Jackblog | Ellington

The Campaign Against BET: Is it too late for change?

While Black America continues the dialogue regarding the portryal of Black women in the media, I am concerned that we need to start taking action to support our opinions.

"Wake Up Jackson!" - Phase II

More features have been added to the official Web site, and I will meet with the members for the first time in June.

Women in Hip-Hop Speak Out: A Good Read

In light of the roundtable discussion at the Jackson Medical Mall on Tuesday. Thought Id bone up a bit.. As Im sure to have my a-- handed to me LOL, I was doing a little research and came across this interesting tidbit. It seems that some women in the hip-hop community feel as if they were left out of Oprah's town-hall discussion recently. Actually what I realized is that in all of this we have yet to really hear from the women who work at the labels or work directly in the business... and the female artists that do hiphop. And I haveto say I agree with many points they make here. I guess coming from folks who actually DO this music and better understand the biz, the points are clearer. Enjoy and discuss:

JFP on WLEZ Podcast Posted

Not my best work on the sound board and songs, but some interesting stuff about all the news that's fit to blog, plus an interview with principals from New Stage about Hank Williams: Lost Highway.

Salon.com Questions Barbour's ‘Mississippi Miracle'

Salon.com today has a "hard look" into the job that Haley Barbour has done with Katrina recovery. Some interesting stuff in there, particularly about how slowly some of the non-casino counties are recovering, as well as some of the national emergency relief legislation that has been blocked by Republicans and now by the Bush veto.

ARTICLE: Jamaica's First Rastafarian Beauty Queen heads to be Miss Universe

When you hear the words "Miss Universe", do you picture a dark-skinned woman with waist-length dreadlocks? If not, Zahra Redwood is hoping to change all that at the Miss Universe Pageant Monday, May 28 at 8 PM on NBC.

MCJ Wants to Buy Old "White" Library in Downtown

[verbatim release] Mississippi Center for Justice Ready to Invest in Downtown Jackson - The Mississippi Center for Justice recently presented to city officials a proposal to purchase the old library building on State Street, site of the historic "read-in" by nine Tougaloo College students during the Civil Rights Movement.

Fashion, Freedom, and Feminism

Can feminists wear micro-minis and still be taken seriously?

The word feminist, as I understand it, describes a woman who believes in the right to make decisions about her life as an individual, not as a certain sex. To me, feminism can mean choosing to be a married woman staying home with five kids while her husband works, just as much as it can mean a woman who chooses not to have children and focus on a career. There are also many women who choose a life somewhere in the middle. The point is that it is all about choice. I choose to work and be home for my son at night, and I choose to get married. I also choose to wear very short skirts. Why does this make some women so angry?

Mardi Gras Closed

The Clarion-Ledger is reporting confirmation of something that has been pretty clear for the last month or so -- Mardi Gras, the downtown restaurant and club, is closing its doors. It's available for lease or sale.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To: Chick Ball Volunteers, Donors, Entertainers, and Supporters

Thank you for all your hard work that resulted in the "best-ever" Chick Ball. Donna and her gang at the Free Press have truly outdone themselves this year. These ladies have raised over $7000 for us up to this point, and the money is still coming in. Thank you also to every business and individual who donated an item for auction or raffle and to the entertainers who kept us mesmerized all evening. All these wonderful items and talent made the night even more special!

What's Wrong with Women?

The full blog entry nearly brought me to tears. An excerpt:

Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", has posted a blog entry about hatred of women, connecting the dots between "honor" killings of women and Hollywood glamorization of violence.

Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

"Anxiety Disorders can be Debilitating." The headline, from The Clarion-Ledger a few weeks ago, speaks volumes about the way we live our lives. Fear stops us in our tracks, making us into the proverbial deer in the headlights. Fear, whether in politics, medicine, marketing or media, can be crazy making. Pick up a paper, turn on a TV, go to the Internet; wherever you turn, someone is trying to scare you. Why? Because it works.

A Deal with el Diablo: The Immigration Bill's Dirty Fine Print

Much of this country's legislative history is built on compromise. Indeed, deal making among lawmakers has contributed to a robust, if sometimes flawed, system of American democracy. One of the most famous compromises in American history, the Missouri Compromise of 1820, delayed civil war but allowed human bondage to persist at a time when England, France and Argentina had already abolished slavery. In the immigration deal announced last week-- a dire example of the shortcomings of compromise--U.S. senators have proposed allowing the modern equivalent of indentured servitude, in the form of a temporary worker program, to persist in the 21st Century.

Asked to Tour/Perform in the Czech Republic: Need Your Help

Greetings all, Im blessed to have been asked to come perform in the Czech Republic later this summer on waht is being billed the 2007 Crunk Tour. Southern/crunk music has become huge overseas and as part of their annual HipHop Kemp Festival in Prague myself, DJ Phinaprint, Tony B., and a few other artists have been asked to come tour the country for a month. Last year Skipp Coon was the featured artist thanks to photographer extraordinare Jaro Varek and his overseas connects. Im honored and excited as I just applied for my passport today.

Busted: They like us! Er, no, they don't ...

Google Blogs Alert for: "jackson free press"

So a Google alert just popped up showing that the Mississippi Press Association had picked the thread on their sleepy blog about Gannett's Goliath distribution scheme as one of their "favorite posts" of the last year. I clicked over to take a peek and, poof!, it was already gone. Snicker. Betcha someone worried that the Ledger boyz would complain. And there is nothin' like corporate complainin'. Here's the post they ix-nayed. And here's the alert: