These are worth looking at even if one is not inclined to vote. The world is such a diverse place, it’s so easy to get pigeon holed though… This obviously isn’t a shining star in the pusuit to illustrate that point, but a nice packaged glimpse at what I know I sometimes overlook.

In other super exciting news, I found that I can get rates of $.0175 per min for a half million minutes a month to the UK! This is fun because I was asked to find an alternative to a VOIP solution that’s currently in use, and VOIP is classically much cheaper than traditional switched networks (though not mature and plagued with QOS issues). Took 3 weeks to get that, and it’s $.009 better than the VOIP. At 690,000 minutes, that actually means a little. What it means in reality though;

I AM THE MAN!

heh… No comments please, let me bask…

IKEA SOMERVILLE.

A long and twisted story. Just look at the timeline!

Damn, I accidentally erased everything I had just typed…. guess I’ll retype it all…

So, I’ve been gone all weekend with a coworker (Scott) down at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Jose and visiting my parents and brother in Palo Alto/Sunnyvale.

Gas prices are about $2.10 for the cheap stuff down there. In Portland they are about $1.90 or so (but might be higher now since I last looked 5 days ago).

While down there, I saw a bootleg copy of Hero, Jet Li’s new HK movie which came out about a month or two ago. It was pretty good, definitely better than most if not all of Jet’s American films. Breathtaking cinematography; it was heavily influenced by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The characters weren’t as well developed I thought, but still worth checking out if you get the chance. I’d love to see this movie in theaters or at least a legit copy since the one we saw was done with a video camera and the contrast was set too high so details were lost in the bright and dark areas. What was the worst, though, was the guy with a chronic cough who must’ve been sitting right next to the camera. I don’t get why the pirates didn’t redo it…

Scott and I went over to my friend Song Gong’s house for a bit, after the three of us went to the conference expo together, and we watched my brother’s copy of Shaolin Soccer. My god, this movie was excellent. Released back in 2001, they keep pushing back the US release date, now slated for August 2003. Go watch this in theaters when it comes out. Or do like I did and buy the DVD from some Asian movie place.

Coincidentally, Chris, I had Krispy Kreme fresh for the first time on Sunday, too. I’ve had it before like a few hours old; not the same! Robin ate a dozen or so of them over the course of a weekend last time we were down in the Bay Area; they didn’t impress me then. This time, right as we (my friend Song Gong and I) walked in, they handed us each a free donut. Still hot, melt in your mouth. Pretty darn good. We ended up getting half a dozen more, but I brought three of those up for Robin.

While Scott and I initially went for the conference, we really went down for the food. On Scott’s list was In-N-Out. On my list were Hot Pot City (pictured above… no I don’t know who those people are) and Ba Mu Yuen (my best guess for the English version of their name) which is a place that serves Chinese hot beef noodle soup.

So, Hot Pot City is kinda like Chang’s except that you bring all the raw meat and seafood and noodles and stuff over to your own table and dump it all in this pot of boiling water. Around the pot is a flat grill covered in tin foil where you can bbq your meat if you would rather go that route. The meats come either plain or pre-marinated. Now that’s good eatin! Careful, though, cuz it’s also a good way to get sick if you accidentally mix up your cooking chopsticks with your eating chopsticks. I can’t imagine a place like this would ever work in Portland, or any place where the white devil dominates.

In-N-Out was good in that standard burger type of way. Sometimes you feel like a plain burger, sometimes you feel like a fancy burger.

