The Simpsons Did It...

Photo: Hypebeast

Kid Robot has teamed up with the greatest cartoon ever, The Simpsons, to put a smile on my face. The toy brand launched a line of 3-inch figures in honor of TV's longest running sitcom. There are 24 characters in all, from Homer and Bart to Dredrick Tatums' manager, Lucious Sweet ! The figures are available now at Kid Robot Retail Stores and select retailers for $7.95, or you can by the whole set for $181.20, you nerd you.

Duff Man Out!

Michael Phelps is A Retarded Man-Fish...

...who can probably kick your ass! Phelps just won his 9th individual Olympic Gold Metal with a world-record setting win in the 200-meter freestyle swim. He is one of only 4 men to win a record 9 gold metals. He still has 5 more events to compete at the 2008 Olympics. Imperius Rex!

Hova Da God - Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)

During Kanye West's closing speech - about how much he had inspired us that evening - at the Glow and The Dark Tour's second Madison Square Garden stop that week, he premiered a new beat he had been working on. He also happened to bring out Jay-Z.
I'm not quite sure if the crowd erupted, because I was jumping up and down like a school girl screaming "Hoooooooooooov." They debut "Jockin' Jay-Z", and while honestly it sounded better live, it's still great to hear new Jay.

Mick Boogie revealed that Kanye will be producing the majority of Jay-Z's next album, tentatively titled "Blueprint 3." If you're not sure how you feel about that, you should feel awesome. Boogie's blog also revealed that a new track, "Victory," is in the works and probably awesome too.

Young Jeezy - Crazy World

Admittedly, I am not the biggest Young Jeezy fan. It's not because he looks like Michelangelo from the Ninja Turtles. Mikey was cool. He liked pizza and having good time - a real party dude. I never got into Jeezy, well because I couldn't relate. 

I never really needed to be Thug Motivated, nor have I required Thug Inspiration. But if you take away the thug from in front of both words, you'll find that Jeezy's music is as universal as the next guys. He's actually saying something to motivate and inspire people. Everyone can relate to facing some form of struggle in their life.

This is the second single of of Jeezy's third album, "The Recession."  

Nike - Courage

I have been stuck in bed all weekend, but I have had the chance to watch the 2008 Summer Olympics. The best thing next to olympic handball - not at all like the handball your uncle Chest plays with the old Dominican guys in the park. It's way more awesome - has been Nike's Courage Commercial.

The commercials is a montage of Nike athletes, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Maria Sharapova, Lance Armstrong and Michael Jordan, just doing it. The ad features the song "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers.

I'm Back Ladies and Gentlemen!

I've been contemplating whether I should start blogging again for a while now. I've have this idea that I'll be a reclusive, bearded writer when I'm older. I'll live in a rural Japanese mountain town with my third wife, Aiko or something, and my koi fish. But before all of that can happen, I have to write.

For the last year or so, I have been learning to produce.  I learned in my final semester of college that I should be able to write and produce as a journalist in the internet age. I received an internship at MTV News and ran with the opportunity.

I've learned a lot from camera angles to editing. In fact, I can't even enjoy TV as a normal person anymore. I only see how the footage was edited. What questions the producer asked. What sounds were enhanced in the audio mix. This is a good and bad thing though. I mean it hurts to know that MJ and Larry Bird weren't really making those shots.  

I have noticed that my writing skills have diminished, however. I can still bang out a news piece in an hour, but I feel that I've lost my writing voice. It's all "Just the facts, ma'am." Everything I write feels boring and bland. 

I went into journalism school a headstrong, pen-blazing maverick and left an anal pencil pushing copy editor. My professor once compared me to Hunter S. Thompson! Granted, I didn't know who that was at the time, but now that I do.... shit what a compliment! I have a lot to live up to.

My producer/mentor offered me his extra ticket to the Glow in the Dark Tour Wednesday, and he also dropped some knowledge on a young padawan - this blog offers a variety of Star Wars references from a writer who thinks the movies are lame and has only sat through one.

He asked me if I write everyday. I replied that I didn't. I told him that I was busy with the show that we were working on, and, while that's the truth, it felt like an excuse. He told me that if I wanted to be a writer I should write everyday. 

I already knew as much, but he also told me I was just a good writer and should stick to producing. He also thought that a colleague of mine was a better writer. While I agree with the later, the former pissed me off a little.

But I guess it was the extra push that I needed to recognize my awesomeness. So in order to find where my swag's at and get my focus back, I'm going to restart a Strawberry Milkshake in a Snow Storm!