Prediction: A Sweep

Ah the good ol' Wizards. Nothing builds confidence for an injury plagued team like a 97-82 loss in the playoff opener against the Cavs.

So I'm predicitng a sweep by the Cavs that will have the Wizards home this time next week.

What could have been one of the best series in the playoffs has been reduced to viewing that can be compared to the experiment carried out in A Clockwork Orange. No Arenas or Butler means no wins. The chemistry is gone and they are going up against one helluva team that includes Lebron James and Larry Hughes. How can we compete with that when Donnell Taylor plays 20 minutes a game?

The Wiz need to do a lot this offseason:

1. Lock down Arenas in a contract extension.
2. Draft someone who isn't going to be playing in eastern Europe for the next two years.
3. Hit the free agency hard. Remember Arenas says he'll restructure his contract in order to make cap room.
4. If not, trade for KG - Jamison and a draft pick should do the trick
5. Re-sign Stevenson... he's a lot better than a lot of people thought

We have a great team, but it needs to be better. Sorry fans... four and out and we'll see you next year.

$2 P.B.R.!!! I'm there

Living next to Falls Church City, when I go out for some drinks and don't feel like dealing with the drunken, fight-seeking maniacs in Addams Morgan, the pretentious interns in Georgetown, or the preps in Clarendon, I go the short distance to Falls Church. Problem is there aren't that many bars to go to here.

My favorite bar and "homefield" is Ireland's Four Provinces where I can enjoy my Guinness in peace and bullsh*t with some of the clientele. If you haven't been there, go and support my favorite bartenders!

There's also Broadstreet Tavern which has a more, how do I say, redneck vibe which kind of turns me off.

Other than that there isn't much... until now.

Recently Clare and Don's Beach Shack moved from Clarendon next to the State Theatre in Falls Church and I have to admit I really like it. They have two dollar Pabst Blue Ribbons which I enjoy plus I don't have to break out multiple twenties when it comes time to pay my tab. The food is good (fried egg on a cheeseburger... got my vote) and I even found El-P and Murs on their jukebox. The atmosphere is pretty cool and in the summer the deck has the potential to become a hot spot for area residents.

Check it out if you get the chance!

George Pelecanos & Anwan Glover on The Wire

D.C. based crime novelist George Pelecanos and actor/ radio host/ Backyard Band front man Anwan "Big G" Glover spoke earlier today at Busboys & Poets in Washington, D.C. about their work on HBO's acclaimed series The Wire.

Being a huge fan of the show I was excited to hear them both speak about their work on the show. Glover's being on-screen and Pelecanos' being off-screen as a writer and producer. The two men gave many details about what goes into making the series about politics, the school system, police, and criminals living in Baltimore.

There were many technical aspects discussed about how the show is produced and how the the writers come up with ideas... hotel, upstate New York, bar. But it was the characters they discussed which was really interesting. When Stringer Bell, a drug lord, was killed, one of his killers Omar was supposed to urinate on his dead body, but the writers liked the actor, Idris Elba, so much they decided to spare him that indignity. Also, Glover explained how his role as Slim Charles was only supposed to be one episode, but they liked him so much they made him a recurring character.

Pelecanos impressed me with his straight forward talk about his dislike for now-Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley, who he said ruined Baltimore and didn't do anything for its citizens, but lock them up so he could get elected. O'Malley also tried to shut the show down several times, but was always reminded that the show brings $10 million a year to the city.

The talk was interesting and let me into the world of The Wire even more which I was grateful for.

Rock the Bells

I mentioned this concert a few weeks back in one of my older blogs, but reall this festival is going to amazing. Woodstock for hip hoppers perhaps.

After few solid years in California, the Rock the Bells Festival has hit it big and have added an east coast date (July 28 - NYC) with a line-up that exceeded everyone's expectations. Rage Agasint the Machine, WuTang Clan, Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, EPMD, and, if my friend is not lying to me, A Tribe Called Quest.

To hell with Bonnaroo and Coachella! Go buy some tickets to this soon to be legendary show, so when your kids ask whether you went to the hip hop Woodstock you can say yes.

