Music-Making Jeep

Remember how Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids used to use every conceivable object in a garbage dump to make music?? Or the episode of Doug where they made a song called 'Bangin on a Trash Can'?? This is right down the street from them. A group of friends from Lord knows where decided to turn their old-school Jeep Grand Cherokee into a musical instrument, with everything from doors slamming, to ignition, to the jumper cables to whatever else they could come up with. I love creativity spawned from boredom. It's the purest form...

Tattooed Eyes??

If you're of faint heart, please move to the next post NOW. Then again, if you're into heavy body modification, this might be the post for you. Whatever the case, lifetime inmates in prison have begun tattooing the whites of their eyes as a 'final frontier' of body modification. The inmates will be getting disciplinary action for their tattoos, but at that point, who really cares? I'll tell you one thing: you wouldn't find any of that at OZ...

Dear Google

via The NY Times:

Google said Tuesday that it would stop cooperating with Chinese Internet censorship and consider shutting down its operations in the country altogether, citing assaults from hackers on its computer systems and China’s attempts to “limit free speech on the Web.”

The move, if followed through, would be a highly unusual rebuke of China by one of the largest and most admired technology companies, which had for years coveted China’s 300 million Web users.

Since arriving here in 2006 under an arrangement with the government that purged its Chinese search results of banned topics, Google has come under fire for abetting a system that increasingly restricts what citizens can read online.

It's always a great thing when corporate America stands up for what is right, in a humanitarian sense. Whether it's Nike NOT working Asian children to the bone, or GM trying not to kill their employees' pensions, companies that care about something other than their quarterly reports are always a good look. Google, you've always been groundbreaking in terms of human resources, and how your company was run. That's why you suspending operations is so dope. You're like the Gandhi of the internet age, refusing to eat unless everyone's search engines are treated equally.

Yeah, we know having China on your roster was a security risk because people were hacking your site to get access to it. Yeah, we know you'll probably have to let go of a hefty amount of Chinese workers. In the short run, this might hurt. But in the long run, this sends a message that no country should be able to censor its people. Information is a right everyone needs to be afforded, and China is trying to play hardball, for what reason I don't know. It's not as if the Chinese people are a downtrodden, poor population. China is actually losing out by not cooperating with you. Hopefully they know that. Lord knows no one of the 1.3 billion heads in China wants to lose all of their e-mails and contacts. That'd be the real tragedy...

Neighborhood Newsletter (1/13)

If you really want to know your significant other, check their Google searches...

Fat Butts May Be Healthy

Tony Blair gave secret promise to George Bush over Iraq invasion

Congress Leader: Full Pot Legalization Can Happen Now

Mystery Object to Whizz by Earth Wednesday

Woman fired from Conde' Nast for showing off breast augmentation

Is Marketing Covering Up Danica Patricks Lack of Skills?

Woman in Tony Romo Jersey Assaulted by Eagles Fans

Printers are an invention of the devil

Baron Davis Dribbles Around NYC in Li Ning's

It's no secret that most basketball sneakers, or sneakers for that matter are made in Asia (coughNikecoughReebokcoughadidascough). That said, when is the last time you've heard of a sneaker company from Asia? That ought to change now. Baron Davis, who was previously sponsored by Reebok has taken up the offer from Li Ning, a sports apparel and footwear brand from China. I have to say that this is definitely the way to break into the market, and that the sneakers don't look half bad. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from Li Ning, especially if I get to see Baron hooping it up in NYC all day...

PS: Check out the cameos from Jim Jones, Irv Gotti, DJ Clue and Common...

Dear World (Re: Earthquake in Haiti)

It's no mystery that the poorest country in the Western hemisphere is Haiti. From widespread corruption to rampant hunger and crime to a deteriorating landscape, the status of the other half of Hispaniola has been in shambles for years. Yesterday, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that 'leveled a hospital', buried thousands of people, and caused destruction right outside of the capital of Port-au-Prince cast Haiti into the spotlight, finally. That said, the world community needs to put their own needs aside if even for a few days to aid the country. It's one thing for the your country's leader to make a statement saying something to this effect:

'Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people and country of Haiti.'

