New Jay-Z

Bout to hop on the train and listen to this new Jay-Z album (American Gangster, release in conjunction with the new Ridley Scott-Denzel-Crowe-Grazer film opening up this Friday)....I'm prepared for dissapointment....

More NBA thoughts.

For my playoof predictions and some team insights, go to the post below this one...in the meantime...here are just some random thoughts on the new season.

-- I'm ecstatic. Around late August I get a modest NFL bug that usually involved some palpable anticipation for Week 1 and some big blowout viewing day where I sit around with either fam or friends and watch football and football-related programming from 10 am until midnight. But by mid-September, with the NFL sheen having worn-off and my pennant attention just rounding into form, I'm overcome with sports depression, longing for MY season to start up. By October, with meaningless training camps and empty trade talks only stoking that frustration, I'm going bonkers. So that first week of NBA action is always like Christmas for me. Extreme anticipation and rarely any disappointment. Yesterday's Houston-LA game ended up being kinda special. My favorite moment? On Houston's last possession, the one where Oreo-cookie Battier hit that 26-foot prayer, Mac had the ball approaching the top of key. Of course, Kobe was guarding him. It looked like it was gonna be mano-mano and Kobe was crouched mad low to the floor and then pounded his palms on the hardwood, like "BRING IT NIGGA!" That's why Kobe is my nigga. NOBODY else in the league, other than KG would have been relishing that chance to stop a peer on that stage so much. It's that kind of mentality that makes Kobe at least a head above his peers. He wanted Mac to try to win the game on him so bad. As un-hip-hop as Kobe is, that was so hip-hop, right there.

-- I'm kinda tight on the new string of NBA commercials. What's with all the melodrama? Other than the RV joints with the ESPN personalities and the players, every other commercial is like some mini-drama. Wade's commercial; Bron's commercial; those NBA is amazing commercials. Everything is so serious. And it brings me to an issue I have with the NBA. On one hand, I hate how they pander to casual fans with ish like dress codes and what not, but it's in trivial stuff like commercials where they could do stuff to attract causal fans and I'd think that -- in cynical America -- the casual fan would be more interested in commercials that generate superficial excitement than some commercials that are trying to tug heart-strings or exhibit the "weight" of the league. For me, being an NBA fan on the maniacal level that I am, it's a weird position, because fans like me always feel like the league is under attack, because it is. MLB super-fans have it good. Even with steroids, their game will ALWAYS have storied traditions to fall back on and, when all else fails, MLB will always have the advantage of trotting out nonathletic, very ordinary looking white dudes for American fans to identify with. Aside from the beauty of the game, you cannot tell me that history and the identity-connection fans have with the ordinary-joe lookin players doesn't weigh heavily into fans love of the game. Mike Lowell looks like a friend or relative of 75% of the fans that come to Fenway Park. Paul Pierce does not look like their friend. (I think this is why UFC is overtaking boxing in popularity as well. Plumber-Crack Joe loves to root for Chuck Liddell, but not a Mexican that looks like one of the essays taking one of his pal's construction gigs). The NFL is the NFL because games are events and games are events because games don't happen often. And the NFL is the NFL because it is still a league where the most important and identifiable position is predominantly manned by Americana white dudes. Yes its fast and ferocious -- but make the games twice/wk and make the QBs all look like Randy Moss and let's see how popular it stays. The NBA has a litany of issues, all exacerbated by short-history, length of season and the way the players look and behave (and when I say behave, I don't necessarily mean bad-behavior). Real fans notice this and real fans hate the way the NBA is generally treated by media and other sports fans, so real fans are consistently concerned with the NBA getting things right and getting the wolves off our backs. With that said, these commercials -- a way to advertise the league and the stars -- seem to be counter=productive or, at the very least, ineffective...unless you're a real fan.

-- I'm not a Utah fan -- by any means. But I am a Boozer and Deron fan. And they both represent (in different ways) two recent trends in the league. Remember when point guard was a dying position? No one knew how to run a team...it was a bunch of wannabe Zeke's pounding the ball into the arena's basement. Well, the position is still far from where it used to be, but there are more quality, natural points today than at any point during the past 10-15 years. While the point guard position was dying a slow death, big men, particularly power forwards started proliferating at ridiculous rates and all these dudes were ultra-skilled, thanks to Magic and the door he opened for versatilty coming from dudes taller than 6-7. In fact, the two trends could be linked. The slow-death of point guards was actually partly a product of the new versatile big men that could get their OWN shots, hence rendering playmaking less of an essential for modern point guards. Point guards started becoming lead guards, with Gilbert Arenas being today's best example.

