I woke up this morning to some upsetting news. The voice of my Miami Dolphins, Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich, lost his battle with bile-duct cancer late last night. Before I explain how much the Mad Dog meant to me, I'm gonna tell you guys a little bit about the man himself. Jim Mandich was born in Solon, Ohio and was an All-American tight end for the University of Michigan before he was made a first-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in 1970. At the time, Mandich was a long-haired flower child and notoriously arrived at his first Dolphins training camp in a colorful hippie van. Needless to say, Coach Shula was not impressed; but he soon would be. Mandich had a renowned work ethic and was a part of Miami's two Super Bowl championships; including the perfect season in 1972. He was also a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers 1979 Super Bowl season. In 2004, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
He wasn't the flashiest player. He didn't run the fastest 40 yard dash. He didn't rack up all the receiving stats you see out of top-tier TEs these days. He was an old-school player and he was an old-school kind of guy. After his playing days, he parlayed that attitude into a multi-million dollar career in trucking and construction. That kind of attitude was readily identifiable in his later work as a color commentator for the home team and as a sports radio host. He wasn't afraid to pull any punches and he always said exactly what was on his mind. More than that, Mad Dog was a personality. He was funny and personable. Listening to his show, you can sense the passion that the man had for sports and life. He was a homer. He loved his Dolphins like no other and he wasn't afraid to admit it. From now until forever, whenever I think about the Mad Dog I will think about this moment: It's a Monday night game against the Denver Broncos and the Fins are down by two with about 8 seconds left on the clock; there is only enough time for the Dolphins to attempt a 53-yard field goal to win the game. Olindo Mare, our kicker, comes up and knocks it right between the uprights and the Dolphins win. As soon as you can tell it's good, Jim starts screaming "YEEEEAAHHHH!!! YEAHHHHH!! YEAHHH!!" Look up the clip on wqam.com. If you didn't know any better you'd have thought that the Dolphins had just won the Super Bowl. The man was pure heart and emotion.
The Mad Dog definitely holds a special place in my heart. I'd listen to his show with great frequency right up until he left WQAM last year due to his illness. Whenever I'd be out working with my dad, we'd listen. Sure, it was just a sports radio show, but it would bring me and my dad together. We'd get into conversations about the Dolphins or the Marlins or whatever the "topic of the day" was. Jim made us laugh together. Jim was one of us. I guess you can say he "made our toes tingle" and he "lit a fire up our fanny". He had some lines on him. He referred to sex as "bangy dangy". He encouraged his listeners to call in "if you're riding around with the windows down" and he referred to his favorite beer, Heineken, as "green lizards". Those lines and that personality are what made listening to Mad Dog so unique and special. You'd listen to him once and you felt like you've known him forever.
Listening to the radio today, all you heard was people calling in praising the man. It didn't even feel sad. It felt like he was winning an award or something. His life was being celebrated. An endless stream of people called in with stories about the Mad Dog picking up their tabs at bars and restaurants, showing up to their charity event, and just being an all-around great guy. Jim Mandich was an incredible asset for his community and his people loved him. Every teammate and colleague that they had on had only wonderful things to say about him. More than anything, the conversation centered around how outstanding a MAN he was, how reliable a teammate he was, and how giving a friend he was to anybody who he encountered. That right there is how I want to be remembered. When I die, I want to go out like the Mad Dog. We will miss you, Jim. Keep the beers cold for us.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
NBA Championship Power Rankings
For this post I will be ranking the 16 teams currently in the playoff race based on their probability of winning an NBA Championship this year. Now, before any of you sports geeks start hating on my picks, please realize that this is just an opinion. I'm not Charles Barkley or Nostradamus, I'm just a nerd with a keyboard:
ELITE TEAMS
1.) Los Angeles Lakers - There's no other choice here at the top. Sure, the Bulls have a sure-fire MVP candidate in Derrick Rose. The Spurs have the best record in the NBA. The MoHeatos have El Gran Combo (te felicito if you got the salsa reference). You gotta take the Lakers though. They're the two-time defending champs and they're getting hot at the right time. Come playoff time, you know Kobe is gonna do his thang and the Lakers have the size and toughness inside to bang with the best of them. Pau Gasol is a future hall-of-famer and Ron Artest plays big in big games. Lamar Odom is the best bench player in the NBA. The Lakers have the most experience playing in big games and winning big games. It's not rocket science.
