Friday, May 31, 2013

0 Vic Mensa - Orange Soda (music video)

Showing a little love to one of Chicago's own, and a Hyde Parker, Vic Mensa.  The name should sound familiar to you since Vic was the flow on Kids These Days and featured on Chance the Rapper's Acid Rap mixtape that damn-near everyone has been raving about.




Wednesday, May 29, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today (5-29-13)

Cubs-White Sox are on TV and a thunderstorm is gonna roll in tonight before Chicago has some real summer heat without the wretched mugginess.  Jay and I are taking someone to task on Facebook.  Jameelah is looking for a book to read in the summer and YOU are probably wondering what is on the internet today for your edification!  We got you covered.

John Hope Franklin: Apologies aren't enough - Indyweek
olufunke moses

Selling Food Stamps for Kids' Shoes - ColorLines
Seth Freed Wessler

Will and Jaden Smith Give Fucking Insane Interview About Patterns - Gawker
Caity Weaver

Notes on Elevating the Conversation about African-American Film - Indie Wire
Daniel Garrett

Then Vs. Now: Chicago 1963 - Buzzfeed
Brian Galindo

What sex means for world peace - Open Democracy
Heather Mcrobie

But Austerity Works So Well! - American Prospect
Gershom Gorenberg

When Black Kids Want to Learn and the World Tells Them 'No' - The Nation
Mychal Denzel Smith

Houston Is Unstoppable: Why Texas' Juggernaut Is America's #1 Job Creator - The Atlantic
Derek Thompson

The 11 Most Fascinating Charts From Mary Meeker's Epic Slideshow of Internet Trends - The Atlantic
Derek Thompson

Let's Be Clear: Establishing a 'No-Fly Zone' Is an Act of War - The Atlantic
Conor Friedersdorf

Why the Clinton Scandals Were a Bigger Deal Than the Obama Ones - The Atlantic
Garance Franke-Ruta

America's Top Colleges Have a Rich-Kid Problem - The Atlantic
Jordan Weissmann


Monday, May 27, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today (5-27-13)

First and foremost, we would like to recognize the contribution of those for whom Memorial Day exists.  We would have said "Thanks" but my buddy who is a Marine, Vijay, said that is one of the most difficult things to say to someone who has served and he wished people wouldn't say thank you as much as they would just recognize his service.

Global War on Terror, R.I.P. - The Nation
Bob Dreyfuss

The AP's Privacy, and Ours - The Nation
David Cole

The Secret Donors Behind the Center for American Progress and Other Think Tanks - The Nation
Ken Silverstein

Letter to 'The Nation' From a Young Radical - The Nation
Bhaskar Sunkara

College Grads Are Jobless In China's 'High Growth' Economy - Forbes
Gordon G. Chang

How to Save the GOP - The Atlantic
Molly Ball

Ryanair: Is it really Europe's most punctual airline? - BBC
Charlotte McDonald

Ask Alison: When to Get a Number, Replacing Dogs, and Long-Distance Confrontation - The Atlantic
Alison Agosti

The World Still Needs American Muscle - Real Clear World
Robert Kaplan

The Promise of Africa - Real Clear World
Ian Shapiro

Five Television Shows Shaping World Politics - Real Clear World

Wayne Miller, Photographer Who Captured Black Chicago, Dies - NPR
Allison Keyes

Europe to demand structural reform over austerity - Guardian
Reuters

PA: No political concessions for economic benefit - Jerusalem Post
Staff

Trying to Revive Mideast Talks, Kerry Pushes Investment Plan for West Bank - New York Times
Michael R. Gordon and Jodi Rudoren

Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Dad - Wall Street Journal
Laura Kreutzer

Who Will Crack the Code? - New York Times
David Leonhardt

California Faces a New Quandry, Too Much Money - New York Times
Adam Nagourney

Every Trader and Investor Should Be Watching the Dollar - Minyanville
Tom Pizzuti and Kurt Hulse

via Real Clear World

Sunday, May 26, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today (5-26-13)

Saturday, May 25, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today (5-25-13): Champion's League Final Edition

I should be at my friend's graduation party right now but the Champions League final already started so that's that.
In the early minutes, I found a few links that might add a little color to your viewing (because, you know, you should be watching it).  Hat-tip to my buddy, Victor, for hooking me up with the Klopp article on Dortmund.  Sam didn't do the same for Bayern so I guess these links will have a little Dortmund slant.
I'm still reeling over Real's loss but the news that Real will likely (hopefully) pull Bale over the summer is huge (especially considering how Barça are so close to signing Neymar).

