That's my [expletive]

TL;DR : Post concerning use of the word "bitch".

That's my [expletive]

  

"I used to hate hip hop, yup,because the women degraded

but Too Short made me laugh like a hypocrite I played it,

a hypocrite I stated , thought I only recited half

Omitting the word… Cursing I wouldn't say it

Me and dog couldn't relate till a bitch I dated 

forgive my favorite word for hers and hers alike 

but I got it from a song that I heard and sorta liked"

 - Lupe Fiasco

I liked Jay-Z and Kanye West's album, Watch the  Throne. It's the only album I've bought this year, and likely the only one I will buy. However, I have an issue with the song "That's my Bitch". Maybe I'm a prude, and I wouldn't disagree with that, but I have an issue with the word. The song itself is ok. I'm far from a Dworkin-like feminist. I don't even have too much of an issue with offensive words. (One day I'll blog about the N-word, but no time soon.)  Yet, for some reason I have an issue with  that word. Maybe it's rap's history of being perceived as misogynist (deserved, but probably slightly exaggerated, especially with the fact that America's pretty misogynist.)  It's a crude term, and it sounds weird to hear Jay-Z call his wife his bitch. If it were a Kanye West song I probably wouldn't have an issue with it. (insert Dworkin's head exploding). It's weird and problematic that I have an issue with certain types of misogony and not others.

This isn't the first time I had a visceral reaction to a song.  The song "Me and my B" by Biggie is often quoted. Even though it was an awkward almost love ballad, I really won't listen to the song, even though I think it's a good song, in the context of the album. The chorus turns me off. Same thing for a lot of Eminem's "music," where there are a lot of misogynist terms.

Also, I was turned off by what the roots did when Michelle Bachmann came on the Jimmy Fallon show. I have no problem with poking some fun. I'm okay with hard criticism. I would have had no problem with for example playing "Minority Report" by Jay-Z and Ne-Yo while President Bush was on for example.  The use of Lyin Ass Bitch goes beyond plain criticism. It's sexist, and even though Bachmann's comparison between her and Michelle Obama was poor at best, the point that this is an awful idea, and worse in execution still stands.

I also under stand that my thoughts about the word aren't representative of every one else's. Some people feel that bitch isn't as offensive as other phrases.

** As per the actual song. Not bad. Okay beat, great references to "It's so hard" by Big Pun. (Kanye west's first line and Jay-Z's last line are both direct lines from the song.) 

Random Musings (NFL, Law School, Anniversary, Race, Apologies)

Today's my 5 year anniversary with my girlfriend. Rather than spending it doing anniversary like things, I'm 1,800 miles away. In a library. Studying Contract law.

Justin Verlander was voted MVP after receiving a unanimous cy young victory. I'm not a fan of giving pitchers the MVP, because they aren't everyday players. On the other hand, he was historically dominant and there really wasn't another player in the NL

Eight touchdowns, zero interceptions, and his best receiver has been hobbling or out. This is why Cowboys fans hate Tony Romo. He has streaks like this, and if he went and had 2 td and 3 picks against Miami, no one would be surprised.

Just finished my final memorandum for law school last Friday. I'm so thankful that this part of my law school career is over. Sadly, there's more law school left.

Some teams are definitely good. Some teams are definitely bad. Are the Ravens a good team? Are the Seahawks a bad team? Are the bills bad? Is Miami good? Yes, Yes, Yes and Yes. Sometimes describing a team as bad is a rookie mistake. Every team is flawed. Sometimes, a team plays a team that exposes their flaws, sometimes they don’t.

Speaking of which, how are we supposed to know anything about the Bucs. The last 6 games were against the 49ers, Saints, Bears, Saints, Texans, and Packers. Every one of those teams is leading their division. Are the Bucs good? The only way to find out is the rest of the week.

On the other hand, Tim "Don't call me till the 4th quarter begins" Tebow is ridiculously effective in the 4th qtr.  Ridiculous.  BTW, from watching the game yesterday, I found the proper comparison for Tim Tebow. Decent arm, winner in college, rushes often, not that fast, inaccurate, somehow gets wins in the pros despite the fact that no one thinks he's a good qb. Tim Tebow is Vince Young. (If Vince young had heart).

