kəˈflɛz.ɡi

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Sport Report - NYC Marathon & Olympic Speedskating
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Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

It's been a long time. A.G. was right. I would blog again. It's a form of narcissistic therapy though (can therapy be anything other than narcissistic?) so I don't look at it as necessarily a good thing. In my case anyway.

The skinny: the above Colbert Report clip shows journalists on various outlets both gleefully proclaiming that the winner of the NYC Marathon (Men) was an American and exasperatedly flubbing his name. At first glance the spelling may look a bit odd but I'm pretty sure they get their reading material in advance & have at least 30 seconds to look at it before lights, camera, action. I remember there was this thing we had when we were kids that would help us pronounce words that were new to us. Rules of something... What was it again...?

Oh, that's right. PHONICS!

You may not be pronouncing it natively but it sounds better than "kifle...kefleg...klifeg...seriously?!" or "Wow. Tough name for an American."

Where do journalists get their degrees these days? Off the back of Froot Loops boxes?! (No disrespect to the J School peoples.)

Unless your name is Running Dog Coyote Cloud (English translation, of course) your name is NOT "American." They all have their origins somewhere outside of this slab of land we now inhabit in the Western Hemisphere.

Also, if Hooked on Phonics didn't stick, you could always Google/Wiki the name. IPA right there. Go on. Put those Investigative Journalism course credits to work!

Bacon Vodka

Compliments of the Muslim Baconator Mo.

Too Much Teriyaki Beef?

Word on the 街 is SEEDA is retiring. Could be a la 50 Cent or maybe Nigo offered him a lifetime supply of BAPE paraphernalia.

I don't really go for the 12-y.o. as thug image SEEDA pushed but I heard he's a pretty nice MC. And this clip dissing Nigo's J-Rap group Teriyaki Boyz (see boy band x street wear impresario x Pharrell beats) makes me laugh. It also makes me want some yakitori.

Shouts to Seiji for hooking me up with a copy of the album. ども ありがとう!

Green Spaces for Poor Places

I always seem to find a point of contention interest when watching PBS. This time it was while viewing their Blueprint America: Road to the Future special exploring infrastructure development in U.S. cities. The urban planner in me was suddenly aroused by the mention of Robert Moses, the urban planning equivalent to Zoltar, only unfortunately he was successful in executing his evil, racist, classist plans of destruction development. (He's known as Master Builder for a reason, after all.)

Highlighted was the plight of Nos Quedamos, a grass roots community development organization in the Bronx. For approximately 15 years they have been attempting to not only stop the city from expanding the Sheridan Expressway, but to decommission it in favor of creating a pedestrian friendly green space.

WHAT??! Poor people of color wanting exhaust-free air with...grass? I mean, listening to NYDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan going on and on about the amount of green spaces created in Manhattan over the last couple of years - acreage akin to "40 football fields" - and those to come such as this summer's closing off of Broadway in Times Square to vehicular traffic, one would think Nos Quedamos' plan would at least be considered if not entirely, then as a hybrid/compromise type deal.

Ninguna manera.

You see, green spaces and bike lanes are great for places like the Meat Packing District and Times Square. Pero communities in the outer extremities, populated by poorer people, especially of color, already bordered by three other highways with no hope of racial gentrification on the horizon don't need that.

Nos quedamos, indeed. As long as we remain in our proper place.

More info:
Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance
Volunteer Match>Nos Quedamos
Sustainable South Bronx
Highway Robbery

Blueprint America: Road to the Future Overview+Clips

Lessondary Summer

They're here! Leave it to Mo to stop everything & cop 'em as soon as word went out in Twitterville that they arrived in NYC.

The homies Tanya Morgan are pretty busy these days & word around town is they certainly did their thing on Brooklynati so if you don't have it, go get it! If you do have it, you might as well pack your bags, get your Survival Kit, & move. They can help.
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This is the 2nd installment of Spec Boogie's Summer Movie Video Series where the homie spits over soundtracked movie clips. "That boy good!" (c) Coming to America (I waiting for that one. Hint, hint.)
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Che Grand's video for Girls Talk from his upcoming Everything's Good Ugly. Track by none other than Lessondary producer Aeon.

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Until the release of Donwill's concept solo release Don Cusack in High Fidelity, there's the Laura's Song maxi-single.

Plus, check Lessondary cameos on projects such as Donny Goines' The Breakfast Club. (Bit o' a recurring theme, this movie-concept thing, eh?)

[Update: You can win a Survival Kit from FWMJ's Rappers I Know. I'm sure someone can come up with a better reply than first dude.]

BKLYNATI DAY, Part Deux Ni ( 二 )

JPN ナンバーワンです！ How they got the fitteds before they're even available in BKLYNATI USA is beyond me but they're out there! (via Mo)

BKLYNATI DAY

Just got this package today. I am really loving the execution on this project. Well, except for the fitteds but that's another story. (Hopefully they will materialize soon!)

Survival Kit (complete with welcome letter from Mayor ?uestlove) + municipal website for BKLYNATI USA = Total Package. Oh, almost forgot, there's the album. Dope rhymes, dope beats. This is not a review. Just some advice - cop that.

'Nuff said.


iTunes
Survival Kit