Alright so I have once again entered one of my many phases where I need another blog. Once again it is a movie blog because - hey why not? I will essentially use this blog as an online catalog of my movie collection where I will write reviews of all the movies that I own.
Now I know exactly what you are thinking "Allen, if you own these movies that means you spent money on them and therefor you had to like them and so aren't reviews kind of pointless?" To which I say, shut your face. Clearly you forget that I own Alvin and the chipmunks, Alex & Emma, Blankman. No one likes those movies.
In a way this is a continuation of my resolution last year, except I don't have a deadline for watching them, and I don't have a particular order for them to go in, and the reviews will be longer and singularly reviewed instead of large groups of movies like I did with my resolution write-ups I stopped caring about after the letter F.
Anyway feel free to stop by Allen's Movie Stash and find out what I am watching this week.
8.16.2010
8.09.2010
One Month Later
Wow have I really not updated in a month? Well here is an update for you to tide you over for another month.
If someone could explain to me what "Oriental" flavor is supposed to be besides racist I would love to know.
A lot has happened to me since I last blogged. I wet to San Francisco and got sunburned for the first time in years (not because I have magical luck that prevents me from getting burnt but rather because life as a shut-in doesn't allow for much sunlight.) I also moved out of my parents house once again, and this time for good. With that move I have also found myself in a new ward for the first time since 2005 and it is more than a little troublesome right now. I have been to baseball games and concerts. I have attempted to eat my weight in ice cream. And I have discovered what I am going to talk about with you today.
Now as the name so obviously states this is a box of ramen that you get delivered to your house for a nominal fee. But really it is so much more. As a youngish single man who can cook but refuses to cook for himself ramen has always been a mainstay in my diet. It's cheap, easy, and comes in single serving packages what is not to love (aside from the over abundance of sodium of course)? The problem with Top Ramen, the standard easily recognizable brand of Ramen that eleven times out of ten is the first thing you think of when you say ramen, is that the flavors are bland and the meal itself is lifeless. There is no real substance to the dish unless you add your own stuff.
If someone could explain to me what "Oriental" flavor is supposed to be besides racist I would love to know.Ramenbox meanwhile completely ignores the Top Ramen Americanized version of the dish in favor of a heartier variety of asian imported ramen brands and flavors. Each brand is different and unique compared to the last. You can still add your favorite veggies or meats to your meal but there is no real need to thanks to the thicker noodles and the additional flavor packets within each package. You can get cups, bowls, larger packages with multiple servings, or the traditional single serving packages. They have quite literally everything. You can choose between two different sizes of ramenboxes the standard with 20 "slots" or the large with 40 "slots" and each package is worth 1,2, or 3 slots. I opted for the large box and tried to get a little bit of everything and as a result I got something that looked a little like this:
It was so much delicious that I didn't know where to start. But start I did. Every package that I have eaten so far has been amazing and unique. The one thing that I have noticed is that with my old cheap ramen I would find myself cooking two packages at a time to tide me over. Not with this though. No I have barely put a dent in my ramenbox because quite simply I haven't needed to. One package and I am good to go for pretty much the rest of the day, and for a guy my size with my appetite that is an INCREDIBLE thing. I have already decided that once this box gets low I am going to order it again because I am that in love with this service.
I still don't think I will ever get to the point where I will make ramen for a date, but now it isn't because I am embarrassed to purchase it, but rather I don't want to share.
7.11.2010
I gave a talk
So three weeks ago I was asked to give a talk. I couldn't do it that week because Carl convinced me to go to a YSA conference in Everett. However I decided to mention that I could talk this week instead. CJ agreed and gave me my topic - D&C 10:5. And I was off. This is what I came up with. Let me know what you think. I think it's slightly genius but then again I am slightly biased.
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I have always wanted to be a superhero. Some of that comes from the cool clothes, the idea of a secret identity, and that they always get the girl. The main draw though was always their super powers. Flight, speed, talking to fish, razor sharp claws, the ability to heal, x ray vision. the list of cool super powers can go on forever. The one super power that all the heroes seem to have though is, unless they are possessed by an alien symbiotic creature they seem impervious to temptation. There is nothing that can be said or done to these heroes that will sway them from their code of ethics.
