Allow Me To Reindroduce My Self

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

That's how I feel when I think about Henry Louis Gates being arrested in his home. No, those aren't eloquent or insightful words. I don't feel like trying to conjure those up right now. I'm pissed, fuck thoughtful. Me and every other black man in this fucking country have fit the description since the day we turned 12. I'm sick of being afraid of cops, but my black ass better be, they shoot us. And no, they don't shoot white people at the same rate, I'm not looking up the god damn stats; we all know it's not even close. And we all know that being black in America is enough to get you killed. If you doubt it, get your head out of your fucking ass. I'm sick of this shit. And then our president and the rest of the Black Intellectual Elites in this country (not you Cornell West), blame us. It's because we won't pull our fucking pants up, or because our parents let us play video games. Fuck that shit. It's because this whole fucking world is ruled by racist white people. Excuse me, white men. I don't know how or why it got this way, but I know black people didn't build schools and then decide to grossly under fund them and let them rot. I know black people didn't build housing projects right next to those schools (and right next to a substandard version of everything else you need so you don't have to venture too close to the lily white neighborhoods. pay attention) and herd ourselves in. I know black people didn't decide that our language would be substandard and that even uttering one phrase in black dialect discredits any and every thing you say. That's what they call "the system" people. It's real, and if your skin is dark, the system considers you a disease that must be contained and controlled. You don't believe me? Just ask Mr. Gates.

I've been seen as dangerous since the day I hit puberty. People are afraid of me when I walk down the fucking street, or talk to loud in a bar. How can we ever fucking be equal. Fuck this shit. All of it.

Thanks for listening, I mean that.

And Find My Own Way Out

Some music is just good, you feel it. Some songwriters just say it all. It's not about what type of music they make or weather they are "underground", "indie" or "mainstream". It's about melodies and lyrics entering your soul and never leaving.

And with that in mind, I submit: If you don't like The Dave Matthews Band; there is something wrong with you. Last night, my wife and I watched a special on Fuse (the new MTV, and it's just as bad) called The Road to Big Whiskey. It's a documentary about about the band's history leading up to the newest album, and its great. I have never been the type to care much about the people making the music I love. I can't tell you the real names of all of the Wu (my all time favorite by far). Nor can I tell you the details of Chuck D's childhood. But watching and listening to Dave and the band made me love them even more. They are real, normal people; and dedicated, passionate musicians.

Now I know it's not cool to like Dave. I know it's supposed to be some frat boy shit but, imagine if you never knew that. Imagine if, like me, you didn't hear or hear of DMB until you were 20 years old and having the time of your life. If there was no stigma, would you like #41 or Rapunzel or Crush (my personal favorite cuz it makes me think of my wife)? Or do you like them now and are just affraid to admit it? Because while these are very joyus songs (Dave explains in the documentary that they are a joyus band even while singing of sad things), they are also great. And shit, what's wrong with a little Joy every now and then. DMB isn't the corny pop band your friends have been clowning for the past 18 years (yes, that long). They are a band all their own, with no genre and no false pretense. Listen.

And Now, A top ten list....

10 Greatest Cartoons of Our Time

10. Spawn (the HBO series by McFarlane was nuts)
9. All the Charlie Brown Movies
8. Tom and Jerry (sweet nostalgia)
7. Voltron (this one hasn't held up as well over time; same plot every episode but I loved it)
6. Duck Tails (most under rated toon ever)
5. GI Joe (if you count the animated movie this would have to be higher on the list: Cobra LALALALA!)
4. He-Man (ask me to recite the opening, any time)
3. Road Runnner (just too good)
2. Thunder Cats (Sword of Omens, Give Me Site Beyond Site!)

and the winner is....

Just pretend the movies never happened. And remember the glory. There was more character development in those cartoons than in most prime time drama. And if you add in the animated movie, in which Optimus Prime actually dies! Well now you are in to some next level shit.

A nerdy aside: Wouldn't the Decepticons have kicked the Autobots' collective metal asses all over Cybertron? They could fly when in robot form and Megatron's arm cannon could level buildings (I've seen it). I always felt a sense of injustice when the weaker, less advanced, Autobots won.

