I love Asian culture!

I've never even heard of some shit like this. I've never even thought of something like this. I saw a pic, on MSN's week in sports pics, of guys playing Sepak takraw, which is a sort of volleyball but played with the FEET! It's volleyball soccer!! The pic is amazing too. I wish I could cut and paste that shit but MSN's week in... pics aren't copyable. They use a ball made out of rattan. If you can check the MSN week in sports pics, linked above, and it is pic 13 of Oct. 21-27. Here's some pics from the wikipeida page.





Wow.

Wow. Sick.

Further proof we really live in a sick, sick country.

Down to the line

I feel the need to reiterate that shit is real in the battlefield. I've mentioned several times how things are going to get dirty the closer we get to this election. I'll refer ya'll to this article from The Root. Especially interesting to me, on the second page of the article, was the mention of what some republican officials are trying to do in texas. Old and new tricks, people. Old and new. The civil war was not really that long ago and the whites that ran the south, through the generations, still run the south and they still mad as hell down there.Throughout the country whole country really but especially down there. Oh yeah, and don't forget about those neo-nazi idiots that got caught with their murder plot. These idiots planned on killing a lot of Black folks just because. Now, at least these morons knew they weren't going to get Obama. But they were still gonna try anyway. I mean, really. And you have a whole lot of people saying racism and prejudice is no longer a problem in this country. Riiiiiiiight! Tell that to the Jena 6, Sean Bell and his two friends, the kids in the HBCU's in texas, and to the people of Tenn. where these skinhead morons planned to begin their little killing spree.

It must be said, watch your backs Black people. Watch your damn backs. You do not know WHO is gonna come out of the blue and try to do something to you in these times right now. I'm paranoid so I watch my back at all times anyway but for now, shit is real in the battlefield for my Black folks right now and in the coming months or years. They scared of us and will try and hurt us because of that fear. WATCH YOUR BACKS! And really all open Obama supporters who aren't Black should watch out, too, 'cuz ya'll will get it from your own for supporting a Black man. So sad.

And I'm out.

Death Magnetic

Well, I consider myself a huge admirer of Metallica's work. I'll actually admit I'm a fan (I previously mentioned my dislike of this word). I have all of their albums and I like all of them, some more than others naturally (and not the ones you'd think), so I was very excited when I found out they had a new album, Death Magnetic. (This review is late, the album came out Sept. 12, but who cares!) I pre-ordered it, which is something I rarely do. But knowing them and their work I knew I would not be disappointed. There's few musicians I feel that way about (I'll name them another time). So, on initial listen I liked it but wasn't totally blown away. After letting it play here and there for a while certain things began to hit me and now I'm impressed. There isn't a really bad track on the album, which today is a miracle in music. But Metallica have always taken their music seriously in every way, so it's always great. Where the lyrics fail the music carries it and I would say vice versa but the music never fails. They have, as planned by Rick Rubin and the themselves, captured the essence of the early days of their career. The ESSENCE!! They have not regressed or gone back or even tried to. That wasn't the point and besides once you reach a certain level, in anything, but especially music, you can't go back. There is no going back, only harnessing a feeling, tapping into distant emotions that are still strong and relevant. THAT is what Metallica has done on Death Magnetic. I'm going to do a track by track and so I don't have to mention it over and over they brought guitar solos back, which were not on the last album (which I loved), and they ALL WORK!! Here we go:

That Was Just Your Life - Deceptively slow intro then, BOOM! Kick your ass Metallica is here, fuckers. Despite popular belief they never left!

The End Of The Line - Perfect example of captured early essence melded with accumulated years of musical experience. Can't WAIT to hear this in concert. (Yes, I already bought my tickets. I'm FINALLY going to see these guys in concert!!!)

Broken, Beat & Scarred - Now this one in particular is where I felt the lyrics kind of fail. The line, "What don't kill ya, make ya more strong," is kind of weak to me. It hasn't gotten any stronger for me. The whole rest of the song works except that line. It's obviously a play on the old adage, "what does not kill you, makes you stronger." But the way James made it fit just sounds off to me. This is the only slightly weak link in the album. The solo kicks ass! Not a bad song, just the one line. And at 6:25 this is also the shortest song on the album.

The Day That Never Comes - Here is the lead single and video. It's kind of a hybrid of 'One' and the first 'Unforgiven'. I wasn't that impressed when I first heard it but it's actually a very strong song and I love it now. James really put it into the lyrics here.

All Nightmare Long - Probably one of my favorites as far as the lyrics and especially the chorus. "We'll hunt you down all nightmare long!" How cool of a lyric is that! I'm a writer so I love a great sequence of words, especially in music. Shit, I wish I'd thought of that one!

Cyanide - Here we can really hear Robert's influence in the band. The bass here is just so strong. I like Robert Trujillo, he's an excellent bass player, and I'm glad he filled the vacant bass slot.

The Unforgiven III - Now here we revisit a recurring theme in the growing Metallica musical pantheon. Some people feel they need to leave this title alone, I, however, think the band knows what it needs and acts accordingly. It's an excellent song so I don't know what the hell people's problem is. The boys doing this song is also one of the reasons I love this band. Their whole attitude is, "Fuck 'Em if they don't like it!" How can you not love that! I feel the same way and always have!

The Judas Kiss - This is another one that really captures the essence of their earlier days. Takes me back to the '...And Justice For All' days.