Man, on the other hand, no matter how strong-willed is always open for temptation. Everywhere you turn there is something new tempting you into sin. I could waste your time and mine by listing all the ways we have to sin, but instead I would rather focus on some of the ways that we can resist temptation, primarily with prayer.
In Doctrine and Covenants 10 verse 5 we are commanded to pray always that we may conquer Satan. Which sounds a lot easier than it really is. We can become distracted by the business of our every day life, a pressing deadline at work, or even the shock and awe that the Sun is actually out in Seattle that we must absolutely go play in it right this very second. However it is important to realize that it is in those stressful moments in our lives that we need to pray the most. Spencer W. Kimball said "When I used to travel throughout the stakes and missions of the Church in earlier years, I often met people who were in trouble or who had great need. My first question to them was, “What about your prayers? How often? How deeply involved are you when you pray?” I have observed that sin generally comes when communication lines are down. For this reason the Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “What I say unto one I say unto all; pray always lest that wicked one have power in you.”
So very often we are faced with serious challenges in our lives, and we will quickly turn to parents, coworkers, or our closest friends for advice to help us through our dilemma. This isn't necessarily the wrong thing to do, but my question is why is it that we choose to turn to our Heavenly Father for guidance and directions like we do our real fathers? Perhaps we feel that our issues are too small to waste God's time with. There are other people who need their answers more than I do. I can handle this on my own. As we all know this is the work of Satan. We are all equal in the eyes of the lord, and so are all of our problems. There is no DMVesque queue where he takes the more important and pressing needs first. He loves all of us and he wants to help us find our way back to him. If we simply turn to him in our time of need he will guide us to the solutions.
In 2003 Russell M. Nelson relayed the following story about one of his experiences with prayer.
Now just because we are all on a level playing field when it comes to having the Lord's desire to listen to our prayers, this doesn't mean that we don't need to strive to build a stronger level of communication with our heavenly Father. If we cannot completely convey our situation to the Lord there is no way for him to be able to accurately know what we need to fix it.
In 1990 Ezra Taft Benson gave 5 ways we can improve our communication with the Lord.
1. We should pray frequently. This one works in a couple different ways. For one, how likely are you to help a friend that you talk to on a daily basis when they come to you in a time of need? Now how likely are you to help a friend you haven't seen in 15 years and won't tell you the whole story behind their dilemma so you can understand it properly? It is the same way with the lord. The more he knows of you and your intentions the more he will know that if he gives you aide you won't just turn around and return to the behaviors that got you in trouble in the first place.
2. We should find an appropriate place where we can meditate and pray. if you are praying in a place full of distractions, it is very likely that you aren't as interested in what you are saying and you are more likely to rush through your prayer to go out and enjoy those distractions. Instead try and find a nice quiet room away from everything and everyone. That way you can dedicate all of your attention to your conversation with the lord.
3. We should prepare ourselves for prayer. When entering into a conversation with a superior about an issue that is important to you it is fundamentally important to know your talking points. Recently I had a job interview to become the Store Manager of my store. I spent almost a week preparing myself for this conversation so that I could best convey why I felt I was the best option for the position. If I didn't believe I was best for the position, neither would my boss. It is the same way with prayer. If you don't know why you are praying then neither will God. Meanwhile if you know exactly what you are asking for it will help the lord know what is best for you.
4. Our prayers should be meaningful and pertinent. As much fun as everyone can say small talk is, there is very little room for it in our prayers. Let's put it this way, if you were to sit down with the President would you waste his time with standard getting to know you questions? I most certainly wouldn't. His time is valuable and as someone who has seen a lot of the West Wing, he is a busy man and he has much better things to do than tell you how his day is going. It is the same way with the Lord. He wants the meat, or meat-like substitute, of the conversation sandwich. That is not to say that he doesn't want to hear about our day, but rather that he wants to hear about the important stuff more. This is why repetitive and memorized prayers are a waste of time. He heard you the first time. Eventually if you don't say anything new or pertinent to the conversation, it will tend to end before it actually ends and you are left talking to yourself.
