tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13843080708785836992024-03-04T23:17:59.089-08:00trenton takesjasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15656920230609854499noreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-17168912157736495582020-01-03T18:35:00.001-08:002020-01-03T18:41:07.725-08:00scattered star wars thoughtsI have to say that I am a bit relieved to see the lukeward critical response to TRoS. Not so much because I want a giant tentpole property/Disney/the current Hollywood system to fail (given recent trends, the reaction here is a small blip), but more because I am increasingly exhausted by fandom as it currently exists. It feels like in the past 15 years or so, being a fan of a genre property became akin to liking an NFL team. Think Iron Man “vs” The Dark Knight in 2008, the DC Cinematic Universe, the Pixar movies, the Harry Potter world of whatever. I am obviously not the first to point out that fans have convinced themselves that supporting specific films/tv shows/etc is now a moral obligation. I am very much looking forward to the day where being a fan of something means arguing with your friends at sleepovers/over beers/at the theater. Screaming at anonymous folks over the internet is enervating and not much fun. Sadly, I do not think that day is arriving anytime soon, though; it’s as much a relic as the idea of Star Wars or comics being niche interests.<br />
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Not only is Star Wars’ time as a small, but significant, snapshot of a specific moment in time culturally long over, so is the kind of storytelling it used. Outside of the creation of Industrial Light & Magic, George Lucas’s greatest contributions have been finding ways to adapt the low-budget serials of his youth first into great, self-contained homages and then expansive franchises with highs and lows. The challenge with both the original serials and stories like Indiana Jones and Star Wars is how to arrive at a satisfying conclusion after so much build up in terms of story and character. One approach is to embrace the artifice of the form, just have a few adventures, and let the audience imagine how things can continue or end in their minds. This is basically how Indiana Jones worked, with Temple of Doom being a prequel, and each movie being a standalone story with varying levels of success. The benefit here is no one is saddled with audience expectations that “THIS IS THE LAST ONE,” each story can be told and then, when creator and audience interests move on, the story just disappears to time (does anyone know how/when Ming the Merciless was ultimately defeated?). Sort of like the old serials. The obvious alternative is to try and come up with a definitive end. The problem here is not just audience expectations, it’s that these kinds of stories are never intended to be resolved, like soap operas or Dragonball Z. The perpetual suspense of what could happen next is the whole appeal, so it’s no wonder that trying to wrap things up with a tidy bow rarely works. <br />
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With that in mind, I do think that there are some exceptions, but they come from the new land of serials, tv, and specifically kids’ tv. The first example is the Clone Wars tv show. It both embraced the anthology style of story-telling as in Indiana Jones, where we get snapshots of what happened during the war, with a loose but clear arc of how the institutions and people who led the Galactic Republic changed. In addition, by using the beginning of each episode to do a sort of newsreel “update” on what was happening each episode, it called back to the serials of the 30s and 40s without explicitly connecting each episode. This allows viewers, especially kids, to just jump in at any point in the story and become engaged. The other example are the now-beloved shows that make up the DC Animated Universe from my youth. They by and large took a similar anthology approach to their stories, with a couple of major exceptions, the most obvious being the Cadmus storyline. What worked out very well for that story was that Timm, Dini, McDuffie, and others had put in a lot of time building up the future of that world when Batman Beyond came on tv 20 (!) years ago. So, when it came time to wrap up Cadmus, they could draw on that flashforward to tie together the five series they’d worked on. (Sidenote: interesting that Rey’s searching for her place & lineage are not too dissimilar from Terry McGinnis). Also, the Cadmus story is not the final season of Justice League Unlimited, as they got renewed for one more season. That really allowed those guys to tell basically a full epilogue season that did not affect the final events that are supposed to take place decades from the present. In either case, the idea is to wrap up this particular story, and suggest that viewers use their imaginations to continue to expand the world. None of this “end of the saga/legend” business to which movies seem so wedded. <br />
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Anyway, onto the TRoS itself. I mostly thought it was fine. As someone who has basically seen all the movies and shows, I wasn’t terribly offended from the central premise of the movie. Most of the failures to me are in how things are revealed, the pacing, and whose stories are foregrounded. Just for example, the whole thing with C-3PO’s memory being wiped felt pretty inert given that his memory was wiped… at then end of episode III. Such is the life of a droid, shouts to IG-11. Instead, seeing R2 sidelined hurt me more than I thought. Also, I agree with many others that sidelining Rose Tico was weird and inconsistent with what TLJ set up. But, it seems clear that many fans, JJ Abrams chief among them, are by and large scared of introducing new ideas into this universe. This was most evident to me with choosing to make Finn in love with Rey again (who cares? Rose was right there) and with continuing to include folks from the original trilogy. I cannot say that I always wondered what Lando was up to after Endor nor when our new heroes would meet him, but Billy Dee Williams wasn’t terribly intrusive and I was glad to see him having fun. <br />
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Palpatine is a trickier one, for me. On the one hand, I was mildly disappointed to find that Rey was not, <a href="https://adamserwer.tumblr.com/post/135932691418/who-is-rey">as Adam Serwer predicted</a>, a Vader clone (which seemed to be teased a few times throughout these movies). On the other hand, her being related to him is still consistent with the central idea of Adam’s theory that Palpatine wanted insurance for the future and Rey’s choices are still ultimately her own, in keeping with some of the ideas of TLJ. I do not think Palpatine needed to be alive for her to learn her heritage, though. I suspect that this has more to do with Abrams wanting to play with the same toys as George Lucas while the people who captured his imagination as a child. The other issue is that many fans have sworn off the prequels and Lucas failed to see that the more compelling protagonist of that trilogy was Palpatine (an idea the Clone Wars tv show understood quite a bit better). By only getting glimpses of Palpatine’s rise to power, we are kind of robbed of the emotional potential of Rey’s story. But then, that would turn these movies into something other than the “Skywalker Saga.”