What the hell has happened to the news?

Maybe I'm just old school and still like reading newspapers rather than staring at a computer screen until my eyes bleed, but where the hell is the important news?

HEADLINE: ANNA NICOLE SMITH DIES!!! Oh yeah and a bunch of U.S. troops were killed also, but back to the Anna Nicole story. Are you kidding me? Who gives a sh*t? Is a person remembered for being naked and a gold digger really a month long news story? It's almost relieving that Imus said something derogatory to take her place in the non-news news story of the week.

And about what Imus said, sure it was wrong, but that's what him and his kind do - they try to shock the audience. It's not like his show was considered a viable news program (although I'm not sure viable news programs are viable news programs anymore). Anne Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, and Opie and Anthony have all said worse things on their shows and they're still blabbing away. Oh wait, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton needed some air time so they went for the jugular on Imus. And for what? He'll have a new show in a few months as soon as the public forgets about it and are transfixed by the next big story.

ANGELINA JOLIE BEATEN BY BRAD PITT or K-FED BUSTED FOR DRUG POSSESSION. You know, another story more important than global warming, genocide in Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, rising tensions in the Middle East, our enormous trade deficit, or a receding economy. Who wants to hear about all that boring stuff.

And these damned news channels need to do something about it. Start with taking Lou Dobbs and Nancy Grace off the air. Dobbs' nightly immigration spiel is getting old and Nancy Grace probably made a woman kill herself when she all, but accused her of killing her own child. They are not giving us the news... they are corrupting America.

Another one I could do without is Anne Coulter who is a retarded person who wants to get gangbanged by the Bush administration for her birthday present. She make no sense and she just says all these crazy things to sell her books to more retarded people. According to Dante she will one day have a nice home in the 8th Circle of Hell.

Please bring the news back! If I have to hear one more thing about Phil Spector, Paris Hilton, or, as I saw on MSNBC yesterday, 30 minutes of an aerial view of a horse stuck in mud in Texas... and no I did not make that last one up.

A fitting homage to the depraved films of the '70s

Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino unleashed a masterpiece of horror, gore, sex, zombies, and psychopaths this past weekend with their newest film Grindhouse. To call it a film isn't exactly fair. It is a double feature with each director directing one 90 minute flick a piece, separated by fake trailers and adds for a crappy food restaurant next store to the theatre.

Most people already know what Grindhouse is about, so I won't get into too many details because that would, essentially, ruin the fun that is too be had viewing it. Rodriguez's Planet Terror, a B-movie fan's dream, is about a mysterious military outfit headed by Bruce Willis that unleashes a gas on a small town and next thing you know there are puss-oozing, skin-eating zombies running amok all over the place. It's up to a small group of survivors to battle the undead and make it to safety.

Planet Terror pays true homage to the zombie and splatter films of the '70s with its missing reels, scratched film, terrible cinematography, poor dialogue, and off-kilter dubbing. Sounds bad? Nope, it's great. Witty and violent, although not for everyone...my girlfriend was not amused, this film will please fans of the two directors and of exploitation flicks of the '70s.

The real treasure I thought was the casting for this segment of the film. '70s and '80s B-movie icons Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, and Tom Savini have large roles, as does, Michael Parks, reprising his role as Deputy Earl McGraw from Kill Bill and From Dusk Til Dawn.

Tarantino's half of the film, Death Proof, is not as good, but still thoroughly entertaining. It is pure Tarantino though with homages galore and tons of razor-sharp dialogue. The dialogue is one of the problems with the segment because it goes on for too long and takes away from the action. But in the end the payoff is worth it. I don't want to ruin it but let's just say it involves a high speed chase, Kurt Russel screeching, and a woman on the hood of a car.

The fake trailers, directed by Rodriguez, Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, and Edgar Wright, are a gem in themselves. Werewolf women, Nazis, Mexican hitmen, a Thanksgiving Day serial killer, and a hilarious ghost story sum them up. If you want to see Roth's just click on his name above.