5. After making a request through prayer we have a responsibility to assist in it being granted. it is like dale Carnegie said "If you want to conquer fear, don't sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Once we ask for help we absolutely cannot sit and wait for the answer. If I were to pray for a new job I can not possibly get that job unless I go out and apply for many, many, many jobs. No one is going to come to my door and say "Hey I would like to give you a job complete stranger. I pay $45,000 a year and you only have to work 3 hours a weekday." It just doesn't work that way. As Spencer W. Kimball once said "It is such a privilege and joy to pray to our Father in Heaven, such a blessing for us. But our experience is not finished after our prayer is completed. Amulek correctly taught: “And now behold, my beloved brethren, … after ye have [prayed], if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.” (Alma 34:28.) We must never forget that we are to live the gospel as honestly and earnestly as we pray."
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I have always wanted to be a superhero. Some of that comes from the cool clothes, the idea of a secret identity, and that they always get the girl. The main draw though was always their super powers. Flight, speed, talking to fish, razor sharp claws, the ability to heal, x ray vision. the list of cool super powers can go on forever. The one super power that all the heroes seem to have though is, unless they are possessed by an alien symbiotic creature they seem impervious to temptation. There is nothing that can be said or done to these heroes that will sway them from their code of ethics.
Man, on the other hand, no matter how strong-willed is always open for temptation. Everywhere you turn there is something new tempting you into sin. I could waste your time and mine by listing all the ways we have to sin, but instead I would rather focus on some of the ways that we can resist temptation, primarily with prayer.
In Doctrine and Covenants 10 verse 5 we are commanded to pray always that we may conquer Satan. Which sounds a lot easier than it really is. We can become distracted by the business of our every day life, a pressing deadline at work, or even the shock and awe that the Sun is actually out in Seattle that we must absolutely go play in it right this very second. However it is important to realize that it is in those stressful moments in our lives that we need to pray the most. Spencer W. Kimball said "When I used to travel throughout the stakes and missions of the Church in earlier years, I often met people who were in trouble or who had great need. My first question to them was, “What about your prayers? How often? How deeply involved are you when you pray?” I have observed that sin generally comes when communication lines are down. For this reason the Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “What I say unto one I say unto all; pray always lest that wicked one have power in you.”
So very often we are faced with serious challenges in our lives, and we will quickly turn to parents, coworkers, or our closest friends for advice to help us through our dilemma. This isn't necessarily the wrong thing to do, but my question is why is it that we choose to turn to our Heavenly Father for guidance and directions like we do our real fathers? Perhaps we feel that our issues are too small to waste God's time with. There are other people who need their answers more than I do. I can handle this on my own. As we all know this is the work of Satan. We are all equal in the eyes of the lord, and so are all of our problems. There is no DMVesque queue where he takes the more important and pressing needs first. He loves all of us and he wants to help us find our way back to him. If we simply turn to him in our time of need he will guide us to the solutions.
In 2003 Russell M. Nelson relayed the following story about one of his experiences with prayer.
Many of us have had experiences with the sweet power of prayer. One of mine was shared with a stake patriarch from southern Utah. I first met him in my medical office more than 40 years ago, during the early pioneering days of surgery of the heart. This saintly soul suffered much because of a failing heart. He pleaded for help, thinking that his condition resulted from a damaged but repairable valve in his heart.
Extensive evaluation revealed that he had two faulty valves. While one could be helped surgically, the other could not. Thus, an operation was not advised. He received this news with deep disappointment.
Subsequent visits ended with the same advice. Finally, in desperation, he spoke to me with considerable emotion: “Dr. Nelson, I have prayed for help and have been directed to you. The Lord will not reveal to me how to repair that second valve, but He can reveal it to you. Your mind is so prepared. If you will operate upon me, the Lord will make it known to you what to do. Please perform the operation that I need, and pray for the help that you need.” 21
His great faith had a profound effect upon me. How could I turn him away again? Following a fervent prayer together, I agreed to try. In preparing for that fateful day, I prayed over and over again, but still did not know what to do for his leaking tricuspid valve. Even as the operation commenced, 22 my assistant asked, “What are you going to do for that?”
