Fleet-Morris Stores Now MIPA Distro Spots
The Fleet-Morris chain of convenience stores has ended their exclusive contract with the Clarion-Ledger's "The Distribution Network" and opened up 17 storefronts to the Mississippi Independent Publishers Association's community distribution boxes, enabling the Jackson Free Press and eight other member publications to distribute at more than two dozen new locations.
Gadget of The Week [11.15.06]
How can your life be truly full and rich when you don't have a personal digital projector? (I ask myself this kind of stuff all the time.) Two different companies—LumenLabs and Benq—are offering $500 projectors for the first time that might make our collective personal projector dream a reality. The LumenLab (http://www.lumenlab.com) PM Projector is the first full product from a company that focuses on do-it-yourself projector kits (PM stands for "pre-made"). It's $499 shipped, supports component and S-video input as well as VGA, has a built-in TV tuner, and it uses extremely inexpensive bulbs, unlike many professional projectors. It includes built-in speakers, a remote and picture rotation for mounting to the ceiling, if you're so inclined. The Benq model (http://www.benq.com) only offers 800x600 resolution for PC connections, but it's brighter and pre-configured for HD TV output. (It's also $100 pricier.) Hook it up to your theoretical Apple iTV device and you're in the home project theater business for just a few Cs. (Both are due for release in November, just in time for someone else to feel obliged to buy it for you. Yahtzee!)
Welcome, Mr. Whitaker
Just in case y'all missed it last week, The Clarion-Ledger's most recent publisher, John Newhouse II, has left his post at the C-L, and we're told, the employ of the Gannett Co. chain entirely.
The Election Predictions Thread
Ready to throw your weight behind your predictin' prowess? Here's the "official" word (mine, that is) on what's going to happen in today's elections. Are you brave enough to answer the call?
Gadget of The Week
How serious are you about amateur digital photography? Fuji has released the S6000fd, an SLR-like digital camera that offers some very good specs for an under-$500 price point. (It's closer to $400 at many online stores.) Disappointing to some is the 6.1 megapixel rating, but that should still be more than enough for most people's uses while keeping the image size relatively low so you can fit more vacation shots on a memory card. What the camera does offer—aside from a rugged 35-mm look, a comfortable grip and a 10x optical zoom lens—is a high-tech "face detection" technology that is supposed to make it extremely easy to auto focus on a person or group of people in your shots. Reviewers say they like the feature, particularly in the way it can give amateur and "fully automatic" photographers a leg up in the shooting department. Plus, the photo quality is said to be very good, thanks to the quality of the (non-detachable) lens. It offers a good-sized LCD display as well as the manual controls that the typical 35mm hobbyist would respect, making it a very interesting gift choice for someone who isn't quite a pro, but who needs good results with minimum fuss (reporters, real estate agents, contractors), or folks interesting in pursuing their digital photography hobby.
Fall Colors Arriving
The approaching fall promises exciting colors not only in nature, but also in gadgets. Apple this past week announced the Product Red iPod Nano, a bright red Nano with all the same features as the other colorful Nano models, but with a twist—$10 of the purchase price goes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa. The Product Red series was started by Bono and Bobby Shriver to encourage consumers to buy bright red products that donate a portion of profits to the Global Fund.
JackBlog Goes Live
After a weekend of database spelunking, we've gotten JackBlog up and running...old hands around here will note that the names and faces of the innocent haven't been changed...this is simply a reorganization of our staff writers and regular bloggers. JackBlog serves as a landing spot for all our regular bloggers (Ali, Tom, L.W., Donna, me, Cyrus, etc.), so that you can head to a single page or grab a feed to see what folks are blogging about. It will also serve as a central blog for "promoting" items from the Forums that Donna or other editors think deserve special attention. Let me know what you think...I've also moved The Amazing Sportsblog to a top-level tab and reorg'ed some of that stuff...as you can see from the huge banner ads, we've got the JFP Fall 2006 Menu Guide up online as well. Criticism and/or praise is welcome!