These days? You have point guards like Mike Conley coming in the league and dudes like Chris Paul and TJ Ford already here and yes Deron Williams. I think Deron, in fact, may be the best and most complete of them all. He shoots well, is a ridiculously strong perpetrator and finisher, knows how to run an offense and plays sticky D. I clowned Deron coming into the league. I was all about Chris Paul, who was more prototypical at the time (Deron could showcase everything at Illinois because he played with Dee Brown and Head and they all sort of shared PG responsibilities in many ways). And although Lil Chrissy is still my dude, I think Deron is iller. They both, ultimately, are the two best examples that young niggas coming in the league these days are actually taking the PG responsibilities seriously. This is incredible news for fans.

On the flip side, Boozer is an aberration amongst his generation of big men. He may not be as versatile as the big men that came in the league between 93-00, but all those dudes really knew how to play basketball. Whether it was Webber, KG, Duncan, Brand, Coleman, LJ, whoever...these dudes could handle the rock, pass out of double teams, shoot 18 footers, rotate on defense, conduct successful drop steps, shoot little bankers off the glass. I feel like that generation produced the most skilled (although not most accomplished) set of big men in the history of the game. Fast forward to today and the only dude I see playing seriously heady ball from the recent 5 or 6 drafts is Boozer. Boozer aint the most skilled or athletic, but he's the smartest and most consistent. He won't stall an offense, he knows how move in the flow, he can hit 15 footers, you can throw it down to him in the post, he's an excellent rebounder and great POST DEFENDER. When I say post defender, I mean post defender -- a nig who doesnt let opposition get great post position, denies the ball, stays on his feet, boxes out, closes in tight on his weakside help assignments...not these other knuckleheads that are consistently out of position and come flying in the picture trying to swat balls, collecting fouls, allowing back doors. Amare and Dwight are my two whipping boys for this trend because they annoy me when I watch them play. Dwight is great rebounder, but streaky defender and sometimes horrible offensive player. He can only dunk it seems. Amare is fantastic with his innate sense of how to roll and rub off picks and find away to drop buckets in close, but besides that his offensive game is limited, he's NEVER averaged even 10 boards a game and he's an atrocious team defender and post defender. Chris Bosh is soft and looks like a Raptor and has no scrotums to speak of. Okafor is a great defender, but his offensive skill set is limited Dwight Howard-limited, but mad limited. There is not one kat rollin right now that could hold KG, Duncan or even Webber's jock straps when they were in their primes. Somethin better give, because as much as like Boozer and love his approach to the game, if he's the most reliable and productive big man of thew generation then I might have to start rethinking my Platinum age theory.

NBA Preview: Playoff predictions

Before I get into some rambling, biblical thoughts on the new season; let me just say that I've had up to here with cornrows. They are the new mullets and I'm championing a crusade against them, because black men can't be walking around with the equivalents of mullets. We already have gold fronts, 87-button suits and gators...let's let rednecks and hillbillies monopolize the game on once-faddish-cuts-turned-cultural-identifier-for-the-low-brows. I'm writing an essay on this that'll be posted on SLAM by week's end, I promise.

With that said...I was watching Inside the NBA last night and Chuck said that he's more excited about this season than any other season in his days as an analyst. And, word, I kinda agree with him. I've been shouting for a while that the NBA is either in the beginning stages or the very midst of a renaissance, a post-80s/MJ heyday for real fans -- I've called this era the Platinum Age. Crazy talent abounds, almost every squad is one trade or young-player-leap away from, at least, playoff contention...it's a great time, for true fans. But for a nigga like me, I also enter this season annoyed and afraid, for the Lakers, my favorite team (in all of sports, not just the NBA) is preparing to trade my favorite player, Kobe (this after years of me hating his MJ-cloned intestines). And on another coast, KG may finally be able to nab a ring, along two of my other favorite players, except their doing for a franchise that I hate for sports reasons, but, more importantly, for historical and social reasons. So, at the moment, I'm amped, but I'm also upset. Twist is so complex.

Let me start by droppin my playoff predictions (note,I'm seeding like the playoffs where each division leader is awarded one of the first three spots, even if there are other non-division-winners with better records:

WEST.

8. Memphis over Golden State: Given the way GState played against Dallas in last year's first round -- and during the latter part of the season -- everyone is still on the bandwagon. I'm officially off the bandwagon, although they remain one of my favorite squads in the league because they ball like a bunch of supremely-talented niggas mistaking the hardwood for the blacktop. I've always said I love cocksure and moxie and swagger and they got a lot of it. But they also have issues, namely health (B Eezy),; a hard-drinking coach who just might be the human personification of an impending-heart-attack; and the daunting task of no longer being a surprise. (Notice I didn't mention the fact that Stephen Jackson is a captain). Meanwhile, Memphis is lurkin like an assassin and only a few people are taking notice. Unlike GState, they are neither streaky, mercurial, nor gimmicky. I kinda think theyre strong and will prove to be ultra-consistent...remember, they were good for a guaranteed 48-52 wins for like 3 or 4 seasons in a row before the recent lottery seasons. Stoudamire holds things down while Conley matures. Rudy Gay is a year older. Gasol is healthy and has his compatriot (Navarro) with him...Milicic adds depth...I'm tellin you, don't sleep.

7. Either LA or New Orleans: I say that because I still don't know if Kobe is gonna play out the season. If he does and Mar comes back healthy, then LA is actually a better team than last year -- a year older, added Fish, Mihm comes back for some quality minutes. I'd pencil them in for 44-47 wins and a 7 or 8 seed. If not, I'm saying New Orleans because my mind tells me that they're ready, but my gut says they still aren't strong enough to weather a full season of the West into a playoff berth. But the addition of Mo Pete and a healthy Pedja definitely makes them a better squad..well see.

-- But at the end of the day, it's really about these next 6 teams, of which one will inevitably end up having a disappointing season, I'm just not sure which one.

6. Utah: Check this out, out of all the young stud big dudes, I'd take Boozer. Yep. Over Amare and Dwight and it's because Boozer actually knows how to play basketball. More on that later. I like this squad -- alot actually. And when I say i like them, I mean that I like their talent, because we all know that black men cannot root for Utah in good conscious, much like Duke, the Celtics and KKK Grand Wizards. But Utah looks really tough and deep and young, but smart young. And Kirilenko looks to be back to 04-05 form with that performance in the opener. Deron is sick like terminal cancer. And how much u wanna bet that Sloan doesn't smell like gin 24-7?

5. San Antonio: Doesn't matter though, right? They always pick it up during the playoffs. That's what we say (and btw, seeds 1-6 will all have 52-plus wins, so the Spurs will probably get 53 or 54 victs, but not the 60 they'll need to win the toughest division IN ALL OF SPORTS). Problem with this seed is that they'll be playing an ULTRA-TOUGH first round opponent. Seriously, all of these Western Contenders need to be gunning for a 1 or 2 seed or they could EASILY get bounced in the first round. The Spurs better not mess around too much.

4. Houston: Yao and Mac WILL get hurt and miss a combined 20 games, at least. it's in those two niggas contracts to go down with an injury during the season. Mac could sprain his brain drinkin a slurpee, real talk. Yao could break his index finger working some chopsticks. These niggas are in the biz of being gimpy. No way they both play 75 games this season, so I can't see them winning the division. But they most definitely scare me in the playoffs, but they're not TOO scary. Adelman is a good coach, but not great. It's funny, because toward the end of Magic's career, Portland was more talented than LA. LA was always piecing together squads to to make up for old Kareem and put around Magic and Worthy, but after 88, they were never the force they once were. Portland, meanwhile, was consistently DEEP, athletic, talented and frisky. But they never got a chip. And, don't tell me that, sometimes, you wouldn't look at those Sacramento teams and say, "Yo, these niggas should actually be beatin' LA." So, no, Adelman is not an EXTREME upgrade over Van Gundy. And I love the offseason moves, but the point guard position remains manned by Skip and Mike James...we'll see about rings or conference championships.

3. Denver: I think this squad is getting overlooked. Martin is back and that makes a world of a difference. And they all get a full season together. I just have a good feeling about this squad, they give me a warm feeling, like comfort food and Coach Karl's mock turtlenecks. I don't have any real intelligent, well-founded reasons for this pick; I just have a hunch that things will click.

2. Pheonix: Aint nuttin changed. I am excited to see how Hill balls with this squad. One of the immediate impacts is that, during Nash's EXTENDED breaks (this nigga plays, like, 18 minutes a game or some ish), Hill can run the show and allow Barbosa to focus strictly on scoring. This could spell big time trouble for opponents.

1. Dallas: Eff Dirk. This is Avery's team, now more than ever. And I feel like my nigga will have his team playing with boulders on their shoulders all season. At the end of the day, I think they remain the most talented and deepest and well balanced team in the L...now watch them tank and win something like 53 games.

