NFL Draft Recap

Number of mock drafts that had Mario Williams going #1 in the NFL Draft = 0 (to my knowledge and I read A LOT of sports sites)

Now, I'll give Peter King props for breaking the story that the Texans were negotiating with Reggie Bush & Mario Williams and at one point called it only a 55% chance Bush would go #1. He also gave an alternative draft order if Williams did indeed go #1...but even still, his final mock draft had Bush (and rightfully so) as the #1 draft pick.

Proves you should read SI.com for quality sports content, especially regarding the NFL. More strongly proves that there is wayyyyyy too much attention paid to the draft.

Teams I already messed with going into the draft and now really do: Saints (of course) and the Cardinals (subtlely for Leonard Pope not Leinart, initially), which were coincidenally mine and my roommate's teams on Madden 2006, respectively.

Youtube Synergy

Simply put, I couldn't help but post an article by one of my personal gods that references what one of my tri-cons deems "the best website on the Internet." Read the article's headline and then look at Reason No. 877.

52 Books, Week 12: Assata

“your asking me about freedom? I’ll be honest with you. I know a whole more about what freedom isn’t, than about what it is. Because, I’ve never been free. I can only share my vision with you of the future; about what freedom is. The way I see it, freedom is the right to grow…. The right to blossom. Freedom is the right to be yourself” Assata Shakur

For a while I was thinking about getting away from reviews, but they keep calling me back (they callin’ me). Especially Assata Shakur. I read this one a couple of weeks ago, and I should have jotted all my thoughts down immediately, because I feel like I’m not even going to come close to doing this book justice. Assata’s reflection on her life, is probably the most honest biography I’ve ever read. (in the spirit of full disclosure, I can’t say that I’ve read more than 3 or 4). Describing her struggles in Amerika, she interweaves her drama with the crooked copz and the sham trial(s) she participates (although I use the term loosely) in, with her tough upbringing in urban america. My friend and I were amazed at how resourceful this young lady was (I mean she got pregnant in jail for pete’s sake). She doesn’t sugarcoat her experiences dealing with the cops, nor over-romanticize her association with the Black Panthers. The result is a gritty story, ultimately about freedom and the contradiction of the America Dream.

Presciently, she captures the angst of a generation of folks who were faced with few choices. The narrative, although graphic in its abuse, is told in a free-flowing style; and although you would love to know more about her dramatic escape (...”and how she broke out of prison I could never explain, even to this day, they try to get to her, but she’s free with political asylum in cuba”); you’ll have to take what you can get. For me, it was more than enough….

By the way, ask about my boy Lupe…. I feel like if I could rap (and communicate well) he's what I would sound like...

Youtube Reason #1 AKA I wanna know where the gold at

Come on. There really shouldn't be any question what the number #1 video is. I'm in Laguna Beach, but i had to log on for a minute to show the leprechaun some love. now hopefully, when you see me in the club, and i say who all seen the leprechaun, you too can say yeah!

Honorable Mention



Here's the remix:

Quote Gamut

"If you have a seat at the table, don't be absent."
- Vice Chancellor/Dean James E. McLeod, Washington University In St. Louis

From "Men In Black": Tommy Lee Jones is explaining to Will Smith that the citizens have to be kept in the dark about the existence of aliens. Will is arguing that the citizens can handle it. He says, "People are smart." Tommy interrupts. "No," he says, "a person can be smart. People are stupid." - I wonder what The Wisdom of Crowds would have to say about that brief dialogue.

"But that’s what I learned about society. It’s like the rules don’t apply if you make yourself indespensible. If you make it so that they need you, you can dictate how you live."
- Talib Kweli, BK Emcee, in an interview with XXL (if interested, make sure to read both parts)

? Books, Book 3: The Tipping Point

So we had to revise our initial estimate. When I decided to team up with The Generalist and embark upon a-book-a-week, I didn't know I would be working 10-12 hour days on the regular. Combine that with locale differences, home distractions, travel schedules that lend themselves to easy reading time, difficulties with the actual physical act of reading, and general discipline, its clear that it would be a much more likely goal for The Generalist rather than myself. So after first cutting the number in half to 26, I've resigned myself to leave the final tally unknown. Hence, the changed title...but hey, I'm figuring whatever number I'm currently on pace for would far surpass anything that I've done before. No onto the book...

Malcolm Gladwell is often joked as being one of my personal gods. It's probably not a joke. Of course, I was supposed to have read this book months ago but saved it for the reading endeavor knowing that given Gladwell's easy-going, easier-to-read writing style that I could bang this out in three sittings if need be. That's exactly what happened, it's just that those three sittings were just really spread out. So is life...