But Sometimes

The idea or notion of Family has always had a great emotional effect on me. I have so many varied feelings about the subject that I usually gloss over it, or avoid it all together. Often, I even go as far as to attempt to discredit and/or devalue the idea of Family all together, just ask my incredibly patient and understanding wife

But Sometimes...

Sometimes, the five women that raised you come to New York and you meet them at their hotel. And you sit with these five Women, all so excited they (all 45+) can not keep still, and you talk. You talk loud like they adults used to on Sundays. You laugh loud like your dad used to, the laugh that embarased you every time you heard it from the next room. There is an ease about the cacophony. You don't feel good or comfortable, you forget that you have to feel anything. You float, time stops. You are home. It is beautiful.

Something to Contemplate

Allow me to nerd out for a moment...

You know Joe Rogan? The guy who hosted Fear Factor and now commentates UFC fights (holy career change Batman). He was also Joe, on News radio, which is one of the 10 funniest television shows in history, maybe even top 5. But none of that is the point.

Rogan is also a surprisingly hilarious stand-up commedian and he tells this joke about how only a few people really know how all of the technology we use actually works. Cell phones, microphones, all kinds of shit. We really don't know how most of it works. I won't go in to the joke, but trust me, it's funny as hell.

What reminded me of the joke is that my computer is currently in the process of pulling a new opperating system for my iPhone out of the sky. Thats right, somehow, the wireless router hooked up to my modem is pulling a combination of ones and zeros out of the air wich will eventually make it through a USB cord to my iPhone as OS 3.0

Think about that for a second...

Back in the Game

Don't know why I haven't blogged in so fucking long! But I'm back so lets talk about some shit.

First, me... Fell down the steps, fucked my back up and finally went to get it checked out. I must have been in some sort of denial because it is way worse than I thought. Some of the things my Chiropractor explained to me while looking at the x-rays were down right scary. Basically, it's a mess back there. But, evidently it can all be fixed; slowly. So I've been on the couch for about 2 and a half weeks now.

Things I've Learned While Not Doing Anything...

1. Being married is awesome. Everything I do or don't do makes me realize this even more.
2. Television fucking sucks. Even the good stuff on the nerd channels (History, Discovery and the like) gets repeated so many times you know learn the words like a fucking song.
3. I can sleep a lot more than I thought, cats can sleep a lot more than any living thing should.
4. Eating is a perfectly good recreational activity, hunger has nothing to do with it.
5. There isn't enough weed on earth to satisfy me.
6. Some form of Law & Order is always on. Seriously, always.
7. The Internet is the greatest invention in human history. As a society, we should be doing much more to make sure that everyone has legitimate access. I think it has the power to mitigate a lot of inequalities.
8. I don't need to think anymore, I have an iPhone.
9. Advertisers are constantly coming up with new ways to offend everyone. Seriously, black people singing to chicken; women needing birth control or special yogurt to keep from being hysterical bitches.
10. There aren't nearly enough day time baseball games.
11. Erectile dysfunction must be a fucking epidemic. Or, I guess, a not fucking epidemic.

That's all for now. So much has gone on in the world since my last blog. I wouldn't know where to start discussing it all. So I'm going to try to stay current with this from now on. I missed blogging. Never thought I would enjoy it this much.

peace.

Well Now...

Fuckin Married Son. As all (3) of you know, on May 2nd, My 30 years of life culmitated in one, extrodinary, Perfect Day. I never knew happiness like this existed for anyone, and I would have never considered it existing for me. But, alas, Lauren's love has shown me so many wonderful new things, I guess I should stop being surprised now. 

And now, a little music...

Listen to MF Doom. I know you've heard me say it before but you didn't do it, did you? I'll try illustrating his genius in a slightly different way. Here are some words and names that Doom has worked in to his rhymes. He uses them on beat, with meaning and its usually hilarious...

~Orthotrycyclen 

~The Hadron Collider

~Electroencephalograph

~Mt. Kilimanjaro

~Dennis Kucinich

~Flux Capcitor (you gotta love this one)

~Deepak Chopra

~Lecithin (had to look this one up)

~Slobodan Melosevic

~Paraffin (had to look this up too)

Thats just a small sample, the man is amazing. 

