I got a president who's calm and plain. He goes by the name of Barack Hussein
08 Nov 2008 05:17 pm
Damn it feels good to see people up on it, Cause I remember when, at first they wasn't...
Just a few weeks ago, at the height of the campaign, Representative
Michele Bachmann of Minnesota told Chris Matthews of MSNBC that, when
it came to Mr. Obama, "I'm very concerned that he may have
anti-American views...."
Attending an event with Mr. McCain in York, Pa., in August, Mr.
Lieberman said the race was "between one candidate, John McCain, who
has always put the country first, worked across party lines to get
things done, and one candidate who has not."
Now look what they caught from my cousin...
But there she was on Wednesday, after narrowly escaping defeat because
of those comments, saying she was "extremely grateful that we have an
African-American who has won this year." Ms. Bachmann, a Republican,
called Mr. Obama's victory, which included her state, "a tremendous
signal we sent..."
And what about that whole bit about Mr. Obama not always putting his
country first? "He believes that President-elect Obama -- and, then,
Senator Obama -- is a genuine patriot and loves his country,"
TNC, would you please tell us what we're watching on these clips? I'll never learn my old school rap history properly unless you throw me a bone now and then. We didn't get MTV until the late '90s so I'm kind of pig ignorant of this era of the genre.
@Loneoak: Biz Markie is one of the (sort-of) "old school" rappers, who made it big with a fairly laid-back, humor-laden style that's damn rare, these days. He was (is?), as I recall, pretty good with the beat-boxing as well.
I'm not sure there's much that's not covered on his Wikipedia page. It may just be one of the jokes that's hard of explain if you weren't there for it...
While I believe in freedom of speech, I wonder why politicians feel it's necessary to demagogue their opponents. Who votes for that kind of virulence? Yet the fact that she's still in office - it's a sick joke.
On the other hand, I'm not offended or bothered by her, or Palin, for that matter. I suspect these political creatures feel that saying the nastiest words that come to mind is what keeps them in office. Crazy.
I see that Chambliss is getting an assist from McCain in his re-election re-run. Let the race-baiting begin in five, four....
I have no problem with people who voted for McCain taking pride in the results of the election, because there are still people of good faith out there. But when slime merchants like Bachmann turn right around and start going on about how this result says such wonderful things about America, it's like, who are you kidding? Two days ago you said the election of Barack Obama would be the end of the world! Sheesh.
TNC, would you please tell us what we're watching on these clips? I'll never learn my old school rap history properly unless you throw me a bone now and then. We didn't get MTV until the late '90s so I'm kind of pig ignorant of this era of the genre.
Seriously people... here are Asher's directions for how to figure out what you're watching on these clips. Sing them to the melody of the chorus on Ray J's "One Wish" if you like.
Step One: Doubleclick the video until it pops up in a new window/tab.
Step Two: Read what it says up top; most videos will have the name of the artist and song in their title.
Step Three: Google (that's at www.google.com, or in your google toolbar) the artist. Find his wikipedia page! Read what it says! Click on the links to the pages on his albums. Click on the links to the reviews of those albums. Read the reviews. Do the knowledge.
I love her use of the word 'we'- you had nothing to do with it! You were hopingthe guy wouldn't win. You wanted to investigate him for being against America!
Ok. I have to simply state it as well. I am so happy. And I am so freakin proud of americans and humans. indeed the US knows how to improve and to move in the right direction.
And the name matters at least as much as the color - if not even more. It is amazing to have this black on white.
One Sunday morning last summer, a bunch of my friends, and me, and like 3,000 other people got up very early to answer a call from local band The Flobots to do a crowd scene for a music video.
This is the video we made, Rise.
Today I heard on local 93.3 here in Denver that Rise may be played at Barack Obama's inaugration in January.
Joe Biden said it.
Our first hiphop President.
"Gonna be two kinds in Washington this year. Those that catch the vapors and get on bended knee and those that get run the F over."