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That said, there are a couple of ideas that, when viewed in the bigger picture, make this entry pretty interesting to me. The first is that by Rey once and for all (?) ending the Sith, it reinforces the idea that the Jedi were wrong about the prophecy of the “chosen one.” Once again, Anakin failed to bring balance to the force. Instead, the offspring of the Jedi’s most effective enemy eliminates their threat. One unintended consequence of expanding on the original trilogy is the extent to which it forces the audience to consider the full lives of the heroes and the ways in which they profoundly failed. That was the whole point of the prequels, and this final entry to this aspect of the SW universe is no different by pointing out just how wrong Qui-Gon Jinn was in his original assessment of Anakin. I also appreciated that the mind-merge stayed and that more of its potential was realized, especially the fight in Ren’s quarters. It lacked the eerie quiet and intimacy of their interactions of the previous movie, but I can easily handwave that away as their powers/connection growing. I would also say that I liked expanding the worlds that are visited, and strongly suggesting that Finn is coming into his own Force sensitivity. That gets back to my idea about ending this story segment while suggesting that even more can be imagined. I generally feel that not every minor storyline needs finality, with one major exception.<br />
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I would not call what I am about to say a criticism, but there is one idea from the totality of the Star Wars movies that I think needed to be addressed more fully, and that is the inequality across the galaxy. The prequels lay this out a bit, but especially in the Phantom Menace, we learn that the Republic isn’t really doing its job to ensure that citizens are treated fairly across systems. Corruption is rampant, slavery is ongoing, while folks in Coruscant are living it up. This idea does not really get any further treatment until TLJ, and that movie’s engagement with the full film series is I guess one of the reasons some people hated it. I truly never understood. Anyway, getting a glimpse into Canto Bight, child labor, and the cycle of war profiteering at the highest levels of society had me excited for a final installment that would resolve what, to me, was a central tension in this fictional universe. Sadly, it was not to be, and I suspect a lot of my fellow fans probably prefer not to think about the logistics of rebuilding a society after decades of war. But who knows, maybe Disney+ is working on a Star Wars/Deadwood mashup created by the guys who did Justified or something.<br />
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Stray thoughts:<br />
<ul>
<li>Whereas George Lucas figured out a way to transform disregarded genre serials into big movie making, JJ Abrams is pretty good at recreating the surface feeling of of his influences. Given that before Star Wars, he would hop around resurrecting franchises like Mission: Impossible and Star Trek, combining his mystery box hook with the ability to recapture the original feel of those movies proved pretty successful. But, once he goes returns to a world, that formula runs old, like the second Star Trek. Honestly, given the reception that movie got, I was surprised he would try his luck again by helming a second and “THE LAST” Star Wars. I guess pride goes before the fall.</li>
<li>Something I’ve been turning over in my head, but don’t know where to put it: outside of eps IV, V, and VIII, the Phantom Menace is the next most interesting Star Wars movie. I am absolutely willing to argue about this. </li>
<li>This is not a big return to blogging; I have plenty on my plate now. I just had these thoughts in my head and needed a space to put them. That being said, as things come to me about just about anything, I’ll put them here for the sake of just being able to keep track of my thoughts. It will help keep me sane as it will force me to think about something other than all science, all the time.</li>
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bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-45065513600810432112011-01-24T21:44:00.000-08:002011-01-24T22:52:48.758-08:00On Cyberpunk Spider-Man.Anytime I find myself with an extended period of time without responsibility, such during my recent move a few months back or this past holiday season, I find it incredibly difficult to motivate myself to do much besides read and revisit/discover TV shows or movies that have caught my interest. Over the past couple of years, each time I have loads of time, I've revisited various chapters of the <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-dc-animated-universe,47916/">DC Animated Universe</a>, which I am sure I have talked about some here and <a href="http://yelzebub.tumblr.com/">elsewhere</a>. I won't talk about what makes it such a compelling story to me, but something I watched this weekend while doing laundry made me appreciate the storytelling and world-building of the DCAU crew. It's a show that is actually very similar to their own <em>Batman Beyond</em>:<em>Spider-Man Unlimited</em>.<br /><br />For four years, Fox ran an original Spider-Man animated series that was rather ambitious for children's television in the 90s. It used long story arcs, a huge cast of characters from the Spider-Man world, and tried to incorporate the other Marvel characters (many of whom had their own shows) to tell one giant story. I never watched it religiously, but I tuned in more often than not, though they lost me as a 10-year-old when Madame Webb and interdimensional travel made an appearance. In short, it was faithful to the source, but uneven due to mediocre animation and lots of laser guns/giant robots, and through it all was successful during its run. A year later, for some reason, the guys at Marvel thought it'd be a good idea to give the character a new set of adventures in a sequel series and the result was this:<br /><br /><object