Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Jordan Crawford dunks on LeBron James (Video)

By now you all know the story: Detroit native and Xavier sophomore guard Jordan Crawford dunks on NBA superstar LeBron James during a pick-up game at the NBA superstar's basketball camp. Nike representatives at the camp subsequently confiscate all video evidence they can get their paranoid hands on in an effort to protect the image of their golden boy. The pathetic cover-up prompts widespread ridicule and scorn aimed at LeBron and Nike.

Now after all the hype and intrigue, video of the dunk heard - but not seen - 'round the world has finally surfaced. As I suspected, the video itself is a disappointment and not that exciting - LeBron doesn't get posterized and is in fact coming over to provide help after a teammate gets burned; not exactly humiliating. In fact, this dunk wouldn't have even been given 2 seconds of attention if not for the ridiculous cover-up. This entire situation proves the old adage that the cover-up is always, without fail, worse than the initial action.

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Jay-Z x Coldplay - Viva La Hova


Coldplay is ablaze right now. The British band's most recent studio album, Viva La Vida, sold over 2 million records worldwide (with 720,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the first week, 316,000 on the first day). Not only that, they were commissioned to perform at this year's Grammy's, and are in the midst of a worldwide tour that has received high praise and is drawing huge crowds (not to mention of course the endless TV appearances and magazine coverage they've received).

The rap industry seems to have also picked up on the Coldplay buzz, and I must say, the results have been spectacular. Drake Drizzy had a bonus song on his recent mixtape ("Congratulations") which sampled "Viva La Vida" and was pure fire. And now we get a second Jay-Z/Coldplay collaboration (Jay joined the group in a live performance of "Lost" at the Grammy's). Ohio-born producer and mixtape "composer" Mick Boogie - along with his partner in crime Terry Urban - have taken Coldplay instrumentals and mixed them with verses from hip hop patriarch and legend, Jay-Z.

[I am really enjoying this album. It is a fresh new mixtape which combines two artists who are at the top of their respective genres; they also happen to be two of my favorite artists in music right now. I had my reservations about this album, but I can say confidently that this album met and exceeded my expectations (it scrapes The Gray Album). Hova's verses are well chosen, taken from songs - i.e. "Takeover", "Ignorant Shit", "Heart of the City", "Song Cry" - off two of his best overall albums (The Blueprint and American Gangster). Similarly, the Coldplay songs chosen represent some of their newest and most well-known material, including "Lost!", "Homecoming", "Speed of Sound", and "X & Y".

Unlike previous mixtapes which pair a rapper with an artist from a different genre (The Gray Album, The Black and Blue Album, etc.), the sound quality on this album is very good. Coldplay's soft melodies compliment Hova's smooth flow quite nicely on this mixtape, and the songs do not sound choppy - a testament to Boogie's and Urban's mixing ability, and the seriousness with which they approached this project. Aside from a couple lame tracks, my only criticism is that the album would have been better if it had more verses from Coldplay, rather than strictly instrumentals.

All in all, Viva la Hova is without a doubt one of the best mixtapes of the year. Do not sleep on this album!!]

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Nike MVPuppets - "Lil' Dez"

Well, well, well... The NBA finals are upon us and what do you know? Despite presumptuous advertising campaigns from Vitamin Water and Nike promoting a Kobe/LeBron championship face-off, Bron's overrated Cavaliers were bounced out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic. You may recall a certain blogger (AHEM!) warning against making premature predictions, especially in the midst of two fiercely contested conference finals, but I guess the people over at Nike and V Water didn't hear my warning.

That aside, here is the 2nd to last commercial in the MVPuppets campaign. This one features Lil' Dez - LeBron and Kobe's neighbor's son - an energetic tyke who relentlessly pesters the all-star duo in hilarious fashion ("My bad brotha, allergies!"). Anyone with a younger brother/nephew/cousin will be able to relate.

The ending is great too. Holla!

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Monday, June 8, 2009

Supreme x Budweiser


As part of their summer 2009 collection, New York clothing brand Supreme teams up with American beer company and cultural icon Budweiser. This eye-popping collection has already sparked a lively debate on discussion boards and forums throughout the fashion blogosphere.

Personally, I'm not sure what to make of this collaboration. I'm a fan of Supreme but I don't particularly like such blatant product placement and I think some of the pieces in the collection are downright tacky. On the other hand, there are some clean items (I like the bags and a couple of their shirts) and there is something appealing about this campaign. It almost has a kind of Andy Warhol feel to it - pop-art meeting urban fashion. Regardless, I'm sure all the items in this collection will be copped by NY hipsters immediately.

[Click the above link for a look at the entire product line].
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ALPHABET Drawers


A sick chest brought to you by Kent and London. The possibilities with this are endless. You can categorize your possessions by letter, from A-Z, by brand, by color; pretty much anything you want. It's creative, and the even though the solid oak wood design is simplistic, wood is always sophisticated and clean.

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Sunday, June 7, 2009

Jay-Z - "Death of Autotune (D.O.A.)"

via Google

This is the first single off Jay-Z's upcoming album, The Blueprint 3, slated for release on September 11, 2009. As its title indicates, this track is a response to Auto-Tune (an audio processor which uses a "phase vocodor" to adjust/correct someone's vocal pitch) and it's overuse in the rap game. I'm down with the beat, produced by famed music producer No I.D (Kanye West's mentor), and as per usual, Jay comes hard. Enjoy.

