thousands of readers can’t be wrong

Surprised that some of you are still visiting the site. I’ve been on eBay trying to flip merchandise again, I think this time I’ve a bit of maturity and left the lists and the idea of buying wholesale to get my fix alone for a change. I still do need a good supplier, so I’m out looking for cheap attire. Holla at me. Only if you have top notch stuff though, preferably something that retails for at least $100 or more because I don’t believe in wasting anyone’s time trying to sell something they’ll end up paying 50% more than if they just went into the store and bought it with the shipping costs. You get the idea.

Reading through DOWN magazine, a new publication dedicated to southern hip-hop. The idea of southern hip-hop has been expanded to include northern artists that have a style similar to that you would expect from a southern artist, as well as many artists that have prototypical east coast styles that just happen to be from the south. It’s an interesting read, although I do feel that they’re attempting to legitimize artists simply because they’re from the south, when they may not necessarily be talented. It sort of gives the impression to the uninitiated that perhaps there isn’t a plethora of talent there to talk about, so they simply threw anyone in there.

Then there’s the propaganda, which, while not completely absent from any music publication, is a bit transparent here. Their IN THE CUT section details a new book by Luther Campbell, of 2 Live Crew infamy. Not that I don’t appreciate what he’s done for the game in general, far as artists right to free speech; but I think he’s hating on the New York game unnecessarily. Perhaps a lot of the reason for the disrespect he suffered back in the day is that apart from the gimmicks of his hedonism he isn’t really that good. Plus that was twenty years ago, these days you’re hard pressed to find a New York rapper on the radio outside of New York. I’ve been in Ohio, Virginia, hell even Pennsylvania, and you hear more than enough of the southern rappers these days. Plus the Midwest was there in the beginning, and their style often owes as much to southern rap than it does to New York, so I’m not quite sure what he’s talking about, although I can’t really argue with his beef with the industry up there because I’m on this side of the argument.

More specifically, I’ve been a fan of Scarface, UGK, 8-Ball and MG from the beginning. Even Dayton Family. While groups like the Geto Boys weren’t the best, you could relate to their stories better because they lacked the pretentiousness and abstractness of their eastern counterparts. It’s no surprise that three-six is on the charts because the ish has come full circle, not the other way around. Only difference now, other than the fact that the artists are a hell of a lot more talented, is that the majority of listeners have finally caught up with the music. Another editorial waxed poetic about how wack MCs are, and how it isn’t that the crowd is unwilling to participate, but that they lack the skill to move them off of their performance, and have to digress to telling the crowd what to do. Thing is, that was par for the course back in the day, just that you really did want to hear the MC because he was actually good. While an entertaining read, it is a moot point.

But this isn’t exactly a XXL for southern artists either. I sort of wish it was; XXL had a lot of attitude back in the day and was pretty straight up until they dug themselves out of the trenches. I’m not entirely too keen on a magazine where they simply like everything, and won’t review your ish if they don’t. Rarely is anything given less than 3 stars here, which is a serious problem in my book. If you’re of the opinion that southern hip-hop is better than everything else out there, this one is for you.

The president turned up the PR engine but is talking strong and saying nothing. Reminds me of those rappers who rap hard yet for the most part suck, sort of how people felt about the Diplomats before Santana showed that there was indeed some talent in the group. Camron was already spoken for back in the day. I have to give it to 50 cent for finally calling Kanye on his shit far as saying that the president doesn’t like us, take a read at the December issue of Q. Of course knowing 50 he’s probably still hating, but it is the truth, love it or hate it. While it was nice to receive some music publications from Santa, I’ll stick to my tried and truthful in the future. It’s a hell of a lot harder to do this successfully as it appears on the surface, problem is editors are hoping they can satiate the publics thirst for culture enough that they won’t notice the bs when they see it.

I guess the new ish is for older, established rappers to talk a lot of ish and put a spin on why they aren’t releasing new material. Seriously, enough already and just put out some new *. I won’t go into a lot of detail but you pretty much know what or who I’m talking about. I think the media machine sort of catches up with artists at their height and begins to take over inbetween albums; before you know it, it is more the case than the exception. Next thing you know rappers will be on reality TV inbetween albums. Not hating, but you can’t possibly expect to continue to be respected as an artist when you’re doing everything other than being a musician at the time. Rapping is just a bridge to other careers, sort of like weed or hash is a gateway to other drugs. Used to be all one wanted, even if there wasn’t any money in it. It’s starting to kill the culture for what little it’s still worth.

Take a look at the evidence. Google Earth, Google Local, Google Book, etc. If Google’s being able to pay one billion for a 5 percent stake of AOL (that company is worth twenty billion?) doesn’t tell investors something about it’s cash flow, it should tell the uninitiated how serious the company is about securing it’s future.

AOL had approached Microsoft, which probably has two or three times as much cash, though they were probably more interested in buying AOL, rather than working with it (if history tells us anything). AOL decided to work with Google instead. Google’s stock is still soaring at $430 a share, and AOL’s valuation is twenty billion. The move appears to help Google on the surface, and some speculate this will be a serious hamper to Microsoft’s attempts at actually earning some money on search.

