Welcome Home Agent Mike: AIDS Lifecycle 2009

(family and friends cheer the riders on as they ride into closing ceremonies)

Last weekend Dee, myself, and a ton of other people welcomed more than 2,000 riders from the AIDS Lifecycle ride into Los Angeles for the completion of the week long ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise $10.5M for AIDS research, aid, and education. Participating this year was our very own Agent Mike.





Watching more than 2000 people ride in on bikes was impressive and the ceremonies to follow were moving. Between the videos of the ride and the speakers speaking on the state of AIDS in the US, there weren't many dry eyes in the crowd. With the many other things going on in the world, we often tend to forget the things that aren't in our face all of the time. Although it is not often in the news, AIDS is still a big problem facing people all over the world. Hearing people talk about AIDS in a very personal way, seeing flags dedicated to those affected, and all of the HIV positive participants (the positive pedaler holding the flag to the right) helped to remind those at the ceremony how real it all still is, and how much more of a problem it is in these economic times (government is looking to cut AIDS funding as a way to save money). It seemed, from all of the riders, that the experience was a very positive one. In speaking with mike, and watching the closing ceremonies, it made me really want to participate in the ride next year.





So in short, congrats to Agent Mike, and the rest of the 2000+ riders in your 545 mile journey through california and in raising so much money in such hard times, the feat is impressive to say the least!

(Agent Mike makes it home)

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Swine Flu - Bird Flu '09

Well it seems swine flu (also known as influenza A(H1N1)) is all the rage on TV and internet news, this years bird flu. While some, like myself, are not really worrying much about it, others are flooding hospitals at the smallest sign of flu-like symptoms. If you are worried you might have it, check if you have it here before going to a hospital.

While there seems to be more any more cases popping up every day, it seems scientists might be on there way to pinpoint its origin and how to prevent it in the future:


On a more serious note, please realize that if you are going to catch swine flu, you are going to catch it from other people, not from eating pork, so go on, enjoy that lechon!


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We're Going To Have To Let You Go...

(a photo of the area where I used to work, taken that day)

Two weeks ago, I walked in late to work on a Monday (I was weaseling my way out of jury duty) and found the rest of my company (all four of them) in the usual Monday meeting. As I walked in and said, "Hi" I received an odd response, one person choked out a good morning. I figured they were just surprised to see me so early as I said I would be out for jury duty.

I sat down, participated in the remainder of the meeting, as usual, and returned to my desk. I cranked out some work (I was very productive that day) until lunch time came around. I called in a Turkey Cobb from Con Pane (some of the best sandwiches in town) and got ready to go pick it up when my project manager suggested that I cancel my lunch order and he could take me to lunch. This seemed odd as we usually went to lunch on Fridays, and he never took me lunch, we went and got lunch together. This seemed odd but I didn't think much more of it.

As we were driving to get some fish tacos from Blue Water Grill (best grilled fish tacos, period) I noticed, in my peripherals, that my project manager was looking at me a lot. It seemed as if he was trying to gauge my mood or get some sort of feedback from me. I thought this was odd but just kept acting as I normally would.

I stepped up and ordered my food and so did my project manager and he pulled out the corporate card. I asked, "oh, it's on the company today?" and he responded with a simple, yet uneasy, "yeah." I walked over to use the restroom while he finished paying. I used the toilet, washed my hands, paused, looked at myself in the mirror and said out loud, "I'm getting fired."

I went out and joined my project manager at the table. We made a little small talk and when we hit a small lull in the conversation, he started in with, "I'm sure you know why we're here." It was pretty generic, but very fitting. We sat and talked for a long while, it was a very positive meeting and I took a lot away from it. I went back to the office, signed the paperwork with my boss, and then was asked to pack up my things and leave that day.

Overall this is a positive thing. I was looking to move on soon and this puts me in a better place financially than if I had quit. Positives aside though, it was a very surreal experience. For much of it (after lunch), I felt very detached from the process, it was as if I was observing what was happening, rather than being a part of it. For over two years they trusted me in foreign countries, a company cell phone, and a company credit card, yet, they spoke of my departure as if I was never trusted to return to the office (even if for a visit). If I forgot anything, just e-mail someone and they could get it for me. I understand they have to protect themselves, but it felt as if I was being voted off the island, rather then respectfully discharged.

