Michael Jackson

I woke up around 3pm today (I know) expecting a good day. Fuck that. This week three entertainers have died. Now, I’m not a hardcore fan of any but I am familiar with each of their work. Farrah Fawcett, the international sex symbol who changed pop culture died of cancer. Ed McMahon, the announcer for Johnny Carson died of his many health problems. And of course, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest.

Farrah and Ed, I was not very familiar with their work or practice. I had seen their face many times on the television, could recognize them as famous, and was saddened by their deaths. But, I did not take it as affecting me. After all, I did not grow up watching Johnny Carson or Charlie’s Angels.

Michael Jackson was different though. I had grown up listening to MJ when I was a kid. I never really grasped who he was or his personal life, that didn’t matter once his music started. Like most kids, I grew up listening to what my parents listened to. Driving in the car with my mom, listening to Roy Orbison or Marvin Gaye; I particularly remember singing “Pretty Woman” with my family whenever it came on the radio. But we never really listened to Michael Jackson, just whatever the radio commanded us to listen to.

By the time I was grade school I had already developed my taste in music. Among my favorites were: Linkin Park, Eminem, and Dr. Dre. I was a casual fan of MJ; I owned a copy of Thriller and Bad, could sing along to a Jackson 5 song, and respected him as an artist. But, I never heard of his sexual abuse accusations, controversy over skin color, and alleged plastic surgery. What I saw when I saw Michael Jackson was the same one that died today; a pale, skinny man with a soft voice and giant sunglasses.

7th grade I had again changed preference. Now, 50 Cent, G-Unit, and Lil Jon were in. Gone were the days of The Temptations and The Supremes. I was still a fan of MJ, I had begun watching his music videos and discovered his amazing ability to Moonwalk. But when I was 13, reports surfaced that Michael Jackson was a pedophile.

I never believed for one second that he was guilty. Instead, I saw him as a regressed child who was scared to admit he was terrified; terrified of the world, competition, his family and fans. With children, he could connect. He could change their lives for the better, he had a say in their development- he never had one in his. Children would understand him; his naiveté, laughter, and stories. They wouldn’t question his music or personal life. Nothing would come of his skin color or financial problems, instead the children would be grateful no matter who he was or the mistakes he made.

Two years later, Jackson was acquitted of all charges. I was a freshman by then and again changed taste. A renewed interest in the man brought a renewed interest in his music. I began to listen to Thriller, noting his vocals and darkening themes. Then I met Chris.

I met Chris in biology while dissecting frogs. Our frog, aptly named Yoda, connected friends together while we were ripping him apart. Every incision and stupid conversation solidified our friendship. I knew Chris was a fan of MJ but didn’t
realize how much until junior year.

Now, I had to walk home every day from school. In 100 degree weather this was no fun. So, I used to bum rides off of people. Chris fortunately, had a brand new Mustang that his family somehow afforded to buy. Every ride we would listen to Michael Jackson. “Speed Demon” would blast its way through our eardrums as we cruised the streets of Selma. We’d post it up with “Bad” and feign sadness with “Man in the Mirror.” But, we never absorbed his personal life. Of course, we made fleeting comments about it but it seemed we chose to ignore the musician for the sake of the music.

Now, I write this with no real intention of conveying a message or legacy left behind. I write this to illustrate the impact Jackson had on my life. As a casual fan, I appreciated his music and pop hooks. As a person, I admired his philanthropy and innocence. Most importantly, I felt a connection with him that I did not feel with any other star.

As said, I was only familiar with one Jackson. I had never seen a young MJ take the stage with his brothers and sisters. His fro and black skin were a far call from the white glove and jheri curl. A white Jackson is what I saw, not a black one. Perhaps, this is why I felt so strongly towards him. Because he was ostracized from the black community for his changing skin color, I empathized with him.

As someone with vitiligo, I’ve struggled with my changing skin color. Remembering when I used to cry to my mother for why my fingers were white while children laughed. Today, I remember those days. When black commentators would claim Jackson sold them out I wanted to yell, “no, it’s a disease he can’t help it!” Somehow whenever they criticized Jackson, I took it as a personal attack towards me. Suddenly, I was selling out my heritage and family. I worried that one day I would also be white and lose a vital part of me.

For this, Michael had to have been strong. While today I am not bothered by it, I still remember. Today, I hope to remember who Michael Jackson was and his legacy. Like anyone, he was flawed. He had made a couple of mistakes that were highly publicized, made odd comments, and sometimes appeared to be exactly what his detractors said. Nevertheless, he was a great musician. For everything that has been taken, no one can take that from him.

Thanks,
Michael


Chris on Halloween 2006.

The Instrumental

Ever since Kool Herc introduced the percussion based instrumental in the seventies, hip-hop producers have taken note and introduced new technologies and techniques. This list, albeit short, contains five of my favorite hip-hop producers (I know the title is misleading). I love the instrumental, today’s hip-hop beats are complete shit. Now anyone can throw together some samples and add some shitty auto-tune but these guys are true musicians. I can’t mention all the greats because there are simply too many but here are five:

5. Ant (of Atmosphere)
One half of the amazing duo, Atmosphere, Ant is a beast. While never speaking much to reporters, his beats say it all. His synthesizer-based production on When Life Gives You Lemons is a far call from Atmosphere’s debut in 1997 when both members had to work overtime to afford equipment. Today, Ant has established himself as a premier producer. Most producers tend to rely on kick and snares way too much but Ant seems to strike the perfect balance, allowing samples to carry the beat rather than traditional percussion based instrumentals.


4. Dr. Dre
I think Dr. Dre is the most influential producer but not the best. His unique style of production, using live studio musicians rather than samples, allows Dre to command a beat like no other. There is no other producer who can mimic his style or production. By using the classic Akai MPC3000, Dre commands the drums while other musicians can build their instrumentals around him. Of course, his biggest contribution was the landmark he left through G-Funk. The slow grooves, deep bass, and harmonic progressions that we hear today can all be attributed to Dr. Dre. No doubt he’s influential, but like I said, not the best.


3. Kanye West
Kanye West is a garbage rapper. Anyone who thinks that Kanye is a good rapper doesn’t know hip-hop. But it’s sad that most people do not recognize West for his true talent- production. Hip-hop production is what Kanye got famous for, not wack lyrics. Using pitched-up samples from old soul records, Kanye managed to enter the hip-hop scene with a blast. Unlike most producers, Kanye is also constantly adapting and getting better. Not afraid to fail (and would deny failure anyways), his use of string arrangements, horn riffs, and piano loops makes this dude an awesome producer. But like I said, not an awesome rapper. I love his willingness to experiment, that's what makes him a great producer.



2. Pete Rock
The legendary man behind jazz rap, Pete Rock is one of the living legends in hip-hop. Rock rose to prominence as one half of the duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. After the two split, Rock continued to produce and make classics for Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and The Roots. His use of samples from jazz, funk, and R&B records in his beats makes the unmistakable Pete Rock sound. By throwing in resonant basslines, horns, and heavy percussion, Rock manages to create a sick groove. No doubt, Pete is one of the best producers ever, not just hip-hop. This guy seriously altered the hip-hop sound for the better. Otherwise we’d be listening to more garbage. Luckily he managed to introduce jazz and alternative beats to the lame beats that are dominating music today.


1. DJ Premier
If Pete Rock is Jesus, DJ Premier is God (sorry for the weak allusion). Every hip-hop head knows who the true king of production is and it isn’t P. Diddy. Primo has been making hip-hop ever since he first entered the hip-hop scene in the early nineties. If you were to ask me what hip-hop is, I’d say a Premier instrumental. His two-bar break, a scratched chorus, and vast knowledge has changed music, not hip-hop. One way to know you’ve “made it” is to have a Primo personally make an instrumental for you. Known for producing some of the top heads in hip-hop (Nas, Rakim, Biggie, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Common, Kanye, KRS-One, and many more), Premier is just what his name says. This man is hip-hop.


Michael

Assault and Battling

So if you don’t know what a battle or cypher is the best way to learn (sadly) is watching 8 Mile. Basically a few guys decide host a rap battle, inviting guys from the area and hoping that they’ll arrive.

Well, there’s this white guy Absyrd who puts together a few battles every few weeks to help the hip-hop presence in Central California. A couple of pretty good emcees show up but mostly it’s filled with lame rhymes and jokes. But occasionally you get a good show.

Friday there was one of these said battles. Ab invited a few local kids and rappers to go rap in Orosi (wtf, Orosi, really?). Anyways, my good friend Victor decided to enter. He’s never battled someone and rapped in front of a crowd sober. So of course, he’s pretty nervous because he has a tendency to choke.

A few heads and I finally get to Orosi expecting a big crowd but it’s just a bunch of wack looking crews. After an hour of waiting for everyone to arrive, the battle finally starts. Its Victor’s time to rap against some fat short guy named Cozmo.

In this league, a lot of rappers will write writtens to practice and throw punchlines in their rhymes to win over the crowd. Unfortunately my very nervous friend had forgotten his rhymes so basically everything was freestyled.

First round, PT goes and chokes. It was sad, after about 5 seconds of rapping Victor stops and looks around. Fuck, he’s done. But, he manages to spit out some pretty weak shit. Better than nothing I guess. Cozmo, realizing Vic is a rookie, decides to kick a weaker verse and not directly insult him.

Second round, Victor finally warms up to the crowd and rips a funny verse. I forgot the exact punchlines but they were good enough to finally get some laughs. Besides insulting Cozmo’s height, Vic chooses to target his weight and clothes. Again, Cozmo comes back with some weak shit. I mean it’s consistent, just not that good.

