The World Needs Rappers - Official DIGGA Blog.

I've moved TWNR to WordPress

2010-04-03T13:06:00.001+11:00

You can check it out at http://twnr.wordpress.com/

It's Not Easy Being Green

2010-03-16T19:33:00.002+11:00

What could possibly snap me out of my blog-coma? Well, a couple of things. Maybe three, actually. Three things.

First of all, garrulous former Prime Minister Paul Keating has descended from the sky like the archangel Gabriel (yet again) to pass hilariously combative judgement on a current active politician who he doesn't approve of.

"It was bad enough having the real John Howard ... at least Howard was a militant, aggressive conservative driving in reverse through the rear-vision mirror."

Now normally even a Keating fanboy like myself can admit that such rants aren't, umm, all that balanced, but I mean fuck it - he's talking about Tony Abbott, who can argue?

Moving on, it's St. Paddy's day tomorrow. And if you're any type of Mick in Melbourne, chances are you've spent some time at the Paddy in the Park shindig at The Dan O'Connell pub in Carlton. But if you don't get down there tomorrow, you might never spend another St. Patrick's day on the hallowed lawn again.

From The Age:

CARLTON'S Dan O'Connell Hotel will celebrate St Patrick's Day for the last time on March 17 because of liquor licensing restrictions.

The venue has celebrated the day for 100 years, with up to 5000 patrons drinking green beer and listening to local folk, Celtic and rock musicians on an outdoor stage in the adjoining park.

But owners say that new liquor licensing restrictions will force it to close at 10pm, making it financially unviable.

''The festival has enjoyed the overwhelming support of local residents, Melbourne City Council and Victoria Police,'' said manager Toby Kingsley.

This shit is pretty bogus, so please take a moment to join The Dan's facebook group and help them stand up against the rising tide of reactionary bullshit that has already claimed The Tote (how's that going by the way, have young yobs stopped glassing each other yet?).

While I was trying to find some kind of amusing image to accompany this Emerald-tinged post (in part to distract you from the relatively poor quality of the same), I found myself googling 'leprechaun,' which threw up the following hilarious suggested searches:

Leprechaun trap

Leprechaun in Alabama

Leprechaun in the 'hood

And just in case you've tried everything to trap the little bastards, maybe try using oatmeal cans.

It kinda feels like the Dublin Aunts should do something annual on St. Patrick's Day. Maybe next year we can work something out.

Anyway, everybody wear something green and get outrageously drunk manyana. Slainte!

Scotland The Brave, or The Wife Beater?

2010-02-16T19:29:00.005+11:00

I'm trying to snap this lazy streak of non-blogging, and my latest ploy is to just throw together a bunch of random stuff that's on my mind in one sort of indecipherable amorphous blob. Hence the sweet picture of Larry Bird and Dr. J choking each other out. Enjoy it. It won't be referred to or contextualized.

Apparently the wee laddies in Glasgow are not ones for gender equality.

The 11 and 12-year-olds were questioned in depth about their attitudes and aspirations towards gender roles and behaviour.

They were asked to consider whether or not a man was justified in punching his partner when he found out she had had an affair.

Nearly all of the children thought that the woman deserved to be hit.

The majority of the pupils said it was justified if the woman had an affair, or if she was late in making the tea.

Come on. Glasgow? What did they expect? Don't get me wrong, I'll always have a soft spot for Glasgow (it's where my grandpappy on dad's side hails from), but that's like doing a 'How d'ya feel about those Israelis then?' vox pop in Hamas headquarters. What could have been potentially much more expositional would have been doing a similar experiment on kids here in supposedly-enlightened Melbourne. I'm guessing the results would have been much subtler (not hard) but skewed the same way.

On a related note, Robbie Keane has landed at Glasgow Celtic FC and he just looks right in the green and white hoops.

He hasn't set the world on fire so far, but he's linking up nicely with attacking midfielder/winger Aiden McGeady. I just had to include this image (lifted from the front page of ESPN Soccernet last week) coz it captures the tone of Celtic fans everywhere. Loitering outside the pub. Waiting for stuff to happen. Reacting in an extreme fashion, no matter what that 'stuff' turns out to be.

Finally for today, I've rediscovered one of my favourite bands from the 90s, Living Colour. Cool site, check 'em out. Love Rears It's Ugly Head, etc.

Longley Uses eBay for Non-selfish Purposes That Aid Science, Apparently Doesn't Get It

2010-01-25T18:33:00.004+11:00

Here's a random basketball-related fact:

Former Aussie NBA teammate of Michael Jordan, and 3 time NBA "World" Champion, Luc Longley vied for and won the naming rights to a recently discovered species of shrimp.

Longley, who had participated in marine conservation efforts before, named the shrimp Lebbeus clarehanna after his 15-year-old daughter, Clare Hanna Longley.

Wow, what a guy. I'm not sure that's quite as good as his rollicking mane of auburn locks in the picture, though.

Serpico on Serpico, Pacino Dancing, and Gay Clubs

2010-01-25T18:04:00.005+11:00

I feel bad about the way this post has evolved. I wanted to simply link to this interesting article about the real-life Serpico (who Al Pacino famously played to critical acclaim in the movie by that name). But then I thought I'd add a visual aid, and a scene from the movie was the logical next step.

So I went looking for the scene where Al P dances around hilariously at the bohemian party he goes to. But I couldn't find it. Then I found this amazing clip of him dancing at a gay bar in Cruising. Actually, Pacino has a solid track record of entertaining dance moves in many of his movies. I'll try to compile a list one day.

So I feel I should discuss the article a little bit. The real Serpico is back living somewhere in upstate New York, after years moving around Europe. He still has a lot of powerful enemies in the NYPD, and his life wasn't that great when he was overseas either (he married and had kids, but his wife died young). But still, we read about these legendary characters and pine for the kind of importance, relevance, or 'full life' that they've had. Never stopping to think about how crap that life may well be.

Sometimes, those TPS reports are alright.

Speaking of New York City...

2010-01-20T19:58:00.002+11:00

Check out this story about a little Mick point guard who plays for St. Patrick's (the best High School team in the USA), and finds time to work the standup comic circuit while he juggles practice, basketball road trips, and a steady stream of accusations of nepotism (his dad's the coach).

North Carolina’s Dexter Strickland, then paired in the backcourt with Boyle, listened to his teammate’s quick quips at Mario’s Pizzeria around the corner from the school, and said, “I’d pay money just to hear you talk.”

The appearances started in April at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick, N.J. All of 18, Boyle, known for calling one teammate Unibrow and giving out the assistant coach Ray Miller’s cellphone number as his own, talked about “keeping it real” with a girl and getting tipsy at a bar while on a team trip to South Carolina.

“I don’t want to sound like a clown, but it doesn’t take much to make a bunch of drunk Rutgers kids laugh,” Boyle said.

The next step was Caroline’s on Broadway.

He's probably not very funny, but still. It's kinda cool.

HBO Is About To Stay Winning

2010-01-20T19:52:00.003+11:00

Apparently Boardwalk Empire is HBO's new crack at the uber-props-universal-adoration slot that's been vacant since The Soprano's ended.

Prohibition Era, Tammany Hall type politics (corrupt ward bosses, who's the statesman and who's the gangster?), and everyone's favourite creepy looking motherfucker, Steve Buscemi. All under the guise of the New Jersey waterfront and the forging of what has come to be known as Atlantic City.

I'm on board.

I've never been to Atlantic City, but I'll be back in NYC later this year so I'll give it a shot if anyone's got any recommendations?

Finally, Something Worth Blogging About

2010-01-17T23:06:00.005+11:00

I was driving home from Albert Park tonight and I saw a billboard for Nine, the new movie starring Daniel Day Lewis. Being completely oblivious to the existence of this project, I kind of lost my shit.

I'll watch anything with this dude in it. In The Name of The Father is one of my favourites, and he even made the otherwise pedestrian-at-best Gangs of New York somewhat watchable. Few things that are notable about this trailer, which is better than the one you can see below:

Daniel Day Lewis doesn't say a word during the whole 2 and a half minutes, and he still holds the center of attention (but that's probably only because we don't get a better look at Miss Cruz).

Sophia Loren finally looks her age. That's not a criticism at all. Actually, it's kind of a relief. I was starting to get a bit concerned at the fact that I've been having sexual fantasies about her for 15 years and during that time she hasn't aged at all. I wonder how Raquel Welch is doing....

It's directed by the dude who did Chicago, and more apathetic about musicals as a genre, I could not be, but I have a feeling I'll enjoy this one as a film despite itself.

On a completely unrelated note, after watching some highlights of the African Nations Cup match between heavyweights Ivory Coast and Ghana (who are in the Socceroos group at the world cup in June), I've come to the conclusion that we're completely f*&ked.

Unless we can figure out a way to beat Serbia.

I guess it could happen. They're a pretty passive, had-an-easy-life, take-it-lying-down type of people, right?

Only 2 Years Until The World Ends (Mayans, motherf*&kers - Mayans!)

2010-01-03T19:22:00.002+11:00

Ok, rubes. I'm back.

Here's a list of things I should've blogged about since my last post almost a month ago (in no particular order):

Copenhagen.