It's a completely different situation for everyone to make a committed effort to send aid. Whether it's clothing, food, money, or building supplies, every bit helps. The world, over the past two years has been languishing in the fact that our financial markets have been less than stellar, ignoring the fact that most of Haiti lives below what we would call poverty. I'm not sitting here writing this as a do-gooding humanitarian, or someone who even has family in Haiti. I just know that death and disaster on such a wide scale should never go unnoticed. Let's do what we can, and make sure that Haiti can recover from this devastating happening. Check some websites that you can donate to to help Haiti:

Samaritan Purse

World Vision

Unicef

OxFam

Cam'ron x DJ Drama - Boss of All Bosses 2

Cam'ron x DJ Drama - Boss of All Bosses 2

Cam is back. Yes, I just said that. Killa Cam is back. There have been two phases of Cam's legacy in hip-hop; the first one was his lyrical stage when Big L was still alive and the second was his nursery rhyme phase when he was with the ROC. Cam seems to have melded the two with his new offering with DJ Drama 'Boss of All Bosses 2'. If you don't like drops, or random cronies shouting on your tracks, you might be turned off. If you want to hear the purest of cocaine raps and overall swaggnificence (yeah, I coined that) on wax, then this is the tape for you. Cam'ron seems to have dropped the bullshit and gotten back to lyrics. The beats are vintage Dip Set (shouts to Araab) and Cam makes light of everything from his label situation to the ridiculous amount of money he makes, to the frivolous women he deals with. Gone are the onomatopoeia and random rhymes, and in come wordplay and vocaublary unseen since his Children of the Corn days. Honestly, you should check this out. Harlem please take your bow. Check the link, tracklist, my #dopetracks and a promo freestyle (sorry, no loosies for this one)...



#dopetracks
We Back
U Right
Bezel Up
A Mafia
They Holla Ayo
Nothing Personal

Dear FIFA

Togo being disqualified makes this man's death in vain...

via CNN:

Togo's national soccer team have been officially disqualified from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The region's governing football body for football has confirmed that the team, known as the "Hawks", will take no further part in the tournament being hosted by Angola after failing to appear for their first group game against Ghana on Monday, according to CNN affiliate ITN.

The squad flew back home to Togo after three of their traveling party were killed and two players seriously injured by a machine-gun attack which occurred as their bus crossed the border into the northern, oil-rich state of Cabinda on Friday.

Why is death an impetus for lack of understanding? Or better yet, why does the death of a comrade (only word I wanted to use; I'm not a Commie) not inspire people instead of make them fearful and contentious? The latter is your stee-lo, FIFA. Togo was eliminated from the CAF African Nations Cup after failing to show for their first match. No, they weren't on a delayed flight or getting a new pair of shin-guards for Emmanuel Adebayor. THEY WERE GETTING ATTACKED BY MACHINE GUNS! I could understand if the team was being a fist full of assholes and just not showing up, but where do sympathy and reverence come into play?

Soccer has always been one of the sports I respected because of how regal and tradition-based it is without being a bore. Now, can that really be said? And better yet, what of the security of the rest of the squads in the Nations Cup? If the Togolese team is getting shot up before they even get to the tournament, then I shudder to think what could happen when all of the teams are together. And to that same effect, what's going to be the deal when the World Cup goes down in June?? Is the security going to be that loose? Whatever the case, FIFA, you guys need to both beef up your security and LET TOGO PLAY. By disqualifying them, you're letting those crazed attackers think they won, which would be the ultimate L, no matter who wins the Nations Cup...

Drake - Successful (Unreleased Verse)

Drake - Successful (Unreleased Verse)

Saw this yesterday on The Smoking Section, and then immediately wondered why this wasn't on the original. I guess when you get Weezy-fied as much as Drake has, you bow (or kneel, since Wayne is a tall midget) to the master...

I'm at Work (Parody)

I saw this as I was at work today and bust out laughing at the front desk while on the phone. Needless to say, we've all had those jobs where it just seemed like we were going through the motions ala' Office Space. And you got to admit that both of these dudes rap pretty well about occupational drudgery. Check the video...

Neighborhood Newsletter (1/11)

Chad Ochocinco is the most interesting player in the NFL, by far...

A New School Teaches Students Through Videogames

It Takes 9 Hours of Sex to Burn Off 6 Chicken McNuggets

China 'overtakes Germany as world's largest exporter'

Google Earth helps find El Dorado

Whole Foods Really Is Bad for the Planet

Former Gov. Blagojevich: 'I'm blacker than Barack Obama'

Texas School Board Aims To Ban Cesar Chavez From Textbooks

Do platonic friendships between men and women really exist?