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Recipe of the Week

Mexican Ceviche


Ceviche, a staple of Latina American cuisine, is an appetizer consisting of raw fish marinated and "cooked" in citrus (generally lime) juice.
Ceviche is believed to have originated in Peru with the Incan civilization. It subsequently spread to the surrounding countries in the region, each of which developed their own unique variation.

When I first tried ceviche I was curious about how the citrus juiced "cooked" the fish.
Technically, "cooking" requires heat, so ceviche isn’t actually cooked; at the same time, it's not exactly raw. Both heat and citric acid are agents of a chemical process called denaturation. According to chow.com, as denaturation occurs "the heat or citric acid changes the proteins in the fish, unraveling the molecules and altering their chemical and physical properties." Therefore, as the fish used to make ceviche is marinated in the citrus juice, the denaturation process turns its flesh firm and opaque, giving it the appearance of being cooked.

An important thing to keep in mind is that "cooking" food in citric acid does not kill bacteria the way that heat does. So when you make ceviche for your family and friends, remember to always use fresh fish.

Ceviche is pretty much an amazing dish. It's a great appetizer, especially for the summer months when the weather starts to heat up because it is chilled. It has great flavors, is simple to make and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Furthermore, if you make a bowl of ceviche, your guests will be very impressed by your culinary skills, so be prepared to receive compliments (never a bad thing).
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Recipe Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds of shrimp
  • ½ pound of white fish – sea bass fillet for example (dice into ½ inch cube)
  • 3 large limes
  • 1 small lemon
  • 1 medium diced fresh tomato
  • ½ small white onion, finely chopped
  • ½ small green sweet pepper, chopped in cubes
  • ½ jalapeño pepper, chopped in cubes
  • ½ bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • corn [tortilla] chips or tostadas
  • avocado cut in slices (optional)
Directions:

In a large bowl, gently mix the shrimp and fish with the lime juice and lemon juice and put it in the fridge for 1 hour or until shrimp and fish are opaque (this step cooks the shrimp and fish).

In another bowl mix the tomato, onion, sweet pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mix all ingredients; cover the bowl and chill ceviche in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serve the ceviche on top of chips or tostadas - flat, toasted/fried Mexican tortillas.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of cevicherecipe.org

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Pixar Short Film - "Lifted"

"Lifted" is the 13th of the 18 short animated films released by Pixar. Since A Bug's Life, the 2nd film collaboration between Disney and Pixar, Pixar has included a short film at the beginning of each feature film (4 were released exclusively on DVD). This particular short was created in 2006 and appeared at the beginning of the theatrical release of Ratatouille. In true Pixar fashion, it's incredibly funny and clever, and was nominated for the Best Animated Short Film at the 2006 Academy Awards.

[Pixar always comes with something super creative and visually stunning!! Enjoy!!]

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

President Obama nominates Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court

“The life of the law has not been logic, it has been experience.”
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

President Obama announcing Federal Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit) Judge
Sonia Sotomayor as his nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court (photo courtesy of NY Times).


On Tuesday, President Obama announced Sonia Sotomayor as his nomination for the Supreme Court. Justice Sotomayor is a federal judge from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York and will replace Justice David Souter, who had served on the high court for 19 years. If confirmed, she will be the third woman justice and the first Hispanic justice to serve on the Supreme Court.

Sotomayor was born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican immigrants and raised in a South-Bronx housing project. She was raised primarily by her mother (who was in attendance) after her father, Juan Sotomayor, died when she was 9 years old. In an emotional address yesterday, Sotomayor shared her life story, saying her "heart was bursting with gratitude" for her mother's hard work, sacrifice and unrelenting emphasis on education.

After earning an academic scholarship, Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from Princeton and earned her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was editor of the Yale Law Journal. In 1991 she was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H. W. Bush (as part of a compromise with New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan). President Bill Clinton nominated her to the Federal Court of Appeals in 1997.

Sonia's nomination is so significant precisely because of the life experience and perspective she, once confirmed, will bring to the Supreme Court; an institution traditionally dominated by older, white men. Her biography truly embodies the American Dream and unlike many of the justices - past and current - she has a true understanding of the hardships the average American experiences on a daily basis. In addition to her considerable intellectual abilities, her Puerto Rican heritage - which she proudly embraces - is a welcome and necessary addition of diversity which reflects the "browning", global society we live in. She will enrich the Supreme Court by bringing a perspective and insight the Court has never had within its ranks.

Indeed, unlike previous minority justices such as Clarence Thomas and Benjamin Cardozo (who, despite his Cuban and Israeli heritage, is not considered Hispanic), Judge Sotomayor has repeatedly emphasized the important role her ethnicity and gender play in informing her legal perspective. In a 2002 lecture she said, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life" (NY Times.com).

Interestingly however, despite her rhetoric, Judge Sotomayor has not ruled on any truly hot button issues in her career and she has been described as a political centrist. According to New York Times legal analyst Adam Litpak:

"Judge Sotomayor has issued no major decisions concerning abortion, the death penalty, gay rights or national security. In cases involving criminal defendants, employment discrimination and free speech, her rulings are more liberal than not.

But they reveal no larger vision, seldom appeal to history and studiously avoid quotable language. Judge Sotomayor’s decisions are, instead, almost always technical, incremental and exhaustive, considering all of the relevant precedents and supporting even completely uncontroversial propositions with elaborate footnotes."

I believe she will display reliably liberal tendences as a Supreme Court justice. In fact, the question of what degree she will allow her personal opinions to shape her legal decisions is at the heart of Republican concern and will be the main point of any potential challenge to her nomination.