I have absolutely nothing insightful to share, but I could've easily paraphrased The Kid, or G, or any one of the dozen or so people I know who actually have a clue, and passed the ideas off as my own without most of you finding out. Except for the fact that both The Kid and G read this blog. But then hilarity could've ensued in the comments.

Whiskey.

More specifically, the sheer quantity of it that I consumed during December generally and on Christmas Day specifically. Not as some sort of late 20's crisis boast, but rather as a heads-up excuse for the vacant look in my eyes and the reddened cheeks on my face next time you see me. In my defense, I went without a drop of cerveza from November 28 until Christmas Eve, so I feel that the spike in whiskey consumption was somewhat mitigated. I mean, c'mon, no one ever stops drinking completely. Do they?

The New York Knicks.

This is a fairly recent eventuation, but those fuckers actually beat early season Eastern Conference front-runners the Atlanta Hawks IN Atlanta.

In other events, The Old Firm Derby is on tonight and if Rangers win then the title is likely to stay in the blue, God-Save-The-Queen (in other words, the crap) part of Glasgow.

It's 2010 in my heart, my mind, and my pants.

Bang.

Rum, Brandy, Sodomy, the Lash, and a Few Good Goals

2009-12-14T19:47:00.003+11:00

It's pretty hard to knock this (enjoy the commentary, by the way) out the box in terms of what I will and won't post footage about, but Marc Antoine Fortune's thunder bolt for Celtic is kinda a big deal as he's been much maligned and hardly played since his 4 million Euro arrival at Parkhead.

I watched Celtic v Motherwell live on Sat night, downing some overly potent home made egg nog in the process. Pretty hard to convey the excitement when Fortune broke the 2-2 deadlock with his goal, mainly because the SPL isn't exactly champagne football and I'm one of the 113 people in Oz who even give a f*&k about it - but it was literally his first touch after he got on the pitch.

Oh, and Arsenal beating Liverpool was pretty sweet, too.

Sorry, Memph.

Attack of The Unreleased Demos Part Deux: Interlude (Prod. by Styalz Fuego)

2009-12-14T18:19:00.005+11:00

This track is actually one of a 3 part interlude series that I cut with Styalz Fuego a little while back for a solo project. The plan was to sprinkle them throughout the other tracks to maintain a constant theme.

I'll post the other two, umm, I dunno, when I post 'em.

http://hotfile.com/dl/20606522/6f4ab58/digga-interlude-numeroduce.mp3.html

I should probably add it to imeem etc. but I just can't be bothered.

I'm not really this lazy or apathetic when it comes to my music, I'm just holding out until I can give you some new stuff. Which, one way or another, will happen in the new year.

How Commodities Prices Directly Impacted My Weekend

2009-12-14T18:00:00.006+11:00

Ah Bubs. Everybody's favourite junkie. Affable, charismatic, and well-informed.

Much like the junkies who ripped out my copper gas pipe and a sizable chunk of my gas meter on the weekend. Well, they have the well-informed part in common, anyway.

After the crippling rage simmered down (I briefly considered finding local scrap metal joints and offering them $200 for any info they could give me), I had to chuckle at the notion of a couple of scraggly smack head life partners reading the Financial Review over a lunch at the soup kitchen.

"Ay baaaaaabe, says 'ere copper's garn thru the roof!"

"Yeah I know. Jeez, I tell ya - commodities prices these days."

Seriously though, I hope those f*&king deadbeats die.

Innovation From A to Z

2009-12-09T20:32:00.002+11:00

I came across this cool artist site a few weeks ago via a 'Web Entrepreneurs' newsletter that I help put the advertising together for.

Northern Irish rock band, Ash have sold 8 million albums worldwide. Now they've thrown the traditional music distribution model out the window with their clever A-Z series of singles.

Available primarily as a digital subscription -- with the opportunity to purchase limited edition vinyl -- subscribers receive a new song every two weeks for a full year. As the promotion began October 12, those that sign up now will receive all the releases to date, then the new ones as they are launched.

Ash front man, Tim Wheeler, recently stated, "The way people listen to music has changed; with the advent of the download the emphasis has reverted to single tracks."

Not a bad idea, that.

Boronia Brilliance

2009-12-09T20:25:00.002+11:00

Black Bones from Rhett Dashwood on Vimeo.

This is some good work from my Bosnia buddy Rhett Dashwood. If you didn't catch it earlier this year, check out his acclaimed Google Maps Typography, or just cruise over to his site and check out the other stuff this brilliant crazy bastard is up to.

An Inconvenient Shuduppa You Face

2009-12-09T19:57:00.004+11:00

Here's what I don't get about the climate change "debate."

There are politicians who think it's a myth. Whatever. Fair enough. I guess.

However, these politicians are so stubbornly stuck on the idea that it's a myth, that they refuse to engage with any policy (or policy-making) that places primacy on solving any related environmental issues right now. So you get your "I'm not ripping off the tax payers' in order to pay for some pie in the sky scheme that aims at solving a problem that doesn't exist" line.

Ok.

But carbon emissions are bad, right? That's not up for debate, is it? You see where I'm going with this....

Maybe you think climate change is a crock of $hit. But you know that many interrelated environmental issues are not.

If these politicians don't want to back an emissions trading scheme at the expense of, well, expenses, but they admit that carbon emissions (and a bunch of other eco stuff we can work on) are bad for the environment, then they're either too stupid or too dangerous to be trusted. It it's bad, and you can affect a positive change, then do so. If you know it's bad, and you don't want to affect a change (regardless of the paternalistic reasoning behind it) you're a bit of a prick.

I don't have anything specifically against people sticking their heads in the sand. But it seems to me that if you genuinely think climate change is a myth then you shouldn't believe in the hole in the o zone layer, rising sea levels, or any other proven environmental truth bombs (water is wet, etc.) either.

Having said all that (did I say all that?), I fully admit to being a complete f*&king hypocrite because I do very little to curb my own lifestyle in aid of creating a more ecologically sustainable society.

So blah.

I'm sorry for being grumpy, I procrastinated over buying a sweet 1981 Retro Celtic FC track jacket and it's now out of stock and never to be re-manufactured.

I may denounce all of the above listed, half-baked opinions as early as this time tomorrow.

Another One Bites The Dust

2009-12-07T20:53:00.002+11:00

A little while back I remember reading about a guy who came to Australia from Scotland when he was 11 years old. Obviously, migrating at that age, his whole world and everything he knew or held dear was in Australia. But he was a bad boy, and he'd been in and out of prison for most of his adult life. So at some point someone somewhere rubber-stamped the notion of kicking him out of Australia (he never got naturalized) the very next time he got out of jail.

So that's what they did.

He was sent "home" on October 20, leaving behind a teenage son and his extended family. Two days later he was found lying dead on a footpath. British police are asking why, and the Australian Government is denying any responsibility.

Apparently this isn't an isolated incident. Word is, the Australian Government sends almost 100 "almost Australian" people packing per year.

Of course, no story like this would be complete without the unsolicited opinion of some reactionary crank. In this case, it was that clean living pillar of the Australian broadcasting community, Derryn Hinch.

Is this K Rudd's Australia? Or The Coconut's?

It's getting harder to differentiate.

A Timely Christmas Reminder of Bloody Religious Wars

2009-12-07T20:49:00.002+11:00

It's about this time, every year, that malcontents and Buzz Killingtons start whining about how we've "forgotten the true meaning of Christmas." Then they spout a bunch of religious cliches and we all lose the will to live and want to simultaneously punch them in the face and get high.

I think this little piece nicely illustrates the brutal, blood-drenched cradle that those religious cliches come from.

Albums I'm Gonna Recommend You Checkout, Even Though I Haven't Even Heard Them

2009-12-07T20:42:00.003+11:00

I've heard enough good things about the new Clipse record Til The Casket Drops, and the new Snoop album Malice In Wonderland to do the old Molly Meldrum, "Do yourself a favour."

Even though I haven't heard a single track off either LP.

I was a pretty big fan of Hell Hath No Fury, and I've always dug The Clipse's "we don't care about much" style, so I think it's a safe bet.

And as for Snoop, have you ever seen/heard Sexual Eruption? Alright then. Nuff said.

I can't be bothered checking out Before I Self Destruct. I might, at some point. But I probably won't blog about it unless I get it on vinyl, play it backwards, and become the first person on the planet to realise that 50 Cent is subliminally preaching Scientology.

A Crap Weekend In Sports

2009-11-23T12:13:00.002+11:00

Arsenal lose to Sunderland in the EPL, and Celtic lose to Dundee United in Scotland.

Ridiculous.

At least things are working out a little nicer in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks, who have to be one of the definitive 'neutral's favourite' teams (when have you ever heard anyone say a bad word about them?) are soaring (yep, I just did that) atop the league - along with the equally impressive Orlando Magic, that is.

Vince Carter is doing some great work at Orlando. It's kind of a perfect fit for him, coz he's always been that dude with all the technical and physical gifts in the world who's lazy disposition can make him a little frustrating to watch. In the twilight of his career, and with other big guns around him (Howard, Lewis etc.), the pressure's off. Anyone who saw the way he closed out the win against Boston the other day would have to agree that he could be the X factor they need to get over, say, a Cleveland in the play-offs.

