Then check THIS out.
#19 really threw me.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Really, Disney?
I know that it's kind of played out to make jokes about all the sexual innuendo in Disney movies. So I won't, even though there are like, 1,000 penises in "The Little Mermaid."
I came across this article and would have laughed really hard at it if it didn't heart my heart so much to read it.
Don't get it twisted, I still love Disney -- these movies were among my favorites growing up -- and they do seem to avoid this kind of thing these days, but it's still pretty wild to look back on some of the characters these guys dreamed up, reflecting much of society's views of "the other" at the times the films were made.
I came across this article and would have laughed really hard at it if it didn't heart my heart so much to read it.
Don't get it twisted, I still love Disney -- these movies were among my favorites growing up -- and they do seem to avoid this kind of thing these days, but it's still pretty wild to look back on some of the characters these guys dreamed up, reflecting much of society's views of "the other" at the times the films were made.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Lyricism Part II
*BlogSpot is messin' with my fonts right now. My apologies.*
This is the second installment of the Lyricism series, a humble attempt to play tribute to my favorite MCs by posting some of their best flows.
Part I is here.
Today's MCs are Black Thought, Scarface, and Talib Kweli.
As always, I will link to video of the songs after listing the lyrics. Enjoy.
Black Thought (from "The Roots")
"Yeah, it ain't nothin' like I rush I get, in front of the band
On stage wit the planet in the palm of my hand
When a brother transform, from anonymous man
To the force, crush whoever might of thought I was playin'"
-Don't Say Nuthin'
"If I can't work to make it, I'll rob and take it
Either that or me and my children are starving and naked
Rather be a criminal pro than to follow the matrix
Hey it's me a monster y'all done created
I've been inaugurated
Keep the bright lights out of our faces
You can't shake it, it ain't no way to swallow the hatred
Aim, fire, holla about a dollar, nothin' is sacred"
-False Media
Scarface
"Dear diary, help me cause I'm frantic
Sometimes I think I'm going schizophrenic
The world's looking dark for instance
Maybe 'cause I'm looking from a distance
But then again I wear a blindfold
Staring at the motherfucking world with my eyes closed
To myself I'm a stranger
Walking in the foot steps of danger
It's a long path ahead of me
I gotta get somewhere cause everybody here is scared of me
I had a job but they fired me
My wife walked out now I'm living in my diary"
-Diary Of A Madman
"Funny how people can take this shit for granted, right?
But then reality strikes, and changes things overnight
I thank the Lord for watchin' over me, though I'm prone to doin wrong
I repent religiously, hopin' that the weak get strong
when the heat get's on
Hopin' that the weak get strong, when the heat get's on."
-Sorry For What?
Talib Kweli
"Life is a beautiful struggle
People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle
Some people usin' the noodle, some people usin' the muscle
Some people put it all together, make it fit like a puzzle
Come on, say it now."
-I Try
"My words drippin' off the tongue like the wax from a candle wick,
Ill the way I lay down the rap, they can't handle it,
Cats all sappy like romantic flicks, dude, get a clue,
Like Colonel Mustard in the study with a candlestick,
They holdin' hands with these dudes like they goin' steady,
But, one glimpse and I know they ready, you already know,
Slipped her a note like, 'you ready to go?'
We make a getaway plan and we head for the do'!"
-Hot Thing/In The Mood (Sick Music Video!)
Check out these artists if you don't know 'em already. If you do, get to know them better.
Next time: Common, Brother Ali, KRS-One.
This is the second installment of the Lyricism series, a humble attempt to play tribute to my favorite MCs by posting some of their best flows.
Part I is here.
Today's MCs are Black Thought, Scarface, and Talib Kweli.
As always, I will link to video of the songs after listing the lyrics. Enjoy.