Conservative Republican groups have already condemned the President's selection. The Judicial Confirmation Network, a right-wing activist group, sent out an email which labelled Sotomayor an "activist judge of the first order"; a sentiment echoed by ultra-conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh who added his personal desire to see Sotomayor fail in her career on the Supreme Court.

Yet despite the predictable outcry from conservative pundits and interest groups, the Republican Party is in a real bind with this choice (how brilliant of a political strategist is President Obama??), for two reasons. First, the Democrats, possessing 59 seats in the Senate, pretty much have the 60 votes required for breaking a filibuster on lockdown. Thus, as Senate Republicans have indicated, barring some unforseen revelation, they stand little chance of opposing her nomination. Secondly, they do not want to risk the political injury by being perceived as standing against the first Latina justice; a potential risk that is greatly magnified given Republicans' current lack of popularity in the Hispanic community.

Many Republicans, sensing the precarious position they are in, expressed cautious, measured reactions to Sotomayor's nomination. Michael Steele, Republican National Committee chairman embodied this hesitance when asked to comment on Barack's choice: "Republicans will reserve judgment on Sonia Sotomayor until there has been a thorough and thoughtful examination of her legal views.”

[I for one am very excited about the continued advancement of the Barack Era. Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination - and inevitable confirmation - signaled a great moment for this administration and for the country. I am anxious to see her impact on the Supreme Court and to see how she uses her new position to answer the important legal questions of the future.]

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Monday, May 25, 2009

Drake - "Congratulations"

photo courtesy of Google


I recently discovered this joint by Drake Drizzy Rogers aka "The Future of Hip Hop" (a nickname I gave him, because he is). This cut - entitled "Congratulations" - is a bonus track on Drake's recently released mixtape, So Far Gone, and features a sample from Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" (off their 2009 release by the same name).

This song is straight nuts! It features crazy wordplay from Drizzy whose swagger is on somewhere between 5 and 10 trillion right now, and it
combines the prodigious creative talents of Drake and Coldplay; pretty much a recipe for success as far as I'm concerned.

[The take away from this is that
Drake + Coldplay = $. Enjoy]



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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Nike - "MVPuppets" ad campaign

Below are "Unstoppable" and "Mrs. Lewis" - part 3 and 4, respectively - of Nike's "MVPuppets" ad campaign. Again, gotta applaud Nike for a creative, funny and smart series of advertisements featuring Kobe Bryant and LeBron James rendered in puppet form. Just as a little background in case you haven't seen parts 1 and 2, each ad features KB and LJ exchanging boasts and trash talking each other about who is the better player.

As I am writing this post I discovered that the voices for LeBron and Kobe are non other than comedians Kenan Thompson (formerly on Nickelodeon and now SNL) and the legendyary David Allen Grier (from In Living Color), respectively. I thought they sounded familiar! Even though the voices don't sound anything like LeBron or Kobe, I think they're good choices. Enjoy.

  • "Unstoppable": LeBron watches a personal highlight video only to discover an unwelcome surprise from Kobe waiting for him.




  • "Mrs. Lewis": Kobe and LeBron square off in an epic puppet basketball game to prove who is best. It's hilarious. I love all the jawing that is going on between them. It reminds me of playing against (and schooling) my little brother in the backyard as a youngster.



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Jazz Standard of the Week

Miles Davis - "Someday My Prince Will Come"

Miles Davis performing live at Birdland, New York (1958)
Photo taken by Dennis Stock


Miles Davis - "Someday My Prince Will Come"

This is one of my favorite jazz standards of all time; Miles Davis playing the lovely ballad "Someday My Prince Will Come" - originally from Disney's Snow White but adapted to his Love Songs Vol. 1 album. Love Songs Vol. 1 also features the standards "My Funny Valentine", "Stella By Starlight" and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". It's one of Miles' best collections and should be copped immediately.

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Shel Silverstein - "It's Dark In Here"

"It's Dark In Here" is a poem by the immortal children's poet Shel Silverstein, from his seminal book Where the Sidewalk Ends.

I used to read all of Shel's books when I was a youngster and I loved all his poetry. I hope reading this takes you back to when you were a kid and puts a smile on your face. :-)

It's Dark In Here

I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion's cage
I'm afraid I got too near.
And I'm writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.



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Saturday, May 23, 2009

LeBron James game winning 3 pointer (5/22/09)

[Just as a preface, LeBron James is not human.]

For those of you who haven't been following the NBA playoffs this year, you have missed out on some of the most exciting games and moments in NBA playoff history. Saturday night added to the legend with what may be the most thrilling moment of the playoffs as LeBron James hit a 23 foot 3-point shot with 1 second left in regulation and his team down by 2 points. The shot was incredibly difficult, not only given its distance and the time constraint, but also because Orlando forward Hedo Turkoglu - who hit the go ahead bucket on the previous possession - was in his face.

Moments like these are why I will always love sports. The impossible can happen. Just look at all the stunned, defeated faces in the crowd before LeBron made the biggest shot of his career. Immediately after he hit that shot the crowd erupted with a deafening roar of jubilation. Sports can transport us to higher emotional heights than is otherwise possible. That is what happened on Saturday night. Anyone watching that game could not help but feel a rush of excitement, regardless of his/her interest in the Cavs or Magic.

Simply amazing.