Jurgen Klopp rallies neutrals to support 'special' Borussia Dortmund - The Guardian
Donald McRae

Germany continue reign in Europe - ESPN
Ulli Hesse

They think it's all über: London braces for an all-Germany final - The Guardian
Owen Gibson

Champions League Final Does Not Mark Start of a German Era - New York Times
Rob Hughes

10 Things to Know for the Champions League final between Bayern and Dortmund - Fox News
Associated Press

One Team. One Game. One Dream. - YouTube
Borussia Dortmund


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today (5-21-13)


Now that I'm back in Chicago, I should be able to update more often but no promises.  I have to read a book for TFA and get my butt in shape!  Before continuing to the list of links below, take a minute to check out my buddy, Fred's, Crowd Tilt page as he tries to bike across America.  Seriously, Fred is spending his summer before he starts revolutionizing our lives in Palo Alto doing a major service project so have a peek at what he is up to!

Baccalaureate Student Address - Tufts Now
Kristen Ford

Life Lessons in Fighting the Culture of Bullshit - The Atlantic
Jon Lovett

The Earth-Shatteringly Amazing Speech That'll Change The Way You Think About Adulthood - Upworthy
Alvin Melathe

You're Fucked, But You're Free: A Message to the Class of 2013 - Deadspin
Drew Magary

How the Obama Administration Talks to Black America - The Atlantic
Ta-Nehisi Coates

Dear First Lady and President, - Cold Drank
Kiese Laymon

An Increasingly Unchecked Surveillance State - Al Jazeera
Murtaza Hussain

Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories" is a Lovely-Sounding Retirement Record - The Atlantic
Spencer Kornhaber

When Affirmative Action Ends - The Economist
******* Fuck the Economist *********

The Economic Geography of America's Abortion Wars - The Atlantic Cities
Richard Florida

NBA Trade Value, Part 3 - Grantland
Bill Simmons

How to Fix Journalism's Class and Color Crisis - The Nation
Farai Chideya

Facebook, One Year Later: What Really Happened in the Biggest IPO Flop Ever - The Atlantic
Khadeeja Safdar

The Suburbanization of Poverty - The Atlantic: Cities
Emily Badger

The Tragically Brief Life and Cruel Death of Malcolm Shabazz - The Nation
Dave Zirin

image via Deadspin

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today: (5-15-13)

Hump day news round up and some tunes to jam to: 









Now Jam: 

Solange - Looks Good With Trouble feat. Kendrick Lamar


Usher- Climax (Madeaux Remix)

Monday, May 13, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today: (5-13-13)


Been a nice weekend here in the Hub, here's some news that's been bubbling:

Map Shows How Racist Twitter Really Is by Evette Dionne, Clutch 

The Rise of Beyoncé, The Fall of Lauryn Hill: A Tale of Two IconsJanell Hobson, FeministWire.com 

The Great Gatsby Movie Needed to Be More Gay, , Noah Berlatsky, The Atlantic

 Can A White Guy Represent For His People?, Channing Kennedy, CodeSwitch, NPR

'Seeking Asian Female' Takes A Close Look At A Fetish, Kat Chow, CodeSwitch, NPR






also Kendrick Lamar's B*tch Don't Kill My Vibe [Explicit] video

Friday, May 10, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today: Finals Distraction Early Morning Edition (5-10-13)

Check up on it, more thought provoking news and music musings as we awake on the last day of finals:


No More Fake News, Luke O'Neil, New Republic


How labels like 'black' and 'working class' shape your identity, Adam Alter, The Week
Proof that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Had Assimilated? He Spoke Black, John McWhorter, The New Republic
On Behalf Of [BLANK] People Everywhere ... Gene Demby, NPR

Hip-hop’s infatuation with Assata Shakur: It’s complicated Chuck 'Jigsaw' Creekmur, The Grio

Shonda Rhimes on TV’s Lack of Diversity: ‘I Think It’s Sad, and Weird, and Strange’, Jamilah King, Colorlines

Images of a Scarred Chicago, Jozen Cummings, The Root

Live in Infamy, Hamza Shaban in New Inquiry, posted by 3QuarksDaily.com 

also, I haven't been to sleep in approaching 20 hours so: 




Thursday, May 9, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today (5-9-13)

So close to being done with my undergraduate career -- had to clear the tabs again.

