Coming out of hibernation: Lessons in Love

A week ago today I got laid off from a job that wasn't really challenging and with a boss I absolutely hated. As a result of that day, I put my blog on hiatus for a week.

Well I'm back. I want to thank everyone who took time out to comment and wish me well. It's not easy but I know I'll get through it.

Now on to today's rant. I want to do something totally different today. Normally I'm usually ranting about race, politics, music, or movies. But today's rant is going to be a little different. Today's topic is "How love varies from relationship to relationship."

Before I begin I want to set the record straight. First off, I have a girlfriend that I love and if I wasn't for these previous experiences I would not have grown into the man she loves today. Second, I want to give props to my fellow bloggers Kajuana and Humanity Critic for inspiring me. And now the rant...

I've been in love a couple of times in my life and looking back on some of those experiences I've learned that in each situation was different than the next. To protect the innocent I won't use real names. Let's start with the first one. We'll call her Keena.

I first met Keena when I was 17 years old at a Purim party. She was tall, cute and very confident. Being that I'm black and Jewish and she was also black and Jewish I thought we were a perfect match. I was naive back then and really a sucker. The love I had for her at that time was pure and naive. I believed anything and everything she told me. BIG MISTAKE! She knew every weakness I had and exploited each and every single one of them, one by one. And the funny part is I kept on coming back for more. We never really made things official and we never really had sex (although we did play Monica meets the President a couple of times), but I deep down I thought we would end up together. We were on and off for about 6 years. I think the straw that broke the camel's back was when we were in DC (a trip I paid for) and went through the trouble of buying her a dozen red roses and her response was "Where's the vase?" That day something died inside of me. That day I realized that this woman never respected me. In the end this wasn't love, but at the time I was going through it all you couldn't tell me I didn't love her and til this day a part of me still cares for her, I think part of that comes from nostalgia. Recently her grandfather died. He was a mentor to me and I really loved him. On his death bed he called me his son, and right there in my mind I made a promise to myself that I would look out for her. We talk once in a while but it feels more like a sparing match.

Let's move on to our second subject. Mary. Mary and I went to high school together. She was one year younger than me and she was one of the cutest girls in the school. She had a look about her that was just stunning, but still pretty enough to be approachable. At the time you couldn't tell me there wasn't another girl that looked as good. Eventually she gave me the inevitable "Let's be friends" speech that I had been used to getting, thereby ending all my chances of hittin it. Still I would be getting these mixed messages from her (ex. Long phone conversations in where the L word was used). But alas, she ended up going out (and losing her virginity) to this redheaded white boy who was what we called back then a wannabe, today you would just call him a wigger. That's right folks I was so corny in high school that I lost my girl to a Marky Mark wanna be. Ok to be honest she was never really my girl to begin with. We tried to remain friends even though her boyfriend wanted to get me jumped. She even set me up with my first piece of ass, her fat friend Lucy. My reasoning for hittin it was simple. I didn't want to go to college a virgin and wanted to use Lucy to get to Mary. STUPID STUPID STUPID. I know it was a sjitty thing to do and it didn't work. It took years for my friends to quit the jokes about her. The back and forth with Mary finally came to an end my freshman year in college. She had already dumped the redheaded Marky Mark wannabe and was dating some other dude who was in the military. I was watching Rikki Lake one day and lo and behold I see LUCY! The topic was something like VIOLENT GIRLFRIENDS apparently Lucy dropped a bowling ball on her boyfriend's car. I quickly called Mary to ask if she was watching this. We hadn't talked for some time and she told me she was with child. I was happy for her but sad to hear her and her man weren't getting along. I ended the conversation with me saying something like "Well at least you don't have to worry about me going after you." she asked "Why?" I responded by saying "Well I don't date chicks with kids." *click*. That was the last time we've ever talked. I haven't heard from her since. At the time you couldn't tell me what I was feeling was love but now that I think about it really wasn't.
(Note: Keep in mind I was 20-something at the time).