And now, My President...

Right after we watched him explain to the nation, and the world that he is going to make rich people pay taxes like everyone else, I had to turn to Fox News. It was one of the funniest television moments I have ever witnessed. First, the Fox News Barbie stammers, "we are going to have to get an expert to explain this" and then, the "expert" starts screaming (I mean it, screaming) about how Obama can't do this because if rich people have to pay taxes, they won't maintain this beautiful world that us underlings are lucky enough to live in. But the best part, was when he exposed Obama's secret plan to use this estimated over one hundred billion in extra tax revenue to fund health care reforms. gasp! Yes you fucking idiot, he's going to make rich people abide by the fucking law and he's going to make sure poor and middle class people have the ability to live healthy lives. Ah... Fox, watching Paniced Republicans is like watching Rock of Love, it's disgusting and fake, and the players are all degenerates of some sort; but it's hard to turn your head. 

All that being said, I will be very upset and dissapointed if he allows war crimes to go unpunished.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Fans

This is some fucked up ass shit! No other way to put it. Please, walk with me...

As anyone reading this knows (both of you), I'm a huge sports fan. My NFL team is the Bills. Now, I don't know how this happened; I think when you grow up in a state with no teams (we need a constitutional amendment to address this occurrence) you end up loving teams for all sorts of crazy reason. Regardless, the Bills are my squad.

On March 7th 2009, the Bills signed one Terrell Owens, that's him up there with that dumb ass disingenuous grin that seems stuck on his fuckin face. You all know this jack ass. He's the one that has been moving from team to team throughout his career because his need to be the center of attention is so great that his presence creates a black hole through which nothing positive can escape. I'm serious.

He throws temper tantrums on the side line when he doesn't get the ball enough. He openly blames his team mates and coaches when his teams lose. His favorite thing to do, the thing that has ended his tenure at every team he's been on, is throwing quarterbacks under the bus. It's always someone elses fault. He even cries in post game interviews! (you must watch at least the first 30 seconds or so of this clip if you haven't seen it, one of the three greatest sports press conference moments; and pay no attention to what he says, it's all bullshit)

The worst thing about him isn't even that he does all of this with that fuckin smile. The worst part is that he does it all on TV. I watch Sportscenter every day, at least three times. So now, every time I see my teams logo, I have to hear about the latest T.O. "Look at me now" drama:

"Owens says he won't show up for voluntary workouts", "Owens says he knows the owner wanted him to stay in Dallas and others were conspiring against him", "Owens is staring in a reality show". I didn't make any of that up. Those have all been headlines since we signed him. T.O. loves reporters, and reporters love his dumb ass.

Here's a picture of him doing sit-ups in his driveway, surrounded by reports:

Do you see what I'm dealing with here people!!!

This is my fucking team. I'm not going to hear about our offensive line play, about the development of our young receivers or the play of what we hope will be our franchise QB. No, for a full season, I get Mr. Sit Ups In My Driveway and his stock market like psyche.

This is a horrible thing to do to a fan. I'm seriously considering taking this year off (we only signed him for a year). I really may just temporarily renounce my fanship and hitch myself to some band wagon for a season. Maybe I'll be a Giants or Jets fan, hell; I live here. Or maybe I pick a team out of a fucking hat, who fucking knows man. It's going to be a long fall.

It's Real

We're Getting Married! So, since we got engaged. I have been having frequent "I can't believe this is really happening" moments. Here's a picture of the latest, and maybe most powerful so far.

Those are our hands (obviously) with ring sizers on for our Wedding Rings.  This will be the only ring I have ever worn and the only one I ever will. I'm overcome with happiness everytime I think about it (about every 8 seconds). I Can't believe this is happening.  

This Is A Test

If this works, I will... Well I don't know what I will do but, I'm writing this on my iPhone. That's right. Not only can this thing find me the nearest clean bathroom, I can post to my blog from it.

The Greatest Month of All, But First....

Last night, Jon Stewart redefined Doing it For The People. I didn't get to fully digest what I had seen immediately because right after the show we turned to the Syracuse v. UConn game (more on that in a minute, wow); but I immediately realized I had just witnessed a historic, great moment in the history of television. He said what we all feel and he said it with force, never backing down, never conceding any thing. I wanted to stand up an cheer, more than once.

But thinking about it now, it's possible Jon Stewart is in the wrong place. He may not have a big enough audience. He needs to be able to do what he did to more important people than Jim Cramer (not that that ass hole didn't deserve every glorious second of it). Lets line up every asshole responsible for the mess we are in and make them sit in front of Jon Stewart for an hour or two. Hell, establish a Jon Stewart Court and let him be judge and jury for all of these mothafuckas. He can speak for all of us on this one, because he said it like no one else could last night.

I won't post it because it's a full episode, but watch it, if you haven't already.

And Now, The Madness...

As I mentioned earlier, after The Daily Show, I turned to ESPN and the Big East Tournament Second Round. Syracuse v. UConn. UConn was up two with under 4 minutes left when we joined the game. Six Overtimes later the Cuse pulled off the huge upset. Beating the 3rd ranked team in the conference, and 3rd in the nation, Huskies. It was a marathon. The numbers are staggering: 4 players on each team fouled out, the teams combined for 102 points in over time alone (211 for the game). Syracuse Guard and by far most valuable player of the night, Jonny Flinn played 67 minutes of a 70 minute game. But the numbers don't tell the story, it was exausting just to watch. By the fourth OT, the players could hardly run up and down the court; much less battle for a rebound. On missed shots, the ball would routinely come off the rim and hit the floor before anyone could get to it. The kids were spent. But they fought, and they dove on the floor, and they got in eachothers faces and no one gave up. It was amazing.

Do yourself a favor. Watch some college basketball this month. NCAA Basketball in March is quite simply, The Greates Event in Sports.

What Comes First? The Asshole or the Cop?

Well, time for some more outrage...

Have you seen the footage of the cop in Seattle savagely beating a 15 year old girl. If you haven't, be warned. It is brutal and hard to watch.

Here it is. The first pic you see is just a still, scroll down a bit for the video.

I don't think I need to explain every fucked up detail of the situation, the video speaks for itself. What did strike me though, is the force with which he attacked her. She looked so fragile. He could have killed her. 

So I've asked myself this question a million times, maybe someone else can figure it out: Does being a cop turn you in to a fucked up lunatic asshole? Or do fucked up lunatic assholes become cops? I suppose I have to make the obligatory not all cops statement. But lets not pretend that shit like this doesn't happen far to fucking often. 

This motherfucker who assaulted (no word I tried to use there seemed strong enough) this little girl had to be crazy before being a cop. But I don't want to waste to much thought analyzing him, they should charge him with anything they can come up with and put his fuckin ass in a cell for as long as possible. 

I hope he doesn't get off but, we know they usually do (Sean Bell). Fuckin cops man...

Have to Do This Quick

I think I can put my iPhone down long enough to actually write this post. We'll see how long I can go. 

The thing is fucking amazing people. Believe the hype. All of it. I could download a new app every day if i felt like it. Maybe I do, now that I think about it. There is really no reason for me to list all of the things I love about it, I could go on and on. This is one of the coolest, funnest most useful peices of technology ever created. 

Back to my iPhone.

Peace

Celebrating Black History Month

              

So, What fucking year is it? Where am I? What the fuck is going on here? 

The cartoon, you all know. The pic is a shot of a couple of animal rights activist from that altruistic, make the world a better place group: PETA.  They are protesting a fucking dog show. The pamphlets explain how the American Kennel Club is just like the KKK because they continue to purvey the unspeakable evil of pure bread dogs. And that, according to PETA, is just like the Royal Knights of the Ku Klux Klan attempting to exterminate black people in pursuit of there pure white America (and the world if they thought it was possible). Take a minute to digest that...

Now to Rupert's Rag. How in the hell does this get published. This is one of those racist situations that Dave Chapelle describes as "Seeing something so racist, that you can't even speak for a second". Not only is the first black president (and by proxy, all black people) a monkey; he's a fucking dead one. Shot by two white cops! I don't want to hear shit about some monkey in Connecticut or Rhode Island or where ever the fuck either. I had not even heard that story until after I saw the cartoon. The "artist" new what this meant when he submitted it. He knew, and he didn't care, and neither did anyone at the fucking Post. 

So what have we learned during black history month folks? 

That its fine to use the image of an organization bent on the extermination of an entire race, and the power of that image, to prove the point that you don't like the idea of pure bread dogs. Cuz, hey, exterminating black people is just like breeding two yorkshire terriers. And our second lesson: black people are monkeys, not human beings as we thought, and they should be shot. 

And yes, this is my second racism post in a row. I'm black every day, and this shit keeps happening. What the fuck do you want from me?

Lets Be Real Here

I guess because it's Presidents Day, CSPAN released their ranking of all the presidents and The History Channel (one of the best channels in HD) ran a marathon of 30 minute specials about each pres. On NPR this morning, they were discussing CSPAN's list. Hearing the discussion only caused one feeling in me... rage. 

The moderator, the woman being interviewed and numerous callers kept referring to Jefferson, Washington, Adams, Jackson and the rest of them as "Great Men". Lets get this straight. Great people do not own other people. Period. If I met James Madison, he would just as soon spit in my face and put his cigar out on my forehead as shake my fucking hand. He and all of the men who proceeded him and most who followed were slave owners. By definition, bad people. Horrible, despicable people. And aren't these the same mother fuckers who presided over the genocide of countless Native American cultures. How many points is that worth on CSPAN's list. 

"But they are our founding fathers, they wrote the Constitution." 

Once again, lets get this straight. They had a grand plan for what they wanted for themselves and those close to them (socially, ethnically and economically close). That grand plan didn't become a set of great, transcendent ideas until they began to apply to everyone. And these fuckers fought as hard as they could to keep those ideas from applying to everyone. People have fought, been lynched, hanged and have suffered injustices to numerous to name in order for those ideas to begin to apply to all Americans. 

So lets stop calling these greedy, small minded men; who all but wiped out one entire race and enslaved another; Great Presidents. They were just men, men with no morals, fuck them. 

Guess What I Got! And boy is it fucking wonderful. Really even better than I expected. I've had it for almost 36 hours now and I've probably had it in my hand for 30. The famed App Store is as advertised, there is and app for just about anything (and a surprising amount of good free ones). But I don't have to give you a review of the iPhone, everybody already knows the details. 

The best part is the cool factor, and I'm not afraid to admit that. Its a sleek, shiny, cool piece of technology and pulling it out on the train just fuckin feels great. I know that's my not so inner nerd talking but that's the point. The iPhone can bring the nerd out in all of us. It's like the computers we dreamed about when we were kids having the "wouldn't it be cool if..." conversation. A friend of mine, who's had one for a few months, said last night: "It's like a cult". Well, I'm a true believer. 

In other news....

This Michael Phelps thing bothers me to no end. Talk about a fucking witch hunt. And the problem isn't the sheriff of this hick town, or that that someone took the picture. The problem is this countries draconian Marijuana laws. When is the law going to catch up to logic?  What the kid (he's 23) did is no different than having a beer or smoking a cigarette (those may be worse for you but that's not the point I'm making here). At least 8 people have been arrested and who knows how much damage this could do to their lives, and Phelps could be next. I read that the sheriff really feels that he has no choice, he has evidence that a crime was committed in his jurisdiction and he must act. I don't know if that's true but, why in the hell is this still a crime? Seriously, someone give me one good reason? Actually, I'll settle for any reason at all. I just don't get it. 

Fuck it, I'm going to take a bong hit and play with my iPhone. 

Its List Time

So during an amazing Super Bowl weekend. About 3/4 of the way through the bottle of Maker's. It was time for some Dave Matthews. Now I make no bones about it, I fuckin love Dave. Luckily for me, I was introduced to it before anyone told me it isn't cool to like it. 