But enough of this positive $hit, let's get back to the crap stuff.

It doesn't get much worse than Kevin Garnett hitting a buzzer beater in Madison Square Garden.

The "Holy F*&k, It's Almost X Mas" Edition

2009-11-23T12:01:00.002+11:00

So..... been pretty quiet lately.

November's been a monster of a month on a number of fronts, most of which have signified overindulgence in various guises, shortly accompanied by hangovers. So a bunch of $hit has necessarily fallen by the wayside, and blogging, Twitter-vigilance ('twigilance' would be a bit gay, right?) and general plugged-in-to-web-happenings have all been casualties.

Amidst all this tech-slacking, I've discovered a sneaking (and growing) suspicion that I'm generally happier, more content, and more relaxed when I'm not engaged in the abject voyeurism of Twitter, Facebook etc. This is, of course, tempered by the awkward pull of "I'm missing out on something when I'm not plugged in." Are either of those impulses legitimate?

Whatever.

One thing I know for sure is, I've been writing a lot more music in the downtime.

I guess one good reason to get back in the mix is that it's almost Christmas and I haven't gotten my $hit together re: gifts. Usually, I've at least bid on a bunch of stuff on eBay by now. So I guess I better hop to it.

Nas Midweek, Lil' Wayne Weekend

2009-11-01T18:46:00.003+11:00

That could pretty much sum up the parts of the week that seem suitable to listen to each of those artists' music, but that's not really what it refers to.

I saw Nas do his thing at The Metro here in Melbourne (Palace? F*&k outta here. Pig, lipstick, etcetera and so forth) on Wednesday night, and I've been listening to Weezy's No Ceilings mixtape all day today (Sunday).

Part of me wants to give it up to Nas for just rocking out in front of his 7 piece band completely solo, no hype man, no special effects. Just him and his classics. But another part of me couldn't get used to the semi-trailer sized gaps of silence that all of his verses were punctured with, where a hype man would've punched in for him. Blah. Some good things, some bad things.

Same with Lil' Wayne. I keep listening to his music, I'm no Wayne hater. Of course I knew about him waaaay back in the mid 90s when most hip hop heads laughed at him and his southern brethren. But I never really paid him no mind until my boy (ironically also called Weez) put me onto The Carter II. It's been up and down ever since. I love that he truly doesn't give a f*&k, I hate how bad that makes some of his lyrics. Sometimes he goes hard, sometimes he just sounds, well, stupid.

It's kinda lame to look for the whole package in one artist, in the same way that you're a moron if you think going to church every Sunday means you'll eventually loll about on fluffy soft clouds for all eternity. I'm obviously getting something out of both listening experiences, otherwise why the f*&k would I still be listening? So I'm gonna let it ride there.

Nas midwek, Lil' Wayne weekend.

'Placido' Paul, Doing What He Does Best

2009-11-01T18:32:00.002+11:00

Normally you would never in a million years get me linking to that piece-of-crap kiddie's pictorial the Herald Sun, (Melbourne's best printed weapon against constipation), but if you know my thoughts -- actually, f*&k it, my feelings -- about one Paul Keating, then you'll understand why I had to do it.

“Canberra is of its essence a great mistake,” Mr Keating said.

“The capital (of Australia) should never have been there, it should have been in Melbourne or Sydney.”

Mr Keating, who was visiting Melbourne from Sydney, said our city has a great feel.

But he did have a laugh at the expense of some of our architecture, describing an attempt to create a type of Victorian Classicism last century as more like “Whorehouse Rococo”, or “Bordello Baroque”.

Ok, not bad. Now try this little number about K-Rudd giving former foe Peter Costello a seat at the financial table:

"The prime minister’s goodie two-shoes approach of appointing former opponents of the Labor Party to important public jobs is no substitute for thoughtful and mature reflection as to the public requirement of those positions.’’

‘‘Costello was a policy bum of the first order who squandered 11 years of economic opportunity.’’

Kinda makes you miss 17% interest rates, no?

Get a Whiff Of Columbia

2009-11-01T18:22:00.003+11:00

My dude Krispy put me onto the story of a Columbian football team who got kidnapped right off the pitch in the middle of a game. Spoiler alert: it didn't have a happy ending.

Tachira's secretary-general Leomagno Flores has blamed the violence on an armed wing of the Columbian left-wing guerilla group the LEN, led by a guerilla called El Payaso, or 'The Clown.'

Now, obviously this type of stuff only happens in Latin America. But the particular blend of madness whiffs specifically of Columbia.

Violent football pitch invasion: check.
Shadowy guerilla group with nebulous motives: check
Ridiculous and amusing nickname for homicidal ring leader: check

The only thing more Columbian than all of that, is this crazy f&*k goalkeeper who you've probably all seen footage of before. If you haven't, enjoy.

It's like this every day in Baranquilla.

Pimp-Ho' Stature/Master-Slave Factor

2009-10-20T20:31:00.002+11:00

In a what-the-f&*k throwback to the "good old days" in Hollywood (when Joseph P. Kennedy was getting hookers bumped off, and studio moguls were contractually permitted to regulate their stars' bowel movements), studios such as Dream Works and Disney are shutting down twitter for the help.

Influential trade publication The Hollywood Reporter revealed that new talent contracts from Disney forbid confidentiality breaches via "interactive media such as Facebook, Twitter or any other interactive social network or personal blog".

How could this possibly be practically enforced? I would love to see a test case go to court.

As the article suggests, the studios are always happy to exploit new technology in order to maximize revenue, but they have no problem curtailing freedom of speech by banning the use of the same technology by 'the workers.'

I mean, don't get me wrong, I think most celebrities on Twitter are boring and prolific to the point of indulgent self-absorption. But who the hell are you, me, or whoever the latest incarnation of Jack Warner is, to deny them that right? You know, the right to have people follow them, expect to be entertained, and then not un-follow them even when they turn out to be $hit.

That's a fundamental right.

Rascal McDuck?

2009-10-20T20:28:00.002+11:00

True to the title of his hit record "Bonkers," Dizzee Rascal decided to rock the kilt for his recent show in Edinburgh.

The question is, did he rock it true Scotsman style? I'm sure some of the chicks in the front row found out, one way or another.

Can Green Make Roy Jones Jnr. Lean Back?

2009-10-19T19:42:00.004+11:00

I've been a part-time boxing fan ever since my Whack Job basketball coach made my entire team knuckle up at a boxing club after Sunday training when I was 17 (he had some issues).

I drift in and out though. So it's a little shameful, but not too surprising, that I wasn't aware Danny Green is about to fight Top 3 G.O.A.T. Roy Jones Jnr.

And I couldn't post about that, without posting one of the bazillion highlights from Jones' career.

I like Danny Green, and I hoped he'd punish Anthony "I try to talk as much as Ali did but nothing remotely as charismatic or witty comes out" Mundine each time they tangled, but I think he may be in a bit of trouble here. Having said that, Roy Jones is definitely past his peak, so who knows?

David's Still Twisting Goliath's Nuts a Little Bit

2009-10-18T20:44:00.003+11:00

I thought that the weekend's English Premier League results thus far deserved a post, especially given I'm a Gunners fan.

Liverpool losing to Sunderland? The only way that could possibly be better is if the mad mick Roy Keane was still in charge there. Injuries to Torres and Gerrard are mitigating for the Reds, but still, come on. Sunderland? Sorry Memph, that's just $hite.

Chelsea losing to Aston Villa might be a poisoned chalice, depending on whether or not you're a 'glass half full' or 'glass half empty' kinda person. I'll explain....

Based on the results of recent seasons, chances are Arsenal will be vying for 3rd or 4th place in the EPL again this time round. For the unenlightened, that's nothing to sniff at as it enables them to play in the UEFA Champs League (probably the best football currently being played on the planet). Aston Villa are vying for the same spots, so seeing them win is always a little unsettling.

However, if you were really in a 'swinging for the fences' kinda mood, you would say that league leaders Chelsea dropping points is a good thing as it evens the field at this early stage of the season.

Either way, the season just got a little more interesting...

'Ere, Didn't You Kill My Brova?

2009-10-18T20:40:00.003+11:00

I was originally looking for the classic 'Who was that fat bastard?' skits from legendary British comedian Alexei Sayle's show, Alexei Sayle's Stuff. But I couldn't find them. And I thought this would substitute just fine.

From time to time, I really need to revisit some of the classic Brit humour I was raised on, and it gets no better than The Young Ones. So many talented cats participated in one way or another, it's easy to overlook some of the geniuses. And Alexei Sayle was definitely one of 'em.

Unreleased Scenes From The Wire

2009-10-18T20:36:00.002+11:00

My man Khoi is back in MEL after a long stretch doing community-building type stuff up in PNG, and as if that isn't enough for me to hate him for being better than me, he put me onto a whole bunch of exclusive $hit from The Wire (which by now you're probably sick of me and everybody else telling you is the greatest television of all time).

It was really tough to pick which clip to go with (young Omar, the origin of Prop Joe's nickname etc.) but I just can't go past McNulty.

