i495 Blues

God Damn... I Love Kobe Bryant

2010-06-18T13:30:00.008-05:00

From an article I came across today:

Last night, during his post-game presser, five-time Lakers champion Kobe Bryant was calling out Philadelphia sports radio host, Stephen A. Smith. Jokingly asking where he was, and if he was "hiding" from Bryant.

Smith told KLAC, that before the NBA Finals were underway, he had picked the Celtics to win the series against his fellow Philadephian, Kobe Bryant and his Lakers.

"After every game, I would be standing by tunnel where all the medias are at," said Smith. "And after every game, Kobe Bryant would walk down that tunnel, and he would walk up to me... we don't shake hands, but he would give me this look, this same look every night (as if I had done something horrible), and it didn't matter if they won or lost, he would come up to me and say 'So you're still picking the Celtics against my team?' and then he just walk right off. He would always remind me every single game that I picked against him."

Smith said that his sports integrity meant sticking to his original prediction, but he knew deep down, that Kobe Bryant was going to make sure he (Smith) would think twice before picking against Bryant ever again.

On his morning show today, Smith commented, "I'd like my crow fried, please!"

Ruthlessly Good

2010-06-10T09:59:00.003-05:00

me: I think I finally understand Kobe Bryant.

Shawn: I dont understand Bryant

and I hate him

I hate the Celtics too

me: there's a reason why you hate him, yes?

Shawn: of course

he is effing good

me: exactly!

Shawn: and he doesnt play for the magic

me: You hate him, because he's good... damn good. Ruthlessly good.

Shawn: yeah but I can't get excited for him getting yet another ring

me: that's the thing... that's what I figured out recently...

Kobe bryant doesn't care if you're excited about him getting another ring

Shawn: of course he doesnt

me: He only cares that He's excited about getting another ring...

and that's all that matters.

Let me find this quote that I ran into about him the other day...

me: ahh, here it is...

".... there was a great post on ESPN's Daily Dime that dissected (Steve) Nash's decision to re-sign with the Suns rather than chase a championship elsewhere. His response to questions was that, for him, the journey is more important than the destination. That the chance to lead and teach young players is more important than chasing around a championship.

Someone related this to Kobe and his response was "Fuck that. Better him than me." No, really. That's what he said. Because chasing a championship is the only thing that matters to Kobe."

this comes from: http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2010/06/belated-worst-of-night-game-6s-edition.html

Shawn: i wish the magic had that attitude

me: the Magic??? I wish I had that attitude
there's a larger lesson to be learned by the Kobe Bryant's and the Kayne West's of the world
It's all about being "Ruthlessly Good" at what you do. The rest of the world be damned. If you're good at what you do... and you perform... In this day and age, that's all that matters. I'd rather achieve my goals and have the world hate me, instead of it being the other way around.
I get that now.
Shawn: I hear you

me: Anyways... I think you're going to see a new [Williams] in the next few months

A [Williams] that's closer to Kobe Bryant than the smiling, lovable, and ring-less Dwight Howard... hopefully.

Shawn: I heard you put in your notice

me: Yes, Yes I did. That passion project of mine that I've been working on is about to launch...

Politics + Design & Branding = Very Interesting Stuff

2008-12-15T16:55:00.002-05:00

I'm still out in Australia at the moment (sorry to everyone who have called me and have not gotten a response as yet). But while I had a bit of downtime, I wanted to post these videos I came across. In the following videos, the design mavens of the Obama campaign talk through the origin of the Obama "O" logo...

Part 1:

Part 2:

Quote of the Day

2008-12-05T14:50:00.002-05:00

A quote from this article caught my eye:

"There is no stigma now because so many people have lost jobs," she said. "The joke is that the new status symbol, instead of a Porsche or Ferrari, is having health insurance and a desk."

A Tuesday Night in Washington DC

2008-11-05T09:45:00.001-05:00

There were a lot of inspiring scenes televised across the nation and the world last night.

But there was one that I'm afraid many of you missed... One that will be forever engraved in my memory:

Hipsters, in the middle of DC's 14th and U-Street neighborhood, in the middle of the night, singing the Star Spangled Banner while waving American flags and pictures of our new President.

Say what you will about the politics involved. But the patriotism is undeniable.

Ad-whore

2008-09-24T14:39:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, people use flash to make something truly original. It's rare, but it happens.

View this video, now: http://www.youtube.com/wariolandshakeit2008

John McCain's ad men are taking this to a new level

2008-09-09T18:06:00.003-05:00

I love negative campaign ads. I love them, even if they are against someone I support. For example, take the ad below. This is, by far, one of the best negative ads I've seen this election cycle.

My god, they are really laying the smack-down on Obama these days.

Now, for the background: The "sex ed" Obama wants to teach to kindergartners was age-appropriate education to protect them from pedophiles.

Obama Spokesperson:
"Barack Obama supports sensible, community-driven education for children because, among other things, he believes it could help protect them from pedophiles. A child's knowledge of the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching is crucial to keeping them safe from predators."

If I were working for the Obama people, I would cut an ad right now that pushes the point: "McCain supports Pedophiles". At this point, fuck it... Who cares what's true anymore.

The Part of His Speech When I Teared Up

2008-08-28T23:01:00.003-05:00

"I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America."

- Barack Obama

Obama... Eight Years Ago

2008-08-28T13:38:00.003-05:00

On Obama giving his speech tonight:

"Eight years ago, such a scenario would have been laughable. Obama was broke and without political friends of any consequence. He had to gatecrash the 2000 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles after arriving on a cheap flight at the last minute. A rental car company rejected his maxed-out American Express card and he watched Al Gore accept the party's nomination on television screens at the perimeter of the convention centre."

Damn... if that doesn't sound like a "Regular Joe", I don't know what does.

Read the full article: Obama's Dream For America

New Equation

2008-06-23T12:34:00.002-05:00

4 hour bus ride to NYC + fast wi-fi + power outlets > 1 hour flight to NYC.

Thank you Bolt Bus.

Epic

2008-05-16T14:18:00.003-05:00

I saw this live yesterday... and my jaw nearly hit the floor. Talk about Hardball? Chris Mathews handed this kid an intellectual ass-whooping. (Be sure to watch the entire thing)

What's especially fun about this video is that the point Mathews made is exactly the point Obama and company should use throughout the election. In many ways, Mr. Kevin James just handed the Democrats a nice little gift this election season.

Funky (Late) Mondays - Week 4

2008-04-29T09:05:00.004-05:00

Yeah, yeah. I know... I skipped a week. Boo hoo. Besides, with the reaction I got from last week's pick, I'm sure very few of you were waiting anxiously for my next selection out of the funk bag.

But anyways, this week I want to highlight my second favorite band from the short-lived Acid Jazz phase: The Brand New Heavies. Their stuff was always great, but they never had that spark that I felt with Jamiroquai. In fact, the legend has it that Jamiroquai's lead singer, Jason Kay, only formed his band after an unsuccessful audition for the Brand New Heavies vacant lead singer spot. I guess that's why I always viewed the BNH as the "Poor Man's Jamiroquai."

But enough of the back story. This week, I couldn't select just one BNH song, so here's two of my favorites: Their take on "Midnight at the Oasis" and one of their more popular tracks "Sometimes" (check out the shout-out to Playboy in the video).

Midnight at the Oasis:

Sometimes:

Update: Alright, I have to include the video to the "Sometimes" remix which includes a few bars of Q-tip's nasally rhymes:

Funky Mondays - Week 3 (and a couple days late)

2008-04-14T11:02:00.004-05:00

So yes, I'm a couple days late here with the Funky Monday post. Got caught up with work over the last days and I'm prepping for a long weekend trip to Orlando.

With that said, this week I want to highlight one of the "guilty pleasure" bands I have on my iPod: Pizzicato Five. Yes, I'm not afraid to admit it... I enjoy a fair-share of J-Pop. And P5 was one of the funkiest J-Pop outfits out there. Here's one of my favorites: "It's a Beautiful Day"

Don't judge me.

Funky Monday - Week 2

2008-04-07T08:40:00.003-05:00

As part of your weekly dose of the Funk, here's another one from Jamiroquai. This time, off their last album Dynamite, here's "Runaway":

For those of you who miss The West Wing

2008-04-07T06:43:00.002-05:00

From the pen of Lawrence O’Donnell (a former West Wing writer/producer):

Fat man: Yeah … Harold, can I call you ba— … Uh-huh … I still haven’t deci— … This really isn’t a good time for— … Please. I have to— … I just— … I need— … (Desperate to get back to sex, gives up.) Okay … Yes, I’m saying yes … No, you can’t announce it yet … I’m giving you my word … I’ve got to hang up now … Okay. (Hangs up.)
Hooker (looking up from his work): Are you a superdelegate?...

Please, PLEASE read the rest of his "Four Days in Denver," a clever and surprisingly possible treatment of what could go down in Denver.

I Want One #312: Rockwell Retro Encabulator

2008-04-02T09:21:00.001-05:00

Funky Mondays - Part 1

2008-03-31T10:59:00.003-05:00

So, I'm falling back in love with one of my favorite bands of yesteryear. While many kids had Nine Inch Nails, or Radiohead, or Nirvana, or Dave Mathews Band, or maybe even Phish... you know, that band that, for better or for worse, defined your adolescence... I had Jamiroquai.

Yes, Jamiroquai... that funky, Acid Jazz outfit from the UK. I was already well past my musical puberty by the time they came along, but this was the band that really made it okay for me to listen to anything I damned-well please. Remember, these guys were trying to bring back Disco in 1995. I repeat... Disco of all things! It wasn't enough for me to exert my independence and uniqueness by listening to all the great alternative rock bands of the day. Although I was an anomaly, (A Black kid who was really into the Smashing Pumpkins?!) it was still the same stuff that MTV force fed us all.

