Jackblog

New Word Of The Day:"PROJACK" are you one?

YOUR NEW WORD FOR TODAY IS: PROJACK! pro-jak n. 1.To be pro jackson. Champion of all the good things your city has to offer. 2. To hold your city down, be knowledgable of all new development & a registered voter in tune with city politics. Are you a PROJACK?

You Can Help Revive the Cigarette Tax

Communities for a Clean Bill of Health says that Mississippians can be instrumental in reviving the cigarette tax increase for this session.

Felder Rushing Featured in New York Times

On Wednesday, The New York Times featured Felder Rushing, local horticulturist extraordinaire and host of Mississippi Public Broadcasting's "The Gestalt Gardener," in a piece titled "Slow, Easy, Cheap and Green."

This is My Impression of a Triple Backflip

I used my last earplug to stop the flood.

Lost in the pages of antique barstool guilds are fairground measurements. I went there. They taste divine.

Vacation Trip

According to a Reuters report today, North Korea contends that if they are punished by the U.N. Security Council for next month's planned missile launch, they will restart a nuclear plant which manufactures weapons-grade plutonium.

Heard in the Jackson Free Press offices on March 25th, 2009

"I got you new post-its"

Other than that, I'm previewing movies which will be shown at the upcoming Crossroads Film Festival. Fun times.

Fortune and CNN Money Stories on Farish and ‘Indie Jackson'

Enjoy. And pass the word.

Word went around last week that JFP friend Amy Haimerl had done a piece about Jackson, and Farish Street, for Fortune Small Business. The story is now published here on CNN Money where Amy is an editor. Also see her "Indie Jackson" piece about the St. Paddy's parade and the Sweet Potato Queens. (And noticed she used JFP/Lounge List photographer Kip Caven's photo on it!)

STILL LOVE REAL HIP HOP? STILL SUPPORT GOOD MUSIC? WHAT'S YOUR BEST HIP HOP MEMORY

I am Hip Hop! From my many battles with the JFP faithful over the negative aspects of rap music, you know Ive lived and breathed the music for over 15 years. What Ive found is that there are many of you who grew up with hip hop. Still love the music, still love to see good live hip hop music, and would STILL buy it if you felt it spoke to the older hip hop head. Many of you wouldnt mind going to see a good hip hop show if you knew you werent going to be yelled at, threatened, called a "b" or "h", and made it through the night without witnessing a fight or shooting. Such has been the case in Jackson and I know its prevented a lot of you from supporting the local scene.

2009 Mal's St Paddy's Day Parade Photos

JFP's Kip Caven was on the scene this morning getting photos of the parade in downtown Jackson.

Click here to visit the JFP Photo Galleries and see the parade in all its glory!

CARA Needs Dog Food

Community Animal Rescue & Adoption, or CARA, is in deseprate need for dog food (or the funds to buy food) for the hundreds of pups in their shelter. CARA is the only no-kill shelter in the Jackson area, and one of only two in all of Mississippi.

Sunshine Week, Part II: How to Demand More Open Gov't

1. Government workers who ask "why do you want to see THAT?" (It's none of their business.)

This is the week when media love to talk about "sunshine" and openness in government. (See my earlier blog post about how The Clarion-Ledger mangled their sunshine story earlier this week, a point we've been trying to make to The Ledger for a while now.) But all that talk does little good if citizens don't have the information you need to help us fight these battles on your behalf. I urge you all to spend some time with the Society of Professional Journalists' Freedom of Information section of this site. This is one of the resources we journalists use to stay on top on both rights, and potential pitfalls, in open government. I've fought these battles for years, and when the public isn't paying attention, we see the same problems in state after state:

Wait a Minute!?! We tweeted a federal trial in February!?!

Follow the JFP's tweets here.

The Society of Professional Journalists is making a big deal out of a Wichita reporter for "pioneering" the use Twitter to cover a federal trial in March. Not so fast. We-the-JFP brought Twittering to the federal trial Mayor Frank Melton here in Jackson in February, attracting followers from around the country and causing a scramble among other courtroom media to get a-tweetin'. Just sayin'. ;-)

Local Family Needs Our Help

The JFP has received the following e-mail about a Jackson family in need:

"The Ishakarahs, a local family of grassroots/ community artists, recently sustained major fire damage to their home on Capitol Street. In short, they are living without electricity. They need our help with electrical service restoration and permit costs.

Where to Watch the 2009 NCAA Basketball Tournament

The Big Dance is here, baby! Get your dancin' shoes on because some Cinderella team from Timbuktu is about to moonwalk all over your favorite powerhouse and ruin your office bracket pool. It happens to you every year.

St. Paddy's Weekend in Jacktown Starts Right Here and Now

It's here! It's the week we all party like the Irish. The JFP has gathered all the details in one place for you; pick up the huge print edition this week for schedules and a discount map (p. 18). Click here for a list of St. Paddy's events (and add your own). Check out for the city's most complete events calendar (and add your own). Post your pictures and your plans at LoungeList.com (and, I hear, win prizes). Head over to the Fly Blog for all sorts of fun Irish tips, trivia and DIY ideas. And, of course, to the parade Saturday! Catch lots of beads! Stimulate your locally owned Jackson businesses! Be safe! Have fun! Post pictures!