Jackblog

An Open Letter to Jackson: The Old, Next, and Now Generations

I'm torn. I wrote in my column this week that it is indeed a great time to be alive. These days will be recorded for posterity, and stories will be told to generations not yet here about the year 2008. The year that an African-American and a woman both ran for the presidency of the United States. The year that Jackson saw what $750 million looks like at work. The year that we had a spirited debate on NOT whether we would build a civil rights museum, but WHERE to build the museum. The year that my generation rose up and said NO MORE! We want in! I felt change had finally come to Mississippi.

‘I'm Keeping the House'

Amy Ephron is blogging on Huff Post about women who publicly stand by their cad husbands, as Eliot Spitzer's wife is doing, despite the humiliation:

What a ‘Bad Week' Obama Has Had

Since the media narrative flip-flopped once again toward Hillary Clinton in the last week, just how has Barack Obama actually fared. Read Kos' analysis of Obama's "bad week"—including all the superdelegates he's picked up, including Everett Sanders of Mississippi.

VIDEO: Girl in Clinton's "3 A.M." ad an Obama supporter?

You can't make this stuff up.

The young lady, whose first name is Casey, was eight years old in this commercial, which was originally for a railroad. Whoever produced the Clinton ad bought the file footage and used it for her campaign ad. The irony of all of this is that Casey, who is now 17, has been actively campaigning for Obama (she'll be old enough to vote in November), so she was stunned to see herself in Clinton's ad. No foul play here - just plain weird.

Listen to DJ Doc's Hot Talk @ 9 on 97.7 this Monday

601 981 0977 is the request line..

In light of the March 11th vote on the Civil Rights Museum, Ben Allen, Dr. Gene Young and myself will be on 97.7 Monday morning 9am pushing for downtown.

SF Bay Guardian Wins Suit over SF Weekly

Many will rightly consider this insider baseball, but we've been watching with interest a long-standing battle between the independently held San Francisco Bay Guardian (the sort of alt-weekly that defines the term, particularly those with long roots) and the San Francisco Weekly, owned now by Village Voice Media, the largest chain of newsweeklies in the country. VVM owns, clearly, the Village Voice, as well as the Dallas Observer, Houston Press, LA Weekly, Denver Westword, Seattle Weekly, Nashville Scene and others. The company was formed in a 2006 merger between Village Voice Media (which owned 6 papers) and New Times Newspapers (which owned 11), having originated as the Phoenix New Times. Management is largely that of the previous New Times company.

Mental Health Parity on the Way?

{verbatim email} - House Passes Mental Health Parity Bill - March 6, 2008 By a vote of 268-148, the US House of Representatives on March 5th passed its version of the mental health insurance parity bill (HR 1424), setting up what is likely to be a difficult negotiation with the Senate, which passed its version (S 558) unanimously this past fall. Both bills require group health plans to cover mental illness and substance abuse disorders on the same terms and conditions as all other illnesses - equity with respect to durational treatment limits (inpatient days and outpatient visits) and financial limitations (cost sharing, deductibles, out-of-pocket limits, etc.). However, there are important differences between the House and Senate bills that must be resolved.

BULLETIN..Special Council Mtg on Civil Rights Museum TODAY 3pm @ City Hall..BE THERE!

The City Council is holding a special 3pm mtg TODAY to vote on a resolution about the future site of the Civil rights museum. We need concerned citizens to show up for public comment and go ON RECORD with your support of a downtown location.

Passing the Torch to Obama

Letter to the editor,

It's a new thing for Mississippians to have the world giving a damn about how we're going to vote on something. But the primary next week suddenly is drawing international attention, and my inbox is filling up with attacks on and support for both Obama and Clinton. Here's a (form) letter from an Obama supporter I got this a.m.:

‘Quixotic Do-Gooders': ‘They Really Are Right'

It's good to start seeing the mainstream press in Mississippi taking seriously the idea that there may be many innocent people in our prisons due to a screwed-up judicial system and plain ole racism. Vicksburg Post editor Charlie Mitchell has a good column out about the work of the Innocence Project, which the JFP's Ronni Mott's has been chronicling for months now. Here are some money quotes from Mitchell:

Kaze, Councilman McLemore and Matt Allen on Kim Wade Show Wednesday 5pm

FYI..we're going to continue the debate Next Monday on DJ DOC's Hot Talk @ 9. on 97.7.

Kamikaze writes: Tune in today...5pm...As we continue the civil rights museum debate. With myself, Councilman Leslie McLemore, Attorney Matt Allen, and Ben Minniefield. 1180am. Call in with your questions 601 366 1180...

Ellington