Can someone tell me why the only black dude remaining on 'Nashville Star' is named 'Coffey?' That shit just ain't right.
But anyways, I just saw this show for the first time. Fairly entertaining. Tonite's episode all the contestants did their own country-fied versions of classic and recent pop songs. 'Love Shack,' 'P.Y.T.,' 'Umbrella' all got redone, and done quite well. Coffey did "Umbrella" and brought the frickin house down. The only judge who liked it was John Rich tho... but watever.
Here he is doing a mix of Akon's 'Locked Up' and throws in a verse from Jay-Z's 'Dirt off Your Shoulder." Pretty impressive on the acoustic gee-tar.
But speaking of John Rich, and Big & Rich, if you remember from previous obbs' bloggery, I picked up their latest CD for free offa some stranger on the street-- and it's pretty damn good. They are something I've never really seen before-- fusing hip hop, pop, rock, and country. I saw them do a concert on MTVHD and it kicked ass. Some will say they're too rock for country, others too country for rock. They even signed a black country dude to their label, Cowboy Troy. They call it 'hick hop.' It is terrible... but the bottom line is that mr. obbs gives them credit for doing what they wanna do.
On their latest they have collabos with John Legend and Wyclef Jean. The Wyclef track is pretty wack... but the Legend one is catchy.
Speakin of which, Legend is going for the money on his newest album. He's doin some collabos with some heavy-hitters. I first heard a snippet of the track with Andre 3000 (OutKast) and literally went 'hot damn.' Listen for yourself and you be the judge.
Bein in the city for the playoff run was frickin awesome. Nuff said. It's amazing how everyone gets drawn to the team and the whole city really comes together. I got to see the parade from inside the Prudential Center today... not the same as bein there on the ground... buuut close enough without blowing vacation time i guess.
As part of my job, we get a nice discount at the local fitness center. Pretty awesome. I made sure to sign up and try my best to swing through after work whenever I don't have other plans. My workouts are pretty half-assed... but at least I get a good sweat in.
Anyways, when I first started going, I couldn't help but notice the complete unabashed nakedness of my elder gym-goers in the locker room. Now, don't get me wrong, I have been in many a locker room in my day, but I have never seen this level of pride and free-spiritedness before.
Now, as a disclaimer to this blog, I do not consider myself an overly homophobic person. That being said, I do not go out of my way to get a daily dose of naked, saggy old man. I can tolerate a naked body. I saw the David by Michelangelo in person, and it was frickin amazing.
I used to use a locker near this one guy. He'd get out of the shower... come to his locker, take out his bag, kneel down, get his clothes out... rearrange stuff... dry himself off... ALLLLLL NAKED. Would it TOOOOTALLY inconvenience him to wrap a frickin towel around???!
And then today. This dude is shaving. Naked. I don't even do that in my own home when no one is within 100 feet of me. That's not even comfortable. And what if you drop the razor??
Now, there's funny nudity. Streaking is funny. Will Ferrell in Old School, for instance. I had a friend who went to Hamilton College and was actually on their streaking TEAM. Yes, that is right. Competitive nudity!! Hilarity ensued wherever they would 'compete.' They'd convene upon an unsuspecting NESCAC campus and begin. If no students from the home campus joined in the streak, they crowned themselves the winner of that match.
Check out this clip from FOX NEWS of all places. The host being, oh, i'd say a medium-to-large sized bag of douche, and the Hamiltonians givin it right back to him.
Thinking back... I even went to a nudist spa with my hippie aunt and my whole family back in third grade! That actually didn't freak me out too much, surprisingly. We first dipped our bodies in steaming hot water to open our pores and 'release the toxins', then went outside and sat in a cold free-flowing stream to wash them all away. NAAAATUREEEEE!!! Goulet. Mr. Obbs highly suggests some quality nude time with the whole family.
So there you have it. Bein nakey can be fun sometimes for sho. Buuuuut i think it's just the last thing I wanna do after lifting or goin for a run.
...I gotta go shave.
