Posts for category ‘lists’

A D.C. pic, links and commentary …

[A Basketball Court - 13th & C St. NE, Washington, D.C. - K. Weidie]

Here’s a video of JaVale McGee teaching the hook shot:

It’s pretty awesome that McGee is working to add the hook shot to his meager offensive repertoire. With his helicopter arms, it could be unstoppable. Against the Hawks on Tuesday, McGee tried the hook several times … it’s still a work in progress (or a “process” as executives of the team would say). I say his hook technique/implementation is still somewhere between ‘What the heck was that fading piece of junk?!?’ and ‘Awesome! … An effective baseline baby hook!’. Read more »

One cool thing about Google Analytics is the ability to get stats on the network locations of visitors. Most come from big network providers (“locations”) such as Comcast, Verizon, Cox, BellSouth, RCN, etc.. Other stats indicate visitors from specific government entities or large companies.

I really appreciate all readers from the networks above and every place in between, but today, as we continue to bring in 2010, it’s all about the colleges. Why? Because Andray Blatche says so. C’mon Son.

Below are the top 50 colleges and universities that visited Truth About It.net in 2009 (and a map below the jump). Thanks to all for stopping by, but mainly, stay classy [insert school mascot or dorm name here].

1. university of maryland
2. occidental college
3. george mason university
4. georgetown university
5. george washington university
6. virginia tech
7. university of california, los angeles
8. howard university
9. harvard university
10. northwestern university
11. johns hopkins
12. university of missouri-columbia
13. college of william and mary
14. haverford college
15. university of southern california
16. university of virginia
17. temple university
18. american university
19. stanford university
20. virginia commonwealth university
21. new york university
22. columbia university
23. university of pennsylvania
24. university of california san diego
25. duke university
26. university of massachusetts
27. indiana university
28. university of washington
29. university of maryland at baltimore
30. university of texas at austin
31. james madison university
32. university of miami
33. boston college
34. pennsylvania state university
35. ohio state university
36. boston university
37. princeton university
38. university of pittsburgh
39. university of toronto
40. washington university (in saint louis)
41. massachusetts institute of technology
42. university of california – berkeley
43. rutgers university
44. university of california irvine
45. university of wisconsin madison
46. cornell university
47. oxford university
48. university of baltimore
49. mcdaniel college
50. carnegie mellon university

I’ve plotted the entire list, obviously excluding Oxford University, on the map below. You can also find a link to it here at Google Maps.

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If you’re not aware of the phrase, “jump the shark” then go here and here. Now that you’re knowledgeable, here goes my top 10 list of things that need to jump the shark.


#10 TMZ
So as I immerse myself into the sports world on a daily basis, who am I to criticize people who become irrationally obsessed with the exposure of celebrities? Because celebrities don’t matter. Yes, there are many celebs who use their elevated position in life to speak out against injustices, but most bring absolutely nothing to the table. Unfortunately, it’s a sad statement on our society that TMZ and other tabloid sensationalism, in whichever form of media, attracts the eyes of our nation and the world. TMZ disgusts me. They do nothing but concentrate on the negative and joyously invade the privacy of others. Has this disease infiltrated the sports world and it’s media coverage? Sure it has. But athletic competition is much more important to a productive society than Hollywood and its irresponsible celebrities. Besides, the virus of sensationalism knows no bounds. Unfortunately, since TMZ and it’s low-brow equivalents will most likely never jump the shark, I had to rank it at 10. This clip best sums up how I feel about TMZ:

#9 Mohawks
When was the tipping point for the resurgence of the mohawk hairstyle? Can Malcolm Galdwell provide us with a column on this? Now, it seems like the mohawk is unfortunately becoming too fashionable….when it’s “soooo” late 2007. Every time I see someone with their fresh ‘hawk cut, I want to say: “Really? Can I see yesterday’s receipt for your barb wire tattoo and puka shell necklace?”

#8 Homer Replays
Not all home arenas do this, but a majority of those that I’ve been too are guilty. Simply put, when arenas do not show all replays of crucial moments in a game, even if the call is against the home team, they are doing a disservice to the fan. We should be afforded the ability to review and judge plays for ourselves. Selective replays amount to biased propaganda.

#7 Distaste for Bloggers
Caught Costas Now on HBO last night….it was a town hall meeting to discuss the media and sports on a range of platforms. Essentially, with the snowballing availability of information, outlets for sports are increasingly concentrating on sensationalism and quick hits of information in next to real time. Is this a good thing? A bad thing? You can debate both sides. The town hall meeting concentrated mostly on the negative side-effects. While not all outlets can be considered guilty, there are certainly no innocents.