Nope, it was Jamiroquai (especially their early stuff) that forced me to sever the MTV umbilical cord once and for all (Honorable mention to Goldie for starting that process). By extension, this newly shaped musical freedom allowed me to become whatever person I damned-well please... the funky, Acid Jazzy, (Republican) blogger you know today. So, without any further delay, I present to you one of my favorite tracks of all time: Jamiroquai's Travelling Without Moving.

(I dare you to listen to this song and NOT tap your feet)

Finally, Somebody Said It

2008-03-21T13:08:00.002-05:00

From today's Politico.com:

One big fact has largely been lost in the recent coverage of the Democratic presidential race: Hillary Rodham Clinton has virtually no chance of winning...

One important Clinton adviser estimated to Politico privately that she has no more than a 10 percent chance of winning her race against Barack Obama, an appraisal that was echoed by other operatives.

Random gChat: Graphic Design Humor

2008-03-21T11:06:00.008-05:00

Topic of discussion: The cover artwork for "Imagine Babies" for the Nintendo DS

me: what's wrong with this picture:
Ryan: shes too skinny
    shes the little sister
    not the mom
me: nope nope nope
    look closer
Ryan: piss in the bottle
    what
me: LOOK
    you're a graphic designer...
    look for the mistake the graphic designer made
Ryan: im hungover
    shut up
    tell me
me: alright... the circles in the corners...
    look at the picture of the babies in the lower right hand corner
    see anything interesting?
Ryan: hahahahah
    they didnt buy the rights
me: yeeep
    and that's the actual cover
    like, you can buy that in the store
    if you look closer, you'll see that they didn't buy the rights to any of the pictures in the corners
Ryan: someones gonna get fired

My analysis on The Speech

2008-03-18T13:57:00.001-05:00

The Obama campaign Castles on the Queen's side.

No Longer Brain Dead

2008-03-12T11:47:00.002-05:00

An absolutely fascinating essay on the political rebirth of David Mamet. From the article:

"And, I wondered, how could I have spent decades thinking that I thought everything was always wrong at the same time that I thought I thought that people were basically good at heart? Which was it? I began to question what I actually thought and found that I do not think that people are basically good at heart; indeed, that view of human nature has both prompted and informed my writing for the last 40 years. I think that people, in circumstances of stress, can behave like swine, and that this, indeed, is not only a fit subject, but the only subject, of drama."

Click here to read his "Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal" in full.

P.S. - Whatever you do, please skip the comments on his post. As you may suspect, they fall dreadfully short of the standards set by his objective and elegant essay.

Marketing Gone Wrong (In three acts)

2008-03-10T06:39:00.002-05:00

I have a friend at work named Mike who gives me crap for living in the marketing world. He constantly derides the alchemical nature of marketing when things get rough; the need to portray the swan in a product when there is only an ugly duckling. I've had the luxury of not being in that position myself, but you hear the horror stories every day of products that are marketed one way but fall far short of their promise.

In the case of Microsoft Vista, this is right on the money. It's really a perfect case study on how a misplaced marketing campaign can really help to destroy the credibility of a company at large. Case in point, here is an excerpt from a New York times article that chronicles the downward spiral (I've bolded where I believe marketing dropped the ball):

The messages were released in a jumble, but when rearranged into chronological order, they show a tragedy in three acts.
Act 1: In 2005, Microsoft plans to say that only PCs that are properly equipped to handle the heavy graphics demands of Vista are “Vista Ready.”
Act 2: In early 2006, Microsoft decides to drop the graphics-related hardware requirement in order to avoid hurting Windows XP sales on low-end machines while Vista is readied. (A customer could reasonably conclude that Microsoft is saying, Buy Now, Upgrade Later.) A semantic adjustment is made: Instead of saying that a PC is “Vista Ready,” which might convey the idea that, well, it is ready to run Vista, a PC will be described as “Vista Capable,” which supposedly signals that no promises are made about which version of Vista will actually work.
...
Act 3: In 2007, Vista is released in multiple versions, including “Home Basic,” which lacks Vista’s distinctive graphics. This placed Microsoft’s partners in an embarrassing position. Dell, which gave Microsoft a postmortem report that was also included among court documents, dryly remarked: “Customers did not understand what ‘Capable’ meant and expected more than could/would be delivered.”

Although I give him hell now and again, my friend Mike has a point. At times, we marketers can be bloodsucking, money-grubbing, spawns of satan. But isn't that what makes the job fun?

Full Article: They Criticized Vista. And They Should Know.

Obama... The Matt Santos of 2008?

2008-03-04T08:04:00.003-05:00

This has been in the back of my mind for a while now. Finally, someone put it out there in video format:

God, I miss the West Wing.

WTF?

2008-02-27T11:02:00.008-05:00

From MSNBC:

Bernanke: Fed is ready to trim rates again

!!!

What the hell is going on over there at the FED?

Does anyone else see how the FED's actions are destroying our currency?

Forget HRC and Obama... Where's Ron Paul when you need him?

</rant>

<update>

Oh wait... here he is:

</update>

Requiem for the HRC Campaign

2008-02-24T07:50:00.002-05:00

Here's one of the best opinion pieces I've read on the failures of the Hillary Clinton for President campaign.

But it’s the Clinton strategists, not the Obama voters, who drank the Kool-Aid. The Obama campaign is not a vaporous cult; it’s a lean and mean political machine that gets the job done. The Clinton camp has been the slacker in this race, more words than action, and its candidate’s message, for all its purported high-mindedness, was and is self-immolating.

It really drives home the point that for all the talk of HRC's "experience," her campaign has really played second fiddle to the brilliant performance of the Obama campaign. Read more of Frank Rich's "The Audacity of Hopelessness" here.

Marketing: A Brief Overview

2008-02-15T12:09:00.002-05:00

Thanks, Ryan.

The writing is on the wall

2008-01-21T17:03:00.000-05:00

To get a full grasp on it... I had to read this paragraph twice. You should try it as well:

"The new occupant of the Oval Office can but hope today's dislike for America is directed at a leader, not at a country. That may well be, but one thing is for sure. Never again will the US occupy that extraordinary position of supremacy – military, moral and economic – that it held in the interlude between the demise of Communism and the attacks of September 2001."

Read the full article here: Just one more year! Good Riddance to George W Bush

I need one...

2008-01-16T18:42:00.001-05:00

of these, now.

I may be going out on a limb here

2008-01-09T07:38:00.000-05:00

I may be going out on a limb here, but I somehow believe we'll see a post-NH, anti-Hillary, pro-Obama bump in the polls over the next couple days. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened in New Hampshire yesterday, but the collective reaction from the net-roots seem clear: WTF?

In the words of a commenter in a high-trafficked community site that I frequent:

"NH is like the child that screws up and now the parents (aka the rest of the US) have to cover their ass."

Update: Evidence of a post-NH Obama Bump? Headline from Drudge:
EXCLUSIVE: OBAMA RAISES $8M IN PAST 8 DAYS; $500K THIS MORNING ONLINE...

His Famous Last Words

2008-01-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

Boys and girls, whatever your feelings on Iraq... here is an example of the true cost of war:

"Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G'Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq. Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death..."

G'Kar's final blog post

Post Iowa Reactions (Email Thread)

2008-01-04T17:40:00.000-05:00

Subject: RE: Huck!
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 16:58:20 -0500
From: Williams
To: GOP Insider Friend

Humm… do you mind if I take your last email and post it to my blog (stripping out your name of course). It’s the best analysis I’ve seen on Iowa yet, period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: GOP Insider Friend
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 5:00 PM
To: Williams
Subject: RE: Huck!

On Obama, you have to admit, his ability to get first time caucus goers out and supporting him was an amazing thing to see. I really thought that would be his Achilles: relying on the youth and first timers. Instead, it turned into his greatest strength. Is it possible he could do that nationally? If so, he will truly have earned 1600 Penn.

Yes, I am very concerned about our side. We're transforming, before our very eyes, into a Party of populism (Huck), fear (Tancredo's immigration stance), reliance on government (Rudy's authoritarian answers; Huck again). What happened to actually winning people's support based on the merits of your ideas? Your philosophy? We're becoming the Democrats circa 1930. That didn't work out too well.

Yes, you are spot on: these folks are voting for their pastor; not our Nation's leader. Ask Catholics in Boston how much they'd trust their pastors???

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: RE: Huck!
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 16:28:05 -0500
From: Williams
To: GOP Insider Friend

Well, I’m not sure where I stand on all of this. On the Dem side… it’s great to see Hillary get served. If the next president has to be a Dem, I wouldn’t mind Obama at all.

But when it comes to our side, I’m very worried. What concerns me the most is not that Huckabee won, per se… but something like 80% of those that turned out identified themselves as evangelical. That in itself doesn’t concern me… hell, technically, I’m evangelical too (well, not really). But the point here is that these are the types who are clearly voting “for jesus” and not for America. You know?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: GOP Insider Friend
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 12:14 AM
To: Williams
Subject: RE: Huck!

Amazing isn't it. Iowans just sent their votes towards a guy whose only answer to the pressing issues is his love of Jesus. While I spiritually am comforted by that, I have yet to see the Almighty raise a veto pen.

Ugh. This is so frustrating. But, I predicted he'd win by 2 points. Didn't guess he'd win by 10-11. I guess I am even further more libertarian than the Party actually is. But, on the good side: Thompson garnered a 3rd place finish and Paul had double-digits.

How about Obama? A black man, on a positive message, gets a bunch of corn-fed farmers to vote for him. I don't care for his policies at all, but I was happy to see that actually come about. And Clinton be defeated, of course.

What are your thoughts?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> From: Williams
> Subject: Huck!
> Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 22:40:17 -0500
> To: GOP Insider Friend
>
> Dude.... Huckabee. What in the hell?
>
> Williams

Best Advertisement Ever... no, really this time.

