What is Mississippi peoples’ ‘thing’?

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Odd, I've never heard of a potato wedge or "log" referred to as a jojo in my life.

Dodge's has always called them jojos. I remember because when I moved to MS in the early 90's, I had never heard that stupid word in my life other than as a name. I knew a kid in first grade that ate dog food named JoJo. So it's always reminded me of stupid. Most of the world will call them potato wedges.



As the resident tater expert, frequent visitor to Oregon where the jojo was invented and is everywhere to this day, and 2 time visitor to the potato museum in Blackfoot Idaho.... Here's the final word. Its a jojo if it's cut length wise, battered, and fried in a pressure frier. If it's cut across the width of the tater it's a potato wedge. If it's cut length wise battered and fried in a regular frier or any other way, it's a tater log or potato log for you fancy 17ers.


Pressure frier = jojo. Most gas stations are probably going to pressure fry their chicken.

 

[L4Dawg]

The fact you don’t want the rest of MS to succeed is kind of the problem. It’s a big reason we are where we are. We’ve rehashed this 100 times. If it’s not part of the problem, it’s a symptom. And it doesn’t seem to be getting fixed. Like you said, you’d rather be attached to Memphis and Birmingham. You don’t want to be ‘Mississippi’.

More like don’t care than don’t want. It’s the same attitude the rest of the state always held toward us. We didn’t have a four lane road that connected to the rest of the four lane road network when I was growing up. I was out of college before we ever did.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Dodge's has always called them jojos. I remember because when I moved to MS in the early 90's, I had never heard that stupid word in my life other than as a name. I knew a kid in first grade that ate dog food named JoJo. So it's always reminded me of stupid. Most of the world will call them potato wedges.

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As the resident tater expert, frequent visitor to Oregon where the jojo was invented and is everywhere to this day, and 2 time visitor to the potato museum in Blackfoot Idaho.... Here's the final word. Its a jojo if it's cut length wise, battered, and fried in a pressure frier. If it's cut across the width of the tater it's a potato wedge. If it's cut length wise battered and fried in a regular frier or any other way, it's a tater log or potato log for you fancy 17ers.


Pressure frier = jojo. Most gas stations are probably going to pressure fry their chicken.

No Dodges around central Mississippi and I don't know that I've ever noticed one anywhere but as a fried chicken and potato lover it sounds like my kind of place. Definitely will give it a try if I see one

 

[Perd Hapley]

I went to the grave of Robert Johnson once, amid all the other stuff left was a $100+ bottle of an Islay Scotch. I doubt a Mississippian left that.

Bet there was a Mississippian somewhere who drank it though….one who had probably a 19.83% chance of knowing who Robert Johnson was.

 

[Perd Hapley]

No Dodges around central Mississippi and I don't know that I've ever noticed one anywhere but as a fried chicken and potato lover it sounds like my kind of place. Definitely will give it a try if I see one

There’s Dodge’s in North-Central MS. Okolona, Batesville, Tupelo, and several in the Delta. Not sure what your “central MS” definition is, though.

 

[Darryl Steight]

I may be underestimating that market, but I just find it hard to believe that any music museum is going to drive tourism. Not seeing detailed numbers, but it looks like the grammy museum in cleveland may get 160,000 visitors a year? (Or maybe it's 160,000 over its first 6 years, which I am guessing maybe that's it since it was only projected to get 65,000 a year and those projections almost always turn out to be overly optimistic). The grammy museum is at least close to the BB king museum and a lot of the blues trail stops that generate some tourism in the Delta, so to the extent people are willing to travel for music history or whatever you want to call it, there is at least multiple options and it's not far from Memphis either. I'm sure there are some blues trails markers near philadelphia, but is there anything else that would bring people in that would have any relationship/synergy with a country music museum? I guess maybe it's a non-gambling activity to pair with the choctaw casino. Maybe a day to get out of the heat during the fair? You've got the civil rights murders (forget what they're called) but I'm not sure there is a lot of overlap there with music lovers?

