Sometimes fanaticism doesn't have to be about weird costumes and camping out all night to get into Comic-Con. In fact, sometimes the biggest fans have other, more palatable interests that actually turn out to be useful for the fan. I guess you could say that's the case with this California man (all the random, cool stuff is always in freaking Cali, isn't it?) who took his love for Batman, and made his own custom Bat-Pod replica to cruise around on. The chopper is fully functioning, aside from the machine guns, and other classified gadgets only Bruce Wayne's rich behind can access. I'm not really sure how fast the replica can go (not that it matters; we can't disobey traffic laws like Batman), but it definitely looks like it can haul ass on a straightaway. Check out some closer flicks, and a video of the Bat-Pod in action...
Sooo, now that Mel Gibson has racist and sexist-ranted his way out of Lethal Weapon 5, we've got to find other older actors to run wild in action movies. Fortunately, Bruce Willis is still on the scene, and Morgan Freeman has always been a sleeper in the genre. This particular offering has a predictable plot, but reeks of entertainment value, considering the host of explosions, guns, high-tech gear, and one-liners in the trailer. Plus, the interactions look hilarious!! Check out the trailer from Comic Con...
PROLOGUE (if you can call it that): Before you get into the letter, make sure to check out 'The War Logs', a series of previously-classified military documents outlining many inconsistencies in what the government has told us, and what is really going on in Afghanistan and Iraq. - via The New York Times
Wait, wait, wait, wait.... Let me get this straight. We've been at war in Afghanistan for almost 10 years now, fighting off not only Al-Quaeda and the Taliban, thinking that the $1 billion in aid we sent to Pakistan was to help us against militants. Now, we find out that the Pakistani government has been underhandedly helping out those same insurgents we were trying to fight??? C'mon son... Something about this war has seemed fishier than Neffe's nether regions. I've thought that since 2001, and the leaks from Wikileaks proved my suspicions right.
Pentagon, can you FINALLY admit, that this 'War on Terrorism' isn't working?
SIDENOTE: Anyone notice that when America goes to war against something that isn't a specific country or entity of countries, it doesn't work?? (see: war on drugs, war on terrorism, Prohibition)
Since 2001, after the September 11th attacks, over $3 TRILLION have been spent on defense and military intelligence, operations and planning. That's right: over $3,000,000,000,000 for these specific purposes (if my knowledge and research is correct):
1) To find weapons of mass destruction.
2) To find Osama bin Laden, his weapons of mass destruction, and figure out his role in 9/11. 3) To completely destroy the infrastructure and governments of Afghanistan and Iraq under the facade of democracy building, while embarking on a monumental oil rush. 4) To finish George H.W. Bush's beef with Saddam Hussein.
Okay, so 3 and 4 get scratched because that's not what 'good' Americans do, and because a federal agent would snipe me in my apartment window otherwise. Pentagon, what does that leave as our goals from this decade-long endeavor? To find WMD's and Osama bin Laden. Hmmmmm... The last time I checked, we still haven't found as much as a tommy-gun we didn't know about in Afghanistan or Iraq. In fact, most of the weapons in those countries, we brought in. Also, the last I checked, bin Laden was still shacked up, chilling, in some region we don't know exists. The last guy who got close to him wasn't even with you guys, and you arrested him! What do those facts, along with the recent unearthing of these 'secret' military reports tell me, Pentagon? They tell me that the administrative systems in place to regulate our military spending SUCK. They tell me that military spending in general is too great compared to the returns. They tell me that our troops are over in the Middle East fighting for things that might not exist, and to find people who can't be found. They tell me that George Dubya had his head up his ass when he was planning this with his people. But most of all, they show ridiculous inefficiency and huge divides in our military systems, including the Armed Forces and CIA.