2007-11-29T16:42:00.000-05:00

Source: The outrageously politically incorrect adverts from the time equality forgot - (Daily Mail - UK)

Best Campaign Ad, Ever.

2007-11-14T12:17:00.000-05:00

From Tom Tancredo for President.
Wow... just wow. This is the definition of awesome.

And for those of you who can't pick up the sarcasm in my assessment above... no, this is not the best ad. It's ballsy, that's for sure. Say what you will about Tancredo... but the man has balls.

The Headline Buried Within...

2007-11-13T10:55:00.000-05:00

I came across this story off Drudge this morning... a headline reading "Saddam Hussein cried at last meeting." Interesting story, I thought... so I started digging into the article.

What I found interesting about the news item is not the idea that the former dictator cried in the lead up to his execution. No, the interesting stuff comes in the form of background revealed in a latest book from Saddam's main US Interrogator. Especially this nugget of wisdom:

"... Until 9/11, Saddam thought UN sanctions would go away and he could make a nuclear bomb. His prewar weapons of mass destruction deceptions were a ruse to convince Iran - whom he feared - that he had an arsenal."

Yep... there you have it, folks. Proof that Saddam Hussein was more clever than the Bush administration. As for me... I weep for our nation.

LOLPoliticks

2007-10-29T11:57:00.000-05:00

Inspired by this frontpage article from the Washington Hispanic a couple months ago.

And speaking of teh ghey... Is this Obama's Sister Souljah moment or has the shit-eth hit-eth the fan-eth?

Daft Punk... Eat Your Heart Out

2007-10-25T19:31:00.000-05:00

We sometimes forget how old electronic music really is...

To be perfectly honest, his stuff is hot for his day. Where can I get "Baby Blue" on vinyl, eh?

(Thanks Diallo for the link)

A new addition to list of things I need to do before I die

2007-10-14T12:33:00.000-05:00

Wow... just wow.

And now, a break from teh Politicks

2007-10-03T12:11:00.000-05:00

Amazingly good journalism from MTV.com on the new Radiohead album.

I am excited.

Very excited.

Like the author, I remember the first time I listened to Kid A. It was quite possibly the best musical experience I've had, ever.

In these days of instant-on, mp3, youtubes, torrents, ring-tones, and american idol... I'm not sure music will ever be as fun again.

But October 10th may be our last hope.

Open Letter to the Ron Paul Community

2007-09-16T21:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, Ron Paul supporters... it's time for an intervention. You've been running wild at the seams for the last few months and someone needed to sit you down and let you know what you're up against. It's not going to be an easy road, but you've done marvelous work with what you have so far. The good news is that you're going to inch up in the polls more and more. The bad news is that it's not going to make the difference. Ron Paul is going to lose and lose badly. That is, unless you change your ways a bit...

First, a little about me. For better or for worse, you can classify me as a political operative. I'm young, but I've had pretty lengthy experience in Republican campaign politics. Primarily in the southeast, I've managed, consulted, and volunteered on nearly 20 campaigns, with the vast majority for federal candidates (ie U.S. House, Senate, and Presidential campaigns). I've consulted with a couple of international political operations. And as of now, I'm a senior director at one of the largest and well-established political technology firms in the nation (also the reason why I'm not officially involved with any of the Presidentials right now). So, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm pretty confident in what I'm talking about here.

I should also mention that I'm a huge fan of Ron Paul... a contributor at that (which I rarely do because of public reporting requirements on the campaigns).

But in watching and following the Presidential campaign unfold, I'm deeply worried that the Ron Paul campaign will go the same route as the Howard Dean's of election-day past. In fact, it's a very real possibility that Ron Paul = Howard Dean 2.0. That's not to say that the Paul community shouldn't take a hard look at the challenges facing them commit to avoiding the same traps that the Dean's of the world have already exposed.

So, to present my thoughts in the most digestible and compelling way possible, I give you...

###

Five lessons the Ron Paul community MUST learn between today and the first primaries:

5: Calm the hell down
First off... don't do this:
(the first 1:30 of this video)

It freaks people out. Chill out with the protest-style chants, and the Revolutionary costumes, and the CFR talk, and the 9-11 was an inside job talk, and whatever else it is. It's turning off the voters.

Yes, I know that its fun. And in the past, the bombastic presence was needed just to get the exposure. But people are aware of the campaign, and now is the real chance to convince voters. You have to remember that you're not catering to yourselves anymore. Once you hit campaign politics, the nature of what you're doing is taking someone who does not support your candidate, and convincing them do otherwise. That means directly marketing to them, where they are at, without turning them off in the process. Remember, your average primary Republican voter is not 20-something year old iPod user who dreams of an end to the war on drugs solely so he can pick up his bud from the corner store. You're dealing with moms and pops, church goers, the elderly, soccer moms, NASCAR dads, etc. The more to speak to them at their level, the better it will be for the Paul campaign.

4: Stop fudging about or discounting the polls
No, I'm not talking about the "survey-spamming" that the pundits allege. That's all fun and games that, in the end, will have no bearing on the elections, one way or another. I'm talking about here is the tendency for supporters to see a new poll come out that has Ron Paul in the low single digits, and immediately exclaim that the poll is biased or inaccurate.

Let me say this once. For the most part, pollsters are professional and competent and stake their name on the accuracy of their polls. They've spent a lot of time and money on getting the formula for administering a political poll just right. They continuously tweak and modify their methodology to account for changes in the demographic. And they double and triple check their work before they put it out there under their banner. Everything you can think up that may invalidate poll numbers, they've already thought about it... 10 times over. Bottom line here is that when a good, independent poll results are released, chances are, it's closer to the truth than to fiction.

So, if you see Ron Paul polling in single digits within a month of the first primary, then you need to realize that, Yes... less than 10% of voters in that area support Ron Paul. Don't wait for a rush of new voters that the pollsters are missing because of cell phones or what have you. They're not there. They didn't come out for Dean, they didn't come out for Kerry (over Bush of all people)... they are not going to come out for Ron Paul at the last second. As Hunter S. Thompson best put it after the 2004 elections... "The young bastards have let us down again." And they will do it again, I promise you.

3: Money (for better or for worse) is the key to mainstream acceptance
For those of you who hate the influence that money has in politics... join the club. We all do. But for those of you who do not admit that it's here to stay and is a way of life, stop wasting everyones time.

You need to contribute to the campaign. You absolutely need to... especially before the September 30th deadline. I can't begin to explain how important it is for the Paul campaign to show a healthy fundraising quarter to the media. It drives everything... from media coverage, to more support, more donations (people donate to a winner), and more advertising when it counts.

The Paul campaign has proven themselves to be frugal and smart about the dollars they've raised so far. It looks like they are saving it for when it really matters. And that's a good thing... it means that your dollars will be well spent. There is no reason NOT to give right now. If you haven't contributed whatever you can, then you might as well support another candidate.

Contribute Now

2: Time to go offline
I don't even have to mention how great the internet is. But, for the vast majority of us, you can blog, survey-spam, youtube, podcast, SecondLife, and twitter yourself to death and still not make a difference in this election. While the internet is a great vehicle for fundraising and media distribution during a general election, during the primaries, it's all about reaching out and talking to potential voters. Please continue to use the Internet to help organize, fundraise, and share information... but simply understand that the internet itself will not win an election. Knock on doors, Knock on doors, Knock on doors (and let the campaign handle mass communications over radio and TV).

1: Talk (literally talk) to the SuperVoters
First, a "SuperVoter" in the canvassing world is defined as an individual who has voted in a particular election three (or more) consecutive times. So, if you are looking towards the NH Presidential Primary, a SuperVoter is someone who has voted in the last three NH presidential primaries (04, 00, and 96). These special individuals are the holy grail of grassroots canvassing and direct mail.

Why, might you ask?

Well, play out the numbers. A newly registered voter has, lets say a 50% chance of voting in an upcoming election (It's actually much smaller, but I don't remember the exact numbers). Now, when you compare that with a SuperVoter, who consistently has a 90%+ probability of voting in said election, it's obvious who you should waste your time on. It's the SuperVoters who matter. Believe me. You convert a SuperVoter to Ron Paul and that's easily worth a $500 contribution to the campaign. And also remember that voters (especially SuperVoters) are pretty likely to encourage their family and friends to vote the same way. SuperVoters usually have friends who are also SuperVoters. Get my drift?

You can get lists of SuperVoters to contact from the official campaign. If they don't have the records to give to you A) I'd be very very surprised and B) You can get them from the VoterListsOnline.com service (Disclosure: VoterListsOnline.com is a service from the company I work for, but this is not intended as a plug. Just earnest advice). You'd need someone from the official campaign to vouch for you in order to gain access, but from there, you can make a small selection of voters, purchase the list (for the campaign), and begin to contact the right voters.

###

So, there you have it. My two cents what the Ron Paul campaign can do to gain real traction in the upcoming months. Fortunately for him, it's already started to happen. But there's much much more to be done. Until then, I'll see you in January.

A Great Read

2007-09-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

7 Reasons the 21st Century is Making You Miserable

'Nuff said.

The best road trip song ever?

2007-09-03T13:09:00.000-05:00

The Who - Sparks

Dick Cheney Made Sense...

2007-08-11T08:56:00.000-05:00

... 13 years ago, that is.

I'm normally quiet on the Iraq war these days. I have too many buddies out in Baghdad right now and the whole thing just enrages me. As Dr. Scientist says... Outrage Fatigue has set in.

But nonetheless, I came across this video this morning of Veep Cheney speaking with a reporter about his role in the first Gulf War with Bush I. This section is on their rationale for not marching into Baghdad and ousting Saddam Hussein. (Footage taken in 1994)

Wow... all I can say is wow.

One All-Nighter Later...

2007-08-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

One new company website... Done.