In summation, "The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire." Gladwell's thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do" remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of "word-of-mouth epidemics" triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened. (Paul Revere, for example, was a Maven and a Connector.)

While I enjoyed the google-world view (my way of saying overarching theme/thesis) of the book, my favorite part of reading Gladwell's writings are the random, but relevant, bits of knowledge that act as anecdotes to the larger discussion. For instance: the University of Utah study that says we don't seek out friends with similar attitudes, instead, we associate with people who occupy the same small, physical spaces that we do; the strength of weak ties, that is, acquaintances represent a source of social power, and the more acquaintances you have the more powerful you are; Peter Jennings face was pro-Reagan; the Broken Windows theory & the Power of Context (really enjoyed that); Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) that states when it comes to interpreting other people's behavior, human beings invariably make the mistake of overestimating the importance of fundamental character traits and underestimating the importance of the situation and context.

At times, Gladwell's books read like they're composed of a series of his New Yorker articles. Because they read so easily and maintain some, albeit tangential, continuity, it works for me. Plus, as one of my tri-cons will say, I have a "busy mind" and such writing satisfies that trait.

All things Gladwell at his website. I read his blog and randomly peruse his New Yorker articles on the regular. Worth a look...

Youtube Reason #2

I was gonna put a drunk woman on a news clip at number 2, but Puff straightened me out. Here are also some Def Comedy Jam clips which are timeless: Bernie Mac and Chris Tucker. But only one person is seeing Paul Dawson:

Thoughts of the Week

1. That Jamie Foxx belongs on everyone's hard drive, for instant access when you need a little comedy, along with Dave Chappelle's "Killin Em Softly" and the Chappelle's Show "Making the Band." ("The Madd Real World" joint is also quality.)

2. The federal government doesn't provide anything close to the quality of service they would need to justify what they charge to live in the U.S. After finding out I owe no less than $2,000- (that seems to be the magic number)- in taxes, I feel like I need to start making some phone calls. And it better be going to something at least as fulfilling as what would have been a very hot vacation in Brazil.

3. It seems R. Kelly has a new single in the works. He describes it as "like Jurassic Park, except I'm your sexasaurus." Hmmmm. And the crazy part is, the man who made a song about feeling on someone's booty one of the smoothest grooves of the year, still gets the benefit of the doubt. Seriously, is there anything R. Kelly can't write a song about?

4. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I swear Katie Holmes is locked in an attic somewhere while Tom Cruise reads Scientology books to their baby. Homegirl is in too deep.

5. Speaking of conspiracy theories, is it me or is it a little early for a 9/11 movie? I've heard theories that the rampant torture on '24' (which airs on Fox) is just to get the public comfortable with the idea so they won't object when the U.S. does it. A movie about a bunch of Americans who essentially sacrifice themselves for the greater good seems pretty awkardly timed when we're still in the middle of a war that almost no one wants anything more to do with. Maybe someone thought the public needed to be reminded what we're fighting for. Just a theory.

Youtube Reason #3

This video (not for the faint of heart) should probably make the countdown, but since its on google i couldn't use it in good faith. Nonetheless, here's an ode to one of my guiltest pleasures...

Youtube Reason #4

although, i really wanted to put the new shakira video up here. this is a reason why i should have went to a hbcu...

Youtube Reason #5

Reason #5 why youtube is the best site on the internet:

"reach in your pockets, and give me all your money please..."

well, well, well, well

...long live General Musings from Generalists

so as the original co-con came back from the shadows, I figured it might be appropriate for me to get a couple words in edge wise. Since I just had to give a mindboggling $2 G's to Uncle Sam, I figured that writing about my financial hardshps would be great internet reading, but it made me very very sad.

oh well

PPR / 24

I had my PPR (performance review) at the job recently and it went all well. Nothing of note really - I'll make the big push (whatever that means) in a month or two. In thinking about my PPR though, I evaluated, among other things, my work environment which at the end of the day isn't that bad at all. I'm comfortable, enjoy the people, and like the general dynamic of the workplace.

