'LYNGUISTS SHOW

Me and some homies rolled to this concert last night.

It was dope.

We showed up around 9:45 to a pretty terrible opening act. Motionless on stage. Meh.

The next guys weren't too bad, actually. I think that was The Camp (?) The main MC was wearing jorts... that's all i took away from his performance.

Anyhow, we'd been pregamin for quite some time prior to the show.. so i was fairly crunk by the time I rolled thru. Saw Substantial walkin around and said wattup and introduced him to my friends. Noice.

Peeped the merch table. Bought PackFM's new Best (Of) CD/DVD. They've only pressed 1000 of them, and each one is hand-numbered. For the record, I have #65 of 1000.

Went back and watched the guy in the jorts finish up. Not bad... but I wanted Stan to start. He did and rocked. He did some beatboxin and acapellas which were friggin schweet. He did his latest single, which has actually gotten airplay on MTV Sucker Free Countdown! It's a dope video and doper song. Check it outttt.



I love the piano intro. Kno of CunninLynguists made the beat... and i think it's a beauty.

Pack kicked it up a notch. His live performance is really a special thing. He did a long acapella of a song off his upcoming album, titled "I F***ing Hate Rappers." It was pretty impressive from what I could make out.

And CunninLynguists fuckin tore shit down. So much energy... so much stage presence. These guys have been touring a lot-- perfecting their live show all across europe and the US, and it shows. The way the songs transition into one another keeps the crowd locked for the whole performance. Simply awesome.

I got more and more inebriated throughout the show, but not out of control. I hung out afterwards and chatted with Stan and Kno. I picked up the last copy of Substantial Evidence, an out-of-print CD of Stan's-- pretty happy bout that. I bought a red CunninLynguist T. Talked with Kno about the presidential debate and the upcoming shows still left on their tour. Stan showed me a picture of his baby on his cell phone and how he's dyin to see her when he gets back to the DMV area. These guys are my favorite musicians due in large part to just how much they appreciate their fans.

Then the bouncer told us we had to leave, as I noticed I was pretty much the only person still there.

All in all, an awesome nite.
--obbs

It's a gas gas gasss

in this world of overconsumption and dependence on foreign oil leading to exorbitant gas prices, commuters have turned to walking and riding bikes as a way to cut monthly spending. I, personally, think this is awesome. Less cars on the road... less pollution... more money into public transportation which will )hopefully, but not likely) lead to an improved rail system like Europe, and maybe even inner-city congestion laws like the one London uses to keep minimal cars from clogging the main roads of the city. You may say that I'm a dreamer...

Anyways, one thing that REALLY pisses me off is the stupidity shown by so many of my fellow pedestrians and bicyclists. Bikers constantly are looking for respect on the roads... and yet the majority still run red lights, weave in and out of traffic, do not signal, or, for my pedestrian brethren, LOOK both ways. There's an intersection near where I work where it can look completely in the clear, yet one lane has a green light for a right turn... needless to say, I have seen many a person almost get taken out 5 feet from me. That would be a sad start to the day...

Sorry about that spiel, but I felt as though I needed to vent.

In other non-co2-emitting news, I told my parents that I didn't see myself needing my car anytime soon, and that they could sell it. It had pretty much been sitting idly in my parent's driveway since I had moved to Boston last December. They put it out for sale on my front lawn (how things are sold in Maine and many rural areas)
and it was sold by the end of the day. To my neighbors across the street. Turns out the wife works in Portland and it was costing her $16 a day just in gas to make the commute. With my Honda they can cut that in half... not to shabby!

Plus, my rents were generous and gave meeeee the money. So I can buy some other beater if/when I need it. I will most-likely blow the money on other luxuries, however.

this song is cool, in my opinion. Good beat. Catchy hook. Doesn't hafta change the world with it's message... but makes me happy and wanna dance. ooooh yeaaa.



All for now!

-- obbs

love lockdown

Sorry for the absence.

not having internet at home has been a fairly interesting time actually. I don't do anything too interesting instead... I work more. I worked 22 extra hours at work over the last 2 weeks... so I guess that's good money.