Tommy More, Freedom-of-Speech Good Guy

2009-10-11T17:45:00.002+11:00

In a way, I'm only posting about enlightened 16th Century statesman (and lawyer/writer/humanist/scholar - phew, the Toffs really took advantage of their, erm, well, advantage, back in those days) Thomas More as a sort of mental note of public record to track down and buy his book Utopia.

He was a true pioneer of freedom of speech, even standing up to Henry VIII (who was patently not a pioneer of freedom of speech) over the matter. A man of principle, he refused to attend the coronation of Anne Boleyn, and refused to take an oath which incorporated anti-papal rhetoric (quite the staunch Catholic, was old Tommy Boy).

I mean, he was hung for all of this. But they made him a saint. That was later on though. A long, long time after his neck had snapped and his bowels and bladder emptied down his dangling legs (you know, from the loss of bodily control).

Stories Prompted By Random Photos

2009-10-06T20:16:00.002+11:00

This is a picture of my friend Che.

We were all partying well 'ard the night this flick was taken, but that's not what this post is about.

About 5 or 6 years ago, Che, Weez (another friend who will surely make an appearance in my new 'Stories Prompted By Random Photos' section at some stage) and I were drinking at a bar in outer eastern MEL near where we all grew up. It was pretty early in the day, the bar was quiet, and from memory we were the only patrons in there.

The publican knicked out the back for a second and next thing you know - ZHOOM! A junkie shot into the bar out of nowhere like the Gott Damm Glimmer Man and racked a bottle of Drambuie from behind the bar. Now, "if I can slander my own environment" (to quote Jack Nicholson) we grew up in the kind of area where you get used to this type of behaviour, and the bar was certainly in a location where you would expect 'the junkie crowd' to be milling around somewhere nearby. So the three of us weren't particularly phased, and only reluctantly got involved when the barman came sprinting out after the thief.

The junkie was genuinely surprised, and slightly put-out, when he realised he was being pursued. So he broke into a wonky canter. As he neared the exit, which we three were sat beside, the barman's shouts for help, coupled with his forlorn 'I am man, we are human' expression, dragged Che into action. He got up just as the junkie crossed the threshold and for the briefest instant tasted freedom. He took one big step as the junkie momentarily disappeared outside the front door, one step closer to sharing the swag with his smackie mates. Then, Che stuck one mighty hand out the door, around the corner, and dragged the poor wretch back in to the bar by the collar.

Queue expletives and resignation from the junkie, and over-the-top gratitude from the barman.

I think, in the end, he gave us one free pot each. And that was it.

OMGIGP, Or The Best Thing Dean Cain Has Ever Done

2009-10-06T20:10:00.002+11:00

I'm pretty late with this, but not being as conversant with web geekdom as I should be, I only just heard about it today while I was drinking a rum hot chocolate (at Enoteca, if you're Collingwood/Fitzroy or Richmond, you need to check that out).

On the subject of Dean Cain, we were discussing what an 'it' girl Teri Hatcher was back in the day (don't try to front like you don't know what I'm talking about).

Me Want Food

2009-10-01T20:13:00.002+10:00

Go on, give it a go if you're so freakin' smart. See if you're an Eco Kid.

Reason #1 Why TWNR

2009-10-01T19:58:00.003+10:00

I know, I know. Celebrities talking about politics. Some of you hate it. Most of the time, I hate it. But if you've ever heard the track Poison (off Stillmatic, 2001) or Sly Fox (off Untitled, 2008), then you'd have to admit that Nas has earned the right to talk just a little bit of $hit.

It must be noted, however, that Fox's response was pretty f*&king excellent:

"Fox News believes in all protesters exercising their right to free speech, including Nas who has an album to promote."

I'm not sure where Nas is gonna take things musically in this next phase (the reputed collab album with the young Marley dude might be cool if it actually happens), but regardless he's an absolute inspiration and probably the greatest of all time.

So There's This New Thing Called The Hip Hop

2009-10-01T19:43:00.004+10:00

Got this pic from my pal Raena a while back, just been too busy to blog much lately.

I love the early spin on Hip Hop in the copy:

"It's the music and dancing that started on sidewalks all around big cities."

Like dudes were just hanging out on stoops and by the curb and then spontaneously burst into song like some Gott Damm broadway musical.

Why Does Everybody Love Roman?

2009-09-30T20:56:00.003+10:00

Umm, I don't understand....

What's controversial about the whole Roman Polanski situation?

By that I mean, why is there any conjecture at all about whether or not he's a "good man," or whether or not he "deserves to be punished?"

According to The L.A. Times, "Directors Martin Scorsese, David Lynch and Woody Allen are among dozens in the film industry to sign a petition calling for the immediate release of Polanski. Academy-Award winning film producer Harvey Weinstein, also a signatory to the petition, wrote in the UK Indpendent calling the original plea deal in Polanski's case a "miscarriage of justice."

Am I missing something? It's not being disputed that he had sex with a 13 year old, right? So.... since when's that forgivable?

Don't get me wrong, I do believe that we can admire certain positive qualities that otherwise reprehensible deadbeats might possess. But seriously, what the f*&k! And why's Marty Scorsese throwing his 2 cents in with freaks like Lynch (Blue Velvet and Lost Highway are my $hit though) and Allen? Oh, Woody Allen leaps to a pedophile's defense - what a f*&king surprise.

Polanski's life definitely hasn't been a picnic:

Tragedy overwhelmed Polanski the following year when his heavily pregnant wife Sharon Tate was brutally murdered, along with four others, by killers acting on the orders of radical cult leader Charles Manson.

But I wish to Christ they'd stop talking about him like some kind of martyr.

Da Boss, And His Consiglieri

2009-09-30T20:47:00.002+10:00

I saw this clip on tv the other day and made a mental note to post about it, firstly because it's just a great song, but also because Little Stevie Van Zandt looks so deliciously whacked out during the parts where he comes mincing up to Springsteen on stage.

Mincing. Huh. That's definitely not a characteristic you could accuse him of exhibiting during his stint on The Sopranos (incidentally, Silvio was definitely my favourite character).

Flo Rida Tour Pics: It's A Wrap In Perth

2009-09-26T14:06:00.003+10:00

Me and Steve Scanlon, the best sound man in the Australian music industry. Bar none. When he's at the desk at front-of-house, as a performer you know you've got nothing to worry about.

Cat Woman and Ol' Sleepy Eyes McGee, aka the fabulous Miss Jessica Mauboy and me after the show.

So the tour is over, quite an enjoyable and successful return to the stage, all told. Some general thoughts on the tour:

- There's still a healthy demand for urban music out there in Any Town, Australia, but it's now all about the marketing and finding a way to successfully target that demographic.

- A lot of people know the lyrics to the old J Wess stuff.

- Soundmen say the darndest things. Eg. "You've just gotta use a bit of grift and deception when you're dealing with these d*&kheads." - Steve Scanlon, on negotiating parking spots with security guards at sound checks.

- Teenage girls will scream any time an attractive man takes his top off on stage, no matter what else he is saying or doing (for the record, I'm not talking about myself).

- Airline staff weild the power of life and death over your luggage: don't give them $hit.

- I lost my iPod.

Celtic FC To Take On Cheatin' Viennese Next Week

2009-09-23T21:18:00.002+10:00

Hitler was Austrian. I know it, you know it, those sneaky pricks at Rapid Vienna football club know it. They're kinda stickin' it to The Bhoys, by wearing some inflammatory red uniforms:

Rapid have confirmed they will wear the colour to commemorate the notorious 1984 European Cup-Winners' Cup tie between the sides, which saw the Hoops ordered to replay the second leg at a neutral ground.

Celtic had won the tie on aggregate but were punished by UEFA after a bottle was thrown from the Parkhead terracing and Rapid defender Rudolf Weinhofer pretended he had been struck by it.

There's only one thing to say about this, and with the above image, I think I'm sayin' it.

Rapid Vienna. Austrians. Cheaters. Nazi-sympathizers.

The mighty Hoops, of course, are a model of racial forward thinking.

Gil Heron, known as the Black Arrow for his lightning fast runs, joined in 1951.

He scored on his first-team debut in a 2-0 win over Morton.

Heron, the father of legendary musician Gil Scott-Heron, was also a hit off the field.

Celtic FC. Scots-Irish. Champions. Epitome of tolerance.

Unless you're a Proddy.

Is God Dead?

2009-09-23T20:23:00.002+10:00

Ka-blammo, that's some serious, "SEX..........now that I've got your attention," type blog post titling right there!

A list of the most controversial magazine covers of all time. Obviously the above image ranks pretty high, but if you really wanna seem some wrongity, hard to go past the pic of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The Muhammad Ali one's pretty cool, the Andy Warhol one is blah, and the National Lampoon one will definitely elicit a response.

New Digga Track: Attack Of The Unreleased Demos

2009-09-22T21:29:00.002+10:00

I think it's fair to say I've been quiet lately, musically speaking that is (you can't shut me up on this blog bizzo). A little too quiet.

And lazy, as well.

See, I've been sitting on a swag of unreleased tracks that I cut a while back with one Styalz Fuego. And I've been planning on posting them, honest I have.

I just never got round to it until now. I'll try to do this with some kind of consistency now that I've got the ball rolling, but I'm not making any promises.