But what if I worked at the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) as portrayed on 24? If you ask me, it may very well be the worst work environment that exists - I hope they are compensated well. It's Monday, so I think its appropriate that we review:

• High Stress - The country is at stake with their every decision.
• Lack of Trust - A mole plays an integral part in every one of the attacks.
• Insubordination/Power Abuse/In-fighting - Everyone wants control, everyone is looking to progress, everyone has a power complex. The definition of "lack of institutional control."
• Communication is Porous - How many times does Audrey Rains go in the back cellar/hallway to communicate with Jack, and then no one else knows what is going on (for better or worse)?
• People consistently bring their personal problems to work - See Rudy.
• It has to be the least insecure-secure place that exists anywhere - How many folks get false "secure" IDs and just roll up in the place? They have better security at high school basketball games. My high school basketball coach, Morgan Wootten, couldn't get onto the court at a championship game because they said no one else was to be let in. He was supposed to present the "Morgan Wootten Award." Come on CTU, we can do better than that.
• They no longer report to and lost President Palmer, who would win a real-life election by the way, and was made worse by being followed up by (effectively)...
• President Charles Logan - Nevermind, George W. Bush is ours.
• And this...this my friends is by far the toughest workplace reality that all CTU employees have to overcome - They are forced to watch FOX NEWS AS THEIR NEWS STATION.
  
  Luckily, its all TV, right?

Easter Special 2006 - Playlist Expansion

I'm taking this too far but another appropriate song of the day (if the blog does indeed sustain):

Kanye West ft. Talib Kweli, Common - Get Em High

(Listen at 3:36 for the relevance; in fact, if you listen to any other verse but Common's, you are wasting your time.)

Hey and then while you're at it, pop in Common's second album, which came out in 1994 - maybe the sickest year in Hip-Hop history (credit The Generalist for that awareness).

Easter Special 2006

My post's title isn't really relevant to the content - unless you consider this post an attempt to resurrect this blog from the dead. It very well may be as it has been uncharacteristically (for 2006) dormant for some time. I take most of the blame for that; we'll see if this thing can get back on it's feet. Oh, I also wanted to allude to The Generalist's Easter Special post from last year, which I enjoyed.

Slowly getting re-involved with a quote that I've come across twice in the past week. This quote would have been a great one to have in my pocket while I was in school because it would have succintly summed up some things that I thought at the time. I struggle with brevity. But the beauty of the quote and my affirmation of it is that it's almost contradictory for me to be that way given things I appreciate and ask for (e.g. consistency). Since, I sound like KRS-One now...


"My aim is not to be consistent with my previous statements on a given question, but to be consistent with truth as it may present itself to me at a given moment."

- Gandhi


Currently listening to: André 3000 - She's Alive

P.S. After finishing this post the next song I listened to was André 3000 - A Life In The Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete)...why? aside from the obvious, he talks about rabbits that were sitting in the yard.

Thought of the Day

Jay Leno on the immigration debate:

"Now people are making a big deal out of illegal immigration... you know, as if it's something new. We've always had this here. The Indians even had a special name for it. They called it White People."

52 Books, Week 11 & 13: How We Are Hungry & Choke

Week 11: How We Are Hungry (Dave Eggers)
Week 13: Choke (Dave Palahniuk)

Since both authors are supposed to be writers who connect to the angst and general disillusionment of Generation X (although Eggers seems to be more connected to Generation Y), I thought it would be appropriate to talk about them both at the same time. This is especially relevant because i'm on the cusp of both generations.

For those who are curious, Book 12 is Assata, which definitely deserves its own post.

How we Are Hungry, Eggers collection of short stories is excrutiatingly forgettable. I picked it up, because I enjoyed Eggers most famous work: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. There's only one story, that is worth discussing further (although the story from the point of view of a dog who runs all day, just misses the cut). The story I'm referring to describes the journey of a woman who works to overcome her own personal issues, while hiking up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Her journey, imposed over the backdrop of significant issues relating to the value of life, and how that value changes depending on what race, or country, or nation you are from made for a very powerful set of conflicting images and thoughts. Gripping in a way that few of the other stories were, Eggers finds his most compelling voice here, although unfortunately its one and done. There have got to be better collections of short stories out there. Try one of those.

Choke, is a very very graphic novel, and probably one of the most disturbing books i've ever read (until i finally get to The Stand, By Stephhen King). The title of the book comes from a fairly complicated con, in which the main protagonist pretends to choke on food at restaurants, and then is "saved" by others who then ultimately feel connected to him and help to support him financially.

From Amazon.com: Victor Mancini is a ruthless con artist. Victor Mancini is a med-school dropout who's taken a job playing an Irish indentured servant in a colonial-era theme park in order to help care for his Alzheimer's-afflicted mother. Victor Mancini is a sex addict. Victor Mancini is a direct descendant of Jesus Christ. All of these statements about the protagonist of Choke are more or less true. Welcome, once again, to the world of Chuck Palahniuk.

Tough to digest (no pun intended), its a book probably designed to shock and awe in its cavalier discussions of sex and just pure nastiness. If you didn't like Fight Club (which Plahniuk also wrote) this one probably isn't for you. For some reason, the book really spoke to me. The meaning of life, and how social mores and norms impact your personal development make the book more than just a jackass for readers. Definitely, not for the faint of heart.