Why is it that our military was so naive entering this war? I mean, did you really think you'd be able to simply storm these countries, take down their leaders, convince their people that your way was best, convert them to democracy, and then everything be peachy? I can tell you one thing: no country is going to embrace your ideals, much less if you're killing civilians and causing complete social upheaval. You're like the dumb bear who smacks up the beehive hoping to get honey, not realizing those bees aren't just going to fall asleep and let you get your fill, Winnie. This isn't the playground, where you can pick on the little guy and not expect repercussions on your side. This is war... and a severely underestimated one, at that. That we're finding out about so many inaccuracies on your side isn't as much a surprise as the biggest one: the whole Pakistani spies aiding insurgents thing. That's just sad... $9 billion worth of sadness. And to think, we've been in a recession this whole time. So much for war profiteering helping the nation stabilize. Word to the Great Depression and World War II...
Let me get this off my chest first Lupe: That BMF freestyle was WEAK!!! Now that we've gotten that out of the way, here goes:
It's a sad day in music when a person has to finally admit that their favorite artist, contrary to popular belief, CAN do some wrong. Lupe, You've been my favorite rapper for the latter half of the decade, replacing whatever crap I was listening to previously. For those years of fanhood, I've had to sit through countless hip-hop arguments with people who thought you were lame, convoluted, whiny, overrated, too nerdy, not hood enough, and whatever other knocks they could find on you. For those years of fanhood, I toiled scouring lyrics and songs for instances that you shined. For every Weezy punchline, I had an entire verse that trumped it. For every Jay-Z song that became an earworm, I had a track bumped harder. Yet, for every album you released, I had a complaint. Yes, a complaint, Lu. You see, for an artist as talented as yourself, there always has to be a catch, and with that catch, a complaint from fans:
Your first album, while good, was NOTHING compared to the original, leaked version. From beginning (Theme Music to a Drive-by is one of the best intro's I've ever heard) through the middle ('Trials & Tribulations' and 'Real Recognize Real' still are in rotation) to the end, the ORIGINAL Food and Liquor was damn near a classic. Pulling it, then re-releasing it with wacker versions of original songs and throwaway tracks was a mistake. Your second album 'Lupe Fiasco's The Cool' was also good, but was riddled with tracks that probably should've been B-sides rather than album cuts. I'm not going to lie and say I didn't bump both of them into the ground due to my immense fanhood, but 3 years without a release makes for a rough time as a fan.
It is now 2010, three years since a Lupe Fiasco album, and 6 months since an official Lupe Fiasco mixtape. In today's industry, and to today's fan, that's entirely too long. Your name is out of the loop, people forget about you, and then give you the 'huh?' look when you claim you're the best. As much as it sucks to admit, promotion is EVERYTHING, and you've been lacking in that department for a while now. Now that Lasers is supposedly done, and you're being held from releasing it by Atlantic, you want to whine and complain about label woes and how their not pushing it for you. Lupe, you've got to remember that the industry owes you NOTHING!!! You hear that? NOTHING. The amount of artists who've had their careers chewed up and spat out within the course of a few months is constantly rising. And here you are, signed to a major labor, sporting a large and dedicated fanbase, getting mad because your stuff gets leaked and the label won't do anything about it? Lupe, grow up!
You ever take note of Wayne or Gucci when they went to jail?? No one really missed their presence in hip-hop because they constantly have stuff coming out, whether it's throwaway tracks, mixtape features, or just mixtapes in general. Lupe, in the last year, I think I've heard a total of 10 tracks from you. That's sad. No artist can put out less than a track per month and expect a label to be behind them (except Jay Electronica). Lu, going back to the fans (myself being one of them), there's been a #WeWantLASERS trending topic and petition on Twitter for about a week. Is it just me, or does it look like these fans are going to be tweeting and petitioning for naught? I know you'd like to say no, just so it sounds like you're trying, but we know that the Lupe we love on wax may never find his way back. It's not that you've lost your talent. It's that you got caught up in trying not to be 'the Cool' and stopped putting out what made you in the first place: the music. It's not enough to just sit there complaining about what people aren't doing for you or are doing to you. If you don't try to overcome it by doing what you do best, they win; labels, leakers et. al. Please Lupe, put us fans out of our misery and put out music that's worthy of your imprint, not random freestyles complaining about why you've got no buzz. If you're ever going to 'blow' you'll need a lot more than a subpar freestyle to a Rick Ross track...