Ba Mu Yuen was excellent. I can’t find Chinese beef noodle soup outside of the Bay Area. Here’s hoping Seattle has places like Hot Pot City and Ba Mu Yuen…

Gas is between about $1.75 and $1.85 around Boston. Katie and I went to a wedding on Long Island last weekend, and prices were kissing $2.00 for the low octane stuff. These days, I’m pretty psyched that my ancient SUV isn’t working, because I couldn’t afford to drive it around. My ’89 Jeep gets the same mileage out of it’s 18 gallon tank as Katie’s 10 gallon Accord. Maybe it’s time to retire the beast…

Anyway, has anyone ever been out to Long Island? That place is a hell hole. Traffic was a severe bitch, and everything required a trip on some parkway, expressway, or four-lane super street. The only good thing was that our hotel was 10 miuntes from the Hicksville IKEA, and just further down the road, I had my first Krispy Kreme doughnut. DAMN! Those things are definitely worth the hype. Katie told me that the first time her sister had one, she ate an entire dozen. Then she puked. I kept my numbers down accordingly…

It’s almost a given these days that people who haven’t gotten into hip-hop will have constructed a defense of sorts to use when they meet someone who is a fan. There are so many well-known examples of gimmicky, shallow, and just plain bad hip-hop songs that have become popular for one reason for another. These songs not only discourage potential listeners, they provide a clearly visible symbol for detractors of rap music to construct their arguments upon. It’s one of the frustrations of hip-hop fans that they have to constantly try to validate their taste by trying to fight through these arguments. This got me thinking about the albums on the other side of the spectrum: which albums are ones which I’d gladly display as good examples of the positive side of hip-hop? So I decided to pick a list of eight albums. For those looking to give hip-hop an honest try, I present you with this list, in no particular order.

A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory

This album would also go on most people’s list of all-time classic albums. It’s accessible, with catchy and danceable beats. It has memorable lyrics, and Q-Tip’s voice goes a long way towards drawing the listener in. What’s more, it (like other Tribe albums) grows on the listener, sometimes for years. This is perhaps the best example of that strange phenomenon in hip-hop whereby a perfect confluence of wording, music, and timing can create an incredibly resounding moment which must be experienced in the right setting to be understood, yet seems to stick with almost anyone who has listened to that particular piece. These moments are the kind of thing that frustrate many hip-hop fans the most, because they make no sense and often seem rather ridiculous when explained, but become a part of a shared heritage when experienced. Cameos by Leaders of the New School and Brand Nubian are an added bonus. (look, kids, it’s Busta Rhymes when he wasn’t a freak!) The politics are relatively mainstream, in stark contrast to a lot of their contemporaries (see: Public Enemy, X-Clan), which makes this a perfect “gateway” album for new listeners.

The Pharcyde — Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde

I can still remember when I picked up this album (always a good sign). More often than not, I’d see this album stuck in the midst of the collection of some rock or pop fan, nestled between Beck and Stone Temple Pilots. The strength of the storytelling makes its appeal universal. This album is also unique in that it takes hip-hop’s machismo and attitude and turns it on its head. Where most rappers will go to great lengths to advertise their sexual prowess and appeal, they tell a bittersweet story about their failure to catch the eyes of their potential mates. When other rappers spit homophobic lyrics and violent ghetto tales, the Pharcyde instead describe in hilarious detail getting caught in some of the most embarrassing situations you could imagine. They also offer unique perspectives on the familiar themes of the police and smoking weed.

Public Enemy — Fear of a Black Planet

While most would argue that “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” is in fact their breakthrough album, I think that Public Enemy’s third effort offers the best combination of politics, production, and accessibility. One of the things that struck me about this album is how the production is structured to keep building the momentum and power of the music, continuing for several tracks and inevitably culminating in one of several hip-hop classics: “Welcome to the Terrordome” being the first and “Fight the Power” the last. The interplay of Flavor Flav and Chuck D adds remarkably to this effect, with Flav providing the release, and setting the stage for another eventual tour de force by his more serious counterpart. In addition, the sheer endurance and consistency of this album secures it a spot on almost any list of rap’s all-time greatest hits.

Heavy D — Big Tyme

Heavy D always put a great-sounding dance track as the first track on many of his albums, and “We Got Our Own Thang” is no exception. It marks this album as immediately recognizable, from the first second (see: the Humpty Dance), for anyone who listened to hip-hop in the early nineties. Heavy has the rare gift of being a talented lyricist and tunesmith all at once. While some tracks on this album were assured of being hits, based solely on catchy production, he also leaves the listener with long strings of lyrics that cannot be forgotten (“Height: 6-3, style: swing beat,…” and so on). The cameo line-up of “Don’t Curse”, which appeared on his next album, shows that his appeal across a wide spectrum of hip-hop listeners is universal: Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, Pete Rock, CL Smooth, Q-Tip, Big Daddy Kane.