I watch tv. I go to bed at a better time. That's bout it.

Anywhoo, I also find myself missing out on a lot of new music. So when Tonedeff dropped his "re-imagination" of the new track Kanye premiered at the VMA's, I still had yet to hear any of the buzz about Mr. West's latest offering.

'Ye was going into uncharted territory for himself by debuting his all-sung track. He went into it using the beat-to-deaf autotune effect, however. But anyways, it's pretty cool, though the crowd acts as if they don't know whether to applaud or not...



Interesting.

I think Tone does it a lil better tho. Pretty much tosses everything out but the drums really... maybe I haven't compared them enough, but I can't get thru the kanye version. He also added a pretty nuts verse at the end. Check it out.

Tonedeff - Warden (Love Lockdown rmx)

The Chew Fu remix is pretty awesome too... more for the dancefloor perhaps?

Tonedeff - Warden (Chew Fu house rmx)

Other than that, not much goin on. Workin and clubbin... got some friends comin to town this weekend... should be frickin SHWEET!

keep yo stick on the ice.
-- obbs

we tryin to stay alive

Not to seem all doom and gloom lately... but being the anniversary of 9/11 I figured, why not keep the sad motif a-rollin!?

This morning I waited for the bus and read about the anniversary of 9/11. I remember I was in my junior English class of highschool, taking a quiz on some reading I had not done. I was struggling to make up answers which could possibly be considered correct when my principal came over the intercom to deliver the news. THe class sat in awe and left once the class was over to go watch the news on some tvs which had been set up in the library. I was always a little miffed that my English teacher had GRADED those quizzes. Probably because I hadn't done the reading... but still, considering the circumstances in which we took them, you'd think she coulda let it slide for once.

I'm actually writing this as I do some overtime in one of the larger, more recognizable skyscrapers in Boston. Believe I had thoughts of horrible things happening. Sad but true...

Anyways, my mother emailed me a week or so ago with some sad news. You see, I have an uncle-- or rather a step-uncle as I consider him, seeing as he fathered none of my cousins and my aunt just married him 10 yrs ago or so and he has played no significant role in mine nor many of my close cousins' lives-- who recently overcame throat cancer. It was a pretty terrible ordeal he went through. The surgeons actually had to take tissue from his stomach to recreate the lining of his throat. Thus, his stomach became MUCH smaller and he didn't eat as much and thus lost a LOT of weight. He wasn't lookin too good, but the doctors took some tests and found out the cancer had finally left his body.

He slowly gained his strength back and was able to go golfing quite a bit with my father. He is a professor at the prestigious Philips Exeter Academy, and also was the coach of their golf team. Essentially, he could golf at the Portsmouth, NH course whenever he wanted for free. I even played with he and my father on one occasion. It is easily the most beautiful course I've ever walked. Sik.

Anyways, he went to the doctor a few weeks ago and was told that the cancer had come back. Not only that, but the doctor predicted that he only had two months to live.

I have a hard time imagining how I would react to being told that. It must have been an absolutely awful moment... to go from thinking you had beaten this horrible disease, to finding yourself with 60 days remaining in your life. Gotta be hard for the doctor too... sheeyit.

So my uncle, who I'm not very close to but still wish no harm upon, is faced with the often-hypothetical question of what you would do if you were told you had x amount of days to live.

He has already planned a trip out to Santa Fe, NM, which I hear is beautiful at this time of year. Other than that I am not sure.

He's a real interesting guy... just came into my life late and in very small doses. He was really well-liked by his students, which included my cousin, Big Sauce, who went to Exeter for a PG year before Bowdoin College. Interestingly enough, he even served as a character witness during the trial of John Forté, the member of the Refugee Camp who is currently in year 7 or 8 of a 14 year sentence for the trafficking of liquid cocaine... dayum. Not smart for a dude with such an education.

As I browsed YouTube, I forgot how awesome this music video and song was. I gotta say, Forté may very well have the best verse in the whole damn thang. I also can't help but notice how appropriate the title now seems...



