SolR Networks

When my birthday comes around, a lot of things are going on.  The Little League World Series just ended.  Labor Day weekend usually marks the last days of summer. Kids are getting ready to go back to school.  I’m not a celebratory kind of guy. Recent occasions, the time became an excuse for me to head down to AC and test my birthday luck. Just as long as I ate some pancit or noodles, everything was gonna come out alright.  I never really took the day as anything special.  To me, the only person that should be proud of this day is my mother.  Only now from that knowledge do I realize that, yeah, this day is a kinda big day.  I wonder if I ever lived up to my creation.  But you know what, it ain’t all that bad.  Sure, it could be better, but it’s getting better all the time. Therefore, I have finally come to accept this time as a new year to assess the good and  to start fresh and new.

Obviously every new year comes with some goals and some resolutions. Here are mine:

1) Get down to a UFC Middleweight –  No, I didn’t say I was gonna start learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai and test my MMA chops (though it’s not something to rule out); I was only talking bout my weight.  Technically, I’m a UFC Light Heavyweight right now but that shouldn’t be the case.  I was once a UFC Middleweight about two years ago but I couldn’t control my trips to the buffet or ignore a fine opportunity at a juicy prime rib. Some more conditioning and a controlled appetite should do the trick.

2) Be able to trek 10 miles a day – Reading “Born To Run’ has really transformed my physical philosophy on life.  I’ll admit that I’m not a good runner.  If anyone knew me when I was young, I was never the athletic type.  But I have bought into the idea that running (and running the right way) is a human trait everyone should embrace.  It’s sad when people accept laziness and complancy as a conditional constraint. We all deserve to live a healthy lifestyle. Starving yourself to get thin isn’t healthy, nor is eating cheetos on the couch while watching television. Right now, I can do 5 miles a day no problem, but 10 can really be a great test of stamina (something elseIi never had).  From there, the journey is endless.

3) Breaking 100 – I’m still waiting for the day where i figured out every single nuance of my swing and feel confident for once when I come to the tee of the first hole of a golf course.  There was a point where I just couldn’t figure out the holes in my game and that just left me discouraged.  Luckily, Ihave a brother who was very dedicated to his own game and willing to patiently help me along the way.  And I admit, it feels better when you finally start to figure things out. Understanding everything involved in a golf swing has really made me want to get better at it.  It will take time, I will figure it out, and I will have a handicap I can finally say with no shame.

4) Be more career-focused – I’ll be the first to admit that being so happy-go-lucky has been detrimental to my career. I’m never one to complain just as long as I get the job done, but a 30+ year-old with my skill set shouldn’t be where he is right now.  I gave up in pursuing an MBA because I was never driven to what I could accomplish with it.  Nevertheless, reading Jeffrey Ma’s The House Advantage has really helped me refocus the goals in my professional life and discover what I am poised to do.  All that’s left is to perform upon those revelations.

5) Keep reading, keep seeking guidance –  It’s come to the point where reading is fundamental,  and if I’m not doing that, I’m trying to learn. If I keep it up,  I know my journey in life will be filled with prosperity and happiness.  I really like the new Kindle and I should take advantage of one.  Whether it’s from a book, a friend, or a teacher. I am always willing to learn.

…I only write all of this because I believe word is bond.  Only if I put it down to testify will I know that people around me will see this and make sure I’m making progress toward a healthy lifestyle that enhances my strengths and handles my weaknesses.

And on that note, here’s a song I hope can make me and everyone you hears it understand their own pursuit of happiness:

Murs and 9th Wonder – Yesterday & Today by solrey3

Music

If you’re hangin’ around Madison Square Park and got a smartphone, you can’t avoid this beautiful site of a building.

New York City, Pics Flatiron, NYC

With the unfortunate news of Steven Strasburg needing Tommy John surgery, it becomes more evident that there are problems with baseball’s traditional pitching motion.  Dr. Mike Marshall, a good pitcher from the 1970s that has also taken the time to become an expert in biomechanics, has provided free instruction on a pitching motion that reduces the risk of arm injury.  You can learn about it here: http://www.drmikemarshall.com/BaseballPitchingInstructionalVideo.html

Sports baseball, pitching, sports

It was the stream scene that really caught my attention since I recognized the John Murphy score piece before.  Rediscovered that it was originally used in Sunshine, a Danny Boyle movie pre-Slumdog. That movie was okay but it had its good share of plot leaks. I really wanted to put a score piece from that movie up, but didn’t have a real picker from it so here’s the modified Kick-Ass version I’m talking about.