The Ghetto is Public Policy (May 9, 2013) - The Atlantic
Ta-Nehisi Coates

Social Power and the Central Park Five - The Atlantic
Ta-Nehisi Coates

A Good Reason to Leave New York - The Atlantic
Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Last Empire? - The Nation
Tom Englehardt

Infographic: Is Your State's Highest-Paid Employee a Coach? - Deadspin
Reuben Fischer-Baum

The End of Hands-Off Hillary - Politico
Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman

Draft Farm Bill aids pork, beef lobbies - Politico
David Rodgers

Thoreau's Radicalism and the Fight Against the Fossil-Fuel Industry - The Nation
Wen Stephenson

The Price: Sex, Death and Dhaka - The Nation
JoAnn Wypijewski

As Semester Winds Down, Divestment Heats Up - The Nation
Kevin Proft and StudentNation

Our Elections Really Are Rigged -- by Gerrymandering and Districting Abuses - The Nation
John Nichols

Does Michigan's Emergency-Manager Law Disenfranchise Black Citizens? - The Atlantic
Chris Lewis

The Hidden Geography of America's Surging Suicide Rate - The Atlantic Cities
Richard Florida

Jason Richwine's Racial Theories Are Nothing New - The Atlantic
Garance Franke-Ruta

Ending the Culture of Impunity on Military Rape - The Atlantic
Garance Franke-Ruta

0 What We're Reading Today: Finals Distraction Wee Hours Edition (5-9-13)




So, I have another 20 page paper due on Friday at 5pm. I'm reading, watching, and listening to these things instead. 

Read:
Census: Black Voting Surpassed White In 2012, Matt Stiles, NPR


The Surprising Sartorial Culture Of Congolese 'Sapeurs', Angela Evancie, NPR


Where’s the fund for these victims? Margery Eagan, The Boston Herald


An Open Letter From AssataAssata Shakur, Revolutionary Frontlines [MUST READ]


OMG. The Great SOCIAL MEDIA IMPLOSION of 2013, ChartGirl


Escorting Stacey, Josh Ryley






Listen:

Franke Leone – It’s Love, first heard: FakeShoreDrive

Kendrick Lamar- Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe (Madeaux Remix), Soundcloud

Daft Punk – Get Lucky (George Barnett Cover), Youtube

Amerie - Why Dont We Fall In Love Kaytranada Edition, WhenWeDip.com


Theophilus London Ft. Menahan Street Band – Rio (Video), BreakOnACloud.com 

Update: I have 8 pages of this work done. 





Wednesday, May 8, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today: Finals Distraction Morning Edition (5-8-13)

Instead of the pressing 15-pager due in 5 hours, I've been reading the news and watching music videos for the last 2 hours. 



Are We Laughing With Charles Ramsey? -
Gene Demby, National Public Radio
What Charles Ramsey and Amanda Berry KnewAmy Davidson,The New Yorker
A Look at African-American Trans Trailblazers -Monica Roberts, aka the TransGriot, Essence
Suicide By Cop -David von Ebers This Week in Blackness
The Defamation and Assassination of Ms. Lauryn Hill -Eco.Soul.International, rippdemup.com
Obama Administration Rejects Science in Morning-After Pill Appeal -Chloe Angyal, MSNBC
A Black Jockey At The Kentucky Derby, Once Again - Gabe Bullard, National Public Radio









"Smoke Again" Chance the Rapper (ft. Ab Soul)




 

"Q.U.E.E.N." Janelle Monae (ft. Erykah Badu) 