Being a fan of '70s schlock and newer "grindhouse" films such as Ichi the Killer and Hostel, Tarantino and Rodriguez have a slam dunk on their hands with their depraved, funny, and on- the-bulls eye new film.

Are you kidding me???!!!?!?!

In just 72 hours last week, the Washington Wizards saw their two best players go down for the season and with them went any hope of advancing very far in the playoffs.

All-star forward Caron Butler broke his hand trying to block a shot and just 3 days later Gilbert Arenas, the NBA's fourth leading scorer, went down after a knee injury in the first quarter of a loss to the lowly Bobcats. These two losses all but end the exciting and promising season the Wizards were having.

I truly cannot believe, with less than ten games left, the basketball gods decided to punish the Wizards and their fans in such a way. Do the really want to take one of the most exciting teams and destroy them right before the playoffs begin?

I know the Wizards wouldn't be able to win it all this year - they're a big man and some depth short of that - but after last year's duel with the Cavs, every basketball fan in America would have loved to see Agent Zero and his crew put on a show for two or three rounds this year. Now they can see a team without its stars and an injured bench. Goodbye second round, hello next season.

It's truly a shame that Washington fans will not be able to experience their time going on a another exciting playoff run.

D.C. Hip Hop

I thought I'd blog a little on what my final project will be for the class.

I'm doing a piece on the D.C. area hip hop scene and what it is and, more importantly, why it hasn't taken off and found the same success as New York, L.A., Atlanta, or even...Minnesota??? Yes even Minnesota has more of a national following than D.C., which is unfortunate because there are many talented artists in the region that should gain recognition. Seez Mics of Educated Consumers has toured with Atmosphere and rocked Scribble Jame. Flex Matthews was a URB Next 100 member. Guns n' Butter have made beats for NORE and Cormega. The one thing they all have in common is that they can't seem to break away from the Go-Go dominated D.C. metro region.

I will be exploring why this is and what the artists feel they can do about. I will also be showing the class a little of what the D.C. scene is and hopefully they may give it some support.

Skate or die

Ah good ol' skateboarding. Crazy kids grinding, riding, and kick pushing away from the police... and they make soem damn entertaining videos to watch and wonder "How did he do that?" or "That dude is F***ing nuts!" I had this video of William Spencer sent to me today and I found it quite interesting. I've never heard of the guy, but he has a unique take on skating. Check it out

Georgetown the Final Four

I'm supposed to go to Richmond next weekend, but I'm starting to think I should stay here and go to Georgetown instead. I unfortunately missed all the madness that came with Mason's trip to the Final Four last year and want to take part in what it is like to go absolutely ape over a basketball game.

My prediction for next weekend is Georgetown beating Ohio State and then demolishing Florida in the title game. Madness indeed

Music Festivals in the U.S. on the Upswing

When I was in High School it seemed the only place you could go to see tons of bands perform on one stage was either HFStival or somewhere in Europe. For the past couple of years the U.S. has been putting on larger and more iconic festivals such as Coachella and Bonnaroo. To an American who loves music this is very important.

Coachella has become the premiere music festival in the world and has featured such acts as Pink Floyd, Nine Inch Nails, and the Beastie Boys. This year they are putting on their best festival yet with the reunification of Rage against the Machine, Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more. It is becoming the annual Woodstock of my generation.

I haven't had a chance to attend any of these festivals (with the exception of Tibetan Freedom Concert and HFStival in high school), but I will be attending the Rock the Bells festival in New York this summer. It has been dubbed the Coachella of hip hop and it is being held on the east coast for the first time. This year it has promised to be a legendary show of hip hop greats old and new. Headlined by the iconic Rage Against the Machine and Wu-Tang Clan it is becoming better than it has been in the past. Others on the lineup include Cypress Hill, Nas, The Roots, Public Enemy and many more.

The U.S. has finally caught up with its European friends and are putting on memorable festivals for the masses to bear witness across the country.

