Mellow D's World

2009-06-08 20.25.06

2009-06-14T19:39:00.001-07:00

showertime baby

boy scout steez

2009-06-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

So I went to the supermarket on my way home from work today. As I was putting my cart away and getting ready to blast some Michael Jackson and eat some fried chicken, I saw this lady standing in the parking lot. She had a couple heavy bags with cans and stuff. She very nicely asked me if I could help her by carrying her bags to the bus stop. I said yes and took the bags from her hand. As she handed them to me, she asked if I could give her a ride to her house. I said yes and proceeded to put her bags in my car and get her seated in the passenger seat. On the way, she told me that she had asked a couple for a ride and they had said no. She said they said "How do we know you're not going to hurt us?" She's 68 years old and has Parkinson's. It turns out her daughter was supposed to pick her up and never came. She tried to call her daughter on my phone, but there was no answer. I got her to her building (a seniors building around the block from our last apt.) and there was a bunch of old folks outside. He said "Watch, they're all going to be talking about how I got myself a black boyfriend." I helped her to her door with her bags and she told me about a street festival. Unusual trip to the supermarket, but I'm glad I was there to help.

Whole Foods Craziness

2009-06-07T18:12:00.001-07:00

So we (the wife and I) were ordering korean bbq short ribs. I stopped at Whole Foods to see if they had kimchi. they did. DAMNIT! I'm posting this from my G1 and its really pissing me off that the g1 isnt correcting typos or capitalizing the first letter. this sucks. a lot.

Penny's New Hat

2009-06-07T12:20:00.001-07:00

_DSC0183

2009-06-07T01:36:00.001-07:00

trying out posting via pixelpipe from the laptop.

Finally an Android Blog Worth Following

2009-03-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

Why I love androidandme.com
It's been a while since I've posted an update. I was fed up with my old smart phone, a Samsung i730. It was a dinosaur of a phone and ran Windows Mobile. It was dandy when the smartphone market took off, but for some time now it's just seemed like a dinosaur to me. I had an iPod Touch, which I used for email, music, and mobile internet. Once my Verizon contract was up, I started looking at their phone offerings. I wasn't happy with the Blackberry's they had and, being the Google fanboy that I am, I was drawn to the G1.
I research every gadget that I buy beforehand and had been tracking the G1's progress since before it's release. I've had it for a couple weeks and I'm loving it. However, my usual tech source, jkOnTheRun.com, only provides sporadic and fairly infrequent coverage of the G1 and it's Android operating system. However, I've found a source for my Android fix. A source for all things Android. I finally found a site called AndroidandMe.com. It's an awesome source for Android goodness.

Pics and updates to come.

Quick Update

2009-03-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

Wow. So, it's been a while since my last post. When I wrote my last post, my wife was very pregnant, but still up and about. We had purchased a crib and baby clothes. We had read volumes about what to expect when our little girl was born. Since then, my wife has given birth to my beautiful daughter, Penelope Madeleine Hepburn. I must say, we make a beautiful baby. haha. I'm kidding. I'm thankful that God has blessed us with Little Penny. She's the BEST. Simply the best.
Obviously I've been super busy, but I've been snapping pictures with my Nikon D40 non stop since she was born a little over three weeks ago on February 17, 2009, which incidentally, is Michael Jordan's birthday. She was also born within walking distance from MJ's statue at the United Center. You can find some of the over 1,200 pictures I've taken since her birth on my Flickr page. I've also posted this video on Vimeo since Youtube stripped the audio from my video due to copyright issues.
G0 B@by! from Dimitri Hepburn on Vimeo.
I've still got a lot to blog about. New sites, new blogs, new gadgets (including the Vivitar 285hv flash that was used in the picture of Penny in this post). So stay tuned!

Event of the Century

2009-01-21T17:38:00.001-08:00

More info to come...

Obama's Innauguration and Address

2009-01-20T18:02:00.000-08:00

I can't describe how incredible this is. Too hype for words.

Global Warming?

2009-01-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

It's -11 degrees outside. That's not a wind chill number. That's the actual temperature. We had a "HIGH" of -1 today.
That's insanity.

Young Berg Takes Another L

2009-01-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

Wow. Props to Zack Lee over at The Exactly for posting this one. Apparently Young Berg has gone even further out of his way to look like an ass. If you're not sure who he is (and that's not at all surprising) he was featured on Ray Jay's hit "Sexy Can I" last year and he had a song called Sexy Lady that got burn in some clubs for a while. He got his transformers chain stolen while at a club last year. Subsequently his chain popped up on youtube videos as it took a cross-country road trip without him.
As the video shows, Young Berg was in Miami recently and took a drunken ride on a scooter. He crashed with a passenger riding on the back and police picked him up. He tries over and over in the video to explain to the officers that he's an artist (and therefore immune to laws that govern the general public). Then when his manager tries to come and get Berg's chain before he's shipped off to county, he hits a cop and runs away. This stuff is just ridiculous. This type of thing is the reason many of us would gladly welcome an end to the overblown, oversaturated hip hop era we're currently in.
Pardon my dangling participle.