Third round, I forgot. I think Victor spit a couple of punclines but none connected as well as the second round. Cozmo again spits some pretty weak shit.

Winner? After three rounds, the judges decide PT is the winner. Vic finally raps in front of a crowd, wins his first battle, and we get some pretty good laughs. Overall it was a good introduction in the hip-hop scene of Central California. It could have been better but Vic made up for it on his cypher at the end of the battles.

This guy Big Kat started beatboxing and everyone was taking turns to freestyle. Finally Vic manned up and kicked a flow. Once started, he didn’t stop until this wack ass white guy came in and interrupted. That’s just disrespectful, especially in a cypher.

You may not care but this is real hip-hop. Back to the basics; beatboxes, freestyles, laughs. No terrible instrumentals or wack flows.

Videos coming soon.

Michael

If offended easily you probably shouldn't watch these videos. They say a lot of fucked up stuff but that's just how it is.

Life Updates

So as you might assume it is still raining in CT. But today I was like fuck this I'm going to make the best of it. So I woke up at 9 ate a muffin and then wen't back to sleep until 1. I woke up periodically and let the rain lull me back to sleep. I finally woke up found there was nothing appetizing at all in the kitchen and then decided to go to my favorite cafe in pomfret and have a nice warm lunch, hope there is wifi, get some work done and read the whole afternoon.

My fav little cafe, also a hotspot for local biker gangs (really) is called the Vanilla Bean Cafe. It's nestled within some giant Norway spruce trees and then surrounded by CT forest. They serve delicious soups made fresh daily and sandwiches, burgers, and other specialities along with some yummy desert. Turns out they do have free wifi and some comfy chairs. I have a great spot by the window although outside isn't all that nice but it's comforting to sip a hot spiced chai and look outside. So VBC is in Promfret, CT also home to a ridiculously swanky school founded in 1894, this high school was founded OK even became a state! New England amazes me like that. And this school actually seems more beautiful than Yale. Sometime I'm gonna just park and walk around it a bit. This area has a lot of rolling hills and the school seems to have a really nice view from the back. Anyway the other great restaurants around include this amazing ice cream stand called we-li-kit that makes fresh to order waffle cones and a fabulous flavor called apes delight, banana ice cream with walnuts and chocolate chunks, absolutely delightful. Then there is this drive in called Pete's which I was expecting to be just like hamburgers and hot dogs, turns out it is this bomb seafood joint with great scallop and clam rolls and some rockin french fries.

So I've decided that I'd really like to live somewhere in rural new england. I know I bitch about the weather but everything else makes up for it ten fold. I love the curvy roads, beautiful houses, natural streams and lakes, berry picking orchards, colonial style homes with big yards, the wildlife, and how it's rural but only an hour from a big city (boston/nyc). It's the best of both worlds and picturesque even in the rain.

In order to compensate for all the yummy food I've been consuming I've been running. It was something I kinda started doing in New Haven but not with much dedication. But here I've been running at least 4 days a week and really trying to run more than that but the weather has been getting in my way some. Two days ago I was running up the road and saw a deer to my right, we just looked at each other and kept on doing out own thing. It was so awesome. White-tailed deer really are beautiful animals. I was in my field yesterday with Dror and we always see deer but that day it was kinda muddy so in order to get out of the field it had to do this jumping/running thing and it was really graceful and beautiful. Ok so back to running, I can run two miles straight with some incline. It's not much but I'm seriously proud because I just started like June 1st and by started I mean before I could barely run a block without stopping, which was sad. It's amazing how out of shape I was without being overweight. My ultimate goals for running are 1) to actually be able to run and enjoy it 2) to get in shape in order to do more extreme physical activity in the future 3) more specifically so I can do intense hikes/backpacking 4) lose some extra, unnecessary weight 4) to just be more physically active in general. I've been running on a trail behind camp and also on the road near camp. The road is definitely easier and I like it more cause I can zone out without tripping over rocks and other crazy stuff (dead mice). My goal for end of July is to be able to run the 9 miles from the highway to the forest.

As for my experiment, it is the most beautiful scientific experiment of all time! Seriously you should see it. 120 cages with cool artificial plants in a sweet grass field. Os said we'd try to publish the paper that comes out of it in Ecology Letters (the best ecology journal), which is sooooo ballin! So everyone cross your fingers I find some super cool results. Right now I'm just waiting for the grasshoppers to hatch and grow to about the 2nd instar. Which means it will need to stop raining and for us to have a few hot days. Yesterday I was finishing putting all the treatments in the cages (minus the ghoopers and spiders) when I looked to the left and saw the grass moving. I stopped and waited quietly for the creature to show itself. Then I saw it cross my path about 10 feet away... a BOBCAT! It was so cool to see one that close! Dror was so jealous, cause we've been talking about seeing one all summer. Other wildlife we've seen include some cool birds, including a mother Turkey and her baby chicks. I work in a tall grass field and they were hidden in the grass. We were walking the path back to my car when all of a sudden the big turkey mom popped up and flew into the forest edge. I freaked a little and ended up almost stepping on one of her chicks. Dror picked the little guy up and he was so adorable! Moral of the story my field is bomb.com.