To some, he is a real-life Willy Wonka. To others, he is a Bond-style villain bent on taking over the world’s supply of chocolate. In a stroke, a hedge fund manager here named Anthony Ward has all but cornered the market in cocoa. By one estimate, he has bought enough to make more than five billion chocolate bars. Chocolate lovers here are crying into their Cadbury wrappers — and rival traders are crying foul, saying Mr. Ward is stockpiling cocoa in a bid to drive up already high prices so he can sell later at a big profit. His activities have helped drive cocoa prices on the London market to a 30-year high.
Mr. Ward, 50, is not some rabid chocoholic, former employees say. He simply has a head for cocoa. And, through his private investment firm, Armajaro, he now controls a cache equal to 7 percent of annual cocoa production worldwide, a big enough chunk to sway prices.
“Globally, he is unmatched in his knowledge of cocoa,” said Tim Spencer, a former Armajaro executive.
Armajaro maintains offices in West Africa, helping Mr. Ward keep tabs on major cocoa crops. “We even have our own weather stations — our very own that no one else has in some parts of the world,” Mr. Ward, soft-spoken and tan, said in a video interview this year with a financial news service. Now, traders here are buzzing that Mr. Ward has placed an audacious $1 billion bet in the London market for cocoa futures. This month, he bought 241,100 metric tons of beans, they say. His play has some people up in arms. While some see it as a simple bet that cocoa prices will rise on falling supply, others say Mr. Ward has created a shortage of cocoa simply to drive up the price himself.
Greetings from London, England, where a local entrepreneur has apparently rediscovered his love for the children's story, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. Anthony Ward has bought over $1 billion worth of cocoa beans from Africa, virtually turning the chocolate industry into his industry. On the London market, his purchase has raised the price of chocolates to a 30-year high. My question is, how much chocolate is he going to buy before he realizes one of two things?:
A) People like chocolate, but not enough to pay ridiculous prices for it. As people's wallets shrink, so do their appetites for luxury products and non-essential food items like (you guessed it) chocolate. He's probably not going to be able to sell it for another 10 years.
or
B) Candy producers have entire regions dedicated to cocoa production. In fact, England doesn't have so much as a foothold in the chocolate industry, as say Italy or France. His acquisition is meaningless unless he has a producer handcuffed already. Looks like he's just going to be sitting on chocolate...
Is this what the recession has brought people to? Making binge investments and trying to buy up the market in the hopes that one day they can sell it off? Obviously, we've yet to see what the investments will hold for the future, but there have got to be more lucrative industries out there. I suppose that's what happens when your country's infrastructure is failing and your government is fighting itself: you buy chocolate and hope for the best. On that note, I'm going to get back to my Everlasting Gobstopper. Word to Gene Wilder...
I've never been one for gold sneakers. They either stand out TOO much or they come off as looking tacky. These, however, I can mess with. The Nike Air Max 97 is one of those shoes that gets lost in the shuffle behind 95's and 90's, but always seems to have really simple, yet fresh colorways. Nike's come back hard with retro's this summer especially in the Air Max department, and this is one of the shoes that was resurrected. These 97's feature a metallic gold upper with white stripes for contrast, as well as a red swoosh on the tongue, and the 97 Air bubble that can't be missed. These kicks are an international release and should've already touched down at your local spot. Hopefully you jumped on them...
Hey people!!!! Friday means Freestyles, if you didn't know. We've got two up-and-comers this week, spitting flames over hot instrumentals. The first one is by Skewby, over Dirty Money's 'Angels'. Honestly, Skewby might have one of the most underrated repertoires in the underground right now. He rips every song or cipher I hear him in, and his content is always on point. The Tennessee native has to be on your radar now. The second one is from another guy who should be on your radar, Laws. I wasn't too keen on Laws after listening to his 4:57 mixtape, but here, in this freestyle over Outkast's 'ATLiens', he makes a fan of me. The concept behind his past work has been just that: work. This freestyle is about his last days of working a 9-5 and the wackness that ensues in such a job. His new mixtape, 5:01, is definitely getting a listen now. Check out both dope freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever....
