It's album release Tuesday, and there are a couple out that may be worth a click on Spotify. By the way, if you're not on Spotify...you should check your pager, cause you may have missed a few messages. It's a great way to preview music before you buy, or (if you have a premium account) to stream your music wherever you go. Also, your clicks support major and indie artists alike, and the rights holders of the music get payed with ever pay. Albeit, a very small amount, it is something. Allow me to take this time to thank everyone who has played my music; the .009 cents is much appreciated.
First up is Sean Price's new release Mic Tyson. Such a dope album title...I'm actually surprised that no other rapper has made this pun before. Not any that I know of, but if someone has then please let me know. There are no surprises here, if you're a fan of The Boot Camp Click or grungy and grimy rap music in general - peep this album. Mic Tyson features production from Alchemist, 9th Wonder, Evidence & DJ Babu and verses from Pharoahe Monch, Freddie Gibbs and Ill Bill. Lyrics are tight and every beat is like flurry of punches so keep band-aids close when listening.
Sean Price - Mic Tyson gets 5.5 out of 8 Bars
MHz Legacy, formerly just MHz, bring their first release in over 10 years Megacy. The name change was made in 2008 to honor the late Camu Tao, who was a member of the group. Now consisting of Copywrite, RJD2, Jakki Da Motamouth and Tage Future, MHz pulls off a pretty good Hip Hop album in true underground fashion. Megacy has some great production from beat smith RJD2, and really reminds me that RJD2 could be one of the more prevalent Hip Hop producers, if he chose to be. If you think I'm playing - listen to his production work on the Diverse album One A.M. and Viktor Vaughn's (MF Doom) track Saliva. He's nice. Somewhere (2099) is the real standout here. I think it's the most complete composition of a track on the album. Great beat, nice female hook to break up all the heavy dude action and an overall good feel. The track Spaceship puts the weird for weird sake Danny Brown on the mic for some reason. Not a fan of him. It does, however, bring Camu Tao back to life which is a great thing. Having spent a little time with Camu, I was truly saddened by his untimely passing. He was a real good dude. Consistent throughout, Megacy is worth peeping for sure.
Portuguese producer Luis Clara Gomes, otherwise known by Moullinex, dropped a bonus track a couple days ago to accompany his newly released album, Flora. Every since I did a show in Los Angeles with him a couple years ago, I have been a big fan of his sound. I heard his fast paced, Disco-banger, Lover In You, and I was instantly hooked. On Refused (Bonus Track), Moullinex slows it down a bit and gets in touch with the Dream Wave side of the Nu-Disco genre. The ambient chords set a very mellow vibe and the synths splash against your eardrums like waves of calm; but don't get out your sleepytime tea quite yet. The song still, somehow, makes you listen, appreciate, and absorb what every instrument offers. A little extra Moullinex? That's something i'll never refuse.
As far as I know, as long as there have been schoolyards with young boys and girls of different sizes, shapes, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds - there have been bullies. I always recognized a bully as someone who had an indisputable advantage (physically, economically) over another and uses it to do harm to that person. I guess even bullying couldn't hide from the claws of technological advancement. Now we have "cyberbullying" which, according to Wikipedia is "the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner." While cyberbullying removes the threat of direct physical harm to a person, it does seem to have devastating psychological affects on young people.
This past Wednesday Felicia Garcia, a teenager from Staten Island, jumped in front of an oncoming train and killed herself in front of her Tottenville High School classmates. Garcia was reportedly teased by her fellow peers about a sexual experience she had with some football players. Two days before her suicide, she posted the following tweet on her twitter account:
Just before she jumped, Sara Brager, heard Garcia say "Finally, it's here". Finally it's here; as if to say that life is so bad, that at last an escape from it all has arrived. Garcia did have a very unfortunate life, as both of her parents passed away when she was little, resulting in her being cared for by her aunt. She began to dislike her living situation, and she ran away from her aunt's house with an older man. She managed to find even less stability, as she entered the foster care system and was moved from home to home. She was probably one who could've used a break from the people that she spent a majority of her time around in school.
Bullying has always been an issue worth concern, but only recently has it gotten the attention of the national media. Now we even see ad campaigns and celebrities speak out against it. Recent incidents, including Canadian teen Amanda Todd who also committed suicide as a result of bullying, have made it seem like bullying and suicide are a new epidemic. Statistics, however, show the contrary:
- Suicide is
the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about
4,400 deaths per year. For every suicide among
young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent
of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent
have attempted it.
- Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider
suicide than non-victims.
- At least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying.
- 10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide.
- Nearly 30 percent
of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids
stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying.
While bullying and suicide have long been linked together, there does seem to be a spike in the publicity of cares like these. With Amanda Todd and Felicia Garcia, there are a couple similarities not only in the end result, but in the circumstances surrounding their stories. As a pre-teen, Amanda Todd was convinced by someone on a video chat to expose her breasts on camera. She faced bullying by that same individual who threatened to show the topless photo to all of her friends, unless Todd "gave a show". The photo wound up being released, and Todd and her family relocated due to the massive harassment she received. The individual seemed to follow her, though, creating a Facebook profile where her topless photo was the profile image. This made it hard for her to make friends anywhere she went. She did happen to meet someone that she thought liked her; a boy whom she had sex with. The boy's girlfriend then lead an all out assault on her a week later, where Todd was ganged up on and beaten; all while insults where shouted at her. She attempted suicide several times, until she was finally successful. Todd created a video and released it on Youtube; a chronicle of her life and troubles as an an anxious, highly-sexualized and depressed teen.
Garcia's downfall also seemed to stem from excessive teasing due to sexual experiences. This past Monday, a video that supposedly captured the incident of Garcia and the football players, had been shared with her schoolmates. The verbal abuse had gotten so bad because of it, the school issued a meeting between Garcia and two 17 year old boys. This explains the saddening tweet she left later that day before ending her life two days later. On a small scale, one would observe that sexuality was present in both of these cases and may have had a lot to do with how these stories played out. But there is something else here that I believe is the most important factor: social media. The access that we, as humans, have to one another now is uncanny. We no longer have cell phones "in case of emergencies" and with many individuals, you can trace every event in a person's life by monitoring their facebook account. We can now track our friends activities through GPS and Foursquare, knowing everywhere they have been and everywhere they are going. On one hand, this has become a great tool for social interaction amongst friends.
But what about people who are not your friends?
Those with ill-intentions have the capability of having just as much same connection to your life as those who mean well. One could say, "Well don't you have control over who you give access to? Why would you let someone in your life that means you harm?" To that I say, "Have you checked YOUR friend list lately?" How many times have you gotten a friend request, been unsure of where or if you know the person, and accepted it because you didn't want to be rude? Most people's social networking circles are filled with people that they would not recognize or say hello to if seen in person. In this day and age, so many of us have a desire to be liked and we seek numbers to add validity to our popularity. It's not a coincidence that Facebook incorporates a "like" button that has revolutionized how we accept and deliver information. Whether we promote a business or just socialize, many add on to their social network entourage without examining just who they are sharing information with.
Amanda Todd did not directly know the person who ended up blackmailing her, yet this person knew her name, address, and where she went to school. This should be extremely alarming to anyone who routinely presses that royal blue post button or that baby blue tweet button. How did a stranger know so much about another stranger that they were able to confidently engage in cyber-extortion? These sites recognize the business that is to be had through tracking the information to you share. If you haven't noticed, the default setting on certain sites has become to automatically to make your private information and messages public. You actually have to make a special effort to keep your cell phone number as "not visible" to everyone. These networking companies use the information that you offer (for free, mind you) and sell them to other companies, so they know how to market products to the public. Facebook has become a breeding ground for mass - market research. Market research that for years, most companies had to pay individuals for; sharing their day to day lives, opinions and purchasing trends. It is become increasingly easy to find out whatever you want to about other people. It is because of this that I really do believe social networking sites have become a dangerous place for young people. Some of the responsibility has to be put on these sites and their practices when tragedies such as Amanda Todd and Felicia Garcia occur.
I'm not saying that these sites our killing our teens. Not at all. It's just worth noting the contributions that sites like Twitter and Youtube and Facebook have in situations like these. Felicia Garcia had no outlet to make use of to express her frustrations, other than a tweet. Amanda Todd was hounded by a profile that just would not leave her alone, causing her to withdraw herself from society more and more. Both girls were victims of unwanted videos being shared of them. It's a real shame that we treat each other like this. These girls deserved better. If we are not careful about how we are using these social networking sites and who we are letting into our cyber-lives, these numbers suicide numbers in our youth will continue to increase. For the record, I am fully aware of the irony between my point of view in this post and the two buttons that follow said post at the bottom of this page. My heart goes out to those who cared for these young girls.