Become Mars Blackmon

Every so often, Jordan Brand comes out with something that isn't a rehashed version of something it's already done. Unfortunately, this time it's not a sneaker. To commemorate the re-releasing (how the hell are they re-releasing a re-released mash-up??) of the Air Jordan Spiz'ike, Jordan is doing a 'Become Mars' campaign on their website. You can upload a picture of yourself to the Air Jordan website, and have your likeness transformed into that of the iconic Mars Blackmon, known to sneakerheads worldwide. They also doled out an iPhone app for the campaign. It's a pretty novel idea, but sometimes you just gotta become Mars Blackmon (don't judge my logic there)...

Dear Marshawn Lynch

I'm guessing you're used to having your way with white women. That works in college, not real life...

via The Buffalo News:

Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch took $20 from a Southtowns woman at a Hamburg restaurant last month, according to information received by The Buffalo News.

The woman's husband, Buffalo Police Sgt. William Crawford, filed a complaint with Hamburg police a day after the incident, but they delayed giving a statement to detectives until Wednesday, in part because she wanted to wait until the Bills' football season ended and Lynch was out of town...

"He takes the $20 out of her hand, and my wife says "What are you doing?' and Lynch says "Don't worry.' When my wife's girlfriend came back to the table, she told her about it. The girlfriend approached Lynch and said, "Give my friend her money back,' and Lynch threatened her saying "Do you know who I am? There's going to be consequences.'

First of all, let me give a big #shoutout to all of the broke-ass rich athletes out there. Whether it's Latrell Sprewell turning down a $10 million contract because there wasn't enough money to 'feed his kids', or Gilbert Arenas airing out his fiscal troubles on Twitter, or Antoine Walker filing for bankruptcy last year, this article is dedicated to you:

Marshawn, I've always liked your style on the field: tough, gritty and north-south. That said, should that kind of behavior still be accepted off the field? Marshawn, you do realize that taking money directly out of someone's hand is considered stealing?? I wonder if you do, because the way you snatched that $20 out of the lady's hand makes it seem like you're going under a whole different set of laws out here. The reasoning you gave was AWESOME. I mean, if you're going to be a big, tough football player, you might as well give a really stupid answer for why you're stealing money. And after that, telling your team that the lady was a 'friend' was PRICELESS. If I'm going to be an athlete, then I definitely want to be able to wield that kind of power off the field, where people automatically just listen, because I'm an athlete. Not that I'd be a regular citizen too, just with a huge bankroll, but you played that perfectly. I also wanted to ask you what that $20 was for. I suppose when you sign a $10 million dollar contract, everyone's money is your money. Whatever the case, I hope you spent it wisely. Teams are cutting the black sheep faster than your 40-time. Ahh, to live the life of a broke-ass rich athlete...

A Touch Screen... Projected

When you think about 'the Future' (F is capitalized), what do you think about? My first thought is always interactive environments, where EVERYTHING becomes a source of input, either actively or passively. This is the latter. Enter the Light Touch, from Light Blue Optics. This machine can take any solid, flat surface and turn it into a touch screen through a projection technology called HLP (you can see how HLP works below). The manufacturer says HLP and concepts like the Light Touch will become especially useful in venues such as restaurants, hotels and specialty shops. I, for one, can't wait until this technology starts getting to consumers. But seriously, how long until 'the Future'?

The Twirling Battery

If everyone had batteries like this, then no one would need to bring chargers ANYWHERE. This battery, designed by Yanko Design has it's own recharging feature. As you can tell from the picture, all you have to do is twirl the thing around your finger. While the designers say the battery isn't meant to be 'eco-friendly' or a 'green' concept, you have to see how this could segue into a whole new sector of power. Too bad they only make it in Japan and for that specific phone. Check out some specs and the quickie tutorial...

Rudy Guliani has 9/11 Amnesia

You know there's something wrong with our government when the man leading a city during a prolific terrorist attack forgets the President that the attack happened under. Or maybe he's just trying to stick up for his party-mate. Rudy Guliani claimed that no terrorist attacks happened under the reign of George Dubya Bush, while one occurred under Obama (the one over X-Mas). Not only is that false, the supposed 'attack' under Obama really didn't even happen! Is it possible that George Bush's trademarked brand of idiocy has seeped through the party? I hope not, because we'll have filibusters galore this year, if that's the case...