How quickly you folks forget the lessons of 1993-4, 1977-8 - even, if you want to go back this far, 1937-8. Those who try to roll the opposition ultimately get rolled by the electorate.
How quickly you folks forget the lessons of 1993-4, 1977-8 - even, if you want to go back this far, 1937-8. Those who try to roll the opposition ultimately get rolled by the electorate.
Bush got about six years before people wised up to the game. He did get an assist from Bin Laden, though.
I think there's a distinction to be made between steamrolling incompetent buffoons like Lieberman and Bachmann and principled opposition. You definitely want to work with the latter, but too much exposure to the former will rot you from the inside...
"Bush got about six years before people wised up to the game. He did get an assist from Bin Laden, though."
An assist? I'm a Republican, but 9/11 explains whatever political success post-2000 he ever had. If not for that, he would've lost both houses in '02 and been a one-term president. Anyway, I think the Rahm hire shows you Obama's very concerned with repeating 1993. He won't try to steamroll a healthcare plan that nobody likes through Congress.
Well, Asher, I suppose I could do a Google on the name of the rapper, but that would not give a very good understanding of why TNC chose this particular video, or what significance the video has to those who are part of the hiphop culture. This is similar to the way people who run outside my social group may not appreciate the difference between Laura Ashley and Ann Taylor, or between Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. But you could just
1. google the websites of these establishments
2. Look at their entire product lines
3. Compare and contrast them
4. still not have a friggin' clue what the hoohaw is about.
Or I could google them and appreciate what the fuss is about. They're shoes, very nice and expensive shoes. But they're different stylistically in subtle but pretty obvious ways once you get the hang of it. It's not like I need to hang out with the cast of Sex And The City to figure this out. Similarly, if you listen to the lyrics of the song, you'll understand the analogy. As I recall, and I could be wrong, haven't listened to the thing in years, Biz Markie (a universally beloved rapper) tells some stories about himself and other old-school rappers of the time who, before they were famous, couldn't get the time of day from girls, or, couldn't get to perform with the various rapping crews around town (basically this whole thing is like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer), but once they became famous, all that changed and people started begging to sleep with them/perform at their shows, etc. Just like Obama, TNC says. But see, you could've gotten all that from listening to the song.
Also (and I'm just guessing here) one brand is sluttier than the other. And surely there's some blog where some woman expounds on the cultural significance of each. Everything is googleable.
I agree this is pretty hypocritical of Bachmann. Sheesh, it's annoying these people who hated him a minute ago now trying to kiss-up to him or something. I think I'd respect her more if she had the courage of her moronic or sleazy convictions. I wouldn't like her at all, but it'd show some backbone anyway.
I didn't vote for Obama, but I don't think I ever had any personal problem with him. In fact I think he's the most likeable Democratic President since Carter. I am happy he's inspired good things at home and abroad. At the same time I'm not going to all of the sudden go Hesselback or whatever. I didn't think he'd be a good President a week ago and I don't see anything that would've changed my mind. Although I do think we should give him a chance and that he'll likely do many good things.
You know what? I love this blog.
Where else can I have politics made relative by The Diabolical Biz?
I'm sure hoping the Dems treat Joe L. much like Michael did Hyman Roth in GF2.
"I'm sure hoping the Dems treat Joe L. much like Michael did Hyman Roth in GF2."
Now, if I were Abe Foxman... but yeah, I'm sure that's not why you picked Hyman instead of Fredo or Carlo Rizzi or Tessio. Actually, now that I think of all the other analogies you could've made in that movie alone, I'm not so sure. So... how do you feel about the Rahm pick? Being that he's, you know, an ex-volunteer in the Israeli Army and everything.
Hyman Roth? As long as Reid doesn't sit there while Joe eats a sandwich and watches baseball, asking him if it's OK that we try to pass health care (Joe: "That's small potatoes.").
