So ... I went to the release party (photos forthcoming) for the Blue Scholars' latest album, Bayani, at Easy Street Records last week. Our (our being my boyfriend, brother and myself) slightly late arrival was made up for by strategic positioning at the front of the line for post-performance signing. A line, I might add, that was disappointingly short given all of the people who walked out of Easy Street after the the Scholars gave them mad love for a good hour.
Where is the love, people?! These two talented musicians just rocked your socks off and the only thing you can do is walk out without even copping the album?! That is NOT how we roll in Seattle. They give you love, you give them love back. $10 is a small price to pay to support independent record labels, starving artists, Seattle hip-hop, hip-hop in general, etc. Plus you got a poster and a sticker to go with it!!!! To say nothing of getting a chance to meet Geologic and Sabzi.
You fucking people.
The only thing sadder than droves of people leaving was fellow MassLine artist Gabriel Teodros, who guested on the Scholars' set, slangin' his shit outside the store looking like a sad little huckster in his over sized "The Northwest" sweatshirt. Of course, he was getting no love either. If I hadn't picked up his album at the MassLine show in San Francisco, I would have happily grabbed one then.
On a happier note, Bayani is great overall, well worth $10 and rewarding upon subsequent listenings. The production is tight and Geologic's rhymes are as sharp as ever. "50 Thousand Deep" is definitely my favorite track on the album and I was glad that they played a snippet of it at the release performance (they advised that patrons purchase the album to hear the rest of the song).
Look out for them to hit the road again. The Scholars and the rest of the MassLine crew put on a fantastic live show. I actually remember hating the Scholars' first album because I listened to it after seeing them for the first time live at Sasquatch. The recordings just don't do the songs justice and Geologic's onstage ferocity seems to get lost in the soundboard and mixers, but nevertheless, their recorded material is still well worth having. Check out their crazy ridiculous remix of "Inkwell" using the instrumental for Modest Mouse's "Float On." Oh and show them some love by copping the album, alright?
21 June 2007
Where is the got damn love???
11 June 2007
An Eye for an Eye
During one of my infrequent perusals of the news, I stumbled across this article about the apparent deterrent effect of capital punishment.
The research seems to be indicating that executions do in fact have a tangible effect on deterring people from killing each other. However, the depth that this article goes into the studies themselves is pretty minimal, so I'm not about to use it to weigh a debate that I haven't quite sorted out in my own mind. At the very least, the research seems to operate on a "rational actor" type of analysis in which people will act well ... rationally. Anyone with half a brain knows that people are hardly rational and killing someone (and not killing someone) are often not rational at all. Obviously, no one would commit murder if they thought they were going to get caught.
Regardless, I would venture that it's highly unlikely that hastening and increasing executions is going to to put an end to homicides and violent crimes. I learned from my Sociology 5 methods course about a thing called a spurious relationship. Not to overstate the obvious, but it seems that there may be myriad other factors that could contribute to fluctuations in homicide rates. An interesting theory in Steven Levitt's "Freakonomics"—a great book that I highly recommend, especially if you are of the Malcolm Gladwell "Blink" and "Tipping Point" persuasion (even though the frequency with which they give each other kudos comes off as a little incestuous)—is that crime rates declined dramatically in the 'mid to late '80s and early '90s because of Roe v. Wade, which allowed women who inhabit a particular position in social space in which any children born to them have a higher likelihood of becoming criminal offenders to have abortions, thus decreasing the crime rate by decreasing the number of potential criminals. An interesting theory, one that I'm not entirely sure I buy. But I suppose my point in bringing it up is that it can't be as simple as more executions mean less murders. Nothing in life is ever that simple.
Return of the MOJO?
I generally try to avoid speaking too soon on things, but it looks as though the M's may have found their long lost MOJO with a triumphant sweep of the Padres. Woooo, Go M's! (On a side note, I texted my former roommate, who is a Padres fan, when the M's came from behind to take the second game in the series. She texted me back the following day after the sweep with, "I was at the game. I trust you had some smart ass remark lol." I couldn't help but read into some underlying hostility which she attempted to diffuse with a forced "lol." Hey. It's not my fault the M's won.)