March Madness

My bracket is wrong, but now that we are halfway through the 2006 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament I have a few predictions of who will be advancing and who will not. Florida, almost losing in an upset to Purdue, will make it to the Final Four trying to repeat last year's title run. I don't think they will get an opportunity to do so. Either Kansas (which my money is on) or UCLA will knock them off. Back to back titles are rare in the tournament. So it will be Kansas or UCLA in the title game, but I figure Kansas has the best shot at beating UCLA and then Florida.

On the other end I have Georgetown and Ohio State meeting in the Final Four. Oden versus Hibbert! Should be great. Although Oden is a better player, Georgetown is a more rounded team, so I pick them knocking off the number one seed and meeting, probably, Kansas in the title game. Once again I feel Georgetown is more rounded and has better depth which will carry it to its first national title since 1984. A team led by Patrick Ewing Sr., the father of current Hoya Patrick Ewing Jr. How fitting would it be if both father and son got the title?

My Seven Favorite TV shows

Here are some of the pleasure I indulge on TV when I get the chance. I only have about seven shows I really like so this will be MY TOP SEVEN:

THE WIRE - This is the best television show ever made. Period. Realistic as any thing that has ever been brought to any screen, big or small. It portrays police, politics, society, and criminals in such a realistic way that the NYPD pleaded with the producers to stop because criminals watching the show were learning tricks to avoid being arrested. The series takes patience and is more like a book with every episode a new chapter in the same story. Last season was as emotionally devastating, yet rewarding as anything else I can think of on TV.

ROME - Started off a bit slow, but then took off quickly. Full of double-crosses, vicious killers, and conniving amoral politicians that you actually feel for. Pullo, a simple, yet loyal man is a cold-blooded killer, but the writers of the show made him one of its most likable characters. Can't believe there are only two episodes left.

1. 
   

THE OFFICE - Haven't seen the British version, but Steve Carrell and Rainn Wilson make this comedy one the most hilarious, if not painfully awkward, shows on television.





ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - I still hate Fox for cancelling this original and smart story of the most dysfunctional family ever on TV.










CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM - Larry David is a comedic genius... and a huge a-hole. This improvised series of Larry getting himself into one horrible situation after another is one reason I still have HBO. Now I just hope they bring the show back.






24 - Sure it is unrealistic, but no matter, it the most entertaining action series on TV. I can't imagine a Monday without Jack Bauer saving Los Angeles from certain destruction.









ENTOURAGE - This insider look at what it is like to be a young superstar nails my generations dialogue and actions to a tee.

My favorite albums of last year

In no particular order here are some of my favorite albums that came out in 2006 and, so far, in 2007.

• TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain - The best rock album I have heard in nearly a decade. Experimental, yet traditional these Brooklyn based guys managed to get a fan to lend his vocals for their first major release...a fan named David Bowie. This IS my favorite album of the year.
• The Roots - Game Theory - The Legendary come back with a dark and deep album. Their most socially conscious work to date, but never too preachy and Malik B. makes a triumphant return.
• Edan - Beauty and the Beat - Came out in '05, but I still listen to this album as if it just came out yesterday. Take Big Daddy Kane, Jimi Hendrix, Prince Paul, Led Zeppelin and throw them in a stew. Cook. Stir. You have Edan.
• El-P - I'll Sleep when you're Dead - I haven't heard all of it yet, but the few tracks I have heard have me drooling over the Brooklyn hip hop anarchist's second album.
• Ghostface - More Fish - Actually better than the more popular Fishscale. The Amy Winehouse collab on "You Know I'm No Good" is in heavy rotation on my Ipod.