I'm here to comment on the post title and that's all. Saturday night supper - we raised out glasses (of beer, not chardonnay) and I said "To President Barack HUSSEIN Obama!" just like Rush Limbaugh has been doing for months, but I owned it, and it felt good, taking it back from those guys and finally being able to say that I'm GLAD we're gonna have a guy in the WH with that name.
And now we've got Rahm Emanuel. These names are powerful messages. As a non-Christian, I'm loving it.
"Now, if I were Abe Foxman... but yeah, I'm sure that's not why you picked Hyman instead of Fredo or Carlo Rizzi or Tessio. Actually, now that I think of all the other analogies you could've made in that movie alone, I'm not so sure. So... how do you feel about the Rahm pick? Being that he's, you know, an ex-volunteer in the Israeli Army and everything."
You know, I could have picked any one of those traitors. I suppose I picked Mr. Roth because I happen to love the way his whole scenario plays out.
Rizzi, nah. He was new to the family and was never fully trusted.
Tessio, possibly. Fully trusted and showing loyalty nearly the entire time.
I didn't pick Roth: Joe because they're both Jewish. I picked that analogy because both are vain old men who's time is up.
Rahm pick? I couldn't be happier. I'd be just as happy if he'd been a volunteer in the Kiss Army or a member of the Juggalos from the Insane Clown Posse. I could care less so long as he gets things done. He's no joke from what I've read and appears to be highly motivated.
Asher -
You missed the entire point about Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik and high heeled shoes in general. This may be because you think you can just google an answer without actually asking somone who might live a life that includes these types of shoes.
You say that there is probably a blog where some women talk all about the shoes and their cultural significance. Exactly. That's what I'm asking TNC to do here. It might be nice if he gave us some indication about why he chose certain clips. Then again, he might think it would ruin the joke, and that we should just imply the meaning for ourselves. That's fine. I'm happy to do my best, or maybe just ignore the clip.
And why don't you just run out and get some high heels for yourself to try out. I'm sure it will tell you everything you need to know about the people who buy and wear them.
No, I don't have to ask someone who wears those type of shoes. It's all out there, and like I said, if you just listened to the song, paying particular attention to the words of said song, you'd get it. I mean, I'm not a part of this hiphop culture myself the way you seem to think I am, I'm actually a lot closer to being in the Blahnik culture, socioeconomically anyway, though being a guy, I don't spend that much time thinking about women's shoes.
asher says "No, I don't have to ask someone who wears those type of shoes. It's all out there,"
Yeah, it's all out there, but myself, I like to hear about it from TNC. I want to know why HE picked what he picked, because he illustrates it so well. It's all out there, but some information sources are more rewarding than others. And part of TNC's appeal is that he doesn't pedantically spell everything out, so that's cool with me. But if he chooses to enlighten me, I feel priviledged.
My entire comment was lost because I hit backspace or something. If it does somehow show up I'm sorry.
SHorter:
I'm against references that go over people's heads in general, but in this case I believe that the video explains all. Did you see the video and hear the words? I know this song well, to the point where I think of it each time I see a UPS truck, so I got the reference without the video, but when I first heard the song a billion years ago I had no idea what "the vapors" meant. The song was a thorough treatise.
And this applies perfectly to Michelle Bachmann, and so was a delight to read.
Here's a piece no one cared about. Meh, whatever, probably the most enjoyable article I did during my stint at TIME. Premiered a month before I got laid-off. The nail in the coffin? Ya think?
Here's me going after Al. I didn't so much have a problem with him, as I had a problem with media acting like this dude was the go-to guy for everything black.
This was my first real story at time. I was writing for the Business section, a real change of direction for me. At any rate, it's about Wal-Mart's attempts to colonize the inner-city. As much as I enjoyed this piece, I mostly enjoyed going out to Chicago, which is a beautiful, beautiful city.
