VexBlog

Mr. Morris

2011-11-27T02:25:00.002-05:00

This is what I wrote about six years ago, shortly after our high school guidance counselor died. I was in my freshman year of college when it happened:

I would like to address Steve Morris, who died on Friday, October 14th from a heart attack.

For those of you who don't know, Mr. Morris was a guidance counselor at Long Reach High School. He was the epitome of what a guidance counselor should be. When you sat down to talk, he listened. Now how many of you can say you listen to EVERYTHING everyone has to say? Let alone listen with the intent to help with every fiber of your being? I sure as hell can't. Mr. Morris was one of those people. When you spoke, he didn't care about anything else in the world. He was ready to help, no matter what. He wasn't even my counselor, and I went to him when I had problems.

I was fortunate enough to get to know Mr. Morris better during my senior year, when I was a guidance aide. Mr. Morris and I both kept busy with our jobs, but he would take his time to go home, find a sports trivia question each day, and quiz me and Divyang. He had some trouble pronouncing Divyang's name, but he tried. He tried hard. Might not seem like much, but little things like that often tell you what type of person you're dealing with.

This even is tragic not only because he was so young, or that his family is left without him. One of the greatest tragedies is that there are new generations of Long Reach students that will never be fortunate enough to meet Steve Morris, and be impacted by his kindness and caring nature.

Rest In Peace, Mr. Morris. You will be sorely missed.

There is absolutely nothing...

2011-11-14T02:23:00.000-05:00

...more attractive than someone who challenges you.

Dream Set List

2011-11-14T02:16:00.004-05:00

I often think about what the perfect set list from a number of my favorite artists would be. This is something that, once I get going, causes endless internal torment and conflict.

In the near future, I'm going to choose a few acts and carefully select a 20-song set list, all the while explaining why I envision that it would be the optimal experience.

If that sounds like something you're interested in reading, stay tuned. If not...go do something else.

2011-11-07T21:32:00.002-05:00

I think it takes a lot of courage to be alone.

Sometime that's a comforting thought. Sometimes, it's not.

When it's not, you rely on the belief that your truth is stronger than what everything external is trying to tell you.

2011-11-07T17:27:00.002-05:00

I write. I write a lot.

I’m currently in law school which, as you might imagine, involves a lot of writing. I’m also a very lazy blogger. Most pertinent to this post is my position as staff writer for HipHopDX.com, an online Hip Hop magazine that Alexa says is the top Hip Hop site in the internet. If you put stock into that sort of thing. I don’t, but I encourage you to be impressed.

But enough about me—a phrase I rarely utter, I assure you. Let’s talk about misogyny in Hip Hop. More specifically, let’s talk about how great it is. To wit, today’s Song for the Day, “Dance (A$$),” featuring Nicki Minaj (warning, the lyrics, and probably the imagery is NSFW):

I’m not here to talk about the problematic use of the word “mandingo,” or why Nicki Minaj’s use of her sexuality is setting women back at least 60 years. That’s work for a problemologist. And I’m not a problemologist. I’m a law student, lazy blogger, and Hip Hop journalist and critic. Remember when we talked about that?

Anyways, back to “A$$.” There’s something absolutely addictive and hypnotic about this song and video, and it’s not just Nicki Minaj’s ass—though I could honestly write a thesis on it. I mean that literally – there’s enough surface area to write an entire thesis on that thing, including footnotes. This song is Detroit native Big Sean’s ode to his favorite feminine quality, a sentiment which many of us share. So let’s deconstruct this thing.

First, we have the imagery. This video isn’t simply your standard sexist fare: it’s the bastard child of your standard sexist fare and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, complete with mustachioed and skinny Big Sean sitting on a throne with incredibly colorful graffiti in the background, with the camera rotating. All that’s missing is a high-top fade and Alfonso Ribiero dancing to Tom Jones:

It’s the absurdity of the whole thing that makes it essentially impossible to take this offensively, unless you have a joyless life. From the über-animated Nicki Minaj to Big Sean’s plea to make that “motherfucker Hammertime” (at which point the song actually lapses into a “Can’t Touch This” sample), this is some of the best cartoonish chauvinism since the days of ODB (RIP). And this song even withstood the ultimate test: a couple weeks ago, I was at a bar/club thingy, and this song came on, all of the girls got down. And I mean all of them. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Chris Rock’s take on this phenomenon.

But it’s not all fun and games. Nicki Minaj delves into some really important subject matter about economics (Occupy Wall Street-inspired, perhaps?): “Big Sean, boy how big is you / Gimme all your money and all of your residuals / And slap it on my ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass*”

Now, I’m no accountant. Nor am I a problemologist. But this seems like sage financial advice and meaningful social commentary. Why trust your money with those damn banks? To hell with Roth IRAs, I say! Standard and Poor? More like Suckers and..Poor! At least if you’re slapping Nicki’s sizeable rump with a fat stack of Benjamins, you know what you’re going to get. Not like from that 1%. Which, I guess, if you think about it, Nicki may very well be part of, but that’s neither here nor there.

I guess the key question is: will this work of art fall into the pantheon of modern misogynistic masterpieces such as Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” and Nelly’s “Tip Drill?” or will it be relegated to forgettable status like Petey Pablo’s “Freek-a-Leek?” Only time will tell. But in the meantime, enjoy the song as long as it brings you joy (I’ve accounted for about 30,000 of those watches). Unless you’re the type to protest this sort of thing. Then, uh, see you at the bars, where we can discuss this further.

Anywho, I hope you enjoyed reading this, because I sure as heck enjoyed writing it.

*I counted.

2011-10-19T16:25:00.001-04:00

This ain't no time when usual is suitable.

Surrrrrrrrrrrrrre.

2011-07-07T23:36:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure what I want.

But I'm damn sure of what I don't.

And hey, isn't that something?

2011-07-01T23:54:00.003-04:00

I don't want to hear it. I'm not overreacting, I'm not confused, I'm not being emotional. I don't want to hear it. And don't start talking to me about it, because if you start talking, then I'll start talking -- and you're not going to like what I have to say. I don't want to hear it.

Rest In Peace, Gil.

2011-05-28T11:11:00.002-04:00

I know you've been hurt by someone else
I can tell by the way you carry yourself
But if you let me here's what I'll do
I'll take care of you

I've loved and lost the same as you
So you see I know what you've been through
And if you let me here's what I'll do
I'll take care of you

You won't ever have to worry
You won't ever have to cry
for I'll be there beside you
To dry your weeping eye

So, darling tell me that you'll be true
There's no doubt in my mind, I know what I want to do
And just as sure as one and one is two
I know I'll take care of you

I'll take care of you
I'll take care of you
I'll take care of you

2011-05-20T15:38:00.001-04:00

Fine don't sing like you just sung.

2011-05-18T23:40:00.001-04:00

I hate spectating.

2011-05-17T23:11:00.001-04:00

Drove home.

Probably shouldn't have.

Your turn.

2011-05-16T01:22:00.001-04:00

Terrified.

2011-05-14T23:28:00.000-04:00

All the odds are in my favor
Something's bound to begin
It's got to happen, happen sometime
Maybe this time I'll win

2011-05-14T02:54:00.002-04:00

Yeah the doctors don't know, but New York was killing me,
Bunch of doctors coming round, they don't know
That New York is killing me
Yeah I need to go home and take it slow in Jackson, Tennessee

Let me tell ya fast city living ain't all
It's cracked up to be
Fast city living ain't all
It's cracked up to be
Yes seem I need to go home
And slow down in Jackson, Tennessee

Yes I lay down, I lay down
The doctor: "Try to take it all in"
Yeah lay down, lay down
To try to take it all in
(Take it all in)

Yeah you got 8 million people
And I didn't have a single friend
Don't you know, don't you know
New York was killing me
Yes, I was standing nearly dying here
New York was killing me
Seems like I need to start over
And move back home in Jackson, Tennessee

Lord have mercy, mercy on me
Yeah Lord have mercy, have mercy on me
Tell him to bury my body back home in Jackson, Tennessee
Yeah Lord have mercy, have mercy on me

Yeah I need to be back home, need to be back home,
Need to be back home, need to be back home yeah
Born in Chicago but I go home Tennessee
Yeah I born in Chicago but I ...

2011-05-10T00:46:00.001-04:00

Patience is waning. Need Europe.

2011-05-08T23:13:00.002-04:00

I love that I can hear the trains passing by at night. It's calming, and makes me feel creative in a sort of strange way. I think I'd like to spend some time on the gazebo this summer writing on my laptop at night. That would be nice.

2011-05-06T09:20:00.001-04:00

Kindness is, by far, my favorite trait.

2011-04-27T23:04:00.000-04:00

You look like I feel like when I'm with you.

2011-04-16T18:09:00.002-04:00

I will be leaving the country May 28, and coming back June 26. My travels will include London, Paris, Brussels and Geneva. There's a lot more to say about what a relief leaving this country for a month will be, but for now, let's leave it at "holy shit balls, I finally get to leave everything for a few weeks and not have any contact with anyone except other people trying to leave everything for a few weeks."

Question:

2011-04-09T14:21:00.002-04:00

If you can honestly say to yourself that you've given it your best shot and it doesn't work out, is that a comforting thought or not?

2011-04-03T14:04:00.001-04:00

"We've always been half-mad, and our writing a struggle to give voice to our brokenness. This is why we hearken to futility, failure and despair. We're a one-person mental institution, and our posts are letters sent to a sane aunt who can make nothing of them."

2011-03-29T16:26:00.000-04:00

You don't always have to hit a home run. Sometimes a double will do.

2011-03-22T21:25:00.003-04:00

Sworn to fast with all my might
The clay was soft the future bright
Old fashioned ways that won't erase
Out of control this building gate

Blinded like new
I’m feeling much stranger about you
Blinded like new
I’m feeling much stranger about you

Despite the shape
This twisted form
With open arms into the storm
Kept me kept and wanting more
I saw you peaking through the door

Blinded like new
I’m feeling much stranger about you
Blinded like new
I’m feeling much stranger about you

2011-03-16T23:48:00.001-04:00

"You know what this is?"
"Yeah, a movie canister."
"No. It's a time machine."