-- obbs
For some music, here's some stuff from an artist whose CD I stole from my college radio station about 10 months ago yet I'm JUST gettinga chance to listen to now. I may have too much music. Anywhoo... it's DJ Shadow. The first thing I ever heard from this guy was Organ Donor. Decent. Wasn't a huge fan. Then I heard "BUilding Steam With a Grain of Salt." I love that shit. Totally blew my mind. Still to this day, I don't really fully understand this guy. He makes rap beats, electronica, trance, folk(!?), pop-rock... I dunno. It seems that, for his rap production at least, he's doin a lot of the 'hyphy' beats so popular in the Bay Area of Cali. I'm ont a huge fan of that... but his other stuff is awesome. I really don't know much about him besides the 8 or so mp3's on my computer and this CD i stole, The Outsider, which I finally sat and listened to on Saturday while chillin on my porch readin the free periodicals and makin small talk with the homeless dudes walkin by ("...Sox game at 7:05 tonite, maaaaan..." ..... "nice.")
THursday was a good day. Went to work. Went to my company basketball championship. Played well and won (TWO-TIME COMPANY BASKETBALL CHAMP!! SUCK IT MARK LESNEWSKI IN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE!!)
After the game I went to my cousin's place as he was having a chicken and beer gathering for Game 4 of the Finals. My cousin is a pretty damn good cook when it comes to grillin meat on an open flame. I would trust any cut in his hands. So the chicken was delicious, the beer was just what a dehydrated man needed. The group of people was awesome. The game started. And it was horrible... for awhile.
Now, I am not going to give you a blow-by-blow of the game, because Bill Simmons from ESPN has already done that. And i am man enough to admit that he is just a little bit of a better writer than I. So, I suggest you go read his highly entertaining and humorous blog. Simmons.
A few things I will note, however:
--I said in the 2nd quarter that, if we could get the lead down to 10 going into the 4th quarter, we'd be in fine shape. --The refs have ENORMOUS leverage in basketball. Is it strange how the foul shot disparity swung in the favor of the hometeam in the early games of this series?? Sometimes I see a horrible call and just think of how much extra millions of dollars in advertising NBA commish David Stern (NOT related to Daniel Stern of Home Alone fame) is counting in his head if the series goes another game or two. They were makin some straaaange calls in this one.
--I been saying we need Eddie house out there. The dude has energy and quickness. Sam Cassell is about as old as James Naismith. He has the experience, yes. But he's old.
--I am so happy to see Ray Allen playing like he can and not like he was for most of the first two rounds of the playoffs. Seeing a shooter lose his confidence is one of the hardest things to watch as a fan. Now that it's back, all is well in the world.
I think that's it. It was one of the most amazing games I have ever seen.
Read the Simmons article for some laughs. or watch this ESPN recap.
music.
A new song from N.E.R.D. (No one Ever Really Dies. That's deep, Pharrell.) I like their production most of the time. Most. I just heard a new song they produced for Madonna and, it's a little much. Sometimes they go over the top a bit. This song is frickin awesome tho, in mr. obbs' opinion. I am diggin the sax on the bridge/chorus/whatever the technical musical term is.
So, on Thursday at work, I am minding my business. My eyes are slowly begining to melt out of my head from staring at my computer screen. I get an email saying that I've won a ticket to the Red Sox game that evening. Sikkk.
So I head over to Fenway after werk. I end up missing the first inning. I am under the bleachers as Manny blasts a 3 run homer. Gad dammit.
Anyways, I get to my seat. Begin to take in the sights and sounds.
Coco Crisp steps into the batter's box and quickly gets nailed by a pitch. He is not happy and charges the mound. After he got hit, the crowd let out an 'ooh.' But when he charged the mound, people flipped out. Everyone jumps to their feet. The teams spill out onto the field, even the guys in the bullpen make the sprint from right-field to get in on the action.
Now, I am no fighter. I have never thrown a punch at another person's face-- but fights are interesting.
I was in Worcester maybe a month ago for an alumni rowing event. About 6 of us had decided to pitch in on a hotel room for the night after the race, so we could go out and spend a nite in lovely Worcester-- seeing the locals and checking out the bar scene. So we hit up this place with a sik dancefloor. I kid a little... they had this stage a few feet above the dancefloor. Of course, i attempted to climb up and dance, yet was quickly ushered off by some bouncers.
Apparently only females were allowed to dance on this elevated platform. MEH!
So there was maybe one attractive girl at the whole bar. I tried dancing in her vicinity but nothing really happened. Later, she came up to me and, reading the crimson t shirt i had on, asked if I indeed went to Harvard. Now, lots of guys lie to girls... and i definitely could have, but I did not. Instead I said "No," thus killing the conversation dead in its tracks.
