The Nerd Discusses: The iPhone

About six months ago I purchased a shiny new Apple iPhone 3GS. Since then, what had started out as neat little gadget has quickly become an essential utility item. To say that the phone has replaced my laptop in usefulness is a great understatement. I use the iPhone to check emails, visit web pages, catch up on the news and find sports scores. In all honesty if I could attach the phone to a keyboard, printer and run Microsoft Word I would pitch my laptop in the nearest trash bin. After spending six months with the phone I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite apps along with a few that I have found to be essentially useless. It is also worth noting that some of these apps may be available on other phones besides the iPhone, but I have not bothered to check.

1. ESPN Score Center- This app has proven to be one of my most used items on my phone. The Score Center app allows you to follow your favorite sports and teams, providing up to date information and analysis. Overall the apps presentation is very easy to use and navigate. In terms of features Score Center stands out as you can track live events and also have your phone alert you to important events during a game. Best of all, the price is right on this one as it will cost you a grand total of $0.00.

Lose it!- Those of you who had get in shape on your list of resolutions should take a look at this app. Essentially Lose it! Is a calorie counter, but it also tracks numerous other factors involved in losing weight. From the start the app asks you your weight and what your weight loss goal is, with that information it gives you an allowance of calories you can take in every day. The application will also track your exercise and it gives a fairly accurate estimate of how many calories you have burned. For all of this the program provides nice graph for you to see your progress. The ability to see how much you are eating presented on a clear and easy to read graph really helps keep you motivated. This app will cost you nothing so it is definitely worth looking into.

Peggle- Prepare to have all of your productivity thrown out the window. This game is by far one of the best I have played on the iPhone and easily the most addictive. The folks at Pop Cap games have taken their extremely popular pc game and brought it Apple’s hand held device. If you have never heard of Peggle the concept is simply: Each level has a grid of blue pegs, and sprinkled among those are 10 orange pegs. The player must shoot a ball at the top of the level and attempt to hit all of the orange pegs. The game is great mix of luck and skill and is difficult to put down once you start. At just $2.99 Peggle is a great value, and deserves a spot on your iPhone.

I have several more apps which are worth noting but I will hold off. Now I want to turn my attention to some of the applications which have proven to be less than useful.

1. RedLaser- This application is very ambitious and unfortunately comes up short of the mark. The concept of RedLaser is you use the iPhone’s camera to scan the barcode of items, and then using that information the app will tell you the price and availability of the item in stores. Just on that description the application sounds brilliant and would revolutionize the way I shop. Unfortunately the only part of this app that works well is the scan feature. Once your item is scanned the program brings up nothing but useless results. Here is an example: I scan a box of cereal and RedLaser tells me that the item is only available on the internet and for a price of $144.00. Clearly this app still has some bugs to get out, but when they do it will be great. At $1.99 for RedLaser you are best holding on to your money or flushing it down the toilet instead, at least you will get some value out of watching it spin into the watery abyss.

2. Wikipedia- Wikipedia is made for the iPhone. Anytime you have a question or simply want to know about an obscure topic it is great to have a wealth of information in your pocket. Sadly the Wikipedia app is totally redundant as the encyclopedia functions much better in the iPhone’s web browser than it does as a standalone app. There is nothing better than to sit there and wait with a burning question on your mind as the Wikipedia app to load. Although it is free it is not even worth your time downloading it.

southern hip-hop

today's topic: southern hip-hop

the south got somethin' to say, and that's all i got to say © dre 3000

scene: the '95 source awards

this was arguably the most significant event in hip-hop during the 90's. you were in the midst of the east coast/west coast beef, and the drama was unfolding in a major way during the award show. however, in the midst of all the nonsense, dre 3000 boldly planted a seed to set the course for the next 15 yrs of southern hip-hop. within the next 15 yrs., the south would gain dominance over the hip-hop industry, and make NY & west coast hip-hop seem obsolete....this article is inspired by many conversations i have listened to where people give the south a bad rap within the hip-hop community. granted, i believe there could be more of a balance between the real shit/club shit....however, even if i don't like all of their records, i'm proud of all the artists in the south (except plies, he's a sucka ass nigga).... so i present to you my list of the 5 best southern hip-hop albums.