I said, “I do not know.”
We began the operation. After relieving the obstruction of the first valve, 23 we exposed the second valve. We found it to be intact but so badly dilated that it could no longer function as it should. While examining this valve, a message was distinctly impressed upon my mind: Reduce the circumference of the ring. I announced that message to my assistant. “The valve tissue will be sufficient if we can effectively reduce the ring toward its normal size.”
But how? We could not apply a belt as one would use to tighten the waist of oversized trousers. We could not squeeze with a strap as one would cinch a saddle on a horse. Then a picture came vividly to my mind, showing how stitches could be placed—to make a pleat here and a tuck there—to accomplish the desired objective. I still remember that mental image—complete with dotted lines where sutures should be placed. The repair was completed as diagrammed in my mind. We tested the valve and found the leak to be reduced remarkably. My assistant said, “It’s a miracle.”
I responded, “It’s an answer to prayer.”
The patient’s recovery was rapid and his relief gratifying. Not only was he helped in a marvelous way, but surgical help for other people with similar problems had become a possibility. I take no credit. Praise goes to this faithful patriarch and to God, who answered our prayers. This faithful man lived for many more years and has since gone to his eternal glory.
Now just because we are all on a level playing field when it comes to having the Lord's desire to listen to our prayers, this doesn't mean that we don't need to strive to build a stronger level of communication with our heavenly Father. If we cannot completely convey our situation to the Lord there is no way for him to be able to accurately know what we need to fix it.
In 1990 Ezra Taft Benson gave 5 ways we can improve our communication with the Lord.
1. We should pray frequently. This one works in a couple different ways. For one, how likely are you to help a friend that you talk to on a daily basis when they come to you in a time of need? Now how likely are you to help a friend you haven't seen in 15 years and won't tell you the whole story behind their dilemma so you can understand it properly? It is the same way with the lord. The more he knows of you and your intentions the more he will know that if he gives you aide you won't just turn around and return to the behaviors that got you in trouble in the first place.
2. We should find an appropriate place where we can meditate and pray. if you are praying in a place full of distractions, it is very likely that you aren't as interested in what you are saying and you are more likely to rush through your prayer to go out and enjoy those distractions. Instead try and find a nice quiet room away from everything and everyone. That way you can dedicate all of your attention to your conversation with the lord.
3. We should prepare ourselves for prayer. When entering into a conversation with a superior about an issue that is important to you it is fundamentally important to know your talking points. Recently I had a job interview to become the Store Manager of my store. I spent almost a week preparing myself for this conversation so that I could best convey why I felt I was the best option for the position. If I didn't believe I was best for the position, neither would my boss. It is the same way with prayer. If you don't know why you are praying then neither will God. Meanwhile if you know exactly what you are asking for it will help the lord know what is best for you.
4. Our prayers should be meaningful and pertinent. As much fun as everyone can say small talk is, there is very little room for it in our prayers. Let's put it this way, if you were to sit down with the President would you waste his time with standard getting to know you questions? I most certainly wouldn't. His time is valuable and as someone who has seen a lot of the West Wing, he is a busy man and he has much better things to do than tell you how his day is going. It is the same way with the Lord. He wants the meat, or meat-like substitute, of the conversation sandwich. That is not to say that he doesn't want to hear about our day, but rather that he wants to hear about the important stuff more. This is why repetitive and memorized prayers are a waste of time. He heard you the first time. Eventually if you don't say anything new or pertinent to the conversation, it will tend to end before it actually ends and you are left talking to yourself.
5. After making a request through prayer we have a responsibility to assist in it being granted. it is like dale Carnegie said "If you want to conquer fear, don't sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Once we ask for help we absolutely cannot sit and wait for the answer. If I were to pray for a new job I can not possibly get that job unless I go out and apply for many, many, many jobs. No one is going to come to my door and say "Hey I would like to give you a job complete stranger. I pay $45,000 a year and you only have to work 3 hours a weekday." It just doesn't work that way. As Spencer W. Kimball once said "It is such a privilege and joy to pray to our Father in Heaven, such a blessing for us. But our experience is not finished after our prayer is completed. Amulek correctly taught: “And now behold, my beloved brethren, … after ye have [prayed], if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.” (Alma 34:28.) We must never forget that we are to live the gospel as honestly and earnestly as we pray."
7.05.2010
In two weeks...
I will be here -
With her -
And aside from this -
I have no idea what we are going to do, but I am sure it will be fun and exciting.
With her -
And aside from this -
I have no idea what we are going to do, but I am sure it will be fun and exciting.
6.14.2010
Goodbye
There are friendships in my life that tend to go on for too long. Either I get tired of them, or they get tired of me, but they should have ended long before they actually do.
Then there are friendships in my life that never seem to end, but they change and evolve into less of a friendship and more of a acquaintanceship and then into "Oh yeah I know that guy/girl, I wonder if they remember me."
Other friendships grow and evolve from that one random kid that you kinda know, into the closest friendship one can have without becoming lovers. You know each others thoughts and needs. When you need a shoulder they are there with two. When you want a laugh they will give you more than your share. When you need your space, they flat out refuse. It's the type of friendship that you cherish for a lifetime. It changes your entire life, but you don't really recognize it until it's gone.
Today I lost a friend of four years to a bright future doing something that he has known his entire life that he has wanted to do but only recently decided to pursue. The selfish part of me wants to sneak over to his house tonight and slash his tires. However the logical side of me knows that isn't going to stop him. There is part of my mind that really hopes he changes his mind and decides that the safe and easy route is the better one for him to take. Again, I know him too well. If he wanted safe he wouldn't have traveled the road he's taken to get to this point in his life so why would he stop now?
I know how this story ends, and it isn't good for me, but I am getting better. Kurt will go on to do many great things and change many, many lives. It's in his blood, and it's in his heart. And I am proud of him for all the decisions that he has made.
In all honesty I don't know if I will see him again, I wish I could be as steadfast as he is when he says he's coming back, but as I learned with Dean even when they come back they don't really come back the same. However I do know that through the many memories I have with Kurt from these last four years will live with me forever and the lessons he has taught me will continue to teach me throughout the rest of my life.
Thank you Kurt. And I love you.
Then there are friendships in my life that never seem to end, but they change and evolve into less of a friendship and more of a acquaintanceship and then into "Oh yeah I know that guy/girl, I wonder if they remember me."
Other friendships grow and evolve from that one random kid that you kinda know, into the closest friendship one can have without becoming lovers. You know each others thoughts and needs. When you need a shoulder they are there with two. When you want a laugh they will give you more than your share. When you need your space, they flat out refuse. It's the type of friendship that you cherish for a lifetime. It changes your entire life, but you don't really recognize it until it's gone.
Today I lost a friend of four years to a bright future doing something that he has known his entire life that he has wanted to do but only recently decided to pursue. The selfish part of me wants to sneak over to his house tonight and slash his tires. However the logical side of me knows that isn't going to stop him. There is part of my mind that really hopes he changes his mind and decides that the safe and easy route is the better one for him to take. Again, I know him too well. If he wanted safe he wouldn't have traveled the road he's taken to get to this point in his life so why would he stop now?
I know how this story ends, and it isn't good for me, but I am getting better. Kurt will go on to do many great things and change many, many lives. It's in his blood, and it's in his heart. And I am proud of him for all the decisions that he has made.
In all honesty I don't know if I will see him again, I wish I could be as steadfast as he is when he says he's coming back, but as I learned with Dean even when they come back they don't really come back the same. However I do know that through the many memories I have with Kurt from these last four years will live with me forever and the lessons he has taught me will continue to teach me throughout the rest of my life.
Thank you Kurt. And I love you.