I Though It Was Just Me...

2009-01-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

Apparently I'm not the only person who doesn't get Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Now I have to admit, I've never seen his plays or his movies. I've just never been that drawn to any of them or had any of them recommended to me personally. I did try on more than one occasion to sit down and watch an episode of House of Payne. The acting seems amateurish at best, the writing is a bore, and the jokes themselves just seem to fall flat. According to Thembi over at The Smoking Section, I'm not the only one. Read what he had to say in a recent post. But of course, you can and should be your own judge. Jala.
Click here to read the the original post.

Apple Reinvents the Wheel

2009-01-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No KeyboardThe Onion is hype. Hilarious.

Floral Fitteds? ...Seriously?

2009-01-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

I just saw the new Leroy Jenkins lineup of fitted caps with floral patterns on Format. This is the definition of hype beast overkill. Umm... not fresh. Not hype.

Notorious Soundtrack

2009-01-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

This is the soundtrack to the new movie Notorious, based on the late great Notorious B.I.G. You're welcome.
Click here to download.
It looks like a pretty fresh soundtrack. Here's a tracklist:
01. Notorious B.I.G. - Notorious Thugs (Featuring Bone 6:05
Thugs-N-Harmony)
02. Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize 3:49
03. Notorious B.I.G. - Notorious B.I.G (Featuring Lil’ Kim And 3:12
Puff Daddy)
04. Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy 5:01
05. Notorious B.I.G. - Party And Bullshit 3:37
06. Notorious B.I.G. - Warning 3:39
07. Notorious B.I.G. - One More Chance/Stay With Me (Remix) 4:28
08. Jay-Z - Brooklyn Go Hard (Featuring Faith Evans) 3:58
09. Jadakiss - Letter To B.I.G (Featuring Faith Evans) 4:00
10. Notorious B.I.G. - Kick In The Door 3:34
11. Notorious B.I.G. - What’s Beef? 5:12
12. Notorious B.I.G. - The World Is Filled…(Featuring Too 4:55
Short And Puff Daddy)
13. Notorious B.I.G. - One More Chance/The Legacy (Remix) 4:30
(Featuring CJ Wallace And Faith Evans)
14. Notorious B.I.G. - The Notorious Theme (Composed By Danny 2:07
Elfman)
15. Notorious B.I.G. - Microphone Murderer (Demo) 2:04
16. Notorious B.I.G. - Guaranteed Raw (Demo) 3:41
17. Notorious B.I.G. - Love No Hoe (Original Demo Version) 3:55

Thanks to The Smoking Section

That Yellow Line

2009-01-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

I always wondered exactly how that yellow first down line on the football field works. It's amazed me for years ever since the first time I saw it on TV. Gizmodo put up this video which explains the nuts and bolts of that all important yellow line.

Merry (late) Christmas!

2009-01-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

The nice folks over at The Smoking Section put together a list of notable albums of 2008. Of course any list of anything related to hip hop or music in general will generate controversy and debate. I'm not going there, but they've got download links to a gang of good albums that you may have missed. They've got 08's entries from The Roots, G-Unit, Jeezy, T.I., Killer Mike, Weezy, Nas and some others. Below you'll find the link to their post. I'm downloading Joe Budden's Halfway House as I type this. I missed that one and a couple others. The downloads are via Rapidshare, so you'll have to be quick about it. Also, if you're not a member and merely a free user like me, you'll only be able to download one each day. But it's a whole album for free. So get on it.
Click here, son.

Roses Really Smell Like...

2008-12-31T14:13:00.000-08:00

Boo Boo ooh ooh...
I took these shots of my mother's roses while waiting for the dealership to call and tell me my car is fixed. Find more on my Flickr page.

A Brief History of the World (in Legos)

2008-12-30T20:26:00.000-08:00

This is hypeness.

Weltraffer from Jesus Diaz on Vimeo.

FRESH NEW MUSIC!

2008-12-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

I downloaded this mixtape a couple hours ago (thanks to The Exactly) and I've been bumping it without pause. It's a GREAT mix of some super hype joints that up and coming artists (and some of your favorite vets) have put out this year. There's a super strong roster on this one that includes Wale, Johnson & Johnson, Jay-Z, 88 Keys, Talib Kweli, The Cool Kids, Outkast, Kid Cudi, Murs, 9th Wonder, Dead Prez, N.E.R.D., Kanye, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Q-Tip, Alchemist, and more.
Can you believe that?!
That's hype.
Here's the link.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

Dude... That was Racist.

2008-12-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

While browsing on IllDoctrine.com, I came across this gem.

Maturity and Common Sense in Hip Hop?

2008-12-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

Saw this on Just Blaze's blog, themegatrondon2.com
Word.