***it would be easy to list a bunch of albums from one artist, but i'm not a dickrider. the south has way more than just outkast.....break***

honorable mention: eightball & mjg – comin out hard (1993)

5. little brother - the minstrel show (2005): this is the best representation of boom-bap hip-hop to be released during my generation. aside from the sentimental value this album holds for me, it also gives the ingredient for what true hip-hop is all about: dope beats, dope rhymes. i remember vividly going to best buy (purists, don't shoot me) when the store opened tues, sept. 13th 2005 to buy this album. this was about NC. this was about experiencing what buying a classic album felt like. i'm 23. i wasn't listening to hip-hop in '94. i have no idea what it was like to go to the store and buy illmatic, tical, or ready to die....this album filled that void for me. 9th wonder provided great production for this album. the theme of the album is around a fictional tv station, UBN (u black niggaz network, channel 94. raleigh, durham....chapel hill), that deals with rappers raping hip-hop culture, and behaving as minstrel acts (talkin' about you plies). lyrically, phonte was solid, and big pooh showed progression from their previous album, the listening. this album provided the soundtrack to my life from sept. 2005-may 2006. respect.

4. scarface - the diary (1994): very few artists have a catalogue that can rival scarface's. it was the first southern solo hip-hop album to receive 5 mic's from the source (when the source actually meant something).... this is the best example of southern gangsta rap music. scarface doesn't show the lyrical dexterity of a biggie or rakim, but what he does, very effectively on this album, is paint a vivid picture of the world around him. he does this by simply getting from point A to point B, without the lyrical tricks, the production is just as hard-hitting as the lyrics.... released 16 years ago, this album still holds up. definite classic. arguably, scarface's best/most complete album.

3. outkast - aquemini (1998): released on the same day as jay-z's vol. 2, and tribe called quest's love movement. the only album from outkast to receive 5 mic's from the source. this album showed what hip-hop is capable of, it pushed the boundaries. harmonica solo, people rapping from prison, addressing the lack of substance in hip-hop records. liberation is the perfect example to describe this album. they did what they wanted, and didn't worry about the consequences. lyrically, big boi started becoming more of a force with this album. his verses on slump, skew it on the bar-b, and chonkyfire, are why big boi should receive his due respect in hip-hop and not be looked upon as a 2nd fiddle. as for andre 3000, his verse on rosa parks explains it all.... this was also when dre started wearing wigs....just thought i would mention that.

2. ugk - ridin' dirty (1996): i discovered this album my freshman yr....the shit blew my mind. it love how they talk about life. they didn't do it in a corny, krs-one kinda way.....they admit they sold drugs, and did dirt... blah blah blah....but, they also talk about the downside to the drug game, and what's it like when you're in prison and suffering the consequences for your actions. hip-hop is about talking about your life experiences, your background, where you're from....this album gave me all the information i needed to know about port arthur, texas. lyrically and visually, they represent an updated version of run-dmc. pimp c = run. pimp, just like run, was less skilled than his partner, but what he lacked lyrically, he made up for with charisma and personality on the mic. however, the quintessential pimp c moments on the mic are found on this album in hi-life, and one day.... bun b = dmc. very skilled, able to break down lyrically why things are the way they are. he can intectualize it, or can simply explain it in "point A/point B" format. very dope album. an essential must have for any real hip-hop fan.

