What in the blue stars is going on? Now I know all you well-rounded readers out there know what a government shut down is, it's what happens when the government stops providing "non-essential" services. If it's not a necessity, Capitol Hill won't help distribute it to you. Cops, firemen, utility companies, the armed forces and the corrections system remain intact, but everything else ceases. This messes with a lot of people and a lot of jobs, and not the fun kind of messing with either. A wonderful thing to rise from the shambles of our economy. I'm being sarcastic, this is gonna be HORRIBLE for the economy.

Shutdowns usually occur when the legislative body can't decide on a budget for funding its government programs for the coming year. The executive body typically deepen this problem because their vetoes may be what's keeping the budget from falling into place in the first place.

This year the shutdown is looming at this point because of disagreements about how to fund Title X, an ominous name for Planned Parenthood. This is funny since most can agree this has smattterings of the whole Roe v. Wade issue right beneath the surface. Planned Parenthood gives abortion assistance. The government recently pushed and pulled, and always have push and pulled, and will always push and pull over the issue of abortion.

As far as I've kept up with the story, they may be at the beginnings of a compromise--something along the lines of distributing the funding to state governers to let them decide how to dole out the funds to Title X, but the dems aren't having that--at this point. President Obama is expected to check in by phone today. I'll see if he has, and what else is going on...

Are representations of beautiful black heroines in the media as rare as a functional government?

Misty Knight from Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe

I'll let you be the judge of that because I make no comment on the aptitude or lack thereof of my government or that of any other country. But hell, did you get a load of Misty Knight up there? That's a bad bish!

Black women are beautiful, as are all women. Since I'm a black woman I have to give ultimate props to black women though, I'm sure you understand. Anyway, from time to time I get on these kicks where I want to search out representations of black women on television, in literature, in comics/graphic novels, movies, etc. that are depicted in a--natural, cool--light. Black female characters whose characterizations aren't motivated by their being a black female. Know what I mean?

I like comics, I like anime, I like graphic novels. Call me a geek, you'd be the only one to do so and therefore be unique in that one aspect. I like those three things even more when I can see a character that looks like me on the screen, on the pages. We can kick ass. We can. We can be beautiful and kick ass and carry a plot that doesn't involve man problems and wrangling three kids as a single mother. We can have strong meaningful relationships and go through ups and downs in light hearted rom-coms. We can kick the crap out of aliens and then pull our partner to safety. We can kick a self-aware robot in the metal gonads and kiss our long lusted after sidekick amidst a barrage of fireworks while the credits roll.

Don't you agree?

Then why don't I see more of it?

More on this later...

In the mean time, check up on miss Misty.

I make it a habit every time I take a glance at my blog to check out other people's blogs on Blogger.com, just to see what subject matter I might stumble across that might either scar me for life or teach me the meaning of life, I'm open to either experience, but what I usually find when I click the "Next Blog" button at the top of the screen are inspirational religious blogs, blogs that lament the fact that the author doesn't give enough attention to his or her blog, and blogs about picture perfect families and the amazing antics of their "too cute for words" offspring.

It's cute, really. The pages are so bright and hopeful and inspirational. I appreciate them. But every once in a while, you get a gem of a page. Something that sticks in your brain, something that makes you place a link to it on your own magnificent blog.

Blogging is like anything, a hobby that many attempt, most in a half-assed fashion (don't look at me), which provides a vast pool of blogs of varying quality thick with opinion, fashion dogma, questionable imagery and of course, celebrity gossip. So when you find one that strikes a chord, it's like finding a four leaf clover or a deftly produced movie sequel, I say that to say, it's rare that you find a genuinely interesting blog.

Prosepunk may not be that blog. Maybe my rambling isn't your cup of tea. I don't mind. But I know what you do like, headphones. Who doesn't? They're a necessity for plane trips, brooding rides at the rear ends of buses, as a shield against the acidic banter of the long married couple sitting next to you on the subway train. Hey, and  you know what you don't see often? A person wearing black lipstick on days other than Halloween--AND looking damn good while doing it. I gave you all of this at the top of the page. Doesn't that count for something?

Peacy Weacy!!

Tron: Legacy R3C0NF1GUR3D (Reconfigured LOL)

Nice try reconfigure-ers!

Okay, so my nail-polish is still intact. Daft Punk's originals from the soundtrack whooped these reconfigured songs' booty. If you want to hear the music from Tron: Legacy buy the Tron: Legacy Motion Picture Soundtrack by Daft Punk. Leave the Reconfigured version on the proverbial shelf.

Don't get me wrong, there are a few bright spots that stand up as quality re-imaginings, The Glitch's "Derezzed" is pretty amazing.  M83 VS The Big Black Delta did a catchy and unique reworking of "Fall". The Crystal Method's remix of "The Grid" is palatable but since its The Chemical Brother's I expected more. Teddybears did a decent remix of "Adagio for Tron", Oakenfold's "C.L.U." is decent. Grudgingly, I'll give a few props to Photek's "End of the Line". But make no mistake, the originals trounce every reconfiguration easily. Some might say it wasn't the goal of the reconfigured piece to eclipse the brilliance of the Daft Punk's work, but it should at least bring something more to the table than additional laser-beam sounds and generic synthesized bass loops. Tron: Legacy Reconfigured is not the worst album I've ever heard by a long shot, but it is definitely--in a word--unnecessary, and in some more words-- vastly inferior to Daft Punks' original.