If you want to see how someone's day is going, chances are you can check their Twitter and get a pretty good idea. That said, aside from your own personal friends, it's really impossible to get a serious feel for the rest of the world's affect (look it up) at any given time... Until now. Computer scientist Alan Mislove from Northeastern University and his colleauges in Boston have done a study that finds that the west coast is happier than the east coast, and across the country happiness peaks each Sunday morning, and hits a low on Thursday evenings. The study is called 'Pulse of the Nation'.
Mislove took all public tweets between September 2006 and August 2009, filtered out users from outside the US (and those with no location listed), then filtered them against a psychological word-rating system called Affective Norms for English Words. ANEW ranks lower scoring words as negative and higher ones as positive. Positive words like 'love', 'diamond', and 'paradise' have higher scores, while negative words like 'funeral', 'rape', and 'suicide' have lower ones. He then took those scores, calculated the average mood of all the users in a state hour by hour, and plotted the scores on a 'mood map'. The mood map transforms every hour based on how many users in a state are tweeting, and how that state is tweeting (happy or sad). The result was the video above, a 24-hour map of the emotional ups and downs of Twitter.
The dope part about this study is that you can see where you fit in as a regular Twitter user. Weekends are usually fairly happy, while the middle of the week is pure drudgery. Also, the West Coast's overall happiness compared to that of the East Coast is dumbfounding. Even crazier is the fact that the Midwest seems to always be somewhat unhappy (sorry Detroit). It's interesting to see such a wide base of data being portrayed so simply. If you want to see an extended write-up with more infographics, click here. Other wise, check out the video and see how your mood fits into the pulse of the nation...
Talk is cheap when you're the only one doing it...
I hate when people whine, b*tch and moan about what someone else isn't doing, and then do the same thing themselves, and to a greater degree. When one asks, or better yet demands something in return for their blessing, it's a given that if that thing is received, the person had better be willing to make good on their word. That's just common integrity at work. You don't throw out ultimatums, or better yet, your word if you know you won't be able to back it up. That's why I'm so disappointed in you, Fraud Floyd. For almost two years the biggest story in boxing has been a fight that hasn't and may never happen! Floyd, we get it, you think you're the best boxer in the world... Yet and still, there's a wiry Filipino across the pond who thinks he's better. Pacquiao's been willing to settle the score and prove who's better for years, but every which way we turn, you're coming up with some wacky stipulation for him.
Whether it was $10 million per pound over the weight class (that's unheard of), or systemic blood testing leading up to the fight, you seem like you're finding every possible way to duck this fight. Pacquiao originally declined the latter requirement, but because you constantly were talking out of your mouth, with your camp ridiculing Pacquiao at every chance they got. You're uncle called him a b*tch and a f*ggot on camera! Seriously, Floyd?? That's what you and your folks have stooped to? Name-calling?
Consider this... Manny's a boxer. Sooner or later, wouldn't you think that he'd get tired of the talk, and want to settle it in the ring? I'd think so. Pacquiao said to hell with his training regimen and decided to go along with your blood testing. To me, that's the sign of a boxer who's not scared of anything... to completely revamp his training methods to suit another boxer's demands, is brave, almost to a fault. Pac Man was ready to take you out, and you sat silent, not even considering the contract put forth by his camp.
You're scared. Just admit it, Floyd. Now that Pacquiao has made sacrifices and is still ready to rumble, you realized you can't talk shit to the top. The funny thing is, you should've seen this coming. Pacuiao's eaten alive the past 5 boxers (all but one in a KO, and that was a unanimous decision against Clottey) he's faced, and hasn't lost since Morales in 2005. Judging from your last fight, where Mosley was able to hit you up a few times, Pac might do some damage, and you know it. Floyd, for someone who named himself 'Money', you need to put it where your mouth is. Stop finding little loopholes and BS ways to duck Pacquiao. If Manny can compromise (he's bending over backwards now) to fight you, you can sign the damn contract and give boxing fans what they've wanted to see for three years: the two best boxers in the world duke it out for the title of the best pound-for-pound fighter. If you're so sure you're the best, put that undefeated record on the line and fight, instead of talking about fighting...
