Free the Airwaves (sponsored by AdSense)

Free the Airwaves
Google's push from the clouds

If you think that Google is a search engine company, you are sadly mistaken - Google is essentially an advertising agency. Google provides free services such as its search engine, gmail, documents, picasa, and a plethora of others. Google then places ads in their free services through its advertising program named 'AdSense'; it has proven to be a successful model, and has driven Google's stock to almost $400 a share.

The web, Google has conquered - hands down. Now Google has its site on not only increasing their market share with web applications, but they are also developing an open source OS platform for wireless devices. Dubbed 'Android', this wireless device OS will utilize Google's technology and will allow Google to stream AdSense ads to mobile devices. Of course, Android will connect with Google's other established services such as Google Documents (Word, excel), Picasa (photo management), and of course web searching/surfing. The hurdle that Google faces is whether to build their own mobile device or convince established mobile device manufacturers (Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, et cetera) to use their OS. One thing that the Google OS will have to facilitate is heavy data usage; as content/data will all be pushed from the 'cloud' to the device. Enter Google's sponsorship about 'freeing the airwaves':

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From : freetheairwaves.com

About freeing the airwavesOne of America's most valuable natural resources is our "white spaces" -- the radio airwaves, or spectrum, that have long carried analog TV signals. Three-fourths of the white spaces are completely unused today, and -- especially once TV is broadcast in digital only starting in 2009 -- could be used to kick-start a revolution in wireless technology, including universal wireless online access and numerous new products and services that can't even be imagined today.

This fall, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will decide whether to make this spectrum available for anyone to use. At Google, we think more open access to the white spaces is essential, not only for companies like ours, but for society in general. But this outcome is far from certain, so we've joined a broad coalition of public interest groups and industry peers who are working to convince the FCC to free the airwaves and unleash the next generation of Internet innovation. We hope you'll add your voice to the debate by signing our petition and helping spread the word about this campaign.
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No doubt, that Google is interested in new products that can stream its AdSense in the new white spectrum.

For more info, and to voice your concern go to:http://freetheairwaves.com



.:: d.b ::.

If its NOT 'tricking', then what is it?

"It ain't tricking if you got it"
Then what is it?

I gotta make this a PSA .. 'tricking' is 'tricking', regardless if you have money or not.

I don't know when tricking was in style, and I don't even know how it got so popular, but I write this piece as a cry for attention to the mislead youth of the hip-hop world they may actually begin to think that tricking is acceptable. It started with Lil Wayne glorifying it in 'A Milli', to T-Pain, T.I., and now even Ludacris - hip-hop's top artists are slowly conditioning the masses to trick on women.

I am sure there are many definitions of 'tricking', but the one I subscribe to is this, tricking is an investment - a man tricks on a woman with lavish materials, fine dinning, et cetera, to ensure a reward or to ensure a repetition of such rewards. Hey, I guess we all got to do something to maintain the relationship, but what these rappers are preaching is kind of reckless, I mean to break it down:

'It ain't tricking, if you got it'

That implies that if you have a lot of disposable income, and you spend lots of money on your woman/women, then it is not 'tricking' . so what is it then? And, does that mean that if you DON'T have a lot of disposable income, and you spend lots of money on your woman/women, then is that 'tricking'? Well, rappers are not the most logical of beings, but what this message of 'acceptable tricking' kind of misleads the masses; hip-hop already conditions one to be overly masculine, have a tough bravado, stunt, and maintain a confidence demeanor. So, with the 'got it' (money), what hip-hop aficionado wouldn't assert that they have money? Even if they are struggling with employment, or living off their parents, a lot of the hip-hop masses will try to emulate the rapper lifestyle that they see in videos. T.I. can afford to 'trick', even if he does it see it like that (which he is wrong), but the average Lamar's & Omar's are not living like that - and playing into such a façade can be dangerous:

A) It conditions women that 'tricking' should be expected from men
- So you go to the club, see a fine lady, couple of days and dates past, and the woman will start to expect gifts, shopping sprees, and the like. Uh-huh baby girl, and even worse for the man, because if you can't maintain the 'tricking' that she expects, she step out on you - and then the man has an expensive high-yielded investment that went awry.