id="flashObj" width="400" height="300" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=70069425001&playerID=16681868001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAAr7e30~,vihvuRVBQpNFbdXq-mJPiy5bq6kzgKag&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=70069425001&playerID=16681868001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAAr7e30~,vihvuRVBQpNFbdXq-mJPiy5bq6kzgKag&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="400" height="300" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" swLiveConnect="true" allowScriptAccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><br /><br />I won't say there aren't interesting ideas in even the first five minutes... it's just so jam-packed and terribly paced. First of all, how did MJ return from being lost in some other dimension/time/world? That Spider-Man is disliked by much of New York (the country? the world?) is something that the old show would have taken a few weeks to process, and show how Peter was dealing with being seen as a pariah. Instead, we jump ahead six months where everything has been worked out, and Parker even has a new suit thanks to Reed Richards (no cameo, he stole it at some point we never see). And then there's the space travel and Counter-Earth. For perspective, this is the first of a two-part episode, and already it's moving so fast that it's not worth paying attention. And the icing on the cake: they completely changed the animation style to make it more reminiscent of a comic book and recast the voice of Peter Parker. Yet, they reused his heroic theme. In a sequel series. The mind boggles.<br /><br />Compare the first few minutes of <em>Spider-Man Unlimited</em> to the pre-credit sequence of <em>Batman Beyond</em> and, like me, you'll be surprised by its emotional power:<br /><br /><object width="640" height="481"><param name="movie" value="http://www.megavideo.com/v/2I2UOEZ1aa118a474f0381f3a6e1b9f2c73a7aa4"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.megavideo.com/v/2I2UOEZ1aa118a474f0381f3a6e1b9f2c73a7aa4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><br /> Whether you've watched the previous shows that are in the continuity is irrelevant; the show's creator's were focused on good storytelling, period. It doesn't hurt that the animation style and voice acting remained consistent, but the writing/animation came first. I remember vividly my anticipation for this show. It seemed like a naked cash grab to get kids to buy new Batman toys (a teenage Batman!), and somehow it worked better than anyone would have expected. As a quick aside, it's funny to note that in both of these shows, besides the post-apocalyptic future setting both kind of share, each hero's suit includes a cloaking device. Whereas <em>Spider-Man Unlimited</em> used lavender waves to show you that he's invisible, the DCAU just made Batman clear with some shadows. It's the little details that make all the difference.<br /><br />To be clear, this is really not a "DC vs. Marvel" rant, though I am a bit skeptical about all of the movies Marvel is making and trying to tie them together. It just seems like it will be so easy to make a giant mess, especially considering there all being written, directed, and produced by different people. I hope for the sake of those character's fans that I'm wrong.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-3986570135080638532010-12-08T23:48:00.000-08:002010-12-08T23:51:35.506-08:00Let 'em fight.<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wxR5wLQgh54?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wxR5wLQgh54?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Thanks to the greatest reality tv show ever and Power 99, I will never forget this song. The summer after I graduated from high school, this was all they played.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-63620237313957093562010-11-24T11:30:00.000-08:002010-11-24T11:34:30.296-08:00Gordon Smith.<embed src="http://www.forbezdvd.com/player.swf?id=15753" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="415" width="480" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false" allownetworking="all" wmode="transparent" name="player"></embed> <br /><br />And yet, his acting is still better in <i>Belly</i>. Given that he was in Hawaii to shoot this scene, is it safe to assume he also ended up on the <span style="font-style:italic;">MBDTF</span> cutting room floor, and we'll hear that tune in the coming weeks?bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-78819353222266661932010-11-14T10:43:00.000-08:002010-11-14T11:19:52.275-08:00Trying my best to find my way<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/orxEYm4sjSo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/orxEYm4sjSo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />As someone who hasn't truly liked an album by Kanye in about five years, I must say this new one is quite a force. When I was listening to it yesterday, I got to "All of the Lights" and I realized that this album reminds me a lot of Marvin Gaye's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here,_My_Dear"><i>Hear, My Dear</i></a>. I think the reason I couldn't get into <i>Graduation</i> or <i>808s</i> was I didn't feel a sense of urgency from Kanye; he didn't give off the feeling that his moment was fleeting. Instead, it was always meant to be, and he was basking in it. But with <i>MBDTF</i>, from the lyrics to the production, it feels clear to me that his mother's death impacted a whole lot more than any breakup or MTV incident. One of the things that appealed to me about Kanye the summer he released his first single was that he had so many directions his thoughts could take him, and as he got more famous/isolated, his perspective didn't really match my own. So to hear him, however briefly, mention his bags getting searched on "Gorgeous" or talk about how he relates to what is happening in the world, I remember why I was such an ardent fan in the first place. He's not just angrily venting about his ex, he's trying to work through his own problems, which is much more relatable. To get back to to the <i>Hear, My Dear</i> comparison, the song above is easily my favorite from that album, and comes halfway through a 70-minute kiss-off to Anna Gordy. The trauma of losing a significant other or loved one can force you to reassess your values and trajectory in life, and it's pretty obvious Gaye is concerned with all that as his marriage is crumbling. I haven't watched or listened to any of the interviews Kanye has given, since Matt Lauer is hard to deal with, but does anyone know if he's been asked about his mother's passing and how that influenced his goals with his album? I'd be curious to know if he brought it up on his own, too. Anyway, the way this new album plays reminds me of my own thoughts when I lost my grandmother and my roommate lost a close friend. In sum, it's good to hear Kanye thinking broadly again. <a href="http://yelzebub.tumblr.com/post/1572358928/freeway-victim-of-the-ghetto-feat-rell-as">Also, Bink!