Now we move on to our last subject. Jenny. I met Jenny about 8 years ago. I was unemployed and living with my mom. Jenny is a Yale graduate and also holds a masters from Columbia. She's into video games and likes sci-fi. And she's very intelligent in general. When we first met she was living in LA and out here in NYC just visiting friends. We met at a birthday party for her friend Lisa. All the mushy crap that I had buried for years seemed to come to the surface that night. I fell real hard. I was like a kid again. Needless to say that kind of thing didn't really go over well with her and I was banished into the friend zone. But we managed to maintain contact with each other and eventually she moved to NYC after 9/11 (through no prodding of mine). This was probably the most complex and interesting friendships I've ever had with a woman. Through our 8 year platonic friendship I've learnt a lot about myself and I've learnt a lot about her. We've got a weird Victorian thing going on. I would go into a ton of details but chances are she's going to end up reading this. Recently Jenny told me she's moving out of NYC and going to law school in New Mexico. I wish her all the best and hope she succeeds in her endeavors whatever they may be. She will be missed. Through our friendship I learnt to feel and protect my feelings. She summed it up best by saying she would be a Sith and I would be a Jedi. Two sides of the same coin I guess huh?

These examples I've presented have lead me to believe the following: Love vaires from friendship to friendship. Woman to woman. Time plays a big factor in all of this. At the time I met Keena I was young and dumb and had no idea I was being played like a fool. As a result I tricked myself into believing that I loved this girl. Was it love? Well at the time I thought it was but now that I'm older I see it a little differently. When I met Mary I was looking for accpetance from others and I thought getting with a cute chick would solve some of those problems. In return I ended up getting the complete opposite (Lucy) and settling for just getting laid. The man I was when I met Jenny is completely different from the man I am now. We both had baggage from previous experiences and eventually we broke down each other's wall (it took 8 years) and eventually we discovered that being friends was best for both of us. Her friendship helped in the growth process.

Laid off

I went into work today and found out that my position has been eliminated.

This is sad news but I feel that I have to take it in stride. I feel awful right now as I write this but in some way I know it is all for the best.

Now to release some hate.

I really learnt the meaning of hate during my five years of employment at that place. I really hated my boss. He was the number one reason I would hate to go to work. You know the type of person that just hates everything and can never be happy? That was him in a nutshell. Never satisfied and never really happy. I feel sorry for the people that I left behind today because they have to live with that guy.

To call him a piece of shit would be a disservice to all pieces of shit world wide. If he had a personality he would probably be a piece of shit. But alas he doesn't even have enough personality to be considered a piece of shit.

There were times in where I wished he would get a cancer and then have it go into remission. Then on the day he walks out of the hospital with a new lease on life he would get his by a truck and die a painful death.

But that is not to be. Finally I can get a new start on life and with the support of friends and family I will get through this. The bright side of this is I will now be blogging more than EVER. So please stay tuned. Things are about to get interesting.

Thank you.

Hip Hop Wednesday 5-18-05

First some minor notes:

• Out with the old and in with the new. Eminem has a DJ. Recently DJ Green Latern, voluntarily left Shady Records after a conversation with 50 Cent's adversary Jadakiss was unknowingly taped in a conversation about the pair' beef was released on a DVD.
• Remember last year 50 Cent jumped into a crowd at a concert because someone threw a water bottle at him? Well he ain't going to jail for that sh-t.
• Mixtape Awards founder Justo Faison died in a car accident Saturday. For those real hip hop heads out there this is a huge loss.

And now the main story:

Russell Simmons (founder of Def Jam records) recently responded to Abraham Foxman's comments on Millions More Movement by saying: "Simply put, you are misguided, arrogant, and very disrespectful of African Americans and most importantly your statements will unintentionally lead to a negative impression of Jews in the minds of millions of African Americans."

Well done Russell. What business is this march of theirs? Why is it that whenever black leaders come out to support something positive Farrakhan does Jewish leaders have to come out and remind the black community that Farrakhan has made anti-Semitic comments in the past?

Maybe the answer is simple if we go back in history. Jews and Blacks worked very hard together during the civil rights era. Jews through the years have donated a lot of money and time toward black causes, all of this is well documented. Maybe some Jewish leaders feel slighted whenever a black leader lays down with Farrakhan. I can understand that. But somewhere deep down I feel that guys like Foxman sub-consciously feel that black people owe something to the Jewish community for stepping up during that time. Before I go to far with this post I want to make something perfectly clear.

I was raised as a Jew. And I am black. Believe it or not. Ok now that we've got that out the way I can get back to our regular scheduled rant.

I don't think the black community owes any kind of explanation to any Jewish leader for what is going on with the Millions More Movement. Jewish leaders never have to explain themselves to black people. Why should we be accountable to them? Just cause you marched and gave us some money doesn't mean that you have a right to scold us for teaming up with Farrakhan. Farrakhan has made anti-Semitic remarks in the past no doubt but SO WHAT. Anyone remember Meir Kahane?