Pretending I'm Peter King

Being a sports fan and being that is March Madness I figured I'd throw some random comments I have about sports out there:

• My bracket is done for. Two of my Final Four teams didn't even make it to the Sweet Sixteen (Texas and for some odd reason I picked Louisville).
• Kevin Durant is a beast. Durant had 30 points in the loss to USC, while the rest of the team barely beat him with 38. This goes to show that you could have the best player in the world, but need solid guys to help him out to get anywhere. Hello Minnesota Timberwolves.
• If Durant goes to the draft next year I think he should go before Ohio State's Greg Oden. I think in the end Durant will have a much better impact.
• That said if the Wizards had the number one pick in the draft next year I'd actually hope they wouldn't listen to my advice and get Oden. They're good, but they aren't going to get anywhere until they get a reliable big man. I want them to keep their big three, but if necessary trade Jamison or some other role players and bring in a solid big man.
• Caron Butler is out for probably ten days. I won't be watching a Wizards game for about ten days.
• I agree with Boswell that the Nats are going to be terrible. Period.
  
• I still have hope that Georgetown is going to win the tournament despite spotty play at times in their past two games.
• Was it just me or did you, for fleeting second, think VCU was about to become the next Mason? Two thrilling games that went down to the wire with respected teams Duke and Pittsburgh. I hate Duke so I was happy to see Coach K fail and clawing back from that huge deficit to send the Pitt game to overtime was simply top notch entertainment.
• The Mavs will be the next NBA champs.
• That stupid Around the Horn show on ESPN has got to go. I want to punch the guy who hosts the show right in his smug face.
  

The Roots rock Constitution Hall

The Roots at Constitution Hall on March 9 proved once again why they are one of the best live acts out there. They reinvented their show once more by putting their own music on the backburner and performing excellent tributes and cover songs.

I got there late and missed opener Lupe Fiasco, but did get to see DC legend Chuck Brown warm up the crowd with his call and response set. I don't know much of Brown's music, but it was and entertaining and lively show he put on.

After Brown was finished The Roots took the stage by marching through the crowd with a brass band performing their song "Duck Down". After taking the stage they wasted no time jumping into a few tracks off their recently released album Game Theory plus some older songs.

The real highlight though when they did their take on other artists' music. They did a tribute to the late hip hop producer Jay Dee and a funk jam session that featured several James Brown songs that really threw the crowd into a frenzy. They did a new and improved Hip Hop 101 where they do short covers of popular hip hop songs old and new. The best part of the evening though came towards the end when they expressed their displeasure with the war in Iraq by doing an eight minute version of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" with guitarist Captain Kirk singing the lyrics and looking a lot like Jimi Hendrix playing the guitar. Seeing them perform the song was one of the best performances I have ever seen.

This show was one of the better Roots shows I have seen and I liked the fresh take on their performance and the fact that they shortened their solos, which had been tedious at other shows I have been to, was a welcome fix. Next time they are in town do yourself a favor and go see one of the best live musical acts any genre has to offer.

You are now rocking with the legendary

When it comes to hip hop music live bands aren't the first thing that pop into people's heads. One exception is the adored hip hop crew The Roots, my favorite artists in any genre, who for more than ten years have been building a following with their amazing live performances and relentless touring. I first saw them for $15 at the 9:30 Club when I was 14 and I'm going to see them at Constitution Hall next week for $65. My what a long way we've come. I've been to close to thirty of their shows, but I wanted to talk about two that stuck out in particular and were probably the best shows I have ever seen.

A little under a year ago a buddy of mine and me hopped the Chinatown bus to New York City for two sold-out shows in two nights at Radio City Music Hall. The shows were, sadly, a benefit for the mother of the recently deceased J.Dilla who died from complications from lupus. We knew there were going to be special guests, but we only knew of a few who were going to be there: Nas, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli were performing with them, but we also knew there were going to be plenty other surprises.

The first night was the "hip hop" night and the second night was the "eclectic" night. The Roots would play their own music then back all the other artists who were performing. The show opened with Nas rocking the building within the first ten minutes of the show. Nas opening? Damn! What was coming next??!?!?!?! The way he came out was brilliant...The Roots playing the "Apache" beat then going right into "Made you Look". Nas treated the ecstatic crowd to classics such as "It Ain't Hard to Tell" and "The World is Yours" although he did forget one verse of the latter, luckily Roots frontman Black Thought took over for him.