Organized Konfusion — Stress: The Extinction Agenda

It would be remiss to compile any list of hip-hop albums and leave out representation of the darker side of the culture. Organized Konfusion’s second album is extremely important because it harnesses so effectively the frustration and tension that accompanies life in cultures where hip-hop is a central component. Because it centers on the causes, instead of the effects, of this tension, this album stands out, and did not recieve nearly the amount of critical acclaim which it deserved. Nevertheless, Pharoahe Monche’s re-tracing of the flight path of a stray bullet is nearly worth the price of the album by itself. As an added bonus, there are at least three tracks hidden among the general gloom of this album that, by contrast, radiate optimism and a sense of peace, showing that OK’s prose is as wide as it is deep.

The Roots – Things Fall Apart

It’s a hard call to choose just one Roots album because they have so much great material, but their most recent release has to be the best mix of lyricism, catchy hooks, and great overall production released in hip-hop in the past few years. The message to the Roots is so subtle that it is sometimes hard to find between all of the memorable one-liners (“we got a doctorate/in cold rockin’ it…) and get-it-stuck-in-your-head basslines (Dynamite, 100% Dundee, The Next Movement), at least one of which has found its way into a recent Volkswagen commercial. However, while Chuck D. will come straight out with his opinions, Black Thought and Malik choose to let their choice of specific words and topics speak to their mindsets. As an example, compare the rather mundane lyrical content of What They Do to the hilarious and, well, brutal caricatures found in the video. Perhaps the most interesting autobiographical element of Roots albums is the mini-diary enclosed in the jacket of each album.

De La Soul – Buhloone Mind State

Again, it’s a close call which of De La’s albums is the best representation of their genius. After some thought, I have to go with their most subdued work. If I had to convince someone of the incredible power and cleverness of some of the better vocalists in hip-hop, the first person I would quote would be Pos. Some of the double entendres and extended metaphors which he utilizes to make his point simply boggle the mind (to wit, check Stakes Is High, arguably his most impressive performance: “gun control means using both hands in my land…” or “neighborhoods are just hoods/cause nobody’s neighbors/just animals, surviving/with that animal behavior” or “these brothers no longer talk shit/hey yo, these ni**as LIVE it”). His autobiographical turn on “I Am I Be” is about as melancholy and personal as hip-hop gets, providing a counterpoint to their hyper-kinetic first two releases. Great stuff.

Mos Def – Black on Both Sides

This is the most recent release on the list, just as Mos Def seems to be the brightest hope for the future of interesting hip-hop these days. Mos Def’s lyrical style is reminiscent of Posdnuos’s, so I suppose it is fitting that he got his first break in the form of a cameo on Stakes Is High. This album is stacked from one end (Hip Hop, a very personal commentary about the artist’s personal relationship with the music) to the other (Mr. Nigga, a series of powerful insights about race and racism in the 90’s). The latter song is constructed so carefully that the lyrics almost read like a well-written essay. The thesis of the essay is never stated outright, but the message is clear to even the most inexperienced listener of hip-hop, a combination that makes this track universal to any person in any era. Add the seamless storytelling on Ms. Fat Booty to these two tracks, and you have three songs which could easily be hip-hop anthems. The remainder of this solid album is just gravy.

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Email: Ben Schrag

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Last updated: February 23, 2001.

I meant the AI for your own troops sucked. The pathing is a little off, where I find units that were told to go someplace just sitting a their original place a minute ago. When attacked they just sit there, too instead of retreating or moving in range to attack back. I believe in earlier CnCs you had the option of setting aggression levels for your troops…

Oh yeah, I’ve read Snow Crash. My first Stephenson book. Been reading the Manifold trilogy by Stephen Baxter. Some good ideas in them, some kinda neat ideas but never fully realized…

Hmm, that’s interesting… I guess the question is then whether playing vs. humans is worth it, if the AI is that bad. Have you tried MOO3 yet? What’s your impression of that? By “AI”, do you mean the computer player’s tactics or do you mean the pathing, etc for you to control your OWN units? For the former, it won’t matter vs. humans…for the latter, it could be a showstopper I suppose.

