"Doing nothing is very hard to do... you never know when you're done."
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
This Week's Winner of the Dave Parker Award for Excellence: Fred & Barney
This dated advertisement could also fit under the category of "Things Done Changed".
Boy, those were the days, when children's cartoons characters would slang smokes for the suits at Philip Morris and the like. I'm struggling to see any parallels between underage cigarette use and commercials such as the above - but it's a lazy Friday and I got turkey on my mind.
Turkey? Yes turkey. It's Thanksgiving for our American friends to the south, and by virtue of the fact that I have a sister on scholarship to an school in the States who's visiting, me mammy is whippin'-up a nice bird for the fam.
Speaking of Turkey...
That would be the home supporters of Turkish football club Besiktas welcoming new off-season acquisition Allen Iverson, who signed a 2-year deal to play with the Besiktas Basketball Club in Istanbul. You have to be happy for the guy. He's gone through some difficult family issues concerning divorce and a daughter's health over the last while, compounded by the fact that the once perennial all-star couldn't find a club that would start him - that smile made my day - no homo.
Now his only concern should be to avoid Fenerbahce and Galatasaray fans when on a promenade throughout the beautiful continent dividing city of Istanbul. Them Turks are passionate about their clubs, especially the three Istanbul clubs who between them, share a fair amount of hatred.
Don't believe me? Ask Graham Souness. The Englishman was the manager of Turkish side Galatasaray in the mid 1990's. Following a defeat of cross-town rivals Fenerbahce, Souness ran to the midfield point and stuck a massive flag donning the famous Galatasaray Gold & Red for all the angry Fenerabahce supporters to see. Bloody English and their ignorance of other people's hatred.
The hatred shared by the Instanbul clubs for one another is so great, that in the Fenerbahce dominated part of Istanbul, the McDonald's signs are blue and gold, and not the common red and gold also used by Galatasaray. I'm not kidding.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Letterz From Da Editor 2
I've been eagerly anticipating this moment for some time, but finally the time has come. One of, if not my favorite websites, Deadspin.com asked its readers a few weeks back to submit some awkward team photos from their youths. Today they were posted.
http://deadspin.com/5693693/the-awkward-team-photos-of-our-awkward-youth-and-one-dog-a-gallery/gallery/15
http://deadspin.com/5693693/the-awkward-team-photos-of-our-awkward-youth-and-one-dog-a-gallery/gallery/15
If anybody can guess which of the approved commenters I am based on my screen name and avatar, you will win a framed copy of my 1987 Guildwood Softball League team photo sponsored by Rapid Lube Oil Change & Filter.
Things I've Learned From Rap: Words Mean Nothing
Sitting around today, just living in the fuckin lap o' luxury, thinking about a blog entry and the common themes of this page came to mind.
The staff here, a collective greater than the quantitative measures of mathematics (see 1), have always strived to assist in the progression of targeting certain ideas without deviating from the script.
On that note, let's revisit the idea of the Things I've Learned from Rap Music.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to the massive breadth of rap music I have been privied to, it would seem that contextually - words do not matter. A very small percentage of what rappers actually put on vinyl is factual.
Not much different from fictional literature, the words are meant to tell a story, paint the proverbial picture and provide a form of escapism for its readers or listeners. The problem with this is that rappers posture themselves to give the impression that what they say is the truth i.e. Real talk.
While Master P aka Percy Miller might want to convince you that his driveway is actually similar to a dealership based on the number and production date of his automobiles, C.S. Lewis would never try to have us believe that their is indeed an amazing fantasy land blanketed by snow and inhabited by strange woodland creatures easily accessible at the rear of your wardrobe.
Which reminds me - this video is a nice introduction:
Let's face it - rappers are artists no different than a folk singer or a writer - they have a passion for their craft and even at the most unreknowned of standings, give said craft effort. Based on my experiences, its impossible to be both in the studio and on the block chopping that rock at the same time. One or the other I'd reckon.