2.) Chicago Bulls - After the Lakers, things start getting a little more uncertain. The NBA is so top-heavy this year that this spot could belong to any one of a handful of teams. I considered the Celtics, Spurs, Heat, and Mavericks here but I'm giving a slight edge to Chicago. They play suffocating defense, they have guys that can hit big shots (has anybody been paying attention to Deng this year? Dude is clutch), they have a strong inside presence with Boozer and Noah, and they have my 2010-2011 Most Valuable Player in Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose is on fire this year. He's finding the open man with ease, hitting his jumper consistently, and as always, breaking a few ankles along the way. If this guy gets hot and puts the team on his back with his creativity, I see the Bulls making a significant run.
3.) Miami Heat - This spot WOULD belong to the Celtics if they hadn't traded away Kendrick Perkins. Hell, if that trade doesn't go down the Celts might be in the one or two spot, but that's beside the point. Here's the thing about this Heat team: nothing would surprise me. I wouldn't be surprised if they turn up the Heat (I like puns) come playoff time and ride that momentum to a title in their first year. We beat the Lakers both times this year. The Celtics did it with Pierce/Garnett/Allen in their first year, why can't we? The problem is that I also would not be surprised if we get punked by the Knicks in the first round. As Spoelstra has preached all year, this team still needs to find it's consistency. Far too often you see Eddie House jacking up pointless 3's. Mike Miller is always getting hurt and missing open shots. Our best center is Erick Dampier. Some might call me a homer for putting the Heat this high up, but you can't argue with the Heatles. There's too much talent on this team. You know Wade is gonna go off for 30 a couple of times in a series, same with Lebron. All Bosh would need to do is provide some steady rebounding and stop taking 20+ foot jump shots. Easier said than done. Did I mention we beat the Lakers twice this year?
4.) San Antonio Spurs - They are the most experienced team in the NBA. That's a very diplomatic way of saying that they are old. They've put up a great season, though. Lots of tough wins. There's no stopping them when Manu and Tony get going. They also have this guy called Tim Duncan. You might have heard of him. 2-time MVP. 4-time NBA Champion. He's still pretty good. I can see this team making a conference title appearance behind the performances of their young studs like Dejuan Blair and George Hill, but I think their advanced age and lack of a real superstar caliber player hurts them in the long run.
5.) Boston Celtics - They had to go somewhere in the top 5 right? For all the talk of Perkins and Robinson being traded, this team has a lot of veteran talent and they have a knack for turning it on in the postseason. Rajon Rondo is the best offensive facilitator in the game. Paul Pierce has ice water running through his veins. Kevin Garnett is a dominant defensive presence, just ask Chris Bosh. Ray Allen shoots the 3 better than anybody ever. The O'Neal brothers (no relation) give them a tough inside game. When this team has it going, it can beat any team in the NBA. Don't take this team lightly. They will beat you down.
6.) Dallas Mavericks - Dallas gets the nod here because they play in the Western Conference and they have the best shooting big man since Larry Legend. They hit the 3, they get back on D, and Jason Kidd still remembers how to run an offense. I don't see them making the Finals, but they're definitely not a pushover.
LONG SHOTS
7.) Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook give you a chance to win on any given night and they gave the Lakers fits in the first round last year. Factor in the addition of Kendrick Perkins and this team can open up a lot of eyes this year.
8.) Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard and a bunch of jump shooters. That's about it. Gilbert Arenas sucks.
9.) Denver Nuggets - I love the way this team plays basketball. It's not conducive to success in the playoffs but it sure is fun to watch. I'm falling in love with Danilo Gallinari's game. The kid is only 22 and his game has taken off this year. Look for him to be the neo-Dirk for the next 5-10 years.
10.) Portland Trail Blazers - I've always liked the way this team is set up but they just can't seem to stay healthy. Brandon Roy doesn't look 100% and I still don't think Rudy Fernandez gets enough minutes on that team. LaMarcus Aldridge has been a revelation for them this year but a single player will not get you out of the first round. Ask Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady.
11.) Atlanta Hawks - Sadly, I think this team has peaked already. With Mike Bibby running the point, that team was as good as it was gonna be. They still have a solid rebounder and scorer in Horford. Josh Smith can jump out of the gym and Jamal Crawford is the streakiest shooter in the NBA. Besides that, I don't see too many bright spots on this waning team.
