Racist but Proud Commentary on Heisman

I'm very biased, but I'm ecstatic that Robert Griffin III won the Heisman over Andrew Luck. Not just because he's Black. But because he's a Black QB and he looks like all the young Black men that make White America cringe and clutch their pocket books when they walk past them on the street. Sure Troy Smith and Cam Newton won, but they are clean cut and conservative looking, job interview style. Griffin is as dark or darker than me, with dreds/plats down to the shoulder; if u asked white America to identify the guy holding the trophy, they might guess he's a rapper or something. In a year where the season started with everyone assuming the Heisman and No.1 draft pick should be basically mailed to Andrew Luck's house in advance, beating him out was never going to be easy. RG3 not only did it, but he did it at the same position (without being just a runner either, he's the most efficient passer in the country) at a school without the glamorous football past (he's provided Baylor with it's two winningest seasons). He stole the Heisman season from the man marketed as the next NFL legend. Although he's still gonna be a lower draft pick that Luck, he's show enough with his arm that he can be a first round pick also. And with the success of Cam Newton, young Black QBs could be making a comeback as McNabb's career ends and Vick is a few years from that point too. Griffin might change it even more because in addition to speed (world class track speed that is), he's passing with amazing efficiency and deep accuracy. He could shake things up. I root for Black/minority QBs and coaches and the future is looking ok for them right now.

The Return: Part 2, 24 hour breakfast spots

U leave a club or bar at 3 am, where u wanna be. IHOP. Steak and Shake. R. Thomas. the World's most famous Greasy spoon, The Waffle House with its signature All-Star Special. 'Nuff Said

The Return: Part 1, Returning for Championship Football

In my other Malaysian journal blog (nigelsroadlesstraveled.blogspot.com), I've already pointed out some distinctive things I doubt I'll see or hear again once I leave Malaysia. In this blog, I have decided I feel like celebrating some of the reasons I'm excited to return to America. The first I'd like to highlight is returning in time for College Football Bowl Season and the NFL playoffs. I'm watching THE FUCK out of every football game I feel like watching. I've missed one and a half full seasons of NCAA and NFL football. I missed Cam Newton's remarkable Heisman season and the beginning of his superstar career with my hometown team. I missed Aaron Rodger's glorious playoff run. I may have missed Peyton Manning's last game as an NFL quarterback. Thus far this season, I've missed the success of rookies Andy Dalton, AJ Green, and more. I've missed the resurgence of the Bay Area (the 49ers and Raiders). I've missed the rise of Tebow Mania. I've missed the Heisman campaigns of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffith III and Trent Richardson. I've missed LSU's and Alabama's unprecedented dominance (although I still don't think an interdivision rematch is appropriate to decide the national championship) throughout this season. I've missed so much that it will take precedence over other events during the first few months of my return. If someone were to invite me to something that prevents me from watching some important football game (intriguing bowl match up or playoff game), I very well might say no with no remorse. NOT ONE FUCK will be given about how much they do not like it. After all I've missed, I deserve to be a football addicted bum for a while if I choose to. I've Been Called Worse...

Politics and Perceptions in Boxing

As I sit here, disgusted by the outcome of the fight that I just witnessed, it makes more clear the impact of politics and perceptions present in boxing right now, especially surrounding its biggest two stars and pound-for-pound best, Filipino Manny Pacquiao and American Floyd Mayweather. I can't think of a more clear example of this duplicity than analysis of the latest fight of each of those two. Tonight, Manny Pacquiao - boxing's "good guy"- fought the third fight of a trilogy against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez, in the opinion of myself and most boxing experts, won both of the first two fights but one was called a tight win for Manny and the other was a draw. Marquez was fueled by the fact that he feels he was cheated in both fights, Pacquiao was fueled by the fact that Marquez wore a shirt that saying he beat Manny twice while he was in Manny's native Philippines. Tonight, Marquez looked sharper than ever and seemingly won the fought clearly, about 8 rounds to 4 by my count. But it was ruled a win for Pacquiao to the dismay of the fans who booed and throw cans and trash into the ring. But his admirers are still trying to diplomatically act like his victory was justified. Becuz it was competitive between two fighters, they hail this as "everything that is right about boxing" despite a probably politically laced unjust outcome. The louder and flashier Mayweather, the sports biggest cash cow while also the most hated villain, broke his 16 month layoff to fight Victor Ortiz, an up and coming Mexican champion coming off the biggest victory of his career. Ortiz, being dominated throughout the first 3 rounds, decided to turn up the aggressiveness in the 4th round. Getting frustrated he started "rabbit punching" Floyd in the back of the head (illegal) and then launched two head butts into Floyd's lip (highly illegal); the last one looked like a soccer player jumping for a header. After a separation a point deduction from Ortiz, the fighters touch gloves (signifying the fight time back in action), Floyd hammers Ortiz twice as his hands are still down; Ortiz doesn't get up, it's a knockout. The first rule in boxing is "Protect yourself at all times." I admit, it wasn't polite, but it was legal, no loop holes or anything. But the outrage that so many Floyd-haters have thrown his way has been outrageous. To recap, Ortiz gets frustrated with losing and illegal rabbit punches Floyd and then busts Floyd's lip with a jumping headbutt, when time starts back, Floyd knocks him out...and Floyd is the bad guy. Conversely, I've heard this knockout victory condemned as "everything that is wrong about boxing" with people going on to say "Floyd is ruining the sport of boxing." Riiiiiiight. The argument between who is better and who does/doesn't want to fight has been filled with such double standards because of the good VS. bad dynamic. Despite the fact that the bad guy role and shit talking has made him rich and his fights successful (dominating all the financial records in the sport) because as many tune in to root against him as to marvel at his skills. People try to say Manny is undoubtedly one of the best ever and Floyd isn't, citing better competition. However, they've fought many of the same fighters (Oscar De La Hoya, Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, etc). In the mental game of boxing, Floyd fights guys who are coming off victories and possibly on career highs (see Ortiz with his biggest win, Mosley after a career-reviving KO of Margarito, Hatton undefeated, Marquez after KO'ing Diaz, De La Hoya revived, etc) and he's beat them all. But before the fight tonight, Manny has consistently only fought fighters coming off of losses (several times to Mayweather), often knockouts (which are known to mess with boxers' psyche); This was the case with De La Hoya, Hatton, Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Josh Clottey, and Antonio Margarito; that's Manny's whole last 3-4 years. Furthermore, Manny (or more accurately Freddie Roach, his trainer) tries to set fights up at catch weights so they can squeak out some advantage fighting guys at weights their bodies aren't in good condition to make (154-lb champ De La Hoya trying to make 142 lbs, Marquez the 135-lb champ fighting at 144 instead of 140 when Manny can easily make 140, etc. Floyd on the other hand, has moved up to 154 to beat De La Hoya, despite the fact that Floyd can't effectively gain or lose weight and showed up on fight night at 148 lbs. Furthermore, this entire "Manny is ready for Floyd, but Floyd is running scared" isn't making much sense to me. The first time this fight possibility came up - in 08 right after Floyd beat Zab Judah - it was Pacquiao who backed out of the fight to fight someone else. The first time it came up a year or so ago, Floyd signed the contract first for promoter Bob Arum to take it to the Phillippines to Manny. Manny refused to sign it because it had an Olympic style blood testing stipulation, basically up until 10-14 days before they could test randomly. Floyd had required this of every one of his last five opponents or so, and he had obliged himself. He went so far as to sue Mayweather for defamation of his name. Now, I do think Floyd went a little overboard with his insinuations that Manny rose so fast and shied away from drug testing because he has been using something. But noone said Floyd was polite or charming. The next time the fight possibility came up about six months after, Floyd claimed the negotiations never happened and he never got a phone call. I don't know if I believe that so I will put the blame on Floyd for failure of the 3rd attempt. But the first two were on Manny. I say all this to say, I think the media gives Floyd a raw shake because he's a loudmouth, but I want them to settle the current Good VS Evil argument in the ring. And this time, I'm rooting for the BAD GUY.