Suicide & Redemption - I'm loving, ABSOLUTELY LOVING that the boys did an instrumental and this has to be the best one yet. Their previous instrumentals, with the exception of 'The Call of Ktulu', have always had certain sections that were just awsome but were overall kind of wobbly. They've finally achieved another wholly solid instrumental that I wouldn't mind hearing the whole thing of in concert, even at 9 minutes plus. Awesome.

My Apocalypse - Straight heat and speed. Not as fast as some of the old favorites but close enough as makes no damn difference. Hard hitting, kick your ass all over the place classic Metallica! The album's title is found among the lyrics here. The Four Horsemen are, indeed, still going strong.

It wasn't straight hit me over the head awesome, but assassin in the background sneaking up and snuffing your ass awesome. It was good at first but it grew into a monster. I really like this album. Metallica still hasn't disappointed me. Great album. Get Death Magnetic and enjoy!

Loud!!

I noticed something recently and it kind of brought me to my High school years. In high school I HAD to take spanish. I did not want to but the honors program I was in required it. Now, back then I couldn't have really given a real decent reason why I was so opposed to learning spanish. So opposed in fact that I had spanish all 4 years and learned next to nothing! I learned some but not enough for 4 years. Very sad, young me was not very intelligent all the time. Anyways, I recently noticed something that gives me a valid reason for my decision way back then: Spanish speakin' mothafuka's in NY talk FUCKING LOUD!!!! I don't get it. Everywhere I go if people are speaking spanish they're talking at the top of their lungs or damn near even if they're right next to each other. Do you know how fucking annoying that is?! I figure, in my subconscious back then, I noticed that and said to my self, "If learning that damn language means I have to shout everything I speak, I'd rather not learn." I mean really, if you live in NY city just really pay attention one day to the spanish speaking fuckers around you. It's not just the young kids either. It's ALL of them. Old, young, in-between, whatever, they talk LOUD. I don't get it. That shit is especially annoying in enclosed spaces, ie: elevators and trains. I mean, really, is it necessary to be that fucking loud! ALL THE TIME! Jeez! This is not a stereotype of all spanish speaking people just an observation of NY city spanish speaking people that I've confirmed with other people. Now that I finally solidified what bothered me about the damn language, as it's spoken in my environment, it bothers me even more. You just want to intrude on a damn conversation and say, "Is it really necessary to scream and yell? Can you please lower your voices?" Well, really, I want to say, "Will you shut the fuck up?! It ain't necessary to be that fucking loud!," but I realize that won't have the desired effect.

Okay, so can anybody corroborate this little observation of mine or am I just way out there?

Little Jackie

Well, I tell ya what: Little Jackie knows how to put on a show! Imani Coppola has a true performers energy. And she's a true ROCKER! Her backup singers and band were really good and on point. They damn near performed all of the songs off of the new album, The Stoop, which I had damn near memorized, so I was happy. Being that I've only been a fan for a few months I only have one of Imani's solo albums, pre-LJ, The Black & White Album, which she didn't do any songs from. She did do two songs I was not familiar with (the rest of the audience was though) but was absolutely taken with so it seems I'm going to have to find and cop her earlier albums. It's actually kind of hard to pick out highlights because for me the whole damn show is a highlight. I hope that she posts this concert on her myspace or something, 'cause even though I have some clips on my crappy camera video, I'm a spectator not a camera man, and I wanted to really witness and take in and enjoy the performance, not kill my damn shoulder trying to get a decent camera angle. My memory works pretty good, I'm sure I'll remember seeing Imani gyrating on stage in front of me for quite a while. But anyway, I have to say, the performance of the lead single from The Stoop, The World Should Revolve Around Me, was great 'cause it sent everyone in the audience on a frenzy of energy, including myself. She picked up a violin for one of the songs I didn't know but I liked. Of course I was happy they played 28 Butts, one of my favorite songs on the album. But actually a real highlight was Go Hard or Go Home, which is an obviously deeply personal song for Imani, for she's singing about her family and growing up. She picked up a guitar for this one and the drummer played one of those big rectangular floor drums you sit on (for the life of me I can't remember the name of the damn drum!). She didn't get overly emotional or anything, she let the lyrics do that, but you could tell she holds this song close. She closed the set with The Kitchen, an admonition to the ladies to watch their shit! Good song. Of course, it's the perfect counterpoint to the song LOL which completely owns a moronic guy she's with. Both of the backup singers each handled a verse of The Kitchen quite well. The coolest thing was she ended the song with the old African chant that Michael Jackson used on 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'', "Mama Say, Mama Sa, Mama Koo Sa (I'm sure I butchered the spelling but you know what the hell I'm talking about!). Of course I was singing and on beat with the hand claps, just like in Mike's song. Yeah, I'm good!

Naturally I was singing along most of the show. Great show. I love great shows.

Here's some cheesy pics I took with my crappy phone camera:













The backup singers. They were good.


Imani on the GeeTaar!(Yes, I know it's guitar, jackass.)


I also have some bad video clips with same crappy phone camera.