Black Thought (from "The Roots")
"Yeah, it ain't nothin' like I rush I get, in front of the band
On stage wit the planet in the palm of my hand
When a brother transform, from anonymous man
To the force, crush whoever might of thought I was playin'"
-Don't Say Nuthin'
"If I can't work to make it, I'll rob and take it
Either that or me and my children are starving and naked
Rather be a criminal pro than to follow the matrix
Hey it's me a monster y'all done created
I've been inaugurated
Keep the bright lights out of our faces
You can't shake it, it ain't no way to swallow the hatred
Aim, fire, holla about a dollar, nothin' is sacred"
-False Media
Scarface
"Dear diary, help me cause I'm frantic
Sometimes I think I'm going schizophrenic
The world's looking dark for instance
Maybe 'cause I'm looking from a distance
But then again I wear a blindfold
Staring at the motherfucking world with my eyes closed
To myself I'm a stranger
Walking in the foot steps of danger
It's a long path ahead of me
I gotta get somewhere cause everybody here is scared of me
I had a job but they fired me
My wife walked out now I'm living in my diary"
-Diary Of A Madman
"Funny how people can take this shit for granted, right?
But then reality strikes, and changes things overnight
I thank the Lord for watchin' over me, though I'm prone to doin wrong
I repent religiously, hopin' that the weak get strong
when the heat get's on
Hopin' that the weak get strong, when the heat get's on."
-Sorry For What?
Talib Kweli
"Life is a beautiful struggle
People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle
Some people usin' the noodle, some people usin' the muscle
Some people put it all together, make it fit like a puzzle
Come on, say it now."
-I Try
"My words drippin' off the tongue like the wax from a candle wick,
Ill the way I lay down the rap, they can't handle it,
Cats all sappy like romantic flicks, dude, get a clue,
Like Colonel Mustard in the study with a candlestick,
They holdin' hands with these dudes like they goin' steady,
But, one glimpse and I know they ready, you already know,
Slipped her a note like, 'you ready to go?'
We make a getaway plan and we head for the do'!"
-Hot Thing/In The Mood (Sick Music Video!)
Check out these artists if you don't know 'em already. If you do, get to know them better.
Next time: Common, Brother Ali, KRS-One.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Busy Month
Sorry for holding out on this blog for so long. It has been pretty hectic around here lately. Some updates:
Jared and Jenny came to visit for a week. Man, what a blessing that was. It was so good to have a piece of home here, someone who I could slip back into my comfort zone with.
The day J & J left, three old buddies - Brad, Travis, and James - flew in for another week. It was a wild fortnight, to be sure. They were an amazing addition to our condo as they brought hourly entertainment with their party-attitude and ridiculous banter. Another piece of home for me.
Halloween in Waikiki is absurd. The main strip closes down and a mile-long, thousands-of-people big block party ensues. Lindsay and I were 80's aerobics instructors, Celina was a cowgirl, Harrison was a UFC fighter, and Brad/Travis/James were the neon-rock group BonerStorm. And they stole the show on Kalakaua Ave.
About half-way through the Halloween bonanza, some random drunk dude saw fit to punch me in the face three times. I've never been punched in the face, outside of wrestling around with friends and my brother -- I don't recommend it. I wanted to hit back, but the thing about street fights is that you're not just fighting the guy in front of you. You're fighting him, whoever is with him, and whatever they have in their pockets. It's not really about "toughest guy wins" out here. Plus, I had heard lots of stories about fights out here that ended in cheap shots, stabbings, massive injuries, etc. So, since everyone was shoulder to shoulder and I had been separated from the group, I stood there and received three solid punches to my otherwise peaceful visage.
My brother moved back home and I am very sorry to see him go. He was my best friend on the island and our relationship got a lot stronger over the past two months.
Lindsay and I celebrated two years together. We're rad.
Lindsay's birthday is this week as well, so I bought her a new roommate, Mango the bunny. I'm sure she'll post pictures of him on her blog/Facebook as she is now in love with that furry sack of cuteness.
I also bought a computer and got a credit card. I kicked and screamed the entire time I applied for that damn piece of plastic. Oh well, people tell me it's necessary. We'll see.
More to come. Love.
Jared and Jenny came to visit for a week. Man, what a blessing that was. It was so good to have a piece of home here, someone who I could slip back into my comfort zone with.
The day J & J left, three old buddies - Brad, Travis, and James - flew in for another week. It was a wild fortnight, to be sure. They were an amazing addition to our condo as they brought hourly entertainment with their party-attitude and ridiculous banter. Another piece of home for me.
Halloween in Waikiki is absurd. The main strip closes down and a mile-long, thousands-of-people big block party ensues. Lindsay and I were 80's aerobics instructors, Celina was a cowgirl, Harrison was a UFC fighter, and Brad/Travis/James were the neon-rock group BonerStorm. And they stole the show on Kalakaua Ave.