Stop Me When I Start Lying: Not as Normal As I Thought

There are certain things I had come to believe where very normal here in 2011 . Well, one of teh joys of living overseas is that you see that they are not. LOL. Here are some of the things I've found were not nearly as normal as I thought:

• Toilet paper. Garden hoses beside the toilet and completely wet bathrooms aren't cool.
• Silverware. I struggle to take anyone seriously who eats curry-covered foods with their hands, even when wearing dress clothes.
• Shower curtains and proper tubs. No use in the entire bathroom getting wet when something so simple can keep things together
• The concept of "the right of way" while driving; Venomous anger runs up my spine several times a day at moves that Malaysians think are normal which completely disrespect this all-time driving standard
• Central air conditioning and hot water; Why isn't central A/C a priority in a country where it's 90 degrees every day? How am I supposed to keep my clothes white when the water is cold? Why do I have to add an attachment to every single shower head just to take a hot shower? They act like I'm crazy when I ask such questions.
• The desire to keep insects, lizards, and other such creatures out of your house. You'd be seen as a pussy here if you minded seeing lizards run across the wall of your living room; get used to it.
• Hobbies/enthusiasms. The average person does absolutely nothing interesting, and the only idea for going out is drinking at the same street called Changkat
• Women of "substance"; I admire intelligence and ambition in ladies, which is very hard to find here. Most of these women bored the hell out of me.
• Ambition in general, above and beyond just getting married and starting a family at a young age
• The desire to take vacations and do something other than work; Why is it that most locals here have never even been to neighboring countries when they're only a few hours away in each direction?
• The desire to stay fit; Locals eat nothing but rice and meat, then they don't work out and complain about why they don't look the way they want to
• Casual sex; With the aforementioned issues with substance-less women, becoming 'boo'd' up to fulfill your sexual needs is more a tale of settling for less than your standard than committing to someone u like enough to be in the place.

I guess the differences are what make places distinct, right? In my mind the question I just asked seems like a way for someone to rationalize not knowing how to use toilet paper or silverware in 2011. LOL. Stop Me When I Start Lying

The State of Hip Hop: Part 4, The South...and Drake

Like it or not, the South has risen faster in today's hip hop landscape than any other region. Now, as lot has been a lot of snap music/gimmicky dances/trap music with shabby lyrics that has gotten undue glory; this has been met with due criticism from all over. But there are bright spots - both new and established - who naysayers tend to sweep over in this whole "niggas from the South can't rhyme" bullshit that gets thrown at Southern rappers. They acting like the North never had any whack rappers get buzz (Tony Yayo anyone? Remember Jim Jones "Ballin"? Freeway with the whining voice?). This is my home and I'm gonna promote those brights spots dammit. So before u try to right the south off, read this...

Attention please, J. Cole (pictured on piano above) has arrived folks. I’m a fan. After about 2 years of impressive mixtape material, his album “Cole World: Sideline Story” delivers potent lyricism and storytelling over laid back beats; he produced about 90% of the album too. For all the doubters, listen to "Breakdown" and "Lost Ones" and tell me he can't lay out a story. Rather than tales of fortunes selling dope, he’s telling tales of uncomfortable abortion disputes, drug addiction in his family, everyday relationship issues, a rise in rap after failed hoop dreams, and hoping to motivate more hood cats to get to college. He incorporates just enough flossing to keep the radio fan base happy; which keeps his mentor Jay-Z happy. He’s representing NC real well right now.

2. 2. Although I liked them better together, NC natives and Former Little Brother group mates Phonte and super producer 9^th Wonder are oozing with hip hop tailored to the everyday man. Both just released quality albums, and the multi-talented Phonte’s other group The Foreign Exchange delivers relaxing but soulful music. Not to be forgotten, LB’s other former MC Big Pooh should be dropping an album too. If u didn't know, now u know.

3. 3. ATL’s dominance over South Hip Hop seems to be fading a bit. My favorite group ever OutKast (Fucking right, I said it) has broken up and neither seems overly pressed to put out their own music but they're still lighting fires to features on others’ songs. Ludacris had been putting out grown up music with content (once you get past the obligatory radio singles), but his interests seem more in making movies. T.I. has put his hard lessons learned into deeper music, but he can’t seem to stay out of prison long enough to stay in the studio and produce. Luckily, B.O.B. has come into the game addressing messages the average rapper won’t touch – the invention of AIDS, paranoia of a Vietnam soldier about what his lady is doing, etc – in his own unique style. In a few years, he may be holding the city in his hands as far as serious hip hop. There are a million substanceless club rappers thriving – Waka, Roscoe, Gucci, Soulja Boi, etc – but they’re not capturing my attention outside of a party atmosphere where I need a lady in my ‘kitchen’ grinding on me.

4. 3. Now that I think about it, Houston may be in the same predicament as Atlanta as far as losing its influence. Of course the elder statesmen Scarface and Bun B are still holding it down when they want to come out; but they been in the game since the ‘80s. The SwishaHouse team – Mike Jones, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire – has gone largely silent and none of them were ever overly lyrical to begin with. I never liked Lil Flip and was happy to see T.I. dismiss him from rap relevance. Names like Lil Keke still float around, but is a true MC gonna step up and take the torch handoff from ‘Face and Bun? Who knows.

5. 4. I’ve decided that Lil’ Wayne is simply too cocky and too high on a regular basis to link concepts and like he could in his stories ‘Dedication’ mixtape days. He’s still a punchline machine but he leaves each one hanging randomly with no overall context. His verses are like this: “Bullshit, bullshit/ unrelated ill punchline/bullshit, ill punchline/ Weezy [insert word starting with an F] Baby/ catchy hook by Drake/ Young Mula baby.” I’ll give them credit though, Birdman fucked over everyone else on Cash Money and bet the house on Weezy, and now they’re swimming in money and they’ve rebuilt CMB. But rather than just being a hot rapper, Wayne is capable of being much more of a real MC than he is. Next young nigga that tried to put him in the ‘Greatest Ever’ discussion might catch a polite backhand followed by a Marty Jennetty dropkick though.