EAST (be careful about the disrespect you throw over here. I really think a number of these teams can compete with the big boys out west)...

8. Miami: No team with Dwayne Wade will miss the playoffs unless something catastrophic happens. If Wade can play 70 games and Shaq can squeak out 25-30 minutes a game for 45-55 games, then I see them in playoffs -- period.

7. Cleveland: This team annoys me. I dont understand whats goin on. No Varejo, no Vulacij...no PG upgrade...and Damon Jones is still getting time on the floor even though he can only dribble with his back to defenders. This is gonna be a long season for Bron.

6. Toronto: They profited from a weak confernce last season...now that squads are healthy and improved, they'll go back to being marginal.

5. Jersey: I know adding Magloire isn't adding KG, but I think he's an upgrade over Mikki Moore. Kristic is back. Nachbar, Boone and Williams are a year older and the Kidd-Vince-RJ are healthy. I think they're gonna be murkin squads some nights, straight-up.

4. Chicago: Seeded this low because they won't win the division. I think they'll finish with, maybe, the second best record, though...much like last season. I think no differently about this squad this year than I did last year. Deep, defensive-minded, frisky and a solid contender,though I never see them having what it takes to contend in anything other than theoretical discussions. They're definitely a team with a ceiling...that is, unless Thomas turns into a beast, which is possible, just not this year. And I've been on record before and will go record once more: I am not a huge fan of Luol Deng. He's good, but will never be great. He'll never even reach Shawn Marion status. Etch that in stone. His best year will be 18-8-3-2-1...he might have 3 or 4 All-Star berths in him...but folks act like he's destined for greatness or elite status. Ain't happenin, homey.

3. Washington: As you all know, the Wiz are my East Coast squad. I grew an extreme affinity for them during my young adult years I spent in Washington where I watched anywhere between 50-65 of their games a year on Comcast. This is not a homer pick, I truly believe they're the best team in their division. For more, here is my preview I did for SLAM.

2. Boston: I still don't know if I'll be able to root for the Cs based on how I feel about the Celtics organization and the city of Boston. But, at least, part of me can't help but feel excited for three of my favorite players (KG is in my top 5 after Kobe, Wade, AI and Gil)...but when I watch the squad I still see a squad in flux. They'll p[lay inspired ball all year and be one of the most committed and THE most hungry team in the L...but I think it'll take them a while to hit their stride and you might see a couple 4 and 5 game losing streaks. I'm saying they could win as few as 50 games or as many as 56-58. I'd know more by All-Star break. And this team is not as thin as folks continue to parrot. Tony Allen, Posey and Perkins are actually pretty solid in my book. Rondo still scares me though. I think, however, KG-Pauly-Ray hunger will beat out Detroit disinterest when its all said and done and these dudes will finally get to play on the big stage.

1. Detroit: See, to me, ain't nuttin changed about the East. Detroit is still the best team in this conference and still one of the best teams in the league. Age and attrition has not done THAT much damaged and, on the low-low, this squad messed around and got young and deeper. That's some Joe.D work right there (still one of the 3 or 4 best GMs in the L and easily the most under-appreciated). The younger-deeper issue has been made by many, and although I'm nowhere near a staunch believer in an unproven like rookie Stuckey or the super-young Amir, I really think that energy and friskiness is gonna help this squad. The weak link on this squad is most definitely Sheed (who is lookin svelte these days) or Flip Saunders, but it's the DYNAMIC between the players and Flip. This doesn't rear its head too often during the regular season, but it has surfaced quite violently during their past two playoff runs. But after two straight defeats in the ECS and the embarrassment of getting ran by that despicable Cavs squad last season and the new blood in the lineup, I'm smelling a very dangerous Pistons squad that might unfortunately send KG home early this year. At the very least, they're gonna finish with the best record during the regular season.

"Y'all wanna be rockers?!"