What else... oh yeah I recently got a Macbook and like three days after I bought it apple put out a promotion for students that if you buy a Macbook you can get an ipod touch for free. So I called and they were like sure you can still get the rebate, which was very cool. Most people think Macs are overrated, but they are wrong. I mean they are more user friendly once you figure it out. The customer service apple provides is amazing. So for this rebate I was going to have to buy the ipod and then mail in for the rebate. I ended up waiting a long time to actually do it because I needed to save up the initial money. So today I called and initially the person was like sorry you don't qualify then I explained to her that previously they told me I did qualify so she put me on hold for a few minutes and then came back on and said that they would make an exception. So she was like which one do you want. I told her that I wanted the classic ipod and would pay the difference of the rebate. So she added it to my order but only charged me $20 for it (the difference). So I didn't have to even go through the whole rebate process, and my new ipod is in the mail! Apple=mad ballin. So to all of you thinking about making the switch I seriously recommend it. Although the PC commercial with the adorable little asian girl "I'm kaylie and I'm 4 and a half" is pretty fuckin compelling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtilWL4mnhI

Ok so this is the longest blog entry of all time. I hope it was enjoyable and I'll try to write less and more frequently next time.

love,
kat

Photoshop Offenders

I've seen a lot of bad photoshop done. I'm not posting this blog because I'm a mean guy, I just think it's funny. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not like an amazing photoshop genius or anything but some pictures are just tacky. I've been on Myspace recently and I was looking at some friend's pictures and some are just straight up shitty photoshop jobs. We're all guilty a bit.; I've had my fair share of ugly photoshop jobs but I've managed to recover and move on. So I present to you, a collection of poorly done photoshop pictures. Keep in mind these are actual people. And these actual people are my friends...hopefully they won't find out.

Michael

In love

I’m in love. Yes, I’ve foolishly fallen for the amazing Vietnamese singer Thao Nguyen (of Thao and the Get Down, Stay Down) once again. I thought I would forget her over time; her voice, her uber-fucking-cool boots, and her beautiful Gibson. As my foolish brother listens to his music (laaaaame, somewhere between old-school Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold) while I blast her music I realize I can’t live without her. Well that’s an exaggeration of course, but who cares? Do you? So what…deal with it. Go listen to Metallica sucka (although I do like them too…). Anywho Thao is the motherfucccckinnnn shyyyyyiiiiit son.

I met her once in Berkeley, CA at Rasputin’s (kick ass music store if you haven’t been there) and she rocked my socks off. Really, I had to see who she was. I even recorded a stalkerish video of her that I later posted on Youtube (over 16,000 views now).

Her live performances are unparalleled and only seeing her in concert can do her music justice. No recording can faithfully contain the art that she expresses beautifully. Now, you might be saying “hey dude, I bet you’re exaggerating once again.” To that I say “perhaps, who cares? I don’t give a fuck. Really I don’t. I love Thao, not you.”

So Thao is actually pretty amazing. I love her and her music. I got another chance to see her at a Master’s Tea this year at Stiles. That day I met two ballaz: Thao Nguyen and Master PD Pitti. AMAZING DAY. I was literally shaking when I saw her. I’d like to say I played it cool but I felt like a 12 year old girl in awe of JoBros.

I had a giant goofy grin the whole day before and after the concert. Especially when I got a hug and shirt! Aaand when she remembered my name and made some jokes. Ah God Thao, how are you so cool?!!!

Sorry for the excessive weirdness and obsession, I’m just in love with Thao.

-Michael

Courtright, yeah I spelled that right.

Well I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like you’re gonna get shot or stabbed but I had that uncomfortable feeling a few hours ago. I was at a pretty lame party and this guy comes in. Oscar. Well he’s a little gangbanger, shaved head kinda guy. So he comes in, starts yelling at a few of my friends who said that it’d be best if he left then goes on to run around the place calling people pussies. Eventually my friend Gama started to talk him down a bit until he started to mouth off again. Well this guy’s like legit crazy. So I start looking for the nearest exit, the biggest thing to hide under, and how I would explain to friends that I ditched them. After a brief exchange of words Oscar and his crew of vatos finally left.

This little episode actually has nothing to do with Courtright Reservoir and my camping trip there but it’s a fun little story that happened today.

My friends and I (plus Jesus who finally escaped The Jungle of Parlier) went to Courtright. A few scary turns, motion sickness, and empty bellies later we finally arrived. Camping was fun, general stuff. Swimming in the freezing water once again (Jesus is a beast, that guy must be part polar bear), chopping wood like mountain men, and setting up a crappy tent.