Community

A few weeks ago I went to visit my Niece, Naziya. She's 3 months old. Beautiful baby. But that's not what I'm writing about right now. I usually take the bus run by a Chinese company based downtown in Chinatown. There are a lot of those companies down there going many places. Now I went down early because I wanted to make sure I got a seat. It was a holiday weekend and lots of people travel around holiday's no matter what it is as long as it's an extra day off from work. Anyways, since I was mad early I decided to walk around, see what I could find. I have an affinity for Asian cultures. Not the common American surface fixation but a genuine interest. Well I was actually hungry and was walking around to see if I could find a restaurant I thought I would like. Well I was caught off guard just a little and mildly amused as I caught sight of a Popeye's chicken off in the distance. It was really interesting because not only did it have it's sign in english on the building but also in Chinese character's. I thought that was rather cool. I wished my friend David had been there, he could have given me the literal translation of the characters. Well, I passed it by and continued to walk around 'cause I was of the opinion, "I'm in Chinatown. Why would I get Popeye's chicken for?" But I was intrigued and after not really seeing whatever I was looking for I doubled back and wound up in the Popeye's. I'd like to mention that I wasn't surprised at the fact that there was a Popeye's in Chinatown I just didn't see it coming. I know that Asian people like all the same bullshit fast food and stuff that we do. I've been to a Mickey D's, a Burger King, and an Outback Steakhouse in South Korea, so there's certain American ignorances that I don't adhere to. So, again, I was mildly amused at the sight of a bunch of Chinese people chowing down on fried chicken, like I was down south at a barbecue, as I walked in. But what really struck me was what I saw behind the counter. All young Asian boys and girls working. I'd gotten so used to seeing older folks working at the fast food restaurants I've been to around this country, that seeing ALL young people was rather striking. (I've always thought that people over about 30-35 working the counter in fast food as rather sad. If you're the manager or something cool but just working there? Sad. I understand it might be necessary but it's still sad.) Anyways, I had a eureka moment. This is what having a strong sense of community is about. Let's be honest, working fast food is a low level job. Older adults should not be working low level jobs like that. The youth of the community work those jobs to learn the responsibility of working. The adults of the community work the upper level jobs and acquire and maintain land and property to maintain the community and provide those low level jobs for their youth. And so the cycle goes on. This only works when there is a collective sense of community, which most Asian people have. Asians, Jews, white americans, native Africans, and other ethnicities have this. Black americans used to and lost it as soon as we integrated with white americans. Don't get it twisted, I'm not blaming white people, I'm blaming Black people. Black people let their communities go in order to better fit in with whites.

Now here's what the major problem is. The big difference between Black americans and everyone else is, everyone else has a direct link to an ancestral home. They have a strong connection to a homeland and teach their children about that homeland in various ways. Black americans have been completely cut of from their ancestral home, Africa. Our ancestors weren't immigrants, they were brought here in bondage. If you look at it directly Black americans are actually the real embodiment of what an american is. Our whole cultural make up was completely constructed in this land. I don't include the Natives of this land, who are also part of my ancestry which I'm learning more about now, because they were here first and whites came and dominated and made up america. Made this shit up! There are many Tribal Nations that do not consider themselves americans, rightfully so I think. So, yeah, Black americans had to start from scratch just like european immigrants started this country from scratch. It's almost funny, I just reread that last sentence and realized they stole a people and a seperate land at the same time, wiped them as clean as they could and rebuilt them. Wow.

Wow, didn't really want to go that deep at this time. I was just very aware of the sense of community from a trip to a Popeye's in Chinatown and thought that experience was worth sharing. I'll get more into the other stuff another time.

Condolences to Jennifer Hudson

This is a seriously unfortunate and fucked up experience. Jennifer Hudson's mother and older brother were found shot in their home and her 7 year old nephew is missing. I can't begin to imagine the pain this young woman must be feeling. Her family still lived in the south side of Chicago which I hear is not a nice place. But I hear the same thing about where I'm from, South Bronx, NY, and it's really not so bad here, so I'm sure it couldn't be that bad there. Places aren't bad, people are. South side Chicago didn't kill her family, some ignorant stupid ass fool did.

From what is known she has a very close knit family and I offer my condolences to them all. I know the loss of a loved one now, so I know there are really no words for this. Life goes on and you have know choice but to deal but the love and support of those that love and care for you helps tremendously.

I'm out.

DAAAAAAMNN!!!

If you gonna be a bully be a smart bully. Oxymoron huh? He got knocked the fuck out.

Hard. Core. Hip. Hop.

I've mentioned here previously my love for Hip Hop music. I LOVE Hip Hop music in all of it's forms, as long as it's good. Some people, fair weather fans, only like brainless pop rap and talk down and/or bad about hard core rap. (By the way I'm not a fan. Don't like the term. It's short for fanatic. I'm not fanatical about much, especially entertainers. I'm an avid ADMIRER. [Well sometimes I'm a fan! ;-)]) Well, they just don't get it. That's their business. Me? I love hard core hip hop. Not fake gangster bullshit but REAL gritty, grimy street shit. And my preference is East Coast stylie because I'm a proud New Yorker, South Bronx Baby!! Birthplace of Hip Hop Kulture. Nothing against other regions but hard core is different in different places and I understand NY more than anything else. But real recognize real so I have know problem with hard core MC's from other places. Some of my favorites are the aforementioned Onyx, M.O.P.(these guys are HARD BODY for REAL. Check this out. I LOVE this track. Tell me Remy Ma didn't kill this!), Ghostface and the whole Wu-Tang really, Freddie Foxxx, Ice Cube and the whole BCC. Boot! Camp! Click!