Hey, if you have something where I can try out the game, I’d be interested to see how it plays. Or you can tell me where you got it, heheh…speaking of which Mark, have you read Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash”? Fun book, I will send it to you if ya want.

If you are really a “tactics” person you should boot up starcraft, go to battle.net and look for a “use map settings” game called micro wars. it gives you and your opponent each an army which are very different and you battle it out…then it switches the armies so it’s fair…so for example you have a battle of your 6 marines vs. my 3 zealots or something…once that was over, it would give me the 6 marines and you the zealots…and it keeps score…i think there’s like 24 different levels…some of the matchups are really interesting to play…

🙂

Actually, the scenarios where you can’t build a base are the ones that appeal the most to me. I like knowing that it is definitely possible to win with the right tactics given the troops you have. Building a base, on easy difficulty, usually means I’ll have a long game with an assured win since I tend to over build. On hard difficulty or vs. real people, it usually means I will lose. This basically for me makes the game one about maximizing effiency in building your base, and that is not the game I’m interested in.

Thinking about it more, I think the ideal maps for me are ones where you and your opponent have the exact or very similar armies and it’s all up to your battle tactics who wins.

Anyway, I’ve got some bad news… CnC:Generals requires a serial number to play online, much like *craft meaning we all need legit copies if we are to meet online. I did see a LANcraft type of thing for CnC:G, but I *think* it only allows direct connection between two computers. We’d have to play allied vs. computer AI for that to be even remotely fair to me. I’ve tried the first couple of missions last night, and, frankly, I’m not sure I’d want to pay money for this game. Sure it looks pretty, but the AI doesn’t exist or at least is a step backwards from Warcraft 3, so much of a step that I am frustrated at how much micromanaging I need to do for each freakin ground troop.

As for Jet, yeah… one may respect his beliefs, but the pudding is in the cake. I don’t think his movies make it clear enough the idea of karma, or in the case of Kiss of the Dragon the bad guy is so bad that it makes for an uninteresting character. I’d like to see a movie where everyone just has motives, as in real life, and people’s goals will often conflict, not some sort of artificially created black and white world.

So, I’m finally posting. Life’s been hectic this week; we had Intel in for three days and today I was supposed to go to IBM but the snowstorm made me reconsider. So I can catch up on the “Real World” re-run watching.

As far as Jet Li goes, I guess the whole motivation thing seems weak to me. On the other hand, there’s plenty of actors I like who have questionable personal activities (i.e. they are Scientologists, etc). So that shouldn’t matter that much. However, if the Buddhism made him, for example, stop administering dragon kicks to peoples’ heads in his movies, then he’d be going to far. All religions agree on the dragon kick. How making movies connects with Buddhism I’d be interested to hear about…

Hey Mark, I checked out the C&C: Generals home page and it looks pretty interesting. People on the forums always say it’s well balanced, which I think is the most important thing about an RTS game. We should definitely play that or MOO online sometime. I just wish I could go back and play the one C&C game where you could make dogs…I’d love to run over someone’s base with a rabid pack of german shepherds…good stuff. The last installment I played briefly was Red Alert 2. Didn’t ever get into it. I hate the single-player missions where they don’t let you make a base…so you actually have to “conserve” for forces rather than being able to make them shoot each other for fun. Let me know if you are interested in screwing around and learning it together online. What about George money? Is he Internet-accessible up on the mount?

Won our last b-ball game last night…yay for forfeits!

Hey Brandon, shouldn’t you change your name to Big John John?

In the car CD right now: X-Clan’s “To the East, Blackwards”. Just read the song titles (“Funkin Lesson”, “Verbal Milk”, Grand Verbalizer, What Time Is It?”, “Operation Snatchback”) and you know it’s money.

Ya’ll look the same…