2011-03-12T23:52:00.002-05:00

What's this feeling?
My love will rip a hole in the ceiling
Givin' myself to you from the essence of my being
Sing to my God all these songs of love and healing
Want Mashiach now so it's time we start revealing

You're all that I have and you're all that I need
Each and every day I pray to get to know you please
I want to be close to you, yes I'm so hungry
You're like water for my soul when it gets thirsty
Without you there's no me
You're the air that I breathe
Sometimes the world is dark and I just can't see
With these, demons surround all around to bring me down to negativity
But I believe, yes I believe, I said I believe
I'll stand on my own two feet
Won't be brought down on one knee
Fight with all of my might and get these demons to flee
Hashem's rays fire blaze burn bright and I believe
Out of darkness comes light, twilight unto the heights
Crown Heights burnin' up all through the twilight
Said, thank you to my God, now I finally got it right
And I'll fight with all of my heart, and all o' my soul, and all o' my might

What's this feeling?
My love will rip a hole in the ceiling
Givin' myself to you from the essence of my being
Sing to my God all these songs of love and healing
Want Mashiach now so it's time we start revealing

What's this feeling?
My love will rip a hole in the ceiling
Givin' myself to you from the essence of my being
Sing to my God all these songs of love and healing
Want Mashiach now so it's time we start revealing

Me no want no sinsemilla.
That would only bring me down
Burn away my brain no way my brain is to compound
Elevated my soul you're a flying my sound
Like the sun of a sun ray burning up through a cloud
Torah food for my brain let it rain till I drown
Thunder!
Let the blessings come down

Strip away the layers and reveal your soul
Got to give yourself up and then you become whole
You're a slave to yourself and you don't even know
You want to live the fast life but your brain moves slow
If you're trying to stay high then you're bound to stay low
You want God but you can't deflate your ego
If you're already there then there's nowhere to go
If you're cup's already full then its bound to overflow
If you're drowning in the water's and you can't stay afloat
Ask Hashem for mercy and he'll throw you a rope
You're looking for help from God you say he couldn't be found
Looking up to the sky and searchin' beneath the ground
Like a King without his Crown
Yes, I wanna get down
A King without his Crown
Yes, you keep fallin' down
You really want to live but can't get rid of your frown
Tried to reach unto the heights and wound bound down on the ground
Given up your pride and the you heard a sound
Out of night comes day and out of day comes light
Nullified to the One like sunlight in a ray,
Makin' room for his love and a fire gone blaze

What's this feeling?
My love will rip a hole in the ceiling
Givin' myself to you from the essence of my being
Sing to my God all these songs of love and healing
Want Mashiach now so it's time we start revealing

What's this feeling?
My love will rip a hole in the ceiling
Givin' myself to you from the essence of my being
Sing to my God all these songs of love and healing
Want Mashiach now so it's time we start revealing

Reelin' him in
Where ya been
Where ya been
Where ya been for so long
It's hard to stay strong been livin' in galus for 2000 years strong
Where ya been for so long
Been livin in this exile for too long

2011-03-12T01:37:00.001-05:00

Fair's got nothing to do with it.

2011-03-11T23:04:00.000-05:00

Deflate your ego.

2011-03-08T22:19:00.001-05:00

2011-03-05T22:06:00.000-05:00

2011-03-04T17:56:00.000-05:00

2011-03-03T23:33:00.002-05:00

J.D.: Well, you seem fine, so...
DC: I am not fine. I mean, why do you think we're out here at this bar at two o'clock in the morning? Just so we can go into the urinal and piss on the ice?
J.D.: I love to melt the middle.
DC: We're out here because if I go home and go to sleep, the only thing I'm gonna be able to think about is how I gotta get up tomorrow morning and go back to that place, and you wanna know something, pal? I got nothin'. Honest to God, I got nothin'. I'm cooked.

2011-02-25T17:15:00.001-05:00

I ask God to slow down the seconds
He does the opposite that's what I'm guessing
I better chill and count my own blessings

Something More Lighthearted.

2011-02-01T00:35:00.002-05:00

Love (Not that kind. Relax.)

2011-01-31T19:00:00.005-05:00

For those that don't know, DJ Kool Herc, the "father of Hip Hop," (if you don't know of his significance , peep on Wikipedia) is was recently hospitalized with a condition that hasn't been made known to the public.

Legendary producer DJ Premier recently came forth an asked that people help donate to help Herc pay his bills, as he is without health insurance and needs surgery.

I'm not going to sit here and decry how Hip Hop's financial situations are akin to those of aging former football players. That's been done many times by those more knowledgeable and deft with a pen than I.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you to donate. I'd love it if you did, sure, but I have no way of knowing your financial situation, and even if I did, it wouldn't make it right for me to tell you how to shell out your greenbacks.

And I'm certainly not going to demand that other emcees and deejays, far richer than myself and arguably more deeply indebted to Herc, donate. First, I don't know that they haven't, and second, see the previous point.

Instead, I'm going to tell you why I love Hip Hop, because maybe my words will mean something to you. And in any case, if you love Hip Hop, you love DJ Kool Herc.

I love that I get chills running up my back upon hearing the first seconds of "Shook Ones Part II" and "New York State of Mind."

I love that I understand exactly what Jay-Z means when he says "I'm guilty of it too, but not like them," and "I'm not afraid of dying, I'm afraid of not trying"; Andre 3000 when he says "Forever never seems that long until you're grown"; Eminem when he says "I'm tired of committing so many sins"; and Black Thought when he says "We knew from the start that things fall apart."

I love that Talib Kweli's verse in "Thieves in the Night" and Common's verse in "Be" articulate exactly what excites me about being a parent one day.

I love that "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" and "The Light" are among the greatest love songs of all time.

I love that listening to Eminem's "Stan" for the first time was a life-changing moment for me.

I love that Slug was able to put in words what I can't in describing some of my most painful interpersonal experiences with "Yesterday" and "The Loser Wins."

I love the screw face I get when "Made You Look," "Ante Up" and "Watch Deez" come on.

I love that, to this day, Tupac can nearly move me to tears with "Papa'z Song."

I love that I can rewind Pharoahe Monch and The Notorious B.I.G. thousands of times and still marvel at their incredible technical ability and personality.

I love that Hip Hop can make me want to nod my head, dance, laugh, cry, get angry, get thoughtful, get ignorant, get romantic, and get buck.

I love that I can argue about who's the best member of Wu-Tang Clan over drinks for hours and never come up with a definitive answer.

I love that I can instantly recognize the drums at the beginning of "All 4 Tha Ca$h."

I love that, for all the super heroes he and I mutually admire, Method Man will always be the only one that was ever real to me.

I love the slang. I love the graffiti. I love the bubble 'lo goose. I love the passion, the anger, the animation, the grime, the bravado, the elitism, the emcee that knows his shit's doper than anyone else's.

Those are just a few of my reasons, but there are plenty more. If you're interested in donating to help the man that made possible so many things for me and countless others, please see the information below. I've been told by a credible source that the addresses and such are legit.

Donations can be made by check to:

Kool Herc Productions
P.O. Box 20472
Huntington Station, NY 11746

Payable to: Kool Herc

or via Paypal to: cindycampbell1@aol.com

2011-01-29T13:11:00.004-05:00

A few years ago, a friend and I were having a discussion in which she opined that anger is a "wasted emotion."

I saw her point, but also disagreed. Sure, there are things like vitriol and rage that rarely, if ever, accomplish anything. Even "righteous" anger, which I suppose would be the go-to example to advocate my side of the debate, can be extremely dangerous and counterproductive (because, A. what's righteous, and B. how does one decide what the appropriate limits to anger are when you're so absolutely sure that your cause is a righteous one?).

In any case, my point was that anger is a vital emotion - it just needs to be kept in check. The same can be said for happiness, sadness, and pretty much anything else. Specifically, anger can be a great catalyst in helping you help yourself. There are times when it seems like everything is going wrong - your relationships, your professional life, your health - and often the easiest thing to do is wallow (or, even worse, ignore it). Sometimes, it's extremely valuable to allow yourself to get pissed about it all, and let yourself know that you're not going to stand for the bullshit that's going on in your life.

So if throwing on an M.O.P. record and your best screw face gets you geared up to take the reigns and start directing your destiny a bit, I say go for it.

What say you, Danze and Fame? If you agree, show me those lovely mugs of yours:

Perfect.

2011-01-25T21:24:00.003-05:00

MTV's heroines of the 90s were certainly not ideal - but therein lies their charm.

But you definitely can't deny that they had a type:

Moments

2011-01-05T19:34:00.002-05:00

When trying to analyze or make sense of anything - a mathematical equation, a tough business decision, who's taking cookies from the cookie jar - often time the approach taken is to look at the lowest common denominator.

If you do the same with life, I guess what comes up is moments. Moments are the tiniest part of the "life equation." We're constantly having them, and all moments are certainly not created equal. Sometimes we add, multiply, subtract and divide moments in the hope that they'll culminate in such a way that will give us an answer that we desire. Do a particular combination of moments mean that your life is headed in a particular direction? Do they mean you'll get that job you're hoping for, or that you've truly turned a corner or made some headway in obtaining that oh-so-illusive something you've been searching for?

Looking at the big picture, the combination of all these moments, is a fine and often necessary thing to do. But in doing so, I feel like we (or, at least, I) miss a lot of the moments along the way. Sometimes, it's very worthwhile to take stock of the moment you're in - to catch yourself in it - and appreciate the very fact that you're having it. You might not always attain that ultimate goal, but sometimes the moments along the way are enough to keep you going. There are moments in time that will literally make you laugh, blush, smile, cry or shudder every time you think of them - so it's probably worth it to sit back and enjoy them as they come along.

I'm fairly certain that this post was (unintentionally) full of other peoples' (likely cliche) quotes and wisdom, but they say nothing's original, so I guess I'm okay with that.

Poetry in Motion

2010-12-12T00:25:00.000-05:00

23 - too young to realize you ain't whatcha used to be.

2010-10-20T23:55:00.002-04:00

You know you fucked up right?
Bye-Bye, wish you luck with life
But I'll be damned if I let you manage
to bless that blade
and keep taking advantage.
Look man, yeah you shook my hand
but that was back then; we're not good fam.
I'm the fool cause I started to be cool with 'em
zbut I got schooled in the art of opportunism
I aint the only one that walked away
look around everybody gone today.
You all alone with your empty chest so,
bury the bones with any regrets and
keep those skeletons piled in stacks
just drink your medicine, don't bite your glass
I tried to make a difference
but the only thing that changed was I gave you distance

I wont trust you again.
Getting better at choosing friends.
This time the loser wins

Cause I learned how to cut off the looser ends.
I won't trust you again, getting better at choosing friends
this time the loser wins cause i learned how to cut off the looser ends

I'm not trippin' this just an excuse
For me to dick down a little bit of the truth
We killin' time and time's killin' us
So I wont waste mine tryn' to grip a grudge
Don't twist it into what it isn't,
Don't call, don't write, don't visit.
I put you on "ignore" , youre not the homie anymore.
The only thing that you can show me is the door.
Game over, yeah , who's winning?
Save your gas, I refuse to listen.
If you're doing math, you're doing division
Don't even ask how I've been
there's no "U" in existence
Go your way, I go my way
and you keep going til there's no one to violate
And I'mma remember your last impression,
thanks for that lesson

I wont trust you again.
Getting better at choosing friends.
This time the loser wins

Cause I learned how to cut off the looser ends.
I won't trust you again, getting better at choosing friends
this time the loser wins cause i learned how to cut off the looser ends

Now I lay you down to sleep,
I swear to God you're dead to me.
If i should give you any thought
it's just to teach self how to not.