Download here:

Digga - All Channel Champion Produced by Styalz Fuego

Confusing Marketing: Do You Get Mad When You Just Don't Get It?

2009-09-21T19:07:00.003+10:00

I just don't get this ad.

Is this supple, innocent, vivacious-yet-oh-so-naive young French peasant girl supposed to be this unexceptional middle aged Australian man's lover?

Is she his daughter? But no, she can't be that. She doesn't call him dad (or Papa, if you will) once. Then again, she doesn't call him dad-dy either. If you catch my drift.

And if she is this gentleman's lady friend, where might a 40 something bloke from, let's say Northern Sydney, happen upon such a Gallic beauty? And, for that matter, where exactly are they in this ad?

Maybe he pays her for her time, if you know what I mean. That works. Don't let the fact that they're familiar with one another throw you - I believe they call that a "standing arrangement."

And how in the hell does any of this compel me to give the folks at Budget Direct my money? Is it, "If I'm as prudent and wise through my life as this guy is (he does keep correcting Frenchie and her delightful mispronunciations, after all), I'll be given jail bait when I'm 50 as my just reward?"

More Cash For Private Schools: Gotta Keep That Elitist Conveyor Belt Going

2009-09-18T19:08:00.003+10:00

I know, I know. I'm super late with this. I've been away, that's why I've been criminally neglecting the blog. But this bears repeating, coz it's complete bull$hit that people should be seriously alarmed about.

While the Government often says increased funding to non-government schools partly reflects enrolment growth, the latest figures from the federal Education Department show private school funding will far outstrip enrolment growth over the same period, which is only about 5 per cent for most of the schools.

In my view, there's no good reason for private schools to receive any more money from the government. I mean $hit, they already get waaaaay more than they should. My sister's been a teacher in the public system the last few years, and there's just straight up no cash for anything. And that's at the reasonably well-performing ones, not to mention the remote or underperforming ones. So why the f*&k should we bolster the cash reserves at these lil' fascist factories through which even the dim witted progeny of upper class captains of industry learn to expect the power and class advantage they will go on to inherit?

It just makes me so mad, in case that wasn't clear.

Flo Rida Tour Pics

2009-09-18T18:18:00.012+10:00

Soundcheck: tedious, time consuming, and always kicks off 42 minutes later than scheduled. But the most necessary of evils.

This is what happens when your stylist gets all artsy with the camera. For the record, mine's the foot on the left.

Lipz gets up close and personal with the fans, and subsequently finds out what the barriers are for.

Gettin' a little sweaty, largely due to the 'I'm a Rapper, I ain't takin' my hood off' stylee.

Trying to act calm and cool in the moments before we hit the stage (the most incredible soul sensation Mr. Jerson Trinidad to the left of me). If you don't get nervous in that situation, you're not taking it seriously.

The Sydney crowd - "Oh, I think they like me."

So we've now killed 'em in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Perth is the last leg of the tour, that's next Friday. Definitely have to give a shout out to Jen, our stylist. She came through with a tonne of fresh gear.

Big middle finger to the Scots flamer at Brisbane airport who 'accidentally' sent my bag to Perth after I kind of gave him $hit for making me check my carry on.

I'll have to grab a few more pics from the other guys' cameras, I didn't get that many good ones. It's been a blast, thoughts are now turning to the second J Wess single coz we gotta get the kids jumping to our new stuff the same way they're jumping to our old stuff.

Whaddaya Get When You Cross Asher Roth And David Lee?

2009-09-10T22:03:00.003+10:00

David Lee Roth, of course. BAM! Down comes the humour hammer.

I actually only really wanted to mention that The Knicks have signed my man David Lee for another year, but I've got nothing against the young Jewish spitter so I thought I'd get creative.

Obviously David Lee Roth's chest hair is the best thing about this (I'm a bit of a Pierce Brosnan with the hirsuteness myself), although whatever the f*&k's going on with his inflected abdominal muscles is not really that cool.

Did he cameo in one of the thousand Sopranos episodes that involved famous dudes sitting in on Mob run card games?

I'm almost done packing and I'm off on tour tomorrow. Here's some more random chart action (if you're into that kind of thing), the new J Wess single's doing well on the AIR charts.

Stereotypes Exist For A Reason

2009-09-07T18:33:00.002+10:00

I'm attributing this blog post title to my man Memphis. Although I can't remember what exactly he was referring to, I'm pretty sure he would agree it's applicable to this.

Irish adults consume the equivalent of almost 550 pints of beer every year, it was claimed today.

The article's a little light on detail, and it doesn't really offer any readily intelligible evidence to back up the excellent sensationalist quote above, but let's just go with it.

"In Ireland, there are more drunks per capita than people," Peter Griffin, Family Guy.

Berlusconi, Hard At It?

2009-09-07T18:28:00.003+10:00

I'm really, truly impressed that despite this furor and that scandal, shady Italian media magnate and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is most concerned about this.

As part of a counterattack against his vociferous critics at home and abroad, Mr Berlusconi is suing Italian newspaper L'Unita for 2 million euros ($A3.36 million) for libel after it ran articles claiming he had erectile dysfunction and used Viagra.

As long as you don't take him seriously as a politician, this guy is f*&ing awesome.

Oh, and I'm well aware that Pepe Le Pew is French, but they are neighbouring countries and Le Pew and Berlusconi are kindred spirits.

A Chart's A Chart

2009-09-07T18:11:00.003+10:00

So the new single Anything For You Feat. Digga & Jerson Trinidad debuted at Number 6 on the ARIA Top 50 Physical Singles Chart.

Not exactly a home run, kinda like winning Most Improved Player rather than MVP, but it's a good thing no matter how you look at it.

If you don't have your copy yet, get your iTunes on. And buy a few CD singles too, if you want. You know, just for the retro irony. Or something.

Soccer Whos?

2009-09-06T16:48:00.003+10:00

So The Socceroos got a bit of a toweling from fellow Asian giants South Korea last night, which is a bit of a bummer coz it would seem to threaten our recent phenomenal rise in the FIFA rankings. However, we have already qualified for the world cup and coach Pim Verbeek would certainly have been experimenting with different player combinations and options.

Much more importantly, my man Scott 'S Mac' McDonald was denied his first goal for his country by genetics, physics, and teammate Patrick Kisnorbo (who's a few inches taller, and capable of leaping a few inches higher, than Scotty). If you didn't see it, both McDonald and Kisnorbo rose above the pack for the header, with the ball just skimming a couple of inches over S Mac and landing plum on Kisnorbo's forehead.

Queue elation for the burly defender, and anguish for our favourite little stocky goal sneek.

Too Busy Survivin' To Arguin' Bout Darwin.... Darlin'

2009-09-06T16:37:00.003+10:00

It may be a little risky to assume that our physical evolution has reached it's zenith, but that's the idea being floated here.

Now, after some three billion years, the Darwinian era is over. The epoch of species competition came to an end about 10 thousand years ago when a single species, Homo sapiens, began to dominate and reorganize the planet. Since that time, cultural evolution has replaced biological evolution as the driving force of change.

The article is actually a lot more involved than my opening sentence (or the above extract) would have you believe. But they don't pay me the big bucks for my considered, measured meditations on the $hit I blog about. Currency of immediacy, bee-yatch. Boo Yowwww! The World Needs Rappers - all reactionary, all the time!

Duffle Jackets

2009-09-06T16:30:00.003+10:00

For some people, the film Boondock Saints was a cult classic. For others, it was just stupid. Personally, I thought it was both. I'd heard rumours that a sequel was in the pipeline, but the first one came out over 10 years ago so as time has ticked by I've always been a little skeptical.

However, I always knew there was a chance that Troy Duffy (creator/writer) would get it done through sheer force of will, mainly because he got so f*&ked over financially on the first go round. He never made a cent (and continues to not make a cent) on any DVD sales, which is a travesty given that this movie, much like Office Space, was critically panned and commercially ignored until it hit the stores and got snapped up in surprising numbers.

I'll watch anything with Billy Connolly in it, I was raised on that dude's stand up routines.

What Kinda Present Did You Get For Your Birthday?

2009-09-01T20:13:00.005+10:00

If it wasn't a cannon, you were jibbed.

"Daugherty... granted his son's wish and built him a Civil War-era cannon not a model, the real deal. The howitzer fires and rivals anything seen at Civil War reenactments across the country. He said it took him about two weeks to build and is worth about $6,000."

Pretty great, right? Bear in mind that the dude's son was 11 years old.

Daugherty said his son is very mature and would be able to handle the responsibility of owning a piece of artillery.

That's just, well, that's just outstanding.

By the way, the pic is a USB desktop cannon that you know you want.

If MacGyver Made Headphones

2009-09-01T19:59:00.003+10:00

They wouldn't be shiny and glamorous like the ones above, positioned delicately atop the statuesque chica up here. But they might be like this.

All you'll need is a pair of earbuds with the plug-on-a-post design, along with some basic foam earplugs, and some basic tools like a pair of scissors.

If you're really interested in doing this $hit, there's a how-to video (hit the link). But really, you should probably save up your sheckles and go grab yourself some Sennheiser noise canceling joints.