The bottomline is that the ADL should just but out. They should use this opportunity to reach out to this man and try to bring some kind of peace between Jews and Blacks. But instead he has to play the role of a critic. It's a damn shame in my opinion.

Just shut up and catch the ball boy.

I just finished reading an article about Javon Walker written by Jeffri Chadiha. And it got me thinking, about what white America expects from its black athletes.

Millionaires can't bitch. If you are making six-figures you can't ask for more money. Where do they get off? Why can't they just shut up and play?

If I was a white guy with a beer gut making minimum wage at the local Sip and Dip I would feel the same way. But I'm not that guy. At the end of the day pro-sports is a business. It is what it is, not everybody plays for glory people. And please believe me when I say there are a lot of white guys out there that are making more money off of these black millionaires than I can shake a stick at.

Now just hear me out. This post isn't about whether they should be asking for money is right or wrong. In no way am I trying to defend the actions of what TO and Javon Walker are doing. This post is about how it is more beneficial for a black athlete to keep his mouth shut and get paid rather than open his mouth and get bad press.


Through the ages white America has enjoyed watching black men run, jump, and catch. But the minute we have something to say the black athlete gets bad press and is called out for being uppity. Wuz up wit dat? I'm good enough to be your entertainment but I can't open my mouth to say that it was a bad throw?

Javon Walker is an example of what white America wants. Please don't think I'm calling him an uncle tom for that. I am merely saying that he is doing what is expected of a black athlete (keeping his mouth shut). He took his lumps from his QB (Brett Farve) and he's moving on in silence. Will he get his money? Maybe. We do know one thing though. He won't get any bad press because he's keeping his mouth shut. Now TO is what white America hates. He's a mercenary. Jumping from one team to the next in search of a bigger check and glory. White America hates a brotha like this cause he's playing the system for all it's worth.

I ain't mad at either of them. The shelf life of a NFL player is short so you might as well get all the $$$ you can while you are physically able. Seriously what are these guys going to do when they retire? Sell cars? Go on TV as commentators? I hope they save their money and do something smart with it.

Is Bill Cosby Right? Yes he is Mr. Dyson.

I recently got a chance to see Michael Eric Dyson speak in Harlem at the HueMan Bookstore. For those of you who are not familar with him he's the scholar that white people drag out from time to time to explain black culture to the white masses. Frankly I don't like being explained to folks. Either you get it or ya don't. Mr. Dyson is a professor (University of PENN) and a ordained Baptist minister. Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson just finished a book titled: Is Bill Cosby Right?: Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost its Mind? I think it's great that he's keeping this going. It's good to have a national debate about this kind of thing, and if his book continues the dialogue then so be it.

Dyson was very eloquent and used all kinds of big words and flowery speech to make his point. Basically in a nutshell Dyson doesn't agree with Bill Cosby. He feels that Mr. Cosby was picking on poor people because; they're an easy target. Dyson brings up some interesting questions toward Cosby. Why now? You've never wanted to be identified as an expert on black people why do you want to be identified as one now?

Hearing Dyson speak is very exasperating if you don't have a broad vocabulary. He speaks so fast and moves from one topic to the next it can be hard to keep up. He reminds me of one of those brothas that spent all his time in jail reading the dictionary and can't wait to use all the big words he learnt on the inside. Dyson feels Cosby is misguided and bitter; there was no love in what Cosby said.

My opinion of Dyson is he's one of those black men that walk the tightrope between the street and college, personally I feel they should cut that rope, it's a real simple choice the gun or the book. The choice is yours black man; Dyson has all the tools to be called a black leader he's an accomplished author, a college professor, a ordained Baptist minister and activist so naturally people are gonna want to hear him speak. He means well in his message but I just think he's a tad bit too slick for his own good. Shouldn't he be reaching out to Cosby instead of slamming him in a book?

It was very frustrating listening to him go off on Cosby. At one point he had the nerve to say that Cosby has never addressed white supremacy. This all depends on what you what you mean by the phrase "address". I've seen numerous interviews in where Cosby has addressed white supremacy by saying; yes it exists but should we let that stop us from succeeding? It didn't stop black people in the 40's 50's and 60's so why should we use that as an excuse? It's not necessary for Cosby to bring up white supremacy, because it is something that has always existed and something we have always had to work around. White supremacy is the reason how black people ended up in America in the first place, we know this Dyson! but what are we prepared to do to fight it? Now if that's not addressing white supremacy I don't know what is.