Later in the nite I go back and dance near her. Its 2, and the music stops. Then, for no reason whatsoever, the chick sprays her drink in the air-- a majority of it landing on me.
I am pretty pissed. One of the dudes she was with, rockin the black dress shirt, unbuttoned to show some chest, with a gold chain, confronts me.
"Yo man, you know how people get when they're drunk yanow."
I get drunk. I get drunk a lot. I do not throw beer on people. Not on purpose.
I stare at him.
"Yo man... we got a problem here?" "Yeah we got a problem. She just threw her fuckin drink all over me."
Now, some of his dudes have decided to join in.
And behind me comes the boys I'm with. Being all crew guys, we have a couple guys at 6'5", one at 6'3", myself at 6'1" or so, and then the Kressticle at 5'11". grenier tells them to start walking. I am pretty heated and yell at them to go find their favorite tanning booth.
Anyways, I never really understood baseball fights. But it's all about standing up for yourself and your boys. Later in the game, a Red Sox pitcher nailed a Tampa bay batter. Nothing happened, but that stuff usually happens as a way for a pitcher to stick up for his teammate.
After the game, and after the Celtics game (sik game by the way. KG's tip-dunk at the end got me so amped) I was watching the news. Apparently Kevin Youkilis and Manny had to be separated by teammates in the dugout. Later i would find that Youk was mad that Manny hadn't gone out of the dugout to fight after Coco got nailed. He was pissed Manny wasn't goin to battle for his boyee.
One thing I will not get, and that really pisses me off, is the baseball celebratory circle-jump. After a walk off homer, or a world series or big win, the whole team gets into a big pile and just bobs up and down. Weeee! For some reaason that really annoys mr. obbs. At least they get a little more creative in football and soccer.
For some music, check out a solo track from Jeff Lynne. He was the mastermind behind Electric Light Orchestra, the Traveling Wilburys, and a lot of Tom Petty's classic 80's material.
This is from his solo album, Armchair Theatre, which is now out of print. I bought it off some dude on Portobello Road in London for like 2 pounds. Sik.
And check this vid of Jeff talking about his writing process for Livin Thing, a song I previously posted here on the blog. The dude's good at writin catchy songs.
There are many things a person can become attached to. For some its drugs... alcohol... consumption... bananas. I am, possibly, addicted to craigslist. It's amazing.
Last weekend, my brother was in town for a nite. He also had driven down his girlf's (scratch that: fiancee's!!) mother's Chevy Tahoe. Now, we had a couple hours to burn, so I figured I may as well take advantage of what I had to work with here. I went online and found a sectional couch down in the dorchester area. Drove there, crammed it into the back of this Tahoe, and made it back to my place. It was free too. Sik.
Then today, I need an extension cord. Who the hell doesn't need an extension cord sometime? Am i rite? Anyway, I find one for free about 2 miles away. Some family had a yard sale today, and they'd left everything that didn't sell on the curb for the trashman to pickup. I ran the two miles there (with frequent breaks) and started digging through the stuff.
As I did this, I realized I was now digging through trash... i let thatthought marinate for a second... but didn't let that stop me. I found a bag of those hawaiian umbrella things that you put in your fruity tropical drinks. I got a frisbee. And i got these plugs that turn a 2 prong outlet into a 3 prong outlet, something i desperately needed. No joke.
Content with my pickups, i started walkin home. Only about 10 minutes into my 2 mile return journey home, some dude and his girlfriend walking towards me randomly asked "Dude, you want some CD's?"
Not one to turn down anything free, I of course say 'HELL YES I DO.' He had a whole box of em, brand new promo copies. Apparently his roommate had worked for Warner Bros and had been given all these new CD's. I picked up some Big and Rich, Jason Mraz, Craig David, Simple Plan, and a compilation from the show Entourage.
What an awesome, free Sunday.
For some music, we're gonna try and tie this all together here.
I got a free Entourage CD today.
In this clip from the show, Turtle wears some t-shirts designed by Akomplice.
Mr. Obbs Blog distributes music for review purposes to hype the artists I enjoy. If you are an artist or label and want a song removed, please email mr. obbs and he'll comply.