Above all though, the oddest thing about it all is a loss of identity. I am no longer a Design Engineer for an environmental company, I am defined by the other things (volunteer, unemployed engineer, etc.). No matter how much you may not like your job, it is still a huge part of who you are and to lose that identity was probably the biggest adjustment of all.

That being said, here's to bigger and better things!


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Ararat, Australia: Population 11,653

If you have met my mom, you know she is from Australia. The common question that proceeds this acquired knowledge is, "where in Australia is she from?" I respond with "Ararat," which with the exception of about 2 occasions get a blank stare, and I follow it with, "about 2 hours outside of Melbourne."

At that point they are usually satisfied and that conversation is over. But now, thanks to the wonders of youtube and the internet, I can point them to the above video and let it do all the talking.

Thanks Chad, Steve, and Jawed!

(what's with the cheesy wannabe porn music during the hot tub scene?!)

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Is Global Warming Really THAT Important?

(Photo courtesy of NOVA's newest documentary Extreme Ice,
definitely check it out for the photography if nothing else)

To be honest, I never thought I would utter the words in the title...EVER. I am a self-proclaimed environmentalist and take climate issues (notice how I stay away from "climate change") very seriously. The title has to do with the front page article in the New York Times Magazine, The Global-Warming Heretic.

The article is about the background and global views of Scientist Freeman Dyson, one of the most liberal (he has an Obama sticker on his car), intelligent, and outspoken scientists AGAINST the threat of global warming being the biggest issue facing society today believing that "all the fuss about global warming is grossly exaggerated." He believes that much of what is conveyed in media like The Inconvenient Truth is propaganda that is blinding us from looking at the facts and information.


I won't get too deep into his beliefs (I do not know him personally and they are now 2 times removed as I am basing them off the article) but Dyson believes that Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere could actually be beneficial for the earth by serving as a nutritional source for certain plants and that any excess carbon could be dealt with using carbon hungry trees. He is concerned with the "enormous gaps in our knowledge." Much of our data (especially that used by Gore) relies heavily on computer generated models and calculations rather than known facts. His biggest problems with these models seem to be that they are over simplified, they do not take into account the biology and chemistry of the atmosphere as a whole. As an engineer who was worked with computer models, I know one of the downfalls is we (as people) tend to use computer models as fact when they are doing what we think they should be doing, and fiction when they are doing something we didnt expect (especially in the face of many unknowns).

The article in the times was well written and pretty long, it spanned the history of Dyson, where he had worked, and what experiences helped him draw his knowledge. But with all those words on the page, VERY few of them focused on what he thought was MORE important. They did grace over his views on coal, both as a horrendous polluter and a catalyst for movement from poverty to the middle class in developing countries like China and India. They also quoted him as saying that we would be "better to attack the real problems like extinction and over fishing." But those 3 things, as well as his views on nuclear weapons were about the extent of the discussion (and the brevity of the discussion was honestly lost in the word count).

I guess what I take issue with the most in the Times article is it treats the issue like a black and white situation, which is how the issue is generally treated. Much of this is probably due to the fact that this scientific issue has become a political one, and politics in America, in recent history, has moved from a "democracy" of open discussion, understanding, and working together, to one of being right or wrong, no in-between. Much time was spent on why Dyson didn't believe the facts and how he came to become a scientist, but little was spent on what issues he DID feel was important. By not spending a decent amount of time on Dyson's view of what IS important, it prevents us from opening up a dialogue that might lead to an understanding on what should be our priorities and how to move forward to fight global warming.

I myself believe global warming is happening and believe it is an issue that my generation needs to take very seriously. I don't often get into discussions about the facts because the truth is, I do not know them like the back of my hand and I will admit that a lot of my views are based on what I feel and the information I have received from sources I trust (Dyson would say this is one of the problems). I will however talk about the causes because whether or not you believe in it, the causes are all problems for everyone, no matter who you are. We can't drive SUVs for the rest of lives, hell, we can't drive hybrids for the rest of lives, because oil is FINITE. We need to move to alternative fuels so we can save oil for the things that can only be done with oil (until we come up with a better technology of course). Not only is oil a global warming issue, but it is a political one as well and sooner we rid our selves of our dependency on oil, we rid ourselves of out dependency on other countries.