5.25.2010
Unposted postings
I haven't updated this blog in a month at least and really I have no excuse for it. I have done plenty of things. I have had plenty of interesting (to me) thoughts that I needed to write down. I even have yet another Birthday coming up that I definitely have had on my mind a lot lately. I have written about those things, but I get distracted half way through and I save them for later never to be seen again. Sorry about that. I do plan on going back and finishing them up so you can see them it just takes awhile so I can figure out the point I was trying to make with that post or just what I wanted to say in general. This is just to let you know that I haven't died and that I do plan on updating eventually.
One day.
One day.
4.13.2010
Hip Hop isn't dead it's just malnourished and underfed
About a week ago I was having a conversation about music. There hard been a miscommunication of sorts. She was under the impression that I listen to mostly punk. Now I will be the absolute first to let you know that I don't have the most genre specific music tastes. I constantly have my iPod on shuffle sliding from genre to genre with no real connection between the over 7,000 songs that I have in my collection. However I will say that my first love is and always will be hip hop. Well when she heard this in an effort to get back at me for calling her favorite band mediocre she called hip hop "crap". Now this isn't a comment that I have never heard. Shoot they even worked int into a wrestling angle in WCW where Jeff Jarrett wrote a country song called "Rap is Crap". I think Jeff is working on a gimmick infringement lawsuit on Cassie as we speak over these comments. In response I simply said "that's only because you haven't heard the good stuff yet.". So after a little bit more talking we made a deal that she would create a CD of punk songs that I would enjoy and in return I would school her in the good hip hop. Apparently she didn't think I would be done with mine in two days. Here is my playlist for you guys to look at and gain a proper appreciation for all things hip hop. I had a hard time coming up with a proper order to put the songs in so I decided to go with Alphabetical just because it seemed to work. I've included youtube videos so you can listen to the songs too, though I will warn you there will be swearing so listen at your own risk.
B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) - Outkast
I needed an Outkast song for the mixtape. It was either this one or Miss Jackson. I decided the very explosive antiwar song would win out on the apologetic song about divorce and the effects on the family.
Bleed Slow - Atmosphere
I dare you to find a better ode to the death of a love one.
Brenda's Got A Baby - Tupac
The effects of teen pregnancy in the ghetto. This is why we miss Tupac.
C.R.E.A.M (Cash rules everything Around Me) - Wu Tang Clan
The story of a youth's understanding as to how the drug game has destroyed his life and why he felt there was no way out of it.
Fight the Power - Public Enemy
One of my comments to Cassie was that she would be surprised with how much Punk and Hip Hop have in common. If this mix tape only consisted of this one song she would still have to agree with me. (also the man is evil and needs to be stopped)
G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition) - Common
When I need a reminder as to why I go through all the crap I do in my life and that I still have things to give in this life I listen to this song.
Hip Hop - Dead Prez
Quite simply this song is the very essence of Hip Hop. It's angry, neglected people reaching out to share their message to educate those who have been blinded by the disaster that is popular music.
The Inkwell - Blue Scholars
This song made me love Seattle. There is so much out there that slips through the cracks that you have to find and cherish.
Katrina Klap (Dollar Day) - Mos Def
Hurricane Katrina was a horrible disaster, however it led to many of my favorite hip hop songs ("That's life" by Killer Mike and "Georgia... Bush" by Lil' Wayne are a couple others I suggest you listen to, well unless you liked GWB). Some will think of Mos Def as just an actor but this song will remind you just how good of an MC he is.
Keep On Rockin' - Asheru
I just found this song on Saturday and I already think that Asheru is my new favorite underground rapper.
Little Girl Gone - Devin The Dude
There is so much emotion and love in this song that it makes me wish I could find this lost little girl and save her.
Little Weapon - Lupe Fiasco
The snare drum alone makes this an amazing song but when you combine it with Lupe's delivery and the symbolism to his lyrics it becomes truly EPIC.
The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
The sad part of this song is that while it should have served as a time capsule of the 80's and led to the clean up of the ghettos, it instead is a timeless classic that is STILL culturally relevant.