One Amy Winehouse record to pass the hours of coding by... Surprisingly amazing. (And here, I thought she was just some random cockney crackhead)

One round trip ticket to the west coast for the company board meeting... Nothing but middle seats for each flight. Unsurprisingly arrrrch!

One finished conference trip to Boston (for the first time)... Surprisingly meh.

One sister recently graduated from college... Surprisingly proud. Very proud.

One daily management conference call... 5 minutes away...

For those of you who have lost faith in Hip Hop...

2007-07-31T17:28:00.000-05:00

I bring you: Chuck E. Cheese bots modded to sing along with Ms. New Booty, by Bubba Sparxxx:

New ADdiction

2007-07-30T17:42:00.000-05:00

So, I've really gotten into commercials lately.

I know, it's a weird thing to be in to, but I've had an affinity with persuasive media of all types for a while now. I think all started back in high school with my lazy coffee shop Sundays curled up to the latest copy of AdBusters. And during election season, I'm the only guy I know who honestly loves... I repeat LOVES negative ads.

But these days, I find myself fascinated by commercials for products where there is no clear "ask" involved.

For you folks outside of the marketing (or event management world), "The Ask" is the specific portion of your message where you direct the audience to actually get up and do something. For example, let's write ourselves an advertisement for Pepsi. Nothing too fancy. Just plain and simple:

"This is Pepsi." (Cold Pepsi bottle Pictured)
"Pepsi tastes good."
"Pepsi tastes better than Coke." (Happy person drinks Pepsi)
"Buy Pepsi."

Okay class... where's the "ask" in that ad?

Got it as yet?

Yep, you guessed it. The line "Buy Pepsi" works as the ask.

The funny thing is, I can argue that the ad outlined above is a good ad... a very good ad. In fact, you run a couple points of that in a media market not already saturated by Pepsi, and you would have guaranteed yourself new business flowing in. It works, because as simple as it is, it covers all the bases. I mean, sometimes, you just have to tell someone to do something, and that's enough.

But anyways... I'm not writing well today, so I'm going to quit early and get to the point of this whole post.

The Viva Pinata Ad

It's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

I can't really take the time out to explain in detail why it's so good. But, man... it's amazing.

So before we jump into it. Let's look at the audience.

Product: Video Game (rhythm-based game)\
Target Market: Non-traditional Video Game Players
Target Age: 10 through 30 (I say)

And here it is... in all it's brilliance:

F'n Brilliant

2007-07-29T16:03:00.000-05:00

"I think Steinbrenner's economic legacy on the sport is the way he illuminated the synergy between baseball and big cities, taking advantage of the fact that he was in the largest media market in the country and the entertainment capital of the world," says Zimbalist, the author of In the Best Interests of Baseball? The Revolutionary Reign of Bud Selig (Wiley). "What Steinbrenner did was basically say, 'Look, I can spend a lot more money on the players, and I can create a Broadway affect, and make this a prime entertainment venue in the New York market.'"

My new favorite TV show, now viewable online in HD... The Bronx is Burning.

The Definition of Hardcore

2007-07-20T18:25:00.000-05:00

Take one part Adult Swim + one part Mastodon, and you have the best movie opening, evar:

Spoiler Alert: Dumbledore Dies!

2007-07-19T17:17:00.000-05:00

In honor of all you Harry Potter freaks out there, I present to you:
School Vouchers meet Hogwarts

Part 1:

Part 2:

Quote

2007-07-16T11:06:00.000-05:00

"People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing."

- Florence Foster Jenkins (Audio Sample)

Well, I'll Post It Myself Then...

2007-07-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

Looks like Craigslist users complained about the post I linked to in my last blog. So, i'll just copy the post from my cache and put it up here:

Why I'm Glad To Be a Guy
As I awoke this morning, put on my clothes, and walked out to the subway it struck me that I would make a terrible female. If twenty three years and nine months ago a XX sperm hadn’t been boxed out by the winning XY squad then I would be Meghan and be living a completely different life no doubt. But this isn’t to hypothesize as to what my life would be like, nor a backhanded way to critique what could be perceived as flaws in the female character, but to recognize and acknowledge just how difficult it must be to make it in this world as a card carrying member of the XX crowd – and to wake up thanking my dad every day for the opportunity to live as a man.

And now, Why I’m Glad I’m No Woman:

1. Female Function:

The irony behind spending all day desiring vagina is that I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I had been born with one (and not in the way you’re thinking). I’m just straight up at a loss for words at how completely difficult it must be to maintain that thing as it seems like there is just so much that can go wrong with it. Let’s get the obvious out of the way here – you grow and carry around a baby for nine months as it does all kinds of fucked up shit to your body. Good god, I can’t commit to dog sitting for two weeks (and let’s not talk about the few unfortunate goldfish that got stuck with me at some point in their suddenly brief life), and your body is designed to carry around one or more humans for what can be years of your life. Now chalk up my irresponsibility and fear of commitment to immaturity, the only benefit to pregnancy (besides the obvious result of bearing child) is eating whatever you want. But I do that now anyways, and when you’re preggers in this health conscious culture you need to consider just what you want to be feeding your unborn. Plus you can’t drink or smoke for nine fucking months? And I imagine a cold stiff one is all you want the whole time. I can’t even go nine days.

And to avoid pregnancy (there’s always abortion, but ye gods I don’t want to go there – it’s just another reason why no male should have any choice in the matter), you could go on birth control. I tried to take a vitamin every day but barely lasted a week. Maybe my vitamin c count is below average, but the consequences for not taking a magic pill AT THE SAME TIME everyday is A BABY. Plus, can you imagine going on a routine with that pill like an AIDS patient with their ACT, and not be getting laid? I think that would derail/motivate me more than anything, like having the ability to fly at the same time I’m scared of being outside.

Another fantastic consequence to be responsible for fucking with your natural menstruation cycle is this horrid phenomenon called “spotting.” So you’re telling me that not only am I using drugs for tricking my uterus into cleaning house once a month regardless of visitors, but it’s going to further punish me by randomly ruining my favorite underwear without warning at any given time? That shit’s fucked up and when I first heard about it I could only begin to understand how paranoid I would be – my uterus could strike at any time!

So enough with babies – every time women have sex they have to piss shortly afterwards to prevent infection! How is that little health tip breached? I learned from afternoon sitcoms that all I had to do after sex was roll over and go to sleep, but you never see a woman run for the toilet on prime time! Even with infections and toxic shock and birth control pills and spotting under control, there are still a million more things that can go wrong down there! Men and women tend to share a lot of the same STDs, but with shit like HPV (and I know there’s more), there are diseases that guys never know they have, are never affected by, and can pass on and kill women! The worst consequence of sleeping with me should be a hangover, morning awkwardness, a walk of shame, and social ridicule – never death!

It comes down to the fact that for the female gender, sex is a far bigger risk and commitment then for men. This biological fact has trickled down and affected EVERYTHING attributing to the differences between our genders. Men are programmed to impregnate as many women as possible and women are programmed to find the balance of great genes and caretaker ability and hold him down for life. Both genders will eternally struggle against that natural instinct in the age of birth control and promiscuity.

Plus – another thing. Boobs. Sure guys might suffer some penis envy when comparing oneself to a certain porn star, and often boast (usually unfounded) at length about their length, etc. but unless you’re streaking down the hall (and slow) there is no public display of inadequacy. However, a woman’s chest is generally on display for everyone to scrutinize and I can’t begin to imagine how those racks on either extreme (huge or minimal) have to deal with the wide array of judgment, lust, and competition out there. You might tell me that women aren’t as self conscious about their chests like men are with their genitals, but I’ve heard boob jobs have never been more popular, and I can’t support that shit. Also, breast cancer is horrible and very public whereas I could switch out a nut for a bouncy ball and not notice the difference. Plus running without a jock strap is nothing compared to doing so without a sports bra.

In conclusion on this point: I was born, circumcised, and since haven’t had to care for my male genitals more so than my elbow. I’ll take a few cheap shots to the nuts over childbirth (or as I hear, stretching my lips over my head).

2. Looking presentable is time consuming and co$tly for females.

As I mentioned earlier, I can wake up, pick up the clothes off the floor, and walk out the door. The necessary maintenance for myself (and I’m talking minimum here) includes:

- a $12 haircut every two for four months

- replacing a razor/shaving cream every other month

- a bottle of hair gel each year

- a bottle of Pert Plus and Body Wash a month

and LITERALLY that’s it. When I’ve worn every article of clothing I own, I walk downstairs and shove everything into a giant laundry machine and after a drying cycle replaced them in my room. That’s laundry and that’s about once a month as well. I can exist with a nail clipping here and there, on a load of laundry a month and a trip to Duane Reade every other. I’m no movie star or gorgeous athlete, I’m just an average looking male whose day to day consists of little more than a shave and a shower.

Women, on the other hand, might be able to get away with running out the door once in a while, but spend almost equal time preparing for leaving the apartment as they spend on the outside.

Let’s start at the top.

Haircuts for women are pricey. Sure, I might have a few options when figuring out how to style my hair, but the possibilities for females are endless – I can’t even wrap my head around it. For that, they pay way too much money too often at the salon for a cut, at the store for products, in the bathroom/bedroom for washing, drying, and styling purposes. Then when you go out, it’s windy, and all been done for naught. When I’m feeling wild, I squeeze some goop in my hand and run it through my hair that’s been shampooed and conditioned by one product. Done.

Aside from eyebrow plucking, face waxing, mascara, foundation, blush, eyeliner, lipstick, blah blah blah, a woman is never satisfied with her face, which is why we rarely get to see it al natural. All that money is spent on creams and cosmetics and pain to put on a face and take it off daily, everyday. And like most painters that can’t leave well enough alone, the imperfections are covered up with more imperfections and the makeup just piles on until it’s beyond excessive. I am eternally grateful for the option to not have a mirror in my place and coming to grips that I wouldn’t be able to change anything anyway.