It doesn’t help matters that Microsoft is advising Mac users to switch to Apple’s Safari browser, or that the 360 was plagued with manufacturing defects. On the other hand, The HD-DVD standard that Microsoft is backing is now seeing some support from the community, such as Hewlett Packard. You win some and you loose some. Trouble with Microsoft, is that their winning seems to involve some type of long range plan which doesn’t make sense to anyone, at least at the moment. Yet to hear Mini-Microsoft tell it, that skepticism includes many that work at the company itself. My final example of how Google has turned into Microsoft; their disdain for the grassroots efforts of the community, in this case Project Gutenberg, of which this eerily sounds similiar to Microsoft’s lack of respect for Linux.

Email is entirely too intelligent these days. I’m using this new “all-java” version of Hotmail and I click on a message that Live Mail set a red background to and a message telling me that the sender is using a phishing technique and to contact them by phone before opening the message. For anyone unaware of what phishing is, it is a third party misrepresenting a first party you typically do business with, like a bank or financial institution. Common scams include the FBI prank I was b* about earlier and some Nigerian banks. If you aren’t really expecting a message from anyone, other than your bill or some transaction you actually engaged in it is better not to give out any personal information.

Typically there isn’t any real way to know that the bait has been set to begin with, technically, although most programs will scan your email for known viruses. For that reason alone I tend to suggest Live Mail over regular Hotmail, for it’s added functionality.

I was suffering from a major onslaught of viruses and adware, and had to turn off third-party cookies and install the latest update to Internet Explorer to plug up the holes in my registry. If you haven’t already, try turning off third-party cookies first, then if that doesn’t work go to Windows Update and download the critical update if your system isn’t set to notify you automatically. It’s a no-brainer. The latest version of Spybot Search and Destroy offers some dramatic improvements over 1.3 as well.

Just yesterday, it seems, artists like Paul Wall and Slim Thug, while huge in Texas, might never see crossover success. While artists like Lil’ Flip were huge in the beginning, the real talent had yet to shine. But what a difference a year makes; Slim Thug appears on a track with Gwen Stefani and Paul Wall does work on a Kanye joint as well as Nelly’s new song.

Of course these new appearances aren’t C & S or really hip-hop at all, they merely show to serve that despite what appeared to be an oversimplistic genre of rap there were real artists with true talent. As far as the resurgence of the Caucasian rapper thing, which suffered tremendously when we figured out that Vanilla Ice not only stole ideas from a fraternity but wasn’t even living the life he rapped about there is finally another artist more interesting than Eminem. While Em’ continues to develop his songwriting skills talking about his relationship with his daughter Paul is giving us the old mindless pop stuff we used to associate with rap, without a lot of the heavy drug induced lyrics that are a failed attempt at making gangsta rap more acceptable.

These days it’s more about melodies and accessible music than it is content. Even 50’s latest; “Window Shopper” is more about the materialism of pop culture and the drama that creates in society than it is actually popping anyone, despite the references to the street culture the hook is about all you really take home with you. A hook that is sung, rather than rapped and a video in which old pop icons like Mase share the stage in yet another tourist mecca; Monaco. Where are the streets or the old hardcore elements, like your crew of hundreds dressed the same with the name of your clique across their shirts, like the videos of old? Being grimy and wearing fatigues and camouflage? Nowhere to be found. But couture leather clothing and overpriced cars are the norm.

While ideas and determinations of what it means to be hip-hop continue to blend into popular society artists have to find a way to remain relevant, yet still interesting. That slowed down sound doesn’t sound quite so bad after all once you hear it at regular speed.

A joint poll between MSNBC and Zogby tells us little, if anything, we don’t already know about individuals sexual behavior.

• About a fifth of individuals have had more than 25 partners (25% men, 13% women); so some of you probably really are doing the unfathomable things you’re bragging about.
• More of us are worried about herpes than we are about HIV; then again, I didn’t realize that many were worried about herpes seeing that one in three already has it and probably two in three are carriers.
• People still aren’t using protection.
• People are still afraid of asking their partner if they’ve been infected with HIV or any other disease.

But I think most of us already know what people aren’t doing or saying, particularly if we’ve been infected with something ourselves, which I think a lot more of us probably already have, yet are afraid to find out. Some things do not change, however;

• You can get infected with something having had physical contact with people in general, like kissing, giving and receiving and touching down there. Too many of us still think that if it’s manual or oral we’re safe, and that simply isn’t the case.
• Just because your stuff isn’t visible doesn’t mean that you can’t pass it onto someone else. As much as we’d like to think so, and as great as that would be, everyone and anyone you come into contact with needs to know about your situation.
• It’s still infidelity regardless of who is ok with it and who is turned on by the situation. Eventually that relationship is going to fall apart because to make it work it needs to just be the two of you.
• Honestly, it isn’t abstinence that defies logic, but screwing with someone you don’t care about that does. It may not make sense to your needs but it does otherwise. Get out of the moment and think about the long term consequences.