DIY Music Studio
During the last mayoral campaign, candidate Frank Melton promised to build a recording studio on Farish Street. Well, he won, but the studio hasn't happened, yet—and with his mayoral future in serious doubt, it looks like that recording studio may go down as yet another unfulfilled campaign promise. (But geez, who's counting?)
The Little Weekly That Could
We celebrate a milestone with the issue of the Jackson Free Press that you hold in your hand, as it's the first issue of our fifth year of publishing. We're 4! It's been quite a ride from our start as a small bi-weekly upstart to our current incarnation as a mid-sized (and growing!), award-winning, story-breakin' weekly publication and a daily news-driven Web site. And we hope, a positive media force in the Jackson Metro community. We certainly couldn't have gotten to this point without dedicated readers, advertisers and—increasingly—the citizen journalists who call to give us tips and participate via our Web site.
Apple's iTV and SlingBox TV
This week Apple whipped its hype machine into full gear to introduce a series of new iPod and iTunes related products. The most exciting offering might be the rare preview that Apple gave of its upcoming device—codenamed "iTV"—a set-top box designed to allow you to stream iTunes videos from a Mac or PC running iTunes 7 to your television. The bad news? It won't be ready until the first quarter of 2007.
‘MySquare' & The Joys of QWERTY
Huge news for iTunes users—an executive at movie house Lion's Gate let slip during a quarterly conference call that they've made a deal with Apple to sell full-length films through the online iTunes Store. They're probably not the only ones—expect to be able to buy movies from iTunes for your iPod—or for playback on your Mac or PC—by the end of the year. One question remains … will those movies burn to DVD?
Gadgets of The Week [08.23.06]
I'm partial to mobile phones with QWERTY keyboards—and the fuller the keyboard the better. (That's why, although I've recently said I was switching from a Blackberry to a Treo, I've still got the Blackberry activated; I've got the Treo on my desk—I pick it up and fondle it occasionally—but I'm just not a fan of its keyboard.) The most important reason for having a full keyboard on your phone is because it makes you look more businesslike than typing using that look-ahead stuff on a typical numbered keypad. And looking busy can be extremely important for college students, dontcha know.
WLBT Consumer Report Snares JFP Classified
We were embarrassed to learn that one of the classified ads discussed in WLBT's 3 on Your Side story last night ran in the Jackson Free Press. WLBT didn't mention the JFP by name in the transcript, but after reading the report online, we determined that our paper had run one of the ads. It appears that WLBT did good consumer reporting, following complaints and leads regarding the ad and ads like it in other publications, and we applaud them for it.
Win2Mac Gaming and Open Source Kids
Only Apple can make something called the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) the sexiest tech-marketing showcase of the summer, but it looks like it'll happen, with a keynote by Steve Jobs over by the time you read this.
Gadgets of The Week
There can't possibly be a better time than back-to-school week for students (of all ages) to hit up their parents or loved ones for a laptop. After all, they do want to see you succeed, right? Right?!
Jackson's PR Problem, Part Two
As I read Clarion-Ledger Executive Editor Ronnie Agnew's recent opinion piece, "Law Firm, CPA Move Just Plain Business," it occurred to me that his column seemed to be missing a word.
Gadget Of The Week
The HipTop 3, exclusively marketed by T-Mobile as the SideKick 3, was recently released at a premiere attended by none other than—wait for it—Paris Hilton. The SideKick 3 offers, somewhat surprisingly, a larger case than the SideKick II, but with a new professional skin and a more comfy keyboard. It also sports a removable battery, a miniSD card slot for additional photo and music storage, Bluetooth 1.2 support, a better LCD display and a 1.2 megapixel camera. What it doesn't support is WiFi, which would have been nice for faster surfing in coffee houses or—say—my house. The built-in applications are very similar to earlier offerings but with a better MP3 player and a few other tweaks. The killer SideKick app is the always-on instant messaging—eventually I figured out I could check my SideKick to deduce who is sitting at their desks back in the office based on their IM client being active, and chat them up accordingly while I'm sitting at home having a mid-afternoon Heineken Light. It's good to be the geek.