It's Almost Here

2008-12-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

Double Up's Nature Boy is dropping his demo. Check out his myspace for a preview. http://www.myspace.com/naturebmusic

Double Up @ Classick

2008-12-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

Peep the link for some shots of Double Up's Nature Boy and Golden Child at Classick Studios taken by yours truly.
PHOTOS of Double Up @ Classick Studios

More Shots with the D40

2008-12-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

I got my Nikon D40 last week and I'm starting to get the hang of it. They say the best way to learn how to use a new camera is to go out and take as many pictures as possible. Here are some shots I've taken so far and uploaded to my Flickr account.

Could Kirk Survive?

2008-12-21T17:30:00.001-08:00

If you haven't seen the trailer for the new Star Trek movie, then check it out here.
There's a part where James T. Kirk jumps from a car and then stops himself from sliding off the edge of a cliff as the car goes flying off the edge. Apparently someone at Popular Science (one of my favorite magazines) went ahead and calculated whether or not it was possible for Kirk to do this. The nice folks on Gizmodo put together a pretty great video about all this. Pretty interesting.

Nerd Chic

2008-12-21T16:49:00.000-08:00

Casio is releasing the classic 80's calculator watches I thought were so cool way back in the day. They actually look pretty hype in these colors.

New Marsha Ambrosious Mixtape

2008-12-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

I downloaded this mixtape last week and it's pretty good. It's Marsha Ambrosious' music as compiled by Don Cannon. So if you don't mind hearing Cannon talk sh-- between songs, you should give it a go. It's pretty good.
Marsha Ambrosious - Yours Truly [MIXTAPE] (CLICK TO DOWNLOAD)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine !!!

2008-12-21T16:14:00.000-08:00

Yes!!! This movie looks amazing. I've loved all of the X-Men movies. I feel like they were the first of the new wave of comic movies we've seen in the past few years that are finally being done right thanks to great special effects, writing, acting, and directing. Oh yea... Gambit hits the big screen in all his card chucking glory in this movie.X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

Christmas Remixes

2008-12-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

My wife and I recently had a conversation about why there are no new Christmas carols. Our generation is kind of slacking. We've made lots of decent remakes of new Christmas songs, but not much in the way of original music. That's really neither here nor there with regard to this post.
Format Magazine, a super-hype online fasion/hip-hop/art magazine has made available a free download of newly (re)mixed Christmas beats. Good stuff. Check out the link below and look toward the bottom of the page for the download.
I.N.T. presents Welcome To Christmas Wonderland
You're welcome.

My Newest Gadget is Here

2008-12-21T15:04:00.000-08:00

Yup. It finally came last week. I bought a Nikon D40 on Amazon.com and had it delivered to my mom's house in Wheeling. It got there on Tuesday, but a snow storm prevented me from driving out there to get it until a couple days later.
I LOVE it. Of course, I'm still learning the ins and outs of it. I found a great online guide and started reading it before I even got it. Here are some of my first sample shots.

Just Blaze TV Live

2008-11-26T21:43:00.001-08:00

LogMeIn App Beta

2008-11-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

Guess who is an official beta tester for the upcoming LogMeIn App for iPhone and (in my case) iPod Touch...

This guy. That's who.

Kanye Conference Call to Def Jam

2008-11-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

I heard a large percentage of Kanye's album yesterday. My impression of what I heard was that he's moving away from the sound he's developed and fostered over the years. His new sound is heavily influenced by a classic rock sound. It's a Phil Collins type of vibe that isn't hip hop in spite of the autotune/delay/distortion that has (although not native to hip hop) saturated the hip hop world. Again, I say that sound is not hip hop. Yes, Kanye West is a rapper and hip hop producer, but much of the new sound is not in a hip hop style. Of course, he's still Kanye, so he hasn't completely flipped the script.
I'm also not saying that I dislike most of what I heard. Overall it wasn't bad. I just think it's ridiculous that hip hop fans who hated on the smooth rock sound of years past will be all over this album and talk about how revolutionary it is and how dope the new sound is. If I did half the beats Ye did on this new album and sent them to a hip hop label, they'd laugh me out the door. But we can be sure he'll receive acclaim from many in the biz. That's the way it goes. Love to Kanye. I still think he made a humongous impact in the world of hip hop. His albums are new classics. He had every would-be producer trying to duplicate his soul sampled sound. His Glow In the Dark tour was phenomenal. So props to him.
Click here to hear Kanye's conference call to Def Jam. It's an interesting behind the scenes look. Props to the Exactly for the link.

THIS is HIP HOP

2008-11-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

SEMTEX TV: DELA SOUL, MOS DEF, NAS, WILL I AM, KANYE WEST, DAMON ALBARN ROC THE MIC @ THE G.O.O.D. MUSIC AFTER PARTY, LONDON, UK from DJ SEMTEX on Vimeo.
DeLaSoul, the mighty Mos Def, Will.I.Am, Nas on one stage at the Glow in the Dark Tour Afterparty in the UK.
So Hype.