Strobe (Adagio in D Minor) by solrey3

Oh yeah, Kick-Ass is a KICK-ASS of a movie

Music

I’ll try to keep this all under 1776 words

Hey, when you have newsgroups, P2P, the Hype Machine, and greatly themed music blogs, music is easily where you find it.  I exclude videos, in a sense, because I’m not a video guy when it comes to music.  I guess that all started in me when I realized that Snow was some white guy from Canada.  Great song, but the image just failed it. Rarely am I on youtube.  It’s just not portable enough.  I appreciate the joy of taking music with me wherever I go.  I’ll get tired of it sometimes but that’s what the whole world is out there for: to explore.  If America is a land grounded on exploration, then it is wrong to sit on the frontiers ahead of us.

Drake to me is a university in Iowa with a gritty basketball team:
If some young’n ever tries to prop me that Drake is the greatest rapper right now, they need to get their ears popped.  Yea, I know this is the whole post-kanye self-conscious era, but they should be self-conscious about calling themselves the greatest ever when legends are still around shooting better shit with half the effort.  Listen to Eminem’s Recovery.  He didn’t put that much effort into it and it’s still better than 99.44% of the shit all these newbies are tryig to pull off.  One thing this new school also has to learn that Kanye should’ve warned them about: Don’t put Jay-Z on your song. It’s just gonna show how weak you really are.  I don’t hate the artist.  I just don’t believe the hype for the subpar.

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In light of the current Filipino elections, I have only discovered this letter now and would like to share it with you this deep understanding of pursuing one’s call and fighting for a people’s democracy.

This is a letter of Ninoy Aquino to his son, Noynoy, 36 years ago.

This letter was released by the Aquino family on 09-09-09 when Noynoy
proclaimed his candidacy to run as President of the Philippines .

Noynoy’s decision to accept the call for him to run for President is his
reply to his father, 36 years after Ninoy wrote to him from his prison cell.

August 25, 1973

Fort Bonifacio
11:30pm

Mr. Benigno S.. Aquino III

P E R S O N A L

My dearest Son:

One of these days, when you have completed your studies I am sure you
will have the opportunity to visit many countries. And in your travels you
will witness a bullfight.

In Spanish bullfighting as you know, a man, the matador is pitted against
an angry bull. The man goads the bull to extreme anger and madness. Then a
moment comes when the bull, maddened, bleeding and covered with darts,
feeling his last moment has come, stops rushing about and grimly turns his
face on the man with the scarlet “muleta” and sword. The Spaniards call this
“the moment of truth.” This is the climax of the bullfight.

This afternoon, I have arrived at my own moment of truth. After a lengthy
conference with my lawyers, Senators Jovito R. Salonga and Lorenzo M. Tanada
I made a very crucial and vital decision that will surely affect all our
lives: mommie’s, your sisters’, yours and all our loved ones as well as
mine. I have decided not to participate in the proceedings of the Military
Commission assigned to try the charges filed against me by the army
prosecution staff. As you know, I’ve been charged with illegal possession of
firearms, violation of RA 1700 otherwise known as the  ”Anti-Subversion Act”
and murder.

You are still too young to grasp the full impact of my decision.
Briefly: by not participating in the proceedings, I will not be represented
by counsel, the prosecution will present its witnesses without any cross
examinations, I will not put up any defense, I will remain passive and quiet
through the entire trial and I will merely await the verdict. Inasmuch as it
will be a completely one-sided affair, I suppose it is reasonable to expect
the maximum penalty will be given to me. I expect to be sentenced to
imprisonment the rest of my natural life, or possibly be sent to stand
before a firing squad. By adopting the course of action I decided upon this
afternoon, I have literally decided to walk into the very jaws of death.

You may ask: why did you do it? Son, my decision is an act of conscience.
It is an act of protest against the structures of injustice that have been
imposed upon our hapless countrymen. Futile and puny, as it will surely
appear to many, it is my last act of defiance against tyranny and
dictatorship.

You are my only son. You carry my name and the name of my father. I have
no material wealth to leave you. I never had time to make money while I was
in the hire of our people. For this I am very sorry. I had hopes of building
a little nest egg for you. I bought a ranch in Masbate in the hope that
after ten or fifteen years, the coconut trees I planted there would be
yielding enough to assure you a modest but comfortable existence.

Unfortunately, I had to sell all our properties as I fought battle after
political battle as a beleaguered member of the opposition. And after the
last battle, I had more obligations than assets.

The only valuable asset I can bequeath to you now is the name you carry.
I have tried my best during my years of public service to keep that name
untarnished and respected, unmarked by sorry compromises for expediency. I
now pass it on to you, as good, I pray, as when my father, your grandfather
passed it on to me.

I prepared a statement which I intend to read before the military
commission on Monday at the opening of my trial. I hope the commission
members will be understanding and kind enough to allow me to read my
statement into the record. This may well be my first and only participation
in the entire proceedings.

In this statement, I said: Some people suggested that I beg for mercy
from the present powers that be. Son, this I cannot do in conscience. I
would rather die on my feet with honor, than live on bended knees in shame.

Your great grandfather, Gen. Servilliano Aquino was twice condemned to
death by both the Spaniards and the American colonizers. Fortunately, he
survived both by a twist of fate.