In about 200 years (pending the End of Days, 2012 and any catastrophic world disasters), when we look back on the cultural and biological makeup of humanity, this will be considered the beginning of a society of homogeneous people. This letter is weird to write, for two reasons:
A) How easily skin pigmentation fragments us. No matter how much people want to say that they are color blind, the skin (and it's color) are the first thing that one sees. People take skin color to indicate much more than it should, even in today's 'post-racial society'. That a newborn child has more or less broken every rule we knew about genetics, and skin color, is a shock to most people nor an easy pill to swallow. The birth of this 'white' baby to these 'black' parents (note the quotation marks) is the beginning a new era in human genetics: that of racial ambiguity. Because of you, the entire notion of skin color will die in a matter of centuries. People won't be too happy about that either. For many, skin color is a delineating mark. With your advent, there is one less marker for people to judge with.
B) As a black person, proud of my heritage, it's exciting, yet disconcerting to think that race may die out. Where will the culture and folklore I've grown to know end up? Will they be celebrated as a part of your new hold on humanity, or will some cultures scatter like dust in the wind? Will some parts of your 'new race's' culture hold still, while other parts get discarded as useless or classless or outmoded? How can we be sure that in 200 years black or Hispanic or Asian culture won't die out or that one won't be held up over another?
Both A) and B) are legitimate concerns, but this birth signals a pivotal time in humanity. Racial ambiguity, you've long been a heralded black sheep in genetics. Your tendency to make people 'universally beautiful' is lauded, yet people chafe at the racial issues that come into play. I can only imagine the kind of internal strife that this child will experience in it's post-latent years. From taunts to questions to weird looks, that baby's blond hair may be as much a bane as it is a blessed surprise. Then again, in this post-racial society, where your presence is heralded, she may very well be a golden child. Who's really to know at this point? What we do know is that somehow two black parents, with two black children, birthed a child who would be considered traditionally white. Racial ambiguity, it stands to say that your shroud will still be appreciated in a post-racial society, though it still may not hide you from criticism. You're something that people fear but secretly lust after. That this child achieved it through natural birth is incredible. Hopefully by the time she's old enough to write, her racial identity will be solid and understood to her, but really won't even matter any more...
When an innovator, originator or all-time great speaks on the current state of their field of expertise, you listen. Point. Blank. Period. No matter how sick you are of hearing about the event, that great's words matter, not because they'll have any bearing on the situation. Those words matter because it's essentially a view from the top. It's like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Eric Schmidt speaking on the state of computing, or Joe Montana speaking on football, or Jimmie Dean (RIP) speaking on breakfast meats. That's why I don't get why people are so up in arms about your comments regarding the LeBron-athon and the free agency free-for-all over the past few weeks. Michael, simply put, you are the best to ever play the game of basketball (readers, let's not get into the debate; Kobe is still playing). That said, I think you'd know a thing or two about the game and how differences in generations would change the game.
Michael, your comments make perfect sense. While one can't not respect LeBron and company for hopping onto the Dwyane Wade bandwagon in Miami, you've got to question the cojones on some of these guys. You're right!! Back in your day (sad that we can say that now) you wouldn't have had Larry Bird and Magic Johnson hitting you up to form a New World Order. Patrick Ewing wouldn't have based his free agent signing on wherever you were going. Charles Barkley would've laughed you out of town had you suggested that you guys team up. I suppose what the NBA is losing with these multi-million dollar deals and hour-long free agent specials, is simple: competition. Think about it MJ.. When you were playing, did the term 'contract year' even exist? Players didn't lounge for 3 years and then decide to turn it on the year their contract was up. They proved their worth on a night-to-night basis. Players went up and at each other. There were rivalries... REAL rivalries, with bad blood, heated words and hard fouls to prove it. Players might have been friends off the court, but their pride wouldn't allow them to make nice on the court. In your day, there wouldn't have been 'Three Kings' in Miami. Those three guys would have had to make their own ways in their respective cities. The advent of free agency took the heart right out of the NBA.