I'm loving the resurgence of the BCC! These cats is really killin' it right now. They've never gotten the props as a crew and especially as a label, Duckdown Records, that other cats have but they're tight. Who doesn't remember Black Moon's breakout hits "Who Got Da Props" and the ILL "How Many MC's..."?! Come on, these cats came out as new jacks in '93 talkin' 'bout, how many MC's must get dissed?! I LOVED that shit. And so did ALL of New York! Mad large crew, with mad nice MC's. And them signing new jacks, Kidz In The Hall, was just a brilliant move. These kids are nice and new blood is always good.

Now the last few years, Sean Price, Ruck of Heltah Skeltah, has been KILLIN' shit on the underground music scene. I'm a huge admirer of his style. And with Sean laying a new foundation he's joined back with his rap brother Rock, and Heltah Skeltah is back in action and harder than ever. Here is the new video for the new single, "So Damn Tuff", from Heltah Skeltah's new album, which is FIRE!!! The title of the album is D.I.R.T. (Da Incredible Rap Team) and it is off the hook nice hard core, hard body rap!

I'm not one of these people who think rap should go back to the old days and was only good then. I LOVE the late 80's and early 90's. Mad classic music was made but I'm a big proponent of progress. There are mad nice MC's still making good and great Hip Hop music today, it's just the business side, the huge conglomerate corporations that PUSH the candy ass pop rap that has the game twisted. But REAL Hip Hop music is still being made out there you just have to look beyond what's being pushed. I'll leave this line alone 'cause I already addressed it in a previous post (also linked above).

But yeah, I really just wanted to say the new Heltah Skeltah album is NOICE!! Go get it!

Since I mentioned the song's here they are:
Black Moon: How Many MC's


and Who Got Da Props


Here's the lead single video from Heltah Skeltah:


I dare you to tell me they not nice!

Veronica Pt. 3 (What I Miss Most)

I felt like listing or writing about some of the things I miss the most about V.

What I probably miss the most is kissing her. In so many ways we fit together and this was one of my favorites. I loved running my tongue all along and around her teeth. She had the most perfect, small, and smooth teeth. I SO miss that. The softest lips I've ever felt.

We could fall asleep snuggled up and wake up a tangled knot and be comfortable. Sometimes it was like we were trying to melt into each other in our sleep. She told me once she missed that, too.

I loved to do her hair. I loved to brush and comb it. She had beautiful naturally curly hair. I'd always put her perms in for her and often styled it. She'd let me come up with something or she'd see something she wanted to try and needed my help. Now putting in the perms was always fun 'cause to wash that shit out we'd just get in the shower. Now how fun is that. Fuck a sink, we home! Let's have fun! The funnest hair style we did was with straws. Bugged out right. Instead of getting tiny rollers or something we got straws, regular drinking straws. We'd cut them down and I'd curl her hair around them and secure them with bobby pins. Wrap and sleep and in the morning she had some really nice tight curls. Did that one a few times.

I liked running baths for her. With her sickle cell, she really needed to stay relaxed as much as possible and that chick loved to hang onto negative energy for some reason, which was not good. So, I would do my best to de-stress her as much as possible. Another thing she admitted to missing. I think this one's obvious to miss, though. I'd also wash her when she was finished soaking. When I go, I go DEEP and ALL THE WAY!!!

This one thing is going to seem weird to some of you and it's also a bit difficult to describe. I loved her little toes. The outside ones, the pinky toes. They both were very slightly calloused so they were still soft but firm. And what I loved about them was they both had an edge. A slightly sharp edge. Not soft rounded pads like most toes but edged and very slightly hard. I liked licking and sucking her toes (among other things ;-) and really liked when my tongue hit those edges on her toes. I know, I'm weird. What else is new?


Us again. Told you we looked good together. We went to a studio to get this (obviously).



New Year's 2001 Despite the smiles we weren't really at our best together at this point. If you can't tell those are some fake ass smiles. Well not really fake. More half-hearted really. A failing relationship is no fun when both people REALLY love each other and can't figure out how to fix things.



One of the first pictures we took together. Her mother took this. This is either christmas of '98 or right after 'cause I bought her that necklace and pendant that christmas. Can you see the difference in the smiles here and the pic above?

Bit of school news

Not that it's much of a surprise BUT I am happy that I ACED!! my english midterm. Had to do three essays and I was 30 minutes late and the professor started the test early! I AM THE MAN!!!!! Of course I am a writer so I SHOULD be able to do shit like that, but I'm syain' though....I still did it. And, yeah, I'm happy about it. Deal with it. Don't hate the player....

I'm a Consumer, damnit!!!

I readily admit it, I'm a consumer. A muthafukin' CONSUMER!!!! I BUY SHIT! But I buy shit I like. Really like. I rarely, very, very, very rarely regret my purchases. Most people kick themselves in the ass for shit they bought and knew they had know business buying when they bought it. I don't. I indulge in my passions. BOOKS, MUSIC, AND MOVIES. That's what I like and that's what I buy. And the occasional electronic gadget. Now the only way to really acquire wealth in this world is to make and save more money than you spend. I obviously understand this. However, I haven't reached the necessary need to become rich yet. It's coming. But I don't beat myself up about not having more money or enough money. I'm a damn adult, I know what I do and am responsible for it. I don't complain about it. I know me and am happy with me. Period!