B) Credit will suffer, but disposable income amongst men will rise
- Here is some good news for slumping U.S. economy, but bad news for lenders. As men are conditioned to engage in tricking, they will incur large amounts of debt, taxed on with high interest rates, creating a problem for the lenders (in recouping their money), but it will benefit the shopping and restaurant industry as the hip-hop generation of men will continue to trick on their women, in the face of mounting debt.

I know I am asking a lot, by requesting that hip-hop artists show some responsibility, but I just had to address this growing popular notion that 'tricking' is NOT 'tricking', if you have money . it is still tricking, don't get it twisted.


.:: d.b ::.

Where the beef should lie

Where the Beef Should Lie

Rappers, misdirection, media

Rappers constantly beef with each other, of all the other musical genres, hip-hop music has to have the most animosity amongst its artists. Rappers have gained a career (a la 50 cent) by dissing and feuding with other rappers and their respective camps, and of course, some rappers have also perished of beef (R.I.P. Tupac & Biggie). The causes and reasons for beefing are self-serving at best; it can be looked at an attempt for one rapper to gain notoriety for dissing another or it can stem from a real personal beef that began before the music. Lately, it has been the former, as many rappers will diss others so that they can get heavy rotation in the rumor mill and spill cycle - this usually happens just around the time when they are releasing an album. At times though, the reason for beefing can seem silly at best, some of these beefs include:

- DFB beefing with D4L over who created the 'Lean with it rock with it' dance
* note: both groups are irrelevant

- Ice-T dissing Soulja Boy because he thinks he is corny

- 50 Cent dissing Ja Rule for singing on the tracks, but then 50 Cent makes a career of singing on tracks ('21 Questions', 'candy shop', 'ayo technology')

- The rise of local/up and coming rappers jacking somewhat-established rappers (like Yung Berg), taking their jewellery, and showing such jewellery on YouTube
* note: YouTube jackings of rappers is a growing and alarming trend, rappers need to get their insurance game up!

Not one to condone beefing or dissing, but I think that rappers need to step up their game and take their dissing/beef to the next plateau; I mean verbally attacking a fellow rapper, saying that you are going to kill him, rob him, et cetera, is not that realistic - rappers should really be beefing with people that are detrimenting their community and society. Hip-Hop, in its childhood was heralded as a genre to address social issues and injustices, the classic song 'The Message', had a real message of how politics, media, and the government had left many inner city New York communities in perils.

Somewhere, along hip-hop's progression, the pursuit of using music for 'social messages' subsided for the pursuit of material wealth. Well, if a rapper is going to 'clap' at anyone, it should not be his fellow brethren, it should maybe be somebody like:

Bill O'Reilly
The popular Fox News pundit has a successful show called the O'Reilly Factor, where the tagline is 'No Spin Zone', this guy has been described as a neo, fascist, racist, biased reporter - everything from calling Michelle Obama Barrack's "Baby Mama", to actually challenging rappers; O'Reilly made Ludacris lose a sponsorship deal with PepsiCo over O'Reilly's rant of Ludacris and his questionable misogynistic lyrics.

Lou Dobbs
If I see another report on illegal immigrants from this guy, I will go crazy. Dobbs complains how jobs are being taken from Americans by migrant workers, but what he fails to realize most times that the jobs that are being 'taken' are the ones that average Americans will not do.

GWB
I think Kanye said it best in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but I have to give rappers credit - they have took jabs and shots at GWB, while more underground rappers have dedicated whole songs to his legacy.

Besides this list, I am sure that rappers can find other sources for beef than another rapper that may or may not have stole their dance, swag, or jewellery.

.:: d.b ::.

Paper Planes

M.I.A. - Paper Planes

Something about this song is very catchy, so I had to give it some shine as it comes from M.I.A., who is a British musician that uses music to spread political messages of injustices. M.I.A. produces music that encompasses various genres, with lyrics that voice politics, social realism and humour. Her artwork and clothes feature similar topics and have distinctive, often vibrant color schemes.




.::d.b::.

Workplace Etiquette for the Yuppy

Workplace Etiquette for the Yuppy
Some tips for getting through the day

The Yuppy (Young Urban Professional) is constantly on the go; most times though, the Yuppy needs to resort to a full-time job in order to fund their projects. However, the Yuppy has to be careful and walk that fine line of being productive at work, and being productive for their business. Thus, I thought I would share a few tips with my fellow Yuppielites.