Alt.geek: Net Neutrality and Microsoft's New Heart
Net Neutrality—that all-important political Internet fight that few folks grok. The concept popped up in the context of the "Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunity Reform Act," a piece of legislation essentially written by the Telcos to allow them to start offering you television over your phone line, thus opening up "competition" between them and the cable and satellite services. That might be a minor positive for us dear ol' consumers, as it could mean that the phone company will offer you a bundle of DSL, TV and phone service for $3 less than the cable company offers that same bundle. Yippie.
[Publisher's Note] Frank Melton's PR Problem
Last week's "Chamber Confidential" e-newsletter from the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce popped into my inbox, and the headline of Chamber President Duane O'Neill's note caught my eye: "Doing Business Under a 'State of Emergency.'" In as polite a way as he could, O'Neill made a very basic point:
[Publisher's Note] Kudos for Team JFP
It's a big week at the Jackson Free Press. First, we sadly (for us) and happily (for her) bid farewell to Lynette Hanson, copy chief, as she leaves Mississippi, Jackson Public Schools and the JFP family to move much closer to her beloved sons (both top-notch chefs) in Portland, Ore. The cooking is about to get a lot better for Lynette and her mama, Edna, both of whom have become a fixture at JFP parties and karaoke gatherings.
What We Have To Lose
It was with a great deal of concern that I emerged from reading Adam Lynch's story on the city's budget woes in last week's Jackson Free Press ("Bleak House," 4/10/06), because it confirmed for me a fear that I have about Mayor Frank Melton's administration. Right now, the city appears to lack serious fiscal leadership at the top.
Put The Pros On The Police Beat
As of this writing, Donna Ladd has spent at least 30 hours over two weeks with Mayor Frank Melton in interviews, phone calls, ride-alongs, press conferences and visits at his home to meet the young men he fosters. A good deal of her reporting went into the cover story for this issue, second in a series of interviews and stories on the complicated man who is our mayor.
Fulfilling The Mission
When I got involved with the Crossroads Film Society, I didn't know much about non-profits or arts societies—my face was too often buried in a computer screen to get involved in stuff like that. But two years ago, some great folks decided it was time to fill a gap and start bringing regular independent films screenings to the Jackson Metro.
Make Friends, And Build A City
What we call the "Best Of" season in January here at the JFP always ends with a big bang in the form of our Best of Jackson party, which happened this year in the Electric 308 building in downtown Jackson. It was an extraordinary event this year, attended by hundreds of folks … and at least one cute little dog. We had exceptional food from a slew of local restaurants (all of whom were big winners in the Best of Jackson 2006 reader poll), and entertainment ranging from bellydancing to fashion models to DJ Phingaprint, who is not only Jackson's Best club DJ, but also the secret ingredient to turning a good party into an outstanding party.
The Cult Of Irresponsibility
Just how bad of a newspaper is The Clarion-Ledger? A hint comes three-quarters of the way into Executive Editor Ronnie Agnew's "end of the year" column (Jan. 1, 2006). The paragraph is about Mayor Frank Melton:
My So-Called Holiday Column
They say that during the holidays, you're supposed to stop and consider what you're thankful for. (OK, this is starting out cheesy, I know. Work with me here.) Combine that seasonal desire with the fact that Donna assigned me the Publisher's Note this week, and you get what you paid for—a Publisher's Note in which I offer up a laundry list of the things that have me smiling this season.
Sensational ‘Suburban Legends'
Perhaps the biggest single flaw that The Clarion-Ledger has in its recent addition to its "Changing Face of Jackson" series is the fact that it doesn't include itself in the litany of problems that the newspaper claims are holding back the city of Jackson.