Next up we were treated to classics from The Roots own catalog and performances by Talib Kweli, Common, Skillz, and the legendary Big Daddy Kane. Then something happened. You could tell by people running up to Questlove, the backbone and drummer for the band, towards the end of the show that something was wrong. Instead of bringing out another surprise guest, The Roots covered old hip hop tracks and Rahzel beatboxed. To those who don't know this is usually how they end their shows, so this was quite the shock to the crowd who at this point was expecting Biggie and Pac to rise from the dead to close the show. At the end Dave Chapelle came out and said good night to the crowd, but when he went to go hug Questlove Questlove pushed him. Yep, something went wrong.

The next day we found out via a blog by Questo that Chappelle showed up late and couldn't perform with them, Kanye West was a no show, and Ghostface and Raekwon were supposed to close the show, but they got there after the show had ended. Questo, while not ripping Chappelle or West, basically told Raekwon and Ghost that he would never rely on or work with them again. Damn, what an ending that would have been if certain people had the courtesy to do what they were supposed to do.

Ok, well on to night two... The show opened with some African singer who was pretty good and then J.Davey hit the stage. I had never heard of them before but damn if they weren't good. Erykah Badu came out and killed it and so did Mos Def who was running through the aisles like a madman. One thing I missed (stupid cigarette addiction) was, from what I hear, and amazing cover of Radiohead's "Everything In It's Right Place" by the crew and Bilal. Another pleasant surprise was Slum Village, Dilla's old group, coming out and doing a touching tribute to their friend. But that's not even the best part.

The Roots took a break towards the end and asked a friend to come out and speak to the crowd...Dave Chappelle ladies and gentlemen! He did a riotous fifteen minute stand-up that had the whole place roaring with laughter. The best of the night happened right at the end when The Roots were wrapping things up they brought out another friend... Jay-Z!!! I have never seen a crowd go so ape sh*t in my life. Radio City was shaking so hard I thought it was about to come down.

All in all and amazing experience and just thinking about it makes me look forward to next week's show even more. They won't have all the same superstar guests, but I'll settle for their always solid performance and openers Lupe Fiasco and D.C. legend Chuck Brown.

Be Succinct!

Jacob Nielsen's Be Succinct (Writing for the Web) is helpful in many ways because it points out many areas I have failed in some of my past blogs. Although I have used a lot of hypertexts instead of going into great detail about a subject, I also feel that some of my blogs go on for too long and my paragraphs may be a tad lengthy. I feel I don't always use enough key words to catch a reader's eye and I should start using more instead of using the same run of the mill nouns, verbs, etc.

His piece is a bit dated though because it fails to mention blogs or the use of pictures, audio, and videos in web writing. It really made me realize how internet writing has evolved so much over the past decade.

All in all the piece helped me focus on some things I may not have noticed before, but also made me realize that I am doing many things right in my blog.

Is Hip Hop Dead?

A few weeks back I was perusing the Broadside and one article in particular caught my eye. The article was questioning whether hip hop was on its last legs and may be down for the count. An interesting theory I thought since hip hop has been in a downward spiral, at least in the mainstream, ever since the "Golden Years" of the early to mid '90s, that produced such acts as Gangstarr, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Boot Camp Clik, Hieroglyphics, and The Pharcyde, ceased to exist. The article does state that hip hop can survive and I agree, but it misses several major points such as the fact that a) a lot of good stuff is underground and b) hip hop is evolving.

I am a hip hop junkie ever since I purchased my first Public Enemy album when I was ten years old and I never looked back. I've DJed at several hip hop events including Camp Lo and Non-Phixion shows, drank beers with Jedi Mind Tricks, wrote my senior synthesis arguing hip hop is a renaissance, know the majority of the DC hip hop community, promoted for Babygrande Records and DC mainstay Organized Theory, and judged the DC ITF DJ Battle and the DC 5 Elements of Hip Hop Battle. I feel I know enough to put my two cents in.