2010-09-14T22:54:00.002-04:00

"Then it's onto the next one, onto the next one/
Hard to move on when you always regret one"

2010-08-20T00:24:00.002-04:00

I got dosed by you and
Closer than most to you and
What am I supposed to do
Take it away I never had it anyway
Take it away and everything will be okay
In you a star is born and
You cut a perfect form and
Someone forever warm
Lay on lay on lay on lay on
Lay on lay on lay on lay on
Way upon the mountain where she died
All I ever wanted was your life
Deep inside the canyon I can't hide
All I ever wanted was your life
Show love with no remorse and
Climb on to your seahorse and
This ride is right on course
This is the way I wanted it to be with you
This is the way that I knew that it would be with you
Lay on lay on lay on lay on
Lay on lay on lay on lay on
Way upon the mountain where she died
All I ever wanted was your life
Deep inside the canyon I can't hide
All I ever wanted was your life
I got dosed by you and
Closer than most to you and
What am I supposed to do
Take it away I never had it anyway
Take it away and everything will be okay
Way upon the mountain where she died
All I ever wanted was your life
Deep inside the canyon I can't hide
All I ever wanted was your life

Thank You, MTV

2010-04-12T00:01:00.002-04:00

Julie: No. I will not let you end it like this! You know what really gets me? You're too selfish to see that I'm doing this for you!

Maxx: Then why bother?

J: Isn't it obvious, you ass? We supposedly take care of each other!

M: Is leaving your way of taking care of me?

J: Well...sure. Is this the life you want? Fighting in a world that doesn't make sense? Just so you can protect me in ways I don't need?

M: Yes.

J: Well, I want something more.

M: I'm through begging. I think if you look deep inside, you already know the right thing to do.

J: You're right, Maxx. I do. But I'm the only one strong enough to do it.

With Friends Like These...

2010-04-05T20:51:00.003-04:00

Slava (to the TV): "She clearly doesn't understand miserable people who are destined to be single for the rest of their lives."

Danny: "Don't worry, Slava. Someone will understand you someday. It doesn't have to be a fictional character on Gilmore girls."

Outstanding.

At Least DC's Chillin'

2010-04-04T21:36:00.002-04:00

If I told you I wanted to talk to you
You'd think 'm tryin' to holla at you
And maybe I am but
You wouldn't hear me out anyways would you?
Rather lose love than to move on never knowing what it feel like,
Short days, long nights
By the phone, no call
Need a clear mind 'cause I been blind, got me goin' down that road
Heart made of stone, Far away from home
Black woman you c-c-cold
Every problem you ever had with another man I gotta face
Started off on thin ice, I'm still here but I cant skate
Slow sink, cant breathe, no remorse, don't think
Listen to your friend get another man for a minute then repeat
Queen, you deserve the title but she reject what I give, while she nurse the wounds by them
Tried them, didn't work, got impossible standards, nothing I'm gonna do's gonna work
Diary of a black girl

I'm just trying to be the one who never run, but you run away from me

-Wale, "Diary"

Pass the Vodka

2010-04-01T23:44:00.003-04:00

I came home tonight, and walked into the kitchen to get myself a glass of water. I noticed on the kitchen table was a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka. I called over to my dad, who was in the next room.

"I see you had a good time tonight," I joked.
"No," he said, "I haven't had anything to drink. Yet."
"What's the occasion?"
"It's the two-year anniversary of tyotya - which means Aunt - Fanya's death."

And with that, my dad and I hunkered down to the kitchen table. He poured me a shot, then poured himself one. I raised mine, and said, "To tyotya Fanya."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "We (meaning Jews) don't say anything when drinking for the dead. You just drink." And so we did.

We sat for about 30 minutes, as my dad regaled me with stories of his childhood, and memories of tyotya Fanya, whom he loved very much. It was nice, particularly considering that my dad and I haven't typically had a very communicative relationship.

"It's nice that one or two people take the time to remember someone like this," said my dad. "The next generation will probably have no idea about her."
"They'll forget about us one day too," I responded.
"Of course."

I think this is a perfect example of finding some sort of meaning or value in something that's otherwise very unpleasant. Just because someone has died, it doesn't mean they're gone. Not completely.

2010-03-29T18:34:00.001-04:00

"Why do I ever leave? I'm happy here."

Have Yourself a Soul-Spittin' Good Time

2010-03-18T20:06:00.003-04:00

A pair of my friends opined recently that I care too much.

The discussion regarded my reaction to a transgression by a third friend, the details of which are unimportant to this post. In any case, while I'm not offended by the assertion, I do categorically disagree with it.

See, the use of the word "too" implies excess, which generally means that, whatever it is you have "too much" or "too little" of, it's to some detriment.

I understand my friends' argument - the more you care - the more you invest - the more hurt/angry/irritated you can get when something goes wrong. But personally, I think I care exactly as much as I need to - and I'm not sure any of my peers can, with any certainty, say otherwise (though they are more than welcome to their opinions). When you extend yourself to someone else by giving them your patience, care and attentiveness, you grow with that person. That's what any relationship is about.

I do not, and likely will not ever, think that the amount that I care about any number of issues - friends included - is something of detriment. As you grow older, you definitely gain perspective on what's important and what's not, and this may change the way I look at some things. But as a general rule, I have very strong beliefs regarding how you should treat people, and that's not going to change.

This isn't to say that my friends don't have similar beliefs about how people ought to treat one another, but each person reacts differently. My reactions and beliefs to interpersonal relationships are largely informed by my religion and my parents, both of which have taught me that you should treat others with respect, and try to improve the lives of the people with whom you come into daily contact. With regards to my friends and family, this is something I strive for by being honest, by lending an ear when needed, and providing whatever other support I can when the need arises. Obviously this is an ever-evolving process, and I have plenty of things to improve upon, but you get the idea.

In comes the Russian concept of "плюнуть в душу." The direct translation is a bit theatrical - it means literally "to spit into someone's soul." But the idea is this: when you give someone your time/effort/respect/care, you too deserve a modicum of basic respect. Your feelings deserve basic consideration, and when even that is not afforded to you...that is to what the term refers.

Now, I'm not so foolish to think everyone in my life has the same beliefs concerning the matter; but as with any relationship, you have basic expectations. Mine include honesty and consideration for my time/feelings/effort, neither of which I think are extreme. So when that "standard" isn't met, what are you supposed to think? How are you supposed to react?

There's no nifty handbook that tells you the "right answer," and even if there was, I'd call bullshit, because there is no "right answer." How you react in these situations is informed by your beliefs. When I was younger, I might've reacted in a confrontational fashion (the urge to do so is still there, but I know better than that now). For now, the best thing I can think of is to take a mental note of the situation, and use that to help me gauge how much I can invest into the relationship in the future, thereby dictating how much I allow the relationship to mean to me.

Alright, enough Tuesdays with Slava. Go have fun with your friends, folks - and be considerate of them!

P.S.: Don't mistake this for passive-aggressive behavior. If I find a subject interesting, I write about it. The issue at hand is one that will get addressed, one way or another.

Things Fall Apart.

2010-02-21T21:54:00.002-05:00

From the Baltimore Sun:

A man was killed in a Columbia house fire early Friday morning.

According to neighbors, the fire began about 5 a.m. at the home of Wan Soo Hong in the 7200 block of Riding Hood Circle.

As flames shot out of windows from the second floor and attic of the Victorian-style house overlooking Lake Elkhorn, two neighbors who work as police officers for the U.S. Justice Department broke first-floor windows to get inside, according to witnesses. They managed to rescue Hong's two dogs, but were forced out of the home as flames moved down the staircase from the second floor.

Firefighters put the fire out by 6:30 a.m., Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said.

Because there was a fatality, police and fire officials were investigating whether foul play was involved.

Llewellyn said authorities would not release the victim's identity until his family was notified.

The Justice Department officers ran from door to door, ringing doorbells to alert neighbors of the raging fire.

Nancy Thompson, who lives around the corner from Hong on Wedding Ring Way, called the officers "the real heroes."

"None of us knew what was going on; a lot of the houses were in danger because the backs of the houses are very close together," said Thompson, the principal at Talbot Springs Elementary School in Columbia. "The embers were really flying."

Thompson said that the snow that remained on the roof from the recent snowstorms might have saved her house from catching on fire.

Susan Defibaugh, who has lived in the Owen Brown neighborhood for 11 years, called the homeowner, who lived alone, a "wonderful neighbor."

Neighbors said there is a bamboo stand behind Hong's home, and he often used the trees to help children in the neighborhood build forts. Defibaugh said he retired from a job with Rhee Bros. Inc., a Korean-owned food distributor based in Columbia.

Hong was often seen walking around the lake with his dogs.

Thompson said she called her two grown children about the fire and the man's death.

"They said [Hong] was the one who gave them the real big candy bars at Halloween," Thompson said.

The Howard County Council is considering requiring the installation of sprinklers in new single-family houses. The county has required sprinklers for townhouses since 1992. Hong's home was built in the mid-1980s, though he bought it in 1994, according to state tax records.

The proposal has the support of firefighters, but it has drawn opposition from builders.

The house mentioned in the article was the first house in which I ever lived. From about 1991-1994, that building, now the site of an awful, awful tragedy, was a place that I called home.

That place was where I learned to read.

That place was where I learned to write.

That place was where I learned to play the piano.

That place was where I learned the Russian language.

That place was where I spent countless hours playing video games with my sister, reading Calvin and Hobbes, and obsessing over all sorts of books about dinosaurs and animals. It's the place where my grandmother taught me a great deal about my faith. It's the place where, while playing on the deck, I knocked a plastic ball over onto the grass, and when I went to retrieve it, a spider found its way onto my hand, and I screamed like a little girl.

Simply put, it was a repository of memories for me.

Now, this foray into nostalgia pales in comparison to the significance that someone's untimely death holds. But that doesn't make the news any less surreal.

I met Wan Soo Hong a handful of times, as my family sold him the home in 1994. I don't recall too many details about him, although I can safely confirm that the assertion regarding the big candy bars he handed out during Halloween was true.

My mom, who obviously remembers him far better than I, says that he loved the home very much, and that she and my father were overjoyed to sell it to him. "It meant very much to him," she said. "He would run his hands along the house, and you could tell that he loved it."

My memories - no fire can take those from me. So instead of focusing on that, I'd like to say Rest In Peace, Wan Soo Hong. You will be in my prayers.

Let's Keep It Moving

2010-02-03T19:46:00.006-05:00

And so my battle to write on a regular basis continues. Maybe it's a losing one, but at least if I try it's not a certainty.

Let's see...

For those that have not heard, shelterboxusa.org is a freaking fantastic site, where you can donate towards disaster relief. They're doing amazing things in Haiti, so check it out right here.