So I guess this is the thing now, huh? Pop songs that are mostly in Korean, with like a little bit of English thrown in? Just enough English so that it can get spun on American kiddie-bop radio and video stations without it being weird? A bunch of crazy dancing and shit going on in the background? No real clear direction or idea for what a song is about? That's what's poppin' in the streets? Wow. Thanks a lot Psy. At least the video and music of Gangnam Style had some comedic value. I mean, that dude with the high-top gladiator sandals pelvic pumping over Psy in the elevator is just great. And let's face it...the guy can really cut a rug. He has a full arsenal of moves that I'm sure can match up with any battle dancer. It's like Korean Krumping...fantastic. But this? What is this? The beat is bad and I can't understand what she is saying (even when it is in English). I do love the signs in the background at the 1:51 minute mark, though. "Batman. He is gone." "Tell me!! Who am I." Awesome. On another positive note, this video has inspired me to dye my hair baby blue.
Kendrick Lamar's debut good kid, m.A.A.d. city dropped this week and the music world is all a tizzy. First, let me say that it is refreshing to see that an artist who is obviously skilled and authentic get recognized. That being said, whoa whoa whoa people! Can we please slow down with all the "masterpiece" & "classic" talk? Vibe Magazine has even compared this release to that of 1994's Illmatic by Nas. Now we're bordering on blasphemy. Why do we need to make grandiose comparisons like this? Illmatic is one of the most important pieces of music ever compiled. Not in Hip Hop. In music. Needless to say, I don't agree with this comparison - but furthermore I don't even believe it is fair to make such comparisons or hold this guy to such a high standard. I believe Kendrick will do just fine with album sales as he seems to be all that anyone is talking about in the Hip Hop world. I just wish we would let artists get their feet on the ground before we raise them up to such a godly status. While it should be stated that normally I would not take time to talk about someone that is already so lauded about, I do feel it is important to speak on Kendrick and his relation to the current "state of Hip Hop".
As I've said, I respect Kendrick as an artist - but I believe he has been a beneficiary of the terrible condition that Hip Hop and Rap music is in. Hip Hop is so thirsty for a quality artist with substance, that it has embraced Kendrick with undiscriminating arms. There are so so many Wacka Flockas, Chief Keefs, and Gucci Manes and not enough Lupe Fiascos, Ghostface Killahs, or Talib Kwelis. Kendrick is good, but he is no Lupe Fiasco...so why all the fuss? Lupe Fiasco's debut was not nearly as anticipated as Kendrick Lamar's, but IMO Food & Liquor was a much more impressive and meaningful debut. One would have to look at the backing that Kendrick has acquired as an explanation. It can't hurt that the legendary production Hulk Dr. Dre has signed and endorsed Kendrick as the second coming of 2Pac. Kendrick's talent is highly based on flow ( which he has a lot of) rather than lyrical ability. Rarely does his lyrics derive away from the usual gang banging, colors, drug dealing and California hood-living. I will credit him for taking a critical stance on all of these topics, but haven't I heard this before? I thought The Game already did this. Kendrick Lamar may be capable of more, but this album kind of reminds me of a less aggressive version of The Documentary.
Let's look at the music of good kid, m.A.A.d. city. The first track that really stands out to me is "The Art Of Peer Pressure" where Kendrick illustrates an account of a night of fun and burglary in the hood with the homies. This is the most creative song on the album, as we get two songs in one - both sections are well composed, and the subject matter is something that I and many black men can relate to. Next is "Good Kid". This Pharrell produced track is mostly worth mentioning because it is part one of the title track, and I think really carries the meaning and foundation of what this album is about. Not crazy about the beat, though. Swimming Pools (Drank) is a nice joint. Really, one of the two tracks that have replay value. It's about filling up a swimming pool with liquor...of course I'm in. Lastly, "Compton" concludes the album with a banger from Just Blaze and some ghostwritten lyrics for Dr. Dre to spit on the feature. Didn't The Game have a Just Blaze beat on his first album, too?