About half-way through the Halloween bonanza, some random drunk dude saw fit to punch me in the face three times. I've never been punched in the face, outside of wrestling around with friends and my brother -- I don't recommend it. I wanted to hit back, but the thing about street fights is that you're not just fighting the guy in front of you. You're fighting him, whoever is with him, and whatever they have in their pockets. It's not really about "toughest guy wins" out here. Plus, I had heard lots of stories about fights out here that ended in cheap shots, stabbings, massive injuries, etc. So, since everyone was shoulder to shoulder and I had been separated from the group, I stood there and received three solid punches to my otherwise peaceful visage.
My brother moved back home and I am very sorry to see him go. He was my best friend on the island and our relationship got a lot stronger over the past two months.
Lindsay and I celebrated two years together. We're rad.
Lindsay's birthday is this week as well, so I bought her a new roommate, Mango the bunny. I'm sure she'll post pictures of him on her blog/Facebook as she is now in love with that furry sack of cuteness.
I also bought a computer and got a credit card. I kicked and screamed the entire time I applied for that damn piece of plastic. Oh well, people tell me it's necessary. We'll see.
More to come. Love.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Ugh
If you've been following this blog, you're probably aware that I find race-relations in America to be both fascinating and highly influential on society.
This microcosm has been thrown into sharp relief over the last year and a half with the first legitimate black (or any minority, for that matter) candidate for President. For transparency's sake, know that I like Barack Obama. A lot. I will probably vote for him in a month.
I also like John McCain. I couldn't be happier that the next President will be one of these two men. For the most part, the campaigns of these two men have been run pretty fairly, with low blows being limited to usual political fare.
Nonetheless, as Obama begins widening his lead in the national polls, the McCain-Palin candidacy has taken a turn for the ugly. Where racist and inflammatory remarks by supporters used to be immediately disavowed by McCain, he and his running-mate have called off their criticism of such behavior.
Frank Rich just wrote an article in the New York Times about the recent trend at McCain-Palin rallies. It should be noted that Rich's own biases are only thinly disguised in the piece, but despite that, I think that the thrust of the article is startling and important.
I won't be devastated if McCain wins. I think he'd be a good President and a major improvement over our current one. Nonetheless, it's discouraging to see the campaign take an ugly turn like this. Race, like gender, will unfortunately always play a role in the decisions our society makes. It's just disheartening to see one of the campaigns endorse the discrimination by doing nothing about it.
This microcosm has been thrown into sharp relief over the last year and a half with the first legitimate black (or any minority, for that matter) candidate for President. For transparency's sake, know that I like Barack Obama. A lot. I will probably vote for him in a month.
I also like John McCain. I couldn't be happier that the next President will be one of these two men. For the most part, the campaigns of these two men have been run pretty fairly, with low blows being limited to usual political fare.
Nonetheless, as Obama begins widening his lead in the national polls, the McCain-Palin candidacy has taken a turn for the ugly. Where racist and inflammatory remarks by supporters used to be immediately disavowed by McCain, he and his running-mate have called off their criticism of such behavior.
Frank Rich just wrote an article in the New York Times about the recent trend at McCain-Palin rallies. It should be noted that Rich's own biases are only thinly disguised in the piece, but despite that, I think that the thrust of the article is startling and important.
I won't be devastated if McCain wins. I think he'd be a good President and a major improvement over our current one. Nonetheless, it's discouraging to see the campaign take an ugly turn like this. Race, like gender, will unfortunately always play a role in the decisions our society makes. It's just disheartening to see one of the campaigns endorse the discrimination by doing nothing about it.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Spada
I work at an Italian restaurant. The name of the restaurant is Spada (pronounced Spah-dah). My job title is Room Service Attendant. Here's how it works:
I show up wearing all black. I look great. Then, I sit around for three to four hours, waiting for the room-service phone (we deliver food to the adjacent hotel) to ring. In the meantime, I help buss tables and make $1 wagers with co-workers like "I'll bet you a dollar that our dish-washer is less than two hours late today." Coincidentally, our dishwasher, Jair, is a black-belt level master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitzu and my brother's personal fight coach over here.