Just seems hard to believe that ends up being self sufficient, much less an economic development plus.

We'll see I guess.

I hear what you're saying, but if I'm Philadelphia, I'm glad Marty Stuart and his group are willing to put some money into the town and try something to make it better. A lot of people are NIMBYs by nature, but personally my view is "might as well try something", because every town/neighborhood/area/UNIVERSITY is ever-evolving. They have momentum - the question is, is it positive or negative momentum... The only constant is change, as they say.

People are either going to move away, or move into the area. Buildings are going to rot and decay, or get used and have new life. Every area is always either getting better or worse, so you might as well take pride in your own place and try to take it in a positive direction.

The country music museum may not work, that's unknown at this point. But sitting there and doing nothing doesn't seem like a great idea either.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

More like don’t care than don’t want. It’s the same attitude the rest of the state always held toward us. We didn’t have a four lane road that connected to the rest of the four lane road network when I was growing up. I was out of college before we ever did.

You need to cheer for Tennessee or Alabama then. Because MSU will be held back if the state of Mississippi continues to flounder around. The only way the state can grow enough to move the needle is in an urban area, and Jackson is all we have. Tupelo simply cannot get that done, at least in our lifetimes.

Well, that is, unless you actually enjoy the current state of MSU.

 

[johnson86-1]

We'll see I guess.

I hear what you're saying, but if I'm Philadelphia, I'm glad Marty Stuart and his group are willing to put some money into the town and try something to make it better. A lot of people are NIMBYs by nature, but personally my view is "might as well try something", because every town/neighborhood/area/UNIVERSITY is ever-evolving. They have momentum - the question is, is it positive or negative momentum... The only constant is change, as they say.

People are either going to move away, or move into the area. Buildings are going to rot and decay, or get used and have new life. Every area is always either getting better or worse, so you might as well take pride in your own place and try to take it in a positive direction.

The country music museum may not work, that's unknown at this point. But sitting there and doing nothing doesn't seem like a great idea either.

No doubt, every Mississippian and especially anybody in the area should be rooting for any private investment to be successful. I don't know why anybody in the area would oppose it unless they are worried the local government is going to spend money propping it up if it's not successful (or unless the developers are asking for government money to begin with). But assuming it's private money, even if it's unsuccessful, it's not like it's a housing project or something that could hurt the area.

 

[Darryl Steight]

No doubt, every Mississippian and especially anybody in the area should be rooting for any private investment to be successful. I don't know why anybody in the area would oppose it unless they are worried the local government is going to spend money propping it up if it's not successful (or unless they are asking for government money to begin with). Even if it's unsuccessful, it's not like it's a housing project or something that could hurt the area.

True, and so far at least, it seems to be a private endeavor. That's why they had Chris Stapleton a week ago, and Dolly last year, doing shows at the Ellis Theater. Pretty cool, and a great start for private fundraising. Most places can't get acts like that ever, especially in a 500 seat venue... and much much less can they get them to do a fundraising show (meaning the artists don't get paid.) That is an unbelievably big deal. I hope it all works out great and changes the town (and our state) for the better.

 

[L4Dawg]

You need to cheer for Tennessee or Alabama then. Because MSU will be held back if the state of Mississippi continues to flounder around. The only way the state can grow enough to move the needle is in an urban area, and Jackson is all we have. Tupelo simply cannot get that done, at least in our lifetimes.

Well, that is, unless you actually enjoy the current state of MSU.

You need to get it through your thick head that there is no way Jackson ever will ever get better. It's a lost cause, unless its politics changes radically. It still had small chance remaining when I lived there back in the day. It had been growing in the years immediately prior to my stint there. The cracks were starting to show but it was still halfway decent back then. Unfortunately, that ship sailed long ago. It's lost something like 30% of its population since then, and the loss is accelerating. It doesn't even look the same.

BY THE WAY.... MSU, the university, is in the best shape it has ever been in. That will get laughed at here but it's the truth. This place is the most negative thing EVER.