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Music Video of the Week

Snoop Dogg f. The Dogg Pound and The Dramatics - "Doggy Dogg World"

So recently the topic of music videos has come up a lot amongst my friends and I. In particular, my friends and I have discussed how music videos are virtually nonexistent nowadays; shows such as "Total Request Live" and its predecessor "Yo! MTV Raps" which were once staples on MTV (which we forget stands for Music Television) have now been replaced by an endless parade of garbage reality shows. The rise of reality shows is due to the decreased importance of TV and radio as the guardians of fame, and the rise in grassroots avenues for artists to disseminate their music - they no longer rely on MTV for exposure. Ultimately, in this day and age, the considerable cost of producing a music video is not worth it given the lack of benefits.

Those converstions really got me thinking about the old school music videos I - along with the kids from my generation - grew up watching. Not only was the quality of rap music better and more diverse in the early/mid 1990s, but the videos themselves were far more creative; they often contained a narrative of some kind, portrayed the artist as a character within that narrative, and featured a setting which added to and fit within the narrative. Today's videos, in contrast, follow a simple formula: rapper and his entourage are at a club/pool party/house party [insert any potential party location] where they stand around mugging and showing off their material riches for scantily clad women who shake their asses and pretend to enjoy themselves.

Where did rap go wrong? I could go on and on about that topic but that is a conversation for another day. For now, enjoy the video for "Doggy Dogg World" off of Snoop's debut masterpiece album Doggystyle. The song is set in a 1970s style lounge and features the smooth vocal talents of The Dramatics along with The Dogg Pound (Kurupt and Daz). In 1994 this video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video.




via YouTube


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Newsweek: "A Highly Logical Approach"

President Obama Interview with Newsweek

Below are a few excerpts (The interview itself is very long. Click the link below for the full text) of Jon Meacham's thorough and insightful interview with President Obama which appeared in the latest edition of Newsweek. The conversation mostly covers today's pressing national security issues - Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan - and offers his reflections on past policies.

Meacham: The theme here is what you've learned. What's the hardest thing you've had to do?
President Obama: Order 17,000 additional troops into Afghanistan. There is a sobriety that comes with a decision like that because you have to expect that some of those young men and women are going to be harmed in the theater of war. And making sure that you have thought through every angle and have put together the best possible strategy, but still understanding that in a situation like Afghanistan the task is extraordinarily difficult and there are no guarantees, that makes it a very complicated and difficult decision.

Q. Can you talk about how you reached the surge decision?
A. I think the starting point was a recognition that the existing trajectory was not working, that the Taliban had made advances, that our presence in Afghanistan was declining in popularity, that the instability along the border region was destabilizing Pakistan as well. So that was the starting point of the decision.

We then embarked on a strategic review that involved every aspect of our government's involvement—Defense, State Department, intelligence operations, aid operations. Once that strategic review had been completed, then I sat in a room with the principals and argued about it, and listened to various perspectives, saw a range of options in terms of how we could move forward; asked them to go back and rework their numbers and reconsider certain positions based on the fact that some of the questions I asked could not be answered. And when I finally felt that every approach—every possible approach—had been aired, that all the questions had either been answered or were unanswerable, at that point I had to make a decision and I did.


Q. Are you open to sending more troops in if this particular number can't make the progress you need to make?
A. I think it's premature to talk about additional troops. My strong view is that we are not going to succeed simply by piling on more and more troops. The Soviets tried that; it didn't work out too well for them. The British tried it; it didn't work. We have to see our military action in the context of a broader effort to stabilize security in the country, allow national elections to take place in Afghanistan and then provide the space for the vital development work that's needed so that a tolerant and open, democratically elected government is considered far more legitimate than a Taliban alternative. And the military component is critical to accomplishing that goal, but it is not a sufficient element by itself.

Q. What have you learned watching the Republican party the past 115 days or so?
A. What I've learned, I think, [is] that the Republican Party, like the Democratic Party after Ronald Reagan's election, when it's been in power for a long time, has trouble making an adjustment—not just to minority status but also to self-reflection. I think there's a certain period of time where you insist on talking only to your base instead of to the American people more broadly. And I suspect that they'll make an adjustment. There are some smart people over there and some good people who may disagree with me on specific policies but I think have sincere convictions and want to see the country succeed.

Right now they're sort of trapped in the pattern of having to appeal to the most ideologically pure wing of their party as opposed to thinking a little bit more practically. And that, I think, is putting a lot of Republicans who would like to work with us on specific, select issues—they might disagree with us on one thing but want to work with us on another thing—in an awkward position.

If you start marginalizing too many of those people, sooner or later the party starts figuring out, "Well, you know what, this is probably not going to work for us long term," and the adjustment is made. But it's a painful process. As I said, the Democrats went through it, and I expect the Republicans will get through it as well.

Q. What's your reaction to Vice President Cheney's ongoing [criticism]? He's not quite twittering your administration [ laughter ] but he's coming fairly close.
A. You know, Dick Cheney had a strong perspective about national security. It was tested in the early years of the Bush administration, and I think it resulted in a series of very bad decisions. I think what's interesting is that, in some ways, Dick Cheney actually lost these arguments inside the Bush administration.

And so he may have won early with Colin Powell and Condi Rice, but over the last two or three years of the Bush administration, I think there was a recognition among Republicans and Bush administration officials that these enhanced interrogation techniques that were being applied—that they had applied early on—were potentially counterproductive; that a posture of never talking to our enemies, of unilateral action, of framing national security only in terms of the application of force, often unilateral—that that wasn't producing.

And so it's interesting to me to see the vice president spending so much time trying to vindicate himself and relitigate the last eight years when, as I said, I think, actually, a lot of these arguments were settled even before we took over the White House.

