Time.com - Why You Can't Ignore Kanye

Time takes on hip-hop with a package that includes an in-depth cover story on Kanye West and a history of the roots of rap. Springboarding from Damon Dash's assertion that Kanye blends the sensibility of politically conscious rap with a more modern bling bling bravado, Time points out:

"That the 'urban demographic' needs 'superficialness' could be read as two euphemisms away from racism. But Dash, an African American who thinks exclusively in shades of green, is merely letting the world in on what's accepted as social fact by much of the record industry.

Hip-hop was born in the '70s as party music and evolved in the '80s into that rarest of pleasures--socially relevant party music. But in the mid-'90s, the genre came to be dominated by people like Snoop Dogg (sample track: Murder Was the Case), the Notorious B.I.G. (Ten Crack Commandments) and Jay-Z (Rap Game/Crack Game)--excellent rappers with a shrewd eye for journalistic detail but, to put it bluntly, ex--drug dealers.

'Rap changed a lot in the last few years,' notes comedian and hip-hop fan Chris Rock, who says he listens to The College Dropout while he writes jokes. 'In the early days, the best rappers weren't necessarily from the hood. Run-D.M.C. was from Hollis [Queens, N.Y.]. Eric B and Rakim were from Long Island. They lived next to the hood.'When the hard stuff sold well (hard stuff, in any medium, always does), the record labels, never bastions of original thought, asked for more. Soon rappers who had never got a speeding ticket were referring to themselves as pimps and hustlas, and what had started as ghetto reporting with a touch of caricature metastasized into caricature with no tether to reality. The result was a torrent of albums about the joys of acquisitiveness (bling, if you must), consequence-free violence and compliant women."

Half Moon

One of my favorite views - Sunset, Falmouth.

Favorite Beaches 

A loss for true conservatism

This is from shortly after the election, but worth revisiting...
Without sarcasm or malice, David Schuster (Hardball) provides a strong critique of anti-gay marriage initiatives. Essentially he points out that almost no one in this modern world can live by the literal word of the Bible. The question is, where should a civil but still strongly Judeo-Christian society stray from this word, how generous or inclusive do we want to be in our interpretation, and who decides?
In his words:

"when it comes to morality, consider this: While the Bible does suggest homosexuality is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22), The Bible also says in Leviticus 25:44 that we may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations; Exodus 35:2 says that my neighbor who works on the Sabbath should be put to death; Lev. 19:27 expressly forbids men from getting their hair trimmed; Lev. 11:6-9 states that touching a dead pig makes us unclean (Are you ready for some football?) and Lev. 19:19 forbids us from planting two different crops in the same field or wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread. The penalty? Lev. 24:10-16 suggests we stone people to death.

Maybe some Americans want to return to the days of slavery, devout observance to the Sabbath, long hair, all cotton clothes, and stoning people... I would prefer that our society move forward. And the best way to move any society forward is to strengthen the family. I adore my family and consider them to be the greatest best part of my entire life. And I'm absolutely convinced that 'marriage' fosters social cohesion, emotional security, and economic prudence. That's why I'm baffled as to why we would keep such an institution away from anybody. (I'm not talking about 'religion-sanctioned marriage,' I'm referring to the civil institution of marriage the kind that involves a 'state-sponsored' license.) "

Worth reading in its entirety.

Trite but true

I like to watch
I recently met a wise American warrior who provided me with the following quote from the Shawshank Redemption:
"Get busy living, or get busy dying"
It got me thinking about other words of wisdom and inspiration from movies, good and bad. What are yours?

Salon.com - War Room

Salon points out a hilarious, but maybe blasphemous bit from the Daily Show:

Salon.com - War Room: "the Gaza withdrawal has been a wrenching event, and hard to watch. Some comic relief is in order. On Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show' on Wednesday, faux correspondent Rob Corddry reported 'live' from the Gaza Strip on the disputed land, which like much of the Middle East consists of inhospitable desert. Corddry intoned that 'both sides still feel this land was given to them by their respective God,' then added:
'But I've been here for a couple of days now, and if God gave me this particular piece of land, I'd be wondering what I'd done to offend God. I mean, frankly, Jon, I'm standing by the nice rubble, um, the stuff they take out when company's coming over. My guess is someone gave the land to God, God saw it and in his infinite wisdom he regifted it.' "

Greek Tragedy: grass

An Uberblogger's everywoman insights on wanting, waiting, and romantic frustration. Well worth reading in full on her blog Greek Tragedy:

"When I explore the relationships that begin with ignition and spark, I'm left sobbing into my pillow wondering how I ended up so sad again. Sparks, I've learned can lead to fires' and then fire escapes."

Greek Tragedy: sample sale

My new favorite writer Stephanie Klein explains how love is like a sample sale (trust me, it is...) You just can't force it. Greek Tragedy: sample sale:

"I've been known to do it from time to time: the chick out. It's 'chicking out' because it's usually freaking out about something only a girl would freak over, like a sample sale for the ultimate date outfit so you can snag a great boy, or a boy not calling, or like a boy getting back with his ex. Notice how chicking out involves a boy...

I'm a goal-oriented high-achieving hyphenated type of woman. I was raised on a diet of you can do whatever you set your mind tos, and it has served me well. The suit fits; the diet worked, but the suit is tailored and professional. It has covered buttons and long conservative hemlines. The 'I will make it happen' tude doesn't flow with the ruffles of a social party dress. "

Greek Tragedy: hard knock life

Enough politics. This is about life....Greek Tragedy is New York writer Stephanie Klein's enormously successful blog-- like electronic chick lit, but usually better written. Some of the stuff recalls Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City) but with more originality and less pretension. This is Fat passing for thin:

"You see it in the stitching or the way the logo is clipped near the zipper, and you know it's a knock-off of a pricey must-have. It was a good impersonation, but you're onto them now. Some people are knock-offs, too, and sometimes I worry I'm one of them. I diet all day long to find a guy who'll love me even if I ever get fat. That's called fat, passing for thin, and I worry it's just as bad as Canal Street."