Specifically focusing on the internet segment (since this is a blog and the segment mostly concentrated on blogs)….featuring journalist Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights), blogger Will Leitch (Deadspin [preview here]) and player Braylon Edwards (Cleveland Browns): The problem I have with those who have a severe distaste for bloggers is that they group all blogs together with their own stereotypically negative connotations. Bissinger came across indignant, aggressive and vulgar towards bloggers…ironic that he criticizes all bloggers for doing the same to athletes and main stream journalists. Buzz admittedly expressed that a basis for his anger comes from the fact that blogs are part of our future media experience….and that his son will be exposed to the glib tone and quick nature of blogs. Leitch didn’t do the best job of defending blogs, but who can blame him as he was essentially ambushed. I doubt I could have done much better. Braylon Edwards actually came across as the most composed and honest voice. Read follow-ups from Deadspin here and here. And a follow up from the Big Lead here. Update: more follow-ups: Awful Announcing and another from The Big Lead.

Costas unfairly read some comments from Deadspin and attributed those as being indicative of the bloggers themselves. Sure, writer and reader may share the same nature, but I don’t see much of a difference between those who comment on main-stream-media outlets and those who comment on blogs. For example, the comment contributors on Wizards Insider tend to be much more critical and irrational than those who participate in the community on Bullets Forever.

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So, after an afternoon of listening to U.G.K, I was sitting around the apartment on Sunday evening, not knowing what to do with myself. Women’s Final Four? Meh. I’ll have it on, but I can’t guarantee my undivided attention. Granted, I wasn’t bored. I despise the word ‘bored’ – can bloggers really ever say that they’re bored? In any case, a text message from my boy Rob came into my phone around 7:30 pm, “Hey, you wanna go to Jay-Z?”

Uhh….okay? Wasn’t aware that Jay-Z was in DC….so the potential for a trick was present. Well a trick it was not. The next thing I knew, I found myself at the sold-out Verizon Center in Chinatown DC with front row club level seats — witnessing Mary J. Blige and my first Jay-Z concert. Mary J. put on an absolute show. Jay-Z….he was pretty damn good. I could be picky with song selection and quantity, but I won’t. [My Top 10 Jay-Z Tracks]

Thanks to Rob for looking out and thanks to his boy John for giving up the tickets.

Jay Z & Memphis Bleek’s brief appearance.

And now, for those Washingtonians who may or may not read this blog, here are some DC-related links:

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Sunday afternoon is an afternoon for some Underground Kingz. And I never had the chance to pay my respects to the late Pimp C, who passed back in December. True to the game, Chad Butler died in a Hollywood hotel room from sippin’ on the sizzurp….just like the famed DJ Screw and Houston’s Big Moe (a political-science-major-rapper). Rappers: making songs about purple stuff that kills them since 2000. It’s only a matter of time until someone gets choked by a chain or run-over by a rim….if it hasn’t happened already.

On the sports side of this post, Terrence Kiel, former San Diego Charger and current NFL Free Agent, was once arrested at the Chargers practice facility on multiple drug charges – the main one being Kiel’s attempts to distribute the sizzurp. Oh yea, Terrence was also heavy into gambling debt, possibly involved with importing fake Nikes from China, once got shot three times in an attempt to car-jack his fly ride, and likes to pee in public.

Considering this nice little blurb from the Washington Times, Danny Snyder might be looking at signing Terrence Kiel as well.

On to the business, the Top 10 UGK Songs of All-Time
(along with a noteworthy lyric and not including the last album):


#15 – Choppin’ Blades - album: Dirty Money, 2001
Steppin’ out the Caddy, b—-, I’m fresher than Dentyne
Slicker than Crisco, sweeter than Nabisco
-Bun B

#14 - Use Me Up – album: Too Hard to Swallow, 1992
I can’t help myself, I know that I’m trippin’
But she got it goin’ on like Kentucky Fried Chicken
-Pimp C

Read more »

For the hell of it, 25 tracks in the rotation right now (in no particular order):

• “The Healer” New Amerykah, Pt. 1 (4th World War) – Erykah Badu
• “We Roll” ft. Jim Jones & Max B – Pete Rock
• “All Real” Rawkus 50 Presents – L.E.G.A.C.Y.
• “Gold Watch” The Cool – Lupe Fiasco
• “Time” ft. Talib Kweli & Dion – Hi-Teknology 3 – Hi-Tek
• “The Art of Storytellin’ Pt. 4″ Gangsta Grillz - Outkast
• “Mercy” Diary of an American Witchdoctor – Witchdoctor
• “Life Changes” 8 Diagrams – Wu-Tang Clan
• “Sunday!” ft. Keisha Shontelle & Chaundon – The Dream Merchant 2 – 9th Wonder
• “Rites of Passage” Immortal Technique Presents – Akir
• “Fighters” ft. Matthew Santos – The Cool – Lupe Fiasco
• “Dreams” Getback – Little Brother
• “Run” Oddisee Presents The Mirror Music Remixes – Wordsworth
• “I Know” ft. Pharrell – American Gangster – Jay-Z
• “The Cell” New Amerykah, Pt. 1 (4th World War) – Erykah Badu
• “Boy Meets Girl” M.A.D.E. – Scarface
• “Pardon Me Dude” Median’s Relief - Median
• “Next Single” Midnight Green – Modill
• “The World Is All Mine” ft. Sabrina Cuie – American Allstars – Clutch Player
• “Dear Self” ft. James Blunt – The Solution – Beanie Sigel
• “Slow Down” ft. Chrisette Michele – The Big Doe Rehab – Ghostface Killah
• “Surviving the Times” Greatest Hits – Nas
• “Rise and Fall” ft. Little Brother – The Format – AZ
• “Soon the New Day” ft. Norah Jones – Eardrum – Talib Kweli
• “Candy” UGK (Underground Kingz) – UGK