BTW, if Tebow were as good as people say he is, he wouldn't need to come back in every game he appears in.

Another thing of note.  Rushing for tons of yards used to be perceived as a "black quarterback" thing. Now? To be fair, the top two quarterbacks in rushing yards are Vick and Cam Newton.  After that Tim Tebow and Aaron Rodgers.  After Josh Freeman, there are no other black qbs in the top 10.

I always wonder if lack of people in a specific race in an area is because of racism or coincidence. For example, name 5 white running backs or cornerbacks in the NFL, then  name 5 black hockey players. The latter I attribute to coincidence. If you're black and athletic, you probably play basketball or football. Probably not outright racism. I wonder if it’s the same for running backs and corners. Are other sports and positions taking away future running backs and cornerbacks? Not my area  of expertise, but still interesting. Same for law schools btw, is the lack of black law students because of racism or coincidence.

Again, I apologize to the good people of Colorado for jinxing their hockey team and their college football and basketball teams.

It's often difficult to pay attention in law school.   Then I think about the debt, and I figure that I may as well succeed since they won't reduce the amount I owe because I didn't get an A. Back to work.

**By the way, I need a name for this type of post, often I have ideas that aren't worth writing 3 paragraphs or more. Is random musings okay?**

Review of Dance (A$$) Big Sean / Nicki Minaj

I'm going to keep this review as simple as possible. No Paragraphs, just bullet points. Wanted a silly post and here it is. 

• It is lowest common denominator. I don't have to analyze lyrics

• The coincidence of Big Sean's "Go stupid… I do it " beginning of the song isn't lost on me.

• MC Hammer references are always welcome, especially when the artist acknowledges the song where the sample comes from
• BTW, we love lowest common denominator in rap. Remember the thong song, or wait the whisper song, or no hands. Well, "Can't touch This" is also lowest common denominator.

• The chorus is just one word 15 times, 
• No lines that are well done
• If you had to pick a female rapper for the remix, wouldn't Nicki Minaj be in your top 2.
• It'd be like calling a song "sweater" and not having Drake on the Remix

• Video has a great international flair
• Again the word ass in multiple different languages
• Russian, Spanish, Japanese, I like
• And of course, Nicki Minaj's UK flag covered… you know
• I saw a lot of potential Drake references… totally overthinking it
• Headline 2nd verse: "Money over everything, money on my mind"
• Small print in the english version of ass "Finally Famous over everything"
• Big Sean- "You the best you deserve a crown [expletive]"
• Remember the chorus to "best I ever had"
• Hey isn't Big Sean grinding on Drake's YMCMB label mate

•  The Michael Kors Line was pretty good, simple, but good. Best line of the song
• The irony of Nikki calling girls "lil' whores" wasn't lost on me.
• Reminded me of the Lil N's verse from Jay-Z's "Trouble", where it was a shot at Lil Wayne.
• Remember Nikki's sometimes  beef with Lil'  Kim

• Yes the song pretty much confirms what we know about Nikki's injections. On the other hand it was a creative reference to the "In love with that ass Cupid gave you ass shots" line from the original Big Sean.
• Not to continue on the subject but the double entendre of ass shots as butt injections and "shots", as in people "taking shots" or talking badly about her ass was noted.  

• Selling ringtones and radio play depends on fitting the tastes of the listeners
• Nikki Minaj occasionally puts in some well played lines, but she usually resorts to sex and shock value. Some rapper's lines are like onions, with lots of layers each more rich than the last. Nikki usually talks about her… "onion".
• And no that's nothing like that other "Lil" female rapper. Not at all. 

• Despite my distaste for Detroit sports teams, I'm a fan of Detroit Rappers and will almost give them the benefit of the doubt.
• See Obie Trice, D12, Proof, obviously Eminem, and now Big Sean.

• Note the Fresh Prince influence in the video
• Throne with graffiti in the background.

• Videos nowadays don't utilize video girls well. This song was tailor-made for them
• Was Nikki the 3rd best looking girl in the video? Not at all.
• Learn from Beyonce. Make yourself look prettier by having uglier girls in the vid.