We cannot continue to consume at the levels that we are consuming. We need to stop buying pallets of water at the store on a weekly basis (the only thing better than recycling or reusing is not consuming) and eating out as often. We have miles of open spaces across the globe, but there is no reason to fill them with trash. Not to mention many of the products we consume are also made from FINITE materials such as oil.

There is no one solution to any global issue we face, whether it be global warming or poverty. To take on something like global warming we need multiple approaches including education, regulation, a change of lifestyle, technological advancements, solid and reliable research, affordable renewable energy, an ability to prioritize, and more. It's not going to be easy, and it's not going to be quick. But until we can stop treating this like a right and wrong issue (and excluding the opposite side from the discussions at meetings and conferences) and opening up a dialogue among people with different, educated, opinions, issues such as climate change and its causes are never going to be solved properly.


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Bloomingdale's Men's Spring 2009

The Bloomingdale's Men's Spring Catalog for 2009 came in my mail box in the past couple weeks and between the science nerd/engineer that I am, and the well-dressed fashionable person I wish I was, I enjoyed thumbing through this catalog a lot.



The locations for the photos included the Hoover Dam and the El Dorado Valley dry lake in Nevada. The locations provided a nice juxtaposition of the sleek stylings by the likes of Hugo Boss, Velntino and John Varvatos, and the old industrial technology of a hydroelectric plant built in the 1930s (as well as a dry river basin).









When the New York Times Fashion Magazine came out with the spring fashion recently and didn't do too much for me. Between the sport coats over shorts (never been a big fan) and the poofy dress-like shorts, I was not too excited by most of the styles or the possibility that some of them could make it to mainstream fashion. I do, however, respect the fashion presented in the magazine, I understand that while Bloomindale's is trying to make money, the NYT fashion magazine is trying to push the boundaries of fashion. Truth be told, many of these ideas have or will come to fruition in mainstream fashion (see sport coats over shorts).




Some highlights, product-wise, for me (a guy in jeans, t-shirt, and a hole-y pair of socks) have to be the Burberry brown wool suit, the selection of socks (step your small details game up), Theory grey suit, John Varvatos plaid convertible jacket, Aquascutum LTD aquamatic packable raincoat, and the Sutor Mantellassi Off-white/orange weekender bag.

Do I plan on dropping the money to buy this stuff full price as it comes out? No way, but it sure is nice to look at and appreciate none the less.

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Tweeters: Newsies Of The New Century

I think people are too quick to judge Twitter. For most tweeters (people who use twitter), yes, it is nothing more than Facebook status messages. For news organizations, blogs, and websites, it is the Newsboy of the new century. In Newsies they had the time it took for someone to pass by them to sell a paper, in twitter, they have 140 characters. It was said by Jack, in the movie, "headlines don't sell papes, Newsies sell papes!" This holds true for blogs and news feeds on twitter as well. A publication's ability to generate traffic via twitter is based on their ability to generate interest in 140 characters or less.

People are so quick to jump on the next hottest thing in hopes of being on top of what's hot, and for a lot of people that's Twitter. But though there are people quick to jump on every new bandwagon, there's even more people just as quick to jump on the hater hearse (Officially coined CollectiveCo 2009, I googled it). I think that it is a little premature. While I agree with some points against the usefulness of a message conveyed in 140 characters and the lack of manners some seem to demonstrate in public (it's quite a bit like texting), they might want to ponder the importance of twitter as a tool to spread ideas. Yes, it may have been a flop as a tool to generate questions for Jimmy Fallon to interview Cameron Diaz, but it's a great tool to find out quick news headlines from the BBC, get music selections by the likes of Q.Tip and ?uestlove, or get pics from a friend.

Now don't get me wrong, do I want to shoot myself from boredom when someone tweets "eating"? Maybe, but hell, I think I am guilty of the same things and much of this is due to the fact that twitter isn't an established medium. It's not a chat program, it's not a social networking site, it's not a blog, it's not Posterous (I just learned about this one today from Rainn Wilson, it's perfect for you Crackberry and iPhone addicts). The thing about twitter is that it is so vague. The very basis and reason for many people's gripes (the brevity of 140 characters) is exactly what allows it to stay versatile. Twitter will be tough to define or confine into a category such as blog or social networking site. People complain about Twitter but what they should be complaining about is the people they follow. Because twitter is different things to different people, find people that use it how you use or find useful and follow them, if you can't find them, try to redefine the way twitter is used (or better yet, don't even mess with it).