Q. On the subject of terrorism, the Austrian Interior Minister—you may know this—has said if the detainees are no longer dangerous, why don't they just stay in the U.S.?
A. Well, look, this is an example of a hard problem. And I acknowledged this before I was sworn in. You've got a situation where, in some cases, individuals should not have been detained, but after having been detained for six years may not have a very friendly view towards the United States. You have some people who definitely should have been detained and should have been immediately charged, but were not and, in some cases, because of the manner in which evidence was obtained, it makes—it's going to be very difficult for us to prosecute them in Article III courts.

So this is a mess that we've got to clean up and it's not going to be neat. But what we're striving towards is a situation in which Guantánamo is no longer a recruitment tool for Al Qaeda; that we are following core principles of due process; that individuals who are dangerous are still detained, but they are detained and/or tried in some fashion that has international and national legitimacy and is consistent with our Constitution.

And so that's going to require some work and there are going to be instances where not everybody is happy with our decisions, but over time we're going to be able to work through this.

Q. Were you surprised at how quickly your family became part of the cultural iconography?
A. You know, the nice thing is that, partly because of temperament, partly because of Michelle's unbelievable parenting skills, I've just got some happy, normal kids. And all that stuff that's going on around them, they just kind of miss. We have not seen any effects, any fishbowl effects, yet on them. Now, I worry about them when they're teenagers where, you know, you're already embarrassed about your parents and even more embarrassed on TV all the time. And dating I think will be an issue because I have men with guns surrounding them at all times [laughter], which I'm perfectly happy with, but they may feel differently about it.

Q. What are you reading?
A. I'm reading this book called Netherland by Joseph O'Neill … It's about after 9/11, a guy—his family leaves him and he takes up cricket in New York. And it's fascinating. It's a wonderful book, although I know nothing about cricket.

Q. And as you divide up your time, when do you steal the time to do that?
A. I'm a night owl. My usual day [is]: I work out in the morning; I get to the office around 9, 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.; work till about 6:30 p.m.; have dinner with the family, hang out with the kids and put them to bed about 8:30 p.m. And then I'll probably read briefing papers or do paperwork or write stuff until about 11:30 p.m., and then I usually have about a half hour to read before I go to bed … about midnight, 12:30 a.m.—sometimes a little later.

Q. And the last movie you saw?
A. Now, movies I've been doing OK [with] because it turns out we got this nice theater on the ground floor of my house … So Star Trek, we saw this weekend, which I thought was good. Everybody was saying I was Spock, so I figured I should check it out and—[the president makes the Vulcan salute with his hand].

Q. Very good.
A. Yes, absolutely.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Big Picture: Obama's Notre Dame Speech Part 1

[This is the first part of an analysis of President Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame, written by "The Big Picture", a friend of mine who is a contributing writer to Strike the Last Word. STLW is a political blog started by "The Strike" whose purpose is "to write about the politics of Congress in the age of Obama, following bills through Congressional action, explaining why things are and are not getting done, analyzing Congressional votes and handicapping political races and such." STLW offers some great insight into every day congressional and presidential politics on the ground level along with sharp political analysis. Definitely worth checking out and adding to your daily political reading. Part 2 will come later today.]

This is the first part of my analysis of Obama's speech on Sunday at Notre Dame, which we once again urge everyone to watch. Part II will be coming tomorrow.

Most of the discussion of Barack Obama's commencement address at Notre Dame on Sunday has focused on the skillful and "quintessentially Obama" way he addressed the hot-button issue of abortion by calling for "fair-minded words" and a mentality and goals that seek common ground rather than polarization. If this speech were only to set us on the path to reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and taking better care of pregnant mothers, it would be an impressive enough accomplishment. But I hope that we will look back on Obama's speech as something even more consequential: a key moment in an across-the-board leftward shift in the politics of religion and of religious people. I think that the political context, the venue, the messenger, and both the style and substance of the message were almost perfectly calibrated to accomplish the mirror-image goals of disarming culture-wars-based opposition to Obama's agenda while pulling in many of those same "values voters" as allies and even foot soldiers for his agenda.

The context for Obama's "speech to the religious" is that, on the whole, religious voters pull the country rightward. Religious voters are underrepresented among liberal activists, among rank-and-file Democrats, and even among liberal-leaning independents, while they are overrepresented among rank-and-file Republicans, conservative activists, and the politically apathetic. The biggest thing holding liberalism and the Democratic Party back in recent decades has been the sense that its leaders, its spokesmen, areculturally elitist, think they're smarter and more modern and cooler, are indifferent or even hostile to religion and moral values. This led to a bunch of frankly pathetic attempts by candidates like Gore and Kerry to show how "in touch" they were, which only made them look phony. If a prominent liberal/Democrat - and no one is more prominent than the most famous man on the planet - could convincingly, authentically show that he didn't just give lip service to the role of faith and morality and values in guiding his worldview and his policies, but that those things are at the very core of the liberal agenda, than he could begin to shift religious voters leftward. Polls and anecdotal evidence back up the working assumption of Obama and his top political adviser David Axelrod that the strongest force pulling independents and conservatives rightward is not economic conservatism - i.e small government, pro-tax-cuts, anti-regulation, anti-environmentalism, anti-workers' protection, but social conservatism - which goes beyond issues like abortion and gay marriage to include a basic worldview, a perception of the relative morality of the two parties.