So as it starts I turn to my friend Dan and asked if he liked Dave. He said "Well, let me tell you the truth, I like him but I don't tell anyone because I thought no one else did". Hilarious. And it made me start thinking about all the so called guilty pleasure songs that run through my head all the time. So, its time to bare my bad taste soul. Without further ado, my guilty pleasure top 10 (in no particular order cuz thier all bad):

1. Back to Good ~ Matchbox 20 (I told you it would be bad)

2. Anything by Phil Collins (I barely call this a guiltly pleasure, Phil is the man)

3. Time After Time ~ Cyndi Lauper and, especially, the Eva Cassidy version

4. Day Dream Believer ~ The Monkeys (Thats right, I said it, I'm actually listening to it right now)

5. Anything by Guns & Roses 

6. Africa ~ Toto (I defy anyone to listen to this song and not be happy for at least 4 minutes)

7. Wanted Dead or Alive ~ Bon Jovi (John, Ritchie, a stage and a double guitar. Need I say more.)

8. Anything by Bone Thugs In Harmony (I mean, the name alone man...)

9. In the Arms of an Angel ~ Sarah McLachlan (Really, Really bad. I know, what can I do?)

10. Mad World ~ Tears for Fears, but I like the Gary Jules version. (And, yes. It is because of the Gears of War commercial)

Whew... That was cathartic. Don't leave me out here all alone. What are some of yours? 

All Bets Down

Gambling is fun. Gambling on sports is great, and gambling on the NFL is like crack. I think its the fact that pro footbal offers so many different things to bet on. More than any other sport because of the complex nature of the game itself. 

Betting on the Super Bowl takes shit to a whole new level though. I don't know if this is the seventh sign of the appocolypse or just a fun phenomenon but you can bet on anything. They call them Prop Bets and they get crazy. 

Everyone knows you can bet on the coin toss (weather it will be heads or tales and who will win). But on Bodog.com, and plenty of other places inculding sports books in Vegas, you can bet on things like team to get the first penalty (I like Pittsburg). Thats not that crazy right? How about the team to call the first time out (I like Arizona), how about will at least one quarter be scoreless (I like yes).

Oh, it gets much much better. What will the TV rating be, a Neilson over or under 42.5 (I like over, I have no fucking idea what that means). How much would you put down on: How many times will Al Michaels and John Madden refer to Ben Rothlesburger as "Big Ben", over or under 5 (I like the under, I really hope its the under, that's a wack nick name). Bare with me for two more...

What will the color of the Gatorade be that is dumped on the winning coach (I like Orange at 3/1 odds) and, my personal favorite: How long will it take Jennifer Hudson to sing the national anthom, over or under 2min 1sec (this is a tough one, I'm going over, for all the obvious reasons). 

I didn't make any of that up, seriously. You can bet real money on it. And if you do, well there are obviously better things you could be doing with your money but; Shit, its a free country. 

Take a look: Team Prop Bets (check out the individual one too).

My 360 Came Home! (and something more important)

Its Back! My Xbox made it back from Texas safe and sound. Netflix streaming, Fallout 3! All is right with the universe. I'm going to keep blogging though. I'm enjoying having this outlet and means of communication. Me, enjoying a "presence on the internet" (however slight); who knew? And on that note...

I just want to hammer the point home that this building:

 Was built in 1792 By slaves. And now, a Black man, who would have been one of those slaves, is our president. And he and his family reside in that house. I'll never get over this. It is the most amazing moment in American History. 

It Just Feels So Good

I've had this feeling since the moment Obama took The Oath. It feels wonderful. I'm a believer, I think he's going to do great things. I believe in my heart that our president is a good man, with ideals I can identify with. I never knew I could feel this way. And every time I remind myself that what we all witnessed yesterday and get to be a part of for the next 8 years (that's right, 8), I'm proud. 

It's crazy to see all of us former hard core cynics feeling this way, but I think that further shows how powerful this moment is. Congratulations everybody. We changed everything. 

Bare With Me For a Second

Ok, if your open mindedness stops where sports start, bare with me for a second...

Image your running. As fast as you can in a straight line. Now you look back because someone is about to throw you a ball. But you only look for literally a fraction of a second because you gotta keep running. When you swing your head back around, in a full sprint, you notice two guys running with you, trying to stop you from catching that ball. You ignore them. Now, about 40 yards in to your sprint, at exactly the moment you feel, or sense, or somehow know that the ball is at the perfect hight; you turn 180 degrees and leap all in one motion. There's the ball, you stretch your arms above your head and your hands meet the ball at a point in space that you predicted about 3 seconds ago when you took that peek back. Now, imagine doing that last part, with your eyes closed.