After the lecture he took some questions from the audience. He didn't call on me. He got a bunch of softball questions from the audience. By then I was just too flustered that I had to go to Popeye's to calm down.

Here are some questions I would have liked to ask Dr. Dyson:

• Have you ever lost (donated) millions of dollars to a cause and not see any progress?
• What would you say to a person who spends more money on sneakers than on their own children?
• When are we as a people going to stop caring what white people thinking of us?
• How many ten-dollar fancy words are in your book?
• What do you think MLK would say of all of this?

Basically my impression of Dyson is that he's saying everything that black people want to hear but nothing they need to hear. Cosby intially said a lot of harsh things, but he's paid his dues and he has every right to speak his mind whether it be harsh or not. Cosby wasn't talking to the hard working people who are just trying to get by. He was talking to the people who are out here making the hard working people look bad. People often forget that Cosby grew up poor and no matter how much money you earn in life it still cannot wipe out those early memories of youth.

Thoughts on Star Wars (feeding the hype machine)

Last night Nominal Me and myself were out on the town. We managed to get on the topic of Star Wars and at one point in the conversation he turned to me and said, "May 19 our childhoods are over." I looked at him and said "Yeah I know."


I had been thinking the same exact thing for a number of months the feeling became more real to me after I bought my ticket. Now granted I'm in my early 30's but I still go to comic book stores, I still like sci-fi and I still play video games. But this movie changes everything for us sci-fi geeks. There will be nothing left for us because we've seen it all (Spider Man, X-Men, and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy etc.) But this is different from all the others, finally it's happening, all the pieces are going to fit together and we will finally know how Darth Vader came to be.

As a kid I wished for a channel devoted strictly to cartoons. Now we have two. I used to wish for a channel devoted strictly to sci-fi. Now we have it. As a kid I wished they had went back and told the story of Star Wars from the beginning. Now they have. What's left?

I bought my ticket for the midnight show (5-18-05) on 4-21-05 a few days shy of a month before the opening. I picked Union Square because it's one of my favorites and it's right across the street from the Forbidden Planet (a great comic book store). It's the perfect location. I plan on getting home from work eat dinner and then take a nap so that I won't be too tired once the movie starts. I will probably get there by 10PM so to avoid the line.

I need a front row seat to the end of my childhood.

Shameless self promotion on a Friday

We the voices.com has just updated its movie section.

Check out my reviews of XXX: State of the Union and Crash.

Fringe Thursday 5-12-05 Velocity Girl

Last week we saluted Bettie Servert, this week we give props to another band that never quite got the attention they deserved. Washington D.C.'s own.

Velocity Girl


Taken from allmusic.com

Velocity Girl emerged as one of the most successful and acclaimed indie-rock bands of the early 1990s. Their roots lie in the short-lived Gotterdammacrats, which formed in Silver Spring, MD in September 1988 around the nucleus of singer/guitarist Archie Moore, bassist Kelly Riles, guitarist John Barnett and drummer Berny Grindel. Barnett exited following the first performance, and after playing a series of gigs as a three-piece, in the summer of 1989 the group welcomed vocalist Bridget Cross and adopted the name Velocity Girl, borrowing the moniker from an early B-side by the then-obscure British band Primal Scream. As the year drew to a close, the band made its recorded debut with “Clock," a contribution to the compilation What Kind of Heaven Do You Want?, the first release on the fledgling local label Slumberland. Drummer Jim Spellman replaced Grindel in the fall of 1990, and after completing the single “I Don't Care If You Go," Cross left the lineup early the following year; she soon resurfaced in another seminal D.C. indie band, Unrest. Singer Sarah Shannon was tapped as Cross' replacement, and a week after adding second guitarist Brian Nelson—Moore's bandmate in the pioneering Black Tambourine—Velocity Girl entered the studio to record its breakthrough single, 1991's “My Forgotten Favorite." The record was a major college radio favorite, and brought the group to the attention of the Sub Pop label, which released a split single featuring Velocity Girl and fellow D.C.-area band Tsunami in early 1992. Velocity Girl remained with Sub Pop to issue its 1993 full-length debut Copacetic—a much-acclaimed set featuring the singles “Crazy Town" and “Audrey's Eyes," its ingratiating noise-pop approach proved pivotal in expanding Sub Pop's image beyond that of merely a Seattle grunge label, and at the time was the second biggest seller in the company's history, behind only Nirvana's Bleach. The follow-up, ¡Simpatico!, was even more successful, generating the minor hit “Sorry Again." 1996's Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts was far less fulfilling creatively and commercially, however, and after completing the album Shannon relocated to Seattle. The group's days were clearly numbered, and a U.S. tour culminated in a farewell show at Baltimore's 8x10 Club that September.