Cycler
alt+tab (windows) OR apple+tab (mac)

You have more important things to do than prepare the 3rd-quarter report, you need to check your gmail and facebook. Instead of making it look bait by using your mouse to click back to the work your supposed to do, using alt+tab on the keyboard quickly changes your active window in a smooth manner.


IT Connect

Your IT Department is one of your greatest resources at work, befriend one of them as they can give you valuable Intel and help. The IT department can grant you special privileges, advise you what sites not to visit, and give you a heads-up on 'crackdowns'.


Avoiding the IDC Symptom

The IDC symptom can be defined as "I Don't Care", and is developed when your co-workers start talking to you about trite details: 'My kids hockey games', 'this boss is incompetent because ...', 'did you watch that show last night', and so on. My initial, instinctual response is 'I really don't care', and 'why are you talking to me', but since we need this job to generate income and living, we need to avoid the IDC's. Some common ways to avoid the IDC is:- Smile and nod: very effective, but can be deadly because it implies that you are actually intrigued in the conversation, and it shows that you are engaged.- Hmm, ok, wow: also very effective, alludes to you being not only responsive, but implies that you are listening to their every note and syllable


Outlook
Outlook is the enterprise e-mail application that most businesses use because of its powerful Exchange Server (even though Mozilla Thunderbird is better). I know you may have some documents to work on, and opening up MS Word may seem very suspicious as you may have to do a lot of 'cycling', however, Outlook can be used as a word processor and has some useful features such as 'tasks' and 'notes'. Better yet, if you are working on a document, compose it in an e-mail, so that even if someone walks by, it looks like you are composing a work-related email.


Punctuality
This really shouldn't be a point, but its important that you start on time, and leave on time. Because as with all work environments, there are snitches and informers - don't give them anything to use against you.

With that said, you are the future of tomorrow, get ahead today ... at work.

.:: d.b ::.

King Corn

King Corn

Corn and America's Obsession

KING CORN tells the story of two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. As the film unfolds, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, moveto the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help offriendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America's most-productive, most-ubiquitous grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to followtheir pile of corn into the food system, what they questions about how we eat—and how we farm. 

Here is an excerpt of the producers of King Corn on CNN:

Popular foods and non-foods that contain corn:

Foods Containing Corn

Alcohol

Ale/Beer

Bacon

Baking Mixes

Baking Powders

Batters for frying

Beverages (sweetened)

Bleached White Flour

Breads & Pastries

Cakes

Catsup

Cookies

Corn Flakes

Cream Pies

Fritos

Frostings

Fruit (canned)

Fruit Drinks

Gelatin Desserts

Graham Crackers

Gravies

Grits

Gum

Hominy Grits

Ice Cream

Jams

Jellies

Infant Formula

Margarine

Meats (bologna, sausage)

Oleo

Peanut Butter

Popcorn

Powdered Sugar

Preserves

Puddings

Salas Dressings

Soups Soybean Milks

Syrups

Tortillas

Vinegar, Distilled

Wine

Ingredients that may indicate presence of corn:

Dextrose

Hydrolyzed Protein

Maltose

Maltodextrin

Modified Food Starch

Non Food Products Containing Corn:

Aspirin

Cough Syrups

Envelopes

Gelatin Capsules

Powders

Stamps

Starched Clothing

Talcums

Toothpaste

Vitamins

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Knowledge is power people - recognize what foods you are eating and what is in it.  

Check out more about King Corn at: http://www.kingcorn.net

.:: d.b::.

Irrelevant Rappers talking about others Relevance

Hip-Hop Irony

Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks from 50's G-Unit are talking ish about various rap artists - about who is relevant, whom they have 'Terminated on Site', but it is really funny that these irrelevant artists are talking about others relevance - classic hip-hop irony.

.:: d.b ::.

Bernie Mac R.I.P.

Best of Bernie Mac 

Stars Pay Homage to Bernie Mac

Chicago Fans Shocked at Bernie Mac's Death

The meaning of 'Motherfucker'

Bernie Mac on Sex issues

Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008)

R.I.P.

.:: d.b ::.