As I mentioned in my post about my plunge into twitter, ?uestlove had coined twitter as the new blog, and in a way he's right. For many people who DO blog, it's the medium for things that are not blog worthy, the one sentence epiphany that's not worth flushing out into a post, the cultural observation while sitting on a bus, the quick message to a friend, or the outreach for another person's opinion (usually for a quick response). Due to the fact that the internet is almost everywhere now (including our phones), Twitter enters into unknown territory as a medium (I won't even say what type because I am unsure). Twitter is somehow information and communication all at the same time, all while not being too time consuming for our increasingly busier lives.



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Art Galleries Are So 3 Years Ago

A good friend of mine passed this along to me today and it reminded me a lot of something I remember from a while back:



While much of youtube's bandwidth is used on funny TV clips, clips from people with too much time on their hands, and random funny stuff, every once in a while you will find some really good original content on there. While, youtube is usually thought of as a giant waste of time, it also serves as an outlet for people without the connects, know-how, or, in some cases, the want to get their art or personal projects out for people to see them. While some will become internet phenomenons, others will just be shared with friends and enjoyed by the random passer by.

So maybe youtube isn't such a waste of time after all, then again...maybe it is..(ahhhhh white people...).


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A Bright Idée

So if you follow this blog you will know I discovered twitter a little while back (you know, like how Columbus discovered America). On it, I follow a couple artists and media people I admire and/or deeply respect, one of those being Jay Smooth. His tweets are all over the place at times but he has dropped some gems, one of my favorites being the Idée Lab.



Idée is a company that develops image ID software and visual search software. In a basic sense, it is the google of images. You upload an image and it will locate that image all over the internet and tell you where it is. This can be used recreationally by different users or it can be used by companies to find where their images are being used around the web as well as in print publications.

So while Idée has these advanced programs for image recognition, they have a couple of interesting projects in their lab.

Multicolr allows you to choose up to 10 colors and they will search all of flickr for photos containing the chosen colors (this is how I came to the image above)

Visual Search Lab allows you to type in a variety of tags and it will search Alamy for all photos containing those tags.

BYO Image Search will find images on Alamy that match an image you give it (uploaded or provide a link to). I found this one interesting because I gave it a picture of a cyclist that had very distinct lighting and it not only found photos of bikes, but it also found photos with the lighting that I had used on it, pretty cool!

So now you can search with words, music, and now photos, I can only imagine what's next, search by scent? It's really not all THAT crazy of an idea is it?

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Filipino War Veterans From WWII Getting The Credit They're Due

If you live in San Diego (especially South East SD), there is no hiding the Filipino presence in our armed forces, but some might not be aware that this has been the case all the way back to WWII. In WWII, veterans from the Philippines helped the U.S. defeat Japan in the Pacific. These veterans were promised citizenship and veterans benefits for their aid but Harry Truman (in 1956) signed a law stripping these brave men (and their families) of their citizenship and thus their benefits.




Though some were able to fight for their citizenship back, it wasn't until this year (over 50 years later) that they have received any money or compensation for their bravery. Written into the Stimulus Bill is $198 million for these old fighters from the Philippines (I bet they are throwing some great parties to celebrate!). Although the actual pay off is relatively insignificant ($15K for citizens, $9k for non-citizens) compared to the hardships they have faced in the past half decade, what's almost more important than the money is the long overdue credit and acknowledgment for the brave people of the Philippines who helped Americans in their time of need.

While many are arguing that this has nothing to do with stimulus and shouldn't be in the bill, I might argue the opposite. While it is important to stimulate the American economy at this time, it is equally important to stimulate the American spirit, whether that spirit be black, brown, white, orange, green, or rainbow.

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Done with 08!

I don't know about anyone else, but 2008 was NOT the year for me. That being said, I will say that there were a few things that were awesome about 08 for me (in no particular order) that I can look forward to in 09 as well.

The Co was Created
What most people don't know, is that if it weren't for a group of people sitting through a tremendously long taping of the new American Gladiators, the Co would most likely not exist. It was during the hours of sitting in chairs, eating passed out snacks, and laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole thing that some of us met and planted the seed for a blog, though nothing of this size was planned at the time.