Then we get to the wardrobe. I can mix and match shirts and pants, shirts and ties, etc. All I need is a brown/black belt/set of shoes and a suit. I know exactly what is expected of me at a formal, business, and casual event and can match it easily. There is little demand to be creative and successful outfits are often repeated. I don’t know where I’d find the money or closet space to meet the demands placed on the women of our fashion focused culture. You will never have enough shoes, dresses, outfits, or accessories and we all know this. I celebrate the fact that as long as I’m socially presentable I’ll never have to go beyond dressing to impress on a daily basis. I can change clothes in less than a minute and not have to question how I look because 94% of the people that will see me that day won’t give a fuck. Not so for women. You judge yourself, you judge each other – it’s something you expect and demand. There’s nothing more I can say about your clothes except that I would never be accepted by better dressed people if I were a girl.

Men are hairy. I like that. Even when we don’t shave we look ok, whereas women are presumed hairless from eyelashes down and that’s a lot to live up to. If I had to shave my legs everyday just to leave the house I might just move to someplace North where it’s cold all the time. Plucking, waxing, shaving, creams, etc. etc. you’re a slave to the standard. And you know what? It’s nice. You’re soft, smooth, sleek, and beautiful in all the ways men are not and that’s what makes me a heterosexual. There’s really nothing I can say or do or think to change this fact that I’m just super happy it’s ok for me to be hairy. I embrace it today as I embraced it a decade ago – I’m just glad I don’t have to do it.

And finally, in this category at least, your bodies: Women, I presume, are under pressure to have big boobs, no waist, nice ass, toned legs, et al. I’d say it’s a fact that where a guy can manage a larger waistline, a belly is very exaggerated on a woman. It’s in part due to the way dresses and tight tops are made for women, or how exposed midriffs happen frequently, but it’s noticeable. So, not only are you shilling for manicures, pedicures, facials, “getting your hair done,” more shoes, shirts, dresses, purses, jewelry, etc. but if you aren’t in a gym, you’re doing something wrong. The big man is respected, the big woman mocked – that’s just how it is. Watch a Hungry Man commercial then flip to Kristie Ally hawking weight watchers products. How terrible that on top of your stomach crunches you shouldn’t be drinking beer or eating wings or enjoying carbs and calories? Case in point – the King of Queens (big man Kevin James) and his super hot wife.

And if you do all of this right? You’re wearing the right power suit to command respect and attention whilst still asserting your womanhood, trimmed, styled, and primped to feel the confidence you need to do anything, and? The end result is you’re still hit on by some sleazy drunk guy at the bar. Well, hey, you get free drinks and you might as well stay out, it took you over an hour to get ready to leave anyhow.

3. Female role models?

My last point in this long winded rant, and before you jump all over me here, is that I’m glad to be a guy because they public figures I want to relate to are guys. Now, hold on, think for a minute. What are some of your favorite bands? Favorite tv shows? Favorite writers? Favorite celebrities? It’s natural to want to be them and when you’re singing along; it’s a guy’s voice isn’t it? I’m selfish to want my karaoke attempt to be in the same tone as the original artist. I’m selfish to read and want to relate to my favorite writers because even though they’re gay (Sedaris, Palahniuk, Burroughs) they’re still guys. How many famous comedians are of the XX clan? We all know Silverman isn’t really that funny. Simply put, the media is still dominated right now by men. Women are taking an edge, but I’m still in the majority. I mean, perhaps I’m naturally drawn to guys BECAUSE I relate to them, but I wouldn’t be surprised that women have more men on their bookshelves, in their ipods, and next to the tv. I’ll take Indiana Jones over Tomb Raider and James Bond over Devil Wears Prada.

To conclude this whole damn thing, I just want to say I love women and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the pressures on the gender as a whole and don’t think I would be able to hack it. I’ve gained a new respect for you all because you put up with us. I can understand being crazy because it would make me crazy too. And I just want to thank you for all the work you all do for us. Women are the number one reason I’m not gay and I’m certain gay men appreciate you for that as well.

I couldn't have said it better myself

2007-07-13T18:58:00.000-05:00

"Why I'm Glad To Be A Guy"
By Random Boston Craigslist-er

From the Internet Acceptable Use Policy

2007-07-03T19:43:00.000-05:00

From the Internet Acceptable Use Policy:

5. Thou shalt not post materials concerning bestiality, including interracial relationships.

Man, teh interweb is full of gold this afternoon.

Mo' Money, Mo' Money

2007-07-03T19:11:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or does the news of a newly crowned world's richest man leave you a bit sad inside?

I know, I'll never come close to the boys at the top of the earnings bracket (well, maybe never), but somehow, the thought of the world's richest man being American was a point of national pride for me.

Bill Gates and his massive wealth, for all its faults, was a product of America - American mind, American innovativeness, American industry, American ~~Greed~~ entrepreneurship... all made in America. No matter what shit went down, we were always able to pride ourselves on the richest mf'er in the world being an American.

And now the news of a new richest man, Carlos Slim... A Mexican? Mexican!?!

...

They took our Jorbs! They took our Jorbs!

Religion of Peace

2007-07-03T11:20:00.000-05:00

"I was a fanatic..." says former fanatic in yesterday's Daily Mail:

... I remember how we used to laugh in celebration whenever people on TV proclaimed that the sole cause for Islamic acts of terror like 9/11, the Madrid bombings and 7/7 was Western foreign policy....
... For centuries, the reasoning of Islamic jurists has set down rules of interaction between Dar ul-Islam (the Land of Islam) and Dar ul-Kufr (the Land of Unbelief) to cover almost every matter of trade, peace and war.
But what radicals and extremists do is to take this two steps further. Their first step has been to argue that, since there is no pure Islamic state, the whole world must be Dar ul-Kufr (The Land of Unbelief).
Step two: since Islam must declare war on unbelief, they have declared war upon the whole world....

One day...

2007-06-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

One day,

before I'm gone,

I'd love to produce a piece of advertising

this powerful.

Finally Someone Said It

2007-06-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

An actually good read from MTV.com: Emo kids of today = Hair Bands of Yesterday

Quote of the Day

2007-06-07T20:34:00.000-05:00

"I responded to his comment with my right hand."

Alabama State Sen. Charles Bishop explaining why he punched fellow State Sen. Lowell Barron after he called him a "son of a bitch."

Black Republicans

2007-06-06T11:15:00.000-05:00

(Note: I've had this post in draft for several months now, but it's about time I finally got it up)

My faith in Hip-Hop has been restored.

Thanks to a buddy of mine, I recently came across a leaked track from Nas entitled "Black Republican." This track is notable for several reasons: the first collaboration between Jay-Z and Nas since the two ended their lengthy feud, the lush orchestral sample, and the amazing wordplay of the lyrics themselves. But the thing caught me the most was the title.

Listen to the track here

With a name like "Black Republican" for a hip-hop song, I was expecting a cheesy hip-hop beat coupled with a post-election rant on the Bush Administration, Katrina, and Oreos. But after my first listen, it was apparent that the current political landscape was the last thing on Jay-Z and Nas' minds when they penned this song.

It starts of with Jay-z's character in the song reflecting on his past, especially in comparison with his new-found success:

I feel like a black republican, money I got coming in
Cant turn my back on the hood I got love for them
Cant clean my act for good, too much thug in him
'Probably end up back in the hood, I'm like f**k it then

In a way, the song is surprisingly sympathetic to those who, out of personal necessity, chose to leave the trappings of home behind. While the song has less to do with Black Republicans in a political sense, the bildingsroman tale hits home, especially to yours truly. For many, the journey of a Black Republican starts of with a decision (usually early in life) to reject the status quo of their heritage and sets them apart, in sometimes uncomfortable ways. Call me the Alex P. Keaton of the family, if you must.

The song continues with him juxtaposing his life to that of a old friend, who took a much different path in life. As Jay-z's verse comes to a close, we are greeted by a gruff Nas who, in mid-song, counters with his character's take on the situation. With a slight modification to the hook, we get the other perspective:

I feel like a Black militant taking over the government
Cant turn my back on the hood I got love for them
Cant clean my act for good, too much thug in him
'Probably end up back in the hood, I'm like f**k it then

Nas introduces us to a street-wise anti-hero who laments his past transgressions, but nonetheless rejoices on his place in the world. With this retort, I'm reminded of a scene from The Mack (a brilliant movie and timely social commentary, despite the blaxploitiveness of the subject matter), where the self-made, ghetto-superstar of a Pimp, Goldie confronts his socially-conscious and black-empowered brother. A clash of world-views ensue leaving the audience to wade through a rather sticky moral dilemma: When faced with an unforgiving and ultimately hopeless environment, does one persist in seeking to "better" the world solely through good works and moral deeds? Or does one work within the system (or game), playing upon the instinctual vices of the characters to yield a result beneficial to the individual?

I wont answer that question here. Hell, the assumption of only these two options is probably invalid anyways. But I will say that, by virtue of my past choices (especially party registration), it's clear that I view maximizing personal utility as a stabilizing and ultimately good force to all the players involved.

(Insert your Free-Market criticisms and Black Republican jokes here)

Aside from the message of the track, The most notable aspect to this song is the amazing musical composition that backs the two MC's. You can't get any better than a bombastic orchestral sample, looped to perfection. Hip-hop producers... take some notes. I'm sick of the playskool-like beats and melody lines that have flooded the hip-hop scene of today. Doesn't anyone have a creative bone left in their body? I'm looking at you, Akon.

And finally, I came across this video today. In fact, this was the catalyst I needed to finally finish this post. The video's points are absurd, but it's funny nonetheless. God bless the kids at The Message.

Guess I Spoke Too Soon

2007-06-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

Damn Billy Donovan.

Damn Him To Hell.

Damn Damn Damn.