A couple nights ago, ex-Bad Boy rapper and Biggie sound-alike, Shyne, said on twitter that he thought good kid, m.A.A.d. city was trash. He stated that there is a hype machine behind him in the form of Interscope and Dr. Dre but Kendrick has not delivered. The beats are "trash" in his opinion, but he thought he does have talent and potential. I wouldn't go as far as to say the album is trash, but other than that I absolutely agree with Shyne. The beats don't appeal to me, Kendrick's style doesn't win me over, and there are too many uninteresting skits. Some may fall into the misconception that I'm hating. Far from it, but this is why I get bothered when the media over blows artists. Rather than looking at what Kendrick does well, I'm forced to focus on where Kendrick falls short. It's like the girl that everyone fawns over. She's over-exposed and everyone idolizes her for her beauty - naturally, don't her flaws stand out that much more?
Check out the new upcoming EP Poster Girl from my friends and Brooklyn indie band, French Horn Rebellion. Brothers Rob and Dave have been pumping out dance-y electro jams with great success and are furthering their impressive resume with this FHR VS Database release. Premiering on Jay-Z's blog Life+Times.com this week has been a great look, as their soundcloud is getting some heavy plays. Poster Girl is a fun track with the usual light-hearted, youth inspired vocals that we've all come to love and expect. The EP also features a remix from Justin Faust, and they have even included a free download in exchange for an email address. How nice of them! Catch FHR on tour this November and December with Of Montreal and be on the look out for a juicy collaboration that we have coming in the nearing months!
The third and final installment of the Presidential debates left me asking myself several questions:
What does Romney have against even-numbered plans?
What's with the bedroom eyes? Does Romney want to make out with Obama?
Was that one out of place hair on Romney's forehead purposely planted there to make him look human?
Why is Obama only allowed one family member on stage after the debate concludes?
These are troubling questions that deserve revealing answers. Overall, yesterday turned out to be a pretty good one, though. All of my teams won; Team San Francisco Giants, Team Chicago Bears and Team Obama. Though this debate was seated with more authority given to the moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News, President Obama did not pass on the opportunity to stay aggressive and in conrol. Obama consistently shined a light of ignorance, elitism and flip-flopping untruths upon his competitor. Meanwhile, Governor Romney's political tactic was to grin and bare it.
Romney looked pretty much like a scared child throughout the debates and it almost seemed like he had begun to realize how in over his head he was. Every barb offered by the President was met with no return fire, while the Governor maintained that attacking him would do no good for the country. So he won't throw out any zingers, he won't offer specifics on his economic plan for the country and he won't remove troops from Iraq or decrease government war spending? Seemingly, Romney is running out of advantages in this race; fortunately he is still White and wealthy, which should carry him pretty far amongst many voters.
The night was highlighted by some really funny and clever jabs by President Obama, but there were several humorous lines by both candidates. Here are some of the more funny and noteworthy quotes from the night:
"Al-Queda type individuals" - Romney
"We can't kill our way out of this..." - Romney
"My strategy is to go after the bad guys and kill them...but my plan is broader than that." - Romney
"By the way, number one I get rid of is ObamaCare. There are a number of things that sound good, but frankly we just can't afford them. And that one doesn't sound good, and it's not affordable - so I get rid of that one from day one." - Romney
"If Israel is attacked, we have their back." - Romney
"His words amount to genocide, incitation - I would indite him for it." - Romney
"I'm glad that you recognize that Al Qaeda is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what the biggest geo-political threat to America was, you said Russia. And the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back, because, you know, the Cold War has been over for twenty years."
"Strong, steady leadership...not wrong and reckless leadership." - Obama
"But that was ten years before you took office. And then you cut education spending when you came into office." - Obama
"I think Gov. Romney maybe hasn't spent enough time looking at how our military works. You mention the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916...well Governor we also have fewer horses and bayonets." - Obama
* I should state that during this following segment, the audience broke their "vow of silence" by letting out gasps of air and suppressed laughter. *
" We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines." - Obama
"The question is not a game of Battleship, where we're counting ships; it's what are our capabilities." - Obama
"We visited the website quite a bit, and it still doesn't work." - Obama
"Let me just respond. Nothing Governor Romney just said is true." - Obama
As I've said, Obama was seriously getting his "Awww snap" on. Obama has out-dueled Romney in the debates, now we wait to see if that translates into the most votes. Even if Obama does win the most votes, we must always prepare for a sudden "changing of the rules", as Chris Rock pointed out: "Hey man, you got the most votes! Too bad you lost. We used to count votes, now we count bacon!”