</a><br /><br />As good as this thing is, I still don't think Kid CuDi needs to be on here at all. And does Alicia Keys only moan and yell now? Plus, the posse cut combination of "Monster" and "So Appalled" feel rather random in terms of flow, but I like both.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-34620080783744278192010-11-06T16:48:00.000-07:002010-11-06T17:20:55.640-07:00It should be clear by now that I am a pretty big basketball fan. I don't have a TV, nor do I follow the league at all times, but I care a great deal about the players and certain teams/styles of play/uniforms. Basically, I am a sucker for the details. If I learned anything over this past summer, it's that when you feel like mainstream outlets for sports news are failing you in terms of depth or breadth of coverage, go looking for what you want. If I might recommend one source to a few of you, it would be <a href="http://voiceonthefloor.com/">Voice on the Floor</a>. It's a series of podcasts from a bunch of different basketball writers, of various length and tone. I would encourage you all to listen to the first episode, looking at how the Gilbert Arenas episode effected the Wizards. I'm of the opinion that great, long-form reporting on sports and science are lacking in terms of the quantity of resources, so anything like this I can get my hands on, I will cherish. Enjoy.<br /><br />Also, has anyone listened to the 11-minute Kanye song yet? I haven't heard it, is it worth checking out?<br /><br />At first glance, I see the merit <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2010/11/04/131063935/listening-to-the-anthology-of-rap">in this article</a>, but it is also so incredibly frustrating. I need to think more clearly about why it bothers me. Though a quote like this:<br /><br /><blockquote>FK: When you were reading all these lyrics, did you ever imagine what they would sound like spoken?<br /><br />SA: It's funny: I mostly imagined them in my internal "textual" voice — the voice I tend to use for all reading. Which is probably a ghost version of my own.<br /><br />FK: So all the same tempo I'm guessing.<br /><br />SA: Yeah, basically the same. <b>And then I'd read some of my favorite passages aloud to my wife, and she would laugh at me because it sounded ridiculous.</b><br /></blockquote><br />makes it easy to see why I'm irritated. My emphasis, by the way.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-62365870991713593332010-11-02T22:07:00.000-07:002010-11-02T22:17:45.762-07:00An announcement.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJFBi1lNPtcxsEAsUbEXBkzZNa-yLRoRtJBTcGJYkI7lvfNDPCcx6ioqrZlyPkK0hrmvZr6t1ZSMDR1Cx3whQAj37L_5otTa6v3t4h4EKdPbVA4xj__UY9Afc-o0g5ajqFpCunZq5S9w/s1600/SP_logo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJFBi1lNPtcxsEAsUbEXBkzZNa-yLRoRtJBTcGJYkI7lvfNDPCcx6ioqrZlyPkK0hrmvZr6t1ZSMDR1Cx3whQAj37L_5otTa6v3t4h4EKdPbVA4xj__UY9Afc-o0g5ajqFpCunZq5S9w/s320/SP_logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535187859517678754" /></a><br /><br /><br />I suppose it's been a while, for which I apologize. I was busy moving across the country and trying to get my act together for graduate school. I suppose the break was good to acquire new music and just marinate over my opinions, but I feel guilty neglecting the site. I'll resume opinions soon, and I may try podcasting provided i make the time to do so. I also started a <a href="http://yelzebub.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a> about a week ago. I imagine that the podcasts will go both there and here. Some of you may know that I did a radio show in college, and I kind of miss that structured playtime. So why not relive that experience thanks to modern technology? I'll try and get my act together, for all our benefits. Since I don't have much of a social life, I took all of five minutes to come up with a name and "artwork" for this radio show, as you can see. I'm trying to convince my roommate to join me on the show, so look out for that. But it will happen, and there will be music.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-43130797801010251852010-05-15T15:02:00.000-07:002010-05-15T15:12:19.023-07:00blow the whistle.<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hJSvX-MwUe4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hJSvX-MwUe4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="400" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />We had this conversation <a href="http://trentontakes.blogspot.com/2009/05/kingdom-come.html">last year</a>. Mike Brown, above all, is the problem. He has no actual gameplans, which isn't useful if Bron Bron gets in foul trouble, gets hurt, or has an off night. Having said that, if I were Mr. James, I'd leave Cleveland... who really wants to live there for the rest of your 20s?<br /><br />and for good measure: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i31.tinypic.com/33m8s2d.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 250px;" src="http://i31.tinypic.com/33m8s2d.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-66601892785059554432010-04-06T20:17:00.000-07:002010-04-06T20:20:27.297-07:00Switch my girls around like 3L-dubfrom this:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/drvS9w-lTMc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/drvS9w-lTMc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />to this:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J96ujGstSUw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J96ujGstSUw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />I've been listening to Grit & Grind all week, so I can't really focus. I honestly need an E 40 Fonzariggadale dictionary.