Marge Simpson will be on the cover for the November 2009 issue for the iconic magazine Playboy. One way to generate interest into a dying medium & publication is to blur the lines of reality – so kudos to Playboy for accomplishing buzz and pushing the imagination of many to actually contemplate what is under that green dress (insert joke here). This issue can spawn Playboy’s competitors to think of other crazy issues, such as Cartman’s mother from South Park in Hustler, or even Lois from the Family Guy — the sky is the limit.
Here are also some other interesting derivations of the iconic cartoon mother
“a disc jockey (also known as disk jockey, DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc referred to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the source”
DJ’s today are not like the one’s we grew up to via real life and media; with programs like Virtual DJ, a heavy mp3 library, and a Macbook, anybody can create a playlist from home, setup the cues, and the program will automatically blend and match BPM’s. The hip-hop purists (the hip-hop snobs) frown down upon this new breed of the DJ, but the partygoer doesn’t really care – as their main concern is getting in that last drink before the bar stops serving liquor.
I guess Jay is at a level where he can get a dedicated post of abstract art designed by his fans. The Blueprint 3 continues to do extremely well even in this rocky economic climate — but I guess good music, is good music. And it is something that the game has been missing for awhile. Which goes to show you that hip-hop is not dead, the recording industry is only in as much trouble as the garbage albums that its members put out.
Like that movie the ‘field of dreams’ or something, ‘build it, and they will come’ – guess that is why Jay-Z made the Blueprint; and had to make 3 editions for the game.
Creation of Blueprint 3 cover
The Making of Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 Artwork
I thought it was photoshopped, but apparently the cover was designed by something called ‘humans’ who specialize in something called ‘art’.
I thought these guys did a pretty good job in identifying gender stereotypes in popular films. Kudos, but they didn’t really offer a solution, but c’est la vie. A good watch rather than watching some gangsta try to shoot up Youtube.
lost drivers, stand right & walk left, staying in one’s blindspot
Preamble: What a way to start off October with a rant, but there is no better way as many of you lame drivers and subway riders have been singing, dancing, in your own little world with no regard for others, listen up!
Lost Drivers
Tourism is good for all cities, it boosts the local economy, trade, etc. But if your from out of town, and you may not be familiar with the city, don’t drive like you are the only one on the road – at your slow turtle pace. There are certain areas of a city that are shown to have a bunch of slow drivers, and higher accident rates: specifically any landmarks or the downtown city centre, and around the airport. I understand that you are looking for some street, but going considerably below the speed limit does not only put yourself at risk, but also other drivers
I’m sure all my subway riders will relate to this one. The odd time I am compelled to use public transportation over driving my own car as to save commute time or to avoid expensive parking rates. On the escalator’s in the subway stations, they have a general rule for the passengers; ‘Stand right, or walk left’, which is pretty much saying ‘be courteous of others who are in a rush’. Unfortunately, this moral decency and respect for your fellow man usually does not translate to all members of society as during rush hour, you will have people standing in the left side of the escalator as they are either completely oblivious, talking with a friend, or minding their own business. When an event like this happens, most people will bite their tongue – choosing to express their disdain with their facial expressions. I on the otherhand will walk toward the insensitive lame with a polite excuse me, positioning my arm to connect with their back …
For my drivers out there, don’t you dislike when another driver in the lane beside you refuses to pass you or slow down considerably enough so that they get out of your blindspot. We all know how dangerous it can be if one doesn’t know that a car is in their blindspot; it can cause serious accidents. So, please, don’t remain in someone’s blindspot, either speed up and pass them, or slow down and cruise so that the car can see you. Its common courtesy people, let’s follow it.
I had neither shoes while I was growing up, but the impact on hip-hop/urban culture was definitely felt as if you were a kid, and somehow you convinced your mom to buy you a pair of these over-priced sneakers – you were the man. Well, at least you better be, because from coast-to-coast, nation-to-nation, youth were being jumped/jacked/robbed of their footwear. Thus, when something as an increase in youth robberies; related to a particular shoe, then the shoe reflects a definitive era in our society, and becomes a part of our collective culture… anyhow, enough of the preamble, onwards to pics and video:
Reebok the Pump
The original Reebok Pump was made as a collaboration between Reebok’s Paul Litchfield and industrial design firm Design Continuum. It was released in 1989, as a basketball high-top shoe. It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism that regulated a unique fitting cushion in the upper tongue. The shoe was quite expensive compared to other retail athletic shoes at the time. It became something of a status symbol on urban basketball courts and eventually in suburban high schools.
After the success of the basketball shoe, Reebok designed pump shoes for football, tennis, and track. Some models used a standard CO2 cylinder instead of the pump for weight considerations.