Tron: Legacy Reconfigured gets 3 out of 5. Cop at Own Risk.

P.S. For SHAME Moby. "Son of Flynn" is my favorite from the soundtrack and you totally removed what made the song amazing and replaced it with ear murdering repetitiveness. Nope.

Peacy Weacy!!

When Soundtracks Attack: Daft Punk's Tron: Legacy

I've decided that my fingers want to off themselves when I'm typing a typical review. I like reading reviews, and sometimes, when the wind blows to the left or some other random event incites the desire in me, I feel like writing a review, but mostly they drain me for reasons I'm not sure of. So from now on I'm going to implement a rating system that I'll apply to the current album I'm either obsessed or repulsed by accompanied by a few lines of opinion.

DAFT PUNK'S TRON: LEGACY --- 5 out of 5<< so yeah my rating scale is out of 5.

Amazing. The best soundtrack I've come across in a while (along with  Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 Soundtracks) This soundtrack is unlike anything I've ever heard--from Daft Punk or otherwise. Better than the movie. Go cop it. Cop=Buy.

I downloaded Tron: Legacy Reconfigured to today--it features remixes by some pretty good producers like Oakenfold and The Crystal Method, so I'm thinking it's gonna knock my nail polish off. But we'll see, I'll tell ya all about it, don't worry. Let me be your musical guide. I won't disappoint, and if I do disappoint, well it's your own damn fault.

PeacyWeacy!!

A few thoughts on Blur's Think Tank, The Gorillaz, and Damon Albarn

Think Tank's Cover Art, Created by the brilliant Banksy

So this will seem more like some sort of analysis than an actual review, and since I have the pleasure of having my own blog, I can pretty much write this any way I want...as long as you the reader are satisfied, titillated and mystified by the soft caress of my wordplay.

Right to the nitty gritty:

In celebration of the recent release of the Gorillaz' Revolving Doors and Doncamatic maxi-singles I want to examine the consistent magnificene of all of Gorillaz work opposed to the spurt of brilliance of Blur's Think Tank.

What follows is complete staunch opinion--I tend to be hesitant in voicing my more trivial convictions but I'd like to do so today.

I bought Blur's Think Tank in 2003 the year of its release. It was amazing. It is probably--and this is a very lofty statement--my favorite albums of all time. The single weak spot rests with the song "Crazy Beat" which while failing to live up to the astronomical artistic standard of the rest of the album still manages to be an infectious song that doesn't completely ruin the mood of an otherwise pitch perfect album.

Think Tank is home to many temperaments. While it is classified as a alt rock album there are definite electronic, jazz, and other unclassifiable facets that lend the album its most transcendent moments. The instrumental arrangements are unique and intricate--the work of Albarn and Blur's other members, guitarist Graham Coxon (who actually left the band before this album was created-- Albarn picked up the slack), bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree.

Albarn's voice is as haunting and distinct as it has ever been whether it's weaving through the psychadelic twangs of a Gorillaz juggernaut or drifting softly over the moody drone of Massive Attack's "Saturday Come Slow". It is often the custom of an album to have the lead lyricists voice serve as the centerpiece, Think Tank makes it clear that the instrumentation deserves consideration and shine.

There are many mind-blowers on this album, "Out of Time" is the song that introduced me to the band and boasts a melody that I never tire of, however it is not the album's greatest offering. The moody thump of "Good Song" belies the slow and dreamy voice that Albarn pairs with the instrumentation, and the lyrics come through clear and stark and speak of a beauty the song itself drives home while a song like "On The Way to the Club" reveals itself slowly with a bassline that rivets the ears and lyrics that drift slowly over a tempo that seems more upbeat than the voice that accompanies it.

"Caravan" is the definitiion of moody (I love the word moody, read my other music posts and you'll see, but it's because it's the perfect word to describe many of the songs on this album as well as the album as a whole. The New Oxford American Dictionary (Kindle edition) defines moody as 'given to unpredictable changes of mood, especially sudden bouts of gloominess or sulleness'<< exactly!)

I could go on, breaking down every song on the album, but that would be boring and I don't feel like being more long-winded than I will probably be.  I rather take this moment to focus on writing about my two favorite songs on the album, which also happen to be the most somber. I am a somber person by nature, don't let this bombastic online persona fool you. Still waters, however, run deep.

"Sweet Song" is a piano laced ballad that speaks of losing a love and although not all can relate, empathy is pulled from the very depths of the most heartless once the song has run its course. Lyrics of note, "So I ween myself off slowly". I don't even need to say any more than that.