The Republican Party and conservatism have so discredited themselves among moderate and even some conservative voters - and currently none of their spokesmen demonstrate any ability to connect on religious issues - that all liberals need to do is disarm any fears these voters have that we look down on their faith and how that they are welcome in our party and our critical to the success of our agenda. In short, polling and analysis show that people are already prone to support the core elements of the Obama agenda - reform and reinvestment in health care, energy, and the environment - that we just need to convince people that liberalism is "safe" on religion and morality.

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Thursday, May 14, 2009

President Obama: Notre Dame Commencement

This is the video to Obama's commencement address at The University of Notre Dame. It's a fantastic speech in which he boldly addresses the controversy surrounding his pro-choice stance on abortion. It was also an important speech because it could potentially be the first step in altering the political landscape by opening up an honest dialogue about religion and religious issues within the Democratic party; thereby bringing religious people - usually associated with the Republicans - into the Democratic fold. We will see where this goes, but it was a great speech by Obama.

[Check out the above post for sharp political analysis by "The Big Picture", a contributing writer for the political blog Strike the Last Word.]

via Vimeo

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Greg Williams - "007: Daniel Craig"

Peep these photos from British-born photographer Greg Williams. They are some behind-the-scenes shots of Daniel Craig on the set of the most recent 007 movies, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Gotta love the black and white.







Photography: Greg Williams


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Nike - LeBron & Kobe Commercial



This commercial is great!!!

First of all, the use of puppets is always money. Secondly, I love how this commercial contrasts LeBron's fun-loving personality and his youthful exuberance with Kobe's poised, mature demeanor.

Although it is annoying seeing a bunch of companies (Vitamin Water, Nike, etc.) hype up a LeBron-Kobe championship that is by no means a given, I think this commercial is correct in highlighting Kobe and LeBron as the two superstars at the top of the NBA right now (D-Wade is just one half step behind them). And despite my loathing of the Shaq-less Lakers and all the annoying minions riding the LA bandwagon, I can't help but be excited by the possibility of Kobe and LeBron - two basketball goliaths - battling in the Finals. It would be an epic contest between the only two Post-Jordan Era players who have been so consistently dominant, brilliant and scintillating on a level above anyone else in the league that they have merited legitimate comparisons to His Airness.

LeBron in particular has transcended greatness this season, elevating his game to "legend" status: he improved in every offensive category (28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg and 7.2 apg) while decreasing his turnovers and leading leading the Cavaliers to an NBA-best record of 66-16 (39-2 at home!!). But his impressive statistics don't tell the full story because LeBron's biggest impact on his team is the chemistry he has cultivated with his teammates.

Chemistry is an elusive, unquantifiable, yet crucial element that is highly underrated in professional sports. Teams in the modern, free-agent driven era in sports are pressured to win immediately. To this end, teams often spurn the long-term strategy of developing a core of talented young players for the short-term pursuit of a championship. This strategy means trying to land the highest priced players from year to year with complete disregard to how the assembled players will mesh together (see the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees, Oakland Raiders, etc.).

This strategy often fails for a combination of reasons. One of the biggest reasons is because teams bring in players with huge egos who cannot co-exist with their teammates and accept their role with the team. This is a recipe for failure. Look at many of the past championship teams. Even if these teams did not have extraordinary chemistry, they all had players who played together for a while and were comfortable in their given roles (Patriots, Lakers, Spurs, Red Sox, etc.).

It's extremely rare for a franchise to find the right combination of superstars and role players who fit together harmoniously without any bitterness. It's even rarer to see a superstar of Lebron's caliber who can not only raise his teammates to new heights - without making them feel inferior (like Jordan did) - but who can do so while genuinely having fun with them. LeBron's significant talents aside, I think that is a big reason why the Cavaliers have been so successful this season. Please believe, chemistry is truly one of the great equalizers that can get a team to play better than the sum of its parts.

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Nike "Tennis Ball" HyperMax

via Hypebeast

The latest edition of the Nike HyperMax comes in the classic neon yellow hue generally seen on tennis balls. I'm not sure I could pull these kicks off, but they definitely are visually stunning. No word yet on when they will be available, so stay tuned...


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Friday, May 8, 2009

VIBE Magazine's Top 50 rap blogs

For all of you up on the blogosphere, here are VIBE Magazine's top 50 rap blogs:

1. Nah Right 2. Kanye’s Blog 3. 2dopeboyz 4. Missinfo.tv 5. OnSmash 6. You Heard That New 7. Cocaine, Blunts & Hip Hop Tapes 8. Ill Doctrine 9. AllHipHop.com Rumors 10. RapRadar 11. Dajaz1.com 12. The Smoking Section 13. Fake Shore Drive 14. Get Right Music 15. World Star Flip Flop 16. Mixtape Monday 17. H.E.R 18. The Meaning Of Dope 19. The MegatronDon 20. The T.R.O.Y blog 21. The Rap Up 22. Beats and Rants 23. SOHH Blogs 24. Vladtv.com 25. Elitaste 26. KidCudi.com 27. Don’t Get Gassed 28. Kim Osorio’s Blog 29. Byron Crawford 30. Hip Hop Is Read 31. Fat Lace 32. Notes From a Different Kitchen 33. Nola Bounce 34. Rosenberg Radio 35. Xclusives Zone 36. DallasPenn.com 37. So Many Shrimp 38. Zilla Says 39. Unkut.com 40. Bust The Facts 41. Uggh…Nice Watch 42. Maurice Garland 43. Slang Rap Democracy 44. Mista Jam’s Blogs 45. Metal Lungies 46. ThePressPlayShow 47. Prancehall.com 48. Straight Bangin’ 49. Passion of the Weiss 50. Twankle & Glisten


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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

"My state of mind all purple..."