But the hard thing was fire. We had brought matches but no charcoal, lighter fluid, etc. None of us knew how to start a fire and eventually we came up with some dumb ideas. Fill toilet paper with bark, rip up paper and spread it around the perimeter, dumb stuff. Finally we gave up and asked a very shady looking old man who looked like Yosemite Sam.

But the dude was hella cool. Ernest, a veteran camping for Father’s Day, taught us how to set up the fire in no time and offered some amusing stories. Bam we got a fire.

Well we had fun, blah blah blah. Then we left at 3am the next morning after getting about 3 hours of sleep. Fun times.

Soooo camping is fun if you have experienced campers. Otherwise it’s cold and pretty miserable.

-Michael

Mother Fucking Rain

So in case you all were wondering it is STILL raining in Connecticut. In fact it never stops, ever. It's been a whole week of rain. At first snuggling up under the covers in a wooden cabin listening to the rain fall on the tin roof (every Norah Jones song) was quaint and comforting. Now it's just pissing me the hell off. Because that's really all you can do or feel like doing. Forget the strawberry picking, running the hidden pines trails of the forest, hiking to tree heaven, swimming in the reservoir, trips to bigelow, or god forbid working on my tan. Instead I've spent the last four days deciding when to give in and head to wal-mart to buy some rubber boots. All the while building cages for the boss in the lab (with potential dead mice haunting me).

And it's not just the rain but the general dampness that I'm sure all of you from the Have know exactly what I'm talking about. Oh and better yet I had to take a cold shower today because I was stupid enough to wait for everyone else at camp to take one before me. You get the gist... it's cold and wet here at Yale-Myers Forest.

Supposedly saturday is going to be partly cloudy... oh boy!

Rejection Reflection

So I applied to Officemax the beginning of summer and guess what? No call back… WTF. Now, now I know you might be asking “hey Michael, why’s a cool cat like you applying to Officemax? Aren’t you way too cool and awesome for that?” Well not to be cocky but I am. I was just way too lazy to apply for internships, look for a real job, or go abroad. I hoped for a simple summer back home where I could get with some real people and make some money. Instead, I came home to my old friends poor and desperate.

Now I write this with no obligations. I have no job, school, or responsibility now. I waste my time daily coming up with plans to use my summer constructively. So far I have these six.

1. Work out. I’ve always wanted to get all yoked and shit but I always get lazy. Earlier I promised myself I would play basketball more. Guess what happened? Played Resident Evil instead.

2. Read. I’ve re-read Fahrenheit 451 and the Grapes of Wrath. But, I would still like to read some more. Suggestions?

3. Cook. I want to learn how to cook something. Could be anything; bomb ass cookies, tasty spaghetti, whatevs.

4. Get my license. Yes, yes I do not have my license. I know, shameful. I’ve gotten by most of my life hitching rides or illegally driving with my dad. Now I need the real deal.

5. Play guitar. I used to play the guitar a lot sophomore year of high school. I’ve taken about a year and a half break from guitar but I’m starting to play again. Learning Jack Johnson now, what a baller.

6. Volunteer. I want to volunteer but the place I used to work at kinda got creepy (Salvation Army, long story short- boss makes out with her husband…eeewww). And I would like to start a program I would later restart after graduation (it will be revealed someday when it is ready).

So of course I’ll accomplish like two of these.

But onto the main story.Officemax…WTF. Seriously I got no call back? How unfair is that? I seriously know that it was because I was in college, they knew I was gonna quit after like 2 months. How lame. My resume was a beast, I’m serious. Like I said, I don’t mean to sound cocky but it was ballllllllin. I had all these references from these bad ass professors and deans but guess what? Didn’t get it…oh also, included that I was a Yale student. STUPID DECISION MICHAEL. I should have said I wasn’t,
pretty sure I would have gotten it.

Oh well, now I have time to rant about it. Looking for more jobs and ventures for money.

Officemax manager must be a Harvard man.

Michael

Hip-Hop Wars

Without huge egos hip-hop would be lost, what would we have Kanye West, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg write about? A vital foundation on which hip-hop has built itself upon is the feud. Throughout its inception, hip-hop has had to endure legendary feuds between greats while laughing at the lame (ie Chingy vs. Nelly). This list is my greatest hip-hop wars.