When the room-service phone finally does ring, I take down the order and then deliver it to their rooms. When I get there, I knock. Invariably, they ask who it is.
Naturally, I look over my right shoulder at my queen and then yell, "This... Is... Spada!" and kick down their door.
I get great tips.
I show up wearing all black. I look great. Then, I sit around for three to four hours, waiting for the room-service phone (we deliver food to the adjacent hotel) to ring. In the meantime, I help buss tables and make $1 wagers with co-workers like "I'll bet you a dollar that our dish-washer is less than two hours late today." Coincidentally, our dishwasher, Jair, is a black-belt level master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitzu and my brother's personal fight coach over here.
When the room-service phone finally does ring, I take down the order and then deliver it to their rooms. When I get there, I knock. Invariably, they ask who it is.
Naturally, I look over my right shoulder at my queen and then yell, "This... Is... Spada!" and kick down their door.
I get great tips.
Friday, September 12, 2008
A Quick Island Update
Note: More interactive blog-posts forthcoming
We don't yet have internet in Hawaii, so my communication has been sparse thus far. We should be getting it at our condo in less than a week, so updates/communications will improve then. Here's a short rundown of our trip so far:
It took us a week to find a place, as a miscommunication cost us our first choice. Nevertheless, we landed a swell 8th floor condo in downtown Waikiki that is pretty spacious and a mere three blocks from the gorgeous beachfront.
Celina and I recently landed jobs at an Italian restaurant down the road called Spada. It looks trendy and you have to wear all black when you work there. Celina has worked a couple of shifts and I start next week.
Lindsay scored a gig at Seattle's Best Coffee, and she is very excited about it. She's also really attractive (non-sequitor, I know, but worth noting).
Harrison, due largely to the fact that he's only here for a couple months, is having a bit of trouble finding a job so far, as he refuses (like the paragon of virtue that he truly is) to lie about how long he'll be here in job interviews. Anyway, pray for him.
We've been going to this tiny church a few blocks from our place that doesn't have a name or a congregation bigger than your kindergarten class. Seriouly. I counted 20 people there last Sunday and 9 of them were in the preacher's family. My jury is still out on the place (blog re: the church forthcoming), but its a lot of fun and the people there are full of love for each other and their community.
The weather is "88 and sunny" with a cool breeze every day.
Everything here is really pricey. Add 30-50 percent to whatever you're used to paying at home. My mission has been to scout out the deals, as many bars, restaurants, and stores have pretty rad deals if you go at the right times.
Ok, I got to jet. Internet at this cafe is expensive. I'll hook you all up with more info when we get the 'net at the condo. Love.
We don't yet have internet in Hawaii, so my communication has been sparse thus far. We should be getting it at our condo in less than a week, so updates/communications will improve then. Here's a short rundown of our trip so far:
It took us a week to find a place, as a miscommunication cost us our first choice. Nevertheless, we landed a swell 8th floor condo in downtown Waikiki that is pretty spacious and a mere three blocks from the gorgeous beachfront.
Celina and I recently landed jobs at an Italian restaurant down the road called Spada. It looks trendy and you have to wear all black when you work there. Celina has worked a couple of shifts and I start next week.
Lindsay scored a gig at Seattle's Best Coffee, and she is very excited about it. She's also really attractive (non-sequitor, I know, but worth noting).
Harrison, due largely to the fact that he's only here for a couple months, is having a bit of trouble finding a job so far, as he refuses (like the paragon of virtue that he truly is) to lie about how long he'll be here in job interviews. Anyway, pray for him.
We've been going to this tiny church a few blocks from our place that doesn't have a name or a congregation bigger than your kindergarten class. Seriouly. I counted 20 people there last Sunday and 9 of them were in the preacher's family. My jury is still out on the place (blog re: the church forthcoming), but its a lot of fun and the people there are full of love for each other and their community.
The weather is "88 and sunny" with a cool breeze every day.
Everything here is really pricey. Add 30-50 percent to whatever you're used to paying at home. My mission has been to scout out the deals, as many bars, restaurants, and stores have pretty rad deals if you go at the right times.
Ok, I got to jet. Internet at this cafe is expensive. I'll hook you all up with more info when we get the 'net at the condo. Love.
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