I remember being in college.
I remember watching the video for Crazy Town on MTV's 120 minutes.
I remember seeing them live at Tramps in downtown Manhattan on Apr. 20, 1996. I was out of college by then. I saved the ticket stub.

VG was one of those indie bands that never quite took off because they were really not grunge and they really weren't pop. They were decent live but really weren't as flashy as their contemporaries. What I loved about them is they made catchy songs that had cool lyrics and good hooks.

I suggest you pick up a copy of Copacetic and check out track #1 called Pretty Girl.

Hip Hop Wednesday 5-11-05

Here are some random notes.

• The Game has truly changed. Now I'm all for a man evolving and becoming more positive. But changing the tear drop tattoo to a butterfly? Come on Game, I understand you want to be more positive, but gangstas don't tattoo butterflies on their faces.

• Tom Green is planning to put out a rap album. Well before you go WTF? Green before he became a comic was in a group called Organized Rhyme.

• M.O.P. has left Roc-A-Fella records. Now personally I think this is a good move for them. M.O.P. has never been one of those groups that I saw going mainstream. Maybe it's a smart move for them to go back to the underground.
  
  Now our main story:

Vs

Foxy Brown denies it but Miami rapper Jackie O says it happened. First thing I asked myself when I heard about this was: Who the hell is Jackie O?

Apparently Foxy was in Miami and was invited into the studio by Jackie O, words were exchanged and that's when people's stories get shady. Jackie O's people says she knocked out Foxy Brown and Foxy's people are saying it didn't happen. Now I understand that she doesn't want to lose face, but I also see that no one outside of Miami has really heard of this Jackie O chick until now. I think she's just trying to make a name for herself. And at the same time Foxy is trying to promote her new stuff so I'm a little suspicious of this whole thing.

My Crazy Daydream

I must be losing my mind because I just had a crazy ass daydream yesterday.

I dreamed I was...(hold on to your seats) a BLACK LEADER. That's right yours truly Doc Strangejazz a certified BLACK Leader.

That's not all I dreamt. I dreamt that I was holding a press conference and I had on stage with me the following people: Bill Cosby, Michael Eric Dyson, Richard Parsons (CEO of Time Warner), Julian Bond (Executive Chairman NAACP), Louis Farrakhan, Condi Rice, Jay-Z, Sen. Barack Obama, Armstrong Williams, Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson and a host of others I will mention through out this post. It was a big freakin stage ok.

I know it's crazy to have all those people up on stage with me at one time but this is my dream so just roll with it.

I took the podium and gave a speech that went something like this:

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, I come to you a humble man with a mission. My mission today, well our mission today is a hard one. But it is one that I think we can complete in my lifetime. Our mission simply put is to end the bullshit that permeates our culture. Simply put people, the nigga nonsense has got to go. From this point forward all of my compatriots that you see here on this stage will work together with me and many other leaders to end the nigga nonsense. From this point forward all questions about black leadership shall be deferred to me. No more will we have you (the press) deciding who our leaders are for us. You're looking at him people. Simply put I am the only black leader you will need to come to, from this point forward. Now I'll leave the floor open for any questions.

The first question came from a reporter in the front row. Mr. Strangejazz what are you plans for Black America?

First off call me Dr. Strangejazz. We have many plans. We have collectively decided to have a 15 year moratorium on all professional sports and entertainment. We've decided collectively to not sing, dance, or play any sports. That means you won't see any new black artists or athletes coming out for at least 15 years. I wanted to shut it all down but that would cripple the economy so we compromised and settled for the fifteen-year plan. Next question.

What do you plan to do about the incarceration rate of black people?