And for good measure……the Blues is worth checking out:

• “Trouble Blues” – Charles Brown
• “Like It Is, Like It Was” – James Brown (Black Caesar Soundtrack)
• “Confessin’ The Blues” – Little Walter
• “Big Chief” – Professor Longhair
• “Every Day I Have The Blues” – Professor Longhair
• “I’ll Play the Blues for You” – Albert King
• “Think Twice Before You Go” – John Lee Hooker
• “Your Funeral and My Trial” – Sonny Boy Williamson
• “Stormy Monday Blues” – Bobby “Blue” Bland
• “Drivin’ Wheel” – Little Junior Parker
  

And now back to the NCAA tournament.

You know I can’t do a Jay-Z top 10 without doing a Nas top 10…

Damn, this list was hard to do. And I’m not even sure that I’m satisfied with the one I put together. I had to leave off songs like Project Windows, These Are Our Heroes, Just A Moment, Revolutionary Warfare, Street Dreams, Still Dreaming, Where Are They Now?, I Gave You Power, Poppa Was A Playa, Rewind, Got Ur Self A…, Hate Me Now, and pretty much any track from Illmatic not listed.

I used to be in the middle of an argument, between my boy Adam and his brother Malcolm, about who was better…Jay-Z or Nas. At first, I was with Adam on the Jay-Z side of the debate. So look, I love Jay and all that, but after Hip Hop Is Dead (Nas’ best album since his best and first, Illmatic) and the preceding Street’s Disciple, compared to Kingdom Come (wack according to the standards Hova set for himself, but some bangers nonetheless)…I’ve had to throw my hat into Nas’ corner of the ring. Truthfully, it’s a wash between Jay-Z and Nas in terms of lyrical skills. But the whole package? Content, lyrics, flow, topic…..Nas, in my opinion, takes the crown. Hands down. So, here we go…

First, the last 5 that didn’t make the cut:

15. It Ain’t Hard To Tell
album: Illmatic, year: 1994, producer: Large Professor

14. Not Going Back ft. Kelis
album: Hip Hop Is Dead, year: 2006, producer: StarGate

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Jay-Z’s 10th album, American Gangster, came out this past Tuesday. This blog at fastcompany.com recognizes Jigga’s marketing acumen with tying his release to a potential blockbuster movie. The album, originally available on iTunes, was pulled, even though it was initially offered as a pre-order on Apple’s mp3 site. A sly Rocafella excuse for the removal was issued, citing Jay’s desire to sell the work in it’s entirety, and not as thin-sliced individual tracks. iTunes sales are included in SoundScan numbers, so Jay-Z might be missing out on some numbers; and why couldn’t iTunes offer the sale of American Gangster as an entire album only? I’m not sure. In any case, I haven’t copped it yet, but expect to soon. Whatever.

But in honor of all this, I present the top 10 Jay-Z songs of all time.

First, the last 5 that didn’t make the cut:

15. Excuse Me Miss
album: The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, year: 2002, producer: The Neptunes

14. December 4th
album: Black Album, year: 2003, producer: Just Blaze

Read more »

For one, songs from the 3000 and Big Boi solo albums are not included….damn this was hard. Thanks to my ipod play count for making it easier.

1. Liberation – Aquemini
2. SpottieOttieDopalicious – Aquemini
3. West Savannah – Aquemini
4. Crumblin’ Erb – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
5. Babylon – ATLiens
6. E.T. (Extraterrestrial) – ATLiens
7. Player’s Ball (Reprise) - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
8. Gangsta Shit – Stankonia
9. 13th Floor/Growing Old – ATLiens
10. Red Velvet – Stankonia

And just for the hell of it…. 7 more:

11. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
12. Slum Beautiful – Stankonia
13. Hootie Hoo – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
14. Myintrotoletuknow – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
15. Wheelz of Steel – ATLiens
16. Da Art of Story Tellin’ – Aquemini
17. Mainstream – ATLiens