On the musical front:

Corinne Bailey Rae's The Sea and Galactic's Ya-Ka-May have been getting a lot of play from me. Both are awesome, and worth your hard-earned duckets.

Oh, and prepare to say goodbye when the Gorillaz' Plastic Beach comes out March 9, because I will retreat to a cave and listen to it for about a year.

Latest news regarding Sudan:

February 3, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – The Appeals chamber judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday reversed a decision by Pre-Trial judges that prosecutors had not provided sufficient evidence to charge Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir with genocide.

ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo

The Hague-based court’s pre-trial chamber will now have to rule on whether to add genocide to Bashir’s charge sheet, which already includes seven counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, extermination, torture and rape.

"The decision by the pre-trial chamber not to issue a warrant in the respect of the charge of genocide was materially affected by an error of law and it is for this reason the appeals chamber has decided to reverse the decision," ICC judge Erkki Kourula said in reading the appeal’s ruling.

Read the rest at SudanTribune.com.

So I've recently been introduced to Google Reader, and it is AMAZING. Seriously. Anything with an RSS feed? Put it on GR and you'll be able to see every single update via said RSS. It's so handy in that you don't endlessly check sites to see if there's an update. You just go to GR, and everything you need is right at your fingertips. So far I have a few sites for world news, some fun stuff, and some technology stuff - but there's definitely more to come. It's dope. Give it a shot. You'll thank me.

So I know this post was more of an aggregate thing than anything else, so it's kind of a cop-out. But that's what I have for you. So suck it. Or something.

Help Haiti

2010-01-13T18:00:00.002-05:00

I don't know much about Haiti.

I do know a few things - and for the most part, they're negative. Haiti is a country whose name is constantly uttered in the same sentence as words like "poverty," "epidemic," "drugs," and "violence."

It doesn't take an expert on the matter to understand just how tragic it is that a nation with so much sadness attributed to it already suffers from a huge natural disaster. Via BBC:

Haitian President Rene Preval has said thousands of people are feared dead following a huge quake which has devastated the country's capital.
Mr Preval said the UN mission chief in Haiti was among the dead, but the UN cannot confirm this. It said 14 other UN staff had died and 56 were injured.
The 7.0-magnitude quake, Haiti's worst in two centuries, struck on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told US network CNN he believed more than 100,000 people had died.
The Red Cross says up to three million people are affected.
The capital's Catholic archbishop, Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, is also among those killed.
In his first interview since the earthquake, President Preval told the Miami Herald newspaper in the US he feared thousands of his people had died.
Describing the scene in the capital as "unimaginable", he said: "Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed.
"There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them."

Sadly, most people (myself, at times, included) treat these disasters as a "flavor-of-the-week" type thing - see the Tsunami 5 or so years ago, as well as Hurricane Katrina. There's nothing to indicate that this time will be any different. As such, it's vastly important that you - and anyone who'll listen - donate at yele.org.

Even if you don't have any money spare, you can still help! Tell people about yele.org on your Facebook, your Twitter, your MySpace - whatever! Do something positive. Help out.

HHDX Review: Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea

2010-01-10T17:15:00.003-05:00

For some reason, it’s often difficult for an artist to have success both in the States and overseas. Sure, the Eminems and Jay-Zs have near-universal appeal, but not everyone is so lucky. Kelis, whose success in the US could accurately described as modest, has a much larger following in Europe, for example.

One artist who’s done it big both stateside and otherwise, though, is Corinne Bailey Rae. The generally soft-spoken singer’s self-titled debut caused quite a stir in the UK before it made it over to the other side of the Atlantic. Her 2006 self-titled debut was a pleasant surprise, as Rae’s acoustic sound was a reprieve from the over-produced R&B that had become the order of the day. In addition, she showed herself to be a more capable and creative songwriter than the majority of her contemporaries, and Rae’s use of Folk elements in her music showed that this album was as personal as any to come out in recent years. This isn’t to say that Corinne Bailey Rae wasn’t without its flaws, as a few tracks could be identified as filler – mainly due to their overtly-glossy execution – but it was a more-than-promising start for the young artist.

Four years later, we come to The Sea, Corinne Bailey Rae’s second offering. The album comes on the heels of tragedy, as Rae’s husband, Jason Rae, died from a suspected drug overdose in 2008. As expected, this influences the album’s direction greatly. “Are You Here” starts the record off, and serves as an ode to her late husband. Undeniably, this is the most vulnerable Rae has ever sounded. With little more than an acoustic guitar and some drums, Corinne reveals to the listener her heartache; but more than an expression of sorrow, the track is a show of love. READ THE REST HERE AT HIPHOPDX.COM.

Happy Hoildays, Everyone

2009-12-26T12:22:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays, folks. Hope you all got to spend/are spending some great, quality time with your friends and family, and maybe even got a cool present or two (I know I did).

I wanted to also give a shout out to those who're having a less-than-stellar holiday season, and I know there are a few of you out there. During this time, especially when everyone's trying so damn hard to be happy in front of everyone else, it can highlight the not-so-pleasant things you may be going through at the time. Don't begrudge those who wish you a happy holiday season; but at the same time, don't let anyone tell you that you don't have a right to be sad/upset/not quite as ecstatic as everyone else. Feel the way you need to feel - as long as you're not letting it impede on other areas, like health and your relationships with others.

That's all for now. Again, Happy Holidays.

Well...

2009-12-21T21:00:00.002-05:00

I've been very selfish as of late. This isn't anything new, really, just something I'd like to point out. I've been lazy, which is a very special kind of selfish. I'm trying to get through it, folks, I really am. I hope that means writing more. I hope it means a lot of things.

In any case, I'd just like to extend my continuing love to you all. Be good, be focused, and be better tomorrow than you were today.

Rest in piece to Chris Henry, Brittany Murphy (who was brilliant in Clueless), and to all others who've passed recently.

Truckin' - let's keep on doin' that.

New Posts Coming Soon!

2009-08-23T15:14:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! New posts are coming soon, I promise! I've been gathering ideas and such - so new content coming soon.

Also, my VexBlog updates are now linked to my twitter account. I'm so advanced!

Easy folks.

Of or Pertaining to Dentists

2009-07-16T13:52:00.002-04:00

I had an appointment with the dentist yesterday. Whenever this came up in casual conversation, almost everyone's response was, "Oh, that sucks."

This struck me as odd, because I generally have no ill feelings about going to the dentist (besides the notion of time better spent playing video games or something equally brain-rotting). I thought about this for a bit, which has inspired today's post.

When I was very young (3 or 4), I had a lot of cavities. Not "Oh, Billy ate too many Now and Laters and now his tooth hurts" amount of cavities. I mean a LOT. Having immigrated recently from the U.S.S.R. and likely having no dental insurance to speak of (I'll have to fact check on that one), no dentists in Maryland wanted to take me in - save one.

Dr. Thomas Hoffman of Columbia, MD, took pity on me and my parents, took me in and patched my teeth up. He was patient, caring, and a damn good dentist (I've gone through 3 or 4 since, and none could compare).

Whether he realized it or not, Hoffman had a profound affect on me, and not just in the sense that he saved me from a bad case of halitosis, gum disease or tooth cancer (one of those is made up). His decision to bring me in introduced my family to the Owen Brown area, which essentially shaped the rest of my life. Who my friends were, what I grew to be interested in, even who my girlfriend is. It all had a very huge impact on me. Also, and perhaps most importantly, Hoffman's kind act was a shining example to my parents that, even though times were tough, America wasn't a place devoid of kindness - that a stranger was willing to extend his or her hand to help.

After a decade or so with Dr. Hoffman still as my dentist, I ran into him for the first time in public. We were in the movie theatre to see The Fellowship of the Ring, when I saw him with his family. At that moment, I decided not to say hello, as he seemed to be very happy to be with family, and I didn't want to disturb him. I'll see him during my next appointment, I thought to myself.

So, like these things tend to go, I never had another apointment with Dr. Hoffman. One day, while sitting at the kitchen table in my home, one of my parents handed me the obituary section from the Columbia Flier. The article revealed that Dr. Hoffman had passed away (from what, exactly, I can't remember. Stroke? Heart attack?).

There are a lot of morals to this story, and most of them are obvious. But the one that supercedes all of the others is that a little kindness can go an extremely long way.

Stupid People Are Everywhere

2009-07-15T22:41:00.002-04:00

So I'm leaving the dentist today, and a young man in a fitted cap pulls up next to me.

He is stupid.

Is he stupid because he's wearing a fitted cap? Nope. Does he have a team I hate on his cap? Nope.

My friends, this young man had the Soviet sickle and hammer symbol on his cap.

It frustrates me to no end that people in the states think it's very chic to wear this symbol, but really, if just means you're fucking stupid. The sickle and hammer is the same thing as the swastika. If you want to get technical, you could say it's even worse, because Stalin and co. killed more people than Hitler ever did.

Point being, if you want to let me know that, hey, you're an idiot, wear the sickle and hammer. Or cum goggles. Either way, I'll think you're a moron.

Thoughts Upon My Return From Vacation

2009-07-09T13:28:00.002-04:00

Obligatory Obits:

First the easy ones: Billy Mays - you entertained and were engaging in a job where, in my opinion, one would normally be dull and annoying. Well, you were kind of annoying too - but you sold that Oxyclean like your life depended on it. Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett - neither of you really impacted my life that much, but I respect your place in pop culture.

Michael Jackson: it's all already been said - GOAT entertainer, bar none. There have been better dancers (though not many), and there have been better singers. But a better combo of the two? Not that I can fathom. Add in his music-writing ability, ridiculous showmanship, and shrewd understanding of the music industry, and he was probably the most complete artist of all time.

Steve McNair: This one hit me kind of hard. As a Ravens fan, I had plenty of time to both revile and admire him. I said this well before he died - I believe the man belongs in the HOF. The amount of shit this guy put his body through for the sake of the game is just ridiculous. He represents the "eat lightning and crap thunder" mentality that the NFL is known for. Either way, rest in peace.

Other Thoughts

Megan Fox is incredibly overrated. She's really not that hot. Maybe even a little alien-like. I don't get the obsession. Wait, yes I do - you all have bad taste in women. Anyone over the age of 14 should get what I'm talking about.
Never fly AirTran. AirTran, you can suck it.
Merchants, you can suck it too.
Barnes & Noble's website is awesome - great delivery deals.

That's all for now. Later nerds.

Erm...

2009-06-18T02:00:00.003-04:00

...in what world does 30 days in prison equate taking a man's life?

If you answered, "In the United States justice system!" you'd be right.

The Cleveland Browns' Dante Stallworth pleaded guilty not long ago to DUI manslaughter. The wide receiver was driving drunk in Florida when he killed 59-year-old Mario Reyes.

His punishment was a paltry 30-day jail sentence after reaching a plea deal, and reached a financial agreement with Reyes' family.