John Dicker: Taking On The Other Uncle Sam
Journalist JohnDicker, 32, has worked on films and in labor unions since studying film at Ithaca College in New York. The Bedford, N.Y.-native's non-fiction work has appeared in The Nation, Salon and the Colorado Springs Independent, among other publications. His first book, "The United States of Wal-Mart"(Tarcher/Penguin Putnam, 2005, $12.95) is a funny, biting examination of the power and practices of Wal-Mart, including how the large corporation has shaped America.
Blowin' In The Wind
Last week Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff, I. "Scooter" Libby, was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice in an investigation into how the identity of a covert CIA operative was leaked to the press. This scandal comes one year after President Bush was elected to his second term, and it puts us in mind of two things that happened about a year ago this month.
Your Name In Lights
You gotta love the folks who decide to do something instead of just complain about it. Last year, in response to the common refrain "We never get any decent independent films in Jackson," the Crossroads Film Society decided to expand from its core mission—supporting and nurturing independent filmmakers through educational programs and the annual Crossroads Film Festival in April—to make it possible for more people to see the great independent films that are being made all over the country and the world.
Bush's Numbers Lower After Speech
Calling it a "can't win" dynamic, SurveyUSA has completed a three-day poll that show his already-falling approval numbers declining in the wake of his announcement of the "Gulf Opportunity Zone." 56% of Americans disapprove of his response to Katrina, with some of that increase actually coming from Americans who say Bush is doing *too much* for Katrina victims; he's "antagonizing his core supporters," says SurveyUSA, by throwing cash at the problem. In fact, 41% say that the Gulf should be rebuilt with private money, while 27% say it should be rebuilt with public money.
JSU's Katrina Response
(Jackson, Miss.) – Jackson State University is thankful to those who have expressed sympathy and offered assistance in response to Hurricane Katrina. We would like to assure the public that we are able to move forward with the 2005–06 academic year, and will do everything within our ability to assist those students and families in need. Accordingly, we will implement the following emergency response measures:
President Bush's Remarks From the Coast
[verbatim]REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
Biloxi, Mississippi12:15 P.M. CDT
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.
Individuals Post Katrina Photos on Flikr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/katrina/
Over 2000 photos have the tag "Katrina" on the Flikr service, where folks make their photos available to everyone on the Web. Obviously some photos tagged Katrina might not be hurricane-related, but a quick look through suggests a lot of them are:
Also Hit Hard: Hattiesburg
Another place that hasn't gotten a lot of play in the national news (Weather Channel, CNN, etc.) is Hattiesburg, which was right in the path of Katrina and reportedly has gotten pummeled while Katrina was still Category 2. C-L posted some stories about Hattiesburg written by Hattiesburg American earlier today:
Boil Water Notice in Effect
The City of Jackson Public Works Department has issued a "boil water" notice for residents in Jackson. If you use municipal water for consumption or cooking, it's recommend that you allow the water to come to a rolling boil for at least one minute before allowing it to cool and use. (A recent notice on the Weather channel also recommended that pregnant women and children under 6 months of age not consume boiled water.) The City is also asking residents to conserve water so that it's available for hospital and other emergency uses.
Biloxi Sun-Herald: Printing in Ga.; Blogging From Biloxi
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/
According to a story in Editor and Publisher the Biloxi-based Sun Herald is still without power, but is being produced and printed by sister paper (Knight-Ridder owned) Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, GA. Some reporters have found their way to the Sun Herald building, however, and have been reporting online, including video and audio.
CL: Barbour Heads to the Coast
The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that Governor Barbour plans to take a helicopter to the Gulf Coast and tour the damaged areas; according to Barbour, up to 80 people are thought to have died in Harrison County alone.