The homie, Pugs Atomz, dropped me a link to his new EP Back In The Go last week and I took some time away from managing my lousy fantasy teams to check it out. This title makes sense as his work under the group, The Electric (with the renowned DJ Vadim and UK artist Graziella Affinita) takes him touring around the world often. The Pittsburgh born, veteran emcee has been holding it down for Chicago for some time and leaving his imprint through hosting his own "CTA Radio" show on 88.5 FM, designing his own clothing and of course his own brand of eclectic music. Pugs always manages to keep a good balance of soulful hooks and beats, electronic production, underground style flows and mainstream quality. That's hard to do, nowadays, with record companies constantly pushing fly-by-night rappers who make a name off promoting violence, ignorance, and poor skills (see Chief Keef). The fact that Pugs has maintained his integrity and originality, gained massive critical acclaim, and still creates good music makes me proud as a Chicago born artist.
Back In The Go is a 6 track, free EP that explores hip hop in many of its forms. It is an EP, so it is a quick play through, but there are a couple joints that stand out. It starts off with Knew, which is my favorite on the release, and sets up his return to Chicago with a strong snyth chord and tribal drum beat. With additional vocals by Shayna Love, this makes for a very dope track. The other happens to be the next track, Wind It Up, where we have a down south-esque beat that puts on an electro/glitch overcoat - creating a soundtrack that could be featured on an Atari game. We even get a screwed-up intro and hook on the track. Pugs has no choice but to drop a loose and fun verse on this one. I would definitely recommend grabbing this newness from Pugs Atomz as it is certainly worth the 43MB of space on your laptop.
*BONUS* Listen to Pugs drop a nice verse on the Nobody But Me (Remix) featuring Kosha Dillz and myself!
Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a fan of all things 80's, if my song 1988 Girls with British Synth Wave duo Futurecop! was any indication. I'm an 80's baby and thus am quite keen on this new release by 80s Stallone. Hotline puts you right into the seat of an old school Corvette convertible and takes you for a drive that would make even Ryan Gosling smile in his scorpion short jacket. The albums plays through so effortlessly, with every track being very listenable. It's almost hard to distinguish one song from the next. In this case, that's a very good thing. 80s Stallone has this ability to musically capture the innocence and angst of youth as would a John Hughes film. Sharing a striking similarity to the likes of Anoraak, Futurecop!, Keenhouse, Stardone and Miami Nights 1984, 80s Stallone is contributing nicely to the UK Dream Wave/Synth Pop scene. Squeeze into your skinny jeans, lace upyour high top Reeboks with the velcro straps, put on your headband and get your Walkman ready - Hotline is primed to teleport you back to everyone's favorite decade!
They're all good, but I would recommend the tracks Summer Lovers, Quantum Leap, and Time.
The RGIII craze is sweeping the nation and is finally bringing some good headlines to a team that usually only makes news for it's erratic ownership by Dan Snyder. It's not all good in D.C., though. The Washington National Football League team have come under fire recently as The Kansas City Star has stated that they will no longer use the term "Redskins" in reference to the NFL team. Another publication, The Washington City Paper, has also joined the protest. They have replaced the offensive term with "Pigskins" as was decided by a poll given to its readers. Many are simply aware of the history and relevance of this abhorrent nickname. "Redskins" alludes to the time not entirely long ago, when White settlers issued bounties on the heads of the Native Americans. The "trappers" as they were called, would slaughter Native Americans and bring their scalps as well as other skins
of animals they had trapped. The trappers would bring them to the trading post owner in exchange for currency or goods. Eventually, the Christian women became offended by the term "scalp" and they asked for another way to describe them (how's that for irony?). The trappers then adopted the term
"redskin" This was due to the scalp being bloody, and because it was the skin of an animal like the others they collected. Now...isn't that alot better than "scalps"?
The Washington NFL team first used this nickname in 1933 when owner, George Preston Marshall, supposedly honored head coach William Henry "Lone Star" Dietz who was Native American. Only problem with this is that Marshall was a noted racist and strongly defied the integration of the NFL and even had to be explicitly told by John F. Kennedy to hire black players and threatened him with eviction from his stadium. This establishes a precedence of racism within this team's tradition and ownership so it is difficult to see this continued use of the nickname as anything other than blatant disregard and overt disrespect towards Native Americans in this country.