1. Break from regularly scheduled programming: Neither are from the South but since I just discussed Weezy and the rebuilding of Cash Money (now Young Money Cash Money), I guess this is a good spot to discuss Drake and Nicki Minaj; with their current influence, I can’t leave them out. Drake is more of a tweener rapper-singer sound than an actual MC but he has found a niche in the rap game and is making millions off of it. Although I can’t really assess him on an MC scale at all, he makes good music to ride to in the car and I can’t salt his game. As far as Nicki, she’s also riding a bit of a gimmick and takin the abandoned top female MC spot (vacated by Kim, Foxy, Remy, Digga, etc.). He’s the Barbie character with the funny voices and the plump ass (the scrumptiousness they can create with silicone) who occasionally creates bright moments on the mic. They do what they’re expected to do in their dynamic and make money. I can’t say I’m a huge fan (although I would like a sex tape or some nudity of Nicki to leak), but I won’t hate. Respect.

6. 5. Slack Ass Alert: No will deny Jay Electronica’s is vicious on the mic “eating wack rappers alive, shittin out chains.” That doesn’t change the fact that his lazy ass need to go ahead and put his tremendous skills onto an actual album. The whole ‘next to blow up’ has an expiration date. I had Erykah Badu’s magnificent ass in my bed, I might be prone to keep on stroking too. But his fan base has been waiting too long. Get it done Jay.

7. 6. What A Performance: I'm not even sure what to think of Rick Ross anymore. He should be seen as a study in character personification. He has created a persona and ridden it to the top of the rap game despite constant badgering from people exposing the fraudulence. He represents the lack of authenticity that plagues hip hop now. But I can’t lie, I listen sometimes cuz dude can flow. Maybe the rap game really craves another B.I.G. and his delivery reminds everyone of him; he has even filled that very supersized void as Diddy’s BFF and strip club right hand man.Or maybe White America (who still buys the majority of rap records bought) just don't give a damn about legitimacy. No matter what people say, he’s dropping smooth rhymes and has made that imaginary money he rapped about into tangible bank. BUT, next youngster to tell me he’s as good as Biggy is getting thrown out of a 3^rd story window though; not enough to kill ‘em, but enough that they’ll never blaspheme like that around me again

99.Laughingstock: In the landscape of Southern rap today, I could use this word on so many people. A lot of guys are making a mockery of lyricism for club music. Gucci Mane is an easy target with an ice cream cone tattooed on his cheek. But at least these guys are creating some kind of success. In this kind of landscape where u can sell off gimmick or beats and circumvent lyricism, the true laughingstock would be someone who even stands out as whack amongst the whack rapper; I present OJ Da Juiceman. Not only is he irrelevant, I once saw a freestyle where he was so bad that he made Gucci (part of the same cypher) seem like Cannibus comparatively. It was amazing in its God awful-ness (yea, i made it up to express my distaste). I'd rather listen to a chick throw up a night of margaritas. SMH

89. Dark Horse: Years after David Banner’s buzz ended, Mississippi has a better rapper worth bragging about. Big K.R.I.T. has a laid back but soulful and introspective style that will win him over respect in hip hop circles even if he never makes it commercially. Check out his single “The Vent” from the mixtape “The Return of 4Ever” if you haven’t heard about him yet.

The State of Hip Hop: Part 3, The Northeast

Everyone in the Northeast is insisting that hip hop must be dead. I think some of it is spite because Southern and Midwestern rappers are getting more shine, but it is undeniable that too many whack rappers are getting way too much shine. Why is it easier to find Gucci Mane than Talib Kweli? You shouldn't have to look so hard to find the true MCs that are still around. Thank God we seem to have passed that T-Pain phase, but rap still needs some new lyrical blood; including the region where rap started. The living legends are holding it down but they do it forever. There are rappers on every corner up there but are any of them ready for primetime. Hell, Jay-Z got his own label now and didn't bother with anybody from above the Mason Dixon line. Someone has to step up big reppin' Gotham City and Philly to keep them interested. The game ain't dead, but it definitely needs a vital transplant of innovation; losing the attention and influence of the epicenter of the culture will close the casket quicker.

1. Jay-Z is still Jay-Z; or maybe he’s back to being Shawn Carter. When he can take time from his life as a businessman and mogul to be in the studio, he’s still as smooth as ever with a effortless delivery. However, he’s understandably not hungry as he was in his prime (Understandable, when you’re a half billionaire and your legacy is set). You’ve read earlier what I thought of Watch the Throne when I discussed Kanye. For Shawn, Beyonce’s pregnant, he got a stable of MCs in Roc Nation to manage, and his dream of moving the Nets is becoming a reality; he has more on his mind than making his own music.

2. 2. Nas is still spitting that heat that his faithful loves and the average person just isn’t in an intellectual enough mood to listen to. I still get excited whenever see a new Nas song online. He recently put out a great album with Damian Marley that I don’t believe got nearly as much love as it deserved. I feel like soon enough, he’s going to go on the attack again and produce something else that’s going to tighten as many assholes as his Untitled “Nigger” album did. Let’s hope so.

3. 3.Mos Def and Talib Kweli still eloquently deliver street news. I wish I just heard more of them on a regular basis. “Just Begun” with both of them, J. Cole and Jay Electronica was fire.

4. 4There are older legends still recording such as MF Doom and KRS-One. However, honestly I only take a listen if it’s recommended to me by someone.

5. 5Over in Shaolin, Raekwon put out “Shaolin VS. WuTang” recently which was a very well laid out story-telling album full of features and concepts. Call me old school, but I still love when he and the rest of the Clan, especially Ghostface, hop on a track together. I went crazy when Wu-Tang came and did a concert at Tech while I was in school.

6. 6 Jadakiss is still my dude; unique combination of raspy delivery and street wisdom is rare in the game. The “Last Kiss” was thorough and he’s put a lot of hard-hitting verses on other people’s songs lately. Busta Rhymes is on a mission to display his still remarkable skills to all his doubters on anybody’s song he gets to put 16 bars on lately.

7. 7.15 years or so into making sure Philly’s flame doesn’t go out, The Roots put out another great but underrated album in “How I Get Over.” Black Thought is still potent and Questlove is still a force to be reckoned with.

8. 8.I know DC is borderline geographically, but since my grandparents in PG County are considered Northern in my mind, Wale who lives right around the corner from them also falls in the Northeast. He’s been consistently delivered impressive mixtapes (latest being “Eleven One Eleven Theory”). His album “Attention Deficit” had some jewels on it that didn’t get their due love either. He brought conscious realist rap laced with go-go to the national spotlight and is the mascot for the rap game in the District. Represent.

9. 9.M.I.A.: Somebody put out an APB for Beans. Beanie Sigel was my dude when I wasn’t feeling a lot of other dudes coming out of Philly (Freeway, SMH). But every since deciding to attack Jay-Z for what he sees as disrespect while he was on Roc-A-Fella and locked up, I haven’t heard much of anything from here besides a few features. I hope he gets his focus back. And where the hell is Slaughterhouse's album? Either it hasn't come out or I missed it. When u got 3 legit MCs...and Crooked I, you got serious potential.