We are working on this problem on two fronts. Many of you know that recently we lost a great legal mind in one Johnny Cochran. He will be sorely missed. Before his death we were able to get a sample of his DNA and brain matter. From these samples we were able to produce clones of Mr. Cochran. Now of course these clones do not look exactly like him, but trust me they are have his skill. We have thousands of them currently working on appeals for our incarcerated brethren. That’s on one front; we are also working with Sony and Microsoft to provide computers and PS2's for the kids who are in certain target areas. If they are on the PC or the PlayStation they won’t be on the street doing harm to anyone or themselves. Those are just a few of the ways we are handling the problem. Next question.

What do you plan to do about the image of black people?

Glad you asked. As you know this is a huge problem for us. Mr. Parsons, Mr. Cosby and I have worked out a deal in where Viacom will be selling us back BET. We’ve also acquired UPN. Once these deals are final, effective immediately the programming will be radically revamped. We plan to do it right this time around people. In addition to that we are instructing all black people not to audition for any reality television shows that includes talk shows such as the Rikki Lake show, Jerry Springer and Montel Williams. We also would like to inform you that we will only have four comics working on a mainstream basis. Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Eddie Griffin and Paul Mooney. Of course other comics will be allowed to work in clubs and do standup but we’ve come to an agreement that only four comics will be allowed to shuck and jive and make you white folks laugh. Next question.

Dr. Strangejazz do plan on running for president?

No. My job is here with my people. There’s a lot of work to be done. One thing we are currently working on that’s close to my heart is getting black women to wear their hair naturally. It’s gotta be nappy if we are going to be happy. And while we're on the subject of hair. No more jerri curls. Anyone caught with a jerri curl will be shot on site. Right here in my hand is a piece of legislation that was just signed into law that allows any police officer to shoot anyone wearing a jerri curl. Not kill just shoot. They should get the message after that. Last question please we've got a meeting to go to at Cosby's house.

Dr. Strangejazz what does the black church think of what you're doing?

Well as you know the black church the cornerstone of leadership for our people. That’s going to radically change now that I’m in charge. Churches will now be required to teach our people about money, how it works, how to invest and make a profit. Of course a few churches have similar programs like this but we plan to increase that number drastically over the next few years. We are going to empower the people with knowledge of how money works. Ok folks we gotta get out of here so thank you and take care.

Fringe Thursday 5-05-05

This post is dedicated to a band that never really got the mainstream attention they deserved.


Bettie Serveert

Taken from Allmusic.com:

Bettie Serveert were formed in Amsterdam and existed briefly in 1986 when De Artsen members Peter Visser (guitar) and Herman Bunskoeke (bass) quit their band to join up with Canadian-born vocalist Carol van Dijk, whose family moved to the Netherlands when she was a child. However, with the release of their debut album, Conny Waves With a Shell, De Artsen gained a wider audience around Holland, and with plentiful demand for their live act, Visser and Bunskoeke rejoined; meanwhile, van Dijk was hired as De Artsen's new sound engineer. When De Artsen broke up again in 1990, Bettie Serveert reconvened with new drummer Berend Dubbe, a childhood friend of van Dijk's and a roadie for De Artsen. Dubbe suggested the band's name, after an instruction manual by Dutch tennis star Bettie Stoeve.

Bettie Serveert recorded a seven-song demo in early 1992 that found its way to the American indie Matador, thanks to a friend of the band who worked in a specialty record shop. Matador signed them immediately and released their debut album, Palomine, later that year. Palomine received enthusiastic reviews, and the singles "Tom Boy" and "Kid's Allright" landed substantial airplay on college radio, making Bettie Serveert extremely popular on the campus circuit. They launched an extensive supporting tour of America, and became genuine stars in their home country; they also helped establish Matador as America's emerging indie label of choice, along with seminal artists like Pavement and Liz Phair.

In the wake of Palomine, Bettie Serveert spent around three years on the road, playing with artists like Belly, Dinosaur Jr., Superchunk, Buffalo Tom. When it finally came time to record the follow-up to Palomine, the band was still scrambling to craft more material; although Lamprey was generally well-reviewed upon its release in 1995 and sold decently among the group's college fan base, it proved a more erratic collection than its predecessor.

Hip Hop Wednesday 5-04-05

Just some minor notes.

May 15- 22 is Hip Hop Appreciation week. Please feel free to click on the link. Would you believe they have more events planned in Portland Oregon than they do in New York? Something is off there.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was number one at the box office this past weekend. Who knew Mos Def would beat out Icecube when it came to the movies.

The Game just landed EA Sports Madden 06 title track. Ironic that he was shot in 2001 while playing Madden on PS2.