DJ Mr. FixIt & Deanna Unite In St. Thomas

In January 2025, the music world and the Jones family came together to celebrate the long-awaited union of DJ Mr. FixIt, Michael L. Jones, and his beautiful bride, Deanna, in a breathtaking ceremony on the idyllic St. Thomas Virgin Islands. Surrounded by the lush greenery, crystal-clear waters, and the gentle breeze of the Caribbean, the couple exchanged vows in a heartfelt and intimate ceremony, marking the beginning of their lifelong journey together.

The destination wedding, which took place in one of the most picturesque locations in the Caribbean, was a dream come true for the couple, who wanted a unique and memorable setting to declare their love. The breathtaking views of the turquoise sea and vibrant sunsets provided the perfect backdrop as Michael and Deanna said their "I dos" in front of close friends and family.

The ceremony was a reflection of their shared passion for life, music, and the love that has brought them together. Michael, known to many as DJ Mr. FixIt, has made a name for himself in the music industry, and his presence in the vibrant Dallas DJ scene is well-known. Deanna, with her graceful elegance and warm heart, stood by his side as his true soulmate.

The celebrations didn’t end there. Following their beautiful destination wedding, the couple hosted a lively and joyous reception in Dallas, Texas, where friends and family gathered to continue the celebration. The reception was a night to remember, with DJ Mr. FixIt spinning his signature beats, filling the air with music and love. Guests danced the night away as the newlyweds enjoyed every moment surrounded by their loved ones.

It was a perfect blend of love, music, and celebration, as the couple united not only in marriage but also in a shared vision of happiness and togetherness. Michael and Deanna’s love story, filled with moments of joy and laughter, is now written into the books of history as they embark on this new chapter of their lives together.

Their wedding, an unforgettable experience in the Virgin Islands, and the Dallas reception were the epitome of what true love looks like—a combination of elegance, passion, and the joy of sharing special moments with the ones you hold dear.

As they move forward in life as husband and wife, Michael L. Jones and Deanna are an inspiration to all who know them. The beautiful union marks not just the beginning of a marriage, but the continuation of a love that is truly destined to last forever.

Be sure to follow him on TikTok.

Conservatives Avoid Talks Of Culture

The arts and cultural sector is facing a multitude of challenges. With COVID and cost of living crisis following hot on the heels of a decade of funding cuts, many organisations have had to strip back their programmes. Some have closed altogether.

In the face of this stark reality, the Conservative party’s 2024 manifesto feels short on solutions. Over 80 pages, “arts” and “culture” are each mentioned only once. This is compared to “heritage”, which is addressed six times.

The Conservatives state that culture and sport lie “at the core of our national and local identities” and pledge to “support our world-leading creative industries”. Yet, arts and culture are squeezed into one short page, alongside sport, media and the nighttime economy.

There are some welcome promises to continue creative sector tax incentives, to support creative IP in the face of artificial intelligence, and to offer apprenticeships in film, TV, gaming and music. But there’s little detail on how these might operate and next to nothing regarding the flailing arts and cultural sector itself.

Analysis of the 2023 Labour Force Survey by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre reveals stark inequalities. For example, 90% of the cultural workforce is white (compared to 85% across the population) and working-class people are underrepresented in every area of arts and culture. There’s nothing in the manifesto acknowledging the urgent need to diversify cultural workers and audiences.

Although the Conservatives point out that the £1.57 billion support package during the pandemic saved the cultural sector from annihilation, our research at the Centre for Cultural Value shows that it did very little to foster diversity or support the freelancers that the sector relies on. That said, creative freelancers could benefit from the proposed plan to abolish the main rate of National Insurance for self-employed workers.

But, in short, there’s no bold ambition outlined to safeguard, never mind transform, the “world-leading” cultural sector that the Conservatives state is so crucial to our identity and place in the world.

Source: The Conversation

Human Culture Is Changing Too Fast For Evolution

Research is showing that many of our contemporary problems, such as the rising prevalence of mental health issues, are emerging from rapid technological advancement and modernisation. A theory that can help explain why we respond poorly to modern conditions, despite the choices, safety and other benefits they bring, is evolutionary mismatch.

Mismatch happens when an evolved adaptation, either physical or psychological, becomes misaligned with the environment. Take moths and some species of nocturnal flies, for example. Because they have to navigate in the dark, they evolved to use the moon for direction. But due to the invention of artificial lighting, many moths and flies are drawn to street lamps and indoor lights instead.

The same happens for humans. A classic example is our “sweet tooth”, which motivated ancestral humans to search for calorie-rich foods in nutritionally scarce environments. This sweet tooth becomes mismatched to the modern world when food companies mass produce foods laden with refined sugars and fat, hijacking an otherwise useful trait. The result is tooth decay, obesity and diabetes.