10. Laughingstock: I’m gonna ignore ‘close but no cigar’ cats (ex. Papoose, etc), the wack niggas with buzz (ex. Tony Yayo, SMH) and the ‘has beens’ (ex. Ja Rule, Ma$e, etc) and point out the fallen former rap bully. FUCK 50 Cent. This cat went from the most vicious in the game (“Get Rich or Die Trying” album) to crooning with chicks (you gonna ridicule Ja Rule for this and then make “Candy Shop”, “Just A Little Bit”, “Best Friend” and more?) to gimmick tracks saying nothing beyond how rich he is (“I Get Money”, “Baby By Me”). What the fuck happened to you man? How do you look yourself in the mirror Curtis? For someone who guaranteed the death blow to anyone he goes after, do u truly think u're more relevant in the industry right now than The Game or Rick Ross? Stay away, drink your Vitamin Water and count the money it made you. I respect your business saavy, but your services are no longer needed here.

10.Dark Horse: It would be easy to name Meek Millz, Jae Millz, Peedi Peedi (how do you get taken seriously with a name like that?), but I've been hearing about these dudes for years waiting for an album, so I'm going a different direction: East. Dave East was literally just introduced to me a few days ago but his mixtape "American Greed" impressed me; he had concepts and smooth flow. I'd need to hear more before I'd call myself an actual fan, but I'm rooting for him.

The State of Hip Hop: Part 2, The Midwest

I respect most of the artists that have come out of the Midwest, each successful one has usually brought something new and different in their sounds. Some are getting a little long in the touch and others can go missing from time to time; but their titans are still in place for the next little while to come.

1. 1. Even after just 3 albums, Lupe Fiasco is already a legend in my eyes. Even his latest album “Lasers” which he hated because he was forced to make it differently than he wanted it, delivers quite a few tracks that are truly remarkable; it’s just lacking the consistency and cohesion of the first two and has a few overly radio/club tracks for his tastes. This guy’s music can bring the hipsters, hood niggas, skateboarders, revolutionaries, nerds, DJs, and everyone else together. Gotta give his respect , even if you disagree with some of his more controversial opinions (Obama is a terrorist, etc)

2. 2. Kanye is Kanye. He can still make dope beats with or without amazing yet rarely heard samples. He still has rare moments of lyrical brilliance or societal awareness mixed into his cocky brand of having fun in his rhymes. He’s still entertaining and can still put together get collaborations. “Watch the Throne” with Jay should have been epic, instead it turned out to just be a good album that no one will still be bumping next year.

3. 3. Of course, Eminem is still a one of a kind lyrical assassin; but he’s rich enough now that he can disappear whenever he wants. I personally like the introspective and emotional flows; he definitely has had a chaotic enough life story to support such story lines. He also gets credit for starting the process of truly pressing Dre’s resurrection. He’s teamed up with Royce Da 5’9 to from ‘Bad Meets Evil’ which could make some real noise too possibly.

4. 5.1M.I.A.: In my opinion, Common only has two albums which I wish could be permanently stricken from the record: “Electric Circus” and his last album “Universal Mind Control.” After “Electric Circus” he jumped back in the game with the classic “Be.” That being said, I think he owes his faithful a redemptive follow-up to cleanse the bad taste left by “Universal Mind Control.” I know you’re getting older and the movies are more and quicker money, but please don’t leave that as our most recent memory of you. In his defense, he did put out an old school rap sounding joint called “Ghetto Dreams” with Nas, which was tough. Also missing, what happened to Twista?

6.5 Underperforming: A few years ago, I deemed both Kidz in the Hall and The Cool Kids as rap groups that were on the verge of doing big things. They both have style that is a throwback towards more golden hip hop times, which was refreshing even if it might not sell much. But I just haven’t heard much music from them at all. I’m not going say they’re gone, but they gotta earn their way back to that conversation now.

7. 61Laughingstock: Just a few weeks ago, Nelly was the headliner for a show here in KL with a slate of abysmal local acts. Be reminded, Nelly’s first album almost went diamond (10 million), more than pretty much any other hip hop album I remember. Not to say he was ever high on my list, but damn doing cheap shows in Malaysia may be worse than doing club shows in The ‘Lou. Sad.

. 4. 9 Up and coming: Kanye’s Detroit-based G.O.O.D. music newcomer Big Sean has a nice flow to him. Right now it’s still up in the air whether he will go more commercial or turn up his lyrical side. But for a newcomer, he has the talent to do some things.

5

The State of Hip Hop: Part 1, The West Coast

This is part one of what will be a 4 part series on the players in hip hop game by region as of September 2011, as delivered by myself Nigel L. Orr/N.O./Darkness/Orr #2 Nigga. We'll start on the left coast, I'm not sure why a state as big as Cali hasn't produced more good musicians since the heyday of gangsta rap in the early to mid-90s. Oregon...well, I just never really expected anything out of Oregon beyond some decent seasons from the Blazers and Ducks anyway. As far as Washington, Seattle has many enthusiasms, hip hop just doesn't seem to be one of them. It is what it is, let's get to it. The picture below says it all...

Unfortunately, The Game - the current workhorse of the left coast rap game - rose a decade removed from West Coast gangsta rap’s heyday. But he’s still delivering it masterfully if you’re still in the mood for it. Although it’s regrettably that he’s keeping gang culture in the spotlight, the biggest Blood in rap is not only throwing up his signs but telling hood stories too. In 2011, he’s carrying the West Coast on his back. The R.E.D. album is thorough, it's the most lyrical I've ever seen him; it helps to have good features and beats from both Dr. Dre and DJ Premier.

22.. Snoop is playing a whole different kind of ball now. He hasn’t been “Doggystyle” Snoop for a while. He’s a family man and is making music for a much wider audience counting his paper (Katy Perry, etc). Although I’m not buying that kind of music from him, I’m not mad at him. Get ur money and raise them kids.

3. 3. M.I.A.: It's amazing how Dr. Dre is still king of Cali even though he's still got us all waiting. But Eminem seems to have pried him out of the weight room (where he been gettin his Hulk on) and back into the studio to put effort towards making the mythical DETOX album a reality. He’s even made up with The Game and other West Coasters he had tensions with before. I hope he pushes it through and delivers. Furthermore since we're on missing artists, my man Murs has gone silent, he makes that smooth everyday man relatable music too. And Willie Northpole from Arizona showed some promise in spots, but I don't know where he went either.

4. 4. Laughingstock: G-Unit’s West Coast replacement (hell, he might have gotten more than one) for The Game. I’m not even gonna bother looking up their names. Fucking failures.