The buck doesn't stop there...there are other professional teams that profit off of the mockery of other races and cultures:
- The Atlanta Braves The nickname isn't so much offensive as is the team and fan culture is that surrounds it. The logo is a tomahawk, an axe used by Native Americans, and the team employs something called the "Tomahawk Chop" where one raises their arm straight up and down. This is used as a rallying cry to lead the team into victory. Just kinda not cool drumming up memories of the widespread murdering and declared war on Native Americans for the purposes of a baseball team. Change the team name and logo or work out some arrangement with Native Americans so that they don't feel further humiliated by Whites in this country. - The Cleveland Indians Wait, how did this logo get approved? How did this nickname get approved? How did the combination of the team name and logo get approved? Really? Someone is either really dumb, or just really racist. "Indians" is an inaccurate name given to describe Native Americans by misguided sailors. And it just stuck. Never has their been a more widely accepted mistake such as Christopher Columbus "discovering" America and the deeming of Native American Peoples as Indians. Have you seen this logo? Why not nickname a team the "Sambos" and use a huge Black face with watermelon-red lips as a logo? Take a look online at some message boards or if you're a gamer, turn on your headset. Many believe that the moment President Obama took office, racism died in this country. My friends, the raging fire that is racism is alive and well with reinvigorated embers. I suppose it's no mystery how professional sports can be advocates of such disgusting behavior. I, too, join the protest and refuse to refer to these teams by their offensive nicknames. I think more publications need to step forth and do the same. Only when there is a threat of significant revenue loss to these billionaires will there be any sort of change. Just look at good ol' boy George Preston Marshall...if JFK hadn't intervened to remove him from his stadium, perhaps RGIII wouldn't be breaking off 70 yard touchdown runs in our nations capital. How telling of our country that at the central hub of all of our legislation, where the rights and protection of our citizens are in the hands of our government representatives - the greatest oversight of racial sensitivity exists.
Here's some newness from my homie, Rogue Vogue. Chicago producer, Jonathan Marks is well known from his work as the drummer for the indie band Hey Champ, and has now embarked on his own journey of creating "sophisticated Disco/House" music. Hold On (Rogue Vogue Remix) takes me right back to the early 90's and begging my mom to let me go to parties and being denied vehemently. This track is meant to get you on the floor of a dark nightclub and sweaty with a drink in your hand. It's got this funky sax that makes its presence felt throughout - I keep imagining that Sergio himself is gyrating along with the beat as he belts out the notes. A haunting image, I know...i'm still trying to shake it myself. But I digress. Check out Tempogeist - Hold On (Rogue Vogue Remix) newly released on Shiny Disco Club and cop the release on Beatport today.
Okay, I know as soon as he said it - everyone hit Twitter and Facebook with clever comments about sampling Romney's voice and throwing a trap beat behind it. Well this guy actually did it, as i'm sure thousands of others did as well. NYC based mash-up artist Scott Melker, or The Melker Project, does a pretty good chop job here; the vocals are manipulated to say some funny stuff and they ride the beat well. Combine that with some Gangnam Style vocal sampling and a rousing chant of "Obama" at the end and you've got a track that is worth checking out. Not a great deal of musical listening value as it's pretty short and doesn't really go anywhere but certainly humorous and interesting. I'm guessing Scott Melker is on Team Obama.
Be sure to vote for and heart this track on Hype Machine!
Now let me clear...I am an avid supporter of our president. I am inspired by his confidence and his passion and have nothing but reverence for his brilliant mind. That being said, he let his opponent in Governor Romney off the hook in the first presidential debate - and that was a mistake. Romney's political operations are as slick as his hair is. He is well noted for his try-to-please-em-all tactics, and used that debate as a platform to gain some momentum with unsuspecting swing voters on the main stage. Romney is an accredited salesman, and boy does he have a pitch for you.
"That’s why I put out a five-point plan that gets America 12 million new jobs in four years."
-Gov. Mitt Romney
The Republican campaign knows the key points in this election are employment, economy and the recent hot button issue in Libya. The plan is to use Romney's history and success in the private sector as a venture capitalist to be the gateway of entry into the White House. Yes, you helped found a private investment firm, got another out of financial crisis, headed the organizing committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics...but what have you done for me lately? Since when are venture capitalists in the big business arena the best friends of Middle America? Yes, he was a Mormon missionary in France for years. Not gonna knock that...good job - but there are some weird things going on with the Mormon church. Remember those Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints commercials in the 80s? Click below for a refresher course.