Your grandfather, my father was also imprisoned by the Americans because
he loved his people more than the Americans who colonized us. He was finally
vindicated. Our ancestors have shared the pains, the sorrows and the anguish
of Mother Filipinas when she was in bondage. It is a rare privilege for me
to join the Motherland in the dark dungeon where she was led back by one of
her own sons whom she lavished with love and glory.

I ended my statement thus: I have chosen to follow my conscience and
accept the tyrant’s revenge. It takes little effort to stop a tyrant. I have
no doubt in the ultimate victory of right over wrong, of evil over good, in
the awakening of the Filipino.

Forgive me for passing unto your young shoulders the great responsibility
for our family. I trust you will love your mother and your sisters and
lavish them with the care and protection I would have given them. I was
barely fifteen years old when my father died. His death was my most
traumatic experience. I loved and hero worshipped him so much; I wanted to
join him in his grave when he passed away. But as in all sorrows, eventually
they are washed away by the rains of time.

In the coming years, I hope you will study very hard so that you will
have a solid foundation on which to build your future. I may no longer be
around to give you my fatherly advice. I have asked many of your uncles to
help you along should the need arise and I pray you will have the humility
to drink from their fountain of experiences.

Look after your two younger sisters with understanding and affection.
Viel and Krissy will need your umbrella of protection for a long time.
Krissy is still very young and fate has been most unkind to both of us.
Our parting came too soon. Please make up for me. Take care of her as I
would have taken care of her with patience and warm affection. Finally,
stand by your mother as she stood beside me through the buffeting winds of
crisis and uncertainties firm and resolute and uncowed. I pray to God, you
inherit her indomitable spirit and her rare brand of silent courage.

I had hopes of introducing you to my friends, showing you the world and
guide you through the maze of survival. I am afraid; you will now have to go
it alone without your guide.

The only advice I can give you: Live with honor and follow your
conscience. There is no greater nation on earth than our Motherland. No
greater people than our own. Serve them with all your heart, with all your
might and with all your strength. Son, the ball is now in your hands.

Lovingly,
DAD

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Nota Bene: Apple fanboys should be wary of this post. especially those with the iPod Touch and iPhone. Older devices may work with the alternative programs I suggest but there is no guaranteee third-party device drivers will work forever if you upgrade your iPod with the latest and greatest firmware.

I’m sorry, but iTunes does not enhance my music experience. But if you are dedicated to a particular Apple device, iTunes ends up as a necessary evil. Because of a deal with the dark side, I got stuck using certain features that I now want to get off of:
1) Managed Mode – Though I like how it uses AlbumArtist in its algorithm, I lost a lot more in provided original data plus you couldn’t customize managed mode. Once your collection reaches a massive size, things can get a little hairy. If you have a massive music collection, I recommend avoiding this feature at all costs.
2) Ratings – You use an iPod device and take advantage of the SongRating system. Unfortunately, iTunes does not store that rating in the id3tag. That becomes a bigger problem once you start renaming files. If you plan to get off of iTunes and not move your files around, you can get away with creating smart playlists for each rating and exporting those playlists as an m3u file. But as you will find out soon, song ratings tend to be close-minded.

The time I got punked into using ITunes came when Palm started allowing the Pre to get recognized in it. Though it was cheesy how they did it, what resulted was a cat and mouse game in software upgrades with Apple flipping the bird at all Pre phone users. So I regrettably made the wrong choice in sticking with iTunes. Worst decision ever.

Backing up Ratings and Playlists

To insure a smooth transition in escaping Apple’s clutches, contingencies need to be in place in order to save those precious ratings and playlists.

First off, I recommend a basic tool called iTunes Export to save your playlists as m3u files. The Adobe AIR app is pretty straightforward.

If you use the Ratings feature in ITunes, you will eventually want to move the song ratings to the id3 tag of the file in case you start renaming and moving your files around. Since most applications handle song ratings only within their own closed environment, a reasonable way to handle this is to create a smart playlist of each rating and/or use the comments field (or another field of your choosing) to store the rating as a backup.

You can also backup primary playlists by using the Genre field if you don’t use it for library management. I only do this as another failsafe just in case files get moved or playlists get corrupted.

Personally, I don’t like how music managers handle ratings because they believe they are for “personal” use only. I really don’t care if someone finds out that I gave Lea Michelle’s “Don’t Rain On My Parade” 5 stars. But I hate going through the mindless and time-wasting process of re-rating songs whenever I decide to move between music programs. Also, if you move or rename your music files, you essentially lose the program’s song ratings and are screwed and forced to start over again.

MusicBee – a really good iTunes Alternative for Windows users

For Windows 7, I have grown accustomed to MusicBee. Though I would’ve preferred an OS-independent application, I’ve accepted this particular app for its good support for my iPod Classic 80GB. I also appreciate that the application writes the song ratings into the file’s id3 tag. I also had no issues in retrieving album art and lyrics. If you do a background check on the development of this app, what you’ll find amazing is that the project was all the work of one guy who wanted to incorporate all his favorite features from the many music managers out there into one. That’s my kind of developer!

