Hide Your Lampshades

The Daily News is reporting that Essence magazine still plans to throw its annual music festival in New Orleans next July, thus raining on that bitch Katrina's plans to ruin everything.

At a party on Monday night to celebrate Essence's becoming part of the Time-Warner family, Time Inc. chief Ann Moore (pictured) let it be known that she's thrilled to have the African-American staff on board.

"They're always so lively," she told The Daily News. "They can turn even an ordinary staff meeting into a revival meeting."

Fo shizzle, Ann.

Why does something tell me that if Time-Warner gets its hand on The Advocate, Ann is going to be dazzled by "how stylish" all the guys are and what "great softball players" the gals are?

(Thanks, Mona!)