The Philosopher Kings

2009-08-27T22:28:00.003+10:00

Some photographer (Steve Pyke, if you must know) has taken a series of photos of the most renowned philosophers he could find. And when I say, 'the most renowned philosophers he can find,' obviously I mean pretty much any old philosopher who hasn't died yet.

The blurbs under the photos are cool, just little snap shot descriptions of each persons take on, you know, philosophical $hit.

Rakim Hearts Jadakiss and Loso

2009-08-27T22:15:00.002+10:00

I've always rated 'Kiss as one of the best flows going around, nothing too shabby about his lyrics either (it's just that he's a member of the O.C./Ras Kass Gild of sick rappers who will never get the shine to match their ability), but I didn't think the G.O.A.T. would co-sign some of these other cats.

"Jada, he's the definition of the streets," the legendary MC said. "Jada, Styles P, the LOX, period. You throw on one of their joints ... I'm in the whip, I try to keep my cool in the whip. I don't like bouncing around, getting my crazy on, but it's certain joints you gotta wild out. Roll the window down, blast the joints, let it be heard. That's one of them groups that bang it out."

It's weird to imagine Ra' listening to the veritable legion of rappers that his style has spawned, but then again what would you expect - once someone attains 'legend' status they just sit in a calm sunlit room, all dressed in white, meditating and producing pure gold stools?

Where's Your Head At?

2009-08-27T22:09:00.002+10:00

One of the best things about this clip is that one of the main dudes looks kinda like Roger Federer. And Roger Federer looks like the kind of 'pleasant on the surface, but maniacal on the inside' guy who would collect severed heads.

The Dead Kennedys

2009-08-26T19:29:00.003+10:00

So Kennedy dynasty patriarch Ted Kennedy has finally succumbed to brain cancer, aged 77. Although it's tempting to write his political career off as an underdeveloped conjoined growth on the back of brothers Jack and Bobby's monstrous and absorbing turns in the spotlight, that's probably a tad unfair.

In recent years he has fought admirably for health care reform:

At the Democratic National Convention in August 2008, the Massachusetts Democrat promised, "I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate when we begin the great test."

Sen. Kennedy made good on that pledge, but ultimately lost his battle with cancer.

He had a questionable private past, but who the hell doesn't? A little womanizing, the odd hit'n'run - pretty standard stuff for the youngest son of a filthy rich bootleg baron-turned-respectable-businessman.

Oh, and if you think it's the end of the line for The Kennedy dynasty, think again.

The Kennedy family tree is monstrous.

F*&kin' Irish Catholics.

The Philosoraptor

2009-08-26T19:24:00.002+10:00

Another shameless jack from someone else (thanks Tetterz).

Beeeeaaaaaaaat Booooooooooxxxxxx

2009-08-26T19:22:00.002+10:00

Another nod to Miss Raena for the hook up.

Reason #3 Why The World Needs Argentinian Footballers

2009-08-26T19:18:00.000+10:00

So obviously Diego Maradona is #1, and current Barcelona FC star Lionel Messi is #2 - but this little fleet of foot chap is definitely #3.

Sergio Kun Aguero. He's only 20. And he's soon to be Maradona's son-in-law. That's what you call 'well-connected' in Argentina.

This Is A Picture Of Shaq With a Panda

2009-08-24T21:42:00.001+10:00

Told ya.

Shout out to Raena for putting me up on this today.

Download 'Anything For You' J Wess Feat. Digga & Jerson Trinidad

2009-08-24T21:37:00.002+10:00

It's out now on iTunes, or alternatively I'm sure you can track it down for free somewhere.

But, you know............. don't do that.

J's been criss-crossing the country doing some promo spots at clubs for launch nights. I guess we probably won't jump straight into full scale touring after the Flo Rida tour, it'll take a little while to build things up again and we might wait until we get another record out before we start living out of the suitcase.

Which is cool, it gives me time to lay down a bunch more tracks for my album.

Which, if I haven't mentioned before, I'm looking forward to releasing, just a little bit. Finally.

You Wouldn't Understand

2009-08-24T21:30:00.002+10:00

I'm pretty sure I've posted about these guys before. They're without a doubt one of the top 100 reasons why TWNR, and they were tinkering with alternative dancey types of music well before it became popular to do so in "urban" circles.

This song was one of their last hurrahs as a notable Hip Hop group.

jungle brothers - brain
Uploaded by dougpark17. - Explore more music videos.

Pacino Set To Play 'Dr. Death' In New Movie

2009-08-22T14:25:00.002+10:00

That's right. Michael Corleone is gonna play Dr. Jack Kevorkian in a new Barry Levinson project.

He's relinquished his usual pepper-and-salt locks for the role and stars alongside Susan Sarandon and John Goodman in the Barry Levinson-directed flick, due out next year. It's a none-to-cheery story about the US assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian.

It's sad to say, but at 69 years old we're not gonna have Al P around much longer for those iconic roles we all quote on the daily. This looks like it could be a great opportunity for him to add to his legend, one more time.

Vinnie Jones Attack Cardio

2009-08-22T14:22:00.001+10:00

"Nothing burns calories like fear. The fact that I will be chasing you down like a fat tub of lard, will burn fat guaranteed!"

Ol' Mob Eyes

2009-08-19T21:36:00.003+10:00

If you heard that Martin Scorsese was gonna do a movie about Frank Sinatra and his seedy mafia ties, you'd think, "That sounds pretty f*&kin' great," right?

Well, apparently The Chairman of The Board's (no Kiddie, I'm not talkin about The Biz) daughter disagrees.

As part of the two-year negotiations to secure the rights to Sinatra's life story and music, his daughter was appointed executive producer of the film, which is due for release in 2011.

''Marty wants it to be hard-hitting and showcase the violent, sexually charged, hard-drinking Frank, but Tina wants to show the softer side of her dad and let the focus be on the music,'' the New York Post quoted a source as saying.

Umm, yeah......... this movie is not gonna get made. Can you imagine Scorsese being open to suggestions? The guy made Mean Streets for f*&k's sake. Either go his way or don't go at all.

'Anything For You' J Wess Feat. Digga & Jerson - Out Friday!

2009-08-19T21:31:00.003+10:00

That's right folks, you can grab the new J Wess track from iTunes from this Friday August 21.

Actually, you can buy 12 copies. And 47 CD singles. Each.

That should balance out any illegal filesharing.

Seriously though. Y'know.... DOWNLOAD IT. Then, one day soon, it'll be one of my songs you're downloading.

And then that'll be great for all of us and we'll have a big party.

Arseneltic

2009-08-19T21:26:00.002+10:00

I guess there's 2 ways of looking at today's Celtic 0-2 Arsenal result.

On the one hand, Celtic fought stoutly and tried to play football (rather than parking their whole team behind the ball), and can feel a little hard done by due to the nature of the 2 goals.

On the other hand, Arsenal were able to comfortably beat a team without having to click out of 'efficiency power save' mode.

So...........yeah.

Was a strange but enjoyable experience watching the game, I genuinely didn't mind who won.

Would be nice to see Scotty Mac score a goal in the return leg, though.

Introducing.... Jon Cassettevetes

2009-08-18T19:09:00.003+10:00

This is a stupid post.

It's simply to announce that, should all the current projects/albums I'm working on go to $hit, I will be reinventing myself and my new performing name will be Jon Cassettevetes.

So here's a story about director Jon Cassavetes and one of his hallmark polemic works.

Following three suburban family men into the maw of a midlife crisis brought on by a mutual friend's untimely death, the movie is set at a fever pitch that at times approaches outright hysteria. Rarely has depression been so manic.

And yes, I'll be looking to replicate that in the subsequent music I will make.

Coke Rules Everything Around Me

2009-08-18T19:04:00.003+10:00

I'm sure most of you have already heard about this, but apparently most US bank notes contain traces of cocaine.

The drug gets on paper money during drug transactions and when people roll bills to snort cocaine powder, Zuo said.

Stress spurred by the worldwide financial crisis may be driving people to abuse cocaine, one of the most common illegal drugs in the world, Zuo said in a phone interview.

Ha, yup, that'd be it. Stress. On a serious note, I have to question these findings, as the research doesn't seem to have been exhaustive:

Asian drug-taking practices could conceivably be partly responsible for the lower percentages of cocaine-tainted bills. Zuo doesn't know, for example, whether Asian cocaine users inhale through rolled bills as many Western users do.

Outstanding.

MJ's Still Got It

2009-08-18T18:58:00.002+10:00

Yup, that's right. At 46 years of age, the G.O.A.T. can still smoke some fit, young Slamball goon.

That fadeaway jump shot is still perfection.

Status Update

2009-08-15T17:17:00.003+10:00

We're pretty damn close to the release date for the new J Wess single Anything For You Feat. Me and Jerson Trinidad (August 21 is the jump off), and the Flo Rida tour is just around the corner too. So I've been getting the old tunes back into my memory bank for our shows.

It's such a weird experience pulling the songs you've performed a million times (but not for quite some time) back to the front of your brain. And it's a love/hate thing. As an artist, you want to be doing new stuff all the time. I think the creative process involves 'letting go' of previous creative endeavours so that you can feel like you're moving forward. Of course, this is at odds with the needs and requirements of a professional career in music - if you're lucky enough to have had hits in the past, you need to be grateful for that and suck it up when you're about to hit the stage and you really don't feel like performing that track you wrote 8 years ago and recorded 6 years ago.