When an artist is talking about his army of luxury vehicles or his arsenal of weapons with armor-piercing rounds, inevitably he is lying. Perhaps these false statements are metaphors or intelligently veiled notions meant to inspire its listeners visuals, but nonetheless, they are factually incorrect. There are examples that both come-off a blatant lies and those that sound false, but are more difficult to prove.
Let's have a gander at a few examples;
Bling, Bling - B.G. feat. Hot Boyz, Birdman and Mannie Fresh (1998)
B.G. "I got the price of a mansion around ma neck and wrist, my dog Baby got a special-built machine, Mercedes Benz 700, V-14." (@3:15)
This track is stuffed to the brim with braggadocio and inaccuracies, however perhaps B.G. takes the cake. Not only does he say that he has the price of a mansion around his neck and wrist, which cannot be true, even if we were to fast-forward a decade and purchase that post-Katrina home at 90% off, but he states that Baby aka Birdman had a custom-built automobile made for B.G. that was a V-14. The V refers to the cylinder-type of the car, where the 14 represents the number of cylinders. The original Benz 700 1998 was a 8 cylinder (V8) which was a common for a luxury vehicle at the time, however even if Baby had the scratch to afford a V-14 modification, he would have had a struggle finding somebody pre-millennium to do the mod. He lying.
Hustlin' - Rick Ross (2006)
In the very insular hip-hop community, there has been a fair bit of backlash concerning Miami's own Booby Boi Ricky Ross. Prior to entering the world of recording arts, Rick Ross was a prison guard, which contradicts much of what he has to say about being a drug-dealer and all-around hustler. His 2006 breakout smash hit Hustlin' is ripe with lies and inaccuracies.
Rick Ross - "I know Pablo, Noriega, the real Noriega he owe me a hundred favours." (1:10)
Here Mr. Ross is very clear that he knows that actual Noriega, who's first name is Manuel, and not Pablo, so I assume he's also speaking of Colombia drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who was murdered December 2nd 1993. Here he's differentiating between Noriega the rapper, and Manuel Noriega, the 'politician'. Stating that Manuel Noriega, the former military dictator of Panama, owes him a hundred favours seems bizarre, since Noriega was captured and imprisoned in 1990, making said favours more or less obsolete. If there's anything Ricky Ross hustles, its likely the ladies at the local drive-thru who upsize his combo at no additional cost.
By the way - the unedited version of this track is exponentially better than this version.
Despite the proliferation of lies in rap music, there are several artists like Jedi Mind Tricks and Immortal Technique who pride themselves on truth and educating their listeners through their songs, however they are unfortunately not as popular (see mainstream, shit) as other artists.
I could go on and on copying and pasting videos from YouTube and pointing out all the inaccuracies, but the point has been made no? Rappers talk so much shit that they cannot be taken seriously - the problem is that kids are impressionable and believe a lot of bullshit they hear in songs. Because of this they have principles and value things in life that are only wasteful and counter-productive. Fuck - whatever it's a loss cause - can't blame me for trying.
The staff here, a collective greater than the quantitative measures of mathematics (see 1), have always strived to assist in the progression of targeting certain ideas without deviating from the script.
On that note, let's revisit the idea of the Things I've Learned from Rap Music.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to the massive breadth of rap music I have been privied to, it would seem that contextually - words do not matter. A very small percentage of what rappers actually put on vinyl is factual.
Not much different from fictional literature, the words are meant to tell a story, paint the proverbial picture and provide a form of escapism for its readers or listeners. The problem with this is that rappers posture themselves to give the impression that what they say is the truth i.e. Real talk.
While Master P aka Percy Miller might want to convince you that his driveway is actually similar to a dealership based on the number and production date of his automobiles, C.S. Lewis would never try to have us believe that their is indeed an amazing fantasy land blanketed by snow and inhabited by strange woodland creatures easily accessible at the rear of your wardrobe.
Which reminds me - this video is a nice introduction:
Let's face it - rappers are artists no different than a folk singer or a writer - they have a passion for their craft and even at the most unreknowned of standings, give said craft effort. Based on my experiences, its impossible to be both in the studio and on the block chopping that rock at the same time. One or the other I'd reckon.