MusicBee, itself, is pretty easy to setup. I allowed it to scan my library and imported my m3u playlists onto the interface. Then, I used the ratings playlists to batch-update the song ratings. Thankfully, I had no problems synchronizing my library with my iPod and Pre.

For now, I have my new files moved into a different directory from the files that were in my iTunes list. Eventually I will move my files to a nomenclature that suits my feel.

What’s great with most music managers (ex-iTunes) is how I can integrate the application with my favorite music site, The Hype Machine. http://hypem.com can be a crate-diggers dream since it scours reputable music blogs for music. It’s a great source to discover new music, obscure remixes, and cover songs of your favorite artists.

So when I am sampling some music in hypem through MusicBee, if I hear a song I like, I can go to the post that has the song. If songs are available for download on that page, MusicBee will recognize this and provide a menu to perform options upon the available song(s). Personally, I send it a my Dropbox folder since I can be downloading music from everywhere and I prefer a cloud location as a central place to mange new files.

I have not come up with a real OS-independent solution, which I really want, but this is a start. For the few and proud Linux users, Banshee and Amarok are probably the best choices. A windows build of Amarok is in the experimental stage, so there is hope for an OS-independent solution. Nevertheless, Banshee had a problem handling my large collection and the interface for Amarok is not as customisable as I wanted.

If I can have a music manager that does everything I need, it should be able to do the following:
1) Handle a MASSIVE music collection
2) iPod integration, especially with song ratings
3) Interfacing with various music blogs
4) album art and lyrics lookup
5) use of id3 song ratings

Unfortunately, I am not happy with how most programs handle song ratings. Songbird was the ultimate program at the time but it no longer provides iPod and Linux support and tends to be buggy. So, until then, I am still searching for that program that works in both flawlessly in windows, linux, and mac.

File Management

Ex Falso – If you fell for the trap of using Apple (iTunes) to organize your music, this tool that is part of the Quod Libet package will help you in your release from Apple-style file control. If id3 tagging holds true, then yo-u can have full control of your music library. I usually add new music to my collection in album bulks, so I wanted to reorganize my directory structure using the following expression:

/path/to/<albumartist|<albumartist>|<artist|<artist>|Unknown Artist>><album| – <album>>/<discnumber|<discnumber>-><tracknumber|<tracknumber> ><title>

Simply explained, this expression is similar to how Apple organizes its files except I like to include the album name a directory up with the artist name.

This now also becomes a great tool to use to help insert loose music files into your library, like the ones I place in my Dropbox directory. Since I hold all of my music on a Linux Server, I can run Ex Falso on the machine with no problem. I can now enjoy a full music experience knowing iTunes does not control my music library anymore.

Music Music, tech

I struggled with the initial list and the order of everything, so I didn’t feel set with my final comments and thoughts on every precious little thing that enriched the past ten years.

What I do have to start off is a sorta finalized list of lists for the year and decade. I’ll add random comments and thoughts piece by piece til the eventual final version

This WILL be the list to end all annual lists. I’m truly off this.

2009:
I’m sorry I couldn’t come up with a legitmate list of songs and albums since this year in music IMO just sucked. When the one album I considered to be the best is a nostalgic redux of memories from 1994, the industry has problems. Since I couldn’t even come up with 10 songs or 10 albums worth mentioning, I’ll leave it to that then.

2009 Albums: (WOW, I can name 10)
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2- Raekwon
A Strange Arrangement – Mayer Hawthorne
Attention Deficit – Wale
Living Things – Peter Bjorn & John
Kingdom Of Rust – Doves
The Ecstatic – Mos Def
Jay Stay Paid – J Dilla
It’s Not Me, It’s You – Lily Allen
Strict Joy – The Swell Season
Ben Folds Presents: University A Capella

2009 Songs: (It’s pathetic this was the best I could come up with !?!)
Boom boom Pow – The Black Eyed Peas
DOA (Death Of Auto-tune) – Jay-Z
Make Her Say – Kid Cudi with Kanye West, Common,and Lady Gaga
Poker Face – Lady Gaga

RIP:
Wayman Tisdale
Jay Bennett
Michael Jackson
Les Paul
DJ AM
Roc Raida

2000s

Sports Moments:
01- David Tyree!
02- Tiger’s wedge shot in the Masters
03- Aaron F’N Boone
04- Kobe against the Suns FTW
05- Mr. November
06- VC humiliates Weis
07- Bolt!
08- The Head Butt Seen Around The World
09- 6 overtimes
10- “They are who we thought they were”