The Air Force 1 was produced in 1982 and discontinued the following year. It was re-released in 1986 with the modern italic Nike logo with a Swoosh on the bottom on the back of the shoe. Little has changed to the Air Force One since its creation in 1982, although the original stitching on the side panels is no longer present in modern versions of the shoe. Since then, over 1,700 color variations have been produced, bringing in an estimated 800 million USD/year in revenue. The selling of the Air Force Ones online by certain retailers is prohibited by Nike who has restricted supply of the sneaker.
Obviously Nike won this battle as the ‘Air Force 1’ shoe remains a cultural staple as many rappers have referenced and even made songs about it (i.e. Nelly and his shameless song ‘Air Force 1). The Reebok Pump did not have the longevity as the Air Force One did, but it still remains as an advancement in shoe technology …. whatever that is worth.
How to increase the Gross National Happiness for Women
Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define quality of life in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product. The term was coined in 1972 by Bhutan’s former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has opened up Bhutan to the age of modernization, soon after the demise of his father King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. It signaled his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan’s unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. Like many moral goals, it is somewhat easier to state than to define. Nonetheless, it serves as a unifying vision for the Five Year planning process and all the derived planning documents that guide the economic and development plans of the country.
After reading this I thought of a great correlational study; can the GNH apply to Women? Women always complain about not being happy, not getting their way, so maybe if they followed (or more importantly, their man followed) some of the GNH 7 steps to happiness – modified for women, then women may achieve a high GNH. But knowing women, they probably would never be satisfied.
7 Steps for Happiness
Now there are 7 steps that would lead women to overall good GNP; some of the steps are adapted/modified from Med Jones (2006):
1. Economic Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of economic metrics such as consumer debt, average income to consumer price index ratio and income distribution (Women’s Interpretation: you better not be sitting around the house and not pulling in any income – you have to support her shoe habit, because she can’t dare rock last year’s shoe in this season)
2. Environmental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of environmental metrics such as pollution, noise and traffic (Women’s Interpretation:stop littering and care about the environment; more importantly stop leaving your ish all over the house)
3. Physical Wellness: Indicated via statistical measurement of physical health metrics such as severe illnesses
(Women’s Interpretation:don’t get out of shape and gain a pot/beer belly – or I will start singing Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’)
4. Mental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of mental health metrics such as usage of antidepressants and rise or decline of psychotherapy patients
(Women’s Interpretation:if you want to sleep comfortably, watch football on Sunday’s, then do what I say – or I will raise hell)
5. Workplace Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of labor metrics such as jobless claims, job change, workplace complaints and lawsuits
(Women’s Interpretation:he better not be flirting around with that bimbo receptionist at work, as she may need fully functioning tires to get home)
6. Social Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of social metrics such as discrimination, safety, divorce rates, complaints of domestic conflicts and family lawsuits, public lawsuits, crime rates
(Women’s Interpretation:you can’t always be hanging out with your friends doing a whole bunch of nothing)
7. Political Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of political metrics such as the quality of local democracy, individual freedom, and foreign conflicts.
(Women’s Interpretation:get involved in politics and abandon the “I don’t care” approach, if you need help, then believe what I believe in)
In summation, the GNH for women can probably be paraphrased, summed up, described as ‘Just Listen to her for peace’, or she will rip you to ‘pieces’ and/or will never allow you any ‘peace’ and quiet. And of course shoes, lots of shoes.
Just to show you that the whole concept of GNP is not a joke, check the following video:
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms. Sometimes it is done inadvertently or deliberately to be condescending, funny, and/or satiricial. Either way, there are countless examples of oxymorons that will be sure to elicit a reaction out of you. Enjoy:
Good grief
– Grief is never good, always a thorn in your a–
Act naturally
– by definition ‘acting’ is not a ‘natural’ behavior.
Small crowd
– by definition, a crowd can not be ‘small’
Peace force
– How can war ever bring ‘peace’? Using force to bring about peace is just a contrast of ideals.
Pretty ugly
– How can one be visually stunning yet horrific at the same time?
Tight slacks
– I swear that many of the hip-hop hipsters are on this tip now …
Synthetic natural gas
– anything synthetic is not natural
Passive aggression
– something we do all the time; to coincide with societal norms
Launching on September 29, 2009 for the Sony PSP is pretty much a game that allows you to produce beats … just watch the video. Hip-Hop is getting that digital gaming money, can’t hate on Timbaland for that
Autumn (also known as Fall in North American English) is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, usually in late March (southern hemisphere) or late September (northern hemisphere) when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier. Personally, I dig the fall because of the change in temperature; moving away from the extreme summer – but I don’t like the move towards the extreme cold (especially up here). Anyhow, here are some visual stimuli for your retina:
Some creative artistic renditions from classic Nintendo and Atari titles such as Zelda, Super Mario, and Donkey Kong. I don’t know about you, but I am feeling the simplistic style of the 8-bit art with all of its pixelations and clumpy colors. I should note now that the inspiration from this post comes from a discussion with ‘Mr. P’ and his ramblings about ‘Grilled Cheese’ … more about that on a next note.