When an artist is talking about his army of luxury vehicles or his arsenal of weapons with armor-piercing rounds, inevitably he is lying. Perhaps these false statements are metaphors or intelligently veiled notions meant to inspire its listeners visuals, but nonetheless, they are factually incorrect. There are examples that both come-off a blatant lies and those that sound false, but are more difficult to prove.
Let's have a gander at a few examples;
Bling, Bling - B.G. feat. Hot Boyz, Birdman and Mannie Fresh (1998)
B.G. "I got the price of a mansion around ma neck and wrist, my dog Baby got a special-built machine, Mercedes Benz 700, V-14." (@3:15)
This track is stuffed to the brim with braggadocio and inaccuracies, however perhaps B.G. takes the cake. Not only does he say that he has the price of a mansion around his neck and wrist, which cannot be true, even if we were to fast-forward a decade and purchase that post-Katrina home at 90% off, but he states that Baby aka Birdman had a custom-built automobile made for B.G. that was a V-14. The V refers to the cylinder-type of the car, where the 14 represents the number of cylinders. The original Benz 700 1998 was a 8 cylinder (V8) which was a common for a luxury vehicle at the time, however even if Baby had the scratch to afford a V-14 modification, he would have had a struggle finding somebody pre-millennium to do the mod. He lying.
Hustlin' - Rick Ross (2006)
In the very insular hip-hop community, there has been a fair bit of backlash concerning Miami's own Booby Boi Ricky Ross. Prior to entering the world of recording arts, Rick Ross was a prison guard, which contradicts much of what he has to say about being a drug-dealer and all-around hustler. His 2006 breakout smash hit Hustlin' is ripe with lies and inaccuracies.
Rick Ross - "I know Pablo, Noriega, the real Noriega he owe me a hundred favours." (1:10)
Here Mr. Ross is very clear that he knows that actual Noriega, who's first name is Manuel, and not Pablo, so I assume he's also speaking of Colombia drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who was murdered December 2nd 1993. Here he's differentiating between Noriega the rapper, and Manuel Noriega, the 'politician'. Stating that Manuel Noriega, the former military dictator of Panama, owes him a hundred favours seems bizarre, since Noriega was captured and imprisoned in 1990, making said favours more or less obsolete. If there's anything Ricky Ross hustles, its likely the ladies at the local drive-thru who upsize his combo at no additional cost.
By the way - the unedited version of this track is exponentially better than this version.
Despite the proliferation of lies in rap music, there are several artists like Jedi Mind Tricks and Immortal Technique who pride themselves on truth and educating their listeners through their songs, however they are unfortunately not as popular (see mainstream, shit) as other artists.
I could go on and on copying and pasting videos from YouTube and pointing out all the inaccuracies, but the point has been made no? Rappers talk so much shit that they cannot be taken seriously - the problem is that kids are impressionable and believe a lot of bullshit they hear in songs. Because of this they have principles and value things in life that are only wasteful and counter-productive. Fuck - whatever it's a loss cause - can't blame me for trying.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Letterz From Da Editor
Hey boys and girls. My apologies for the brief hiatus between posts, but I've been a little busy the last few days.
Here's a link if interested - hope it works:
http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=soc-mls/news/news.aspx?id=4358175
Before I go any further, this happened the other night:
In other news, I ran into Cee-Lo and Big Gipp from Goodie Mob today while shopping for boots. I grew-up on the ATL sound perfected by Dungeon Family artists like Goodie and Outkast.
Guess who's white and not from Atlanta. I need sun more than photosynthesis.
We had a few laughs, despite the fact Cee-Lo was a little distracted by the jentrified pop music that had his portly frame girating akwardly, and talked about some of my favorite tracks - Gipp and I even shared an impromptu duet of Cool Breeze's Watch For The Hook.
Check-back tomorrow for more useless information and enlightenment. Cue the Goodie.