TV:
13- Simpsons
12- How I Met Your Mother
11- Burn Notice
10- 24
09- Poker After Dark
08- Frontline
07- Entourage
06- The Office
05- Lost
04- Battlestar Galactica
03- The Wire
02- South Park
01- Arrested Development

Movies:
26 – 11:
Adaptation
The Dark Knight
The Hangover
Hot Fuzz
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Infernal Affairs
Lars and the Real Girl
Layer Cake
Memento
Once
Requiem for a Dream
Superbad
Team America: World Police
Thrilla In Manila
Triplettes Of Belleville
Walk the Line

10- There Will Be Blood
Paul Thomas Anderson, Upton Sinclair, Daniel-Day Lewis, and Jonny Greenwood…I was gonna like this movie even before I watched it. In case you’re wondering, no matter how much plastic is in it, nothing beats a strawberry milkshake from McDonalds

09- 2046
I haven’t watched Days of Being Wild or In the Mood For Love, yet i felt concentrated on this story that begins with one of those basic love-discovery-after-lost-love plots but then adds a freaky sci-fi twist to it all. i dunno, maybe I was watching Battlestar Galactica too much and this movie fell within the same inclinations. Though as time goes by, the movie has helped me cope with life knowing that things can never be like they were before. I’m kinda happy for that.

08- (500) Days Of Summer
Joseph-Gordon Levitt (who had a little Heath Ledger from 10 Things I Hate About You rubbed on his face and voice) plays a character who listens to more Smiths songs than an Eric Alberto in the mid 90s and falls in love with Miss World only to realize that true love can only be satisfied by someone on Derek Jeter’s hitlist. Needless to say, this sadly brilliant movie exposes a human condition that is still taking eons for emo to explain.

07- LOTR
Perhaps the greatest trilogy ever told, but it loses value knowing how hard it is to watch again and again.

06- Zoolander
the best cheap movie that brings the best cheap laughs on DVD. i say that b/c it is the movie that defines the DVD-standard. But with the proliferance of Netflix, DVD burners, the Internet, and now Blu-Ray, the DVD-standard has diminished in value. So, in my mind, the only movies worth buying these days have to meet the factors that this movie easily satisifies.

05- Street Fight
To me, Cory Booker was Obama before Obama became an everyday word. To those who already saw this documentary, the whole NJ political corruption scandal came as no surprise. It exposed the innocence and the ignorance and the mass-voting public. Politics, especially NJ politics, is a dirty game. And for good people like Cory Booker to make it through in the city I was born is the true proof of change that can happen.

04- Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
I did appreciate reading the story of Odysseus in high school. Top that with my admiration of the way the Coen Brothers tell stories and with the discovery of Robet Johnson in my musical exploration only touches the cusp of my satisfaction with this exploration.

03- The Cooler
As a Filipino-Amercian, it shouldn’t surprise anybody I grew up in a family of gamble-holics. So in the world of gambling folklore, i do believe coolers exist. Think about it for a sec, it self-help and positive meditation actually works for some people, then the total opposite should also work for some as well.

02- Eastern Promises
Perhaps the greatest fight sequence ever captured on cinema this decade. As we speak, Viggo Mortensen is the best bad-ass actor right now. Season 2 of The Wire made much more sense after watching this classic. Few movies make you want more and if there is a sequel or two for this saga, it should give the Godfather a run for its money.

01- City Of God
It was the only movie in the longest while where I walked out of the movie theatre going “WOW!”

Songs:
N.B. – Songs from Albums on the Decade list were DQ’d and filtered out
100 – 51:
1 Thing – Amerie
8 Mile – Eminem
Black and White Town – Doves
Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams – Green Day
Call Me When You’re Sober – Evanescence
CatDiesel – k-os
Check On It – Beyonce
Comin From Where I From – Anthony Hamilton
Corner Store – Brazilian Girls
Cruelist Heart – Misha
Date With A Night – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Dirt Off Your Shoulder – Jay-Z
Don’t Tell Me – Madonna
Float On – Modest Mouse
Hate To Say I Told You So – The Hives
Heartless – Kanye West / Kris Allen
Hot Thing – Talib Kweli
House Of Jealous Lovers – The Rapture
If I Was Your Woman – Alicia Keys
Let’s Get Blown – Snoop Dogg
Make Her Say – Kid Cudi with Kanye, Common and Lady Gaga
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
Mr. Tough – Yo La Tengo
Poker Face – Lady Gaga
Hate To Say I Told You So – The Hives
Right As Rain – Adele
Ringa Ringa – A.R. Rahman
Rock Co.Kane Flow – De La Soul feat MF Doom
Say It To Me Now – Glen Hansard
Shake ft Pitbull – Ying Yang Twins
Shake A Fist – Hot Chip
Shiver – Coldplay
Smile – Lily Allen
Southern Hospitality – Ludacris
Steady As She Goes – The Raconteurs
Stick – Rhymefest
Summertime (remix) – Beyonce feat Ghostface Killah
Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
Tomorrow Come Today – Gorillaz
US Placers – Lupe, Kanye and Pharrell
Way I Are – Timbaland / Keri Hilson & D.O.E.
We Gonna Make it – Jadakiss
What We Do – Freeway feat Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel
What You Know – TI
What’s the Altitude (Feat. Hymnal) – Cut Chemist
Whine Up – Kat Meluna
Wordless Chorus – My Morning Jacket
World Of Vibrations – Blackalicious
You Don’t Know My Name – Alicia Keys
You! Me! Dancing! – Los Campesions!