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-159362175112227342010-03-10T15:21:00.001-08:002010-03-10T15:21:39.469-08:00Mind Control<object id="flashObj" width="486" height="412" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/7412036001?isVid=1&publisherID=1119373788" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=71182930001&playerID=7412036001&domain=embed&" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/7412036001?isVid=1&publisherID=1119373788" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=71182930001&playerID=7412036001&domain=embed&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" swLiveConnect="true" allowScriptAccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><br /><br />We need more of Monch rapping, stat.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-51004654542954839202010-03-04T18:08:00.000-08:002010-03-04T18:09:06.898-08:00Swallow my own nut rap<object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/siu_sM6PtQ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/siu_sM6PtQ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />These guys did a song together? For that, I am grateful.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-40621742559328502352010-01-30T20:49:00.000-08:002010-01-30T21:20:46.828-08:00Story of my life.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.marthas-vineyard-vacation-tips.com/images/marthasVineyardOakBluffs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 348px;" src="http://www.marthas-vineyard-vacation-tips.com/images/marthasVineyardOakBluffs.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10540">Devon smiled at me while radiating that familiar school-style vibe that she was very, very unimpressed with me. I was standing out in the sun, the seagulls pecking a few feet away. but I could've been back in the city, stumbling like a clod through the highways of my high school. Picture the great factory churning out the women who would never smile my way except in condescension, the busy assembly lines, the intricate distribution plan that ensured that my vicinity was well stocked. Erica, at least, would chuckle at some oddball comment of mine. Devon didn't understand a singe word out of my mouth, but she was raised right and didn't express her revulsion overtly. I think she was simply puzzled by me.</a><br /><br />I used to go to Martha's Vineyard instead of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sag-Harbor-Novel-Colson-Whitehead/dp/0385527659">Sag Harbor</a>, but I think the point remains/bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-50333264918592464352010-01-17T09:37:00.000-08:002010-01-17T09:53:12.110-08:00Radioactive Spider-manAs I've mentioned before, <a href="http://trentontakes.blogspot.com/2009/02/buy-your-own-damn-fries.html">I've never been one</a> to read or collect comic books. But, as a kid, I watched loads of cartoons based on comics. A couple months ago, I found out about <i>The Spectacular Spider-Man</i> tv show. I know I'm late on this, but I rarely watch tv as it stands, let alone get up for Saturday morning cartoons. Anyway, I'd read comparisons to the great Batman show from elementary school, and figured I would check it out. It <i>is</i> quite good, though I wish each episode were a bit more patient in its storytelling. One thing that shows like <i>Justice League Unlimited, Spectacular Spider-Man</i>, etc. have as an advantage over comic movies is that I always believe that when Vulture is flying around, it's the original character and not a computer generated stand-in. Animation lowers the amount I have to suspend my disbelief, so I can follow the story and not worry about production costs (though I remember that being an issue for the Iron and Hulk shows as a kid, because they were awful). There's also the whole "13 episodes a season" and "hope for 65 episodes total to get to syndication," which if played right, can make for some epic storytelling if planned well. Anyway, after finishing the new animatedweb-slinger show, I just revisited an episode of the old one. Any preferences?<br /><br /><object id="flashObj" width="400" height="300" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/16681868001?isVid=1&publisherID=184253309" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=31773737001&playerID=16681868001&domain=embed&" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/16681868001?isVid=1&publisherID=184253309" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=31773737001&playerID=16681868001&domain=embed&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="400" height="300" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" swLiveConnect="true" allowScriptAccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qsg5kfUdG2g&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qsg5kfUdG2g&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />I think I'm next onto the old X-Men show. I'm a couple episodes in, and as I remember, the story itself is quite mature and very patiently told. The animation however? Yikes. Does anyone recall if it gets better? As a kid, I stopped watching around the Phoenix Saga since it required seeing every episode in order, which is hard to do when by 11 a.m. you're out of the house. I also think I lost patience that it wasn't just focused on one character, which I can now appreciate. We'll see how it goes.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-86900505366410620212010-01-14T04:44:00.000-08:002010-01-14T04:45:22.292-08:00<object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ey2JUUrBFs8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ey2JUUrBFs8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-2925498846893998312010-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:04:45.525-08:00<object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bJGMAhWpDF8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bJGMAhWpDF8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />For reasons I don't have time to get into right now, I find pieces like this fascinating for a number of reasons. To begin with, <a href="http://jujumama.