That's the business.

Luckily, the J Wess stage show that we're putting together for this tour is a nice balance of past hits and new material off The Director's Cut (J's forthcoming second album).

Regicide, Another Reason Why TWNR

2009-08-15T17:12:00.003+10:00

We all love Prince Harry, he's the crazy ginger kid party boy who calls his subcontinental mates "Pakies" and generally does dumb, entertaining stuff. But it's still important for rappers to let him know what time it is.

Dizzee Rascal told the Telegraph that a London gig promoter who was overseeing the prince's day out at the festival was to thank for the meeting. He added that he had joked to the prince that he would punch him "in the face" during the private meeting.

Some people say he's bonkers, but I just say he's well 'ard.

Union Dudes Are Still As Tough As Ever

2009-08-15T14:34:00.002+10:00

I thought I'd post this excellent scene from G.O.A.T. flick 'On The Waterfront' as it ties in nicely with an article I was reading about labour unions perpetuating the tough guy stereotype here in Melbourne.

Among the exchanges recorded in the Australian Building and Construction Commission's statement of claim were mobile phone calls to a ''scab'' labour hire worker on the project during an April 1 car chase.

The calls, it is alleged, were from the phones of workers who had been earlier fired from another labour hire firm used on the project, Civil Pacific.

''You're f---ed. We know where you live. We are going to kill you and your family,'' said one caller during the chase.

''Don't you go on to the bridge again or you and your family are f---ed,'' another caller said.

It's tempting to assume that repeated attempts to emasculate the unions in recent years may have 'softened' them up. But that would be one big wrong a$$ assumption.

Also, I like the Arabic subtitles on the clip.

DRM Wants To Make $exy Time With You

2009-08-12T22:02:00.002+10:00

Mr. Magain put me onto this.

It's wrong, but oh so right.

The Mighty Micks

2009-08-12T21:59:00.002+10:00

I have two problems with this list of 100 Irish-Australian Big Shots.

The first is that I'm not on it, and the second is that Milo Kerrigan here isn't on it either.

And yes, I have posted a Milo Kerrigan clip before (thanks Che).

No Toast Until You've Had Your Twitter

2009-08-10T20:39:00.002+10:00

I definitely don't consider myself a Luddite (I've got a blog, don't I?), but I'd say I have a healthy suspicion of the unquestioning, total and complete embrace of new technology. I don't, for example, automatically accept that any new innovation is going to make my life better.

So this article from the New York Times plays to my fears nicely.

“Things that I thought were unacceptable a few years ago are now commonplace in my house,” she said, “like all four of us starting the day on four computers in four separate rooms.”

Technology has shaken up plenty of life’s routines, but for many people it has completely altered the once predictable rituals at the start of the day.

This is morning in America in the Internet age. After six to eight hours of network deprivation — also known as sleep — people are increasingly waking up and lunging for cellphones and laptops, sometimes even before swinging their legs to the floor and tending to more biologically urgent activities.

I guess I'd be cooler with this sort of stuff if most of the world wasn't living in fear of persecution or danger of starving.

"Network deprivation?"

F*&k off.

The Dodgy Brothers

2009-08-10T20:37:00.000+10:00

Nothing to add. Just, great.

Porn For Hipsters

2009-08-10T20:35:00.003+10:00

My girl Jen put me up on this ode to tight pants.

Entertaining, yet disturbing.

A Rat Among Rats

2009-08-10T20:29:00.002+10:00

If you're not familiar with the stranger-than-fiction true story of South Boston Irish American Mob boss James 'Whitey' Bulger, then the name Kevin Weeks will mean nothing to you.

Weeks was Bulger's muscle, and one of the last dudes to stand by his side after it became clear that he was co-operating with the FBI. Eventually, Weeks turned rat too.

Well, now he's out after serving just 72 months.

Not bad for admitting to murder.

"Ah Jesus, I'm F*&$in' Dreamin' Here"

2009-08-09T20:53:00.002+10:00

That's what Paulie Walnuts says to Tony Soprano when he is informed that their lifetime mafioso pal Pussy Bonpansiero is working for The Feds.

And it's exactly how I feel after having my worst Champions League qualifier fears realised.

Tony Mowbray's men will host the Gunners first in a tie sure to be labelled a Battle of Britain. The Bhoys qualified for the tough tie via a historic away victory at Dinamo Moscow.

It's true my friends, God really does hate us all. Well, me at least. For now.

Do I go with my blood, my tradition, upholding my Grandpa's proud Irish love of Glasgow Celtic FC?

Or do I choose my own affinity for, and organic attachment to, the stylish Frenchie-influenced fluidity of Arsenal?

No one knows, my friends. But I urge you to indulge in a chuckle at my misfortune.

Oh, and by the way, Tony's response to Paulie's lament (the title of this blog post) was, "Tell me about it. I been walkin' into walls all week."

Music Vs. Rap

2009-08-09T20:47:00.003+10:00

As a nice counter point to my previous post about Rap (is it music?), I present to you Bibio.

My man Fabulous put me onto Bibio (and I still need to return the CD, which I will do very very soon, Fab). This guy makes beautiful music, and there's no arguing about it.

I don't see any incongruity between me loving to bang some Slaughterhouse when I'm going for a run, and soaking up some of Bibio's excellent Ambivalence Avenue LP on a sunny Sunday afternoon drive.

No one ever said evolution involved discarding things from the past as new things of similar inspiration start to take root.

You can keep loving it all. At least, I can. I can't speak for you........... weirdo.

Rap vs. Music

2009-08-09T20:36:00.003+10:00

Shout to Che for sending me this yesterday, it seems a propos given the imminent release of the self-titled album from 4 man powerhouse crew Slaughterhouse (I'm sure at least a couple of them will become reasons why TWNR at some stage).

It also got me thinking about the nature of rap (at least, the kind of rap that these guys do) within the wider context of music in general.

When these guys get to flowing, watch out. They're all incredible, and it's truly impressive. But, as I was saying to Che, it feels more like watching 4 athletes running the 4 x 100M sprint than it feels like having the 'musical' experience.

That may be the reason I originally fell in love with this rap $hit - because we were saying F*&k The Police and barking rough raps over beats that took 'music' and sampled/mashed it up into this crazy, angry, bombastic, distorted, beautifully raw thing. Was it even music? Is it now?

I surely don't know. But I still love that crazy, beautiful, raw thing that first hooked me in, and these cats deliver it in spades.

Hangtime And The Hoops

2009-08-06T19:29:00.003+10:00

Just one quick post tonight, coz I'm off to Ding Dong Lounge for my man Weez's new night Hangtime (and if I don't see you there, then I hate you) - but it's an important one.

Tubby little Aussie legend Scott McDonald banged in a goal off his noggin to help nudge Celtic FC one step closer to Champs League football this season.

Now they go into the pot against the likes of Fiorentina, Lyon, and (gulp) Arsenal.

What will happen if they draw my beloved Gunners?

Will I be happy no matter who wins?

Will I even be able to watch it?

Will my brain explode?

Stay tuned.....

Muhammad Ali Is Irish?

2009-08-05T20:48:00.003+10:00

This post was supposed to be about this photo exhibition that celebrates the 125th anniversary of the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), but then I noticed that there was an inexplicable pic of Ali in the midst of all the nostalgic black and white images of proud Irishmen excelling at their native sports.

Pretty Irish, eh?

Anyway, he is the greatest.

Cautionary Tale: What You Want Won't Make You Happy

2009-08-05T20:18:00.002+10:00

Over coffee at Birdman Eating (probably the best cafe-style eatery in Melbourne) with some friends today, I discussed the common misconception that exceptionally attractive/successful/rich folks have perfect lives. I think we're all prone to self-pity at one time or another in our lives, and that's when we catch a glimpse of the magazine cover with Jude Law on the front and snort indignantly at the idea of him ever feeling the same way.

But of course, he (or whoever else) probably does. This is an interesting story about a rich, young, handsome, German footballer who just couldn't cope.

...most of the international football community has since Deisler's retirement struggled to come to terms with the background for Basti Fantasti's decision but this will presumably be revealed when Deisler's book ("Zurück ins Leben. Die Geschichte eines Fußballspielers." - "Back to Life - The story of a Footballer") co-written by Michael Rosentritt is published on September 29. According to the publisher, the book will uncover Deisler's passion and love of the game as well as his paranoia and depression. But the book will undoubtedly provide new ground for criticising the social trauma inflicted on young footballers and the unbearable pressure put on their fragile shoulders.

Particularly poignant is his realisation that, sitting in his mansion with his Benz in the driveway and more money in the bank than he could get through in a decade, he still felt that 'something was missing.'

I guess if you ain't right, you ain't right. And if you're rich, famous, or generally successful, you're assumed to be beyond it.

Then again, we seem to be pretty crap at understanding why people slip through the gaps no matter what their social standing.

Music Is Dead

2009-08-03T18:43:00.002+10:00

Well, that's what the 50-something record label executives would tell you. Me, I just say this graph shows what most smart people have been saying for years now: Bye bye physical, hello downloads.