The other day, I was watching late-night ESPN with my Pops and my lil bro and a commercial for College Game Day came on with Kirk Herbstreit, a classic American white dude, in shocking attire. He strolled in the frame wearing an electric blue pimp-suit or zoot-suit or whatever you call those 12-button joints with the jacket that comes down to your knees and wide-leg pants, made out of material that could probably substitute for a ghetto-bird's weave. Kirk was also rockin a top hat and some gators...everything was the same color. It was astoundingly hilarious to see this white dude dressed like Bishop Magic Don Juan ... or Shaq ...take your pick. That ensemble is the exclusive territory of ghetto black men who grew up without fathers...or black men who grew up with fathers that grew up without fathers. No self-respecting black man that isnt Shaq, a wide receiver or a comedian would ever be caught close to dead in those get-ups. But a white dude?!!! The only time a white person would ever be caught dead in that ensemble is if he was white trash that grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. that's why it was so hilarious to see Kirk in the suit and inevitably why he was dressed that way for the commercial: not only was that a cultural identifier for blacks, but more specifically, a sub-cultural identifier for blacks. that sub-culture -- pimps, trifling athletes and men that were never called 'son' -- is on the totally opposite end of the sociocultural spectrum from Kirk Herbstreet, hence the comedy.

This is bringing me to my extreme disappointment with the new trend toward young blacks dressing like The Ramones.

Before I get there, I started thinking about this today while listening to NPR this morning. During Morning Edition they ran this story of Dallas Mayor Dwayne Carraway, who was seeking to legally ban "sagging" of the pants. They're calling it the "No-sag rule". If you've seen a rap video for the past 5 years, the way for young dudes to rock their pants is to literally buckle and belt them around their thighs so that their jeans are literally under their buttocks. Carraway said that initially "it would show their boxers..then it started showing their dirty boxers...then no boxers at all." This was incredibly startling. You mean some of these bamas were walking around, sagging their pants while they were bare-balling??!?!!!! Hard to believe, but whatever. My point here is that, although I think it's stupid how low these young dudes and young rappers like Hurricane Chris and Soulja Boy rock their pants; I'm not up in arms about it, because that's how we used to rock our pants back in the day, just a little bit higher. (Everything gets lower with each successive generation, most importantly morals, hence another NPR piece about a school district in New Jersey passing out condoms in middle school). Anyways, it's all hip hop, maybe just a little more extreme. But I most definitely remember adults CONSTANTLY telling me and my peers to pull up our pants or shorts and it's like, "I'm trying to be like Grand Puba or Jalen Rose not Donnie Simpson." My brother Gee was still saggin his pants at the age of 23, well after it was acceptable -- that's how pervasive it was. So I can respect, on a fundamental level, these young cats new interpretation and manifestation of hip hop style. "Do you" is my model there...just don't walk around without shoes and brush your teeth.

HOWEVER, I do not and cannot accept or see why/how these young people -- mostly in more urbane environs of NYC, Cali, Miami, Chi, etc -- are dressing like they are Sid Vicious or part of Green Day. The only fashion-trend more inappropriate and annoying are fat puerto rican women that wear mid-drifts; unfortunately I see both in the Bronx when all I wanna do is walk the two blocks to the bodega in visual peace.

You seen them, right? They were the ULTRA-tight jeans that cling to the calves, and can't fit over their waist because 1.) they're too tight and 2.) THEY'RE NOT EVEN LONG ENOUGH!!!!, so they sit right under their arses. These jeans are literally 3 to 4 inches too short, they actually dont have enough fabric. And they typically have on smedium shirts that comes just to their waist, so u literally see their boxers, as in: the boxers are part of the outfit. (The ghetto nigs imitating rappers at least wear long T-shirts that look like maternity dresses.) For a white dude with a jet-black mohawk that wants to learn how to bang out a killer guitar solo, it's cool. But for thse dudes? Nigga, when did your Young Jeezy-listening, black-planet-surfing a$$ become a punk rocker?!!!! How did this come about? Kirk Herbstreet was joking when he rocked the socio-cultural identifying pimp-suit/gator combo in the commercial. These young impostor-niggas is halfway serious. This is no different than some black dudes to all of sudden start rockin Bob Cousy shorts on the ball courts and dribbling only with their right hand. this is prevailing against the very core of black style.

Look, I'm no fashion police. I'm typically one stain or rip from looking like a hobo...but I don't try to make fashion statements. there has always been a give and take between Negro style and euro fashion and most of us meet in the middle. But there has also been those extreme of trifling on the negro end and cornballness and/or oddities on the euro end and neither ethnicity ever ventures to the opposite ends unless they were adopted or abused as a kid.

I guess what I'm saying (if 'm saying anything at all) is that Carraway should stop focusing his attention on trivial things like sagging in his ow city or education or crime and start traveling to these other cities and throwing these wanna-be-punk-rock traitors in jail.

50 Cent said it best recently on Hot 97 with Flex when, bewildered, he remarked: "I was in Southside in my old hood the other day and these kids were dressed like rockers! And I'm thinkin, 'Yall wanna be rockers?'"

