Kick, Push, Coast...

After playing Skate on my 360 a shitload recently, I'd like to start skating again. It's a great sport, I enjoyed it immensely. I was never very good at it, however. It was one of the few things I used to practice a fair bit. Along with guitar and video games (practice = playing), most things that I'm not very good at, I stop doing. Sorry, most things I don't care about. Nearly all sports I've played I've stopped, and hockey I probably won't go back to.

But skating gives you a relaxed exhilaration. Nothing beats the feeling of coasting along a smooth road, popping an ollie and then pushing to get back to speed to continue rolling. The only thing close is carving down a mountain on a snowboard, a feeling I thankfully got after an intense day of learning through pain. But I wouldn't like to try get really good at skating or snowboarding, just being average so I can flow and enjoy it. Get a rush, but keep it in a chilled way.

Stupidly enough, I didn't go to the snow these holidays like I should have. Hopefully I still have the chance post-exams, but I fear the best of the season will be over, missing the opportunity I wished for. And I can only wish that I can still board like I was at the end of the day last year. It was good, I was coasting and I was happy. I could enjoy the surroundings and now worry about falling over or bumping into anyone (I found an empty run, cool?).

But I wonder why I enjoyed skating so much? Was it the culture that I knew was out there but didn't immerse myself in? Or all the rad shit that I'd seen my mates do? Did I just start it to fit in with my friends? Essentially, that was the reason because I was sick of them skating around the city while I'd lumber behind then, desperate to catch up. It's always what I seemed to be doing.

You probably all have Kick, Push by Lupe Fiasco, so I'll put a different song up.

Gang Starr - Step In The Arena

(Bouzo missing out on some new tunes)

I Fell Asleep Amoungst The Flowers...

I've spent 10 hours this week at work. It nearly killed me. I got good money though (hello new shoes!) and Kingsgrove was more dead that usual. Which is always a good thing. But yeah, the worst this was when I saw that fat chick in spandex tights. I actually seriously contemplated suicide at that moment. It was horrible.

And I was playing some Suikoden Teirkries last night and for some fucked up reason, my DS crashed and I lost about 1h and 30m of play time. Which is gay because it was no story and all hardcore dungeon crawling. Ultra-gayness.

And "Hamlet" O.E. Original Emo is such a gay topic to study. But not as homosexual and "Frankenstein", the bane of my existance.

I haven't really been "philosophising" recently, so the newer posts are uninteresting.
So I'll make a topic of discussion:
Has anyone ever lost a substantial amount of weight through the Wii?

As a Wii owner who has Wii Sports and Wii Fit (Mum's mothers day present), I don't think anyone has. I've never lost weight, really. Maybe increased my bicepts from swinging around a Wiimote like a dick playing tennis.

I'd like to hear opinions on this.

The Band - The Weight

"Urban Photography"

Why is the "Nightsafe Area" closer to the tracks than the daytime yellow line of protection?
I've been getting quite into photography, all I need now is an SLR...

Also: Thanks to the people reading.

Wolf & Cub - What Are They Running

Sounds To Sights

To accompany the previous post, here's some songs from the custom playlist I created on the way home.

1. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
2. Snowman - Daniel Was A Timebomb
3. Mercury Rev - Tonite It Shows
4. Weezer - Hash Pipe
5. Nas - The World Is Yours
6. Joy Division - Shadowplay

Enjoy.

On-The-Go #1

One To The Other

Unsanitary conditions.

Wolli Creek

Turrella

A guy asked me to watch his case of beer while he went and bought a light

Lovely view from the bus window...

The walk

And then I was home.


My organised chaos.

Negroes

African-Americans usually invent genres. In fact, they nearly always do.
Let's take a look back through time, shall we...

Rock and Roll - Circa. 1951

Cited as the first Rock and Roll record is Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats and the song "Rocket 88". While it was written by a 19-year old Ike Turner, the song was recorded in 1951. Fusing together Blues, Gospel, Country and some fucking attitude, Mr. Turner formed the best thing ever. This initial style was then developed upon by some of my personal loves in life: Chuck Berry, Little Richard and a lil' black man called Bo Diddley.

And now, from the sweetest of sexual innuendos, dancing and black people, Rock is now a shitty scum where people like Nickelback and Hoobastank think they are king shit. They need to get Leadbelly'd.

Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats - Rocket 88



Funk - Circa. 1964
Personally, I believe Funk is the blackest genre of all time. It's just so fucking sweet. Funk was born when some ultra-smooth men brought together only the best elements of Soul, Jazz and R&B and took away pretty much all importance of melody and harmony and totally emphasised the mega-importance of groove and rhythm. They made music to:

1. Dance with that fly honey
2. Hit on said honey
3. Buy said honey a drink
4. Take said honey home
5. Make sweet, sweet love to said honey

Fuck yes.
Now, the word "funk" was originally coined to describe the scent of sexual intercourse. Hot. For Funk, we can thank James Brown and his downbeat characteristic and then some fine pioneers of Sly & The Family Stone, George Clinton and good 'ol Bootsy Collins.

Sly & The Family Stone - Family Affair



PS. Grand Funk Railroad are not Funk. We're An American Band is a good song, though...

Soul - Circa. 1954
Soul was R&B but with heavy influence of Gospel harmonies and chorus. Soul music rose out of "The black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." Great quote. It's upbeat (usually), has hand-claps, stupid bodily movements and some awesome call and response. Ray Charles is often called the inventer of soul but James Brown is the Godfather of Soul. For soul, we can bow our heads to Aretha Franklin and Fats Domino.

Also, Blue-Eyed Soul gets a special mention because I like Dexys Midnight Runners a fair but. Blue-Eyed Soul is them white-ass crackers trying to be black. Blue-Eyed Soul sucks except for Dexys and Dusty Springfield. They made 3 brilliant albums and she's fantastic and I don't care what you have to say.

Ray Charles - I Got A Woman



Rhythm & Blues (R&B) - Circa. 1948
I really, really like R&B. It's an amazing genre with some of the best music ever coming from it. The term "Rhythm and Blues" replaced "Race Music" in the late 40s as a marketing tool to sell it and to be less racist. It was a general term at first but transformed into a full-blown genre thanks to Louis Jordan. R&B was urbane, jazz-based music with a contant beat that was infectious to listen to. My personal favourite R&B musicians are Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Booker T. & The MG's.

Unfortunately, R&B has become RnB, a shitty genre invented by black people (a rarity, folks) and is pretty much my mortal enemy in life. Fuck you, Chris Brown.

Booker T. & The MG's - Mo' Onions



Rap / Hip-Hop - Circa. 1978
I like Hip-Hop more than rap. I like Hip-Hop because it's fun, funky and fresh and the 4 elements are something I totally admire. A good MC is something difficult to be, and to be a DJ requires a rare feel for the beats and rhythm. I respect a talented MC and lyricist (Hello GZA/Genius). Hip-Hop culture began in The Bronx and was first used by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. Fuck yes, they are the originators of all things hip-hop happenin'.

So yeah, the 4 elements are:

• Turntablism
• MCing
• Breakdancing
• Graffiti

Hip-hoppers I dig the most are from the Golden Age (Late 80s and early 90s): Public Enemy, Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest and the ones who said a DJ could be a band, Run-D.M.C.

Public Enemy - Welcome To The Terrordome


Jazz - Circa. Pretty much 1808
Jazz is an interesting genre, which spanned from Ragtime songs. It was the style developed upon by all the musical members of African-American slave communities. The first printing of Jazz was "Jelly Roll Blues" by Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, printed in 1915.

Jazz is just too much to talk about, so I'll stick to what I know. Miles Davis is a beast on the trumpet and invented Jazz Fusion in 1969 with Bitches Brew and pretty much all good jazz musicians are black. Bar Dave Brubeck and his quartet - aka. Take Five. Fantastic.

Miles Davis - Blue In Green



So, all in all, black people are awesome and this post is really something I'm proud of and I didn't even use the world nigger once...oops...

I Love You, Felicia Day

The Guild is a really, really great web-series that I totally get due to my chronic World of WarCraft playing. Which I'm not ashamed of at all, might I add.

Basically, it's really funny and original and has all likable characters and Felicia Day is a totally stunning red-head whom I've fallen in love with and it's everything you could ever want from a show.
Except the episodes are like 5-7 mins long and the series are like 12 episodes long which is not enough time with Ms Day.

That's why you should also watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.



YES THAT IS NEIL PATRICK HARRIS!
It's a hilarious musical that has made the internet better for everyone. It's just that good.

Lastly, I've started studying and I hate it and I haven't seen my friends like all week except Thursday but I only saw Bouzo and Eli and that's lame and I haven't seen my girlfriend for heaps long and I won't get to see her like the rest of holidays and that's super gay.

Also, this is Felicia Day:



Heart: MELT'D!

Liam Lynch - Fake David Bowie Song