The poem below was written by my longtime friend and aspiring writer, Emil DeAndreis (peep his A-Rod video below). This poem, entitled "Ode to Purple", was inspired by the picture included below. Enjoy.

Ode to Purple
by Emil DeAndreis

Amongst a cratered mass of dream,
Fixated on its Mother's scent
Are cocooned princes, royalty--
The speckles of His laziness.

The color purple--misty haze
Of mischief and promiscuous,
Voluptuous betrayal of
Morals and codes that don't exist

A million branches reach to find
That heaven's something in their minds,
A truth that withers them to bone
And makes them want to stand alone.

Life can spoil under black soil,
That also births the richest oil--
The color of an endless maze
Of glitter and unanswered questions.

Is the water warm, I ask
Across an ice rinc blue with sleep
Where one snap of a finger can
Amount to tidal waves elsewhere.

Who will swim in the warm lake
Or climb the limbs of this bare tree,
Who will dream and fuck and cry,
And live a life against His will?

A cratered glow perched on our land,
That you can pluck with your own hand
Means we're at war with what is dream
And what we fear we've never seen.


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Drake - (Live) in Atlanta

Drizzy Drake Rogers touched down in the ATL a week ago for a live appearance. Here is footage from that concert in which Drake performed the main tracks off his recently released mixtape So Far Gone, along with previous material. SF I got you!

[You are witnessing the future of hip hop.. Don't sleep on Drizzy!]

Drake - Take You Down Freestyle | Mediafire

As a bonus I've included the link (above) to DL Drake's freestyle set to the beat of "Take You Down", originally by Chris Brown. Peep game.


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Takashi Murakami billboard shipped to Japan

Takashi Murakami is a famous contemporary Japanese artist who works in a variety of mediums, including painting and digital media. His work is characterized by his appropriation of "popular themes from mass media and pop culture", which he then renders into "thirty-foot sculptures, 'Superflat' paintings, or marketable commercial goods such as figurines or phone caddies" (Wikipedia).

This billboard was put up on the Melrose strip as an advertisment for Murakami's exhibit at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. In December, graffiti artists AUGER and REVOK tagged the billboard (shown above); two days later it was was taken down by the City of Los Angeles. However, Murakami recently saw photos of the billboard online and he enjoyed the piece so much that he arranged for it to be shipped to his studio in Japan.

Gotta say, that's pretty beastie.

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Rick Ross f. Kanye, Weezy, T-Pain - "Maybach Music 2"

"Tha Baauuse" comes hard on this track! Rick Ross is a popular rapper from Miami, Florida who has the build of Notorious B.I.G. and the beard of Baron Davis. Ross claims to have been a certified D-boy (his rap name is taken from "Freeway" Ricky Ross, a notorious cocaine dealer in L.A. in the 1980s) but I'm not sure I believe the hype. Not only did he attend Albany State University, but he was also a corrections officer in Florida in the early 1990s. Not saying that means he didn't slang, but it definitely raises some questions about Ross' credentials. "Maybach Music 2" - a reference to the German luxury car and Rick Ross' record label Maybach Music Group - is a cut off Ross' recently released third album, "Deeper Than Rap" and features the lyrical talents of Kanye, Weezy and T-Pain.

First of all, I love it when rappers at the top of the game collaborate. Whenever I see a song on album that has a bunch of stars on it, my expectations for that song are immediately raised; I expect the beat to be fresh and the flow to be sharp. Part of the reason for my heightened expectations is my assumption that when big name rappers come together, they feel the gravity of the occasion and it adds a little bit of friendly competition to the effort; their pride and ego provide extra motivation to come with the hottest verse. Rappers teaming up and competing with each other on wax is a time honored tradition in rap and has resulted in some truly amazing songs ("2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Ignorant Shit", "I Love the Dough", "Black Republican", etc.).

Unfortunately, that logic does not always hold true. This song is the latest example of a troubling trend I've noticed: whenever Wayne is on a track with other superstars (with the exception of Drake who he collaborates with harmoniously), he doesn't rise to the occasion. In fact, he has a tendency to come with mediocre verses and he is often overshadowed by lesser supporting cast members (i.e. "Swagger Like Us", "Barry Bonds", "Hello Brooklyn", "Black Republican", etc.). This reality, along with others, supports my belief that while Wayne is an incredibly talented rapper and one of the best in the game right now, he is not even in the discussion of the best rappers of all-time; he doesn't even crack the top 10. Top 15, maaaaybe. [what are your thoughts on this subject?]

That digression aside, let us return to this particular song. The flow is pretty nice but not amazing. If I had to rank the verses, I'd say that Kanye has the best verse, followed by Weezy F then Ross. The highlight of this song - and the reason I share it with you - is undoubtedly the chorus, laced by T-Pain, and the beat, produced by the Grammy award winning group of hip hop producers, the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (which stands for Just Undeniably Some of the Illest Composers Ever).

Enjoy.


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"SuperJail!" super battle

After watching this clip, a flurry of words come to mind: Bizarre. Dark. Psychadelic. Funny. Off-the-wall. Those are just a few of the adjectives which describe "SuperJail!", an American cartoon created by Christy Karacas and Stephen Warbrick in 2007 (it premiered on Adult Swim in September 2008).