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/steve-harvey-take-off-your-shirt-3.jpg">Steve Harvey</a>, thrice married, is giving relationship advice to women. As soon as I finish up traveling tomorrow, I'll try to expand some on how I feel about this issue, because it seems like it has been <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/09/AR2009120904546.html">coming up more and more</a> recently.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-91685844724088536162010-01-01T11:57:00.000-08:002010-01-01T11:59:00.933-08:00<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8477890&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8477890&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/8477890">Big Boi Ft. Gucci Mane - Shine Blockas (Official Video)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/snort">SNORT THIS TV</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />Can someone explain to me why 1/2 of one of the most popular/successful rap groups of all time can't get a damn marketing budget? Those crackers clearly ain't playin' fair Jive.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-92026922206121667242009-12-18T17:14:00.000-08:002009-12-18T17:17:51.374-08:00Catcher Freeman was a sexy man<embed wmode="opaque" src="http://static.ning.com/socialnetworkmain/widgets/video/flvplayer/flvplayer.swf?v=200912171415" FlashVars="config=http%3A%2F%2Fmy.spill.com%2Fvideo%2Fvideo%2FshowPlayerConfig%3Fid%3D947994%253AVideo%253A128563%26ck%3D-&video_smoothing=on&autoplay=off&isEmbedCode=1" width="456" height="344" bgColor="#222222" scale="noscale" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"> </embed> <br /><small><a href="http://my.spill.com/video/video">Find more videos like this on <em>The Spill.com Movie Community</em></a></small><br /><br /><br />I've been re-watching the second season online all week. This episode reminds of when my dad told me my own family history, or at least his side. And then in high school, I learned my mom's family was owned by Martha Washington's, and my mind was blown. In addition:<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h5h0onZeimY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h5h0onZeimY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-68424503004495225492009-11-30T16:30:00.000-08:002009-11-30T16:31:44.479-08:00Poor life decisions, no. 77<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://musiconplay.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/BirdmanTattoo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 521px;" src="http://musiconplay.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/BirdmanTattoo.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />No words.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-40122966266602800522009-11-19T08:42:00.000-08:002009-11-19T08:51:45.526-08:00Loud sounds when the wind blow<div><object width="480" height="365"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x80up8&related=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x80up8&related=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="315" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x80up8_field-mob-project-dreamz_music">Field Mob - Project Dreamz</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/UniversalMusicGroup">UniversalMusicGroup</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/music">See the latest featured music videos.</a></i></div><br /><br />I've always loved this song, and I may have played it on one of our old podcasts. I'll have to check. Anyway, I finally got the full album a couple days ago, I'll share my thoughts soon.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-76806615663260901872009-11-09T18:35:00.000-08:002009-11-09T19:08:25.196-08:00We can't even kick itA couple weeks ago, Noz reminded just how much I used to love the singles by Faith Evans. To my mind, one of the great crimes committed against during her career is Diddy putting <i>Loon</i> on the album version of "Burnin' Up," leaving kids like me to watch the video to listen to the superior Missy version and the great (re-?) remix with Free. But this also got me thinking about Faith's first single from this album:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m21UKrVwnrQ&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m21UKrVwnrQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />"You can't even be my friend." It is such a cold line, exactly the kind of thing you never want to hear. Anyway, this got me thinking on another tangent about what may be one of my favorite songs from the beginning of high school:<br /><br /><object width="400" height="255" id="uvp_fop" allowFullScreen="true"><param name="movie" value="http://d.yimg.com/m/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf"/><param name="flashVars" value="id=v2151396&eID=1301797&lang=us&enableFullScreen=0&shareEnable=1"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><embed height="255" width="400" id="uvp_fop" allowFullScreen="true" src="http://d.yimg.com/m/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="id=v2151396&eID=1301797&lang=us&ympsc=4195329&enableFullScreen=1&shareEnable=1" /></object></embed><br /><br />I had no business liking this song, but everytime I saw the video, I'd love every second of it. One of my main problems with R&B in the 90s was that I felt like the guys were either hypermasculine, trying to show they were just as tough as rappers, or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPIDBEaoov4">soft as doctor's cotton.</a> In hindsight, this was a perfect mix of what rap was concerned with 9 years ago with R&B. I'm pretty sure I never heard this on the radio in Jersey, but it was all over MTV2. Seeing as these guys were from Baltimore, could any current/former B-More residents tell me how well received Ruff Endz were? Or did they end up like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDoW2YY6_l0">B-Rich?