Obama was Elected President
If you haven't figured it out yet, we kinda like Obama around here so to say 08 was a good year, politically, might be an understatement.

 

Kanye Killed it With The Glow in the Dark Tour
Love him or hate him, Kanye finally reached stadium status this last year and he took concerts to a whole new level. Kanye continues to impress and surprise everyone constantly, it will be interesting to see what comes in 09 on top of his already announced rap album.

San Francisco Beer Fest Celebrated 25 Years
2008 was my second year going and it was even better than the 1st year. As if SF isn't awesome enough on it's own, it hosts this amazing event. Amazing beer, great vibe (no fights, everyone seems to be happy drunks there) and good times to be had by all, I have been counting down the days till Beer Fest 09 since the minute I stepped out of Beer Fest last year

SNL if Funny Again
Sarah Palin Skits, Justin Timberlake Skits, The Blizzard Man, Andy Samberg, need I go on? For all the fans from SNL's golden years saying it'll never be as funny as back then, get over it, the golden years were hilarious but humor has changed and moved on and so should you. SNL had some crappy years but it's officially funny again. The viral skits floating around the internet have me rolling on the floor every time, they are utilizing guests well, and the show is more and more consistently funny.

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Twitter? Let's see

SEMTEX TV - ?UESTLOVE BREAKS DOWN THE HOTTEST MC'S FOR 09'.

Social Networking is nothing new to the internet but ever since the sale of Facebook and Myspace for more money than I would EVER know what to do with, next to buy a country, everyone wants some of that pie.

I've been hearing about Twitter for a while now but never though much of it (as if a facebook and myspace weren't enough). Then, while listening to Talk of the Nation: Science Friday on NPR, they were talking about how they were twittering and people were asking questions via twitter. This made me a bit more curious, but not enough to join. Then a couple weeks back I was watching the video above and when asked what 2009's big blog will be, ?uestlove responded with Twitter is THE blog for 2009 because of the ADD society and people needing everything quick and right now.

Then just this last weekend I'm at my homegirl's house and notice she has twitter so I open it up to take a look and basically it is facebook updates....THAT'S IT. You can post no more than 140 characters, no pictures, no embedding, no hyperlinks, no bells and whistles, it's just news feeds from whoever you choose to follow. Depending upon who you follow you can get anything from the news (NPR shows are on there), to a link to a funny video to "I just worked out" (from one of your friends).

On top of that. Twitter can be done from your mobile phone. Twitter was actually the first source to know that the roots tour bus got in a wreck a while back (?uest twittered from the ambulance). So I figure, what the hell, let me see what this is all about, if it's whack I can drop it. So if you care to join in, create and account, find me, and let's see what's up!



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Happy B-Day Agent Dee

A BIG Happy Born Day to Agent Dee, a girl with GREAT taste in music and possibly the most preserverence of anyone I know. Will we ever forget the bike ride from hell?! These are what memories are made of right J¢?

So enjoy your exteneded weekend of festivities Dee, thats what birthdays are good for! I'm sure your husband (pictured above) is bummed he can't make it.

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Doesn't It Look Nice?

The Max Planck Institute, a well respected research institute in Germany, wanted a Chinese poem to adorn the cover of their newest journal. So what did they choose for a beautifully hand-written piece of literature? A brothel Ad.

Sort of makes you wonder what was really on the shirts of all those white kids in High School...

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Wait Wait Don't Tell Me-An NPR Reality Check

Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is probably the best radio show on the weekend (at least in San Diego). For those of you who don't know what it is, think of it as The Daily Show meets Jeopardy meets Real Time with Bill Maher. You have got the quiz show of Jeopardy, the humor, wit, and sarcasm of The Daily Show and an intelligent, humorous panel of people like in Real Time.

By listening to the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, you can learn a good amount of what went on in the world over the past week (some of it you probably didn't want or need to know, but it's funny none the less) while laughing almost the entire hour some shows. Besides providing an hour of infotainment, this show (and the other shows like it) provides an important service to it's listeners, SARCASM.