Honorable mention: Eminem vs. Canibus, Ice Cube vs. NWA, LL Cool J vs. Kool Moe Dee, 50 Cent vs. Kanye West, and 50 Cent vs. everyone

5. Marley Marl vs. KRS-One
One of the first real hip-hop feuds between equally established artists, the South Bronx vs. Queens feud set the blueprint for rap feuds to come. KRS-One’s Boogie Down Productions managed to tussle with Marley Marl’s Juice Crew over the true birthplace of hip-hop. BDP’s “The Bridge is Over” finally ended the feud maintain that “Bronx keeps creatin it, and Queens keeps on fakin it.” While today the feud may seem obsolete, this set the tone for which hip-hop would keep for the next 20 years.
Winner: KRS-One and the South Bronx


4. Common vs. Ice Cube
In 1994, Common’s hip-hop classic Resurrection dropped complete with the prophetic “I Used to Love HER” (a personal fav) in which Common basically claimed that the west coast had commercialized hip-hop, rather than focusing on Afrocentricity or empowerment. Ice Cube naturally took offense and the true West Coast vs. East Coast feud began. These two legendary rappers eventually ended their feud after Tupac and Biggie’s deaths but its legacy still stands as a true battle between titans of the coasts. Plus, Common's The Bitch in Yoo is just straight up savage.
Winner: Common


3. Dr. Dre vs. Eazy-E
After NWA dissolved in 1991, allegations that manager Jerry Heller and Eazy-E had screwed the group out of its fair share surfaced. In 1992 Dr. Dre released classic diss “Fuck Wit Dre Day” slamming Eazy with lines “stompin on the 'Eazy'est streets that you can walk on, so strap on your Compton hat, your locs, and watch your back cause you might get smoked, loc.” Eazy could not respond strongly and till his death in 1995, most declared Dre the winner. Although the battle wasn’t the greatest, the sheer savageness of songs, disses, and ruined friendship stand as a testament to the power of greed and hip-hop.
Winner: Dr. Dre


2. 2Pac vs. Biggie
I personally think these two artists are massively overrated. Now don’t get all pissy, I have an opinion too. But I have to say, this was one of the greatest battles ever. Two charismatic, hot-headed, young talented guys that just happened to turn shit too far. Instead of reconciling, the two former friends managed to create gods of hip-hop. While neither enjoyed international fame until after their death, the two managed to turn hip-hop into a serious game. Prior to Tupac’s death in 1996, most hip-hop artists would see how far they could push each other until one snapped. Now, unsaid boundaries are followed but only because of these two great emcees deaths.
Winner: none.


1. Nas vs. Jay-Z
This is on the top for one reason: both rappers were just about equally skilled, talented, and passionate. More importantly, both realized the mistakes of their ways and managed to end their shit before anything happened. After Biggie’s death, the king of New York hip-hop remained vacant. The established Nas was challenged by cocky newcomer Jay-Z who slammed Nas in “Takeover.” Not to be taken lightly, Nas responded with the jam “Ether” while the whole feud revived both rappers careers. I love both artists and throughout their whole feud, classic music was made. Because both never actually attacked one another or let things get too far, no serious threat was imminent. Instead, the throne of king of hip-hop was the only thing that was up for grabs, not lives. Taking lessons from the deaths of Biggie and Tupac, the two managed to squash their beef in 2005. As I said, I believe that both rappers were of just about equal talent who managed to learn before it was too quickly.
Winner: Us! (well Nas really…)


So that's list. As you can probably tell, I was pretty bored. Common> Nas> Jay-Z> KRS-One> Ice Cube> Tupac> Biggie> Marly Marl> Dr. Dre> Eazy-E

Michael

Waiting

It's been a long weekend here in the forest... I had minimal work to do on Thursday, then it rained on friday, I slept all yesterday, and today I just need to cut some bungee cord.

And you thought science was fast paced! Well don't get me wrong... it is. But right now we're waiting for the grasshoopers to hatch. I still need to do a few things to my cages (add in the treatments) but otherwise I'm just waiting.

Yesterday I went to lunch at The Vanilla Bean, delicious little cafe near my field site. I had a spicy blue cheese burger, very yummy. For some reason every middle aged white biker gang was there as well, and I almost ended up leading a particularly overweight, middle-aged, white biker gang to the nearest ice cream stand. And it is a damn good ice cream stand: We-Li-Kit.

Oh and I've been filling my time with watching Dexter on watchtvsitcoms.com. It's a good show, not like Weeds (starts Tuesday), or Nip/Tuck, but it's quality.

Well really not much going on right now, but it's still a ballin summer. I'm gonna go to wal-mart today and buy a few of those floating mattress things so that I can float in the reservoir out back. Come join me!

much love,
kathy

"Who does Jesus pray to? He's like oh shit..."

Now this isn’t an actual debate on oneness theology or Scripture; it was just a funny thing I heard today. I went to Pine Flat dam with my friends (David, Ben and Victor- because I am just that exclusive) and it was pretty cool.

Normally my days consist of waking up, taking a shower, then reading or wasting my life on facebook. Well today I got the call from Ben that he was also bored and we should go to Pine Flat. Long boring story short, we did.

Our day consisted of stupidly betting who could stand in the freezing river longest (I of course, won), submerging our heads into the refreshing H20, and hiking a small mountain. Some advice: do not submerge your head into freezing water or attempt to steal from the Pine Flat park rangers. Also, bring sunscreen.