050- There There – Radiohead
049- Gasolina – Daddy Yankee
048- My Love – Justin Timberlake featuring TI
047- Down And Out – Cam’Ron
046- We Tigers – Animal Collective
045- Guess Who’s Back – Scarface feat. Jay-z, Beanie Sigel and Kanye West
044- Dude – Beenie Man ft. Ms Thing
043- Lookin Fly – Murs feat. Will.i.am
042- My Favorite Mutiny – The Coup with Black Thought and Talib Kweli
041- You’ll Find A Way (Switch and Sinden Remix) – Santogold
040- Is That Your Chick – Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, Twista, Missy
039- 99 Problems (Danger Mouse – The Grey Album version) – Jay-Z
038- I Turn My Camera On – Spoon
037- DOA (Death Of Auto-tune) – Jay-Z
036- Lady Don’t Tek No – Latryx
035- Live Your Life – TI/Rihanna
034 -Can’t Get You Out Of My Head – Kylie Minogue
033- Gold Digger – Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx
032- Backstage Girl – DJ Shadow feat. Phonte
031- In The End – Linkin Park
030- Hate It Or Love It – The Game
029- International Players Anthem – UGK & Outkast
028- Flashing Lights – Kanye West
027- Feel This Way – Consequence feat John Legend
026- Island in The Sun – Weezer
025- Champion – Kanye West
024- Brand New Day – Dizzee Rascal
023- Get Ur Freak On – Missy Elliot
022- Chop Suey – System Of A Down
021- Streets On Fire – Lupe Fiasco
020 -This Is The Way – Devendra Banhart
019- God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash
018- Ooh Wee – Mark Ronson with Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg & Trife
017- She’s Got You High – Mumm-Ra
016- Inside And Out – Feist
015- Young Boy – The Clipse
014- Forever For Her (Is Over For Me) – The White Stripes
013- Newness – Musiq
012- Dream – Alice Smith
011- No One Knows – Queens Of The Stone Age
010- Valerie – Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse
009- Be – Common
008- Come On! Feel the Illinoise! – Sufjan Stevens
007- Renegades Of Funk – Rage Against The Machine
006- Rising Up – The Roots (Feat. Wale and Chrisette Michele)
005- Behind These Hazel Eyes – Kelly Clarkson
004- Allure – Jay-Z & The Notorious B.I.G. (Ratatat remix)
003- You Know I’m No Good – Ghostface/Amy Winehouse
002- If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
001- Try Again – Aaliyah

Albums:

A50- Voodoo – D’Angelo – January 11, 2000
Where have you been, man????

A49- Blazing Arrow – Blackalicious – April 30, 2002
Gift of Gab is still underrated.

A48- A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay – August 27, 2002
I would have forever adored this album if it wasn’t followed up by that lame Kid A knock-off.

A45- Frank – Amy Winehouse – December 2, 2003
A46- Back In Black – Amy Winehouse – December 19, 2006
I like to call these album a great interpretation of what makes American R&b so brilliant and how it reached the voice of a British temptress

A44- Shine – Estelle – April 29, 2008
I like to call this album a great observation of what makes American R&b so brilliant through the eyes of a British temptress that didn’t drop dead yet

A43- Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem – May 23, 2000
The boy has charm.

A41- Think Differently Presents Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture – October 18, 2005
Wu-tang style hooks mixed with the best rappers to have never flossed on MTV. Through it all this is the direction rap should be heading.

A37- Good Morning Aztlan – Los Lobos – June 4, 2002
I’ve been a sucker for this band since hearing Kiko and the Lavender Moon. To me, this crew from East LA is the most bold despite keeping to its traditional musical reference.

A35- Rather Ripped – Sonic Youth – June 13, 2006
Some bands like this group can tend to bring an ugly distaste very quickly. But this is a legendary band that has grown on me. While this release may be their first foray into more conventional songwriting, it was truly appreciated.

A34- Kid A – Radiohead – April 28, 2001
A38- In Rainbows – Radiohead – October 10, 2007
A51- Amnesiac – Radiohead – June 5, 2001
Forever the standard bearers of how to make an album

A33- Return To Cookie Mountain – TV On The Radio July 3, 2006
In terms of alternative music, the album sat at its apex.

A31- Writer’s Block – Peter Bjorn and John – June 19, 2006
Something about Swedes making good indie music tends to stick in yer mind.