The bottom line is that while desires come and go, as do people in your life, you have to look out for yourself and your own sexual health because no one else will do so for you. We all know that the gloves come off eventually in the relationship and the walls are torn down, but if you can’t seem to commit to anyone or can’t get anyone else to want that from you I’d play it as safe as possible. There’s just too much to life to waste it dying early from an STD, or the complications from it.

I really need to stop watching the DC affiliate. Nothing but the absolutely worst news, makes you afraid to wake up in the morning and go outside to work and play. Homicide, theft, rape, etc, every night. Then I wake up in the morning and watch it to hear the same over and over again. Robbery is up in Georgetown, students are getting stalked and taken advantage of through Facebook.com , the Beltway is more or less collapsing under societies ills to hear them tell it.

Then again on the plus side the President’s approval ratings are up and the war is a success. Give me a * break.

It isn’t whether New Orleans rises again to continue where it left off but whether it rises at all. When a city of a half million looses over 80% of it’s population without any guarantee or hope that those refugees will ever return back home it is a serious blow few can ever imagine.

What if the same had happened to New York; we’re talking about 88% of the population. Can you imagine a city like New York with fewer inhabitants than Detroit Michigan or half of Philadelphia. Or take my little neck of the woods in Akron, OH; there would be more students attending the cities’ University, hell twice as many.

When I look at it like that; all points outside of downtown being vacant, without any suburbia, it’s a bit depressing. But this is still the situation in New Orleans, if we’re to believe the few reports we still hear about it.

To be sure the city already had an enormous amount of individuals either living below the poverty line or perhaps not that far above it. The jobs weren’t paying much. There was corruption, immorality and everything that goes with an economy where many have turned to either selling into or profiting from illicit activity. A story not that different from those of the Midwestern cities I’m familiar with or to anyone from anywhere else in the country where it’s difficult to get ahead. Fact is none of that is really even news to anyone; except when a catastrophe of that nature hits a metropolitan area in the way that it did. Then everyone wants to talk about it, shed light on the cities ills and how the worst in nature brings out the worst in human beings.

Truth is the desire of those who would like to return, or are still there, for the city, with it’s rich American history to return to prominence is met with the reality of there being little money to rebuild it in that way. Or at all. People have left to find a better life elsewhere, and some can’t take that chance at being let down again.

This isn’t the same country that quickly rebounded from it’s ills and moved on. We have a lot in this country, this city, our war overseas, our fight against terrorism, our moral resolve, none of which have quick easy answers, and all that will involve a lifetime of commitment and sacrifice on our parts. Yet are we up to it, or will we continue to get by, regardless of who we leave behind in the process? There is no greater reward, yet one has to be in the proper frame of mind to appreciate any good there is to come out of it in the first place.

Life has a way of coming back around and everyone and everything sort of comes full circle. Decades after having founded the infamous Crips street gang, Williams is now hoping that Schwarzenegger can absolve him of his wrongs and allow him to walk the streets again. Thing about it is, Williams still isn’t owning up to those he wronged years ago, those who can no longer speak for themselves as they are no longer alive. While it is great that he is speaking out against the gang violence one has to wonder why he won’t admit his own wrong doing.

But that’s neither here or there. What interests me about the situation isn’t whether or not he is pardoned by the governor, but how someone who has truly lived the life and is still alive to talk about it has a completely different perception now from someone in their twenties who managed to walk away from it just to rap about it and sell that same image to America’s youth. Or perhaps someone who is still out there. We here about this now that he may be executed, but what of the many others out there who continue to fight this war against evil that few outside of their communities ever hear about. Conservatives and their media will continue to play with the idea that his motions are hypocritical at best and that he should certainly pay for his crimes. But the man has spent over twenty years in prison, far more than someone who is executed early on would, so the idea that he hasn’t paid for his crimes is a bit ludicrous. To put a better point on it, someone who is executed doesn’t really pay for their crimes at all, it’s just the same hell some of us who are self-righteous may eventually get to experience. We feel a bit better about it because we don’t have to worry about them but they never get to reflect upon what they’ve done or ever experience anything close to rehabilitation.

It’s anyone’s guess what we’ll hear about in the morning. Yet this remains; not everyone that commits crimes against humanity is helpless to change their lives around. Whether or not this bloodthirsty society ever respects their efforts in doing so, is quite another story.

I was obsessed with actually seeing what comes next simply because it was such a good movie. Plus the production values aren’t cheap, and the acting a bit too good for this genre. But if you were hoodwinked as I was, into thinking you’d get some soft action you’ll be a bit let down. In fact this series is more interested in showing just how wrong things can go when this type of action occurs than it is anything else. You might just end up psyching yourself out of trying it at home if watch all three of these films.

But there are plenty of twists, and while this one isn’t so much about paying someone to do something they can’t get otherwise, the character does end up bankrolling a working girls future; emotionally. If you want a good movie with some perks, this is the one. Otherwise stick with your tried and true favorites.

One of the best performances of a psychotic individual I’ve seen in a long, long, time. Hell I even forgot about DeNiro in Taxi Driver. Perhaps not quite as isolationist but still good. Plus this character isn’t quite as low with the women, although equally pathetic.