I never thought I'd say this and I'm really on some narrow-minded BS, but straight up...get these kids some G-Unit gear, 'cause I'm done with this trend.

"I can hear you getting fatter." -- David Spade

I'm the fattest I've ever been in my adult-life and periolously close plummeting to the surreal depths of my early teen years would I was the size of Bruce-Bruce. This is no surprise to any of you that have seen me recently, inevitably downing some pint of specialty beer or gnawing on something with cheese bread. I looked at my Homer Simpson midsection this afternoon and man-tits and my "he's gaining too much grwn-man weight" face and said enough is enough.

Therein lies the problem. I've been saying enough is enough for about a year now and, for the first time as an adult, have been shamefully unsuccessful at halting the weight-gain, much less beginning some lasting weight loss. I just had to get suits let out the other day. But guess what? they still don't fit. I found myself uncomfortable on the plane and it's becoming a chore to tie my shoes. The other day, laboring around Delaware Park in a toutoise-jog, a fast-walker passed me. He was in his 50s, tanned and wearing George Michael During His Wham Days shorts. He yelled "On your left", then zoomed by me in slim-n-trim contempt. When I was shopping for a track jacket at Dr. Jay's a couple months ago, the Mexican pointed upstairs the second I stepped in the joint, as in "upstairs big man. No XXXL down here."

All of these slights, embarrassments and inconveniences and I still haven't focused my diet or excersize regimen to ensure I start droppin some pounds. Like my man Mad Dog said, "ENOUGH'S ENOUGH!!!! ... ENOUGH'S ENOUGH" I refuse to hit 30 and be on some "well, this is just the way it is" steez.

I guess that's it...

Lou Dobbs

I don't watch conservative television, so I can;t actually give you miuch insight into how I feel about people like Brit Hume, Chris Wallace, Tucker Carlson or Anne Coulter. I do watch CNN and I can tell you that Lou Dobbs is an interesting character.

Today, as everyday, he had some segment touching on illegal immigration. This particular piece was alluding to some health care cutbacks -- reportedly putting uninsured children at risk -- to help fund an initiative that gives drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Heading this initiative in NYS governor Eliot Spitzer. Dobbs called him a bunch of different names, among them (if my memory serves me correct), "weakling", "pu$$yface", "yellowbelly" "disgraceful bish" and "unAmerican, blowhard lout."

Let's just say that Dobbs thinks very lowly of Spitzer and very strongly about anyone that, either directly or indirectly, aids the continued influx of illegal immigrants.

Dobbs is basically a populist. He rides and dies for the average american citizen. One of his segments is entitled "The War on the American Middle Class". Dude seems genuinely and stikingly concerned with the recent trend of average Americans becoming more and more disadvantaged. I think he, and many others, are terrofied now that a great deal of whites are experiencing the plight that has long plagued minorities. Dobbs seems to think that illegal immigration is largely responsible. They take jobs, indirectly lower wages, and drain tax funds as they flood schools, jails and hospitals. That's how he's telling it and he has some points.

But, at the end of the day, I gotta say that this, seemingly stately, empathetic and good-willed old man is straight up and down xenophobic. You can;t tell me that Dobbs doesnt go ape-ish when he sees a Mexican working on an interstate, or a Haitian in an emergency room or an El Salvadorian effin up my (I mean his) burrito at a Chipolte.

( As an aside, I love how he's such a curmodgeon that has absolutely NO QUALMS about not only assasinating politicians/pundits character, but downright challenging the way the brains function or if they function at all.)

If Dobbs was a conservative republican that opposed abortion and gay marriage he'd be viewed as a straight up racist. count on that.

I'm just sayin....

in the meantime...

I'm working on some new musings...until then, you can check a few of these reviews and pieces I've wrote on some other sites.

Here's my Wizard's preview for SLAM online.

Here are some recent reviews of some albums for allmusic.com. You can look for me to start writing some columns/blogs there, too. So consider this a brief appearance by the Music Dude...

Eric Roberson,...Left
Yesterday's New Quintet, Yesterdays Universe
Georgia Anne Muldrow (as Patti Blingh and the Akebulah Five), Sagala
Myron Walden, This Way
MArcus Strickland, Open Reel Deck
De La Soul, Stakes Is High
Wallace Roney, Jazz
Shape of Broad Minds, Craft of Lost Art

Ugly Betty

I just think you all should know that my new Hollywood thing is America Ferrera. I brush my teeth with Ugly Betty. You see her at the Emmy's? I'm a fan.