Saturday, May 31, 2008

Jeff Bezos of Amazon droppin' science.

Bezos discusses Amazon's foray into cloud computing in an interview with Om Malik from GigaOM. I guess foray in the improper word, since almost every relevant start-up is utilizing the computing power of amazon's web services. I think the most interesting question in the interview is when the interviewer asks Bezos why it took a book retailer to come up with the idea of providing cloud computing power to the masses. Bezos then goes on to discuss the low margin of profit inherent in the selling of physical goods contrasted by the extremely high potential margins of information technology business. Anyway, enjoy.

Hello sweet world.

Hey Guys! Tha Carter III Leaked

My thoughts on the album a little bit later after I listen to it a few times.


take care,
Nick.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

RZA - "you can't stop me now" video.

I'm pretty sure this beat is a variation of a beat I've heard from MF Doom a bunch of times before, but still a dope video.

VIVA LA FLOP!


It’s been reported today that the NBA Will Impose Fines Against Players That Flop next season. Details regarding how fine-worthy flops will be determined, the price tag of the fines, or if further penalties, such as a suspension, will come to “serial floppers” like my boy Manu Ginobili, have not been determined yet.

Most NBA fans that I converse with are vehemently opposed to flopping and feel that it takes away from the quality of the game. Flopping is perceived by most American fans (the only fans I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with) as cheating. In addition to this, most believe flopping is a bitch move. Conversely, I believe flopping is a great skill, and view it as an important implement in a NBA player’s toolkit. Many argue that a referee’s job is difficult enough without having players acting out fouls that don’t exist, but I think that the heavy roll the referee’s perception plays adds a special flavor to the NBA game. Flopping just brings this reliance on the referees perception to the forefront, which I have no problem with. NBA basketball is an imperfect game, but I’m comfortable with the lack of complete fairness and subjectivity in NBA basketball.

As I previously mentioned, a lot of folks think flopping is for pussies. Floppers are generally portrayed as frou frou Euros (read: un-American FAGGOTS, probably even vegans). This is why Manu Ginobili and Anderson Varejao are generally viewed as the NBA’s flopping spokes-models. This portrayal of floppers as faggot Euro pussies also stems from an inherent hatred and feminization of soccer on the part of Americans. Flopping is after all a crucial and prominent act in Soccer. I would even go as far to say that there is a little bit of latent homophobia in the hatred of flopping, but I really don’t want to get into gender and queer theory right now.

Regardless if you view flopping as a bitch move and cheating or an acceptable manipulation of imperfect rules, the NBA’s decision to attempt to fine floppers will probably make little or no impact. Much like the decision to call a foul or not, calling a flop is quite subjective, therefore I believe very few people will even get fined for flopping, and even if they do, NBA players stack enough to paper that a small fine is of little consequence to them. Flopping is here to stay just like the hack-a-Shaq, and any other unconventional attempt to gain a competitive advantage through the manipulation of imperfect NBA rules. The debate whether or not the flop is unlawful, “faggotry”, or smart play, is irrelevant.

A little summer reading for you.

Ten Books on Investing Recommended By Warren Buffet

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

New Rick Ross, a letdown.

Rick Ross Feat. Pharrel - Get Down

Pretty standard Neptunes fare here, Ross shows a little more lyrical dexterity than normal, the beat does tend to not match up with his flow though. I wouldn't call this straight garbage like a lot of folks are but this is mediocre at best, I expect better from both the Neptunes and The Boss.
Be Good Is the New Movement

Pretty interesting essay here arguing that ambivalence and working towards the greater good is the most effective and profitable business model. Maybe all the Clark heads should be getting jobs at corporations that subscribe to this philosophy, not under-funded, poorly managed, and overall inefficient non-profits.

be easy,
Nick

Nas, I’ve got the hip-hop blue balls again.



Mr. Nassir Jones is at again, and I’m fucking tired of his crap. He is once again, baiting the public with a controversial album title, much like 2006’s Hip Hop Is Dead. The difference is that this time, his album’s title carried with it a valid and intriguing message, unlike Hip Hop Is Dead, which is a straight up unfounded assertion. Hip-hop is not dead, and neither is the conception of Nigger in America.

When the announcement came that his new album would be titled “NIGGER”, that’s right, hard ER, I thought, this is a solid idea, forcing people to truly confront, arguably the most important and significant word in our American cultural lexicon. This could really create a constructive discourse regarding race in America. Nas would not only force confrontation, but appeared to be arguing that despite a lot of hard fought change, African Americans, are in many respects still viewed, treated as, and even possess a self-conception of “NIGGER”. Initially, it appeared that Nas was not going to back down, Def Jam got behind him, and as the weeks passed, the album’s title remained constant. But Nas ended up being quite the cock tease, finally backing down, and changing the album’s title to the simply self-titled Nas. I’ve fucked with Nas for a while now (Since “Hate Me Now“, I‘m not gonna act like I was heavy in the streets with Illmatic when I was 11 years old), and it’s easy for me to say “shame on you Nas”, for not following through, with what I believe is a great idea. Conversely, I am just getting tired of Nas’ bullshit. He wields so much power, has one of the largest platforms to shout from, and seems to “get it”, but can’t seem to pull off the execution, and really perform some sort of generative work. His influence and position as elder statesmen of hip-hop is going to waste.

Now, one could argue that Nas accomplished his goal by generating public discussion and discourse regarding the title “Nigger”, which is somewhat valid. Despite this, not completely following through was quite the bitch move, you’ve gotta close it out, bro. Nas isn’t starving in the streets, he can live without the sales in Wal Mart and Target, and fuck what Jesse Jackson thinks.

In, what appears to be a consolatory move on Nassir’s part, he is planning to release the Nigger Mixtape with DJ Green Lantern.

This is simply too little, too late. Additionally, this mixtape is only going to get into the hands of internet nerds and hardcore heads, like myself. Nas will essentially by preaching to the quire with this one. Your average Nah Right reader gets it, a kid that actually still buys CDs at Wal Mart, probably does not.

With all the hype and anticipation surrounding this album, I am a little worried for Nas. I doubt this is going to be the 5 mic classic Nas is purporting it to be. Nas is in a difficult position, if this album is less than great it will be considered a flop by myself and many of my fellow hip-hop heads. How much longer will Illmatic, an album that dropped when I was 9 years old, afford Nas this legacy status in hip-hop in which he can do no wrong? Andre 3000 recently rapped about how “they got me out here Brett Favrein’”, but I think Nas is starting to look more like hip-hop’s Brett Favre, holding the true heads hostage with bullshit.

Let’s hope the album formally called Nigger is a gem, for hip-hop, and Nas’ sake.