Mainstream hip hop has pretty much sucked for years. The author of the article points out that Young Joc, Dipset, and D4L all are reasons hip hop is in trouble and I couldn't agree more. But then he states that Nas, Jay-Z, and Young Jeezy are keeping it alive... Young Jeezy?!?!?! That's like saying crystal meth is keeping the family together. Nas and Jay-Z are both good and have paid their dues, but they are nowhere near their prime anymore and to be honest Nas needs to do that album with DJ Premier and Jay-Z needs to keep putting The Roots albums out and stick with that instead of doing Budweiser commercials using the same beat Wreckx N' Effect used more than a decade ago. Hip hop has always sampled, but to be the self-proclaimed "King of Hip Hop" you can't be using the same beats that have been used in a million and one hip hop cuts.

Last year another article in The Broadside was put out on the lack of a female presence in hip hop and I thought it was ridiculous. It mentioned the well-known Queen Latifah and MC Lyte, but failed to mention such talented artists as Jean Grae or Psalm One. What bothered me the most though was the mention of an up and coming new artist named Bahamadia... yeah, her first album was released in 1996 and is considered a classic in the hip hop community. Facts are important in journalism right? I'm not knocking the writing skill of either article, I'm just wish the writers would have done a little more research before putting out these articles.

So now onto the question at hand - is hip hop dead? Nope, not as good as it used to be, but then again The Killers are no Led Zeppelin and Jack Johnson isn't exactly Bob Dylan, but that's not saying they're bad. If you look you can find adventurous and exciting hip hop all over the place. Start with the labels and crews to keep it easy: Stones Throw, Def Jux, Okayplayer, Rhymesayers are all good places to start. They all have a fine collection of artists on their rosters including: Madlib, DOOM, The Roots, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Skillz, El-P, Murs, Atmosphere, Brother Ali and Mr. Lif just to name a few. Another exciting artist is Rockville's own Edan, who is critically adored and is a one man evolution of hip hop. He produces, DJs, and raps all of his records. Check out some of these artists to see why hip hop, minus the mainstream, is still alive and kicking.

Scrolling vs. Paging Web Sites

Is scrolling or web paging better? For me I enjoy paging if there is a lot of content that I have to read, but if page has very little material then scrolling is better. Paging almost reminds me of turning a page in a book, which may make me feel like I'm reading something important when really I am just checking out a sports column on SI.com. If a website has lots of content on it I have trouble reading it all the way down.

I think most websites should use the web paging feature because it is simple and easy to read. Plus it's a newer technique that would make websites seem up to date rather than living in the internet stone age.

On Matt's Welch's THE NEW AMATEUR JOURNALISTS WEIGH IN

Welch's blog was refreshing to read in many ways. It drove home the point that mainstream media, as important as it is, is generally the same in every outlet and alternative journalism that popped up many years ago has pretty much gone the same way as the mainstream organizations. He stated that blogs are good because it allows anyone with access to the internet to write their own piece and have people read and comment on it.

In this new age it appears many journalists have, as Helen Thomas stated, lost most of their power and gave up their their only real weapon - skepticism. This is where I find blogging to be the new alternative journalism because anyone from a car mechanic to an astronomer can weigh in their opinion on whatever is on their mind and many of these blogs spark conversation that sometimes can lead to a "real" news story.

I feel since mainstream news seems to care more about Britney shaving her head than some 19-year-old marine getting his head blown off we need blogs to keep people on their toes and issues relevant. We need these independent voices to reach out and invigorate people on the internet to think about issues that are either passed over or rarely spoken of in the mainstream press.

My first two blogs are about a film I thought was revolutionary and that I feel will inspire a new way of filmmaking and my favorite movies of the year. Without a blog I could write these pieces, but they would be sitting in a notebook at my house for only me to read rendering them all but useless. But with my blog on the internet anyone can read them and react to my opinions if they please.

It's a new world with the digital age upon us and blogging is going to, hopefully, become more respected. As Welch said, this is something that was supposed to happen when the internet became a reality in the '90s. With many mainstream publications eschewing alternative journalism and conforming with every other media outlet blogging has become necessary for alternative reporting. The last work Hunter S. Thompson, a king of alternative journalism, was doing before he passed away was he had a blog. This should have been an indicator that the future of alternative reporting will not be in Rolling Stone or Vanity Fair, but rather on the internet by your average person with an opinion and a keyboard.