The quality is shit, and in case you couldn't tell, that was indeed Alfonso Ribeiro of Fresh Prince fame. WTF is going on there? There were some much much creepier commercials, but I'll leave that hilarity for you to investigate. It just seems to me that Gov. Romney is not genuine and moreover, is hiding something. Like he is not running for Commander-In-Chief for the nation's benefit, but for his own agenda.
In addition, Gov. Romney doesn't seem to be as informed on political stats or events as our current president. Here is the fact round up from last night:
- Bankruptcy in Detroit
Romney did call for a "managed bankruptcy" where the bankruptcy code would be used to shed away debts. The Obama administration gave assistance to the sum of 80 billion dollars which functioned as a managed bankruptcy plan. Many believe Romney's plan would not have worked in 2008 because the credit markets were so frozen then.
- $4,000 hike in taxes for middle class due to current administration borrowing
Untrue. Obama's budget lands him in the middle, where one can assume that Romney's plan would be. We're still waiting for the actual details of Romney's plan.
- No tax on interests, dividends, or capital gains for middle class
This does not benefit middle class Americans, as most do not have large stock investments. It may, however, be good for the elderly due to a majority of their income coming from capital appreciation.
- 14 Days before declaring the Benghazi attack an act of terror
Romney chose to stand on a leg of semantics about the phrasing Obama used in his address in the Rose Garden. "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this nation..." is what Obama said, but because he didn't use the word "terrorism" until 15 days after the attack - this became an opportunity for Romney. Imean, really? C'mon son...this is a non-issue.
- Doubling the deficit, when in 2008 Obama said he would cut it in half
Nope. In 2009, the federal budget deficit was $1.4 trillion and for the last ending fiscal year, the deficit was 1.1 trillion. Wait, is that double? That math definitely does not add up, but then again, I only went to Sarah Lawrence where simple math didn't find its way into my curriculum.
- Obama's policies in the Middle East beginning with an "Apology Tour"
Huh? Nah...that never happened.
- Romney calling Arizona law a model for the nation
Romney was actually referring to the "E-Verify" which is a federal electronic verification system that checks the immigration
status of any new hires. He was not, then, addressing the immigration enforcement law Senate Bill 1070. Romney has not, however, made his position clear on the issue or whether he agrees with the Supreme Court ruling that takes down much of that legislation.
On the whole, I believe it was a win for our president and most seem agree. Romney is running on factual inaccuracies and under-detailed "Hey That Sounds Pretty Good To Me" plans. Obama is experienced in running our country, and on a human level - seems to really care about his impact on our well being. He clearly out-dueled with counterpart with his "I Call Bullshit" technique last night. Clearly, round one of the debates was a fluke and the desire for anniversary sex won out over debate preparation. Can't hate on that, though, cause isn't the only thing that trumps birthday sex - 20th anniversary sex?
This is my maiden post. I've been meaning to start my own blog for some time now. I've either been too busy or too lazy in the past and I'm still too busy and maybe even lazier...but I digress. I blogged/written for other sites in the past and I frequent many sites within the music realm. I am a musician and I am a fan. I have a big problem with how much of the blog community operates and I've stated many a time how something should be done about it. Time to put up or shut up. This blog is about putting odd thoughts and ideas of mine out there for the world to laugh with. This blog is about sharing quality material that I come across with the world to benefit from. Fuck elitism. Fuck favoritism. Fuck feeding the machine. This is my offering.
Here is the new joint "Rivers Of Blood" by The Wu-Tang Clan and Kool G Rap off of the soundtrack, The Man With The Iron Fists. Ghost and Rae represent the Wu, with some help from Golden Arms himself, U-God on the hook. Ghostface comes strong, with his usual esoteric, barbaric, liquor laced rhetoric and Kool G Rap is just a lyrical assault rifle on beats. One word that always comes to mind when listening to G Rap is consistent. Great to hear G Rap still going in as hard as ever. These two legendary forces come together over a mean guitar riff broken up by a chorus of off-key horns to create an energy driven track that will bruise eardrums. Can't wait to grab the entire soundtrack...movie should be pretty dope too.