GTA V

There are very few influential video game commercials to me. The original super smash bros commercial, the halo 2 I need a weapon commercial  and the GTA 3 commercial. There's an opera song in the background and at the highest pitch you see a car in the air.  The game was the first mainstream "open world" game. It was a full city with things to see that had nothing to do with completion of the game. It was new, it was fresh, it was exciting, and I was too young to play it. My mom refused to allow me to play grand theft auto at all, even though my younger brother was allowed to play and own it. As I grew older I mostly ignored the vice city sequel, because it didn't matter to me anymore. The luster was lost. Then GTA San Andreas was released and everything changed. CJ was the protagonist. A different take on crime. Funny commentary on the legalization of marijuana, and the rap based soundtrack.  It was also the one of the first M rated games I bought when I came of age to buy them.

Now, I don't want to say that GTA was the reason why I majored in criminal justice, but it was a piece of that and a substantial piece of my own views of criminal activity. We as a society are against crime, yet we root for CJ and Nico Bellic and Omar Little in the wire. We buy documentaries and read books about sensational crimes. Crime sells newspapers and TV shows. GTA represents a maturing of the video game industry. It's one of the first occasions where the person you're using has nuance. Usually if you have a gun, you're a cop or a soldier. Now you're a street criminal.  People on your side die during the commission of a felony, and you're supposed to feel bad. The GTA series has done a good job of eliciting that emotion.

Of course, as every GTA player knows, the story isn't even half of the game. There's also the side missions and the pieces that you make up. Do you want to pick up a hooker? Do it. Ram a police car? Do it. Steal one? Go ahead. There are consequences for these actions, but the fact that it is a video game reduces the impact of those consequences. Do you want to steal a car and race it at top speed? Use it for a drive by? Take a boat? Fly a plane. Beat a drug dealer with a bat? Rob someone? Do it. There is a level of freedom I  the game where you can utilize the game mechanics and have fun playing a game you want to play. How long can you survive a six star wanted level? Can you collect every car? Can you buy all of the available  property in the city? Can you keep you girlfriend(s) happy? Can you do all of the ambulance missions? Can you get to that building? Can you land a plane on it? A tank? Do you want to put in a code to create a tank? A jet pack? Unlimited ammunition or health? Can you play the game without running red lights? Its like being a kid again and being in the park with your friends and trying to create a game to play. 

Just saying

Quick Shots

The BET cyphers were pretty bland except for the Shady 2.0 cyphers. I enjoyed Royce's verse but did no one notice that after the "Hi Rihanna" lines he says, "I beat my girl too". Worse pickup line ever… just saying.

The NFL this week was a pretty predictable scene in hindsight. Sure, 62 points is a lot, but If I told you on Friday that one of the games was going to be a 62-7 game wouldn't one of your first 3 guesses be Saints-Colts. On the other side of things, road to .500 is complete for the Cowboys and other teams. Better than the Eagles. Just saying.

The NBA is locked out, and Bill Simmons called out Kevin Garnett for essentially derailing negotiations by behaving erratically. He also said that the basketball players lacked the intellectual capital to negotiate fairly with the agents.  Some professor wrote that by doing this Simmons was essentially being a racist. It's not using the "angry black man" trope, if the person who you're talking about is all 3 of those things.  Also in a professional basketball game I'd trust the basketball players over the j.d's and m.b.a's. Why is it racist to assume that the professional negotiators with the degrees to prove it would be better at negotiation than the basketball players, some barely with high school diplomas.  Just saying.

Speaking of which, NBA2k12 removed my favorite online feature. Apparently, there won't be "my crew" in the near future. Now that I'm in law school I couldn't help but wonder if I could sue for false advertising. Then I looked back at the public statements made by Ronnie2k and the NBA 2k posters and advertisements. They never said that there would be my crew in nba2k12. Ronnie never said they would add it in DLC. We just assumed it would be there. And since they already have my money, it doesn't really matter to them.  Still disappointing that my favorite feature  is gone, although it makes me more  productive for that aforementioned law school life. Just saying.

For those thinking that this one game  hope this Murray guy is going to be a star for the Cowboys. I'm excited too, but  single game rushing yards don't constitute a long and fruitful career (See Harrison, Jerome). Just Saying.

It's snowing in October in Colorado.  Just saying.

NBA Rank

I love the #NBArank project by ESPN. I disagree with some of the rankings (Blake Griffin too high, Zach Randolph too low). I think it points out something with the NBA. There is no overarching number one talent. Lets check out the contenders at each position.

1. Lebron James

Pros: You try to stop him  from dunking at will. Athletic Shot blocker
Cons: See NBA Finals, 2011

2. Dwight Howard

Pros: Best defender in the NBA period.
Cons: Foul prone. Especially of the technical variety. Also offensively limited

3. Derrick Rose

Pros: MVP
Cons: Statistically similar to Russell Westbrook with less assists. Questionable Clutch gene.

4. Pau Gasol. Carmelo Anthony

Pros: Offensive Virtuosos
Cons: Remember that time they played defense? Me, neither

5. Kobe Bryant

Pros: Comparisons to Jordan looked almost reasonable about '07, '08
Cons: This isn't '07, '08 and he's closer to Jordan on the Wizards, than Jordan on the Bulls.

6. Kevin Durant

Pros:  Probably the best scorer in the NBA
Cons:  Iffy 3 point shooter. Ever since Jeff Green left, also a questionable defender.

7. Joe Johnson

Pros: Best paid player on this list
Cons: Most overpaid player on the list. See Lewis, Rashard.

8. Bismack Biyombo

Pros: Potentially the greatest shot blocker of all time. Has yet to play an NBA game with less than 15 blocks.
Cons: None, other than the fact that he also has yet to play an NBA game. And the Jordan Curse.

Either way, no matter where you go, there is no unquestioned number one. There is no 90's Jordan, '06 Jordan, Early '00s Iverson or Shaq. The league has parity, and a bunch of players with clear flaws. 

NBA 2k12

First off, to the people who enjoy my NFL picks, I'm sorry. I don't really have the time and even though I'm good at it I'm not sure if I'm as good at writing those articles. Outside of that, NBA 2k12 has been on my mind and its important to me to get some thoughts off my chest.

First, I'm a huge fan of the 2k brand and the NBA 2k series. I owned NBA 2k in December of 1999. Its a great game series. Its been pretty good or great for years. I feel that 2k11 was a standout game.

Because I remember playing basketball games on the Dreamcast (and Sega Genesis for that matter), the additions are amazing. The way the improvements have allowed the video game to look like the game on TNT is important to me. Post-up improvements, the reduction of center dribbling effectiveness, the difference in shot types, the customization of created players. Its been a long time since my 7'7 center on the Dallas Mavericks with Dirk and Finley.

My favorite feature has been the aptly named "my player" mode. It allowed people to create and customize players. This was a mode that made nba 2k10 worth buying by itself. It allowed me to appreciate the moment to moment grind of being an NBA Center. In 2k10, I wasn't drafted, and I was kicked off a practice squad. I had to grind on a D-League squad (Iowa Energy). As I improved I was called to the NBA to play for the Hornets, I endured a rough year with the clippers followed by a Defensive Player of the Year award followed by a series of championships with the Oklahoma City Thunder. I was heavily invested in my players career. 

In 2k11, I enjoyed this mode enough to go through the process with 3 maxed out players. I enjoyed the my crew mode. The mode allowed my friends and me to play against other crews with our customized players. We created a dominating team, eventually. It, much like my 2k10 my player, didn't start off well, with a running joke about the road to .500, i.e. winning as many games as we lost. Eventually we became a better squad. More importantly it was incredible fun and a completely worthwhile experience. 

Now it seems that NBA 2k12 has improved the my player experience, yet again. The problem? They apparently eradicated the my crew feature.  I love doing my player ,but without my crew then its just like the superstar mode in Madden 12. Useless.  Truly useless. Maybe it reflects my stance on gaming more than it reflects on the merits of the game. My favorite experiences are those found in Co-op gameplay. This is especially true when those co-op experiences are buoyed by a great single player element. This seems like a good idea when executed as well as it was in 2k11. But now the dream is dead.

If it is true that there will be no my crew, I might buy it anyway, sadly. I'm a fan of My Player. The mode is enough to keep me interested in the game especially considering that there aren't a lot of games that I'm interested in buying at this point. Unlike Madden I don't feel it to be a neccessity that I purchase the game. It seems completely unneccesary.