Now, some of you may say, "Oh, but the guy was jay-walking" or "But he waited for the ambulance to arrive!" To hell with all that - dude was driving drunk - THAT was the deciding factor. You mean to tell me he can't call a cab or get a chauffeur?"

"I will bear this burden for the rest of my life," said Stallworth in a statement.

Bullshit.

The people who bear the burden for the rest of their lives are the friends and family members of Mario Reyes. So Stallworth gets under a month (he's credited with time served) in prison, and has to serve two years of house arrest and spend eight years on probation. Big fucking deal. He's still, at this point, allowed to continue his career in the NFL.

I pray NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell throws the fucking book at this guy and bans him from the league for life - I really do. There's no excuse for it whatsoever.

UPDATE: A very well-written take on the matter here.

No Doubt Concert

2009-06-15T12:13:00.003-04:00

Welcome back, childhood.

Yesterday, I went to go see No Doubt live. I was in the pit, which, to me, is the only way to see a concert. The opening act was The Sounds, who must've done a 15-minute set, of which I caught the last five. They were loud and energetic - though I don't feel like I learned anything about their music in that time. The same goes for the subsequent performance by Paramore, who are apparently very popular. Having never heard any of their music before, my reaction is pretty much the same as The Sounds, although I must say, the lead singer chick can work a crowd. (Side note, all three bands for the night had girl lead singers. No big deal or anything, just kinda interesting that it worked out that way). The Sounds and Paramore (to a lesser extent) seem to both have been influenced by Gwen and co., so it seemed fitting that they opened for them.

Now onto No Doubt. Now, I'm used to going to Hip Hop shows - so this was not nearly the exhausting experience I had mentally prepared for. At Hip Hop shows, the crowds are significantly rougher (to be fair, No Doubt's crowd is probably less prone to violence than, say, Ozzie Osbourne's), and the rappers starting three hours late is par for the course. Luckily, No Doubt came on right on time, and what an entrance it was.

Right as the set began, a large white curtain dropped from the ceiling. Then, you saw sillouhettes emegerge. First came all of the guys, one by one, each striking a pose. The crowd was nearly in frenzy, at which point Gwen's sillouhette emerged. The crowd erupted, and after some posing, the curtain dropped.

The set was fantastic. The music and singing were clear, and the energy was just fantastic. Each member of the band, including touring band members Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair truly gave a professional performance. For me, the highlights were "Just a Girl," "Don't Speak" and "Hey Baby" - the third mostly because I forgot it had existed. They ran through all the essentials, and for the encore they played three songs, and for one of them, brought The Sounds and Paramore on stage to help peform it. The 20 or so people on stage performing seamlessly was fantastic.

Finally, what can I say about Gwen? She is a bonafide superstar. From her interactions with the crowd (she got invited to a wedding by a fan couple), to her theatrics on stage (romping around, doing pushups, etc.), she at all times has a magnetic presence. Almost effortlessly, she dares you to not love her wholly and absolutely. And this isn't me talking about how sexy she is - though believe me, with those abs and that cute face, she is - but with every single song, you can see that she is a master of facial expression, and draws the listener in. Most importantly, you got the sense - not just from her, but from the whole band - that they were grateful to be there. It really feels like the show was a labor of love, and because of that, I won't soon forget it.

So THAT'S Why They Pulled The 'Sense' From Your Name!

2009-06-11T21:41:00.004-04:00

As far as I'm concerned, the nail in the "I don't fuck with you anymore" coffin for the artist formerly known as Common Sense has officially been driven in. Recently, Com decided it'd be a good idea to do a song with the Jonas Brothers [click to listen if you want].

Now, to be fair, I haven't listened to the song, nor do I intend to. It may be catchy as all hell, and Com's rhymes could be on point. But here's the problem for me - I don't respect the Jonas Brothers as musicians whatsoever, and if they (along with Hilary Duff) could return to the ninth circle as hell sooner rather than later, that'd just be splendid.

Now, some a little more familiar with the Hip Hop game might ask me, "Slava, hasn't Common earned the benefit of the doubt? Hasn't he put out enough fantastic material? Hasn't he earned his stripes?"

I suppose the answer to those questions is yes - if you don't consider the absolute shit Com has been doing for the past years. 2007's Finding Forever is by far the most deceptive album I can think of. Masquerading as a successor to 2005's excellent Be, Finding Forever was a shittier, watered down version of its predecessor. Instead of painting the vivid imagery found in songs like "The Corner," Com made vague references to "the people" and all the shit he supposedly does for them (this point is somewhat paraphrased from a blog entry from somewhere that I've since been unable to find, unfortunately).

Instead of being the deceptively raw emcee he had been for over a decade, Com has transformed into a self-loving and self-aggrandizing jackass who thinks he's the lord's gift to music. Basically, Kanye with better rhymes. With every action he takes these days, he's basically screaming, "HEY! LOOK AT ME - I'M A CONSCIOUS EMCEE!" -- and people eat it up. Why? Because Com's now got the attention of people who think hip hop is only bitches, guns and bling. So to them, Com's the best thing in Hip Hop sence the Fresh Prince. Fucking BARF.

Oh, and don't get me started on that UMC shit.

ZOMG

2009-06-11T00:03:00.002-04:00

via Collider by way of iWatchStuff:

Good news everybody! An inside source has revealed exclusively to Collider that “Futurama” has been given a 13 episode order by Comedy Central. Though still technically a rumor at this point, word is that “Futurama” production offices have already opened and that casting is about to move forward.

This should be a welcome surprise to fans of the show who have already gone through the series’ cancellation and resurrection as direct-to-DVD movies.

Look for official word in the very near future. Though animation has a big lead time, I would guess on some kind of “Futurama” presence at Comic Con next month.

FanTASTIC news. Futurama is bar none one of the greatest shows to grace television. Absolutely brilliant.

Also, if you're not a terrible person, you've seen this:

He hasn't aged a day.

Twitter

2009-06-10T01:55:00.002-04:00

As you may have noticed on the right, I'm (trying) to do twitter now. My twitter account is www.twitter.com/vexblog, so if you're about twitter, get at me.

HHDX: Lloyd Banks Interview

2009-06-09T15:03:00.003-04:00

Hey folks - gonna start posting my work for HipHopDX in here again. The most recent piece was my interview with G-Unit's Lloyd Banks, who was quite humble and appreciative for the duration of the interview. It's a long one, but it's a good one. Ch-ch-check it out (excerpt below):

I’ve been on most of the talk shows that you could possibly be on, I’ve touched on every stage you could possibly touch. I’m actually on my way to Rio de Janeiro this Thursday, and these are things I’m doing on my own. But it’s because of the performance that I left when I was out with 50, when I was out on the stage with Em, I made sure I performed like I was doing a show for the last time. Rick Ross isn’t doing any shows here! He’s not doing shows in Iraq and Pakistan, and West Africa and South Africa and Russia! He’s never been to these places! I can send you my passport to prove it to you – and I’ve been there by myself. I’ve been to some places that 50 hasn’t had a chance to yet! That comes from me actually paying attention and being a student to the game. So over the years, I’ve learned to be more appreciative and more humble.

I am Sad Face

2009-06-07T11:59:00.002-04:00

Today will be remembered as the day a dream died.

Roger Federer - a perennial overachiever in Tennis as a result of piss-poor competition - has attained 14 Grand Slams, tied only by all-time great Pete Sampras in that respect. In fact, with this win, Federer has a career grand slam - something that Pete Sampras never attained.

Never have I despised an athlete so much for something that isn't his fault. In a way, today's finals match at Roland Garros parallels Federer's entire career. He beat no-name Robing Soderling (who?) in straight sets en route to victory. Sound familiar? Lots of wins via little resistance.

Now, before you get into "BUT HE BEAT _______!" I'll just tell you why everyone in tennis sucks right now:

Andy Roddick - Has no focus whatsoever
Marat Safin - See above
James Blake - A personal favorite, but his body just does not hold up
Lleyton Hewitt - Too small
Djokovic - Promising, but gets injured too much

Now, Nadal began to emerge at the end of Roger's "legendary" run, and once he had, he had Fed's number. However, guess who failed to GET to the fucking finals because he's an idiot? That's right - Nadal.

Nadal, you officially are my second-most hated person in tennis. You have failed in your God-given position as the force destined to keep Federer away from his 14th Grand Slam. Also, if you fail AGAIN and give him his 15th, I will eviscerate you.

My point is this: Sampras had Agassi. McEnroe had Borg, Connors and Lendl. Federer has no one. And once he did, the guy fucked up and didn't show up to the party. DESPITE this fact, sportcasters (who should ALL be drawn and quartered) have the audacity to definitively say that Feds is the greatest. Un-be-fucking-lievable. I know you guys are the masters of sensationalism, but let's keep a little perspective here.

Bah humbug.

Today

2009-06-06T21:16:00.002-04:00

Yes, I know daily summaries are boring.

But if I'm going to be writing on a daily basis, they aren't ALL going to be winners.

Anywho:

I came home (spent the night at Danny's playing Key to the Kingdom and watching The Bourne Supremacy - both excellent ways to spend one's time), showered, and went to my apartment with Divyang to pack up my futon.

After said futon pickup, Divyang and I had some Chipotle and made our way to Jonathan McCoy's grad party, where Anthony Gregg and I discussed Hip Hop for an hour or so over chicken, burgers and macaroni. Times were good.

I came home, played some Dead Space, then figured out what I'm going to get for Danny for his graduation present. Success.

See youse tomorry.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnd We're Back

2009-06-05T21:45:00.003-04:00

Greetings folks.

Been a while. Um, since the last time I wrote, I've graduated from the University of Maryland with a 3.105 GPA in Electrical Engineering, which I suppose is pretty cool. But, as everyone should know, learning and goals should never stop. So here's what I hope to achieve in the near future:

Read 5 books this summer (not a huge number, but some of those that I hope to read are of respectable magnitude)
Play Tennis a minimum of twice a week (weather permitting)
Stick to Hiit 'till I'm down to 160 lbs
Tag albums for HipHopDX 20 hours a month on a CONSISTENT basis
Paint 30 Warhammer figurines by the end of the summer
Start blogging on the daily

I know these goals aren't particularly incredible or anything, but it's what I've currently got on my plate, and what I hope to achieve.

Also, Slava calendar:

June 21-28: Caribbean Cruise (Carnival, in case you're interested)
July 1-8: Cali visiting fam
July 13: Work at Leach Wallace begins

That's all for now. See you tomorrow, I hope.

Take it how you Will.

2008-11-19T00:52:00.002-05:00

I thought I saw you yesterday
But I didn't stop, 'cause you was walkin' the opposite way
I guess I coulda' shouted out ya name
But even if it was you, I don't know what I would say
We could sit and reminisce about the old school
Maybe share a cigarette, because we both fools
Chop it up and compare perspectives
Life, love, stress and set-backs, yes
So you could tell me how hard you had it
And you could show me all the scars to back it
And we could analyze each complaint
Break it down and explain these mistakes I make
I like to tangle up the strings of the puppetry
But you knew me back when I was a younger me
You seen Sean in all types of light
And I've been meanin' to ask you if I'm doin' alright

[Chorus x2]
Yesterday
Was that you? Looked just like you
Strange things my imagination might do
Take a breath, reflect on what we been through
Or am I just goin' crazy 'cause I miss you?