I might be a little biased (I got a crash course early on in Sarcasm and the like due to my mom being Australian and my dad being the King of BS) but I believe Sarcasm is an important tool for someone to posses. While it can provide entertainment at someone else's expense, possessing it also creates small voice of doubt in our heads, a useful doubt. This doubt causes us to question anything that doesn't sound plausible, or anything that might be too good to be true.



It used to be that on April fool's day, newspapers would go to great lengths to publish satirical stories of aliens landing and the like (think terrible tabloids but more believable) that would be sprinkled in with the rest of their news. As time has progressed, this tradition has become less prominent as people have become more and more dependent on being fed information without question. We, as a general public, tend to take the information that is fed to us without question, especially if we decide a source is trusted. Even growing up in the intelligent, sarcastic household I did, I find myself guilty of this more often than I would like to admit. This belief and following of information closely mirrors the partisan politics we have witnessed in recent history, and our overall rejection of the unfamiliar and outright acceptance of the comfortable can be dangerous.

The ability to question ourselves and others is an important ability to have in life and it is shows like Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me that help to not only lighten the mood of the news and world around us, but help put into perspective the information that we receive on a daily basis.




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Barack Obama. That's My President!

Yes. We. Did.

I couldn't agree more Dee. There is not much more to be said that hasn't been said by every person the media. On November 4, 2008, I witnessed what was the most significant event of my generation. Electing an African-American as President of the United States was truly historical. It forever changes how we talk about the impact of the struggle for civil rights. While it does not come anywhere near ridding the US of the ugliness that is racism, it does change the meaning of "you can be anything you want when you grow up."

While the historical significance of this election is huge (1st black Presidential elect, 1st woman to come that close to being the nominee, 1st Woman Vice-Presidential nominee, most uneducated person to ever be nominated for Vice President, l-o-n-g-e-s-t e-l-e-c-t-i-o-n r-u-n EVER), what was just as important was how the election was won.


Obama revolutionized the way a campaign is run. Early on he described how he would run his campaign and he was told he would fail with his tactics. Through his experience in grass-roots organizing, and understanding of the younger generations, he was able to organize support in ways no one had before. Obama was able to take a generation with apathetic tendencies and get them excited about a candidate and a cause. He utilized the internet, facebook, youtube, and most importantly, the energy and support of the people who believed in him.

Obama raised far more money than had ever been raised and he did it in ways never done before, through a lot of small contributions. I, who never thought I would give money to a politician, gave more money than I thought I would ever be willing to and it was the best investment I ever made (so far it's doing better than my Roth IRA).

Obama branded himself early on. His message of change was so powerful and effective, that every single candidate on the left and the right adopted it and abused the hell out of it all the way till the end, everyone was all of a sudden "the real change candidate." Using simple words such as "change," "hope," and "yes we can," while never dumbing down his message or his eloquence, allowed him to speak to a a diverse country of people and be received well.

While he might have wavered on his policies or changed his view with the changing times (he WAS running for almost 2 years), Obama never changed his message. With so much money and so many opportunities to attack the right, Obama refrained (for the most part). He stayed true to how he believed a campaign should be run and it paid off. Obama showed that not only could you win an election running a positive campaign, but that you could win a campaign having expectations for the ctizens of the United States. Rather than appeal to the lowest common denominator, he appealed to the ideals and goodness of the American people. He promised to work for the people if they would work for themselves.



Obama proved that a black man could become president. He also proved that a young, intelligent, educated, respectful, idealistic dreamer could also become president. Not only did he win the election, he killed it. No one I talked to could remember an election being decided by around 8pm pacific time. He used his knowledge of the electoral college and ability to move people, young and old, to show the world how you not only win an election, but get people excited to work for you and with you, and move forward during these trying times.

Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama, I have never been so proud to say that I am an American. While I am proud of you and the way your ran your campaign, I am equally proud of the American people, WE did it.

Now stop reading this blog and go do something for your community, he may not be president yet, but it's never too early to start helping out.


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Lil' Wayne Takes Home BET's "Joke of the Year" Award

So after a long day at work, the Bus ride home, some visiting with my incredible neighbors, and dinner, I sit down to watch TV before dinner. As I flip through, I find myself watching the BET Hip Hop Awards just in time to see Pharrell and Common perform Universal Mind Control. I'm absolutely hooked on this song. Does anyone else think they should do an album together right after Common does the Album with Q-tip and CRS finally drops an album?!