Much like your comments, Mike, this isn't a shot at LeBron. This is just a basketball fan fearing the worst: that the underdog will become a dying breed... that the powers that be (ie: David Stern, the shareholders, and their wallets) will prevail over the game and art of basketball... Even more I fear that competition, true competition between great players will dwindle because they'll all be on the same team. Where's the fun in that? LeBron and his personal dream team will be fun to watch. Yet, the best basketball experiences involve NOT knowing who was going to be in the big dance come May. Your era was the last to exhibit raw, unadulterated, bitter competition. The way it's looking, the NBA Champs will be one of 4 teams for the next 10 years. If that doesn't make you as a basketball fan a little salty, Mike, I don't know what does. Then again, I suppose running the Charlotte Bobcats (as futile as it may become soon) is all the competition you need. Good luck fighting the power, Mike. You'll need it...
Today I got the chance to go to a concert in Philadelphia. Philly doesn't have many concerts, or at least many good hip-hop ones. So with that in mind, any good accessible concert needed to be attended with the quickness. Cole, as soon as I heard you were performing in Philly, and for free at that, I had to attend. I copped the tickets that day, and waited patiently to see if your performances live up to your music. That's a hard feat in today's rap game. Not every rapper can perform. You've got guys who just stand there waving their hand (coughcoughDrakecoughcough) and rapping. You've got guys who can't keep up with their own lyrics. The only good performers I can see today are Jay-Z, Lupe, The Clipse and Kanye. The rest just don't entertain as well. You came on stage to 'We On', and got the crowd pumped, even though most of them didn't know the lyrics. Then you made a great move by bringing Freeway out, especially because we're in Philly. The crowd started pulsating, they were screaming so loud. I swear you could hear it on my camera. Free made everyone get rowdy with 'Roc the Mic' and 'What We Do', and then you moved on to 'Who Dat' and had everyone involved. Closing out the show with 'Young Simba' was a good move, too. One thing, though... Why was your set only 27 minutes long? There were definitely more tracks you could've performed, instead we got a little under a half an hour of performance compared to an 45-minute Jazzy Jeff and Skills set. Not that I'm complaining (after all, it was free), but heads were standing there for 4 hours waiting for you. Regardless, 'twas a good show. You could've been utterly robotic with everything, but turned out a good performance. Now, if only Philly can get some more marquee shows out here...
The Roots and John Legend are two of the best at their respective crafts, with John belting out the smoothest tunes in R&B and The Roots pretty much being the last (if only) hip-hop band out right now. It's only right that the two entities would collab for an album, much less a track honoring the great Teddy Pendergrass. The interpolation is done ridiculously well, to my surprise. Melanie Fiona is officially on my radar for R&B. She kills the vocals on her part. I wasn't so sure Common needed to be on the track, but he does it justice. The album is called 'Wake Up' and from that title we can gather that this is going to be an inspiring production, to say the least. I'm keeping my eyes open, as should you. Wake up and check out the change, people...
Is it too early to say that I'm otherworldly hyped for J. Cole's album? I don't think so.. So I'll say it now: I AM RIDICULOUSLY, OTHERWORLDLY, OUTLANDISHLY HYPED FOR COLE WORLD!!!! (breathes) Now that we've got that out of the way, I must say that it's crazy how good J. Cole is. Cole goes by the quality over quantity standpoint when it comes to his music, and it works perfectly. His music never sounds rushed, it never sounds like he's half-assing it, nor is it ever under the standard that we're used to. Cole is so methodical. It's never 'I'm going to flood the market so people think I'm the best'. It's ALWAYS 'I'm going to deliver the best and most consistent product so people know I'm the best'. That mindset is clear on this new track 'Premeditated Murder,' where Cole states he knew he was going to kill the game, hence the title. Lyrically and musically, the track is pifftastic, in case you didn't gather that. Did I mention I'm hyped for Cole World? Check the loosie out and maybe you will be too..