Forgive the rant, I was just thinking about this because I bought some CD's today and remembered being lectured about being a consumer once and how that is not conducive to wealth building. Well, duh. No shit. I bought a CD today that I'd been looking for for YEARS!!! I had it digitally once (borrowed it from a friend) but the format it was in couldn't be converted (I hate SONY!!!) so I lost that copy and the damn disc wasn't being distributed anymore. Imagine my surprise when I found SWV's third album, release some tension, in the store. And it was the only copy left! I'd passed it up before, like twice, and I was kicking myself in the ass for NOT buying it then! So I wasn't about to not buy it this time. My usual move is to say I'll come back next week and it should still be here. Well, that has obviously burned me before so I wasn't playing around this time. Not with this disc. It's a wonderful album. And I'm happy I bought it.

I also got the album put out by those two young men who go by the name, Nuttin' But Stringz, that some of you may have seen on that show america's got talent. They actually had an album out before they appeared on that show. I'd heard about them about a little over a year ago and was very impressed and interested in getting their music. I'd seen the album at the store last year and was like, "Oh yeah, I want that," but waited. WELL, since I saw them perform on the show I was really, really more impressed, on top of what I had already heard about them. And since I was in the mood to not pass shit up today I bought it. It's AWSOME! Go buy this shit. I linked it twice just so you know I MEAN IT!! Good music is ALWAYS worth the money. As is a great book/story. And film/movie. And I'm done.

So sad that this is Great.

How wonderful this story is. There are so many elders out there, of all ethnicities (yet so important to the ONE I have most identified with in my life 'til now), to whom this presidential election is a dream come true never dreamt. Can you fathom not being able to vote then having the ability as a right? Can you fathom not being equal and then being equal (in theory. Still a ways on this one. But it's LIGHTYEARS BETTER. If it wasn't for elders like the woman in the article I might not be writing this damn blog right now!) I mean if it wasn't for people like her the phenom that is Barack would be decades away! It's GREAT she gets to finally vote for a viable and capable Black candidate for the presidency of one of the "freest" countries on this planet. How sad is that? Compared to the time of captivity and oppression Black people endured in this country we haven't been "free" for very long. It's amazing really that we've come along as far as we have. Wonderful thing. So sad.

Interesting

Some very interesting and need to know info I read over on The Root. They're all blogs not articles so it won't take long to read them. Check 'em out.

One on a very good and rather important movie adaptation called Towelhead. I'd heard of this book a while ago and planned to read it. Still do, but I'm going to go see it first. Hey, I read a lot of shit and I've recently expanded what my core reading is so my reading life is hectic right now.

Next, a wake up call for black conspiracy theorists.

And finally one of the most rational insights on the current political situation. I have been saying this for quite a while. The surface is cute and all that BUT this country's heart is a sickly rotten thing that needs to perish so a new one can be put in. But it's clinging to life with the strength of the dead, which is not weak by any means.

OH! MY! GOD!

You cannot be serious. Okay. Okay. Look. This ghetto ass create a new name shit has just really reached a new fucking plateau of stupidity. Check it:

How would you pronounce this student’s name: “Le-a”?

Leah? NO

Lee - A? NOPE

Lay - a? NO WAY

Lei? Guess Again.

It’s pronounced “Ledasha.” Oh, yes, you read it right. This child attends a

school in Livingston Parish, LA. Her mother is irate because everyone is getting

her name wrong. If you see something come across your desk like this, please

remember to pronounce it correctly.


When the mother was asked about the pronunciation of the name, she said, “The dash don’t be silent.”


I'd almost be impressed with the creativeness of this except: The mother cannot even speak properly! I'm of the opinion that if you are going to get creative with naming a child you should AT LEAST be relatively conversant in the language you are getting creative with. I'm done. Just done.

Well, damn.

Well it's not like no one knew. Serena is packing a nuclear bomb behind her wherever she goes. So, so nice.

Serena Williams Handles the Swell (MySpace Exclusive)

Too funny!

The little train that couldn't!

Read this shit.

John Scalzi has a rather important post up on his blog, Whatever. dealing with the current presidential campaign. I suggest you read it. McCain might have reigned in the rhetoric a bit but he already started down the wrong path to begin with. I'll say it again, old and new tricks, people. Old and new tricks. None of this shit is by accident or honest mistakes! Yo, this shit ain't no joke! It's gettin' real in the battlefield!

I told ya'll

NY election mix-up: 'Osama' on the ballot

By RICHARD RICHTMYER – 3 hours ago

TROY, N.Y. (AP) — Who is running for president? In an upstate New York county, hundreds of voters have been sent absentee ballots in which they could vote for "Barack Osama.
"

The absentee ballots sent to voters in Rensselaer County identified the two presidential candidates as "Barack Osama" and "John McCain." In the United States, the best-known individual named Osama is Osama bin Laden, leader of the al Qaida terrorist group behind the 2001 attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City.


The typographical terror error was first reported by the Times Union of Albany.


The elections office faxed a statement in which the two commissioners, Democrat Edward McDonough and Republican Larry Bugbee, said they regret the error but never acknowledge what the error was.


"It's human error, it's very unfortunate, it's an embarrassment to our office, obviously," McDonough said in a later phone interview. "We wish we could turn back the clock, but we can't.
"

When they discovered the mistake, officials shredded the remaining "Osama" ballots and mailed correct versions to the roughly 300 people who had already received them. McDonough said the "Osama" mistake was made in only one of the 13 ballot versions mailed throughout the county, located east of the state capital of Albany.