'Clef looks so young!

The Fugees and Wyclef was the first rap I ever got into. I think his album "The Carnival" was my first rap CD...and its damn good. I think that's all I have to say about that.

Though it may sound cliché, try and live each day to its fullest... i know i often forget to.

until next time,
-- obbs

wake up time

Sorry for the lack of updates. Mr. obbs has had a few things to deal with...

I moved. It was one of the most exhausting endeavors I have done. Moving all my crap, plus my tiny asian roommates crap, up to the third floor of our new place left me utterly exhausted for the majority of this week. If it hadn't been for my friend, Steve Nichols, and his brother letting us borrow his truck, I really don't know what I would have done. Thrown down a buttload of money on some moving broski's probably... Steve didn't even have to help me... he didn it out of the kindness of his heart. How precious!

Then on Friday I found out that I did not get the PR job I had applied for within my current company. This after having a great interview, where my would-be boss fawned over my resumé and experiences. In the rejection email he wrote:

Dear mr. obbs,

Thanks so much for participating in the search for our next PR Person. I really thought your writing and background were quite impressive and you interviewed extremely well. The competition was remarkably intense for this spot, making the decision very difficult. In fact, you were among our top candidates.

You would be a great addition to our team at some point down the road, but for now, I’m sorry to say we’ve selected someone else for this particular position. Though I do hope you apply for the next spot that opens on our PR team. If all goes well, we should be expanding in the future. In the meantime, I’d also like to tap you for periodic brainstorms in the PR Department, as we’re developing new ideas. (If this would be of interest, please let me know.)

Again, I thought you were a great candidate. Thanks again for going through the interviewing process with us.

While I understand that you might be disappointed, please try to emphasize the positive here. You are extremely talented and we’re really fortunate to have you here at our company.

Let me know if you have any questions and have a good weekend.

All the best,
benny mcBleh

Sooooo yeah. I didn't get the job, BUT!! He would still like me to contribute my ideas, for the good of the company. Pro bono. I guess I could think of it sort of lie... oh, an unpaid internship. I haven't emailed him my decision on that opportunity quite yet.

I was about 90% sure i'd get the job, so I was bummin preeeeetty hard for the rest of Friday and then Friday evening. I joked about doing nothing but going home and listening to "Everybody Hurts" on repeat. On the busride home it really felt similar to when that girl you've been crushin on for the whole school year tells you she's been foolin around with the tight-end on the football team. I actually felt physically sick to my stomach that I hadn't gotten this job.

I got home and made dinner. I had made plans earlier about goin out... but really didn't feel like moving. I sipped a natty light on my bed while i played Tom Petty's "Wildflowers" album and thought about applying to other jobs and the general state of my life.

The album is one of the greatest i own. I remember buying the cassette, alongside Tp's greatest hits back in about... hmm 5th grade or so. For an album to still be classic that many yrs after is a testament to the quality of this thing. Tom Petty is one of the most-consistent songwriters I know. Every song is good. Not just the singles.

Anyways, "Wildflowers" is one of his more somber albums, I'd say. Lots of good songs to just chill/cut your wrists to. I stayed staring at my ceiling until about 10:30 when I decided to wander outdoors.

"Wake Up Time" is the closing track on the album, and it is beautiful. I'm not going to break it down lyric by lyric for you... but petty wrote well. Lots of stuff in that song i can relate to. If I had the internet at my new apartment, and weren't writin this from work, I'd put up the mp3. This youtube vid will have to suffice for now.



Petty sure is an ugly lookin dude. Yeesh.

Anyways, I ended up meeting some co-workers that nite and we danced and drank and ate chinese and didn't go to bed until about 4am or so. The night actually ended up turning out pretty well.

Saturday night i didn't do much. I was supposed to meet a friend for her birthday party, but i had a late dinner and watched some college football with my cousin. I literally 'hung out forever, and still missed the dance.' my bad.

and now i'm at work. gonna start lookin for a new job i guess. Sad, because i liked a lot of things about my company, just don't like my actual job. It was bearable for awhile, but now that we're understaffed, the workload is not reasonable.

we'll see what happens...