A30- You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine – Death From Above 1979 – October 26, 2004
Literally a drum-and-bass band, it was the hardest rock album to come out this decade

A29- 100 Days, 100 Nights – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – October 2, 2007
I am a sucker for funk. If you felt that there was not enough funk in music, then you should listen to this album immediately.

A27- Fishscale – Ghostface Killah – March 28, 2006
A40- Supreme Clientele – Ghostface Killah – January 25, 2000
A47- The Pretty Toney Album – Ghostface – April 20, 2004
If there was no Hova, Tony Starks should be the greatest rapper of the decade. Not afraid to bust a bar at a grown-man level, he’s not afraid to make a point even if the verse don’t rhyme.

A26- The College Dropout – Kanye West – February 10, 2004
He’s a douchebag, but what will forever make him genius is this album.

A25- Extraordinary Machine – Fiona Apple – October 4, 2005
Perfection was hard to come by in this album. Little did we know that ruggedness and grit were essential in making this album feel complete.

A23- Food & Liquor – Lupe Fiasco – September 19, 2006
Something about young, brash rapper doin his thing. It only hurt me that he couldn’t recite some classic Tribe lyrics.

A21- Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea – PJ Harvey – October 24, 2001
Very few artists can do city landscapes right. Though I’m not a fan of here total repertoire, I got hooked by the grit and poetry of a theme I’m too familiar with.

A20- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon – July 10, 2007
My biggest concert regret was no going out to see this group for free in Battery Park. I’m still waiting for the opportunity of them being back in the city.

A17- Kaya – MIA – August 20, 2007
A32- Arular – MIA – March 22, 2005
Even with a “ballad” like Paper Planes, if there was one album that would designated as the wordly club-banger, Kaya is it.

A16- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast – September 23, 2003
A19- Stankonia – Outkast – October 31, 2000
Whether you were bumping the radio, blasting the tele, diving at a bar, or chillin in the strip club, it was hard to get away from this album. perhaps the most important double album to come out since Life After Death, hip-hop officially became part of artistic lexicon.

A15- Don’t Give Up On Me – Solomon Burke – July 23, 2002
Let it to one of the Soul Clan to show how a pure Blues album is meant to sound. Even with great songwriting credits from Van Morrsion, Elvis Costello, and Bob Dylan, no one was able to hit the blues note like Solomon did even after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

A14- Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine – Cee-Lo – March 2, 2004
A42- St. Elsewhere – Gnarls Barkley – May 9, 2006
As a member of the Goodie Mob, he was known as the rapper that embodied. But before people got there his Otis Redding chops on Crazy, it was this masterpiece of an album that purely explored what Cee-Lo could bring to the table in terms of vocals and lyrics.

A13- The Minstrel Show – Little Brother – September 13, 2005
A24- Murray’s Revenge – Murs & 9th Wonder – March 21, 2006
A39- The Listening – Little Brother – February 25, 2003
Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh, 9th Wonder…perhaps the greatest thing to happen to North Carolina since Michael Jordan figured out that thing with his tongue. The at quick glance, you may picture this trio as a modern-day Run DMC trio, 9th Wonder has definitely moved onto to becoming one hip-hop’s superproducers. Don;t get me wrong, the other two will get by spitting bars as LB, but it was thier combination that made The Minstrel Show and The Listening contain unforgettable hooks and beats.

A12- The Stand-ins – Okkervil River – September 9, 2008
A22- The Stage Names – Okkervil River – August 7, 2007
Will Sheff is a brilliant songwriter. He’s so brilliant, his songs echo too much of the the expository grittiness that is Blood On The Tracks. His lyrics are to be listened to. They are not just sung.

A11- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips – July 16, 2002
Oh, Yoshimi. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve thought there was a virtue in always being cool. Only then did I realize that everyone will have their last day.

A10- Phrenology – The Roots – November 26, 2002
There’s no hip-hop without a beat, and there’s no rock without a drum. Questlove is the icon of what’s great about music. There’s no denying this album makes your brain think. Though the drummer is the feature, everybody has a star worth shining. Whether it’s a concert or a gig with Jimmy Fallon, the Roots have always been worth the price of admission.

A09- Donuts – J Dilla – February 7, 2006
You would never think an album comprising of a bunch of beats would lead somewhere. But when a hip-hop producing legend turns a beat album into a revolving concept on hip-hop and life, you have no choice but to take it all in as you search for that vinyl that made you understand the concept of warmth. The album flies by but the sounds and beats are forever endless in your mind.

A08- Is This It? – The Strokes – September 25, 2001
The sound is nostalgic yet modern. Which is why despite all the naysayers of the band, it’s the music that provides a metro aspect that’s attainable by all listeners.