2006 Ten Best Pics

1. Children of Men - Revolutionary, original, well-acted, visually amazing, great script, superb direction, and non-stop action. What more do you want in a film? This dark, yet hopeful film is one of the best films I have seen in years. Absolutely brilliant.
   
2. United 93 - Too soon? Not under the masterful direction of Paul Greengrass who shows the horrors of 9/11 with respect and taste. Harrowing and haunting, this realistic tribute to 9/11 will probably be the definitive film of that day's events.
3. Pan's Labyrinth - A violent fairy tale for adults about a young girl who escapes from the horrors of real life in a fantasy world like you've never seen before. Mixes politics, war, family, and fantasy almost effortlessly.
4. Lady Vengeance - Actually made in 2005, but not released in the U.S. until '06. Korean director Chan-wook Park's conclusion to his stunning and violent revenge trilogy. While Park's previous two entries in the trilogy, Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, are also excellent films, Lady Vengeance is by far the more thought out and better constructed of the three. The ending is quite shocking and you don't see it coming from a mile away like most films these days.
   
5. The Departed - Scorsese's best film since Goodfellas. Based on the great Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, Scorsese gets back to his roots in this gangsters vs. cops epic. The cast goes for broke and the film is non-stop entertainment.
6. Borat - Many of us have known about the genius of Sacha Baron Cohen since Da Ali G Show debuted on HBO a few years back or, even before that, if you watched it on British television. Cohen's lovable, yet undeniably offensive portrayal of the Kazakh journalist is comedic gold. No... platinum. No...Diamonds...
7. The Fountain - A lot of haters on this one and actually it took me a bit to realize the mind-trip I had just witnessed was a great film. Emotionally wrenching, yet a beautiful tale about love and loss.
8. Apocalypto - A chase film without cars, bullets, or Mel Gibson in The Road Warrior, but rather an exciting action flick with Mayans, spears, jaguars, and Mel Gibson calling the shots behind the camera and not dressed up as a Village People reject in a post apocalyptic world.
9. Brick - A great Noir film about a murdered ex-lover and the quest for the truth about what happened...set in high school. An interesting premise with hard-boiled dialogue that could have been used in any Bogart classic. Call it The Maltese Falcon Jr.
10. The Proposition - A western set in the Australian outback about a man who, to save the life of his youngest brother from a brutal lawman, must kill his psychotic older brother. Better than Deadwood? Yep.

Children of Men = Best Picture

Once again the Academy Awards will not be honoring the true best picture of the year. CHILDREN OF MEN, Alfonso Cuaron's revolutionary new film starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore, is one of the most visually stunning, well-directed, and moving films I have seen in years. The film shows a society in decay and without hope since women became infertile. The messages in the film strike home especially with the current state of the world embroiled in the war on terror and the conflict in Iraq. There are some not-so-subtle references to both scattered throughout the film. I'm not going to get too much into the plot because I think readers can look up reviews if they want that or, more importantly, actually see it. One thing I will say about the film is that there is a battle scene towards the end that makes the opening of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN look like it was directed by Ed Wood.

The film is well-acted, the script is top-notch, and, most of all, the film is directed and shot in a way that has never been done before. Cuaron has elevated himself to Spielberg or Scorsese status with this masterpiece. CHILDREN OF MEN did manage to score a couple of nominations in the best cinematography, editing, and adapted screenplay categories, but the real crime is that Cuaron was not nominated for best director and the film was snubbed in the best picture category. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE? Are you kidding me? Good movie, but not deserving of a best pic nomination.

Critics have been praising the film and some have been making noise about the lack of Academy love it failed to recieve. It is truly a crime that the Academy once again failed to even nominate the true best picture of the year, but then again after CRASH won best picture last year and GOODFELLAS lost to DANCES WITH WOLVES what was I truly expecting? Oh well, at least PAN'S LABYRINTH got some Oscar love.