--obbs

fire water burn

Prepare for perhaps the most immense blog yet! Buckle up.

Mr obbs returned to beantown Monday after one of the most enjoyable weekends he's had in quite some time.

My company sponsored a rafting trip up in the nether-regions of the great state of Maine. The plan was to go and camp Saturday, then get up early Sunday and raft until 3 or so, thus leaving ample time to get back to Boston Sunday night.

Being a native of 'vacationland,' I took a few hrs off from work and left the stress and congestion of the city mid-day Friday alongside co-workers joe mac and Marfa and headed up to my momma and poppa's house. I had spoken with the cook prior to our arrival and put in my request for the menu-- shish kabobs... burgers... caesar salad. There's something about cheese on a salad that I am a big fan of. Anyways, my body was fiendin for a square meal. During my frantic and stressful apartment hunt i had often completely forgotten dinner. One night it consisted of a bowl of canned vegetables. Pathetic.

Friday night was great. A cousin of mine from my dad's side of the family is currently sailing around most of the world with his wife. They are now docked in a harbor about an hour from my house, so they were actually able to come for dinner as well, thanks to a man near their boat who was generous to let these two strangers borrow his car for the evening (does stuff like that happen in other states? Really? Some stranger letting two sailors use his car for whatever they want. That blows my mind.) Anyways, I hadn't seen this guy in approximately 21 years (my dad's side of the family is MUCH more spread out and distant than my momma's).

He's had a pretty remarkable 34 years, to say the least. Grew up in British Columbia, CA. Went to trade school... learned the pipe-fitting trade and also got trained in welding and scuba-diving, among other things. He worked for the film industry doing special effects and explosions for awhile. He grew up fishing and being outdoors, so he told me he just could not imagine having a job where he would be stuck inside. I don't blame him, really. Somehow he lucked out and found a job doing underwater welding, which paid him enough money that he could afford to work 4 months a year. I asked him what he did with the rest of his year. "I was in Australia." "Oh, that's awesome. What did you do down there?" "Surfed. Yeah I'd work, make money, then fly down to Australia until the money ran out. Then I'd fly home and work some more." I was growing mildly jealous of this guy's lifestyle and total disregard for the traditional model of working, saving, and then retiring.

And now he's taking a solid 3 year vacation. on a sailboat. Who does this guy think he is? Marfa compared him to Hansel from Zoolander. And I have to admit, she nailed it. His mannerisms, way of talking, APPEARANCE, and general aloofness were so Hansel-esque that I was a little disappointed in myself for not thinking of it first.

Anyways, we ate and drank and made smores all while sitting around a firepit in my backyard as the stars shone down from above. Friends Kbell and my future housemate Al_Likes_Waffles also joined. To put it plainly, it was perfect.

Saturday we arose and played pool... then basketball... then horseshoes as we waited for two of my highschool friends, Jon and JJ, to arrive so we could make the 150 minute jaunt to the sparsely populated town of Jackman, ME-- where we would camp and eventually raft.

Whenever I get together with JJ and Jon, it's pretty much laughs the whole time. I get on a high I'm laughing so much. We took a trip to Montreal a few years ago, along with my good friend Jarrod, and-- not only was it an amazing experience alliteratively-- but we had an awesome time just catching up and, well, laughing. I didn't get too many pics from that trip... but here's one:



ahhhh memories.

Anyways, we got up to the cabin after a car-ride full of laughs and a massive stop for booze. Got all set up and pretty much commenced the crunkulation. We went swimming and played wiffleball and flipcup and ate burgers my company provided. Partied until about 2 or so. I'm not sure really... i turned my phone off due to there being no reception. Regardless, there was fire, foods, booze, and friends. What else does one need? honestly.

I realized how much I love a fire. I always have... but now they just seem to be such great settings for endless nights of conversation. I mentioned last entry how much I enjoy just sitting and talking with people... and I guess a simple fire or firepit is a great way to do that.