Are The Magic Back?

2007-05-31T18:14:00.000-05:00

Sweet sassy mo-lass-y!

The Orlando Magic signed Billy Donovan as Head Coach today!

Oh, Happy Day... Oh. Happy. Day.

Then again, this guy could suck in the NBA. This is not college basketball. And we know some coaches haven't made the switch to professional sport easily.

But damn, this is the best deal the Magic have pulled in years!

A Shining Example of Musical Brilliance

2007-05-05T11:11:00.000-05:00

I may be late on this, but I present to you, Imogen Heap.

And while we're at it. How about this cute SNL Digital Short? The music played is from "Hide and Seek" off of Imogen Heap's Speak for Yourself album.

How a $988 Flat Panel TV Destroyed A Market

2007-04-23T18:37:00.000-05:00

I find this simply fascinating. Guess it's time to buy that flat panel tele I've always wanted.

"Last "Black Friday," for its annual post-Thanksgiving sales blitz, Wal-Mart Stores decided to slash the price of one of the hottest electronics items for the holidays—the 42-inch flat-panel TV—to $988. ... In turn, Wal-Mart's move caused a freefall in prices of flat-panel televisions at hundreds of retailers — to the glee of many people who were then able to afford their first big-screen plasma or liquid-crystal-display model.

Now, it is becoming apparent that Wal-Mart's calculated decision to break the $1,000 barrier for flat-panel TVs triggered a disastrous financial meltdown among some consumer-electronics retailers over the past four months.

I Can't Get This Song Out Of My Head!

2007-04-23T11:37:00.000-05:00

Somebody... please help me. Make it stop!

If A Great Musician Plays Great Music But No One Hears... Was He Really Any Good?

2007-04-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

From the article:

"... No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made."

This Made My Day

2007-04-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

This, my friends, is what true hip hop is all about:

That's Pretty Underground

2007-03-29T14:49:00.001-05:00

Yes, he's a nerd. But damn... that boy can play.

2007-03-19T09:42:00.000-05:00

And I quote...

2007-03-13T09:25:00.001-05:00

COST is Religion, God Saved REVS
Originally uploaded by ultraclay!.

"I always say, We're going all the way to the top with it. Or all the way to the bottom. And either one is fine. I don't want no middle ground--being an average Joe. Put me on the top of the pile or the bottom of the pile. Either is fine, just no mediocrity."

- Cost on success in the graffiti world

(thanks ryan)

Wikipedia Snippet Du Jour... of the Day

2007-03-09T09:12:00.000-05:00

... the premise was originally added to appease Cartoon Network network heads, who "didn't want to air a show about food just going around and doing random stuff."

- Regarding the original premise of Aqua Teen Hunger Force as a crime-fighting detective team.

It's Funny... Because It's True

2007-03-05T12:54:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am the "Web Designer" type.

When you're down...

2007-02-19T10:02:00.000-05:00

...

... and troubled,

And you need some loving care,

And nothing,

nothing is going right.

Close your eyes

and think of me:

And soon... I will be there

To brighten up even your darkest night ...

(Poor Britney Spears. I feel like I'm watching The Wall in real life.)

Best Hip-Hop Video Ever

2007-02-16T19:20:00.000-05:00

This is the hottest *ish out there right now. Make sure you get the CD when the album drops. I give you "Speak - the Hungarian Rapper":

(Personally, I hate posting this in jest. These guys were really trying to do something positive here... however poorly it came out.)

On Idiocracy: Idiots and Immigration?

2007-02-13T22:23:00.000-05:00

I normally don't do this, but I felt compelled to pen a few words on a movie I ~~downloaded~~ rented recently, Mike Judge's Idiocracy.

For those of you who are not familiar with the film, the plot basically runs like this:

Joe (played by Luke Wilson) is pretty average... an average Joe.
Joe gets frozen in a military experiment.
Military experiment goes wrong and Joe is frozen for 500 years.
While Joe is frozen, natural selection takes a turn for the worst and the most inane yet fertile (ie: the Jerry Springer crowd) reproduce at rapid rates, while the DINKs of the world fail to procreate at relatively proportional levels. Thus, ridding of the world of intelligence and culture as we know it.
Joe awakens to a world full of imbeciles (and Carl Jr's) and is left to fend for himself as the smartest man in the world.

It's a cute premise and the treatment is smart. Take for example, the fact that the America of 2505 is running out of food because they failed to see the pitfalls of watering their crops with Brawndo, a Gatorade-like sports beverage that centers its marketing campaign around the mantra, "Brawndo has what plants crave: Electrolytes."

So yes, I enjoyed the movie more than I thought I would. And after seeing it again, I am convinced that Mike Judge knows how to make a film. Office Space was not a brilliant fluke. But something about the film left an odd taste in my mouth. But I think I finally put my finger on it.

If you watch the movie closely, you will notice that a majority of the envisioned U.S. population at 2505 are of Mexican (or generally Hispanic) descent. I didn't think much of this at first... in fact, I honestly didn't view it as an intentional artistic choice of the director. But then again, I'm no stranger to race agnosticism. I've missed things like this before.

Yes, most of the extras are dark skinned (although there are few blacks, if I remember right). Everyone had with at least one Hispanic surname. And even the traveling announcer, who gets no face time in the film.... had ample opportunity to announce the entrance of President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (himself a former extreme wrestler and porn star) while speaking in a thick Mexican-American accent, complete with a occasional "homles" thrown in.

But what is the director trying to tell us here, if anything?

To be honest, I believe Mike Judge is making a statement on immigration, independent of the general devolution theme. Of course, I didn't think of him trying to intimate that more Mexicans across the U.S. border = more idiots. But he's clearly painting a picture of an America that looks a lot different culturally than we know it.

You have to remember that Mr. Judge was born and raised in New Mexico and is now living in Texas. You can't go for that long and in that part of America without having strong feelings about immigration, one way or another. Whether or not he is communicating an principled warning or a cultural inevitability --- I believe it's all left to personal interpretation (Read: It's late and I'm punting here). But I can definitely assert that it's all funny in the end.

(God, I love racist humor)

P.S. - I finally got a new playlist up! Have a look at it to your right. (No Marc, your other right)

Shades of Blackness (Updated)

2007-02-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

So I had a rather lengthy post that sought to reconcile the media distribution methods of today with the pace of our collective cultural aging...

(Bottom Line Up Front: A decade's worth of events are now experienced every 3 to 4 years)

But instead, I ran across this SNL clip and just had to post it. For you Obama fans, you'll enjoy this:

Update: After watching the video again, I wanted to add this point to the post:

What's really fascinating to me is how Darrell Hammond refrained from darkening his skin for the sketch. He pulled off a convincing Jesse Jackson, yet, steered clear of any blackface pitfalls. Yes, it would have made sense to darken his skin to play a black public figure (and Jesse Jackson is rather light-skinned)... but he pulled it off without needing it. Hats off to Darrell Hammond.

I'm really not the "PC-Nazi" sort of guy, but as a Black man, I find this really encouraging... and I'm not sure exactly why.

Oh, and the sketch was damn funny too.

Just When Justin Timberlake Couldn't Get Any Cooler...

2007-02-08T18:58:00.001-05:00

I present to you, Dick in a Box... Live w/ Andy Samberg! (at MSG)

(Click the image below to play)

Yeah, his numbers are THAT bad

2007-02-05T18:42:00.000-05:00

I usually don't go for this sort of stuff... top 10 lists and such are starting to bore me. But this one is a classic:

Things with an approval rating higher than President Bush - Courtesy of Radar Online.

This is, of course, coupled with the news that Dubya's approval ratings are now at 28%. I mean, gawd damn... do you know how bad that really is? I mean, it's only four points shy of the all-time low held by Richard Nixon (who was not such a bad President at all).

Look, I know there's a lot to say about President Bush, but you all have to admit.... he's really smart.

...

And if that didn't make your head hurt, I now present to you - Man Balancing Baby.

They Stole My Wedding Idea

2007-01-30T18:15:00.000-05:00

Best Wedding Reception Ever = The Thriller Dance:

And speaking of dancing, I did salsa yet again last night... this time, it was the monday night dance session at the Clarendon Ballroom c/o the DC Salsa Meetup group. You'd think it would be old by now, but I just can't help myself. However tired I get from the day, the minute you hit the floor, you're coasting. And with that in mind, I bring you...

Salsa Lesson #25: No one really knows whats going on.

When I first got into the salsa (ahem) "scene," I had the tendency to want to analyze every single move as a series of perfectly coordinated routines strung together throughout a song.

Boy, was I wrong.

Half the dancers out there have NO clue whats going on or what will happen next. For example, the dance teacher on stage last night was one of the most amazing dancers I've ever seen... and even he screwed up multiple times while trying to show the group a set routine. It only started clicking when he was able to go at will with his partner - a total stream-of-consciousness.

What's really going on is a set of principles to the dance that will ensure the dance lead that "if I spin her this way, she won't get tangled in my arms, trip on my foot, and break her nose on the dance floor."

The minute I figured that out... it all started clicking for me. I could get as drunk as I wanted and still dance good (in fact, on some nights... it's a requirement). All I needed to remember is that "If I'm holding her right hand with my right hand... I better not spin her to the left while we're on the 3-step"

Okay, maybe it sounds a little complicated. But it's not, I promise.

Now, doing the Thriller dance... That's a whole different story.

Tickets for Sufjan

2007-01-29T13:08:00.000-05:00

In response to the Dcist recap of the Sufjan Stevens concert ticket giveaway, I give you my first-hand perspective on the event:

So I went there too.

Got there at 8:30.

Parked in the parking lot underground... it was empty, so I was feeling pretty good about my chances.

Got in the elevator with one other person. I remember her saying to me "Well, hopefully all the hipsters are hung over right now." I chuckled, but agreed. Sufjan Stevens couldn't be that big a draw to get people out of bed on a early Saturday morning.