Dear 'Booty Pop'

I'm not going to lie. I am an ass man. I'll enjoy enjoy a shapely derriere any day. However, upon unwrapping my 'present' (we're going to try and keep it PG-13) if I found you, a Booty Pop, I would be turned off. You see, Booty Pop, you are like the crowning achievement in false advertisement. Whereas the Wonderbra added cleavage to what was already there, you more or less put platform boots on a metaphorical midget. What's even more troubling is the fact that the commercial features all of these slender, skinny white women looking to add that 'lifted booty' (what is a 'lifted booty'?). I can't help but feel like you would have been laughed laughed at two years ago, when Kim Kardashian was merely Ray J's supple co-star. Regardless, is thick becoming the new 'it' thing? Every which way we look, we see video hoes girls getting butt implants and injections. I suppose the mainstream way to achieve that affect is through padded underwear. Booty Pop, your aim is a valiant one, but why taint something that no one wanted 3 years ago in the first place? I'm sure by then Kim Kardashian will be another reality star in rehab, and mainstream Hollywood will want to return their 'lifted booties' to the 'As Seen on TV' store...

Dear NYC Federal Reserve

Just because you deleted it, doesn't mean it disappeared...

via the New York Times:

Starting in November 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York under Timothy Geithner began urging American International Group, the huge insurer that the government had bailed out, to limit disclosure on payments made to banks at the height of the financial crisis, e-mail messages obtained by DealBook show.

The e-mail exchange between the bailed-out insurance giant and its regulator portray a strange reversal of roles, with A.I.G. staff arguing for the disclosure of certain details on payments for credit-default swaps to major banks, only to be discouraged by officials at, or representing, the Federal Reserve.

In a draft of one regulatory filing, A.I.G. stated that it had paid banks — including Goldman Sachs Group, Merrill Lynch, Société Générale and Deutsche Bank — the full value of C.D.O.’s, or collateralized debt obligations, that they had bought from the company. In the response to that draft from the law firm Davis Polk and Wardwell, which represented the New York Fed, that crucial sentence was crossed out, and did not appear in the final version filed on Dec. 24, 2008.

This is what we're talking about when we say there's a lack of transparency in our government. Guys, the recession has been long and sad. While analysts are saying we'll be out before we know it, I've read enough econ books to know that whatever 'prosperity' they're talking about won't hit the common folk until a year or two after. That said, I thought it was a great move for Obama to start placing more strict regulation on the financial markets after the crash. But where will the lies end?? From dropping interest rates every week to bailing out big businesses while people were losing their homes, you, reserve have left the people out to dry. Now that we know how full of shit you are, it's funny that this story came out.

When people imagine big business and financial deception, they usually imagine a bunch of 'The Man'-looking white men in a fancy board room, making decisions and sending secretive e-mails. I had no clue that was REALLY the case. If you were to sit down and only skim through those e-mails, they would seem routine (I suppose that's the point). The language they used sounded like they weren't even dealing with money. I suppose that's what happens when you're rich and powerful. As long as the system is in order, it doesn't matter what happens to the little people. Fed, don't get it twisted. Withholding information is the same thing as lying, especially when the information would have made your actions that much more detrimental to the country. Now that AIG's been bailed out and STILL has nothing to show for it, it's just ironic that our economy still isn't bouncing back like you guys 'planned'...

Neighborhood Newsletter (1/7)

No one should play X-Box THAT much...

YouTube Suspends Kid's Account, Gets Porn Fest In Protest

Senate: Use of Word 'Retarded' is retarded

Respecting Your Elders is Genetic, Finds Primate Study

Despite Risks, Internet Creeps Onto Car Dashboards

Each US Soldier in Afghanistan Costs $1 Million

19 Yr Old Plays GTA IV for 40 Hrs Straight & Sets New Record

Bacon & eggs can help pregnancy boost baby's intelligence

How the Internet Changed Writing in the 2000s

NBA Jam Returns

In 1993, NBA Jam came out for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, and every dude on my block became addicted to the 2-on-2 game, with classic NBA rosters. Then, when everyone got a Playstation or N64, we expected the game to step up to those systems. SIKE. The creators, Midway (which is bankrupt as of last March) lost the NBA license to EA Sports and we never saw NBA Jam again. Ironically, EA announced they would be bringing back NBA Jam on the Wii (XBox360 and PS3 heads, I feel your pain). It's a quirky concept. I wouldn't mind if they kept the music though..