The show takes place in SuperJail, a super-maximum prison located on a volcano within a volcano. The jail exists in its own reality with unique properties of time and space that are controlled by the Warden, who resembles a perverse, sadistic Willy Wonka. According to the accountant in the show, SuperJail houses more than 70,000 inmates.


This show is simply bonkers, as the clip above illustrates. I love how the creators throw the entire kitchen sink into their episodes, coming up with the most creative fatalities and battles. The animation style - with all of its intricacies, creativity, and yet simplicity - is dope by itself. But at the end of the day SuperJail! is all about its graphic violence and gore. Yet for me, the gore - even though it is abundant - isn't excessive because it's presented in such creative ways that I want to see what they are going to come up with next.

Here is a quote from creator Steve Warbrick which sheds light on the show's crazy, over-the-top style: "I always like shows that when you finished watching you forget where you started - you don't even remember. Super Jail! is like that. By the time that you're done you're not quite sure what you've saw but you wanna see it again just to pick up anything you missed."

[I love the Dracula foot soldiers and the part at the end where Jericho (the accountant) snipes the woman running away with her baby. Haha.. simply genius!]

You can watch more episodes of SuperJail! free at Hulu.

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Monday, May 4, 2009

Eminem - "3 A.M." Video

Eminem is back!

This video is for "3 A.M.", Eminem's newest single. It debuted on Cinemax over the weekend (as you can imagine once you see the video, it is a little too extreme for network television) and is the third track on Eminem's upcoming album "Relapse", which is set to release on May 19th. This video, directed by Syndrome, echoes "House on Haunted Hill" with its creepy camera work, quick cuts, extreme gore and its setting in an abandoned mental hopital. It's a pretty creative and disturbing video, but I gotta say, it's not a surprise coming from Eminem who has a track record of making songs in which he plays the role of a psycho and/or killer.

While I enjoyed this video for its visual creativity, that is only of secondary importance to me. Eminem's last couple albums have been lackluster at best and displayed a frustrating lack of effort; it was as if Eminem wanted to find out how far he could dumb down his flow and still sell tons of records (it got pretty ridiculous). Therefore, the bigger question is whether or not Eminem's flow is still sharp - based purely on this track, I'm not sold - and whether or not he cares about making a decent album. This song is a step in the right direction but taken together with his previous single, the jury is still out. The only thing I can say for sure is that I am eagerly anticipating his next album release and desperately hoping the old Em has returned.



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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Questions about Swine Flu

On Wednesday the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the spread of swine flu into a pandemic is very likely. As a result, the WHO elevated its alert level to Phase 5, the second-highest warning level. The global warning system was established in 2005 in response to the avian influenza crisis. Since its inception, Phase 5 has never been declared; Phase 6 means a pandemic is in effect (NY Times.com).

Here is info on the current scope of the disease (as of Wednesday):

In the U.S. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 91 confirmed cases of swine flu in 10 states - up from 64 cases in 5 states on Tuesday [Damn, that's no joke!]

Globally, there have been 159 deaths in Mexico directly related to swine flu. In addition, there have been reported cases of swine flu in the United States, Canada, Britain, Israel, New Zealend, Spain and most recently Germany and Austria.

Here are some answers to questions regarding swine flu (from CNN.com)

Q. What is swine flu?

A. Swine influenza, or flu, is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs. It is caused by a type-A influenza virus. Outbreaks in pigs occur year-round.

The most common version is H1N1. The current strain is a new variation of an H1N1 virus, which is a mix of human and animal versions.

Q. Does swine flu affect humans?

A. While the virus causes regular outbreaks in pigs, people usually are not struck by swine flu. However, there have been instances of the virus spreading to people -- and then from one person to another. The only difference is, says the CDC, transmission in the past did not spread beyond three people -- as it has done this time.

Q. What are the symptoms of swine flu?

A. The symptoms are similar to the common flu. They include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Q. How does the virus spread?

A. The virus spreads the same way the seasonal flu does. When an infected person coughs or sneezes around another person, the latter is put at risk. People can become infected by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes. An infected person can pass the virus to another before any symptoms even develop.

Q.
Why is this spread troubling?

A. Scientists are concerned whenever a new virus is able to jump from an animal to a person -- and then spread from person to person. When the flu spreads person to person, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight off.

The World Health Organization has said the current outbreak has "pandemic potential," and has urged governments to take precautions to prevent its spread. If the virus continues to mutate, drug makers won't be able to come up with vaccines fast enough.

Q. Can swine flu be fatal?

A. Just like the regular flu, swine flu worsens pre-existing medical conditions in people. So people with already compromised immune systems can die after contracting it.

Q. What does the World Health Organization mean when it says swine flu has "pandemic potential"?

A. If the virus spreads over a wide geographic area and affects a large segment of the population, it is upgraded from an "epidemic" to a "pandemic."

Q. How can one keep from getting swine flu?

A. There are no vaccines available. But several everyday steps can help prevent the spread of germs: Washing hands frequently; avoiding close contact with people who are sick; and avoiding touching surfaces that might be contaminated.

Q. Are there medicines to treat swine flu?

A. Yes, the CDC recommends using anti-viral drugs. They keep the virus from reproducing inside the body. And in an infected person, the drugs make the illness milder.

Q. Can one contract swine flu from eating or preparing pork?

A. No. Pork and other pig-derived products, if properly handled and cooked, do not transmit swine flu. The flu virus is killed by cooking temperatures of 160°F (70°C)

[For a comprehensive video breakdown of the swine flu check out NY Times.com]

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