Coming up next: The Midwest

Are u Serious: Modern Savage Middle East Sexism

This medieval style punishment that is still allowed in the Middle East towards women must stop. I remember a few years back, Obama and other prominent world figures had to step in and stop one country from putting a lady accused of cheating (with no evidence of course) to death by stoning; that's right, the members of her community were going to bury her up to her shoulders in the ground, line up and pelt her with stones until she was dead...in the 21st century. Furthermore, I saw a documentary years ago where if a woman in her village is accused of cheating, a red hot pot is used to judge if she is lying or not. Basically, once the cast iron pot is red hot, they will touch it to her tongue 3 times. If her tongue burns, she's a lying cheater and will be stoned. If the tongue doesn't burn, she told the truth and will be permitted to live. Fuck the evidence, fuck trying to figure out if there was a time where both ppl were unaccounted for or anything like that. It's like in pick-up basketball, when there is an argument on a call and someone says "Shoot for it, the ball never lies." Whether or not you fouled me, if I'm a lights out shooter, I'm gonna make the shot; if I can't shoot, I probably won't. Now you're applying the same concept with a burning hot object and a human life at stake. I don't used such words lightly: but it's barbaric. By the way, I don't think anything more than a fine would have been asked of the other man even if she was deemed guilty and stoned. More recently, the past few days on Al Jazeera Online (the most respected of the Middle Eastern international news sources), there has been a lot of coverage on what gone on both positively and negatively for women in Saudi Arabia. They are on the cusp of gaining the right to vote and run for public office for the first time in the history of the country. But at the same time, a woman was in court facing indictment for driving, which women have been banned from doing in the country. What was her punishment for such an offense? 10 lashes with a whip. R u fucking seriuous??? They used to do that shit to slaves trying to escape. I haven't seen that shit since Will Turner was getting whipped on the 2nd "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. This is Saudi Arabia, the world's largest and most profitable supplier of petroleum and crude oil; they should be a role model for the rest of the region. But instead they have a situation where women can now possibly be elected to Parliament but are forbidden from driving themselves to work at the country's most powerful governing body. If they break the rules, even an elected female official will be forced to remove their burqa (be reminded, the average women there has everything except their eyes covered due to the men's fear that even uncovering the rest of her face will garner unnecessary attention from other men; which they will blame on her and not the other men) and receive 10 lashes by the whip to getting behind the wheel of a car; which teenage females are permitted to do in most of the world. This isn't just some form of vigilante justice, a judge - most likely, a man who went to law school and did time as a lawyer before being elected as judge - made this ruling in a formal court hearing. As much as they like to blame Islam, I live in a Muslim country right now and it is not like that. Just because something is tradition and has been for hundreds of years, doesn't mean it is right. The world is changing and evolving, their behavior towards the mothers and daughter of our future should be doing the same.

My Inner Goon: Ignant Thoughts Sept 27th

Some days, ss I sit at work, My Inner Goon takes over for a while. I start thinking of porn, the crazy ads on the sides of any website with even mildly sexual pictures on it, my sexual experiences and more and start thinking;these are some of the things that are running through my mind:

• How terribly small does your dick have to be for you to need the 4-6 inch male enhancement that they advertise in the commercials? Are there that many men out there with a Vienna Sauage for a dick? Shameful.
• Since the invention of sex, how many potential kids have been wasted via condoms, pull outs, cumshots, swallowers, anal creampies, masturbation and other non-conceiving disposals? The number is probably astronomical; just seeing it on paper would probably make my head hurt. Lol

• · Uncircumsized penises scare me; they look like some kind of sea monster or something. As a guy, when you watch porn, your attention is fully on the woman, the guy is like a prop that just happens to be there; so for something on him to be so distracting that it takes your attention and startles you, means it’s some truly upsetting shit.

  · Hood or not, Keyshia Cole is fine as shit to me. Period, I’d be sitting up in the house trying to deal with the crazy as family if I could make that mine

  · Rihanna – despite the big forehead, laundry list of celebs she’s slept with (Jay-Z, Drake, J. Cole, Breezy, Eminem, Andrew Bynum, Matt Kemp, etc), and craziness Trini side (she broke a glass over her brother’s head over a petty argument and likely provoked some of Breezy’s wrath when they got physical) – could bear my children. Period.

  · Since seeing her naked and without make-up (surprisingly unimpressive), Scarlett Johannsen is at risk of being knocked off of my already short “Beckys I would not only sleep with, but bring home to my mother” list. Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba are still safe; everyone else is up in the air, especially since Angelina is about 75 lbs these days

  · Physically, Beyonce’s only weakness has been her relatively small breasts. Therefore, she’s gonna be ridiculously dope right after delivery while she still has those big lactated titties. It’s gonna be mind blowing. Mercy, mercy, mercy

  And that's just a few minutes of brainstorming. LOL. This has been another sneak peek at My Inner Goon...

Things U May Not Guess

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover (I’m not even sure what my cover tells people these days), but here are some things you may not guess about me:

• I was an Eagle Scout
• I got in trouble with my college’s Dean of Students...a few times
• I truly believe I could be happily married within the next 4 years or so if the right woman and right situation come along
• I didn’t really know how to speak to/attract women at all until I was about 17 years old
• I earned multiple full academic scholarships to very good schools (Florida A&M, Morehouse, etc.), which I turned down for my full athletic scholarship to Georgia Tech
• I’ve cheated on a college final before (didn’t get caught); it wasn’t the plan, but a classmate made it too convenient to turn down
• I’ve never smoked cigarettes of weed in my life; the only thing I’ve ever smoked is hookah
• I started drinking at 14 years old
• I was a senior in high school when I lost my virginity...to a girl I came to find was a complete slut
• I’ve slept with a married woman...and her dick-chasing roommate (long, complicated story)
• I look at 3-4 different news sources from different continents daily
• I also watch porn or explicit pictures almost daily
• I used to be somewhat shy with low self-esteem about my appearance
• I’m seen as a hard head and cocky guy in Malaysia; they’re not very familiar with young people who are willing to think for themselves and stand up to others over their beliefs
• I’ve been to 8 different countries on 2 different continents
• I, like many of my friends, have had a ‘pregnancy scare’; However, I am now convinced that the broad was lying to get back together with me (another long story)
• I’ve never slept with a chick that was not at least half Black

If any of these shocked you, I will just say don't judge me. Even if u do, so what. I've Been Called Worse...

Do Better: No Education, No Ambition, Now What?