Well submerging my head into a river may not be the smartest thing I’ve done but it was fun. It reminds me of when I used to do stupid shit in high school just to entertain myself (i.e. hold fights in backyards, burn stuff, and post it up like a gangsta). Well it was a nice time to get away from Selma while it reminded me that I actually enjoy the outdoors.

Dude, next year I am going to go outdoors more. Also, say “dude” less.

ANAAY camping trip anyone? Helll yeaaaaah


-Michael

Unballin’ Times

So basketball is a pretty fun game right? WRONG WRONG WRONG. Not when you lose it’s not. Two days ago I decided I was getting kinda fat so I had a smart idea “why don’t I play basketball.” Idiot! I told my older brother we should play and he reluctantly agreed.

Normally I’m decent at basketball. I’m not anything great. I can shoot but I cannot play defense and I have the worst stamina ever. But on Wednesday, wow. Just wow, my friends would be ashamed to know me. I was throwing up bricks the whole fucking time and by the end of it, my asthma inhaler saved my life. Pathetic, just pathetic. Upon losing, I threw the ball over the fence only to realize that I had to chase it down. As I ran, I realized I was waaay out of shape.

This realization has caused me to “cut back” on foods although I still eat a ton of junk food. But, I have started to play basketball again and I even promised myself that I would cook more. So not all losses are bad right? WRONG WRONG WRONG. This loss taught me that I’m a fat ass who can’t shoot anymore. WTFFFF.

It was embarrassing, just downright embarrassing. I used to school my brother all the time in basketball and this loss was just downright shameful. I’m not commenting on my brother’s skills, he does not care about his basketball skills whatsoever, trust me. I’m commenting on mine- my lack of exercise and stamina.

No offense to Yale students either but you guys aren’t the most athletic crew ever. In Selma, it seems everyone plays basketball regardless of skill. And most people are actually really good; I’ve yet to meet a team at Yale that could beat a crew back home (apart from the basketball team of course). I’ve gone to Payne Whitney and see people throw up bricks all the time. If you do that at Shafer you’ll be capped on for sure.

But I’m not picky now; next year who wants to ball it up? Preferably anyone who sucks so that way I never lose a terrible game again. Geez it sucked. Be warned, I am a sore loser.

Michael

Funny cheap ghetto costumes...

Unsigned yet Ballin'

So I have a lot of time on my hands...just got back from the Selma High graduation, haven't heard that many Mexican last names since my own grad. Well, after a big meal (Cheesecake Factory, whaaaaa) I like to listen to music. Then I had the genius idea: make a list. Everyone loves lists- VH1, radio countdowns, whatever. So I was thinking of my top rappers but that would get too cra cra. Instead, here are five rappers or groups that you should listen to. Keep in mind these are artists that are unsigned or signed to small labels. While I do love major artists like Jay-Z, Mos Def, and The Roots, these guys deserve some recognition for putting out classics on a small budget.

5. Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique is seriously one crazy guy. After serving a year in prison, Technique honed his skills and political ideals before releasing "Revolutionary" in 2001. He is the most well known on this list but has refused to sign to a major label citing that record companies profit the most, not the artists. His commentary on race, poverty, and religion may turn off some but his uber-intense style is what's needed in a world of Stanky Leg.


4. Fashawn
Fashawn is the future. Raised in the Grizzly City of Fresno, the twenty-one year old has managed to turn the heads of Vibe Magazine, rapper Evidence, and Grammy winner Planet Asia. As Fashawn describes himself, he describes his music. "I am not a hipster! I’m not a gangsta, but I will smack you in your face if you step on my toes and get too close." This guys got a lot of time left and a whole valley behind him. Check him, he raps circles around Evidence of Dilated Peoples.


3. Kid Static
Wordplay, bumpin bass, and pop culture references can all describe Chicago-based rapper Kid Static's style. I found this guy on a youtube video freestlying and ripping kids up with his rhymes. After releasing his self-titled debut in 2007, Static hasn't found much success beyond the midwest. But his self-deprecating humor and classic instrumentals make this guy a must listen. You'll be rockin to this shit once you get a taste of awesomeness.


2. Iceman
Iceman aka Isaac is Selma's pride and joy. The rising rapper has worked on his music and consistently puts out slammin shit in insane amounts of time. His instrumentals are pretty sick and guess what? He's from Selma so that makes him even more gangsta and shiiiit son. So yeah I don't want to talk much about him because it'll sound like I'll be on his nuts or something.


1. PT
Victoriano Ramirez is one of my best friends and also one of the sickest rappers I've heard. He may not seem like much when you meet him but this guy can rip it when he's buzzed. We've worked on music for almost two years and he hasn't given up. Only 18, Victor's got a lot of time left and it would mean a lot if you checked it out. If you don't you suck and I hate you. Oh, I also made this video.


So that's it. This list wasn't in any order so don't get any ideas. If you have any comments, criticisms, or recommendations then I'd be glad to hear them then later ignore them.