The album closes with the borderline depressing "Battery in Your Leg" which eclipses "Sweet Song" only marginally in being my favorite. The melody does unexpected things. It surprises you. It echoes into the ears and the lyrics speak of giving up. Highs and lows assail the ears, twangs accompany cathartic pleas along guitar riffs that are unlike anything I've ever heard (thanks Coxon)--MOODY.

I absolutely adore Think Tank. All these years after its release the songs still hit me somewhere deep in the incensing darkness of my soul, so naturally I figured I would love all of Blurs work. Nope. I tried. Think Tank opened my mind to the myriad of music I enjoy to this day but the albums that preceeded it were not my cup of tea which was a very confusing pill to swallow. How could the band churn out this masterpiece in the face of internal conflict no less and right before disbanding (they have since reunited), but have earlier works created when the band was presumably more cohesive fall short of Think Tank's imaginitive concepts, instrumentation and lyrical delivery? One could venture to say that Coxon's minimal involvement with the album created music that was more pleasing to my ears, but that couldn't be the case because he leant a guitar line to my fave, "Battery in Your Leg".

Think Tank was also the point where Albarn took over completely, and his influences were felt most strongly on this album, and I am a diehard Damon Albarn fan, and why wouldn't I be? He created the Gorillaz!

Unlike Blur, the Gorillaz are immune to missteps. I own every album, every B-side, G-side, every random release, and they never disappoint. Albarn makes magic with the Gorillaz which is an abstract band--made up of animated members that bring character to music that transcends proper classification. Guests fly by leaving their mark on beats that could send a lesser producer to seek a career reassessment test, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Dennis Hopper, Phi Life Cypher, De La Soul, Lou Reed and a host of others.

So I say all that to say, I heart you Damon Albarn. You are my musical muse and though not my only, you are in good company, I assure you.

What a weak conclusion. But that's how it goes sometimes.

Blur Discography--decide if you like the earlier works more or less:

• Leisure (1991)
• Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
• Parklife (1994)
• The Great Escape (1995)
• Blur (1997)
• 13 (1999)
• Think Tank (2003

The Sims 2 teaches the drug free about addiction.



Two of my Sims getting dizown on the couch sucka!





My days used to be my own. My nights were used for sleeping, and sometimes, nefarious activity. I used to shop, drape my amazing body in over-priced clothing and paint my lips in dark shades of lipstick that brought all the boys to the yard as Kelis once said, but no more. For months my mistress has been the The Sims 2, an enduring means of entertainment even as its predecessor The Sims 3 boasts its superiority across glossy ad pages. I cannot tear my eyes away from the magnificence that is The Sims 2.

I am a video game purist--or boring weirdo-- it's really according to your opinion which matters little unless you share mine, and I always play games in order. I try to finish a game before I move on to the next in the series (or another game altogether) because I believe in finishing what you start, and if I haven't beat the one that came before it, what right do I have playing any of the sequels? I played God of War years after its initial release, and I played it until I beat it, then I allowed myself to purchase God of War 2. I finished that right around the time God of War 3 came out, and I was proud of myself, I deserved those sequels know what I mean?

It's the same with the Sims. I was playing Sims 1 up until last summer!! I had the complete collection and there were so many things I had yet to master and discover in the game. I hadn't  cast all the spells I wanted to. I hadn't had as many children as I wanted to, I hadn't been promoted as many times as I saw fit. I wanted to ignore money cheats and earn my higher living, my mansion...you get my drift.

So here I sit, still discovering new and exciting things about The Sims 2 and purchasing new expansion packs. I'm still searching out and downloading Custom Content, creating soap operas of my Sims' lives, having all kinds of kids, some even out of *clutch my pearls* wedlock. I have my own  Dynasty on my computer screen, I am the god of their lives.

 There's no better addiction than control addiction, to have the world dance at the twist of my puppet strings, to have hot women become multi-millionaires because of hard work and deft social maneuvers while their hot, Greek-goddess like husbands are their emotional, financial and mental equal. It gives you the American dream that many of us are still clawing for after years and years of clawing. With the Sims 2 I can be all I can be without even leaving my bed or couch. Depressing? No. I leave my bed or couch plenty. To party. And I leave the Sims often, to work and write and become a dynamo of the written word, but today, that pales in comparison to my tales of becoming addicted to a computer game that on paper seems to be simple but is ever so engaging.

How did Will Wright do it? Brilliant I tell ya.

 There's no clear objective to Sims games, you simply create a character and live its life. Feed it (tomagochi style) bathe it, and make sure it exists in a pleasant environment. You make them form social bonds, procreate, perform the run of the mill dastardly deeds of humanity until they kick the bucket and become either an urn on the mantle or a gravestone in the backyard. The parallels with life are striking, which may be the key to its success, and its power to help you waste your actual life by playing the life of something that doesn't exist. Whoa.

It was still cool for then Maxis now EA Games powerhouse to make something so absolutely satisfying while appealing to the traditional gamer and new gen gamers alike. The Sims are my drug. I partake daily, and you should too. My fellow gamers, I thank you for your time.