I couldn't resist posting that funny pic even though this is serious problem. I’ve been here in Sandakan (East Malaysia on the island of Borneo) for a few days now and I haven’t seen a whole lot yet. But one of the things I have observed makes me sad: there is no priority put on education for small children. I work on a construction site, where the general workers live on-site in tenements that they built out of the project materials and whatever else they could gather. It’s bad enough that grown men have to live this way but that’s just how it goes in Malaysia. But here I’ve seen so many 10-14 year olds working at my site, at restaurants, and everywhere. All I can keep thinking is: what kind of life are they setting themselves up for? Not only do they have no idea what they’re missing or what is going on in the world, they may not know about anything going on outside of this construction site. If this is the case, there is no ambition in them, no drive, no expectation of a better life at all. All they know is that tomorrow, the sun will come up and they will come out and continue to server as helpers for lightweight construction work such as grouting and finish work until the day ends and they walk back to their tenements and start the process over tomorrow. Once this project is over, they will likely find another project nearby and start the same lifestyle over again. I was once told by a Malay co-worker of mine that locals – even the educated ones – are essentially programmed to be robots in this country. Whether you go to school and college or not, once the work world comes at you, the expectation is to settle into some convenient lifestyle close to home. Get married, get some job (often with no upward mobility), work hard enough not to lose this job in the next 40 years, start a family and never think about anything outside of that. I talk to locals about my travels and they’re amazed, even though they’ve spent their lives in this part of the world. You’re from Kuala Lumpur and you’ve never been to East Malaysia? If you plan ahead, you can fly there for next to nothing. You’re from Kuala Lumpur and you’ve never been to Singapore? It’s a 4 hour bus ride for something like $10 US. I dare not even ask about China, Australia, Thailand, or somewhere else slightly further away. So what are they waiting for? The truth is they’ve never even thought about going somewhere else. That’s why my presence and situation shocks so many people. I’m not saying every American thinks globally because most don’t. But even Americans I know who have never left the US have travelled a bit within their region of the US; they have wanted to see SOMETHING other than what they see in their hometown every day. Well, over here, travelling that region of the US is like going from country to country, and the locals have not done it. You ask them why and they stumble. They say they don’t want to miss work like they don’t have leave like me. They may say money, like it’s not dirt cheap if you plan ahead. At the end of the day, it’s a mindset. To me, they’re existing and not truly living. Forget travelling, but most locals (even many educated ones) don’t even have any idea what is going on outside of their country. How is it you have cable television and the internet but you have no concept of current events whatsoever? I could see if you had hobbies or enthusiasms which were taking up your time, but no that’s not the case either. I’d guess that if you charted out their days it would go: Wake up, work, back home, eat, watch tv, talk about something other than current events or hobbies with your family, go to sleep, start over. To me, you only get one life and that is no way to spend it. I know my two cents doesn’t mean much to them and wont change their culture, but I can’t surround myself with people like that. Knowing how sensitive Malays are, this is one of the things I’ve been trying to spare feelings about when people here ask me “Nigel, you’re not going to stay here in Malaysia forever?” I can't say "I feel like I'm losing intelligence if I'm willing to stay surrounded by dumb fucks" so I have to gracefully sugar coat this kind of question. I'm tired of it. It depresses me, I weep for them. This lack of education makes things like the Nazi shirt mentioned in the last blog entry necessary. Readers out there, I never thought I would appreciate you so much just for the simple fact that you can read. SMH. Selamat malam

Do Better: Is that a Nazi Swastika?

You may have heard me speak before about the occasion thought in my mind to politely slap the shit out of someone repeatedly. Well, I recently had the same urge when I saw Malays walking around in a shirt with a Nazi swastika on it. I know what you’re thinking; it was an Asian religious symbol for luck and prosperity first. And I know that, I've seen it on temples in Thailand, Singapore and other places. But no, this was the tilted swastika in the circle and the red background just like the one on Hitler’s arm (and it wasn't crossing it out like the one I inserted); str8 skin head, Neo-Nazi swastika. I had heard about this foolishness before. Apparently, they try to defend it saying that “Well, I’m Muslim. I don’t like Jews. Neither did they, so we’re on the same team.” My reaction first time I heard it, “WHAT THE FUCK?” Ridiculous, right? The lack of education (blog coming next) shows through immensely with such simplistic and misguided logic. Had we been in an English speaking country, I had the right to: 1) try to educate the man that Hitler would have also despised you (a Malay), me (a Black man), or anyone who wasn’t prototypically Arian (tall, blond haired and blue eyed), 2) assume that he knows more about Hitler which would entitle me to slap him as mentioned above. But here, because of the language barrier, I can’t even communicate with him to rid him of this deeply misguided mindset towards Nazis. All of this is processing in my mind as he walks by and I catch a glimpse of the back of his shirt………………it’s made by Levi’s. HOOOLLYYYY SHIT. Are you serious? Levi’s, which I’ve since been told is actually like a Hebrew name, is taking advantage of these uneducated people and using them as the marketing base to sell this filth? The anger inside which was brewing deep within but being held at bay by my rationale about the unknowing foreigner all of a sudden rose very quickly. I can’t think of a more disgusting example of selling your soul for the profits. Even in the immoral world of business, some lines should not be crossed; this is one of them. You know what, it’s time for me to go. The level of uneducated individuals is starting to annoy me. You think there are some ignorant people in America, you can’t imagine some of this bullshit. Do Better…

Real Talk: The Sad and Cautionary Tale of Troy Davis

Just in case you forgot, there is still prejudice and inconsistency that has been allowed to perpetuate in our penal system; remember it is run by old, stubborn, conservative white men groomed during segregation. Troy Davis, the Georgia man convicted of shooting a white (yes, it matters sadly) police officer in 1989, has been executed by legal injection today. This comes after his execution date has been moved 4 times due to the ridiculous circumstance around his case. Essentially, there was no DNA evidence or murder weapon ever linking him to the murder. He was convicted largely because there were 9 different witnesses who identified him as the killer. I can understand completely how a jury would see this as sufficient evidence to convict him at that point in time. However, over the past 22 years, 7 of the 9 witnesses have completely recanted their testimony saying that either he was not the shooter or they can not conclusively say that he was the shooter. So the question becomes: what would make these people lie on the stand for a case with death penalty at risk? Police coercion. I admit upfront that I am biased because I personally have a problem (or twenty) with several things about what the average street level American policeman has become. But this is one of the many reasons why. Police don’t like seeing other cops go down obviously, which once again is understandable. However, the lengths they will go to in a search for vengeance are unreasonable at times. In this vengeful conquest, it seems to matter more to the institution that ‘someone’ goes down for the murder, rather than focus being on ‘the right guy’ going down for it. So do I think policemen are capable of intimidating or threatening 7 people into saying that this man was the culprit even if they weren’t sure? Yes I do. Hell, I’m not sure I wouldn’t do the same thing if me or my family were at the point of a standard police-issued .22 caliber handgun. Furthermore, there have been several cases in the past where witnesses (often someone who is not commonly exposed to Black people) identify the wrong person. Hell, I still go places where a non-Black person says they can’t tell the difference between me and one of my homeboys when we look nothing alike. So if I’m someone in the legal system, this adds enough doubt that I should at least look into the validity of the witnesses’ claims. I’m not saying let him out today since the media is covering every minute. But take the time to make sure he’s the right guy; he’s been on death row 22 years, he can wait another 10 months to follow up with the witnesses and evidence (or lack thereof); after the supposed standard for conviction in general, much less execution, is supposed to be “beyond a reasonable doubt.” And it seemed like someone may have listened to this logic today as his hour was coming, but then a call from the Supreme Court – the highest court in the land – came in and denied this request for stay, likely just wanting an end to the ‘drama.’ So in the end, an innocent life may have been lost because the possibility of searching for justice was veto’d by the ‘big dicks of the court’ in the 11^th hour. The whole ‘reasonable doubt’ jargin got put on pause I guess. It was more important to end the media circus, leave a closed case closed and not have to admit mistakes or the possibility of police coercion in our legal system. I’m not even mad anymore, I’m just numb and introspective. Lesson learned: Live your life right, stay on the right side of the law and out of the legal system; you’re not guaranteed a fair shake once you’re in there. Value your life because it’s not a given that the establishment will. I have a close homeboy from high school - serving 5 times as long for armed robbery (with a bebe gun) as someone I ran track with served for homicide – who can attest (keep your head up Josh). Just like with those 22 years served, your life is gone once it’s gone, no getting it back. So if nothing else, Troy sounded like he was at peace with God, and I hope his life helps this message spread and save future people from the same fate. But guess what, before you go anti-America, remember that this is still amongst the best legal systems in the world. In China, he would have been shot in the head a couple weeks after trial and they would ignore all scrutiny from anyone. What a world we live in, right. On a sad day, here’s a little Real Talk.