Michael

Killing some undead and eatin some tacos

I frantically search the drawer for ammo. Shit, none.
Look in the drawer David, there's gotta be some. He's got it. I wish it was me.
Feeling my heart pounding I realize I only have 8 bullets left to fight off a horde of the undead while my only other weapon is a machete on my back. David can't shoot so I want those bullets. They're coming in the window! Get the door!
BAM BAM BAM
David lets off three rounds. Shit, he's wasting them all. I need those.
BAM
Stop it David! Let them get closer, I think I can stab them.
I pull out the ancient machete and start stabbing bodies left and right.
Die you monster die!!! Eat ancient machete!!!
As they come in through the window I swing and connect. Hearing the bone crush and blood gush is the only indication that I've succeeded.
BAM
There's one behind you David screams.
Fuck, he's a big one and he's got a pickax. Where the hell did he get that from?
He hits me, oh God I'm dying. He's got me backed into a corner. I frantically pull out my handgun and pump three rounds into his face. Still alive. WHAT THE FUCK. So I book it.
Fuck it I'm getting out of here I yell to David who is now cornered by three zombies.
I let off five shots, fuck I'm out.
BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM
He manages to take down two but the last one gets him. I look away as I hear David scream. Game over.

So about two or three times a week I go to my friend David's house. A few of my friends and I just hang around, eat, talk about getting our sherbet on, and just basically waste our lives. Well recently David bought Resident Evil 5 for Playstation 3- best life decision ever.

As soon as we started multiplayer, we knew we would waste hours on this beautiful invention. Crazy ass zombies were going through the window, a giant crab was kicking our ass, and chainsaw weilding mofos were making our lives hell (seriously look at these dudes.

While David may not be the best player, his commentary is priceless. I always have to cover him while our friend Ben looks on in disappointment (he's the gamer of us). But it's fun, it's simple stupid fun. Every time we waste a few hours playing video games is another hour that we could have used to exercise, read, or form bonds with our family. But we gotta take this zombie out first.

So if you ever need help shooting zombies in the face, don't use a machete. Just book it.

Michael

Allow me to reintroduce myself...

My name is Hov', oh, H-to-the-O-V
I used to move snowflakes by the O-Z
For further reference listen to Jay-Z's Public Service Announcement.


But really, I'm Michael. You probably know who I am cuz I'm just that ballin and Kathy may be the only one reading this.

I'm an American Studies major but this summer I'm spending my time studying culture through Resident Evil 5 and youtube videos. I live in Selma, CA in the San Joaquin Valley aka the land of inflated egos and hot weather.

This blog will be the most ballin thing you've ever read so get ready sucka.

Michael

Three Dead (and currently blind) Mice

So today I cleaned out the lab... way fun.  I threw out a lot of shit and was moving / sweeping things and then I turn around and all of the sudden there is a dead mouse in the middle of the lab floor.  I guess most people would not be as terrified as I was; however, I have a slight (big) phobia of mice...  

Many many years ago I went hunting with my dad (yes I go hunting, well use to) and we stayed in this trailer that hadn't been inhabited in a while, and it was literally filled with mice.  I slept on the couch and you could hear them crawling all over and in the kitchen.  It was disgusting; we killed like a dozen mice in one day.  That's when I think the phobia started.  Now I can hardly look at them without freaking out and running away.

Thus, the mouse in the lab was quite horrible, not to mention the obscene amounts of mouse shit I was cleaning off every surface...  So I mustered the courage to remove the mouse (after calling Dror to bitch), and threw him into the bush.  Then, I continued to clean.  100 lysol wipes later I look down and what's right by my foot but another dead mouse!  Fuck!  These things are appearing everywhere.  I scream, jump back and then am just pissed because this is silly, two dead mice just appearing out of nowhere.  I shovel this one up and throw it away.  Cleaning continued for a few more hours...

Now for the third... I went for a run and on the last stretch back I look down and... yes another dead mouse that I most trip over.  Thankfully I was in the zone and kept on.

The Purpose of This Ballin Summer Blog

Hey All!

Michael and I decided it would be totally ballin to create a summer blog because: 1) we did not go to a foreign country 2) or and exciting city 3) to spite all those that did 4) just because we aren't doing or going anywhere exciting doesn't mean we aren't gonna have a totally ballin summer (kinda).

So anyway, I'm (kathy) conducting an experiment looking at how habitat complexity alters the interaction between predator and prey (spiders and grasshoppers, respectively) in a field ecosystem.  I'm living up at Yale-Myers Forest, ballin ass camp.  I've got my own rental car; it's a pretty sweet time.

Hopefully Michael will follow with details about his ballin summer!  

Hope you enjoy our antics, probably not as much as we will.  Considering we are probably the only ones that will read this blog, but doesn't that just add to its theme and general balliness?!

peace, 

kathy