This a piece I did about the cops just outside our nation capitol, in Prince George's County, a few years back. I wanted to offer a counter to the dumb, conventional wisdom that if you paint your police force black, you could eradicate police brutality. In fact, Prince George's--one of the richest, blackest counties in the country--also had one of the most brutal police force's in the country.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Damn it feels good to see people up on it
'Cause I remember when at first they wasn't
TNC, would you please tell us what we're watching on these clips? I'll never learn my old school rap history properly unless you throw me a bone now and then. We didn't get MTV until the late '90s so I'm kind of pig ignorant of this era of the genre.
@Loneoak: Biz Markie is one of the (sort-of) "old school" rappers, who made it big with a fairly laid-back, humor-laden style that's damn rare, these days. He was (is?), as I recall, pretty good with the beat-boxing as well.
I'm not sure there's much that's not covered on his Wikipedia page. It may just be one of the jokes that's hard of explain if you weren't there for it...
Wonder if Lady lynn DeRothschild has slit her wrists yet?
While I believe in freedom of speech, I wonder why politicians feel it's necessary to demagogue their opponents. Who votes for that kind of virulence? Yet the fact that she's still in office - it's a sick joke.
On the other hand, I'm not offended or bothered by her, or Palin, for that matter. I suspect these political creatures feel that saying the nastiest words that come to mind is what keeps them in office. Crazy.
I see that Chambliss is getting an assist from McCain in his re-election re-run. Let the race-baiting begin in five, four....
Kane's hi-top looks like a black pencil eraser. Biz needed to wear looser shirts. Love his videos, though.
Here's the other Biz classic..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMEPFZa4ZQo
Ahh..."The Vapors"...I was thinking some "I Got It Made" would be appropriate right about now as well...
I have no problem with people who voted for McCain taking pride in the results of the election, because there are still people of good faith out there. But when slime merchants like Bachmann turn right around and start going on about how this result says such wonderful things about America, it's like, who are you kidding? Two days ago you said the election of Barack Obama would be the end of the world! Sheesh.
TNC, would you please tell us what we're watching on these clips? I'll never learn my old school rap history properly unless you throw me a bone now and then. We didn't get MTV until the late '90s so I'm kind of pig ignorant of this era of the genre.
Seriously people... here are Asher's directions for how to figure out what you're watching on these clips. Sing them to the melody of the chorus on Ray J's "One Wish" if you like.
Step One: Doubleclick the video until it pops up in a new window/tab.
Step Two: Read what it says up top; most videos will have the name of the artist and song in their title.
Step Three: Google (that's at www.google.com, or in your google toolbar) the artist. Find his wikipedia page! Read what it says! Click on the links to the pages on his albums. Click on the links to the reviews of those albums. Read the reviews. Do the knowledge.
I love her use of the word 'we'- you had nothing to do with it! You were hopingthe guy wouldn't win. You wanted to investigate him for being against America!
That's not crazy I can believe in.
Oh, and it's who's calm and plain. If I weren't such a dick to you at times, I'd volunteer to intern as your editor.
Ok. I have to simply state it as well. I am so happy. And I am so freakin proud of americans and humans. indeed the US knows how to improve and to move in the right direction.
And the name matters at least as much as the color - if not even more. It is amazing to have this black on white.
One Sunday morning last summer, a bunch of my friends, and me, and like 3,000 other people got up very early to answer a call from local band The Flobots to do a crowd scene for a music video.
This is the video we made, Rise.
Today I heard on local 93.3 here in Denver that Rise may be played at Barack Obama's inaugration in January.
Joe Biden said it.
Our first hiphop President.
You can look for my arms in the video.
;)
Coates:
Straight genius. I am laughing my ass off.
@Loneoak, you need to get up on it. There is a world of applied wisdom in old school hip hop.
I guess "Bitties in the BK lounge" would also be analagous
When I think about Obama and his Campaign only one rap comes to mind... "Cool Like That" by Digable Planet.
Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta!