So as I am about to shut the TV off and go to bed, they announce the "Lyricist of the Year." The nominees are Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne, Nas, Kanye West, and T.I. The winner you ask? Lil' Wayne, officially making the award, not necessarily Lil' Wayne, a joke. Lil' Wayne is a great many thing but a lyricist, at least in what I would consider the classic sense, he is not (especially when you're against the likes of NAS).

Now I'll say what you're thinking, "HATER!"

On a lighter note, it was great that BET focused on voting and giving back to the community. They also had some DOPE world wide cypher sessions which you can see below

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Q-Tip Update

The blog needed something fresh and new so here's a quickie before I finally leave work.

A new Video from Q-tip entitled Move. With a beat by J Dilla and a video reminiscent of Michael Jackson's classic Rock with You, what's not to love?!

Enjoi your weekend everyone!

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I Prefer No Reservations

About a month ago I got into a nasty accident that has resulted in me being on a liquid diet for about 2 months and unable to work for the time being. This means 2 things: I have gotten pretty creative with smoothies and soups, and I watch more TV than I would like to admit.


On the surface, these two things seem completely separate, but after 2 weeks of eating through a straw, even Homer Simpson chowing down on some fried chicken can make your mouth water. Around this same time, you begin having what I call SNACK ATTACK!! This is the complete yearning for something crunchy, sweet or savory, and all too satisfying. By week 4, an ad for a "complete pot roast" microwave dinner that doesn't look fit to be sold at Walmart can begin to look like a gourmet meal.


Knowing this, channel flipping can prove to be an excruciating task but Vicodine gives me a short attention span so I don't have much of a choice. One thing is for sure, the food network is off limits. Personally I have never been big on the food network or travel channel which is surprising since I love to cook almost as much as I like to travel. I think the reason is because I don't like cooking like Rachel Ray and I don't like travelling like Samantha Brown. But channel flipping through different times of day has led me to discover many new shows I wasn't aware of. One which I have become a big fan of is No Reservations.

No Reservations is a travel and food show by Anthony Bourdain, a long time cook, writer, and traveller from New York. What sets this show apart right from the start is its parental warning at the start (at least for some shows). If this doesn't set the tone of "This isn't your average travel show" (or show how conservative US TV censorship is), I don't know what does. What I enjoy the most about this show is that it focuses on the local life and the unbeaten path. Bourdain goes to many countries that most people wouldn't, such as Laos, and when he does go to a big cities, he ventures into the backstreet local markets and small towns just outside the big cities. He talks with a variety of people, from local film makers and musicians, to researchers, to cultural icons, to local icons. While the show is a travel shows and he talks about things to do and places to go, the focus is on the food.

While I have been sitting at home and healing, this show has been a blessing and a curse. While I enjoy watching the show with his witty and insightful documentation of far off places I wish to visit someday, my mouth can't help but water as he wanders down the spice market in Egypt, downs fresh oysters in homemade hot sauce on the beach in Jamaica, or chows down on a spicy local taco after a night of drinking in South Beach, Florida. Bourdain gets hope from the locals in finding the best places to eat, but what I enjoy the most is when he is invited to eat a meal with a local family. He is able to see who in the family cooks, what they eat, and their local dining traditions.

Bourdain shows an appreciation for the cultures and people that are different than his own and is genuine in the way he interacts with each human being he meets (or atleast acts like it on TV). His ability to show the inner beauty, if not, simply, the beauty that most pass over, in a country along with his knowledge of food and willingness to try new and differeent things makes this show great. While I am not one to sit down and follow a show, I always check to see if No Reservation is on when I sit down to watch TV.

(How can you not be envious of a spread like that?!)

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Art For Obama

Without the ability to make, what they thought to be, a significant individual contribution, 5 artists (Ahndraya Parlato, Elizabeth Moy, Gregory Halpern, Whitney Hubbs, and Dru Donovan) came together and formed Art For Obama.

Art for Obama is an online auction of photographs from over 50 artists. All proceeds go to MoveOn.org to support the Obama campaign as there are limits on proceeds to an individual candidate. The above shot is one of the shots for sale. You can peep a couple more after the jump but check out the website for all of the photos.




Shout out to Mike for the heads up

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