A07- Madvilliany – Madvillian (MF Doom/Madlib) – March 23, 2004
This is the greatest hip-hop find that did not get played on Hot97. DOOM remains one of the most insightful emcees to the mic while Madlib is one of the most innovative beat junkies

A06- Welcome To Jamrock – Damien Marley – September 13, 2005
It’s rare to find a dancehall reggae album worth listening to these days. But when you are the son of the Legend and already have R&B and hip-hop artists giving you props, it gets your name known. It also helps that your brother Stephen is also one of the greatest producers of the decade.

A05- In Search Of…(Version 2) – NERD – March 12, 2002
As the Neptunes became commonplace in the pop world, their attempt into live instrumentation seem to come as an effect of the Legendary Roots Crew upon the available audience. As a result, the modification was welcomed to an originally bland mix of tracks.

A04- White Blood Cells – The White Stripes – July 3, 2001
A36- Elephant – The White Stripes – April 1, 2003
A52- De Stijl – The White Stripes – Jun 20, 2000
When I first heard “Fell In Love With A Girl,” I was hooked. I immediately went to the record store (of those that still remained) and bought every album by them. From that, it’s easy to say that Jack White is one of the greatest songwriters of this era

A03- The Blueprint – Jay-Z – September 11, 2001
A28- American Gangster – Jay-Z – November 6, 2007
It ain’t Reasonable Doubt (yeah, I said it), but if you had problems accepting Hova as one of the greatest, this was the album that put him on the list. The album also made names of Kanye West and Just Blaze and made people realize the pure significance of beat makers and crate diggers in hip-hop. As someone who lived in NYC, the first half of the decade, post-9/11 didn’t really bring a whole lot of new in the world. This album did and made you look beyond what you observe and see things beyond what was there. In order to see the world for what it is, you had to be bold in your steps without changing. The Blueprint was a change in hip-hop that was needed. But then again, music still happens in cycles.

A02- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco – April 23, 2002
A18- A Ghost Is Born – Wilco – June 22, 2004
The next Americana band work on their most impactful release. The lead singer asks a major contributor to leave thinking he’s way over his head even though his contribution made their sound complete. Big label shelves album only to have one of it’s smaller labels pick it up because of the Internet buzz and outcry. What results is one the greatest American rock albums to hit our ears.

A01- The Headphone Masterpiece – Cody ChesnuTT – 2002
It may not be a perfectly crafted album, but it’s definitely one of the most influential pieces I have heard. And through this lo-fi project, its flaws is what make it entertaining. And while true fans wait for Cody’s next release, we resort and wait while our only sources for recent material only come from AXE commercials and and appearance on Dave Chapelle’s Block Party which wasn’t featured on the OST. When I first played this album, I took the title by heart and pumped it through some headphones. Walking around staring at chicks with “Bitch I’m Broke” blasting only intensified my appreciation, I remember the A-Team pumping Batman Vs. Blackman on repeat on the way to Jamie’s wedding in West Virginia. I would have loved to see him live wherever Cody ChesnuTT. But until that happens, all I have is this album.

Uncategorized 2000s, 2009, Music

Gotta a nice fresh copy of windows 7, so I decided to take it for a ride. I’m generally impressed with what eventually installed on my computer.

Some thoughts:

1- The hardest part was the installation since it would freeze sometimes. I had to disconnect all unnecessary USB drives, format the partition where I was going to drop the OS and, after three attempts, finally got the installation to go through, which, when it ran flawlessly, ran quick.

2- Did not have to install drivers for the Abit mobo or ATX video card. Windows finally comes with a rotating wallpaper option which I am loving at the moment. No need for a buggy Perl script.

3- Had initial issue installing Google Chrome and Earth but all I had to do was clear out a registry key and all was good.

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=3e21b818005d5a12&hl=en

4- Firefox crashed a few times, but that hasn’t occurred recently.

5- iTunes is a pain to setup on a clean system even with using the backup version of my iTunes config files. then again my collection is huge, so that’s probably only a personal issue.

6- Like the improvements with the OSX-ish taskbar

7- Ultraedit brings compatability issues messages when trying to install, but that’s fixable with the compatability options in Windows7.  I don’t mind the new version of wordpad though.

8- Haven’t tested VirtualBox yet, but we will find out soon if I have less headaches with it compared with Vista

9- Windows+Tab is so much better that Alt+Tab

10- The snap feature doesn’t really help when you have multiple displays.

I will probably be driving this OS for a little while more, finally get rid of Vista, but then check out the new Ubuntu version when it’s officially released.

So far, so good. Let me know your thoughts if you are also playing along in the Windows7 world.

Uncategorized

1- Remember The Time
2- PYT (Pretty Young Thing)
3- Got To Be There
4- Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough
5- Billie Jean
6- Off The Wall
7- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
8- I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
9- Rock With You
10- In The Closet
11- Smooth Criminal
12- You Are Not Alone
13- The Way You Make Me Feel
14- Man In The Mirror
15- Another Part Of Me

…May the artist whom we respected as the King of Pop live forever through us all.

Music Music