I'm shook, I know, I pushed when I shoulda' pulled
Took it all back if I could, I put that on my soul
And I would make a top-notch good listener
If you could block-off a little time out to give it here
Since we went our separate paths
I've hit a couple snags that remind me of the past
I can't front, I'm havin' a blast
But damned if I ain't afraid of how long it's gonna last
Sittin' here wishin' we could kick it
Give me your opinions, I do miss your criticisms
I didn't mean to be distant, make a visit
I'll wait up and keep the coffee brewin' in the kitchen
But who am I jokin' wit'?
There's no way that you and I will ever get to re-open it
It doesn't matter, this is more than love
And maybe if I'm lucky, get to see you out the corner of

[Chorus x2]
Yesterday
Was that you? Looked just like you
Strange things my imagination might do
Take a breath, reflect on what we been through
Or am I just goin' crazy 'cause I miss you?

[V3]
And when you left, I didn't see it comin'
I guess I slept, it ain't like you was runnin'
You crept out the front door slow
And I was so self-absorbed I didn't even know
And by the time I looked up it was booked up
Put it all behind you, the bad and the good stuff
A whole house full of dreams and steps
I think you'd be impressed with the pieces I kept
You disappeared but the history is still here
It's why I try not to cry over spilt beer
I can't even get mad that you're gone
Leavin' me was probably the best thing you ever taught me
I'm sorry, it's official
I was a fist-full, I didn't keep it simple
Chip on the shoulder, anger in my veins
Had so much hate, now it brings me shame
Never thought about the world without you
And I promise that I'll never say another bad word about you

Looked just like you
Strange thangs my imagination might do
Take a breath, reflect on what we been through
Or am I just goin' crazy 'cause I miss you?

The "Controversial" Survey

2008-10-05T11:08:00.002-04:00

Jocked from Mega.

[01] Do you have the guts to answer these questions and re-post as The Controversial Survey?
Sure thing, but not without quotes.

[02] Would you do meth if it was legal?
Hell no, that shit is wild.

[03] Abortion: for or against it?
Against the action, for the choice. Does that make sense?

[04] Do you think the world would fail with a female president?
Not particularly.

[05] Do you believe in the death penalty?
Based on principle, no. Based on being realistic, yes.

[06] Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already?
I don't sit there and wish for it, but it might as well. I'd trade legalized weed for criminalized tobacco anyday of the week.

[07] Are you for or against premarital sex?
For.

[08] Do you believe in God?
Yes.

[09] Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized?
Sure, though I don't think you should get the same tax breaks that assume you're gonna have children. In fact, no one should get that - that should be on the condition that you DO have children or adopt them, rather than the assumption you will.

[10] Do you think it's wrong that so many Hispanics are illegally moving to the USA?
Illegally? Yes. My parents did it the honest way - it's a slap in the face, although I don't blame people for trying. I think more than anything, it's the govt's piss-poor management of the situation.

[11] A twelve year old girl has a baby, should she keep it?
Probably not.

[12] Should the alcohol age be lowered to eighteen?
Dunno...that sort of thing should be gradual, not instantly 18. European countries have much more lax drinking laws, but much fewer alcohol-related fatalities - go figure.

[13] Should the war in Iraq be called off?
Like...pack up and leave? No. But we do need to get out of there.

[14] Assisted suicide is illegal: do you agree?
Yes.

[15] Do you believe in spanking your children?
Of course. Sometimes you have to smack the little bastard around.

[16] Would you burn an American flag for a million dollars?
A million? Yessir Uncle Sam.

[17] Who do you think would make a better president? McCain or Obama?
Umm...Obama by a very slim margin.

[18] Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
People always judge; it's in their nature. Why be afraid of something natural?

2008-10-01T23:00:00.000-04:00

Do it.

Great, great stuff.

2008-09-19T08:18:00.001-04:00

Looks like there ARE some grownups in Hip Hop:

Fuck R. Kelly, and big ups to Flex for taking part of the blame.

2008-09-11T21:27:00.002-04:00

Choose conviction, not contentment.
Pick principles, not policies.
Practice peace, don't forget how to fight.
Arrest alliteration? If it's insisted.

Gahhhhhhhhhh!

2008-08-30T14:45:00.003-04:00

Goodness gracious things are insane!

-Ukraine was good, the flight home wasn't. Got food poisoning, but I'm better now. (I'll write some more about Ukraine later.

-School starts in THREE DAYS. THREE DAYS! What the hell. Shit's WILD. Um, wow. Gotta move back in to the apt. Probably tomorrow - glad I started on that beforehand, otherwise I'd be royally screwed at the moment.

-Linkage to some free music: You all know I'm a HUGE Eminem (st)(f)an, right? Well, check my man Shake's blog www.2dopeboyz.com for some REALLY old Em shit from 1992 right here: http://2dopeboyz.com/2008/08/28/eminem-steppin-onto-the-scene-x-fattest-skinny-kid-alive/

That's all for now. Time to go, later folks!

Loose Ends and Random Thoughts

2008-07-05T18:13:00.002-04:00

Just a grouping of things that don't merit their own posts:

Good Lord am I in bad shape. Went for a 30 minute run today, and the shit was just pathetic. Seriously folks, take time to stay in shape, because it's very easy to get out of it very fast.
Found this gem over at 2dopeboyz.com:

Whoo boy is that funny. Check 2dopeboyz for gangs of music and to get the full effect, peep the New Music Cartel. If you're not familiar, get familiar.
Decided a few weeks ago that I'd head over to Ukraine with the rents. August 20-27, woohoo!
Movies I'm Looking Forward to and the Trailers For Them:

The Dark Knight

James Bond: Quantum of Solace

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (tell me this doesn't look cool and you're a liar)
If you're in the mood for some Jazzy Hip Hop, cop this mix my man Wreck made over at Vinylpops. You won't be disappointed. Definitely peep.
Peep the homegirl Aparna's radio show NaanSense on Tuesdays from 8:00-10:00AM atv WMUCradio. Sidenote: here's her blog. Listen online: High Quality (96Kbps) Low Quality (32Kbps) (it'll only play her show at those times though).

That's it for now, I suppose. Later days (c) Weekenders

Happy 4th

2008-07-04T13:23:00.001-04:00

“The United Nations has all countries around the world as members, but why is it that refugees are being abandoned and neglected? The United States is one of the few countries that accept refugees from almost every country. Why can’t other countries participate and practice the same procedures that America does to provide education for refugees and immigrants?

The United Nations has a Security Council whose responsibility is to provide security for member states; but instead member countries of the United Nations Security Council are funding rebels’ activities around the world. The world will never be a better place [if this continues]. So we all need to step up and encourage the five [permanent] members of the Security Council to practice and work in the same accord to provide peace and security throughout the world. Then the world can be a better place. But if [three] countries – Great Britain, and the United States, and France – are providing security and human rights, and the others are going against [it], then the world will never be a better place!

America is a very great country, and I’m very fortunate to be in America. I am a college graduate now, pursuing my double degree at the University of Maryland. I work, I have a job, I have a family – it’s just a great place to be, really. I wish other countries could practice some of the things America does and provide for other immigrants around the world. If we live as one people on the planet Earth, which God has given us, we will enjoy the fruits that it gives to us back.

I’m very fortunate to be a Liberian, you know. Our country had a fourteen-year civil war; I was once a victim of atrocities. But I realize there are many ways you can solve problems using non-violent means. You can write; you can speak out – you can demonstrate. If you want to be a good peacemaker, you want to set an example. You want to set a standard of peacemaking. Like, for example, Martin Luther King, [Jr.]. You talk about Nelson Mandela, Mohandas Gandhi – these are world-class peacemakers that never shed blood for peace to come to the United States and India and South Africa. But if others are going around the world using the name of peace to cause murders, we need to stand up and say no to that.Liberia is a country that once lived in bloodshed from 1947 till 2003, and thank God for America, because the intervention of America brought peace to Liberia. And I will continue to support America, and I will continue to stand up for human rights wherever I see atrocities happening around the wold. I will never support bloodshed around the world. So thank you America, to do the good work and promote peace and prosperity around the world. God bless America.”

-- Julius Suku, Liberian immigrate, onetime refugee, student of the University of Maryland, College Park

Movies of Summer 08

2008-07-01T10:34:00.002-04:00

Is it just me, or is this shaping up to be the best summer for superhero movies ever?

I attribute this to two things:

1. An Abundance of Great Superhero Movies.

Ironman - fucking great movie. Robert Downey, Jr. Possessed all the qualities needed to play the unlikely hero, Tony Stark, to a tee. He has hands down nailed a superhero better than any other actor (which isn't saying much. Tobey McGuire (sp)? boo-urns).

The Incredible Hulk - best. CGI. Action. Evar. Fuck what you heard, Hulk is dope. Not nearly the movie that Ironman is, but the action wasn't corny, and Ed Norton nailed Bruce Banner. Could've benefitted from another 30 minutes, but what the hell. Damn good flick.

The Dark Knight Returns - are you fucking kidding me? This shit is going to be bonkers. Not only is Christian Bale the best Batman ever (sorry Keaton), but I've read that Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker (psycopathic and vicious, not a simple wisecracking goon a la Nicholson) is nothing short of brilliant. This has been my most anticipated movie since the last scene of Batman Begins. I fully expect something epic.

2. The Absence of Shitty Superhero Movies

What's that I hear? Oh, it's the lack of sequels for: Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man. Thank the lord.

The only thing endangering this summer's streak is Hellboy 2 - since Hellboy was such utter shit. We'll see, I guess.

Moving on:

Would everyone stop sucking Wall-E's dick? Seriously, the shit was okay at best. First 10 minutes of the movie, great. Last 40 minutes of the movie, great. In between? I was bored to TEARS. No, it's not the lack of dialogue - it was just dreary and unengaging. Bleak, even. Blah, rent it when it comes out.

Oh, and the next Bond movie looks boss.

The end.

Time To Step The Blog Game Up

2008-07-01T10:32:00.001-04:00

Yeah yeah, I've been lazy.

I've decided to start posting at work. Does this mean daily posts? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that I'll try to post with more regularity.

Contain your excitement, Ms. Kojzar.

Dope Vid of the Moment: Symphony 2000

2008-05-19T18:56:00.004-04:00

Erick and Parish Millenium Duckets!

Bah, I need to update more often.

Alright, as a big fan of Def Jam's lineup (back when they used to pay for videos) in the 90's and horror movies, I felt that this would be a good video to bring back.