Voters who received both versions will be allowed to send in either one and have it counted, McDonough said.


Obama spokesman Blake Zeff said the campaign is "glad officials are working to correct this error and we assume it won't happen again.
"

AP Writer Devlin Barrett in Washington contributed to this report.


Now you know this shit wasn't a damn mistake! I told ya'll in an earlier post that they were going to be up to some old and new trickery. This was most definitely NOT a mistake.

Bugged ass internet games

Yo, back when I worked in an office we had internet game competitions every once in a blue moon. These three games were the ones I remember the most. I forgot about these until I just came across them.
The first is straight Penguin baseball and the second one was a bit more gruesome. Same game just Bloody! And here's another one involving a kitten. These shit's were fun on boring days in the office. Some of my peeps should 'member! I've discovered there's mad different versions of these games online. Just type penguin baseball or cannon games or some equivalent in google or whatever search engine you prefer. Batter Up!!!

Doppelganger

It is uncanny how many white women out there in the entertainment world could literally pass for the republican candidate for vp. Everyone knows about Tina Fey fron SNL, who not only looked like her dead on but pulled off her speech patterns spot on as well ( She didn't even have to write any material. She literally used Palins words from the interview. How sick is that! And this chick wants to be vp but can't make ANY sense in an interview?) There was a look-a-like model in the newspaper, last week I think it was the post or daily news, that really looked like her. That person went around pretendeing to be her for a while and pulled that shit off, too. And then there's THIS! I know porn is famous for making sexual parodies of people and mainstream films and certain world events and the like but I don't think they EVER had a damn near identical TWIN for a public figure like this. When she puts on the glasses it's just like, whoa! If this chick, Lisa Ann, pulls off the voice it's a WRAP!!! I mean, come on, Nailin' Palin!! CAN you say this is going to be the HIGHEST selling porno film of the year. Probably the damn decade!! Shit, I might get it off gp. I don't particularly think Palin looks that good, but Lisa Ann does. Hey, when I was talking matches I was just talking the FACE. You better believe Lisa Ann is going to bring WAY more experience to her role than Palin is bringing to hers. I think that's worth checking out, how 'bout you? ;-)

I think I need my man Skillz to help me sort out my emotions on this one. (Real Hip Hop ain't dead!)


We truly live in a Crazy World! Thanks Skillz!

Positive love

Yes, these stories need to be told. Love, real love between Black men and women needs to be put in a spotlight because for so long it's been propagandized as non-existent. Well it EXISTS!!!! Check it here.

The powers that be are a bit overzealous!

Same shit, wrong century. The moment a Black Man speaks truth and is not afraid in this country they, white people, pull out every trick in the book they can find to try and discredit and/or silence him. So sad that white people can't just let us be. It's not like Boots Riley is a supa dupa star either. He's a very nice MC in a group called The Coup, who's content is along the lines of Public Enemy and Dead Prez. So he's dangerous because he has a voice and is not afraid to use it. That's always scared them. Weird. Click the link and see what I'm writing about. Incidentally, I like The Coup. Boots is lyrically nice and FUNNY AS HELL!!!! This is grown people's hip hop music. Check 'em out.

Film/Movie Scores

Film/Movie scores are our modern day classical music. The composers of your favorite movies and films are the Beethoven's, Mozart's, Bach's, Strauss', Bartok's, Rachmoninov's, Vivaldi's, Tchaikovsky's of our times. I mean what musicians do you know who compose music for full orchestra's anymore. Movie composers are the only people I know of making modern orchestral music. I mean really, I love many of the aforementioned, yet old (read dead and gone), composers. My man Beethoven was just sick with it, Wolfgang was just ill, and Bach's Toccata and Fugue is still one of the BEST pieces of music I ever heard and basically it was a throw away piece at the time he made it. All these guys, plus many others, were great composers. But, usually, once one finds a version of a particular symphony, or opera, or other composition, they're kind of biased against any other versions. I mean, really, there are WAY too many versions of classic compositions. And all the world's instrumental virtuoso's and philharmonics and orchestras play the same shit over and over and over ad infinitum!! Don't get me wrong, that old music is great but play some new shit! It is out there. As far as I know the only modern composer who's music gets played on a regular basis is John Williams. Which absolutely makes sense as he is one of the best of the modern composers. The days of composers having concert battles is gone. Composers of today have contract battles for films! And all of this has been leading up to this: I LOVE FILM SCORES!! Even game scores have upped the ante and get mad props nowadays.
So now we get to some of my favorite modern composers: John Williams (Of course!! elite master. Stands alone); Michael Kamen, R.I.P.(his film work was excellent but I really like him 'cause he worked with Metallica. METALLICA!!! How COOL is that?!!!), Danny Elfman (simply awsome. has an affinity for funky ass bass!! Probably from being in a rock band once); Hans Zimmer (though the recent Pirates of the Caribbean series gets a bit repetitive the main theme is off the chain!); Howard Shore (jumped straight into John Williams' level with the Lord of the Rings); Graeme Revell (He did The CROW!! Come on! He definitely has a dark edge to his compositions, just like Elfman. Wildy different but a common darkness); Trevor Jones (Last of the Mohicans, done with Randy Edelman, is in my top five favorite scores); Joel McNeely (did a score for a game/novel which was a Star Wars connect and he did an AWESOME job!); Bear McCreary (TV scoring for Battlestar Galactica which is, hands down, the best music scoring on television PERIOD! He uses ALL styles of music and instruments. This is what modern music composition should be.); KODO (this Japanese music group get props for the 1995 film The Hunted. Awesome movie, awesome music); A.R. Rahman (Bollywood super composer); Tan Dun (Chinese super composer); Andrew Lloyd Webber (though I don't follow scores for theater and play productions too much you can't really have a list like this and not mention Mr. Webber. He's the MAN for theater music); Harry Gregson-williams (for Kingdom of Heaven. Great film. At least the director's cut is); RZA (Wu-Tang Abbott is getting nice with the film scoring); Jan Hammer (another TV master. The title piece for the Miami Vice series was my favorite shit!!! My mom had it on VINYL and it had like 8 different mixes. I loved that shit!) Quincy Jones (master, period); Isaac Hayes (Come on...SHAFT!!!); Jerry Goldsmith (Great composer.Done MAD movies); Tangerine Dream (Mostly for the american score for Legend. I love that score! Jerry did the original that Ridley loves, which is excellent); Terrence Blanchard (I LOVE this man's compositions); James Newton Howard; there are many more but I named the major composers. Oh one I left for last, Basil Poledouris. I left him last for this reason: He made THE BEST SCORE EVER FOR A FILM. Conan the Barbarian! I know, I know. Not the best film in the world. Some mediocre to bad acting, some bad editing, and other minor things BUT as a whole this film WORKS! I LOVE this movie! Why? Basil. His score is damn near a character in the movie. It's awesome how absolutely seamlessly the music melds with the visuals. Best score EVER!! It's even wonderful without the film. I've listened to it countless times. Simply the best score ever! (Did I say that enough times?) I'll do a list of my favorite scores and soundtracks another time. I'm tired. LAter ya'll.