A Bite Out of Spam (Gizmodo repost)

2008-11-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

An office tower in downtown San Jose, California has long served as home to McColo—a hosting company whose servers in turn have quietly served as a conduit to a huge majority of the world's spam email, scam prescription drug markets and child porn sites. After investigations by the Washington Post's Security Fix blog identified McColo as supreme baddies and shut them down, web security firms saw spam volumes drop almost instantly by up to 75%.

The chart here was sent to the Post by a German hosting facility manager, showing spam's immediate decline after McColo's shutdown (Security Fix has several more charts from security organizations and individuals showing the same thing). It's fun to consider the trickle down effects here—just think of the saved CPU cycles on webmail hosts worldwide who suddenly had 70% less U.S. spam to crunch on, and the energy savings resulting?

Last time this happened, when a similar northern California spam ISP called the "Atrivo" network was busted, it only took spammers a few days to get back to their old ways on another network. So, be sure to revel fully in a world free of Viagra deals, Kenyan wire transfer offers and content sharing proposals from personal lubrication sites (Mark's claim to wealth) while you can. [Washington Post, Security Fix]

Matt Miller Video Review of the Blackberry Bold

2008-11-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Matthew Miller contributes to one of my favorite mobile tech blogs, jkOnTheRun. He reviewed the new Blackberry Bold. Apparently it's pretty fresh, especially the keyboard. I've never really been into the Blackberry scene, but I have to say this phone looks pretty sexy.

New Voice and Video Chat in Gmail!

2008-11-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

I swear Google makes the best stuff ever. They've done it again by further improving on Gmail Chat by adding the ability to video chat from inside your Gmail chat dialogue box. Hype. Check the video...

iPhone/Touch Style Multi-Touch without the Touch

2008-11-13T19:14:00.000-08:00

This is so fresh.
I've played with HP's TouchSmart PC and it was pretty hype. However, I feel like this capability would ad the benefits we enjoy on a touch screen interface like that of the iPhone in a full scale computing experience. Also, I always wondered if I'd get annoyed by the smudges and finger prints that would undoubtedly accumulate on a touch screen PC.

Basic Computer and Tech Tips

2008-11-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how many shortcuts the "average" computer user doesn't take advantage of. This article by David Pogue of the New York Times has a lot of useful shortcuts, some of which I didn't know about.
Enjoy.
Tech Tips for the Basic Computer User

What if The Matrix Ran on Windows?

2008-11-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

HILARIOUS Collegehumor.com spoof of The Matrix. I haven't been to Collegehumor in years, but the nice folks at Gizmodo had this up. It's really really well done. Impressive graphics and all. It even stars very close representations of the original actors except for a slightly more Napoleon Dynamite version of Keanu.
Hype.

Ron Browz feat. Busta- Barack Campaign

2008-11-10T19:18:00.000-08:00

This is hype.

Best Play of the Game

2008-11-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

Big Kevin Boss (TE) jumps clear over an Eagles safety. This is impressive. No contact whatsoever. The defender explodes through the tackle only to find that the tight end has jumped right over him.

It's a Start

2008-11-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

The beginning of something good. A DJ Mellow D original.

Click here to listen.

Back to the Beats

2008-11-09T17:56:00.000-08:00

Getting back to doing what I do. More to come...

He Did It

2008-11-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade on Election Day

2008-11-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

KICKING!!!

2008-11-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

So.... this morning Darlene, my wife, was still in bed as I was getting ready for work. I was in the living room and she said, "HEY! Come here!"
She had started feeling the baby's first kicks last week and they've been coming more frequently as time progresses. Anyway... when I got to the bed room, she had me put her hand on her stomach. I was absolutely speechless when I felt my daughter kick for the very first time. It was the first interaction I've had with her. She kicked my hand! I felt it!
Here's a pic of my daughter. It's a couple weeks old.

Go Steelers! Here's Why...

2008-11-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

As I check email and half watch Monday Night Football on ESPN, I heard them say something interesting. The Washington Redskins are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight. It seems the Redskins final home game before an election has "predicted" the outcome of an election in 17 of the last 17 instances.

When the Redskins WIN, the party that won the popular vote in the previous election has won the White House.
When the Redskins LOSE, the Party that LOST the popular vote in the previous election has won the White House.

Plainly, a Redskins win is good for McCain, a Redskins loss is good for Obama.

Hmm... Redskins halfback Clinton Portis is on my fantasy football team this season, but as frivilous and unscientific as this "prediction" business is, I'm going to have to cheer for the Steelers tonight.

Both candidates are also supposed to be on at halftime. Should be an interesting game.

R.I.P. to Obama's Grandmother

2008-11-03T17:27:00.001-08:00

It's such a shame. She lived to see her grandson, whom she helped raise, become the Democratic nominee for the presidency. It's so sad that she won't be here to see him become the first black president of the U.S.