</a><br /><br />When I moved down to Chapel Hill, the moving company lost (or stole...) a box of mine that had all my coats and jackets. So recently, I have found myself in a shopping mood, looking to upgrade my little <a href="http://www.missinfo.tv/index.php/miss-info-exclusive-ghostface-breaks-down-the-big-doe-rehab/">whatever whatevers.</a> Those of you who've followed this site for a little while know that I <a href="http://trentontakes.blogspot.com/2008/12/all-you-hear-is-tick-and-pow.html">like</a> my <a href="http://trentontakes.blogspot.com/2008/11/fun-at-thrift-store.html">sneakers.</a> So last week, I ordered myself a new pair of Claes:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWRr-CEM-lo2I2CKmvhS3mNAYTTkzkfpLCKQcIjSz9mr-jKnSFiWtFUCAEn_3XDAcQj8v6430KP_Gz4DX-VkBQKq_VBuKhgiCbZ4mOfi3AjU764a_PxeTZV-VMPdj_MDXlX1vi-xDhXE/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWRr-CEM-lo2I2CKmvhS3mNAYTTkzkfpLCKQcIjSz9mr-jKnSFiWtFUCAEn_3XDAcQj8v6430KP_Gz4DX-VkBQKq_VBuKhgiCbZ4mOfi3AjU764a_PxeTZV-VMPdj_MDXlX1vi-xDhXE/s320/Picture+2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402304809117057266" /></a><br /><br />Just how I like them, simple and clean. It's rather odd to live in a college town that, even compared to where I went to school, is sort of in a vacuum in terms of places to go shopping and such without the use of a car. But I'm a lazy person.<br /><br />I swear I've been trying to find new music, I just got caught listening to Here, My Dear for about a month and got pretty disconnected from the rest of the world. The past two weeks have just been me, hunched over, vibing to Dro's first album and Playa, the group Static Major was in while also helping Tim and Missy craft the beginnings of their musical legacy. At some point soon, I'll share my thoughts on at least one of them.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-14484145140243535852009-10-21T19:48:00.000-07:002009-10-21T20:23:34.104-07:00I breeze through Africa just to see the safari<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0vTAznOZSQs&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0vTAznOZSQs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />A couple things struck me while watching this video earlier this afternoon:<br /><br />-It's not hard to snoop around a site like NahRight and see all these posts of Nicki Minaj. I mostly avoided them because I figured those guys were posting her songs just so they had an excuse to put a picture of her on the site. After seeing her in comparison to the miniscule OJ, all I have to say is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-LJ6xStUPM">she's a big bitch, man.</a> Maybe by saying that, I'm no longer a black heterosexual guy, but I like having the option of hugging someone. Let's just skip her rapping for now, it made my head hurt. Take a lesson from Diddy, and pretend to take ownership of the verse.<br /><br />-I'm not familiar with OJ's catalogue (or Gucci's for that matter), so I have no opinion on his verse. But, golly, is he tiny.<br /><br />-Waka Flocka Flames is up there with Shorty Shit Stain as one of the best rap names ever. Partly for reminding me of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P6ds11QzWA">Fozzie Bear.</a> And his "you're washed up like Shaq" line reminded me of something: why don't rappers make references to sports players anymore? I'm not talking about Kobe or LeBron or Jordan, I mean people like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isumZjs3dKA">Rod Strickland</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OveeDt1M35w">Bernard King</a> or <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ul69_p-diddy-black-rob-special-delivery_music">Zab Judah</a>? Are rappers now such big nerds that they can only follow the blogs and don't even have a passing interest in any sport? Or maybe the best participants in sports that rappers tend to follow lack personality. Seriously, how long can we go without someone making fun of JaMarcus Russell, or someone saying they've been overlooked like LT. I could be way off base here, and I would truly appreciate anyone pointing me to a good sports punchline/reference/whatever.bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-23074401720760330592009-10-11T19:58:00.000-07:002009-10-11T20:25:14.188-07:00Baby Girl.My blogging hiatus of late has very little to do with my being in a new place or finding music right now boring. I have been out of touch recently, but that had more to do with my previous situation working in a more traditional office environment. It killed my listening habits, as did working Tuesday to Saturday. Now that I am a member of the 9-5 work crowd (kind of... for now), I can spend a lot more time with music. So here's something I've been thinking about writing for a while, I just couldn't work up the motivation to sit down and flesh it out:<div><br /></div><div> If you'll recall a little while back, I wrote something about how a Jay/Timbaland album back in '98 or '99 would have been terrific. Now, it is true that Tim brings (brought? I can't get with "Off That" or "Reminder") out the best in Jay, but the reverse, I'm sad to say, just isn't true. For all their highlights, Jay and Tim have only really recorded a handful of tracks together. So where to go for the bulk of Tim's genius? It's tempting to say Missy, just because they as a duo were so successful for so long. But, I've come to conclusion that after <i>Da Real World</i>, Tim started to rein himself in more and more to fit Missy's "I love the old school" vision. I guess the production is still quite good, but it stands out less. Bubba Sparxxx? I love <i>Deliverance</i>, don't get me wrong, but I don't feel comfortable bestowing that honor upon Bubba K. So Petey Pablo and Miss Jade are shit out of luck.<br /><br />That leaves me with two viable choices: Ginuwine and Aaliyah. There's more to choose from with Ginuwine, since Tim handled most of the production of his first two albums. Yet, I get the feeling many of you don't really appreciate something like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boSIF7yvoo0">"Final Warning"</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Z4SZKkf88">"None of Ur Friends Business."