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Readers, Advertisers and Community
The Jackson Free Press, as with any for-profit publication, is designed to appeal to two constituencies: the reader and the advertiser. In these pages, the reader will find examples of the writing, research, coverage and reporting that they can expect from the Jackson Free Press.
Your Springtime Backup Assessment
Did you know that every hard disk made has a specification called "mean time between failures" or MTBF? ("Mean," if you remember back to grade school, is the same as "average.") In other words, all hard drives fail eventually; it's just a matter of time.
[Stauffer] To Peace and Prosperity
As I'm writing this, the Dow seems to have settled into a new level over 10,000 and up about 25 percent on the year. Our abysmal unemployment numbers have seen a little improvement recently (although some manufacturing jobs would be nice), and orders for durable goods have been up in past months along with GDP growth. That's all pretty good news, and it's news that I hope translates into peace and prosperity for all of us in the new year. There is, of course, a lot of work to do—particularly in government, where the red ink flows at both the federal level and here in the state capital.
‘Working Together Works'
It happens that in the same week that the JFP is celebrating its eighth anniversary, the Fondren Association of Businesses (FAB) celebrated its own milestone--the second-annual members' meeting, this time in the newly re-monikered Duling Hall.
Now, Go Produce a Record!
Last week's Best of Jackson issue was followed, as always, by the Best of Jackson party, and this year's party was an amazing blowouthundreds of our closest friends joined us for a sneak peak at the new Auditorium in the old Duling School in Fondren for what has been pretty roundly praised as a good time on a Sunday night.
Newspaper Bites Self
Coincidentally, today's Editor & Publisher e-blast featured a story about USA Today's long-standing habit of padding their official "paid" subscriber numbers with the "freebie" newspapers they distribute through hotel chains. (If you've done much business travel, you may have seen a copy outside your door or in the lobby.) They do this by offering a low price to the hotels for those copies, and then convincing the hotels to put a disclaimer in small print, saying that the guest can request a 75 cent refund from the hotel if you don't want the paper. If you don't complain, USA Today interprets that to mean you "bought" the paper and counts it.
[Stauffer] Movin' On Up
Read about the JFP's exciting moves—from moving into new offices in Fondren to hiring a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter.
Saints March In, Conquer
The Saints, the media and football fans everywhere knew that the Sunday Night Football game between the cinderella Saints and the surging Dallas Cowboys would be a "tester" for both franchises.
Half a Decade Down
When I logged into our production server this week, something had changed—there was just a single "Issue 1" sub-folder in the working directory. It was an unceremonious symbol of a momentous occasion—Volume 6 had begun, the previous year's files moved to the archives. The Jackson Free Press has completed five years of publishing.
Bush Pitched SS Plan in Canton Tuesday
According to the Sun Herald George W. Bush will speak today around noon at the Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi, where he's expected to address "fixing the hole in the safety net" of Social Security, according to press secretary Scott McClellan.
Regarding Herman
Herman Snell was driven. I don't know why--or by what, exactly, but it was fascinating to watch. Herman wanted people to know what was going on in the arts, particularly film, and he wanted them to hear good music. And to him, that meant keeping up with the details.
Mississippi Youth Vote ‘Blue'
You've heard it a million times since Election Day: It's hard to be redder, electorally speaking, than the state of Mississippi. Well, yeah—unless you're under 30. Young Mississippi voters not only turned out in record numbers; they led the South, and much of the nation, in the percentage who voted for John Kerry for president (63 percent) over George W. Bush (37 percent).
In Search of Veggie Dining
I became a vegetarian a little while after my first visit to Kansas. Outside of Dodge City, out on the highway, is a special turnout with an overlook sign. The sign intrigued me, because a cursory glance didn't reveal any particular natural phenomenon worthy of a special viewing. As I guided the convertible to a stop, I noticed the odor. Then I read the sign. For reasons that still escape me—but that must have made sense to some sort of municipal committee at some point in time—this was a special highway overlook … of a cattle feedlot. It didn't put me off meat quite yet, but it started me down a certain road.
The Road to Wellness, Week 7
<b>: Fruits For Our Labors</b>
Ms. D is a fan of the book "The Healthy Hedonist," by Janet Bridgers, which, while it may have a title that scares off some of our fundamentalist-leaning friends, need not be feared. The "hedonism" here is simply an approach to a lifestyle that says you don't have to be on a strict diet in order to be healthy. Chocolate, an evening drink and even guacamole are allowed as occasional indulgences. In fact, the book's approach—that getting healthier should be a bit more fun—is the approach I need this week.
'Balance'or Pandering?
The Clarion-Ledger's editorial director has asserted that when Molly Ivins was alive, he ran Ivins and Ann Coulter columns in rotation because they "balance" one another.
Why We Do It
In just the past week or so, I've become a bit obsessed with the question of "Why?"
'Local' Means More than 'Locale'
In her Aug. 21 column, "How Locavores Brought On Local-Washing," Forbes magazine Deputy Editor Elisabeth Eaves takes umbrage with the story "A Local Lie" (link) published here and in a handful of other newsweeklies around the country.
The Road to Wellness, Week 9
<b>Getting Well Again</b>
This past week has been a challenge for wellness—both Ms. D and I have been under the weather, she more so than I. That's meant relatively little exercise and, while we continue to try to eat healthily, the focus has turned to managing and recovering from our illnesses.
The Mayor's Race That Wasn't
The JFP started out the election season in January determined to learn as much as possible about both the character and the specific plans of the candidates for mayor of Jackson. Because of the nature of the job of mayor—part business booster, part labor negotiator, part city planner, part "top cop," part statesman—we think that the labels Republican or Democrat are secondary to the mayor being a trustworthy power-broker, a champion against poverty and for education, a proponent of smarter government, and a progressive when it comes to exploring and promoting creative ideas to fuel the cultural renaissance of a city's urban core.
LeFleur Lakes Barreling Toward the Falls
The results are in from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study of the LeFleur Lakes project, and, according to a report in The Clarion-Ledger, the Corps says it isn't economically feasible. Estimating a price tag of $1.2 billion—which is a figure quite north of the Lakes' developer $200 million-$300 million estimates—the Corps doesn't recommend federal involvement.