Source: The Conversation

Skye Shanklin Tops iTunes Chart With "Joy"

California-based singer-songwriter Skye Shanklin has created hype all over the world with her wondrous soundscape. Hailing from Playa Del Rey, CA, she started singing at the age of seven along with her coach. She loves making new music and mixing different sounds to create her original melodies. Skye also loves all kinds of music, but holds a strong preference for old sounds as she believes they have a story to tell.

She released an incredible music video at age 9 called, ‘All This’. The video features her unparalleled artistic craftsmanship. The song gained more than 29k views in just 3 weeks. She is now 11 and the singing diva is still winning hearts on the internet with her stunning talent. She had time to share her brilliance with us and some interesting information about her music and herself.

The singer has mastered the art of melodious singing and her voice sounds much ahead of her time. Filled with simplicity yet laced with the perfect authority, the singer demonstrates her skills to offer good vibes. Her music celebrates her innocence, her style, and bright perspective towards life.

Q: What is your legal name and age?

A: Skye Shanklin, I'm 11 years old

Q: Where are you from?

A: I'm from Playa Del Rey, California

Q: Why did you first start making music?

A: I don't know I seemed to love it. My mom said I would beat on all of her pots and pans with a rhythm not at random so she bought me a drum set for my first birthday. Then I was recorded at about 18 months old singing "All of Me" by John Legend, although I didn't say all of the words correctly I had the melody down. 

Q: What’s your latest release?

A: February 28th Stop, Look, and Listen is the cut we expect great things so check back.

Q: Who influenced you most throughout your career?

A: My mom- because she never stops believing in my dreams and supporting me and encouraging me when I feel stuck or anything. maybe because she's a therapist she knows how to listen but she's the best and I'm glad she's my mom.

Q: What’s your best advice for handling criticism?

A: Check the source, and if credible take it as a way to grow and continue to develop into the best me, or put it into my library of info if needed but if it doesn't apply let it fly. 

Using her magnificent voice to whisper through songs that flip the expectations set by the genre with tempo and gorgeousness, singer Skye Shanklin is making a worthwhile entry into the industry. The young singer has a soulful and catchy voice that she uses to the best of her abilities to strike a chord with the audience. Her deep thought process coupled with her artistic perspective is sure to pave her way towards a bright future.

Follow her movement on Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, Instagram, & Facebook.

Is Democracy Still Struggling To Meet The Great America Test?

Yes, above Lincoln or Kennedy or Roosevelt above any of the presidents; above the titans of industry or culture or science or sport. Above them all, Martin L. King is the one who spoke to, and whose words continue to speak to, the broken heart of America — the promise and the lie, the dreams and the nightmares of America.

He held America to account to its creed of equality; told America that the bombs it was dropping in Vietnam would explode at home; went to the mountaintop and glimpsed a promised land and still on the day of his murder was planning a sermon asking if America would go to hell.

In his lifetime, King was not the revered figure he is today. He was jailed. He was tracked by the FBI. He had the dogs set upon him. He was not popular. Before his death, a poll of Americans showed King had a 75 per cent disapproval rate. Even among other black Americans he was not universally loved. A young generation was impatient with his message of non-violence and love. King himself wondered if they were not right. In the decades since his image has been molded and softened. Rather than the firebrand reverend, we get the apostle for peace. Yet both things were true.

The post-American world is upon us

White liberals love to quote his famous speech that we should be judged by the content of our character, not the colour of our skin, to tell us — black people or people of colour — that we should put aside the politics of race. They don't realise that he was talking to them too. He was telling white people not to judge the rest of us by the colour of their white skin.

Of course, King championed a glorious and incurable colour blindness. He believed in the universality and Christian peoplehood of all, but never lost sight of the struggle for black rights. Black philosopher Cornel West reminds us that for King, "the black freedom struggle requires a cross to bear", not a "flag to wave".

King's bible was used at Obama's swearing in ceremony in 2009.(Public Domain)

West challenged the idea that Barack Obama's election as the first black president was the fulfilment of King's dream. King's bible was used at Obama's swearing-in ceremony. But West worried about the celebrations of the black elite who "became Obama-like flag wavers rather than Martin King-like cross bearers". West believed King would shed tears from the grave at the capture of Obama by Wall Street and American imperialism.

King set American democracy a test it is still struggling to meet. America is a troubled, exhausted, divided and racially striven nation. This can no longer be called the American century. In many ways the post-American world is upon us. China is the biggest engine of economic growth and soon to be the single biggest economy in the world.

America boasts the most powerful military but it has spent decades bogged down in foreign wars, it has tens of thousands of troops stationed around the world, it is burdened and ended its single longest war by fleeing Afghanistan and leaving it to the Taliban.

Race is central

Yet America — more than China, more than the rich nations of Europe — will still likely determine the fate of our world. If it is to have a future, democracy — in retreat and crumbling within — must meet the test of America. Post-Cold War liberal triumphalism does not answer the questions of 21st century America. The idea of America is contested every day. It is a nation of different races and faiths and cultures and creeds all crammed in and making it up as they go along.

Read more here.