We got out of the elevator.... not much people around inside the building. Signs were pointing us outside to the beginning of the line,

That never-ending line.

People were camped out right at the front of the door.

We walked around the corner... the line continued.

We made it around the second corner, out into the main outside parking lot.

It was filled with people... people waiting in line... thousands of people.

I remember feeling a little dizzy... slightly nauseous.

lineup at the kennedy center
Originally uploaded by poopface_productions.

We got in line... like the late assholes we were.

I turned to her (the elevator buddy) and mentioned "God, I didn't know there were this many hipsters in DC.

She replied, "Umm... you do know that this is a college town, right?"

Me: "..." I hung my head in shame.

I left 5 mintues later. I mean, I love Sufjan... but god damn, that was ridiculous.

...

Elevator buddy emailed me today to fill me in on what I missed. Apparently, 5 minutes after I left, they announced that all the tickets were gone. Even some of the people who camped outside missed out on the 2500 tickets available. And no, there are no tickets for sale... that is, outside of the craigslist persuasion.

...

So what have we learned from this experience? Well, we've learned another reason why the Free Market trumps any form of this communal bullshite. Because when the Free Market is properly applied to a system...

Dirty hippies, who have nothing better to do than to camp-out all night for concert tickets, lose. While the worthless yuppies, with a passing affection for latest trend of the day and a little too much disposable income for their own good, win.

And that makes me smile.

The Amen Break

2007-01-28T12:37:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm sorry for the excessive video-posts... but this is absolutely fascinating.

It's all about 6 seconds of recorded music...

And by music, I mean a breakbeat...

A breakbeat originally recorded in 1969...

A breakbeat that has been sampled well over a thousand times...

A breakbeat that, in essence, spawned an entirely new musical genre...

A breakbeat that goes by the name of "The Amen Break"

For those of you with 10 minutes to spare, give this mini-documentary a look:

P.S. - I have personally spent hundreds of hours over the years fascinated by this specific beat. I never took the time to research it. But it's shear musical utility has me baffled. This is where I get in the weeds on things, but after giving it a close survey, I'm convinced that it's the specific crash and sustain of the cymbal crash (almost like, it's audio hue) that makes this beat so robust.

I've heard this clip thousands of times in the various forms of music, so I'm questioning the source of this clips value. Is it the organic composition itself or maybe something different? Maybe the source of its value lies in the aggregated memorable experiences I've had when this beat was in use. I mean, think about it like this: When hearing that beat in it's stripped down form at the beginning of this video, I couldn't help but to bounce my head up and down while reminiscing, albeit briefly, over the first "rave" experience I had nearly 12 years ago.

Maybe its a by-product of the ever-shrinking attention span of the 21st century hipster, but it's fascinating that the mental hub we usually reserve for a full-length "My" song, to which we can hang our most precious memories and emotions, has now shortened into 6-second drum sequence that can define your entire post-adolescent experience.

I Miss Crossfire

2007-01-27T11:24:00.000-05:00

God, I miss CNN's Crossfire.

Personally, my favorite crossfire period were when they had crabby old Bob Novak vs. Bill Press in the early 90's. But then again, (as some of you may already know) I was a huge fan of the bow-tie as well. But this, has to be the best Crossfire clip out there. Frank Zappa vs. John Lofton on government censorship. I don't really follow Zappa musically, but you have to admit... the guy is an amazing debater. Quite entertaining as well.

Favorite line from the debate (at 2:00):
Moderator: "There are certain words you use to describe an act of fornication that is... is brutal."
Zappa: "So?"

Here it is:

Potent Potables: SOTU Edition

2007-01-25T08:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I have dozens of draft posts that I've been meaning to get out publish already... but in the interest of just getting something out there, I've put this to

The 2007 State of the Union watching party: While not as surreal as my 2004 Vice-Presidential debate experience (Take a dozen Bud Lights, Mix in the FL GOP congressional delegation and their staffers at the Capitol Hill Club, and add one drunk Katherine Harris swooning over VP Cheney and sitting on everyone's lap), this year's watching party was interesting, to say the least. I spent it with old campaign friends and other GOP staffers at Top of the Hill. What I found interesting was that, our heart felt critiques and obnoxious groans of disbelief at his proposals had many people around us assume that we were batting for the other side. Believe it or not folks... but many of us GOPers are as tired of this administration as your token liberal.

Shades of Blackness: Just for the record, I must announce that my buddy Marc in Orlando is officially Blacker than I am. Yes. Marc is my new black friend. We were talking the other day, trading music recommendations and such, and we realized... while I was going on and on about my re-discovering of the Pixies... he was hyping his renewed love for R&B and Funk music.

Dancing Machine: So I've become hooked on Salsa. I have a goal of indexing all of the Salsa nights around town so I can have the option of dancing every night of the week (boys and girls... if you know of any salsa-like happening on Tuesday nights, send it my way). But at the last few times at salsa nights, I've learned one important fact: Dancing is 10 times better after your 2 G&T. I've tried other drinks and none of them work as well as the Sapphire and Tonic. I literally turn into a different man once I've finished the second drink. And it's not like I become groggy or drunk... I guess it simply helps me remember how utterly bad-ass I truly am. Yes... that's it.

Oh... and another Salsa dancing tip: Spinning is good. The more you spin you or your partner, and the different types of spins you can pull off, the better it works in the end. If you only know one type of spin... do it over and over again... and you'll be fine. I swear.

And on that note... I leave you with a video I stumbled upon recently. Check out a Young James Brown doing his thing:

Gawd Damn

2007-01-15T20:35:00.000-05:00

I just need to throw this out there...

"Hey" by the Pixies.

Does music get any better than this?

Quite possibly, no.

Hats off to whoever introduced them to me in the first place.

In Memoriam

2006-12-25T09:19:00.000-05:00

To me, James Brown was a lot like Keith Richards. No matter how much drugs, or drink, or women the guy enjoyed... and he enjoyed tons of it... He would never die, you know? Well, it looks like the fast living life finally caught up with our man. And to honor his memory, I submit to you, the following:

And, of course.... the classic, James Brown Hot Tub.

Oh, and Merry Christmas, too.

Wait... is SNL funny again?

2006-12-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry, but Lazy Sunday has nothing on this:

DC in Five Stages

2006-12-05T22:08:00.000-05:00

Too good to pass up. This comes from a Mr. Dick Burns who originally posted this as a comment on a DCist thread.

(Yes, I am not above reposting content from other blogs) So, without further delay, I bring you...

The five stages of living in the DC area:

Stage 1: Living downtown is the greatest! It's so wonderful living in such a vibrant, diverse community. I love being able to walk to hipster bars, overpriced tapas restaurants, and leather furniture stores where the cheapest couch costs 6-months rent.

Stage 2: DC is a squalid cesspool, a third-rate wannabe capitol like Dakar or Isengard, full of hipster losers and youth violence gangs of rogue Uruk-hai.

Stage 3: Thank god I live in the suburbs! It's so clean, the schools are great, and I don't have to worry about being raped on the way back from Bed Bath and Beyond or having pennies thrown at my head.

Stage 4: Borf was right! The suburbs are a boring, sprawling wasteland of stripmalls, $tarbucKKK$s, and cookie-cutter McMan$$ion$. I read it in the Cliffs Notes to Foucault's Madness and Civilization. $ma$h the $tate!

Stage 5: Go to Stage 1.

So Fresh, So Clean

2006-11-29T02:12:00.000-05:00

An updated theme...

A new playlist-goodness of the moment...
(Check the sidebar to your right)

An inaugural podcast on the way...

Welcome back to your (new) favorite blog.

I-495blues (comma) bitches.

I've stirred up the hornet's nest in my brain

2006-11-27T03:11:00.000-05:00

All this talk of God, Creationism, Atheism, Flying Spaghetti Monsters and Funky Bass lines has me up waaay past my bed time.

For now, I leave you with my favorite logical tool in this ongoing debate... the NOMA principle.

This Week In God

2006-11-26T16:54:00.000-05:00

Sunday afternoon Wikipedia binges will be the death of me.

But god damn, aren't they fun.

And speaking of God, it seems like his holiness has been en vogue over these past few weeks. Especially in the wake of Thanksgiving and Christmas soon upon us, many of my thoughts have returned to the idea of him (or her, or whatever it is).

First off, let me double back to the beginning of the week when I found my trusty iPod after weeks of it being lost in my apartment (divine intervention, anyone?). It was left in my travel bag from my recent last-minute business trip to Atlanta. Having been away from the old music for so long, I decided to fire it up on random and interestingly enough, it started playing Jesus Christ Superstar: one of my favorite musicals of all time.

Yes, I said it... Jesus Christ Superstar is amazing. And not so much for the whole "Ooohh, a musical about Jesus"-angle... but more because, well... this thing is funky as hell. Plain and simple. I'll put it to you this way: It doesn't get much better than a musical finale with Judas being lowered from the sky in his angelic jumpsuit and tassels, as he sings Jesus' praises with his back-up soul dancers and a funk soundtrack dominated by a walking bass-guitar line... Perfection, fully realized. (Update: Click the picture for the scene I'm talking about)

But nonetheless, fast forward to today after a long drive home from Thanksgiving. I'm on the internets attempting to knock out some work, and sure enough, I get sidetracked by digg and wikipedia. This time, an article came up with someone attempting to rationalize the "high probability" that existence, as we know it, is simply a Matrix-like simulation maintained by creatures beyond our comprehension.

More than anything, I view this write-up is a cute attempt to intersect fan-boy mythology with existential philosophy... but its a fun read nonetheless. And when you consider his argument, the conclusion he makes is somewhat logical, even though his initial assumptions are anything but. (For more on this idea, I direct you to a further developed write-up, which is void of the mindless drivel that pollutes the original posting).