</a> Thus, we are left with "Baby Girl," Aaliyah.<br /><br />First, let's get one thing out of the way: "Are You That Somebody?" is flipping fantastic in every respect. But, when I was a kid occasionally checking out MTV since I couldn't handle the poor production value of BET, I was drawn to her single "One In a Million." You'll have to excuse me if I wasn't checking for her back when she was singing with the Remix Killer on <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3hqvd_r-kelly-aaliyah-summer-bunnies-remi_music">"Summer Bunnies"</a>, I was only seven. But I distinctly remember one summer afternoon watching television and seeing this shy, beautiful girl talking about her upcoming album and video. So I stuck with MTV and watched her video for "One In a Million." From that point on, I was hooked.</div><div><br /></div><div>I remember back when LL Cool J made "Headsprung" he mentioned that Timbo was a true producer; working with the artist to make the best music possible. That is so true of his work with Aaliyah. Let's be honest: her singing range is rather limited and it's not as though she's writing her songs. In many ways, then, it was left to Tim and Missy to bring her personality out, or at least something people would find believable. Clearly, they knocked it out of the park. Whenever I listen to Aaliyah/Timbo songs, I always feel like there is some sense of mystery around her. Many of her songs are about her apprehension about entering a relationship, her constantly thinking through what she is doing. Yet, I never get the feeling I know her any better at the end of a song. An obvious contrast is Beyonce, who totally puts herself out to be seen. Maybe it's my own personal taste in women that biases me, but I find the former more appealing (not to mention "Halo," or "Daddy" or some other crap are terrible to me). Anyway, as much as I like the Jay/Tim connection, it's rather sparse compared to the almost two albums of music Tim did with Aaliyah. Surprise surprise, they're all great. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was just something I thought about a few weeks ago after getting into an L-I-Y-A-H phase one morning. Just some quick thoughts. As I find more stuff and continue to get settled, there should be more.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.zshare.net/audio/66830369b54c2912/">Don't Know What to Tell Ya</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.zshare.net/audio/66830551558df529/">If Your Girl Only Knew (Remix)</a></div>bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-6696666415954648322009-10-11T05:10:00.000-07:002009-10-11T06:42:47.601-07:00...And I'm being honest<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10px;"><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jZdMFB4BhrQ&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jZdMFB4BhrQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><object width="320" height="25"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ejpo0SraAdg&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ejpo0SraAdg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="25"></embed></object></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><object width="480" height="25"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/U5t-NN_BWDk&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/U5t-NN_BWDk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="25"></embed></object></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">After a month, I'm finally settled in NC. As for the above songs... it's been that kind of week. I'll slowly work my way to writing stuff again, but I enjoy eating biscuits and, uh, meeting people. Also, why does JD insist on saying "Get Out!"? What does that have to do with anything?</span></span></span></div>bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-10127403260236734642009-09-01T13:19:00.000-07:002009-09-01T13:30:34.821-07:00Yay-er.<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://nahright.com/news/wp-content/images/kanyelaser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 420px; height: 384px;" src="http://nahright.com/news/wp-content/images/kanyelaser.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">"Nigga, PING! PEWN! PEWN!"</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I won't be spending my time or hard drive space listening to this album. I was never a big Jay fan in the first place, but he has his moments. Now, though, it's quite satisfying to watch old fans struggle with what a lame their hero has become. Also, Kanye's pewn pewn/room room/vroom vroom line isn't that bad in principle (think "Get 'Em Girls"), he's just not much of a rapper. The same is true (but less so) for "Stretch work, yoga." All that needs is a Cam ad-lib of "like what?" in the middle, and it's much more tolerable. Sadly, Jay-Z is/was not that kind of rapper.<br /><br />I may start posting old podcasts of my radio show from last year with my buddy Patrick, as well as any stories that listening to them conjure. If anyone is interested, let me know. In the meantime, I am preparing to move, so I'll give you a hint as to where I am headed with this video.<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8RUBEcOFMdA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8RUBEcOFMdA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /></div></div>bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1384308070878583699.post-63260299904576575062009-08-24T16:12:00.000-07:002009-08-24T16:17:55.145-07:00Oh my God, I hate Usher!<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10px;"><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0hFiab7fjak&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0hFiab7fjak&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"Long-legged half-breed." Wow. Anyway, Watching the video abover reminded me of this moment:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DCR60giYzVQ&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DCR60giYzVQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;">Hey, praise White Jesus.</span></span></div>bding7http://www.blogger.com/profile/06968707799455497982noreply@blogger.com0