Two years ago at New Year's Eve I went to a huge party with family friends in my hometown and they had a huge bonfire. There were friends playing live music and people singing and drinking and reminiscing and talking and just generally enjoying one another's company. My hometown has a great community feel to it. I hope to experience that when I get older and hope my children can as well.

Anyways, on Sunday we got up and made it to the rafting site at 8am. I. love. rafting. It is pure adrenaline and laughter and exercise and... just an amazing time. Also a great cure for a hangover. I wanna go more often... a tad expensive... but so damn fun. It's similar to paintballing in that adrenaline-rush sort of way... only less ingrained with redneck DNA.

We finished up without any flips or people falling overboard and headed for home. Marfa, Joe, and I got to my house and decided that A) none of us felt like trekking another 3 hours back to Boston B) None of us wanted to work on Monday morning and C) We would much rather eat homecooking, and drink cold beers for another night.

So we did. Made it back to the city for a few hours of work on Monday...and it was perfect.

_________________________________

Garth Brooks -- The River
Just a cool song. We went rafting. Talks about a 'river.' Damn...Garth sure can write a song.

Schooner Fare -- Portland Town
This is pretty much the perfect osng for anyone from Maine who is coming back for a visit. "Momma... won't you make my bed?"

The Rolling Stones -- Play With Fire
I like fire... but I'm not really a pyro. My bro and I would occasionally melt our GI Joes and such... but that was really the extent of it. I always loved just standing around the fire when we'd go camping and burning a stick or something, howveer. I love the smell of a campfire too... wouldn't mind if AXE made a 'smoke' spray one of these days... hmm.

all for now fans!
-- obbs

real talk

First off, this book above is essentially based on my younger years and how I remember my relatives and the 4th of July. I think I had a post where I touched on that. Great book. I'll let you borrow it sometime.

Anyways, I just got back from a weekend of spendin some QT with my cousins, aunts, and uncles. I'm real close with the cousins from my mom's side, so I love being with them, and now that we're a bit more spread out over the eastern seaboard, need to take advantage of the times when we are all in the same area.

Saturday I went to my uncle's in Holliston, MA and we had a huge lasagna feast. It was friggin amazing food and a great time watching to Olympics and catching up. One of my cousins had ridden his bike from California. Another cousin had just returned from 5 weeks in Argentina. So they had some stories to tell. I regaled the crowd with stories of how I spend my day in front of a computer. Somehow they didn't make quite the same effect as my cousins' experiences. This life.

Today I went to another aunt and uncle's place and just chilled all day with my two cousins. We played Scrabble, then went to a neighbor's house for more good eats and good conversation. The shish kabobs were friggin amazing. The neighbor's were cool. They'd gone to Dubai to visit one of their sons who works there-- so they had some interesting stories. That country is friggin crazy. Unlike anything you can imagine.

Have you heard about the structure they are planning that will constantly change shape and has built-in wind turbines...?!



But anyways. I realized I really miss just sitting around with other people and talking. Not in a loud bar. Not with a bunch of broskis about who the Patriots will be playing. But adults. You really don't get it much in the normal day-to-day routine, really. Have you ever sat down with a senior citizen who can tell a story? Storytelling is a lost art, I tell ya. Everything and everyone is getting increasingly detached. I watch the people around me on the way to work. Earbuds stuck in their ears. Completely shut off from the world. Boring. I saw this cute girl on the T one day, but there's no way in hell i'm even gonna say hi to them if they have their headphones in. Got dammit.

I'm goin home next weekend to see the parents briefly and to go whitewater rafting with my company. Dope. So i'll catch up with the 'rental unit and perhaps have some more intellectually stimulating convos around some foods and such... should be good.

Anywhoo, for some music, check out Pink Floyd's take on verbal communication.

Pink Floyd -- Keep Talking
"For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals... then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination..."

And for some hilarity, check out R. Kelly's absurd take on givin it to a psycho bitch over the phone for hasslin' her man in "Real Talk."



enjoy the week.

-- obbs