Tuesday, May 7, 2013

0 Terror in America: A Suite in Black and Brown


            On April 15, 2013, just after 3pm, getting home from a lazy day in the dining hall, I was 9 years old again and it was the second day of school. Early September of 2001, I had just moved out of my Los Angeles suburb and was commuting two hours to school every morning. California traffic satiated by colorful conversations over spelling word with my mommy. It was the terror in my mother’s face as her mother calls her before western sunrise. My mother turns on the radio, for the first time. The red Ford Explorer which had carried us from Baldwin Hills to Pasadena to the Valley to Church and beyond had never required the radio. Static turned to reggaeton to voices. Terse and cold and relating the news. Terror attacks in New York City and Washington DC. We knew nothing of safety. My aunt, who worked in the second tower. My uncle who lived less than 2 miles from the Pentagon.  I didn’t know what terror was or who it looked like. News radio, on repeat creating solutions, and images of terror. The radio stayed silent for the next 12 years and the news was an occasional torture. On April 15, 2013, just after 3pm, getting home from a lazy day in the dining hall, I was 8 days from turning 21, and trauma swallowed me back to prepubescent terror. Back to before I knew the terror that I carried on my back.
I learned how dangerous my body was in the formidable years when after terror convinced America to “unify”. My mom didn’t want me to live in fear of flying so I went to my Uncle’s in DC for winter break just months after terror was painted brown in my purview. Just months later, I was boarding an airplane. This biannual feat had become and easy routine but this time I carried more than my Lakers duffle with a week’s worth of winter clothes. I carried terror in child’s small purple and gold hoodie.
For the first time white hands examined my body. I learned the difference between touch and frisk, and that Brown bodies meant Black Bodies. I was 10 then and unaware of the terror I carried. In 2011, 684,000 Black and Brown men were stopped and frisked in New York City (this figure unfortunately erasing the thousands of Black and Brown women and queer person). Thousands of black and brown bodies carrying terror. Black and Brown bodies are the backdrop of media concentrated, politically moderated news. On April 15, 2013, just after 3pm, getting home from a lazy day in the dining hall, I saw white terror fade to black.
We have been living in a year of white terror. From Connecticut suburbia, to Wisconsin faith centers, to Mile-High City massacres. And for a moment white terror swept the nation. For a moment. It began as white faces, in loop, under baseball caps, on newsreels. Unknown were the terrors on their backs, sitting in the wings. White brothers became Russian, became Eastern European, and became Brown Bodies. Their names butchered and charred by local news and colored as terror, as brown. They interview Black and Brown bodies to classify and categorize this new problem with race and terror. When white bodies hold brown terror, what do we do? It fits so nicely on premature Black boys in Los Angeles Airports. On Brown families in Arizona for looking illegal. On countless colored bodies. Your terror fits on them.
I do not discredit the nationalism that swept America in 2001 and Boston in recent weeks. I love Boston; its complicated histories and present day problems. But Boston and this nation in times of terror will return to the bodies on which it fits. We live in a world where a Charles Ramsey, is genuinely dumbfounded when a terrorized white woman ran to him for help. Where Kiera Wilmot’s curiosity is criminalized and silenced. Where potentially exonerating DNA evidence is not used for Willie Jerome Manning on death row.  On April 15, 2013, just after 3pm, getting home from a lazy day in the dining hall, I was reminded how terror fits on my body. On my frame, in my hoodie, in my locs. At all moments, bodies of color, female bodies, queer bodies carry the terror.
How do we carry the terror? We nurture it in ways only we know how. We sip wine and listen to Erykah preach. We download Chance the Rapper and blog about it. We find girlfriends to watch a whole season of Basketball wives. We practice self-care both political and personal. We breathe in our own ways. We heal in our own ways. Consider the terrors you carry, the bodies you place terror on and the healing that your body may need.

0 What We're Reading Today: Finals Distraction Edition (5-7-13)


What We're Reading Today: Finals Distraction Edition. We know you need an excuse to not do your work and Facebook just isn't cutting it.

When you're done reading you should list to The Great Gatsby Soundtrack because it is quite literally everything you want and need... and then some.


Stop ‘Rescuing’ African Children Through Corrupt Adoptions
Tarikuwa Lemma; Clutch Magazine

Dear Glenn Beck: NRA gun, confederate lore have nothing in common with King
Blair L.M. Kelley; TheRoot.com

Despite Apologies from Racist Frat, UC Irvine Black Students Stick to Demands
Omar Rick; Feminist Wire

Another Flat-Earth Argument About Immigration’s Economic Drain
Seth Freed Wessler; Colrorlines

USAID develops a bad reputation among some foreign leaders
Paul Ritcher; Los Angeles TImes

David Grosso Redskins Name Change: D.C. Councilmember Sends Letter To Daniel Snyder
Will Wrigley; Huffington Post

Monday, May 6, 2013

1 STUDY FINDS: Loewenstein, Roy - He has "Hella" Facebook Likes

In an informal study, Snakes on McCain has found that Roy Loewenstein has had a drastic improvement to his number of Facebook "likes" for his profile pictures since late 2011.  You can click to expand the picture.