[TechTalk] Batman Had Robin, Han Had Chewie…
I miss my Sidekick. Recently the PR folks at T-Mobile were kind enough to loan me what they call the Sidekick II, which is actually the HipTop2, made by Danger Inc. (http://www.danger.com). I expected not to like the Sidekick, mostly because I didn't like anime-style interface at first glance. What I found, though, is that I was able to look past some of the cartoonish stuff because the interface is well-designed for the way I like to stay connected.
Movin' On Up: Barbour Approval Increases
Gov. Haley Barbour has pulled himself up with constituents in the last two months, from a low of 37% approval in May to 41% approval in July, making him the 39th most popular governor in the Union, according to a monthly survey by SurveyUSA. Barbour leads five Democratic and six Republican governors in his race away from the bottom, including Texas "Guvner" Rick Perry (38% approval) and celebrated "Gov-or-na-tor" Arnold Schwartzenegger of California. Michigan's Jennifer Granholm is the lowest ranked Democrat on the list, at 45th Least Appreciated.
Mayor Harvey Johnson Returns to JSU Faculty
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- Mayor Harvey Johnson plans to return to his love of teaching next month as he joins the faculty of Jackson State University. Johnson, along with university officials, will make the announcement at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 21 in the College of Business.
Cochran and Lott AWOL on Lynching Resolution
[Originally posted June 14] In a highly publicized resolution last night, the United States Senate formally apologized for the body's failure over the years to pass a federal anti-lynching law that might have been used for intervene in lynchings that occurred in the past century. The entirely symbolic resolution, co-sponsored by 80 Senators, was passed last night by unanimous voice vote ("All in favor say 'Aye'"). A recorded vote was skipped to, presumably, avoid embarrassing the one Democratic and 19 Republican Senators who decided not to put their names on the resolution as a co-sponsor, including both Senators Trent Lott and Thad Cochran from Mississippi. Bloggers have noted that both Lott and Cochran voted against federal hate crimes legislation in 2002 as well.
SurveyUSA's Senator Poll Results
On the heels of its 50-state governor poll, SurveyUSA -- in a poll not yet approved for consumption by the C-L (just kidding...:wink:) -- has released its 50-state Senator poll today. Results? Lott has a 65% approval rating (the same number that New York gives Sen. Hillary Clinton) and Cochran a 63% approval rating. Interestingly, eight of the ten least popular Senators are Republicans, including Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.
Calm Before the Storm
Today, I heard that the Killen trial media was gathering in the afternoon and headed over to Neshoba County to see what was up. The town seemed very calm, other than the mass of cars around the media center, which is in the old Magnolia restaurant on Walnut Street a block from the courthouse. It's a loft-like building with low-hanging loft lights and a really rustic, yet hip interior with exposed brick. It's too bad this place closed; it was probably hard to compete with the casino restaurants.
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.
What a Difference a Week Makes
May marked the first full year of the Jackson Free Press as a weekly publication, a feat that we were excited to dive into last summer and, now more than 50 issues later, we're very glad that we did.
The ‘Perception' of The Ledger
I used to work with someone who would infuriate me because—as I used to say somewhat venomously—she would "treat me as if I were as stupid as she is." Ever get that feeling? I've been feeling that way a lot since The Clarion-Ledger's crack opinion team has been going on about the "passion" shown by Chief Moore for his job. Their day-late-dollar-short opining has gotten me edgier than a double-tall iced mocha frappe.
Barbour Approval Rating Only 37 Percent
May 12, 2005–SurveyUSA has released its approval rating survey results conducted in all 50 states for May 10, 2005. 600 Mississippians were asked "Do you approve or disapprove of the job that Haley Barbour is doing as governor?" In response, 37 percent said they approve, 55 percent said they disapprove, and 8 percent said they were unsure.
Life Management Made Quickie
Wikis have been around long enough that folks are starting to get used to the concept—derived from the Hawaiian word wiki wiki, which means quick, wikis are Web pages that can be edited and added to from within the browser window itself, while you're viewing the page.