I've been thinking Mobb Deep Shook Ones Pt II since Wed. His mentality is "what".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeuEGr_UTzg
Gonna be two kinds in Washington this year. Those that catch the vapors and get on bended knee and those that get run the F over.
"Gonna be two kinds in Washington this year. Those that catch the vapors and get on bended knee and those that get run the F over."
How quickly you folks forget the lessons of 1993-4, 1977-8 - even, if you want to go back this far, 1937-8. Those who try to roll the opposition ultimately get rolled by the electorate.
Asher,
Bless you for the techno-tip.
I'm trying to convince my father to read Harry Potter, because he won't get my kids jokes otherwise.
On the same theory, I've clearly got to get my brain to absorb rap basics, even though it's stuck in Springsteen mode and happy there.
Bush got about six years before people wised up to the game. He did get an assist from Bin Laden, though.
I think there's a distinction to be made between steamrolling incompetent buffoons like Lieberman and Bachmann and principled opposition. You definitely want to work with the latter, but too much exposure to the former will rot you from the inside...
"Bush got about six years before people wised up to the game. He did get an assist from Bin Laden, though."
An assist? I'm a Republican, but 9/11 explains whatever political success post-2000 he ever had. If not for that, he would've lost both houses in '02 and been a one-term president. Anyway, I think the Rahm hire shows you Obama's very concerned with repeating 1993. He won't try to steamroll a healthcare plan that nobody likes through Congress.
Well, Asher, I suppose I could do a Google on the name of the rapper, but that would not give a very good understanding of why TNC chose this particular video, or what significance the video has to those who are part of the hiphop culture. This is similar to the way people who run outside my social group may not appreciate the difference between Laura Ashley and Ann Taylor, or between Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. But you could just
1. google the websites of these establishments
2. Look at their entire product lines
3. Compare and contrast them
4. still not have a friggin' clue what the hoohaw is about.
Or I could google them and appreciate what the fuss is about. They're shoes, very nice and expensive shoes. But they're different stylistically in subtle but pretty obvious ways once you get the hang of it. It's not like I need to hang out with the cast of Sex And The City to figure this out. Similarly, if you listen to the lyrics of the song, you'll understand the analogy. As I recall, and I could be wrong, haven't listened to the thing in years, Biz Markie (a universally beloved rapper) tells some stories about himself and other old-school rappers of the time who, before they were famous, couldn't get the time of day from girls, or, couldn't get to perform with the various rapping crews around town (basically this whole thing is like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer), but once they became famous, all that changed and people started begging to sleep with them/perform at their shows, etc. Just like Obama, TNC says. But see, you could've gotten all that from listening to the song.
one of the best hip-hop parables ever...
Also (and I'm just guessing here) one brand is sluttier than the other. And surely there's some blog where some woman expounds on the cultural significance of each. Everything is googleable.
I agree this is pretty hypocritical of Bachmann. Sheesh, it's annoying these people who hated him a minute ago now trying to kiss-up to him or something. I think I'd respect her more if she had the courage of her moronic or sleazy convictions. I wouldn't like her at all, but it'd show some backbone anyway.
I didn't vote for Obama, but I don't think I ever had any personal problem with him. In fact I think he's the most likeable Democratic President since Carter. I am happy he's inspired good things at home and abroad. At the same time I'm not going to all of the sudden go Hesselback or whatever. I didn't think he'd be a good President a week ago and I don't see anything that would've changed my mind. Although I do think we should give him a chance and that he'll likely do many good things.
You know what? I love this blog.
Where else can I have politics made relative by The Diabolical Biz?
I'm sure hoping the Dems treat Joe L. much like Michael did Hyman Roth in GF2.
"I'm sure hoping the Dems treat Joe L. much like Michael did Hyman Roth in GF2."
Now, if I were Abe Foxman... but yeah, I'm sure that's not why you picked Hyman instead of Fredo or Carlo Rizzi or Tessio. Actually, now that I think of all the other analogies you could've made in that movie alone, I'm not so sure. So... how do you feel about the Rahm pick? Being that he's, you know, an ex-volunteer in the Israeli Army and everything.
