and Wexler this month examine the human condition.—Robin Rice

Theater:The Lives of Bosie—David Anthony Fox

artspicks

Checking the Mics—Deesha Dyer

Eastern Meets Western (Pa.)—Deni Kasrel

Paradise City—Andrew Parks

Movables Feast—Tami Fertig

movies

Fighting for Truth: In Hero, it's not just a matter of who wins, but who tells the story.—Cindy Fuchs

Another Fine Mess: The sputtering glory of Takashi Miike.—Sam Adams

Screen Picks: The Krzysztof Kieslowski Collection—Sam Adams

music

Boot Up: A Quebec band returns to the Philadelphia Folk Festival after 15 years with a new version of the old sound.—Mary Armstrong

Stars and Sleepers: Look for these folk at the Fest.

soundadvice: Ladies Love Hip-Hop ... The Kingston Trio ... Hip-Hop, Spoken, Vocal Sounds and Fashion Explosion ... Illatropolis ... Big Sandy ... S.A.F. Music Fest ... Slam Bush—Deesha Dyer, M.J. Fine, Nicole Pensiero and Patrick Rapa

DJ Nights—Sean O'Neal

musicpicks

Buddy Guy/Robert Cray—Nicole Pensiero

Lady Alma/ Eric Roberson—Deesha Dyer

Super Mecca Karaoke Smackdown—Andrew Parks

naked city

Civics, Lessons: A Confederate flag causes a stir in the Italian Market.—Deborah Bolling

fineprint: Less words, more story.—Brian Howard

Web site of the week—Joey Sweeney

Icepack—A.D. Amorosi

mixpicks

Usurping Tradition—Juliet Fletcher

Big Hitters—Tami Fertig

Eclectic Tastes—Deesha Dyer

food

Changing Its Stripes: Striped Bass returns from the deep.—Maxine Keyser

offthemenu—Juliet Fletcher