Why is it that when a supposedly foolproof solution comes about, even the most elementary of minds can figure out why that solution sucks? British Petroleum has been loafing hard at work trying to find a way to stop the massive oil leak that threatens to destroy the Gulf of Mexico. 87 days and 178 million barrels of oil later, they've finally figured out a way to stop the oil from flowing: a cap. A freaking cap! Something to put over the top of the leak to stop it from leaking... That's the best BP can do? Apparently not, because immediately after hearing of this solution, CNN brought you, Bill Nye, in to discuss the situation.
Bill, you've long been a premier authority on science, in my book. Any person that can explain Newton's Laws to 4th graders or the extended water cycle to 2nd graders has to be a genius. Your show added to the plethora of stimuli that made me into the knowledge-sucking nerd I am today. It probably still would be if PBS wasn't so bent on replacing real education with furry anthropomorphic creatures who speak in babbles. I guess it's only right that CNN bring you in to simplify the 'cap solution' for its viewers. The only problem is how easily you refuted the solution... using a water bottle, a long tube and a flat piece of rock nonetheless. Bill, it's incredible how something that scientists and engineers and marine biologists and oil tycoons agreed on, can be disproved so easily. The worst part is, you did it in that trademark Bill Nye voice, enthralling and captivating me completely. I shouldn't be so excited about the potential downfall of BP's cap solution, but you've got to admit that they probably feel really silly, especially after watching this. Maybe for the next environmental disaster, or geological phenomenon, or catastrophic happening, you should be the one headlining the search for answers. You probably have more knowledge in your theme song than BP has in its entire organization...
Ever wonder how exactly Facebook got to take over everyone and their mom's internet time? Or about the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerbeg? Well, maybe not the 2nd one... But the first one is a question on everyone's mind. Facebook has become a second life for some people, while others detest it. Now, we get to see it in cinema form. 'The Social Network' is Hollywood's take on the internet phenomenon, complete with dramatized conflict between the creators, the people that get involved and everyone in between. It seems like a typical geek's rags to riches story, yet juxtaposed with the fact that Facebook still exists and people are using it every millisecond of every day, makes it all the more interesting. They couldn't have picked a better actor for Mark Zuckerberg, either. Jesse Eisenberg oozes nerdy swagger and insecurity, and takes the traditional 'awkward moment' to levels only seen by Michael Cera (those two should just do an awkward movie together). 'The Social Network' comes out in October. Keep your eyes peeled for more trailers or a Mark Zuckerberg suicide watch, as all of his dirty little secrets come to life...
EDIT: What the hell happened to Tom from Myspace?? If there was a crackhouse for social networking innovators who fell off, my guess is he'd be there... RIP Myspace!!!
Last week, I left you guys high and dry with the Freestyle Friday post. This week, I've got three fresh ciphers for you to sink your teeth (ears) into. The first one is by Curren$y, as an exclusive for HardKnocks TV. I must say, Spitta is on another level right now. His flow and wordplay are entirely too tight, and I know he's surprising a lot of cats out there. Pilot Talk is in stores now, so he's probably still riding high off that. The second one is by AC, who's 'buzztape,' Send the Scouts Out, dropped yesterday (review on the way). It's on Crack Distributors Radio, so you've got to listen closely to drown out the background noise and hear all of the punchlines this guy has got. I think his style is a little corny, but he still has lines for days. The third one is by Laws, who raps over The Pharcyde's "Passing Me By" about his last day of working a 9-5 office job. I couldn't help but sympathize with the brother, though he actually quit his. The story is almost too real to be true. #shoutout to office blues that make everything else seem that much hotter. Whatever your employment status, check all the freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...