Take a close look:


This is really an amazing story and great explanation of how that shit is even possible. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123207803343289089.html

Unleashing the Stupid

So it looks like our lame duck president (I love calling him that) has decided to unleash the full force of his stupidity for all the world to see. I can't believe he ran this country for the last 8 fucking years.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Six Days Seven Nights

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

7 Days

Its seven days away and I am still overwhelmed with disbelief and joy every time I think about it. A black man will be President of the United States of America.

We did it! The smart, open minded, rational people won. We beat the racist, hate mongering, anti-intellectual fools. I know these things have been said before but I think we should constantly remind ourselves that we changed the country; or maybe showed the world what America really is. I'm still shocked, I didn't see it coming.

Don't ever forget or gloss over how big of a deal this is. To many in this country the phrase "anything is possible" has always been true and always seemed to make sense. But to black people, the phrase was incomplete. For many (really most) of us, the thought process was more along the lines of "anything is possible, for them". But that changed on Nov. 4th 2008. I know racism is still alive and well, but Obama shattered the concrete ceiling (it wasn't a glass ceiling because you can see through those) and now all the pie in the sky, you can do anything, reach for the stars corny shit doesn't seem so silly any more. Even if you're skin is black. It's still hard for me to say it but I guess its true... Anything is possible, for all of us.

Shame On You Bill

So remember way back when, in my first blog post, I mentioned that my XBox crapped out on me. Lets talk about that. How is it, that a major company, one of the biggest and most successful in the world, manufactures and sells a 100% defective product. Now I know this has been blogged about ad nauseum but, now its happened to me twice, and I'm pissed. 

And this is more than the infamous Red Ring of Death. The first time my lifeblood was taken from me, something in the hardware fucked up and after about 20 min. of game play, the screen would just go blank. So I called my boy and he said, "oh yeah, its one of the capacitors, it happened to me too". The second, and most recent time, I got one red flashing light on the red ring of death and a stupid error message so I Googled: Error Message E 74 and got 2,570,000 hits. All of these things break! All of them. I don't know anyone who is not at least on their second 360. I know one guy who is on his 5th in two years. 

Now Microsoft does admit that they continue to manufacture and sell defective machines so they extended all warranties to three years after the manufacture date of the console. Whoo fucking Hoo... So that means that when my  $300 video game system, craps out while I'm in the middle of a marathon session of a $60 game (Fallout 3 is amazing, really); all I have to do is pack it up, send it UPS (don't even fucking get me started on those morons), and hopefully, in about 4 weeks! I will have my 360 back. In case you don't know, 4 weeks is a life time to a gamer. I could play 50+ hours in that time, and I don't play as much as some. Not to mention that my 360 was also my DVD player and I just signed up for Netflix and was really enjoying streaming movies through it. 

Damn you Microsoft, this shit is inexcusable. But there is nothing we can do, for now. Right now, you have better games and a far superior online service. But in the next generation of consoles, this disregard for your faithful, money spending consumers could cost you. Maybe Sony's next gen system will be just as good is yours (the current one is actually a much more powerful machine) and maybe they will have matured on the content front. If so, I can't image too many people lining up to take this ride again. 

Happy 2009

Happy New Year everyone. Congratulations for getting through the holiday season. I, for one, hate that shit. But this one really wasn't bad. It was actually good. By the way, anyone who reads this who was at our engagement party. Thank you so much, that was great. 

And, without further ado... My 2009 resolutions (I love making lists)

1.) Break down film of The Grinch and try to improve upon his scheme.

2.) Obtain the holy grail aka the iPhone.

3.) Destroy the Auto-Tune machine.

4.) Smack a UVA grad (I think we should all do this from time to time) 

5.) Win Fantasy NASCAR. That's right, fuckin NASCAR.

6.) Will the Yankees to a championship.

7.) Focus, dedicate myself, train harder that ever before and take my Scrabble game to the next level.

9.) Continue to clown people who are on FaceBook and MySpace. (sorry, shit is wack son)

8.) Have more fun than I did last year. (This one is always hard but, I'm dedicated)