1. goodie mob - soul food (1995): courtesy of cool breeze, the album that coined the phrase "dirty south"....it deals with life in atlanta from the common man perspective. whereas outkast represented the young teenagers in the black community trying to get money, goodie mob represented someone in the barber shop with a lot of street knowledge...this album best defines the south because it represents unity. the theme of the album is unity, and black people sticking together to overcome whatever obstacles in their way. i believe this is why the album is entitled soul food. soul food represents taking the worst of a situation and making it in your favor. and with this album, and the knowledge being shared by khujo, t-mo, cee-lo, and big gipp, it makes you think and it stays on your mind, just as soul food sticks to your ribs....i believe this album also represents how hip-hop should be in general. they told you about their lives, and they didn't lie about it. they let you know "you may see a nigga on tv/but hell it's almost like i'm rappin for free"....in an age where everyone wants to be a boss, or stunt on what their worth, that honesty is poigant....organized noize handled all the production, and it fits the album very well. whereas southernplayalistic (outkast's debut album) was musical and lush with instruments, this album is very sparse and makes you focus on the lyrics. this is the best the south as to offer, and it's pretty damn good.

goodie mob x the roots = classic

1nce again, another classic performance on fallon w/ the roots....goodie mob did their thing.

The influx of Corporate money in our Politics

On Thursday, the Supreme court block a potential ban on corporate spending in politics. Decided in an effort to protect the free political rights of American corporations, this decision has far reach consequences and will completely reshape America's political arena. Corporations and special interest groups now have an unprecedented amount of power to manipulate elections and legislation. I fear corruption of our democratic process is in the process.

I am not naive. I know lobbyist flood an insane amount into Washington, financing elections and manipulating legislation. However this decision essentially removes the cap on that spending and protects it under the US Constitution. Making any back room dealings completely and utterly legal.

I understand the decision. The choice comes from a very fundamental interpretation of the first amendment. Everyone has the right to free speech, and the government should not have the power to stop that. However do Corporations have the same congressional rights as an individual?

This is not a case of a downtrodden minority, or a oppressed social activist groups. This is a case for groups who are notorious for strong arming American elections. This is a case for groups who have thousands of dollar to poor in to political campaigns to makes sure their interest, not the interest of the American people are severed.

Mid-term elections are fast approaching, and as we have seen with the recent health care bill, democratic leadership is faltering. Though President Obama has remained cool and collected despite of his set backs, this recent decision is seriously going to hamper any push for change that does not support the corporate interest.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/us/politics/22scotus.html

nba rappers

jason kidd did a rap song w/ money b (digital underground)....the song is hilarious.

who's 1?

this documentary details the rivalry between prince & mj.....the interviews are in english, but the narrative is in french....it's more english than french.... its very good. enjoy.

kevin smith

a great prince story, courtesy of my main man....kevin smith. pt. 1-4. enjoy.

Pray For Haiti

Tuesday a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the small country of Haiti, devastating its people. I can not shake a feeling of deja vu as I monitor each incoming news story, and see bloody black faces. I grasp desperately at hope, little pieces of news explaining that this event is not as apologetic as it appears. Unfortunately, each day that passes, the verdict on this small island country grows grimmer and grimmer.

Haiti was an experiment. The first and only black democracy in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti struggled through a gauntlet of political instability, oppression, imperialism, genocide and poverty. Yet the small country has struggled on, and has become an example of the resilience of the third-world, and their fierce desire the shed the shackles the first-world puts on them.

And now, in the biggest act of overkill since the bombing of Hiroshima, an earthquake has ripped the poor country almost in two, and has buried its people literally and figuratively in the democracy they fought so hard to achieve.

I am not a religious man. But as I realize how increasing insignificant I truly am to this crisis, and how little I could do (my ten dollars I donated to UNICEF is like a pebble in the Mississippi) I have to rely on my prayers. I pray for Haiti, and I hope to God or Allah, or Buddha, or the great fucking hunter in the sky that we save this country from imploding on itself.

Donate to the Red Cross directly by texting "Haiti" to 90999, also check out the whitehouse website for more information on how to help.