LogMeIn App on the Horizon for iPhone

2008-11-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

According to a recent post on jkOnTheRun, there's a LogMeIn app in the works for iPhones, which of course means it'll be available for the iPod Touch users among us.
If you're not in the know, LogMeIn is a pretty dope service that lets you access a computer remotely. For example, I can log into my personal laptop from a friend's computer or any computer that happens to be available.
The folks over at technologyevangelist.com have already posted a roundabout hack that makes LogMeIn accessible via the iPhone. However, it's a bit of a hassle for the average user and it's also a sluggish experience. I've applied for a chance to preview a beta version of the app, so we'll see if I get it. I'll post a review if I do. You too can apply here to be a beta tester. If it gets green-lighted by Apple, it should be in the App Store by the end of the year.

I got my hands on the G1!

2008-11-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned on here that I'm a big... big... huge fan of Google. I use Gmail (fully customized with Google Labs features), Google Calendar, Google Documents, Google Reader, Google Analytics (to track my blog stats), Google Maps, Picasa (a Google product), of course Google.com to search. I also subscribe (using google reader) to the Official Google blog as well as the Google Mobile Blog. Starting to get the picture?
This being the case, I had been watching the development of Android, Google's mobile operating system very closely. If you're a little confused, an operating system is the software that dictates how you interact with hardware. Windows, for example is a very well known operating system.
Google set out to make an operating system that works the way other Google products do, simply, efficiently, and intuitively. The new operating system, called Android, was released on it's first handset, the G1, a few weeks ago. I've been drooling over it ever since. The G1 is a dressed up version of the HTC Dream. It's got a capacitive touch screen (similar to the iPhone) and a qwerty keyboard that's hidden under a sliding screen.
I finally got to play with it yesterday at the T-Mobile store, which was sweetness. The G1 is smaller in my hands than I had thought from pictures and videos I've seen online. It's also really easy and fun to operate. Having played with my iPod Touch and my wife's iPhone, I think the touch screen on the G1 is very similar. The icons are big enough to be easy to hit even if you have relatively large grown up fingers. That's one thing early touch screen developers got wrong. Small icons require you to waste time pulling out a stylus or take careful aim rather than naturally using your fingers.
Of course, one of the really cool things about a phone with an operating system made by Google is that it sync "in the cloud" with all my Google information. For example, once I sign in to the phone, all my contacts from GMail are stored on my phone automatically. When I add a contact on the phone, it's stored online immediately. Calendar, mail, and other things work the same way. Pretty cool. What might be even cooler is that I don't have to plug it in for it to sync. It syncs to the servers wirelessly and automatically. Beautiful.
Of course, the G1 is only the first phone to hit the market with the Android operating system. That means, as the appeal and gadget lust spreads, more handset manufacturers will start turning out new phones running Android. Not sure if I'll be an early adopter and get the G1 or wait and see what else comes down the pipeline.

Ghostface Killah - Computer Love

2008-11-02T18:40:00.001-08:00

Wow. He really spit over the computer love instrumental.
I'm only feeling it because it's Ghost and because the original is a classic. Nice old school feel.

Ne-Yo How I Do Remix ft. Loso

2008-11-02T18:31:00.001-08:00

...In case you didn't know so.
They did it again. Pretty hype.
Click here to listen/download.

Q-Tip Invited Busta Bus for the Get Up Remix

2008-11-02T18:25:00.001-08:00

Peep it. Pretty hype.

Click to listen/download.

The Pope Gropes Wonderwoman

2008-11-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's Diddy as the pope with his hand on the rear of Wonderwoman, also known as Golden Child's (former?) wifey.

Jay-Z Speaks to Virginia voters

2008-11-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

hype.

If Mos Def Were President...

2008-11-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hilarious.

Too busy to blog...

2008-10-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hello all.

If you've come around here in the past couple weeks, you may have noticed that I haven't been posting for a long time. I've just been busy... really busy. I have a million phone calls to return and emails to reply to this weekend. I'm going to at least try to get around to most of that this weekend. In the meantime, you can check out the blogs on my blog list to the right or the shared items I've shared as I come across them.

New Beta of Firefox 3.1 Available

2008-10-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

The nice folks over at Mozilla just made a beta version of Firefox Version 3.1 available for download. It's pretty neat. Not too much different from the previous version other than some innards that make improvements to the browser's ability to handle some audio and video as well as some java enhancements.
The freshest thing, and the thing most useful to most users, is the ability to press Ctrl+Tab to bring up a preview of your open tabs. This is the same button combination that used to let you toggle between open windows. It's very similar to the windows shortcut of pressing Alt+Tab to flip between open programs.

New music from Slim feat. Fabolous

2008-10-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Slim - Good Lovin feat. Fabolous
Pretty dope.

New Noreaga... I mean N.O.R.E.

2008-10-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

Someone once said NORE is like that drunk uncle everybody has. Nobody has any idea what he's going on and on about, but you love him anyway for some reason. He's the shizzy. This new joint with Pharrell is pretty hype. I might be rockin this for a minute.
N.O.R.E. - Watch Me Now feat. Pharrell

Beyonce Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) Video

2008-10-13T17:01:00.001-07:00

She has legs for days... I'm in awe.

G1 Numbers

2008-10-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile has been taking pre-sale orders for the new HTC G1 phone which is the first phone to run Google's new Android operating system. It's a pretty neat phone and I'd order one myself if I had the opportunity. I even advised my mother to take T-Mobile up on their pre-sale offer. It seems I'm not the only one who is drooling over this thing. T-Mobile has sold 1.5 MILLION of these handsets. That total is all pre-sales. That means none of those people have even held one in their hands. They expect 2 Million phones to be shipped and sold in brick and mortar stores pretty soon. Those are big numbers. Huge numbers. iPhone numbers.

This is hype....

2008-10-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

(Yeah. I've decided to bring back the word "Hype")If you've ever seen me walking down the hallway at work, drumming on my chest, then you can understand why I'd want this. Christmas is not that far away.

I want this...

2008-10-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Gizmodo and it's a must have whenever I get that mansion I've been wanting.

Barack & Curtis: Manhood, Power, & Respect (M. Teezy Repost)

2008-10-12T10:01:00.001-07:00

My guy posted this on his blog (m-teezy.blogspot.com), and I had to repost it.

FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4!!!

2008-10-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

Yessir!
Fight Night4

Just saw this on Just Blaze's blog. I played Fight Night Round 3 on PS2 and on XBOX 360. It's a great game and a favorite of Just Blaze for good reason.

... for Barack Obama

2008-10-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Lick a Shot for Barack Obama (click to listen)
Whether you're a Jay-Z fan or an Obama supporter or none of the above. It's not a song, it's a portion of an interview in which Jay-Z speaks on why he supports the Obama campaign and the push to get his people to go out and vote. Apparently this is going to be on the Green Lantern Yes We Can Mixtape. That's Hype.

FRESH new music... Been a while, right?

2008-10-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's most definitely been a long time since I've heard new music that made me say "Well damn... I'm glad I played that." or "Damn... It's good to be a hip hop fan... a fan of music." What makes the discovery of new music even better is when you hear something incredible from someone you've never heard of. It's too easy to say "Oh shit.. that new Lupe joint is dope." You know you love Lupe, and you know whatever he makes is going to be dope." Alternately, it's extremely vexing to hear news of a new Jay-Z jammie or perhaps a recording of a live performance by the Roots, only to play it and be utterly disappointed.

But anyway... Thanks to theExactly.net, I've come upon three songs that I could nod to and had me googling their respective artists immediately.
The first is a song called Escape Earth by Derrick "Drop" Braxton. He was the dude who produced Gold Watch and The Coolest on Lupe's The Cool. So I guess I was already a fan and didn't know it. The drums on this song sound exactly like those on a Lupe joint from a few years ago that featured Mike Shinoda and Ghostface. I think it was called Spray Paint, but I'm not sure.
The second song is a nice smooth joint by Jessica Tonder called Art of War. It's the shizzy. That's all I can say. She's got an album coming out that will be produced by Derrick Braxton called The Little Girl and the Robot. Starting to see a pattern here? haha.
The other joint is by U-N-I. It's the Beautiful Day Remix featuring a gang of folks you've probably never heard of unless you're an underground hip hop blog fiend. In case you are... Thurz & Y-O (UNI) decided to reach out to Big Pooh(of Little Brother), Evidence, Fashawn, Theo, Aloe Blacc, Mickey Factz and Kes Kaos.

Work at "Home"

2008-10-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's report card time at a little school in Chicago that shall remain unnamed. Shout out to the other Super Scholar Teachers that might be reading this.
We were allowed to work on report cards from home today. Our kids are off this week, so they're not missing any instruction. I got a $10 Starbucks card and figured I'd walk a few blocks to my neighborhood Sbux for a change of pace. I had heard that if you register a starbucks card, you get two hours of free wifi. Free and Wi-Fi are two of my favorite things. Add coffee to the mix and it's a no-brainer. After getting my wireless connection set up and getting some caffeine, I was well on my way to having a very productive work session. This Starbucks location is right by Loyola University, so there were college kids coming in and out, with the occasional student plopping down and cracking a book to study. Overall, I was impressed with my Starbucks office space.

Damn Red Light Cameras

2008-10-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

I hate the City of Chicago. I don't mean the actual city of Chicago. I mean the bastards who put these cameras up. They've cost me $200 already in tickets. I'm usually very cautious, really. But somehow they caught me slipping. I guess I must have been in a hurry on my way to work. Or maybe I was blinded by the glare of the early morning sunrise. Whatever it was, I was caught running a red light. I was mad. I didn't believe it until I went to their site and actually WATCHED THE VIDEO OF ME IN MY CAR RUNNING THE RED LIGHT. You can't argue with streaming video. It's pretty damn frustrating, but it's also an amazing piece of technology.

Video for Common's Universal Mind Control

2008-10-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Cool video. I remember when I first heard this song in the car. I wondered how many people would hear the similarities between Common's flow and Gil Scott-Heron's flow on No Knock. I picked up a Gil Scott-Heron album last year and realized he is a major contributor to what was to become hip hop.

Compare to Gil Scott Heron's No Knock

SNL VP Debate Parody

2008-10-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

Greatness.

Iron Man vs. Ghostface

2008-10-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this is my first post in October. I guess I've been slacking for a few days. More like busy with work, but that's neither here nor there.
The wife and I went to Circuit City today to pick up Iron Man on DVD. I LOVE THIS MOVIE. If you haven't seen it, you're killing yourself. When the movie came out in theaters, I was surprised that Ghostface Killah didn't have even a small cameo in the movie. It was really disappointing.
BUT...
Then I watched the DVD today. There's a scene in which Tony Stark is on his private plane with Terrance Howard's character. They start drinking and there's a music video playing in the background. The music you hear is none other than the Wallaby Don himself. You can catch a glimpse of him on the screen behind the actors. It would have been better if he had actually been on screen at some point, but it's still pretty hype if you ask me.

Tiem-Pain Gets Silly at Classick

2008-09-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Damn grandefrapamochasoyliteskimsteamachino bastards!

2008-09-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

I hate waiting in line at Starbucks when all I want is a small...my bad... TALL coffee. Not a fancy, prissy, girly "coffee" drink. There should be a seperate line for real coffee drinkers.

New Sony OLED Screen

2008-09-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

Saw this at Sony Style up close and personal. 3mm thick and sooooooooo beautiful. It's an organic LED screen. Not organic in the same way that apples at Jewel. Not really anyway. Such a sexy screen. But not worth spending over $2,000 for 11 inches.

Kidz In The Hall Feat. Estelle "Love Hangover" Video

2008-09-22T18:25:00.001-07:00

If you haven't heard Kidz in the Hall's latest album The In Crowd, you should do yourself a favor and pick it up. I bought it on iTunes when it came out and I bump it on the regular.
Love Hangover - Kidz in the Hall feat Estelle

NEW DOUBLE UP MUSIC!!!

2008-09-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

Golden Child - Paper Planes Freestyle feat. Nature Boy and Young Lowe

Nature Boy - Swagga Like Us feat. Golden Child and Young Lowe

Golden Child, Nature Boy, and Young Lowe in the studio

2008-09-20T15:48:00.001-07:00

Maino Hi Hater Remix

2008-09-18T20:09:00.001-07:00

I know, I know...
I follow a Blu post with a Maino remix? Hell yeah I did. It takes all kinds. I actually BOUGHT Maino's Hi Hater on iTunes. Yup. I did. At least I think I did. Not quite sure. But I remember I couldn't get it out of my head. Plus it's a fun song to sing.
Anyway... here's the remix, Blessed majorly by T.I., Swizzy,J to the Muah, and Fabuloso!!!

This is Hip Hop... Johnson and Johnson

2008-09-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

dope snippet from Blu of Johnson and Johnson.

I had their Bout it Bout it video on my myspace ages ago (sometime last year). They're pretty dope. Next time you see me, I'll let you hear Blu's mixtape off the iPod Touch.

Funk Flex gets at Kells

2008-09-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

I was driving to work today and heard a clip of an interview with R. Kelly. Apparently the person interviewing had him asked him if he likes teenagers. He paused and said "What do you mean by teenagers?" Then he proceeded to say he has 19 year old "friends." WTF?!?!? I couldn't believe my ears. Especially since the 13 year old chick in the video is now OLDER than whatever 19 year olds he's banging.
I guess the now legendary NYC radio DJ Funkmaster Flex had heard enough and made this video directed at R. Kelly:

BTW... When I was growing up in the Bronx, Funkmaster Flex lived 2 blocks from me. We used to walk home past his house. He used to have a green BMW parked in the back of his house and sometimes we'd see him checking the mail.

New Wale!

2008-09-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

If you don't know Wale, you need to catch up. I first heard about him by chance. Just Blaze posted a conversation between Wale and himself on his blog (themegatrondon.com). It was and AIM conversation in which Wale was telling him he had just gotten signed. When I heard his name again, I grabbed the mixtape and was impressed. His 100 Miles and Running Mixtape dropped last year and it was super fire. Then he came out with The Mixtape About Nothing, which was a SEINFELD themed mixtape. Sounds crazy, but it was crazy dope. Hook on this one is kinda weak, but Wale is still a dope MC, so I gotta support.
Wale - I Will ft. Xscape

Cool Kids Perform 'Delivery Man' in NYC

2008-09-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

Cool Kids @ Le Poisson Rouge NYC from yellowrebel on Vimeo.

Eminem is still alive?

2008-09-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

Peep it. The Smoking Section just posted audio of Tony Touch interviewing Eminem and Masta Ace on Shade45. I don't have regular access to satellite radio, so I didn't even know Tony Touch had a show on there.
I ran into him at Midway last November when I was flying back from National Geographic Headquarters in D.C. I was with a group of high school kids who had gone to see and participate in the unveiling of a new dinosaur. I spotted Tony coming down the stairs and called out his name. He stopped and I asked him for a picture.

McCain vs. Obama on Science (Gizmodo Repost)

2008-09-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

It's easy to know where presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama stand on ever-hot topics, like the war or abortion. But what about various areas of scientific interest? Science Debate 2008 has made it their focus to clarify each candidate's stance on issues like genetics research, energy and space. The full text is available at that link, but for those who enjoy abridged versions, the New York Times did a nice job of cutting the big block of text into bite-sized pieces.

The NYT points out that both candidates agree that global warming exists, though McCain would like to see carbon emissions drop by 60% while Obama aims for 80%. Similarly, both agree that genetics research is promising but frightening in its implications, assuring to fight workplace discrimination based upon one's genetic code and continue the genetic modification of crops.

The biggest difference I noted was McCain's interest in space. It's one of the few responses where McCain's opinion is lengthier and more policy specific than Obama's, assuring continued NASA funding and naming space exploration as a "top priority" while citing project goals like shortening space shuttle redesign turnaround. Obama feels it's more important to delegate the responsibility/policy, opting to reinstate a White House Space Council.

But there's lots of interesting stuff we haven't even mentioned here. [Science Debate 2008 and NYT]

The 08 isn't for SEXY REXY

2008-09-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

My most recent Amazon.com purchase

I Got This...

2008-09-15T18:42:00.001-07:00

Thanks for that one, Mags.

YES WE CAN!!!

G.O.O.D. Music's Big Sean

2008-09-14T18:17:00.001-07:00

Emilio Sparks interviews Big Sean, the newest addition to the G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam label.

I d/l his Finally Famous Mixtape a long time ago and it's seriously dope. Check it out here.
----------------
Now playing: Shuggie Otis - Sparkle City
via FoxyTunes

Body of Lies

2008-09-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

This one also looks reallllly good. I like DiCaprio a lot (no homo) ever since Blood Diamond.

Sexdrive

2008-09-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Gotta see this. It looks freakin HILARIOUS!!!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Just Blaze live video chat

2008-09-14T01:06:00.001-07:00

So tonight I was about to go to bed early, but decided to check Google Reader and see if I had any new blog posts. I noticed that there was a new post on Just Blaze's blog, themegatrondon.com. He was basically just saying that he'd be broadcasting a live video feed from a studio session with Jay Electronica. So I went to his blog and turned on the little tv and saw a live feed of JB and JE in the studio. Pretty cool. I watched for a while then noticed there was a chat button. I started chatting with other JB fans and with Just Blaze himself. The engineer was doing most of the work, so he would jump on his MacBook Pro every once in a while to see what we were talking about and respond.
At one point when he came on he read my screen name, which of course I thought was the dopest thing ever.
Later I sent Jay Electronica a beat via gmail and he read the names of people who had sent beats to his inbox, which of course included me! It was a great 3 hours. It's pretty cool to actually get to interact with someone I've listened to and admired for so long. Makes me want to get on my grind with this music thing. For now it's time for bed.
The video feed from Just Blaze's blog is on my blog now. Check it out.

Just Blaze video feed

2008-09-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

"Free" Wi-Fi @ Corner Bakery

2008-09-13T17:23:00.001-07:00

So... while downtown this morning, we stopped in at the corner bakery to eat and get out of the rain before doing a little bit of shopping. I had my handy iPod Touch (which is currently updated to firmware v2.1) with me so I decided to see if I could access Corner Bakery's free wifi. I selected their wireless network and then launched Safari.
I was greeted with a welcome screen, which, after a click, led me to this survey:

I might not mind filling out the somewhat lengthy survey had I been using a laptop. However, on the small screen of my Touch, as easy as it is to navigate, I didn't feel like doing it. I thought to myself "Well, it's a survey, it must be optional. I'll just scroll down and click past it and be well on my way to wireless connectivity. Right?"
Wrong.
I scrolled down, clicked, and was greeted with this error message:

If you can't read it, it says "Please complete all survey questions before continuing."
Bogus. I just turned off the Touch and put it right back in my pocket.
Free wifi shouldn't have strings attached. I'm a paying customer. Feel free to ask for my opinion, but it shouldn't be mandatory.
Oh, by the way... these pics were taken in dim light with the wifey's iPhone. Not bad.

Like the DMV, but more romantic...

2008-09-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

So... We went down to the Daley Center this morning to see about getting a marriage license. It was a pretty interesting experience. As you walk into what is a very serious-looking government building, you see couple after couple and you realize that each of them is there for the same thing. They were there for a marriage license, just as we were.
I didn't bring a camera, so I snapped a couple pictures with the wifey's iPhone.
It looks like the DMV, but with much more pleasant people and happy couples.

Friday night...

2008-09-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

I'm spending some quality time home on a Friday night with my good buddy Madden.
My Gamertag is DJMELLOWD if you've got an XBOX 360 and don't mind losing.

Neither here nor there, but...

2008-09-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Something for the independents.

Damon Dash talks about Kanye's Arrest

2008-09-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard or seen it, Kanye broke some paparazzi dude's camera and got arrested.