Here's a link if interested - hope it works:
http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=soc-mls/news/news.aspx?id=4358175
Before I go any further, this happened the other night:
In other news, I ran into Cee-Lo and Big Gipp from Goodie Mob today while shopping for boots. I grew-up on the ATL sound perfected by Dungeon Family artists like Goodie and Outkast.
Guess who's white and not from Atlanta. I need sun more than photosynthesis.
We had a few laughs, despite the fact Cee-Lo was a little distracted by the jentrified pop music that had his portly frame girating akwardly, and talked about some of my favorite tracks - Gipp and I even shared an impromptu duet of Cool Breeze's Watch For The Hook.
Check-back tomorrow for more useless information and enlightenment. Cue the Goodie.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Ruminations 7.0
This blog has already established the fact that people are getting lazy with both the written and spoken word. I often fear pointing out such errors since many are easy to make and I don't want to come-off as a hypocrite, but I have website so why-the-fuck-not?
Much of this laziness is apparent in the world of sports journalism. While errors of the like are far more permissible in sports writing than they are in other avenues of journalism, they are still preventable. As a writer who often dabbles in the field of sports journalism, I am often privied to some strange choices.
One that has really been bugging me lately is the usage of the following sentence:
"Michael Vick is better than people are saying"
"I disagree with the fact that people are saying Greg Oden is the second coming of Sam Bowie"
These notions are typically stated by a host of sports program, where his opinion is seemingly contrary to the ones shared by the 'people'. Sure, the majority of 'people' (who are these people? the layperson, the pundit, the expert?) feel one way, but by no means can the majority sentiment be expressed in terms of the 'people'. Recall the fact that opinion are like assholes.
It's a simple correction really. Instead of referring to the people, say the majority or the masses:
"Michael Vick is better than the majority of people are saying."
Or preface it by pointing-out some specifities using some qualifying agents:
Any of the following will work: naysayers, cynics, conservatives, white people, d-bags, etc.
How novice does using "people are saying" sound? That's what people do - they say things. There's no need to qualify the fact that people are saying things, because last time i checked, animals and inanimate objects keep their feelings to themselves.
All I'm asking is that people in the sports media use more qualifying and literal terms to be specific and shy away from making broad statements like the aforementioned.
"People are saying this blog blows"
Actually, only people that can read and have read this blog think it blows. See what I'm saying.
"People who have stumbled upon badnewsblog think it blows, the illeterate are impartial."
If you disagree - you're playing yourself.
Much of this laziness is apparent in the world of sports journalism. While errors of the like are far more permissible in sports writing than they are in other avenues of journalism, they are still preventable. As a writer who often dabbles in the field of sports journalism, I am often privied to some strange choices.
One that has really been bugging me lately is the usage of the following sentence:
"Michael Vick is better than people are saying"
"I disagree with the fact that people are saying Greg Oden is the second coming of Sam Bowie"
These notions are typically stated by a host of sports program, where his opinion is seemingly contrary to the ones shared by the 'people'. Sure, the majority of 'people' (who are these people? the layperson, the pundit, the expert?) feel one way, but by no means can the majority sentiment be expressed in terms of the 'people'. Recall the fact that opinion are like assholes.
It's a simple correction really. Instead of referring to the people, say the majority or the masses:
"Michael Vick is better than the majority of people are saying."
Or preface it by pointing-out some specifities using some qualifying agents:
Any of the following will work: naysayers, cynics, conservatives, white people, d-bags, etc.
How novice does using "people are saying" sound? That's what people do - they say things. There's no need to qualify the fact that people are saying things, because last time i checked, animals and inanimate objects keep their feelings to themselves.
All I'm asking is that people in the sports media use more qualifying and literal terms to be specific and shy away from making broad statements like the aforementioned.
"People are saying this blog blows"
Actually, only people that can read and have read this blog think it blows. See what I'm saying.
"People who have stumbled upon badnewsblog think it blows, the illeterate are impartial."
If you disagree - you're playing yourself.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sports Induced Orgasms
The enjoyment and viewing of sports is much like cooking for yourself - watching them require both time and effort, however more often than not it turns out terrible. In the same manner that watching a sporting event for a second time has little to no value, my leftovers also have a shelf life of little less than a minute and a value of a little less than a homeless man's feces.