Here's an example of simple premise, and insanely dope execution. Method is putting his kid to bed, and decides to tell him a scary story. This is promptly followed by 5 insanely dope verses - PMD, Erick Sermon, Redman, Method Man and Lady Luck all rip this shit. People who know me even slightly will tell you who has my favorite verse. Each emcee plays a famous horror movie character in their verse - everyone should be able to tell who they all are. If not, you've got some homework to do.

Watch this shit - thank me later.

The World is a Vulture

2008-05-05T01:36:00.005-04:00

"I am the American dream,
The rape of Africa,
The undying machine,
The overpriced medicine,
The murderous regime..."

This photograph won the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 and has been described as the picture that “made the world weep.” It was taken by a freelance South African photographer named Kevin Carter.

There is something utterly sad and deeply disconcerting about the photograph. To the right you see a malnourished child, a starving Sudanese girl. To the left is a well-fed vulture. The vulture is stalking the child, waiting for it to die, so that it can feast on its carrion. This haunting picture captures the horrors of mass starvation caused by the civil war in Sudan, Africa.

If you ask me, the title I would give this picture is: "Who Are My Mother and Brothers?" Those are the words spoken by our Lord in the gospel reading today when his relatives ask to see him. But his words take on a different meaning in this photograph: The Sudanese child is starving to death because she is not getting any help from anyone. She has no mother, no brothers, no sisters, no friends; she has been left alone, except for the waiting vulture. No one knows what happened to her, not even the photographer who took this picture.

After taking this picture, the photographer sat under a tree, cried, and chain-smoked. His photograph became famous, and the photographer received the accolade that he had dreamed of all his life. But he also became notorious, severely criticized for not having done anything for the child. Two months later, he parked his red pickup truck near a small river where he used to play as a child, connected a hose to the exhaust pipe of his truck, and gassed himself to death.

What we have here is not one, but two tragedies. Aside from the photograph of the Sudanese child, we also have another equally tragic portrait: the life and death of photographer Kevin Carter. Before he committed suicide, Carter left a note: “I’m really, really sorry,” it said. “The pain of life overrides the joy to the point that joy does not exist.”

I think his life could also have been called: "Who Are My Mother and Brothers?" For not helping the Sudanese girl, the world quickly condemned him. The judgment he received, I think, was too self-righteous and cruel, for who can say what he could have done given all the circumstances?

As a result, Carter found himself increasingly isolated and alone. Like the Sudanese child, he probably felt that he had no mother, brother, sister, or friend to help him. In Dan Krauss's 2005 documentary about him, "The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club," his daughter, Megan, had this to say about her father's famous photograph: "There is another way to look at the picture. I see my dad as the suffering child; and the rest of the world is the vulture."

When the Lord asked the crowd, "Who are my mother and brothers?" he didn't mean to say that he didn't know his relatives. What he meant was that in the Kingdom of God--that is, in the greater scheme of things--our families, our backgrounds, and our social status don't matter quite as much as our decisions and our actions. He went on to explain, "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

In other words, it is the good that we do more than anything else that will ultimately define who we are. Our good works will shape our identity, but it will also link us to one another and to the Lord. When we do good and help others, we become brother and sister and mother to one another, as well as part of the Lord's family.

Unfortunately and tragically, the photographer Kevin Carter didn't realize soon enough. But neither did the world. If the world had been mother and brother enough to him, who knows? Perhaps Carter would not have taken his own life.

Word to Cappa for finding this.

Greatest Day of the Year

2008-04-27T08:11:00.002-04:00

"After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met the and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

--Matthew 28:1

The 'Rogs 2008 NFL Mock Draft

2008-04-25T23:25:00.002-04:00

Alright, here's my final top 10 Projection:

1. Miami - Jake Long: Not much of a guess, already done.
2. St. Louis - Chris Long: With Jake Long gone, the Rams seek to build the D-line.
3. Atlanta - Glenn Dorsey: A team with as many needs as the Falcons should take the best player available, and that's Dorsey.
4. Oakland - Darren McFadden: What Al Davis wants, Al Davis gets. Also, after investing so much money in Jamarcus Russell, you HAVE to give him a damn good RB.
5. Kansas City - Ryan Clady: This pick's tough. I think KC needs O-line help more than they need a new QB. The hole left by Jared Allen can be addressed with the 17th pick.
6. New York Jets - Vernon Ghoslton: The Jets desperately need help on the D. Gholston's the way to go.
7. New England - Keith Rivers: Explained later.
8. New Orleans (from Ravens) - Sedrick Ellis: Explained later.
9. Cincinnati - Leodis McKelvin: Explained later.
10. Baltimore - Matt Ryan: Explained later.

Now before everyone starts bitching, thinks about this - if the first 6 picks go the way I project, New England is going to pick SOMEONE on D; I assume Keith Rivers because the average age of their linebacking choir is 67.

Then, Baltimore has the 8th pick, which the Saints want DESPERATELY in order to pick up Ellis, who the Bengals want as well. Naturally, the Ravens would want to trade, which works for them in not one, but THREE ways:
1) Ravens get Matt Ryan cheaper at 10 than at 8 (he won't be scooped up because the Saints and Bengals don't need a QB).
2) We get something out of the trade...possibly a 4th rounder if the saints want Ellis enough.
3) We screw the Bengals out of the player they REALLY wanted - Ellis. Since they're division rivals, it's not only smart, but oh so sweet.

So there you have it.

Shit I Copped, vol. 1.5 (the comic book edition)

2008-04-21T18:12:00.004-04:00

The reason this is vol. 1.5 is that I already copped this shit before - I just forgot to mention it.

What?: Wolverine Origins - Issue 24

Why?: Wolverine is totally effing boss. And so is this series.

Where/How Much?: $2.99 plus tax at your local comic book store (shouts to Big Planet comics).

What?: The Sword, Issue #7

Why?: The Sword is a brand new series by the Luna Brothers, which I absolutely love. Well-written, violent, and the art is great. Can't go wrong here.

Where/How Much?: Once again, comic book store, $2.99.

Alright, I'm getting a little lazy here. To wrap things up, I also picked up five comic book trades recently. The first two of Y: The Last Man, Civil War, Civil War: Front Line, and Ultra.

Quote of the Moment

2008-04-20T20:42:00.001-04:00

We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world.

-Woodrow Wilson, former U.S. President

Shit I Copped, vol. 1

2008-04-20T12:03:00.009-04:00

What?: Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (Deluxe Edition)

Sixth Studio Album from the Indie outfit comprised of Slug and Ant, the deluxe edition (limited at only 25k copies) is packaged as a 40-page gold embossed hardcover book - which has an illustrated children's story written by Slug. Also included is a Bonus DVD with over an hour of live footage and extras.

Why?: Atmosphere is dope. And - what can I say? I'm a sucker for great packaging (D Sides, anyone?)

How Much/Where?: A relative steal at $9.99 from Amazon.

Anything else?: Sure - here's a vid detailing the dope packaging.

What: Spawn, Volume 5.

This is the fifth installment in the trade paperbacks, which contains Spawn, issues #76 - #96.

Why?: Spawn is badass, that's why. I'm rekindling my love for comic books, and I've always enjoyed how Spawn walks the lines of the superhero/horror genres. Plus, that Todd McFarlane really knows how to draw.

How Much/Where?: Buy.com had this lovely piece for only $21.41 - including shipping. Nice.

What?: "Redux" Tee by Budi Satria K.

Why?: Because I don't have enough t-shirts ;)

How Much/Where?: You can pre-order this joint at Uneetee.com for $12, but the deal ends TODAY. Otherwise, you'll be paying $17.99 for it later on - which isn't bad at all, considering how great this shirt is.

Wait, why am I sharing this with you? I hate people having the shirts as I do. Dammit.

Hmm...that's all for installment one of "Shit I Copped," hope you all enjoyed. If you care to, let me know what shit you copped this week.

2008-04-15T22:05:00.014-04:00

Go to www.flickr.com
• Type in your answer to the question in the "search" box
• Use only the first page
• Copy the html and paste for the answer.

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food?

3. What School did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. Who is your favorite Disney Princess?

7. Favorite drink?

8. Dream vacation?

9. Favorite dessert?

10. What do you want to be when you grow up?

11. What do you love most in life?

12. One word to describe you?

13. What do you dream about?

Sweet dreams :)

x > y: volume 2.

2008-04-06T14:23:00.002-04:00

My Super Street Fighter II skills > Yours

Having a job > Being in school

Node analysis > Mesh analysis

My Electromagnetic Theory exam grade > What I expected it to be

Jay-Z's hustle > Yours

Heroes of Might and Magic III > Heroes of Might and Magic II

That is all. For now.

Battles

2008-03-28T22:14:00.003-04:00

I woke up this morning, and promptly closed my cell phone for another 8 minutes of sleep.

I woke up again, and sat there, debating to myself whether or not I should go to class. I started to lose the argument, and just as I was headed to set the alarm another 2 hours ahead, a single bird started chirping. Now I don't know how much you all believe in God or anything of the sort, but I really felt as if that little bird was telling me to stop being such a bitch and get up.

As I went through my morning routine (Writing a news piece for HipHopDX, reading/returning emails, etc), I started to think about all the little battles we go through each day. Take going to class, for example. It's so easy not to. You really have to focus on what it is that you want. Want to be in better shape? You have to eat well and exercise. You've got to want it enough. You've got to be willing to make the sacrifices. Unfortunately, most of the time we just don't have the willpower to do so. I know I don't - but it's something I'm working on.

One battle I feel that I'm starting to win is finally coming around with my school work - and it's about damn time. I've been putting in a ridiculous amount of time in my studying, and it seems to be starting to pay off. We'll see on Monday, after my Electromagnetic Theory exam.

Unfortunately, winning this battle comes at a price. Time is limited, and I'm no exception. I can't seem to find the time to do much else other than school, work, and Rotaract. Barring a few hours tonight, I haven't gone and done something social since probably winter break, and I doubt I will be before the semester is out. I want to make more time for things - reading, writing, exercise...everything. But I just can't seem to. Is this all I have to look forward to? Am I just continually striving to get a job that'll take the majority of my time for the rest of my life?

I guess the only thing I can do is try my best to make time for things that matter to me - and believe me, the are a lot of them. Maybe the most important thing to know about battles is how to pick 'em, because you certainly can't battle time - you'll have to learn to work with it.

2008-03-15T11:46:00.002-04:00

I feel as though a significant number of relationships (friendships, romantic, business, whatever) last simply due to the fact that people tell each other what they want to hear. It seems as though everyone thinks that they're doing the best thing for themselves when all they do is agree and console, but that's really not the case.

Sometimes, telling your friend/girlfriend/whoever what they don't want to hear is exactly what they need. Sure, they might get angry at you, or in extreme situations might sever all ties with you - but if you really care about that person like you claim to, don't you want to do what's best for them? By facilitating whatever it is that that person is doing which you perceive to be wrong, aren't you just enabling something that's harming them?