T

Publishing business

Very interesting essay on the industry. Good info for those who are really dedicated to breaking into the business of writing. I mean dedicated. Business by it's very nature is NOT designed for the good of artists, no matter the art (writing, music, etc.), and never has been. Best learn as much as you can so you get jerked around a little less. In this instance knowledge is power, literally.

Educate yoursefl!!

These horrific TRUE stories need to be told in the open and dealt with (as far as a psychological and sociological process) wholly and individually as citizens of america and the planet. So much of the history of america has been buried or more commonly suppressed. Time to deal with ALL OF THIS SHIT! I've been aware of more than most in my lifetime, but there is still more I don't know and need to learn. But I was/am a lucky individual to have been raised from young childhood with an awareness of more of the REAL history of america and the many Prominent Black men and women who endured, suffered, and succeeded in life here. Check the story, linked above, and learn a bit more and search for more on your own. Whites need not feel guilty and Blacks need not feel shame. My Black brethren, however, do need to feel angry. Very, very angry!! Actually we ALL need to feel very, very angry. But channel that anger into positive energy. For my non-Black brethren this should be just as educational. Pay attention and maybe understand a little more of why some of your Black friends are a bit touchy about certain things. For all, just process, learn and make sure these horrors are never repeated. And teach your damn children better! Believe I'll be doing many more of these.

I HATE THIS FUCKING PLACE!!!!

The shit don't stop! How some ignorant asshole gonna try and dis my main man Forest like this? I'd hunt this asshole down and stab him in the neck if I knew who he was! I better not ever get in this industry and find out!

Hip Hop is NOT dead!

I am sick as hell of people talking about how Hip Hop is dead. Get the fuck out my face with that bullshit. Mostly the notion is referring to the music of the kulture. Well, I got news for all you simpletons that jumped on the bandwagon, go suck a rhinoceros dick because Hip Hop AIN'T dead. Want proof? Cop the Roots' album "Rising Down". That has to be the hottest Hip Hop album of the damn year! The song "Singing Man" has to be one of the best songs I EVER heard (click the link to read the lyrics!). I was mesmerized from the very first time I heard it. I still hit repeat at least twice whenever that song comes on. If EVER there was a song that needed some good video treatment it's this one. I can see Spike (Lee NOT jonez) creating a masterwork with this song! Of course the rest of the album is straight heat. There's not a single bad or even mediocre song on the album! I LOVE the Roots! And "Game Theory" was MAD slept on! "In The Music" is like THE HOTTEST track. Then of course you have the mad lyrical Skillz with, "Million Dollar Backpack". Another straight butta album. Not a single bad track. Of course you have the lyrical swordsman, GZA droppin' lyrics to cut and slice the intellect on "Pro Tools". You GOTTA love that title. And, of course, his lyrical brother, The RZA as Bobby Digital, with the nice "Digi Snacks". People be sleepin' but KRS-ONE is still the nicest dude on the mic and still droppin' albums. "Hip-Hop Lives" with Marley Marl is a masterpiece of how to do this rap shit! The same goes for P.E. That's PUBLIC ENEMY for all you retards out there. They're early albums are just as relevant today as the albums they're dropping today. How's that for being alive and well, you punk mothafuckas!! Let's not forget the masterful maker of classics, Pete Rock with the tight "NY's Finest"! Of course you have the uber-revolutionary Immortal Technique, still dropping revolutionary knowledge to elevate you fools out there with "3rd World". Also, along the same lines, there's Dead Prez with knowledge of self and self elevation. You got the lyrically beautiful and eviscerating Jean Grae, who's nicer than about 98% of ALL these punk ass rappers droppin' shit now. And one of my new favorite rappers, N.Y. OIL dropping the MAD heat with "HOOD TREASON" (I got the double CD release)!! Ya'll should ALL get LYNCHED!!!! Word up! I'm tired of hearing the bullshit. I might bitch slap the next person who says Hip Hop is dead. You can kiss a donkey's ass!

You can't be serious!

I'ma probably get shredded for this post because it deals with a show most guys don't watch. But I ain't most guys and I watch the View. The main reason is because I'm a Whoopi Goldberg fan. I LOVE Whoopi and hope one day to meet her and actually have a conversation with her. I find her to be one of the most fascinating people on the planet right now. To have pulled off the career she's had in the society she's grown up in is amazingly phenomenal. Okay, got that out of the way. The reason I'm writing is I was watching yesterday and Sherri said the most bafflingly stupid things on national television. Bill Maher was the guest and promoting his film, Religulous, which is about the retarded things about religion people don't talk about, among other things I'm sure. I look forward to seeing it. Bill made a comment about people literally believing every single word of the bible as it is written. He used the example of the ridiculous story of Noah and the ark and how inconceivable the prospect of him collecting a male and female of EVERY SPECIES ON THE PLANET onto a LARGE BOAT to weather a GLOBAL FLOOD. Sherri had the religious piety to say she literally believed that story. I was rather taken aback. I like Sherri. She actually looks really good now. That woman has been working out something fierce. Body mad slim, but those breasts ain't going NOWHERE. She got a BODY. Plus she's really funny. I'd known of her strict religious beliefs from previous shows but that really bugged me. Then, AFTER Bill referred to god as an imaginary friend, she later asks him, DEAD SERIOUSLY, if he talked to god directly. I swear I saw Bill hesitate for a split second, like he was gonna say, "Bitch are you CRAZY?! Did you not just two minutes ago hear me refer to god as imaginary?" He asked in return if she hears god when she speaks to "him" and dead serious said, "Yes." He was like, "That's just your mind making up a voice," but she wasn't hearing it. See, my likeness for Sherri has dropped considerably. I don't mind someone being religious, but to the point of stupidity is just more than I can take. That's why I can't stand this Palin chick. People who believe in creationism should be locked away in psych wards or shot like a lame horse. You can't help the human race progress, you need to go. But, yeah, Sherri threw me for a loop. And I still love Whoopi. She's the only reason to watch the show. And Barbera when she's there. She's cool. Joy's cool, mostly because she vibes so well with Whoopi. I'm not even mentioning the stupid white girl by name. That chick is so monumentally naive and ditzy it would almost be sad if it wasn't so dangerous. But yeah, Sherri is looking good, but she need to get her mind right. I feel sorry for her son. That kid's life is going to be jacked up if she don't smarten up.

Fashion bullshit

Walking the streets of New York in the last couple of months I've noticed a new fashion trend which I find rather offensive and disturbing. Military styled clothing. Shirts and jackets with stripes on the sleeves and ribbons on the chest and all manner of badges, just like the military except these are civilian clothes in ALL sorts of colors. The first time I saw it was a few months ago and I thought, "How fucking ridiculously stupid!" That time was just some stripes and a bullshit function badge. But then about a week ago I see this fucking nimrod of a kid wearing a shirt with outrageous colors with mad army styled stripes on his arm and more ribbons on his chest than a damn four star general would have. Now, I'm former military and, though I had my problems when I was in, I still served honorably and am PROUD of my service. Therefore I was heavily, deeply, seriously fucking offended by that shit. I wanted to simultaneously curse the kid out and royally kick his ass. Like I said, I've seen it a lot over the last couple of months and it bothers me. These little ignorant faggots are probably too scared to join up in ANY branch of the armed forces, yet want to use the military as the latest fashion. I'm more upset at whatever company put this shit out and promoted it. I ever meet the designer of this shit and I swear I will punch them in the fucking face. Whether they're prior military themselves or not. I'd bet not, but if they are they NEED to have their ass kicked. They should know better. Also, this is already old shit but needs to be mentioned here, the fucking colorful camouflage as popular hood fashion. Pink, orange, blue, red, purple and other wonderful colors. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!!! There is a serious misunderstanding of what the word camouflage means, I think. No, people are just morons.
To me, it's just as bad as all these stupid ass kids, mostly boys, aping the fashions that come from jail culture, which has been and is, unfortunately, promoted by rap music. We all know of the stupid fucking pants hanging way off the ass bullshit. As far as I'm concerned every one of these idiots I see with their pants around their thighs and their underwear all out are homosexuals. They're gay assholes offering easy access to each other, period. I don't care who the fuck they are, what they consider their status, or how much money they have. Pants saggin', you're a faggot. Yesterday, riding on the train, I saw the next jail fashion. Unlaced sneakers, looking like house shoes/flip-flops. These young idiots actually had the laces in the sneakers but not on the outside, just kind of tucked in from the side. I wish I had had a camera, I woulda took a damn picture and posted it. Fucking stupid. Oh, for those who don't know, in jail they're not allowed to have shoe laces or belts. Prevents suicides and also they can be obviously used as weapons. It's like these little fuckers are prepping themselves to go to jail. Which I guess they are, unfortunately. I thank my parents for teaching me how to THINK!!!!! for MYSELF!!!!! I'm getting really sick of this country and this society.