But with all of the Matrix-like comparisons aside, this theory is basically arguing in favor of the existence of God. I mean, when you think about it, if you woke up in the after-life only to find out that our almighty God was nothing more than a teenage boy fiddling with our universe in his copy of Spore on his Playstation 23... Or maybe a middle-aged author suffering of writer's block while the figment of her imagination walked the earth in constant search of her divine direction (Yes, for those of you who weren't keeping notes, Harold Crick is a comedic, yet brilliant characterization of Jesus)...

Would the possibility of God not being the larger than life, white-bearded alpha (and omega) male that we all thought him to be, cheapen his existence? Would we have wasted our time on earth attempting to seek and follow his will?

Of course, we all won't really know until we are done here in the current song and dance that is our lives. But in the meantime, if one needs absolute and irrefutable proof of God's existence, one need only look at Metheny/Mehldau, a newly released collaboration of two of the most amazing jazz musicians ever to pick up a guitar and piano (respectively). I came across this album at the recommendation of an old friend, and I am blown away.

Inspiration 2.0

2006-11-13T10:25:00.000-05:00

God Bless Lasse Gjertsen.

(be sure to watch the whole thing)

Why Does America Hate America?

2006-11-09T15:29:00.000-05:00

Yep... this sucks...

But we deserved it, didn't we?

However, '08 is looking pretty interesting.

I have a full post of info that I am putting together. Be back soon...

Potent Potables... one mo 'gin.

2006-11-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

New Computer = Apple MacBook Pro: Sexy, Sleek, Powerful, Mine... oh and might I add... free? Work does have its pros.

New Musick = anything from the Brazilectro series: Lounge music is simply killing me these days. Plus, it mixes very well on the new mac.

New Television = Heroes: It may not be the most intelligent show out there. But Heroes is simply the most fun to watch television show out there. Period. Maybe it's my Japan-fetish... but the Hiro Nakamura character is simply amazing.

New News = Neil Patrick Harris... content gay man!?!? First Mark Foley, then Rev. Ted Haggard, and now Doogie Howser! Is anything sacred anymore?

back...

2006-10-31T16:54:00.000-05:00

... for more fun

(couldn't stay away that long, could I?)

Poor Ralph

2006-07-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

Yeah, It's been a rough morning. In other news...

I just got back from Atlanta for the last couple days on business. Luckily for me, I was there right in the middle of their primary elections on Tuesday. I don't really have many ins on the Georgia political scene, but I recognize all the big names and camps... Perdue, Isakson, Chambliss, that wacko McKinney, and so on...

What I found the most fun was pinging Georgia residents on their election-day preferences. Surprisingly enough, almost every GOP'er I talked to was happy to share their utter distain for the boy-wonder political consultant who was up for the LT Governor nom... Ralph Reed.

Of course, his antics are already well documented and there is no love lost for him within many factions of the GOP. In fact, during my last campaign, I remember hearing some vague items on the Abramoff stuff well before it hit the press. I also remember meeting the guy at a Republican convention in Miami. I was with a particular elected official at the time and Reed was all smiles and jokes. A pretty nice guy I thought, but once Reed turned away, I remember the prominent Republican turning back to me and whispering "I f**king hate that guy and his ilk."

Anyways, I came across this on the morning read and had a quick laugh. Looks like Reed went down thanks to payback from the McCain camp for the South Carolina debacle back in 2000. As they say, What goes 'round...

Reed's connection to the Abramoff stuff had broken back in the summer of 2004, so it couldn't have been predicted that it would be such a huge deal even now. But it was. The Reed camp blames John McCain for playing payback for his 2000 primary defeat with a campaign of leaks, and the press, of course, was happy to pile on.

The Lost Mac Ads

2006-07-08T10:58:00.000-05:00

I know I'm getting trigger happy with the videos on the blog. But here's another one that I couldn't pass up.

(And yes... my next computer will be a Mac, regardless of the pompous ads that push them these days.)

And now, another stream-of-consciousness post from yours truly

2006-07-06T08:36:00.000-05:00

New commute to work... couldn't be better.

Crunch time is upon me. By the 24th, I'll either be hot shit or well... I'd rather not think of the alternative. Can I really retrain an entire company on a new operations management system I implemented? My vote is Yes (with many all-nighters included).

Started playing the guitar heavily again. Surprised that I didn't suck. (where's a piano when you need one). Looks like Marc and I will finally get on that loungebreakcorefusion project that we've been talking about for years. Once I set the studio back up in the new place, expect more of the self-produced mp3's (that you see on the right). Humm, maybe I'll get to post some of the songs we did a few years ago.

On second thought, maybe the great Republican hope is out there.

If only I can make it to the 24th in one piece...

And for good measure, a timely quote that I ran into the other day.

Cherish things while you still have them, not when they've gone, for one of the hardest things to deal with is regret.

Sucks... cause it's true. Where's that Orbital quote when you need it?

Move, completed.

2006-07-05T15:47:00.000-05:00

So long, Capitol Square Place...

Hello, Thomas Circle.

The long (and ahem, "fun"-filled) weekend is over. But hey, fireworks rocked.

Didn't know I had that much stuff to move.

Living on my own now...

... feels like I've lost a lot of friends thanks to this weekend of movement.

More travel is on the horizon... Atlanta for work, New York for fun, London for s'more work, (maybe Germany for Oktoberfest... pretty please).

Politics, still blah. Local politics doesn't excite me anymore. National politics is boring. Where's the next great (republican) hope when you need one? Am I just getting numb to all of this?

Suddenly, I'm engrossed (once again) in the humor of Eddie Izzard and the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat. What once was old and done with, is now the new-new.

And while we're on that, this story seems to be stuck in my head:
(From a transcript of the film, Basquiat)

There was this little prince with a magic crown. An evil warlock kidnapped him, locked him in a cell in a huge tower and took away his voice. There was a window made of bars. The prince would smash his head against the bars hoping that someone would hear the sound and find him. The crown made the most beautiful sound that anyone ever heard. You could hear the ringing for miles. It was so beautiful, that people wanted to grab the air.

They never found the prince.

He never got out of the room. But the sound he made filled everything up with beauty.

Best Music Video, Evar!

2006-07-04T14:42:00.000-05:00

Why Bono, Bob Geldof and others need to STFU

2006-06-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

Question of the day: What do we have to show for $US2.3 trillion in foreign aid over the past 50 years?

(I know, I know... the dirty republican is foreign-aid baiting you again)

But if you don't mind willfully suspending your disbelief for a moment, this article may have a few answers.

ARrrchhh!!!

2006-06-07T13:31:00.000-05:00

Blogger ate another post of mine.

h a t e.

Just when I decide to get something of value down... technology strikes again.

Ahh well, I'll go bullet point style until I can get some time to flesh out these ideas.

Ran into Woody Harrelson while swanking-it at my favorite bar.
Just finished leading a panel discussion with delegates of the Georgian Government on Political operations. No... not that Georgia, the other Georgia.
Prefuse 73... still rocking it live.
Going drinking with the boss... always a good idea.
7. 8. 9. Other stuff... all deserve their own blog posts...

Oh and thanks to The Garden, Zero 7 = Your oldie-but-new-new band of choice.

not a norml night

2006-06-07T12:38:00.001-05:00

This is the first of a multi-post brain dump that I've been meaning to do for sometime. Let's just say, if I didn't get it out now, my head asplode. Forgive me for the delay...

...
(From a few weeks back)

The roommate and I approached the doors of my favorite city lounge at the cusp of midnight. We were startled by the lengthy line of well-dressed nightwalkers that had formed at the entrance. The doors were firmly closed, but the anxious patrons patiently waited for the momentary opening from the bouncers.

The roommate looked at me puzzled and she whispered, "We're never going to get in now, you know?"
I replied with a snark, "Of course we aren't," while pulling out my golden ticket of a cell phone.

I made the call, and the door promptly opened. Familiar faces flagged us in from the entry way. As we walked up, I noticed the line of club hoppers all turn their heads towards our way. If I remember right, someone from the crowd yelled

"Hey, wait your turn!"

I looked over slighty to catch a glimpse of a group of manacing twenty-something guys all steering my way. I grinned a bit, then turned to the bouncer to give the universal 'Dap' of a handshake and escorted us in.

Along the way up the stairs, the roommate looked at me and quizzed, "What the hell was that?"
"What the hell was what?" I asked coyly.
"I don't know what the hell just happened there," she replied. "But let me tell you... that was better than sex!"
"Wow... sucks to be you."
I immediately felt the quick slap over her hand upside the back of my head...

Fast forward a bit...

Some friends and I are all sitting around a coffee table in the gold room, nursing a set of mixed drinks. The special guest DJ for the night was incredible and the lounge mood, while always dead-on, was simply fantastic. With light coversation focused on new music of interest and recent travels from everyone in the party, I noticed a manager friend wave me over from across the room. I excused myself and headed his way.

"Hey man... get this," he asked. "Have you remember Cheers?"
"Like, the TV show, Cheers" I reply. "Of course."
"Yeah yeah... do you remember Woody Harrelson from that show?"
"Yeah dude, he was in White Men Can't Jump either. What's the deal."
"Look over to the table next to you guys," the manager motioned. "He's sitting right over there, with a baseball cap."
"Whaa..." I look. "Damn, that's him. Freaking ridiculous man. Thanks for the heads up."

I head back to the table and quiz my friends, much like the manager quizzed me. Once they noticed who I was talking about, some of the ex-hippie friends of the group were quick to add...
"He's probably out in DC for some NORML event or something... let's go say hi!"

And that they did, chatting briefly with Woody and the rest of his entourage. Surprisingly, the guy was a nice fellow. They kept it short, but it was enough to set us spinning for the night.

Eventually, I found out that he was out in DC for some other business. Regardless, it was nice to party like a rock star for a night.