Hyman Roth? As long as Reid doesn't sit there while Joe eats a sandwich and watches baseball, asking him if it's OK that we try to pass health care (Joe: "That's small potatoes.").
I'm here to comment on the post title and that's all. Saturday night supper - we raised out glasses (of beer, not chardonnay) and I said "To President Barack HUSSEIN Obama!" just like Rush Limbaugh has been doing for months, but I owned it, and it felt good, taking it back from those guys and finally being able to say that I'm GLAD we're gonna have a guy in the WH with that name.
And now we've got Rahm Emanuel. These names are powerful messages. As a non-Christian, I'm loving it.
"Now, if I were Abe Foxman... but yeah, I'm sure that's not why you picked Hyman instead of Fredo or Carlo Rizzi or Tessio. Actually, now that I think of all the other analogies you could've made in that movie alone, I'm not so sure. So... how do you feel about the Rahm pick? Being that he's, you know, an ex-volunteer in the Israeli Army and everything."
You know, I could have picked any one of those traitors. I suppose I picked Mr. Roth because I happen to love the way his whole scenario plays out.
Rizzi, nah. He was new to the family and was never fully trusted.
Tessio, possibly. Fully trusted and showing loyalty nearly the entire time.
I didn't pick Roth: Joe because they're both Jewish. I picked that analogy because both are vain old men who's time is up.
Rahm pick? I couldn't be happier. I'd be just as happy if he'd been a volunteer in the Kiss Army or a member of the Juggalos from the Insane Clown Posse. I could care less so long as he gets things done. He's no joke from what I've read and appears to be highly motivated.
Asher -
You missed the entire point about Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik and high heeled shoes in general. This may be because you think you can just google an answer without actually asking somone who might live a life that includes these types of shoes.
You say that there is probably a blog where some women talk all about the shoes and their cultural significance. Exactly. That's what I'm asking TNC to do here. It might be nice if he gave us some indication about why he chose certain clips. Then again, he might think it would ruin the joke, and that we should just imply the meaning for ourselves. That's fine. I'm happy to do my best, or maybe just ignore the clip.
And why don't you just run out and get some high heels for yourself to try out. I'm sure it will tell you everything you need to know about the people who buy and wear them.
No, I don't have to ask someone who wears those type of shoes. It's all out there, and like I said, if you just listened to the song, paying particular attention to the words of said song, you'd get it. I mean, I'm not a part of this hiphop culture myself the way you seem to think I am, I'm actually a lot closer to being in the Blahnik culture, socioeconomically anyway, though being a guy, I don't spend that much time thinking about women's shoes.
asher says "No, I don't have to ask someone who wears those type of shoes. It's all out there,"
Yeah, it's all out there, but myself, I like to hear about it from TNC. I want to know why HE picked what he picked, because he illustrates it so well. It's all out there, but some information sources are more rewarding than others. And part of TNC's appeal is that he doesn't pedantically spell everything out, so that's cool with me. But if he chooses to enlighten me, I feel priviledged.
My entire comment was lost because I hit backspace or something. If it does somehow show up I'm sorry.
SHorter:
I'm against references that go over people's heads in general, but in this case I believe that the video explains all. Did you see the video and hear the words? I know this song well, to the point where I think of it each time I see a UPS truck, so I got the reference without the video, but when I first heard the song a billion years ago I had no idea what "the vapors" meant. The song was a thorough treatise.
And this applies perfectly to Michelle Bachmann, and so was a delight to read.
Meet the Press was more fun than usual today watching Mel Martinez catch em...
TNC - Your hip-hop allusions are so voluminous that they will once in a while miss the mark or seem forced..
This, however, was the paragon of hip-hop allusions -- the one to end all others -- folks should just stop quoting after this one..
("goes by the name of barack hussein" -- too smart -- I can't take it)