A Robbery, Straight Ninja Style

I can now confirm the presence of ninjas in Malaysia. After a night drinking (not drinking too much), I was on the way home at about 3am and I was a bit fatigued; it had been about a 10.5 hour workday before. I had dropped the lady off who I was drinking with, was about 2 minutes from being home and got to a red light which was a bit long. I dosed off for maybe one and a half minutes or so. I woke up to the sound of someone knocking gently on my car window telling me to wake up. Slightly bewildered and intoxicated, I wake up, look around and finish driving home. I get home a couple minutes later and as I'm leaving the car, I realize my iPod touch is no longer in the adapter holder plugged into my cigarette lighter. I searched the car a little bit more, then it hit me....I WAS ROBBED, BY SOMEONE AS STEALTH AS A FUCKING NINJA. That alcohol dose-off isn't some really hard dose off, even a gentle sound usually would wake you up from that. So you're telling me that during the very short time I nodded off, someone identified that I was asleep in my car, identified that there was valuable electronics in the open inside the car, approached the car in the middle of the intersection, opened the passenger door, grabbed the iPod, closed the door back in a way that didn't wake me up, and got missing. The most likely person is probably the guy who knocked on my window. Meaning he robbed me quietly enough to be undetected, then woke me up? Strange. In hindsight, I wish I would have been in a more clear mind state so I could have picked up and acted in real time. Also, I know realize that cars in Malaysia don't automatically lock the doors while in Drive the way most cars do in the US, so it may be a good idea to physically lock them myself if I am going to be out and in such a form. I'm honestly more embarrassed than mad at this point. Lesson learned: NINJAS ARE EVERYWHERE. In the words of the Wu Tang Clan. "Protect Ya Neck."

A Jaw Dropper

Had you described this to me in words, I probably would have have shaken my head. The breast (well, really the female body as a whole when maintained) is a beautiful canvas and I would have been disappointed that someone dared to deface such a surface. But upon seeing it, it intrigues me. I still wonder how many days in a row it would continue to intrigue me when I open her shirt. What you think?

Stop Me When I Start Lying: Sexual Evolution

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Do Better: Indecent Exposure

Ratchet Ass Hoes. There is no other way to say it. First of all, pretty much ALL of them pissin on the side of the road somewhere in broad fucking daylight. It's as if they decided as a group, "Yep, this is the spot."Secondly, the one friend who didn't have to piss (or finished first, or whatever the situation is) decided this was a Kodak moment. I've pissed some non-toilet places (street, bush, even rainwater downspout before) before, but never has it crossed my mind to take a picture of this occurrence. Thirdly, and most importantly in this day and age, YOU POSTED THAT SHIT ON THE INTERNET??? If I was one of the ones pissing, I'd hit the one who took the pic in the throat for posting such a picture. The instant u put this on the Internet, I can end up in the hands of someone like me who will ridicule u on his own blog to his own followers, or worse it can end up on MediaTakeOut.com or some other site with millions and millions of followers; some of who probably know you and will tell their friends "Hey, check out the MTO article called 'An MTOer was walking down the street and saw these old stank ratchet chicks', I know them." For the sake of the black community, Do Better...

My Inner Conspiracy Brother: NYC and 9/11

Despite all my conspiracy theories and distrust of the motives of many authoritative institutions (police, fed'l gov't, etc), this is one I've opted not to touch on due to its magnitude and emotional connection with the American public. I am convinced that the FBI and NSA were in a "I don't report to you, you report to me" style ego war which stopped pertinent info from being combined which could have helped them locate and detain the suspects before the attacks happened. However, that has been where my suspicions stopped. Despite all the "Bush knocked down the towers" theories that I've heard, I never bought i

nto them. Why is

that you ask? First of all, Bin Laden has publicly had the hots for attacking America since the "unholy alliance" between the US and Saudi Arabia (his home country) came to be. Secondly, my question when trying to fathom the federal government carrying out such a massive attack on its own people was always, Why? What's the motive? When I was recently in NYC, for the first time, I was offered an answer: The Patriot Act. According to a gentlemen (middle aged, very smart but seemingly paranoid) who was staying where I was staying, al Queda is and always has been an arm of the CIA used to push forward foreign policy decisi0ns in an emotionally slanted way. Therefore (according to him once again),

the Patriot Act is much more far reaching than any of us know and is being used as a tool to gradually strangle all of the freedom out of American day-to-day life. It's a population control method, which along with veiled issues like global warming, will be used to spy on and act on every detail of

our lives for the government's own purposes. To make this issue arouse even more suspicion, when I went to Ground Zero (currently in the midst of building the Independence Tower, new tragedy museum, and a 2 Tower fountain walkways where all the deceased names will be etched), there was an entire row of ppl (pictured) with t-shirts, signs, and various handouts advertising their theories that the government was responsible. This is literally a few feet

outside of the site. What kind of conviction do you have to have to partake in that for an issue so emotional to most Americans? And although I still have a bit of a mental block to digesting the theory that the gov't could architect such a heinous act, they make a good point (as did Lupe) about the collapse of WTC Building 7.

I remember hearing that it fell too that day, but I never realized how far away it was from the two towers; it was clear on the other side of the complex. How did it fall when closer buildings did not? Could it be that it was brought down in a controlled demolition (See diagram). A lot of ppl up there are convinced that there was fishiness, I can't say I am right there with them, but at this point, I'm a little less secure about our innocence than I was 2 months ago. Would the CIA set up such a tragedy as a vessel to control the population? Don't know, hell noone thought they would murder the current president either (JFK). So who knows. Do I sound parnoid? Whatever. I've Been Called Worse...