Pretty selfish, if you ask me.

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #1

2008-03-09T22:04:00.002-04:00

The Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

You had to have seen this one coming. Honestly. It's two hours before Lent, so I figured I'd put this up now. This song was crafted, much like the show for which it was named, crafted perfectly for white people. Honestly, I can't think of another black guy more un-alarming to white people than Will Smith. Just look at that smile of his:

Gorgeous. No hetero.

Back to the crux of the matter. The reason this song is so popular is because the show was so damn popular. Yes, Big Willie did do his fair share of schucking and jiving on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but he did do quite a few important things - he (eventually) proved that a rapper could be successful as an actor, as evinced by this scene from the show:

He also found that balance between "black humor" and "white humor." He mentioned this on Inside the Actor's Studio, something to the effect of making white people and black people laugh at the same thing for completely different reasons.

Well, with this final clip, we salute you, dear honky, for never really getting the full joke. Hope you enjoyed this series people, I sure as heck did.

And, oh yes, this is the full intro.

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #2

2008-03-08T17:48:00.003-05:00

Sir Mix-A-Lot: Baby Got Back

Maybe it's an indicator of how low white people's self-esteem that they all seem to love this song, since the intro is dedicated to how much white people hate anyone with ass.

This of course, isn't true, as I myself am an ass man. Then again, I'm from Europe. Maybe it's different for our particular brand of white guys.

Back to songs about ass, rather than ass itself. My theory about why white folks love this song is this: They think Sir Mix-A-Lot is an actual knight. Makes sense, right?! What white person doesn't love medieval culture? That's why we all loved this gem:

I further investigated my theory, and discovered that Sir Mix-A-Lot isn't a Knight at all. Seriously, Elton John but not the greatest one hit wonder in Hip Hop history?

It's a cruel word, baby.

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #3

2008-03-07T23:33:00.004-05:00

Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg - Ain't Nothin' But a G Thang

Remember when I said white people think the sun shines out of Dr. Dre's ass? Well, it's because of this song. Easily one of the biggest crossover Hip Hop hits of all time, this song had everything: complex lyricism "Well I'm peepin' and I'm creepin and I'm creepin," an immaculate beat (as per normal when you're discussing Dr. Dre albums, and the first glimpse of Snoop Dogg's innate ability to spell his own name in a fucking cool-ass way: " It's the capital S, oh yes, the fresh N double O P D O double G Y D O double G ya' see..."

Anyways, just chill till tomorrow's episode, and enjoy this vid:

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #4

2008-03-06T13:38:00.002-05:00

Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

For whatever reason, "Gangsta's Paradise" is the rap song white folks take more seriously than any other. The particularly hilarious thing about this song isn't just Michelle Pfieffer's appearance in the video (aside from the fact that the song is featured on the "Dangerous Minds" soundtrack, in which Pfieffer stars); no, it's that fact that it's Coolio rapping the song.

"Gangsta's Paradise" is a great song filled with powerful social commentary, but it was rapped by a guy who was (and is) generally known for being a damn clown. Don't believe me? Look:

Anywho, when white folks hear this song, the response is usually to jump up from whatever eclectic piece from Ikea they're sitting on, and stare each other with the "Ohhhh snap! This my jam!" kind of look -- you know the one. Then, all lyrics must be rapped with the utmost of seriousness. Backwards hats and mean mugs are a bonus.

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #5

2008-03-04T23:37:00.003-05:00

Tupac ft. Dr. Dre - California Love

This song and the accompanying video features a ridiculous number of things people love: Dr. Dre (as far as quite a few white folks are concerned, the man invented rap, and shits sunshine), Tupac (seriously, what's not awesome about a thug who's not afraid to cry?), Chris Tucker (the guy who every white person claims to know from "Friday," but really first saw him in "The Fifth Element"), and a mutant Hip Hop wasteland.

The great thing about this song is that white folks know this song enough so that they can mumble enough through it without sounding like complete idiots, so it's an instant hit at any party -- unless, of course, someone bumps into the iPod stand, leaving the white folks to their own lyrical devices:

"Now let me welcome everybody to the Wild Wild West/A state that's untouchable like...mmmm..Ness/somethingsomethingsomethingCity of Sex..../something about sasoons?"

Now, there's a ridiculous amount of Hip Hop history behind this song, most of which is educated conjecture, but compelling nonetheless. However, I'm not here to teach you about Hip Hop - I'm here to make fun of white people.

Without further delay, let me serenade the streets of L.A.:

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #6

2008-03-04T07:38:00.002-05:00

House Of Pain - Jump Around

I came to get down. No, really. I'll serve your ass like John McEnroe. Really, for the tennis references alone it should make this list. Plus, this song and accompanying video has everything a white person could ask for: a song that literally tells you not dance (fulfilling simultaneously the requirements that every white person must do a little headbanging at every party and that white people can't dance), a guy in a Celtics jersey (Go Larry!), and bagpipers.

I can't help but laugh when I watch this video because man did Eminem own Everlast like...8 years later. Seriously, one of the most brutal tongue-lashings of all time.

Anywho, enjoy this vid in all its Irish Hip Hop glory:

What Do You Say...

2008-03-03T23:00:00.002-05:00

...when someone's significant other passes away? What do you tell someone you know whose world is undoubtedly crashing around them? How do you tell someone that everything's going to be okay when they've just lost their best friend? What magic panacea of words can someone hope to concoct in order to bring light into someone's life when everything seems so dark?

I'm happier than I've been in a long time, and, as silly as this sounds, I almost feel guilty. I guess it's natural to feel that way, and I'm certainly level-headed enough to not let it get to me. Still - if I could take a piece of my happiness and just give it to the person that needs it, I'd do so without hesitation. But, I'm not naive or arrogant enough to think I have a solution for something I can't even comprehend.

I guess I'll just have to do my best - the rest just simply isn't up to me.

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #7

2008-03-03T07:22:00.002-05:00

The Sugarhill Gang: Rapper's Delight

In all honesty, it could be argued that The Sugarhill Gang's only real hit should be #1 on this list - considering that it was the original Hip Hop crossover success. That's right - Wonder Mike, Master Gee and Big Hank are responsible for your two-steppin', Vanilla Ice closet-lovin', up-to-this-point-completely-agreeing-with-my-list-in' ass.

With one of the most recognizable beats (almost entirely jacked from Chic's Good Times) as well as possibly the most renowned opening lines (I said a hip, a hop, a hibbie to the hibbie) in any song - ever - this is a natural choice for white folks to love. It's so wholesome, that it's is a song they can bring home to mom and dad. Well, not really (rap is rap), but you know what I mean.

There are several versions of this song, with the full one clocking in at over 14 minutes long. The videos for it only showcase about 6 minutes, but I think you'll get the point.

Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight

Def Squad (Redman, Keith Murray, Erik Sermon) - Remake

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #8

2008-03-02T12:24:00.002-05:00

A few nights ago, I was hanging out with a miscreant completely devoid of Hip Hop-related knowledge,and trying to decided how to fill my list of white people's favorite rap songs, inspiration struck in the form of this conversation:

Miscreant: I don't like that one (pointing to a drawing of a rapper on my "parental advisory - explicit lyrics" poster, which features over 30 rap legends).
Vexrog: Who, ODB?
Miscreant: Yeah. He looks creepy there. Ohhh, remember that song? "You down with ODB?!"
Vexrog: Get out.

After kicking the miscreant out, I realized that I knew EXACTLY what this list was missing...

Naughty By Nature: OPP

Armed with yet another infectious hook, a Jackson 5 sample, and a random white guy on the piano, and a cameo by Queen Latifah, what's not to love? Hell, there's even cool "Hip Hop" lingo like "Damn Skippy" that'll make you get goosebumps if you're lacking melanin.

There's not too much to say about this song, other than that it's old school and silly in just the right way, and is a lovely ode to gettin' some.

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #9

2008-03-01T10:20:00.003-05:00

Redman and Method Man: Da Rockwilder

Every white person has a stoner inside of them waiting to be unleashed - every single one. Why do you think they're so content spending their weekend inside getting high, telling everyone else how high they are (or better yet, how high they were the last time they got high (c) Chappelle)?

It is perhaps for this reason that when two of Hip Hop's most renowned stoners this side of Snoop Dogg made one of the most perfect 2 minutes and 16 seconds of crossover hip hop success ever - Da Rockwilder.

Having all the symptoms of a music video released in the 90's - bad graphics, women who could actually dance (anyone notice how all they do now is stand?), strange lighting and steam - Da Rockwilder is just another example in the extremely poptacular run that Def Jam had from about '97 to when Eminem started to rule the world in 2000.

Hip Hop and Darfur: Part Two

2008-03-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

We briefly interrupt this top 10 list in order to bring you part two of my Hip Hop and Darfur series.

I would love to see the Hip Hop community stand as a united front against genocide and other injustices. But we’re not even that united amongst ourselves! Take a look at all the beef that goes on in Hip Hop and all the tearing each other down. In an ideal world, we’d stand as a unified front, but there’s too much bickering and beefing to reach our full potential.

Hip Hop and Darfur, Part Two: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.1048

Previously, Part One: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.1039

White People's Favorite Rap Songs: #10

2008-02-29T22:39:00.005-05:00

Before we get started with this, a few things:

First, I'd like to extend my prayers and condolences to Juvenile, whose daughter was reportedly murdered by her brother (who isn't Juve's son). It's a damn shame. More details on the story here.

Now, I know it's difficult to be cheery after that, but I'm going to give it a shot anyways.

In ten days, I'm going to be giving up several things for lent (I'm Orthodox - we're starting March 10th this year). One of these things will be Hip Hop music, excluding an album review or two. In honor of this colossally difficult decision, I'm going to provide you all with the list of White People's Top 10 favorite Rap Songs. Now, I know this has already been done, but I've been wanting to write on this for years - I just never got around to it. Besides, my list is different than the one I just linked.

So without further adieu...

Have you ever been to a party when a song comes on, and every single white person looks at each other as if to say "helllllllllllllllllllllllllll yeahhhhhhhhh!" and proceed to rap every single word with such an intense focus you're sure they'll all crap their pants?

Well this list is dedicated to those songs.

For the record, I'm forgoing any Eminem on this list.

Number 10: Ruff Ryder's Anthem - DMX

Now, the reason I think white folks love this song so much is two reasons: one, DMX makes everyone feel like a badass (even people from Connecticut); two, the chorus is very easy and accessible - something you'll find on most of the songs on the list.

Usually white folks'll start wilin' out when the chorus comes on - quite a sight. Hemp hats get turned backwards, collars get popped with reckless abandon, and everyone throws their Natti Lights into the air. "STOP! DROP! SHUT 'EM DOWN, OPEN UP SHOP!" Madness, I tell you. Even more hilarious is when X's verse starts, no one knows the fucking words, making for an extremely awkward lull which ends only when the dog's 16s do.