Godfather of Rap Returns

    Spoken word poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron returns today with the U.S. release of his four-year project, I'm New Here, which began while he was serving time in Rikers Island prison for a parole violation on a cocaine possession. As Heron himself has said: "They can put you in prison, but they can't stop you from thinking."

    Heron was a major figure in the R&B movement of the 1960s and 70s - a political activist who vented his frustrations through powerful lyrics and soulful rhythms. He is often credited with influencing artists like Kayne West, Mos Def and Chuck D. Listening to Heron's earlier music, it's easy to see that he had (at least) a hand in bringing about current hip-hop and rap sounds.
    His first album in 13 years, I'm New Here is already being lauded as one of the best albums of the year. The Guardian has provided an exclusive free listen of the entire album:

    Heron's age (and trials) comes through in his voice. Yet the gravel behind his lyrics is equally compelling as (if not more than) the silkiness of his earlier songs. Each track is sleek and hefty as a river-washed stone. Cohesively, the album presents like a collection of poetry or short fiction - book-ended by his autobiographical spoken-word tracks "On Coming from a Broken Home (Pts. 1 and 2)." In between the opening and closing chapters of the album, Heron beautifully intertwines contemporary R&B sounds on tracks like "Me and the Devil" with the blues of "New York is Killing Me" and "interludes" that sound like remixed interviews with the artist.

Listen to it start to finish - a few times. To do otherwise would dismantle the eloquent structure of the music...but of course, the tracks stand strong on their own.




 Like Heron? Check out his classic albums The Revolution will not be Televised and Winter in America.

Recycle Your Netflix

Have you ever been frustrated by that red flap you have to tear off and throw away every time you get a new NetFlix movie in the mail? With this website now you can have fun with ALL of your NetFlix.

Just in time for Valentine's Day you can show you're loved one that you not only care about him/her, but the environment, too!

Or get that special someone a REAL gift, delivered in a handmade box... don't you love to make the presents!




 






You can even top off your gift with a card inside a replica of the NetFlix signature red envelope...






You can also learn how to make a Cube, a Bullet Plane, a Dive Bomber, a Tray, a Sack, a Crab, and more!! Even though most origami requires special paper squares, the makers of the site have adapted these designs so you can use NetFlix flaps without alteration.

Other ideas for reusing NetFlix flaps:

                                                                    Wallpaper a Room

                                                                   Turn it into a cay toy

Use it as a coaster for your NetFlix cup

Haiti Relief Effort

With all the talk about Haiti -and the various fund raising efforts going on - it's easy to assume that there is ample support for recovery. While the U.S. and other countries are doing their part to help those in Port-Au-Prince, there are still millions of Haitians starving and in need of other forms of assistance.

It can be a bit overwhelming to know how best to give. You want your donation to have the biggest impact possible. The rumors over Wyclef Jean's Haiti charity didn't help matters much. Though it seems that Yele Haiti is back on track after hiring a new accountant.

If you're looking for a good way to give, here are some suggestions based on my own research when deciding how to donate:


The World Food Programme
Here's a chance for your donations to go directly to helping feed the people of Haiti. Lack of food is one of the biggest problems facing the country right now as roads, supermarkets, and other infrastructure have been devastated by the quakes.
The great thing about the World Food Programme is that it's a part of the United Nations system - it's the UN's frontline agency mandated to combat global hunger. This means that there is some assurance of legitimacy when you give money to the program. On the Policy/Publications section of the website you can research information about how the program is funded, where donations go, and look at the company's annual financial reports.

The American Red Cross
Always a good place to give. Your donation to the American Red Cross serves a more general emergency assistance need and allows the organization to allocate funds wherever the need is greatest.


Central Emergency Response Fund
The best thing about donating here is that, because CERF is a part of the UN system, your funds can be assigned to various relief projects in Haiti - including those organized by the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization. Again, you get the assurance of a legit organization and your funds will go where help is needed most.


Also, if you were hoping to find a way of helping other than giving money, take a look at this. The New York Times touched on this issue as well. Turns out the best way to help, though it may be the most impersonal, is to give cold, hard cash.

For other tips on how to help (and how not to) 

For a more comprehensive list of charities and relief organizations (still a good idea to do your own research before donating to an organization)

I am SO with Coco

 

NBC execs are really making a mistake here. I know Jay's ratings were decent when they turned The Tonight Show over to Conan, but those of us who've even bothered to watch The Jay Leno Show know one thing for sure... it sucks. He's just not funny anymore. And for some reason his interviewing technique goes down the drain when he doesn't have a desk in front of him. For whatever reason, NBC has decided that instead of sending Jay out to pasture, they're going to cut Conan loose - a host who clearly has more of a future drawing an audience than a 59-year-old who makes jokes about Peter Pan.

While Jay may be able to regain his audience when he steps back in as host of The Tonight Show in March, it's doubtful that this solution is a good long term strategy. Conan is bound to get an offer elsewhere, whether it be FOX or a different network. And Coco's fans (myself included) love him. Given some time to settle in, he'll be sure to draw a solid following as a late-night host - just as he did in his 12:30 slot.

Either way, myself and others like me are sure to tune out when Jay takes over The Tonight Show again. I'll keep the TV off until J-Fal comes on. And hopefully Conan will be back with a show in the coming months so there will be something to watch at 11:30 besides two old men doing bits that would go over well in a retirement home:

Still awake? Yeah, I didn't think so. If anything good comes from this, maybe returning Jay to his 11:30 post will help people get some sleep. Sorry Jimmy...

 

....but to be honest, there may not be much of a future in this whole "late-night show" thing anyway.

Best of the Conchords

Why? Why exactly? Why... did they have to end the show??

Let's Try Those Tiny Chickens

An oldie but a goodie that I stumbled upon again:

 


"No silly, they were on sale at the A&P"
Laughed as hard as I did the first time...Will Ferrel, be funny again, please.

Dag Gummit!

How this man is still alive I don't know: