Hip Hop's Foot

Ludacris has released a song endorsing Barack Obama. Unfortunately, in his endorsement, he says everything possible to make any voter who may have been on the fence lean towards voting for McCain.

Idiot statements include a reference to McCain being paralyzed, a diss to Hilary Clinton, and something about painting the White House black. The White House being painted black is nothing new and I don't find that offensive at all. I'm sure a lot of folks will jump on it but is a phrase that has been used since the seventies in one way or another.

But the disrespect to the other political figures is not what Obama has been about and is not what the campaign needs right now. . . or ever. On Sirius this morning, the entertainment reporter on HotJams (can't remember her name) suggested that Obama distance himself from hip-hop in order to avoid situations like this that could be potentially devastating to his campaign efforts. I agree wholeheartedly. As someone who has spent 20 years trying to defend hip hop in various circles, it has become increasingly hard. Hell, I want to distance myself and I'm not a public figure in any way, shape, or form.

Hopefully, this will get marked up as just one big embarassing moment for Ludacris and blow over....doubt it though!

Guilty

DSCF2607

Originally uploaded by Xpinionated

The boy just looks guilty doesn't he?

Money management

Many of you are familiar with the show 'Extreme Makeover - Home Edition'. I personally hate the show but found this story about one lucky couple that received the gratuity of this show. Their 5500 square foot remodeled home is now facing foreclosure. Hmm? The show remodels and from what I understand pays off your house. That begs the question: how can a paid-for home be facing foreclosure? Ah, stupidity would be the answer to that question.

Your mortgage was paid off, your home remodeled, and you were given $100,000 in cash. Yet, somewhere along the line, you needed a second $450,000 mortgage? Let's do some quick math, no mortgage for 3.5 years (42 months) at a grand a month (to make the math easier). So there is $42000 bucks you have saved. Add to that the 100 grand, which should have been used to pay off any car notes and other outstanding debt. Suddenly, you should be able to find yourself living pretty comfortably with a 40K/year job if all you're doing is paying utilities and food costs.

But no, you want to start a business. Good for you, entrepreneurial spirit is the backbone of this country. But what's that you say? You don't want to try to save the start up money or get a traditional loan from the bank? Huh? You wanna take out a second mortgage on a home that is paid for, likely your greatest asset? Uh, ok....

Yeah, no sympathy for this couple whatsoever......

Dollars

Dollars

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Good Ballin' Days

The human body is a strange thing.  The last time I dunked a basketball or even attempted to dunk had to be back in 2003.  I had become resigned to the fact that my body was no longer in basketball shape nor would it ever attain the basketball glory that it had once known.  After all, I had been spending more time in bars than in gyms without a doubt.

But yesterday afternoon, Chocolate Thunder drove around his man, and I jumped, I looked into the eye of the last defender and what I saw was immediate recognition that I was expected to dunk.  I was taking the big steps I used to take back when I could throw it down.  I went up, and up, and missed the dunk.  But I felt great just trying.  It felt right.  Of course, today everything on me is sore but it's nice to know that I'm slowly but surely returning to form!

Devin at the Fountain