Royal Flush

Man oh man. Remember the movie "How to Make Friends and Alienate People"? I'm wondering when I'll see the book "How to Flush a Championship You Had in the Bag" authored by LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh, edited by Erik Spoelstra. I'll start by saying this, I am a LeBron fan, and not just because I can't stand Kobe (that snitching douchebag). I admire the man's remarkably diverse skill set and the youthful enthusiasm and intensity he has played the game with. I don't feel he had a team capable of winning a championship around him in Cleveland and I hope he makes it into that "Top 5 players ever" discussion where I think he can belong when it's all said and done. But he's raising more and more questions in people's minds now. The whole "The Decision" and the welcome party in Miami earned him (and consequently his teammates) several million haters instantly. He did his part to dispell the doubters by putting up nearly identical numbers to his previous MVP seasons on a team with another legit superstar in D-Wade and an All-Pro caliber star in Bosh. His status rose even more as he was a clutch as possible in playoff series against his biggest two East opponents: the Celtics and the Bulls, despite Wade playing awful ball in those series. Then the Finals came. And despite a great series (statistically) from Wade and a good series (statistically) from LeBron and Bosh, the Heat let what should have been a 4 game sweep slip through their hands for Dallas's first NBA title ever. in games 2 and 4, they blew large leads in the 4th quarter because Wade and LeBron stopped moving the ball and started playing inefficient 1-on-1 ball on a defense that was prepared for that to happen. Because of his name and relative quietness in the 4th quarters, we already knew LeBron would receive every bit of the blame. Although I don't think he deserves nearly all of it, he has got to realize that this is the reality of his position in the basketball world right now and he has to play like the greatest player in the world when the bright lights are on rather than just having 'solid nights.' After an 8-point performance, he followed with a 17-11-10 triple double night, which isn't bad at all. But the LeBron faithful and Heat faithful (although most of the Heat faithful joined the bandwagon after "The Decision") were yearning for a 35 pt night to punch the haters in the face. That's not what happened. Even the last game, he led the team in scoring, but they lost so it gets swept under the rug; like his 27 pt, 12 ast, 10 reb night against the Celtics when they lost the series last year. He's only 26 (Jordan was 29 when he started winning titles), but what he has to realize and deliver on to shut ppl up is that in crunch time he has to acquire that "I'm better that you, you can't stop me but I dare you to try" attitude. It's what we haven't seen since Jordan. Nobody has had it to the same level as MJ since, not Kobe, not LeBron, not even D-Wade in the '06 Finals (even though he was damn close). Until then, ppl (including myself) will always question his heart and demonize him rather than respecting his incredible talents. You're The King, The Chosen One, the spotlight is blinding for you, the question is: What are you gonna do now?

Back Like MJ wearing the #12 jersey

People know about Michael Jordan wearing the #45 jersey after coming back from his retirement, but what you know about MJ rocking the #12 for a game or two? Like him after his brief first retirement and baseball career, I've returned from a hiatus. Between my month long vacation running everywhere up and down the East Coast, or the increasing stress level immediately before I left Malaysia, I had been neglecting my blog duties. For which I apologize. But I'll make good. And in honor of the Jordan post, u know what sport my first blog entry is gonna be about...

I Got A Worse Feeling: Part 2, Mother Nature

I don’t scare easily, but when fish start turning up dead on the banks of rivers (pictured) and birds start randomly falling out of the sky, something is going on in our environment. It happened in several places too, not just one. Maybe even nature’s way of sending us some kind of warning. Then natural disasters hit Indonesia (volcano, earthquake), Australia (floods), New Zealand (earthquake), and most recently and dramatically Japan (massive earthquake and tsunami). I had never given the 2012 apocalypse theories much thought. But in light of these events, it’s crossed my mind and has gotten my attention more than ever before. I give Japan a lot of credit for the class with which the general population has kept their composure and held chaos at bay; we remember how anarchic New Orleans turned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (special “fuck you” to the New Orleans Police Department for their part in that debacle). The Japanese people have seemed to help one another even in the anxious wait for aid and supplies which did not come instantly. Talking to the Japanese architect (he prefers the term ‘concept designer’) of the project I’m working on, it sounds like the insurance companies don’t really cover natural disasters, which is preposterous and will cause more problems going forward than the wrath of Mother Nature which took almost 20,000 lives. Where are all these people supposed to go? How are they supposed to restart their lives when they will get no insurance money on houses, cars, and other valuables that were taken away by the earthquake or tsunami? How will those who manage to come out okay even bury the dead or rebuild their neighborhoods? Finding this out truly upset me on a few levels because it defeats the points of having insurance. But beyond all of is another way that this natural disaster can snowball into a man made catastrophe: the destabilization of the Fukishima nuclear power plant. Japan, the only country in history who has truly known the effects of large-scale nuclear devastation before, now must figure out how to keep this plant’s core cool and stable in the aftermath of a disaster that knocked out most of its resources and utilities. Furthermore, there is a leak enabling radioactive material into the ocean, which at least one attempt to seal has already failed to seal. The only comparison most of us know to make is the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in the 80’s, which has become known as the worst nightmare for any nuclear plant. I truly hope that that can be avoided and no more devastation will befall the strong and classy population of Japan. Not to mention, the world in general. It’s not a very comfortable time from where I’m sitting.

I Got A Bad Feelling: Part I, Man Made

I'm got a bad feeling about this. In the past year, the world is changing in a way that I don’t like at all. This is one of those years that countries are addicted to unrest and revolution; we’ve already seen all throughout the Middle East including Egypt (pictured), Bahrain, Iran, Libya, and more. Even Canada and England have protested their dissatisfaction with the recent actions of their countries’ governments. Revolution is not always a bad thing (especially places like Egypt and Libya where one man who rose to power by force has been in place for years and added more to their personal wealth than the well-being of their nations) but when the pro-government forces start slaughtering their own people to quell the rebellion, it’s an issue. I will give America credit letting it’s revolt-supporting opinion be forcefully known but not acting militarily. Even in Libya, where things got hands on (drawing widespread criticism as a show of double standard), the US didn’t get its hands too dirty before they handed things over to the UN and European countries. I know we have been seen as obligated to play police to the world, but we can’t afford another full-scale war in an unstable Middle East; especially against a country that never actually attacked America or its forces. As far as the criticisms, I don’t put much credence into the opinions of countries that do a lot of talking and never take action, period. I just hope whenever things are stable, we might actually have an ally or two in that region. But I still wouldn’t bet on it though. Just because they don’t want Mubarak of Quaddafi doesn’t mean they want democracy forced onto them unfortunately; especially by us and the anti-Muslim reputation that precedes us everywhere we go. Furthermore, the Ivory Coast is in the midst of a bloody civil fighting and unrest (pictured) that doesn’t seem to have a quick resolution. All of this comes as the world was recently on the brink of a potentially nuclear war with North Korea and South Korea (backed by the US and other Western powers) playing a game of “My dick is bigger than yours.” It didn’t gain the world’s captivity as much as the Cuban missile crisis in the 1960’s but make no mistakw, North Korea is not someone I would like to see at war with anyone right now. They’re the little guy at the world’s car table with a nuclear ace or two in its hand and an attitude forged on making a splash more than actually winning the game. But those are just the man-made travesties of the moment. That doesn’t scare me nearly as much and the disgruntled nature of Mother Nature. This blog is up next...