Mr. Wendal - Arrested Development
I can't not give at least my spare change to a homeless person thanks to this song.
The Nature - Talib Kweli
Perseverance and growth in the face of our problems and an ode to changing the nature of our lives and help those that are in worse conditions than we are.
Sound of Da Police - KRSOne
Just in case Fight the Power left you asking more questions than it answered here comes the great KRS-One to make it a little clearer that the Man is evil. His verse comparing the slave Overseer and Officers is especially moving and poignant.
Soundtrack 2 My Life - Kid Cudi
I think I like this song mostly because I identify with it so it obviously becomes a favorite.
Turn Off the Radio - Dead Prez
Dead Prez are the only group to show up twice and with good reason: they're amazing. I chose this one showcases exactly why pop music is horrible and the only proper solution to getting rid of it is to turn it off. I haven't listened to the radio in years and I am quite proud of it.
B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) - Outkast
I needed an Outkast song for the mixtape. It was either this one or Miss Jackson. I decided the very explosive antiwar song would win out on the apologetic song about divorce and the effects on the family.
Bleed Slow - Atmosphere
I dare you to find a better ode to the death of a love one.
Brenda's Got A Baby - Tupac
The effects of teen pregnancy in the ghetto. This is why we miss Tupac.
C.R.E.A.M (Cash rules everything Around Me) - Wu Tang Clan
The story of a youth's understanding as to how the drug game has destroyed his life and why he felt there was no way out of it.
Fight the Power - Public Enemy
One of my comments to Cassie was that she would be surprised with how much Punk and Hip Hop have in common. If this mix tape only consisted of this one song she would still have to agree with me. (also the man is evil and needs to be stopped)
G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition) - Common
When I need a reminder as to why I go through all the crap I do in my life and that I still have things to give in this life I listen to this song.
Hip Hop - Dead Prez
Quite simply this song is the very essence of Hip Hop. It's angry, neglected people reaching out to share their message to educate those who have been blinded by the disaster that is popular music.
The Inkwell - Blue Scholars
This song made me love Seattle. There is so much out there that slips through the cracks that you have to find and cherish.
Katrina Klap (Dollar Day) - Mos Def
Hurricane Katrina was a horrible disaster, however it led to many of my favorite hip hop songs ("That's life" by Killer Mike and "Georgia... Bush" by Lil' Wayne are a couple others I suggest you listen to, well unless you liked GWB). Some will think of Mos Def as just an actor but this song will remind you just how good of an MC he is.
Keep On Rockin' - Asheru
I just found this song on Saturday and I already think that Asheru is my new favorite underground rapper.
Little Girl Gone - Devin The Dude
There is so much emotion and love in this song that it makes me wish I could find this lost little girl and save her.
Little Weapon - Lupe Fiasco
The snare drum alone makes this an amazing song but when you combine it with Lupe's delivery and the symbolism to his lyrics it becomes truly EPIC.
The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
The sad part of this song is that while it should have served as a time capsule of the 80's and led to the clean up of the ghettos, it instead is a timeless classic that is STILL culturally relevant.
Mr. Wendal - Arrested Development
I can't not give at least my spare change to a homeless person thanks to this song.
The Nature - Talib Kweli
Perseverance and growth in the face of our problems and an ode to changing the nature of our lives and help those that are in worse conditions than we are.
Talib Kweli (Feat. Justin Timberlake) - The Nature from The KatyCapsule on Vimeo.
Sound of Da Police - KRSOne
Just in case Fight the Power left you asking more questions than it answered here comes the great KRS-One to make it a little clearer that the Man is evil. His verse comparing the slave Overseer and Officers is especially moving and poignant.
Soundtrack 2 My Life - Kid Cudi
I think I like this song mostly because I identify with it so it obviously becomes a favorite.
Turn Off the Radio - Dead Prez
Dead Prez are the only group to show up twice and with good reason: they're amazing. I chose this one showcases exactly why pop music is horrible and the only proper solution to getting rid of it is to turn it off. I haven't listened to the radio in years and I am quite proud of it.
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