Trust me on this one folks, I watch a lot of sports, and as a result of this, I have witnessed many an event that left me questioning more than my interests and motivations. It's not unrealistic to assume that 9 out of every 10 Leaf games ends in disappointment, and much like my cooking, will only leave a putrid taste in one's mouth.
I don't really have the time to discuss the Raps, but besides Bargnani, not a single player would start on any other NBA team. Really? True dat - Even the Clippers. I'll take fat Baron Davis and rookie Eric Bledsoe over Jack or Calderon any night. Reggie Evans - thanks a million for all the rebounds, but having the ball traverse the cylinder and fall-through the mesh is actually the most important element of the game. It's called scoring and can be practiced both on the court and off the field (vaginal insertion of appendages, preferably the penis.) Actually, considering the aesthetic value of your face and that gnarley jihadesque beard Mr. Evans, let's focus on scoring in a game, and I'll try to pick-up your slack with the gaggles of groupies.
If only every game could provide that euphoric form of ecstasy that leaves many a men at the point of near climax, where that exact moment would be substituted in place of sex for a very similar result. Last week's Texans - Jaguars game provided a little of this, as Jags QB David Garrard's last second Hail Mary pass was batted-down and out of the end zone by a Texans safety, only to land in the arms of a Jags receiver. Touchdown. Game over. Coincidentally, the most euphoric and ecstatic play-by-play man on the planet no involved in Latin American football was covering the game. Thank God for Gus Johnson - we need more of you.
Here's a quick crash course on Gus Johnson - most are short, the Brandon Stokley one and Xavier - Kansas State finale is worth watching multiple times. Enjoy.
Xavier - Kansas State... Ignore the Ad... CRAWFORD FOR THE THREEEEEEEEEEEE
STTTTTTTOCKLEEEEEEY
Batista With The Catchhhhhh
Gus Loses It Following a Put-Back
An Al Harrington 3-Ball
Blowing His Wad on a Jamal Crawford 3
Trust me on this one folks, I watch a lot of sports, and as a result of this, I have witnessed many an event that left me questioning more than my interests and motivations. It's not unrealistic to assume that 9 out of every 10 Leaf games ends in disappointment, and much like my cooking, will only leave a putrid taste in one's mouth.
I don't really have the time to discuss the Raps, but besides Bargnani, not a single player would start on any other NBA team. Really? True dat - Even the Clippers. I'll take fat Baron Davis and rookie Eric Bledsoe over Jack or Calderon any night. Reggie Evans - thanks a million for all the rebounds, but having the ball traverse the cylinder and fall-through the mesh is actually the most important element of the game. It's called scoring and can be practiced both on the court and off the field (vaginal insertion of appendages, preferably the penis.) Actually, considering the aesthetic value of your face and that gnarley jihadesque beard Mr. Evans, let's focus on scoring in a game, and I'll try to pick-up your slack with the gaggles of groupies.
If only every game could provide that euphoric form of ecstasy that leaves many a men at the point of near climax, where that exact moment would be substituted in place of sex for a very similar result. Last week's Texans - Jaguars game provided a little of this, as Jags QB David Garrard's last second Hail Mary pass was batted-down and out of the end zone by a Texans safety, only to land in the arms of a Jags receiver. Touchdown. Game over. Coincidentally, the most euphoric and ecstatic play-by-play man on the planet no involved in Latin American football was covering the game. Thank God for Gus Johnson - we need more of you.
Here's a quick crash course on Gus Johnson - most are short, the Brandon Stokley one and Xavier - Kansas State finale is worth watching multiple times. Enjoy.
Xavier - Kansas State... Ignore the Ad... CRAWFORD FOR THE THREEEEEEEEEEEE
STTTTTTTOCKLEEEEEEY
Batista With The Catchhhhhh
Gus Loses It Following a Put-Back
An Al Harrington 3-Ball
Blowing His Wad on a Jamal Crawford 3
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