I'm not going to attempt to make any kind of sports commentary because I don't know shit about baseball. I just know that I love watching it and that I love the Mariners. I also know that if we don't have a good season, then we might lose Ichiro to—I hate to even say it—the Padres **gasp**. Okay that is a worst case scenario, but Ichiro's a free agent after this season so we damn well better do something to keep him around. Like keep winning.
I've proclaimed on more than on occasion that if it Ichiro goes to the Padres after this season, I will actually stop watching baseball. Not that that's any real threat, but you know, it's really the only thing I could do in protest. But I guess now that I think about it, it'd probably more of a punishment for me. REGARDLESS, I think it would just be too heartbreaking to see Ichiro in anything other than the very handsome Mariner's uniforms, and it would kill me to see him play for the Pads. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my rally cap on (okay I don't have a rally cap, but I trust you can appreciate the sentiment).
In other baseball-related news. Sean and I bought tickets for the first game in the series against the Red Sox ... and they're getting sent to his billing address in Montana. Let's hope USPS and one of the SigEp's comes through and gets us our tickets, because I'll be damned if I go back to California without getting to see an M's game.
09 June 2007
Shit's Fucked Up
Wanna know how I know shit's fucked up? Because I went to a memorial service for my brother's good friend who died when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. If you think that's tragic, the details—which I won't go into—are much more tragic. A young life full of potential lost. I'll leave it at that.
Another reason that I know shit's fucked up was because the pastor who presided over this memorial service felt it was appropriate to use this opportunity to remind us of how Jesus died for our sins. Great is this family's loss, but their pain and suffering pales in comparison to God's, who gave up his only son for the sake of a bunch of heathen humans who are really all sinners at heart. Just remember that no matter how much you're suffering, Jesus suffered more (and of course by virtue of the Holy Trinity, God and the holy spirit as well, or some shit like that).
My aim is not to be sacrilegious—okay as a reformed Catholic, maybe a little bit. My point is that this young man's death is not about Jesus, God, the resurrection or any other bit of religious myth. His death is about losing a person beloved by many and about both sharing in that loss and celebrating in his short, but well-lived life. We gathered there to mourn and remember him, not to be lectured about our supposed debt to Jesus.
Needless to say, this experience didn't do much to renew my long-gone faith in organized religion, especially given that it arrived on the heels of an interesting (though somewhat inflammatory) documentary on the epidemic of child molestation among Catholic priests.
Oh the Depravity ... the Depravity!!!
Everyone who is sick of Paris Hilton's jail debacle masquerading as "news," say aye.
Aye.
The relentless coverage of Hilton's movements in and out of jail by even generally respectable news sources as BBC and NPR is either a testatment to the ills of our country's news media or the sheer stupidity of the American public. Or perhaps its an indication of both. I certainly wouldn't rule that out—a self-reinforcing cycle that makes everyone poorer.
My consumption of the day's news, which included coverage of GW's meeting with Pope Benedict after the G8 Conference, was rudely interrupted by more video footage of Paris being stuffed into a police car. To add insult to injury, CNN called in an "expert" to analyze why young girls look up to Paris Hilton (do young girls really look up to a woman so ridiculed by every realm of mass media?) and what harm her misbehavior might have on their young psyches.
Are you fucking kidding me?
If Paris Hilton is your young daughter's role model, then you are a really, really shitty parent and probably have no one to blame but yourself.
So after a good 15 minutes of pondering Paris Hilton's influence over young minds—seriously I wouldn't be surprised if there are news reports on Hilton's (or other celebrity's for celebrity sake) affect on the American economy or national security—the news returned to ... well ... news.
So here are some of the actual news stories you may have missed while watching Hilton sob on her way back to the clinker:
Bush Meets Pope Benedict XVI For the First Time
Bomber Kills at least 12 Iraqi Soldiers
Shuttle Atlantis Appears to have Flawless Liftoff
NASA Leader Regrets Global Warming Comments
TB Patient Says Officials Are Trying to Blame Him to Cover Mistakes
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