We are calling this the "Santa phenomenon"due to the meteoric rise to the sharp increase in number of Facebook "likes" since Roy posted the famous "Dappin' up Santa" photo (found below).



Likes Year
1 5 2007
2 0 2008
3 1 2008
4 0 2008
5 0 2008
6 0 2009
7 0 2009
8 36 2009
9 5 2009
10 6 2010
11 4 2010
12 3 2010
13 6 2010
14 3 2010
15 5 2010
16 4 2010
17 8 2010
18 3 2010
19 0 2010
20 8 2010
21 1 2010
22 4 2011
23 4 2011
24 14 2011
25 6 2011
26 4 2011
27 212 2011
28 1 2012
29 23 2012
30 97 2012
31 83 2012
32 110 2012
33 91 2013
34 23 2013
35 6 2013
36 118 2013

Sunday, May 5, 2013

0 A Bunch of Reviews About Chance the Rapper's Acid Rap (Stream)

I have been listening to this mixtape incessantly for the past 24 hours.  I had it playing in the library.  Listened to it on my way home.  Put it on at the pregame and then found the music at the party I went to and changed it to this.  I'm tossing up a bunch of reviews that endorse what I had ot say about the album.  This is so. damn. good.

Mixtape review: Chance the Rapper's stellar, infinite 'Acid Rap' - LA Times
Randall Roberts

Chance the Rapper Talks The Chicago Scene & His "Acid Rap" Mixtape - Hip Hop DX
Dan Rys

Q&A: Chance the Rapper Talks 'Acid Rap' Mixtape, LSD Trips and Working With Skrillex and RZA - Vibe
Shannon Powell

What Makes Chance the Rapper's New Tape So Hot? - Complex
David Drake

Another tab of Acid Rap: More nuggets about Chance the Rapper's life, music, and forthcoming mixtape - Chicago Reader
Leo Galil

Chance the Rapper Talks 'Acid Rap' Mixtape & Navigating Major Labels - Billboard
Reggie Ugwu

Chance the Rapper, 'Acid Rap' -- Mixtape Review - The Drop.fm
Brittny Pierre

VIBE & RapGenius Present: 10 Dopest Lines From Chance the Rapper's 'Acid Rap' Mixtape - Vibe
Gavin Matthews







Friday, May 3, 2013

0 What We're Reading Today (5-3-13)

I have accumulated too many tabs because I keep opening links but not reading them because of finals.  Ugh.  This is terrible.  So I'm basically just dumping all these links onto this post from the past week.  Enjoy!  Honestly, I haven't even read most of these yet.  WOMP.  THIS IS NOT HOW SENIOR YEAR IS SUPPOSED TO BE.

How the Media Have Misunderstood Dzhokar Tsarnaev's Miranda Rights - The Atlantic
Adam Goodman

Who is Defending Austerity Now? - The Atlantic
Matthew O'Brien

Hey, White Liberals: A Word on the Boston Bombings, The Suffering of White Children, And The Erosion of Empathy - Black Girl Dangerous
Mia McKenzie

A History of Liberal White Racism - The Atlantic
Ta-Nehisi Coates

A History of Liberal White Racism Cont. - The Atlantic
Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Search for Decolonial Love, Part I - Boston Review
Paula M.L. Moya

Boaters - The Rumpus
Randa Jarrar

Jason Collins Is the Envy of Straight Men Everywhere - The Stranger
Sherman Alexie

Why American Education Fails - Foreign Affairs
Jal Mehta

EU to Shrink Further into Recession - Al Jazeera

No Rich Child Left Behind - New York Times
Sean F. Reardon

Israel isn't happy about Google's decision to recognize Palestine - Foreign Policy
Elias Groll

My Thoughts on this Whole Danny Brown Oral Sex Thing - Noisey
Kitty Pryde

Terrorist Hunt Sends America Over the Edge - New Yorker
John Cassidy

Reddit: Chicago - Reddit

Via Hip Hop Wire

 

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