Jackblog

Red Hot Tamales and Kool-Aid Pickles

Here are two wide-eyed articles, by New York reporters, about enigmatic Delta dishes: the Kool-Aid Dill by John T. Edge of the New York Times and the Red-Hot, Pork-Stuffed, Corn-Wrapped, Blues-Flavored Enigma by Colby Buzzell of Esquire. To their credit, both writers go beyond food review to tackle Delta-relevant subjects, such as race. When Buzzell asks two black men sitting outside Bud's Snack Bar in Tunica, enjoying "a lunchtime Busch tall can," about the origin of tamales in Mississippi, one passionately refutes the author's research that Mexicans had introduced the dish to Mississippians: "Our people! Black people! They did, and did it with a shook, a corn shuck. That's the way we did and my mama used to did it," he says. Edge, ironically, takes a less edgy, but somehow awkwardly professorial, approach to the demographics of Kool-Aid pickle consumers: "The pickles have been spotted as far afield as Dallas and St. Louis, but their cult is thickest in the Delta region, among the black majority population. In the Delta, where they fetch between 50 cents and a dollar, Kool-Aid pickles have earned valued space next to such beloved snacks as pickled eggs and pigs' feet at community fairs, convenience stores and filling stations," he writes.

‘Buy Me, Caroline': Tales of An Experienced Clearance Shopper

I can smell a clearance sale a mile away.

I believe I was born with a radar in my brain that can detect the faint sound of red clearance price stickers being applied to shoes, lamps, stationary, imported chocolates, and a hundreds of other items being shoved together on shelves in any shopping venue within a few miles of my wallet. I often leave the house for mundane items like hamburger buns and deodorant and come home with a complete outfit, accessories and all, for under $50. I have found a Betsey Johnson necklace for $4., BCBG shoes for $10., a complete set of Pier 1 plates for $15., and the list goes on and on.

Susie Flynn for President

I normally don't openly endorse candidates, and especially if the candidate is a 10-year-old, but I think her platform is enough for any citizen to take her seriously.

Putting Babies in Danger

Recent news from the citizen-based environmental advocacy group Environmental California states that your baby's plastic baby-bottle may be leaching toxins. From their report's executive summary:

Ready to Rock: Chick Ball Line-Up Announced

Updated May 10, 2007 The Third Annual Chick Ball entertainment schedule is below. Make sure to come early to bid on art and register for door prizes! Click here to read all about the Chick Ball, and here to view the Ball's new myspace page.

So, what are YOU wearing to the Chick Ball!?!

What's a Chick to do? Go shoppping ... but where? Thoughts?

OK, this is on my mind this week. The JFP Chick Ball—aka The Grrl Jam—is coming together fabulously; we expect throngs of people Thursday night; we have dozens and dozens of door prizes to give away; the music rocks; I can't wait to bid on art—but my big problem is what to wear. Hey, I'm a girl. It needs to be shiny. It needs to be sleek. It needs to be worthy.

New Feature: Kaze's Hip-Hop Hater of the Week: Jere Eaton

In my ongoing return of fire to those that wish to attack hiphop, especially those who attack it with hidden motives at heart. Each week I will be identifying a hater of hiphop. No, it won't be someone who wishes to end the use of derogatory language. Instead it will shine the light on those who simply arbitrarily attack hiphop for fame, because they are seeking public office, or simply because they're old and uninformed on the good that we as hiphop artists do. If said hater has consequently caused an event that would have benfitted kids or their community to be cancelled, they get extra stars. This week's winner gets 5! Read along.

Hi From New York

We're up in New York for a long weekend while I study at a Columbia reporting seminar called "Let's Do It Better," a workshop on covering race. (I met Henry Louis Gates, Jr.!) I'm also studying extremely hard, as you can see below the fold.

GOP '08 Debate: The Hair Tonic Brigade

Just in case you had something better to do and missed it, I thought I'd remind y'all that the GOP had its first presidential debate last night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. In it, McCain tried to distance himself from Bush, Giuliani tried to distance himself from abortion and three of the candidates raised their hands when asked who didn't believe in evolution.

ARTICLE: Obama placed under Secret Service protection

Of course, the Secret Service doesn't say why, but my guess is that he got a death threat.

From

Why Does The Crawfish Boil Have NO local bands?

Im really just venting here, but Im mad as HELL. As an artist that fights vigorously for the careers of our local and regional artists here (of ALL genres), its CRIMINAL that we continue to allow events like the Crafish Boil to come to town and not support our local talent. From what I can tell from reading the schedule there is NO local band playing this year's event. I believe last year they had ONE.

Rally Today

You may be interested in attending this event today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Anna DillonWednesday, May 2, 2007 601-383-4160

Harvard Test to Gauge Racial Bias

This is an interesting test.

This website has several tests which will gauge your bias towards several different topics. The one on racial bias is really, really cool. If you go into the "demonstration" part of the website and choose the "Race" test it takes about ten minutes to complete.

City Web Site Needs Help

I've tried to stay off the "city's website sux" bandwagon for as long as possible because (a.) I know firsthand that it's a pain in the arse to design and run a good site and (b.) I didn't think it was as gawd-awful as the previous iteration.

‘Citizen Bloggers' Get Busy at the Ledge

I need some room to rant. Have you seen this crap?

I am just now discovering the CL's "Citizen Bloggers"