Question is, will illegal filesharing, torrents etc. have a larger negative impact on download sales than bootleg CDs and tapes did on physical copy sales back in the day? I'm guessing yes. And that's gotta mean less overall sales, right?

Luckily, many (most?) artists are used to getting f*&ked by the record labels on sales so much that it was never a primary source of income for them anyway.

Start your own label.

Unleash Your Enthusiasm

2009-08-03T18:31:00.002+10:00

This image is particularly relevant, given that I'm almost as devoted to Curb Your Enthusiasm as some hardcore Star Wars fans are to 'The Holy Trilogy.' And it's topical, given the arc of the upcoming 7th series of Curb.

Entertainment Weekly reports that the cast of Seinfeld - Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards - are set to appear in a multi-episode arc on Curb Your Enthusiasm season 7. This means, of course, that the cast of the long-running comedy that went off air 11 years ago will reunite with Curb star and Seinfeld co-creator David.

Pretty good news. Pretty, pretty, pretttttttyyyyyyyy good news.

Disney On Acid

2009-08-03T18:27:00.003+10:00

I think it was my pal Raena (who's also been a big help putting together T Shirt designs for me) who put me onto these mesmeric illustrations.

Kinda disturbing, a little nightmarish, but beautiful nonetheless.

Don't Worry, Be Pentatonic

2009-08-03T18:23:00.002+10:00

Bobby McFerrin, being the legend that he is.

Ga' Head, keep thinking he's all about this.

Rule #1: Get Over Yourself (Or, 'You're Just Not That Into You')

2009-08-02T22:18:00.003+10:00

I had an excellent 'Master of The Bleedin' Obvious' moment this evening.

Spent most of the afternoon in the studio. When I wasn't laying down some weird new joints for my record (one assumes the perspective of a nightclub toilet, another is an ode to Larry Bird), I was discussing various plans for the upcoming Flo Rida tour with J. Putting the show together, stuff like that.

It's amazing how energizing an afternoon like that is. I came home on a high, had something to eat and then went to play ball.

Now, it's just an open-age Hack Ball competition, but it's one of the better ones in our fair city of MEL. We got slammed. I mean, SLAMMED. And I got a corked thigh.

So right now I feel pretty $hitty, which is kinda stupid.

Long story short, this is life (or, as the quasi-political graffiti scrawl I once saw on the wall of an abandoned factory in North Melbourne said, "This Is Freedom, C*%#s"). Everybody always either feels the way I feel right now, or the way I felt after the studio session, or somewhere in between. It's a stupid little life, but it's the only one we get and it can be quite enjoyable.

The end.

Status Update

2009-07-30T19:14:00.003+10:00

Getting ever closer to the release date of the new J Wess single Anything For You featuring myself and Mr. Jerson Trinidad (August 21), J's been out doing a lot of press for it. We're also gearing up for the Flo Rida tour, and they snuck in a slot with Beyonce in Sydney for us too by the looks of things.

By all accounts, the folks who have been interviewing J seem to get what we're trying to do with the new label and are interested to see what I come out with on my own record. No $hit, me too!

Last few weekends I've been recording new tracks for my record (J's is in the can, bar a few tweaks here and there), I'm looking forward to getting back to it this weekend. I used to be impatient about locking in a track list, but these days I'm really enjoying the process of stacking as many tracks as possible and then sitting back at the end and picking the best ones. Darwin, baby.

Anyway, one of the tracks we're laying down this weekend is something really different for us, and could be the next song out through Rendition Entertainment. Not sure if it'll be off J's record, mine, or something totally different. But you should be hearing it soon.

Detroit Red, And The Ongoing Race Issue

2009-07-30T19:05:00.002+10:00

When I was a teen, I really got into Malcolm X (as most kids who grew up on Hip Hop did at some stage I would imagine). I read his excellent autobiography at least twice, and was pi$$ed off when my 11th grade English teacher handed my essay on Malcolm X back to me and said he was a 'political thug' (later I came to appreciate what he was trying to do - namely, knock the 'star worship' outta me and get me thinking critically).

As President Obama's popularity rating dips and the race issue starts to dig in, it's good to reflect and remember that race relations are an ongoing dialogue and can probably never be tied up in a neat little package with an Inaugaration Day ribbon on top.

Malcolm x Return from Mecca
by oublierleracismeskyblog

Kirk Franklin Gets Starbury All Weepy

2009-07-30T18:49:00.002+10:00

Wow.

I love to talk $hit about Steph Marbury, given the way he did The Knicks, but damn. I think I'll leave him alone for now.

Who knows what's really going on.

What Does Your City Sound Like?

2009-07-27T18:22:00.002+10:00

Unfortunately this doesn't answer that question (how cool would it be if there was a site that had actual atmospheric street sounds from all the great cities?), but it's still kinda cool. I'm not sure how they determine which songs to play for each city (are they supposed to be descriptive and unique to the city they're ascribed to?).

I don't know why I post stuff like this that I'm so clearly dispassionate about.

File it under 'seems like a good idea at the time.'

Music 2.0

2009-07-27T18:13:00.003+10:00

Smart cookies like my man Weez over at the Affinity Music Group are already putting all of this stuff into action - it's the new rules of the music game (referring to the "record industry" seems a little limited these days).

Fans are the new record label. The business now all depends on the relationship between an artist and their fans, most importantly the uber fans, the ones who buy all the merchandise, go to all the shows, and spread the word about their favorite bands.

We're in a transitional faze where the old record label dinosaurs are completely unwilling to accept that this is the new way of things. But they still have a lot of power and pull. So there's gonna be growing pains for a few years to come, but once those crusty old technocrats kick off, and today's artists (and frustrated used-to-be artists) take up the positions of power, the points outlined in this article will start to be standard. I think. But who the hell knows.

Shoulda Stayed In Food & Beverage: How To Be Ace Rothstein

2009-07-27T18:08:00.002+10:00

This post is primarily for The Biz, who should be tap dancing his way down Las Ramblas in Barcelona right about now.

I found this cool site that will really help you deepen your sports gambling jones.

Build graphical charts using NFL, NBA, College Basketball, College Football, and NASCAR stats. (more sports coming soon)

Each chart comes in three formats: interactive Flash, image, and thumbnail. You can embed any of these in a website or blog.

Even if you're not a gambler, it's still pretty cool. Unless you hate sports. Then it sux.

I Have a Dream

2009-07-25T18:29:00.003+10:00

Ok, maybe Martin Luther King Jnr's famous speech isn't included, but just about every other great American speech of the 20th Century is on this Presidential Speech Archive.

Ask not what you're favourite rapper can do for you, but what you can do for your favourite rapper.

Frustrated Knick Fan Tracker: David Lee Wants Out

2009-07-25T18:22:00.003+10:00

If you flick back through previous months' posts, anywhere between November last year and May this year, you'll find pretty much weekly mentions of David Lee.

He's the big white dude who looks like he should do big white dude numbers (4.6 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game), but who is in reality The Laird Of The Double Doubles.

So of course, it makes sense that The New York Knicks, the franchise with the greatest responsibility to it's fans and the worst track record in recent memory of both on and off court policy, has pi$$ed off their most consistent performer so much that he kinda wants out.

"At the start of this process I was really excited to be in New York, I thought it wouldn't be too difficult to work something out, but now we're forced to start looking at different options with sign-and trades and stuff like that," Lee told ESPN.com. "I'm sure it's going to be something we're not expecting, it's going to be something that's very complicated. But my gut would be that it's going to be difficult at this point to get a long-term deal done with New York, that's my gut."

The Knicks are gonna look so attractive to LBJ next summer.

What The F*&k Is a Conservative?

2009-07-25T18:11:00.002+10:00

Is it an old fashioned fuddy-duddy who wears suspenders and smokes a pipe? Is it someone who perpetually wants things to stay 'as they are,' or 'go back to the way they were' ? Do all conservatives necessarily hate every single immigrant who arrives on their shores? Is it pretty much exclusively a white thing?

I dunno. I really don't. But this article, with a nice sensationalist title, is worth a read if you've ever pondered these questions.

What passes for conservatism today would have been incomprehensible to its originator, Edmund Burke, who, in the late eighteenth century, set forth the principles by which governments might nurture the "organic" unity that bound a people together even in times of revolutionary upheaval. Burke's conservatism was based not on a particular set of ideological principles but rather on distrust of all ideologies. In his most celebrated writings, his denunciation of the French Revolution and its English champions, Burke did not seek to justify the ancien regime and its many inequities. Nor did he propose a counter-ideology. Instead he warned against the destabilizing perils of revolutionary politics, beginning with its totalizing nostrums.

Obviously, I have no idea what a totalizing nostrum is (and if you do, I instantly don't trust you), but I find the bit about conservatives disliking any and all ideological principles (at least as they pertain to politics) quite interesting.

Kinda reminds me of an accusation that was frequently leveled at George W. Bush (by dissident former homies of his) that he completely lacked intellectual curiosity. Seems to fit nicely with the 'no ideologies please, we're Conservatives' thing.

I'm not so sure that the founding father would be so disappointed with today's breed at all, really.