NO WAY, JOSE
12.) New York Knicks - I'd love to rank this team higher, I really would. The idea of Melo, Chauncey, and Amare fascinates me, but it's just not happening this year. They play big against the big teams but I don't they can sustain that same kind of energy over a 7 game series. They play Shelden Williams at the Center (who?) and Jared Jefferies and Anthony Carter play extended minutes on their team. That sounds like a D-Leauge lineup. Not good. Better luck next year, boys.
13) Philadelphia 76ers - A good young team but not much more than that. Evan Turner has been a disappointment. The team relies too much on the production of Iguodala and Brand. I don't see Brand holding up in the playoffs. He's getting up there in age and he's not exactly the most dominant inside presence.
14.) New Orleans Hornets - Chris Paul is still one of the best set-up men in the game, but if I were him, I'm begging management to trade me to New York. There are ZERO title hopes for him in New Orleans. They can win a couple of games given the right matchup but you aren't winning any titles with David West and Emeka Okafor. Sorry dude.
15.) Memphis Grizzlies - Give them a point guard who can facilitate the offense *cough* CHRIS PAUL *cough* and then we'll talk. Till then, have fun watching O.J Mayo try to pad his stats so he can get a big contract playing somewhere else.
16.) Indiana Pacers - No way. Not happening.
ELITE TEAMS
1.) Los Angeles Lakers - There's no other choice here at the top. Sure, the Bulls have a sure-fire MVP candidate in Derrick Rose. The Spurs have the best record in the NBA. The MoHeatos have El Gran Combo (te felicito if you got the salsa reference). You gotta take the Lakers though. They're the two-time defending champs and they're getting hot at the right time. Come playoff time, you know Kobe is gonna do his thang and the Lakers have the size and toughness inside to bang with the best of them. Pau Gasol is a future hall-of-famer and Ron Artest plays big in big games. Lamar Odom is the best bench player in the NBA. The Lakers have the most experience playing in big games and winning big games. It's not rocket science.
2.) Chicago Bulls - After the Lakers, things start getting a little more uncertain. The NBA is so top-heavy this year that this spot could belong to any one of a handful of teams. I considered the Celtics, Spurs, Heat, and Mavericks here but I'm giving a slight edge to Chicago. They play suffocating defense, they have guys that can hit big shots (has anybody been paying attention to Deng this year? Dude is clutch), they have a strong inside presence with Boozer and Noah, and they have my 2010-2011 Most Valuable Player in Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose is on fire this year. He's finding the open man with ease, hitting his jumper consistently, and as always, breaking a few ankles along the way. If this guy gets hot and puts the team on his back with his creativity, I see the Bulls making a significant run.
3.) Miami Heat - This spot WOULD belong to the Celtics if they hadn't traded away Kendrick Perkins. Hell, if that trade doesn't go down the Celts might be in the one or two spot, but that's beside the point. Here's the thing about this Heat team: nothing would surprise me. I wouldn't be surprised if they turn up the Heat (I like puns) come playoff time and ride that momentum to a title in their first year. We beat the Lakers both times this year. The Celtics did it with Pierce/Garnett/Allen in their first year, why can't we? The problem is that I also would not be surprised if we get punked by the Knicks in the first round. As Spoelstra has preached all year, this team still needs to find it's consistency. Far too often you see Eddie House jacking up pointless 3's. Mike Miller is always getting hurt and missing open shots. Our best center is Erick Dampier. Some might call me a homer for putting the Heat this high up, but you can't argue with the Heatles. There's too much talent on this team. You know Wade is gonna go off for 30 a couple of times in a series, same with Lebron. All Bosh would need to do is provide some steady rebounding and stop taking 20+ foot jump shots. Easier said than done. Did I mention we beat the Lakers twice this year?
4.) San Antonio Spurs - They are the most experienced team in the NBA. That's a very diplomatic way of saying that they are old. They've put up a great season, though. Lots of tough wins. There's no stopping them when Manu and Tony get going. They also have this guy called Tim Duncan. You might have heard of him. 2-time MVP. 4-time NBA Champion. He's still pretty good. I can see this team making a conference title appearance behind the performances of their young studs like Dejuan Blair and George Hill, but I think their advanced age and lack of a real superstar caliber player hurts them in the long run.
5.) Boston Celtics - They had to go somewhere in the top 5 right? For all the talk of Perkins and Robinson being traded, this team has a lot of veteran talent and they have a knack for turning it on in the postseason. Rajon Rondo is the best offensive facilitator in the game. Paul Pierce has ice water running through his veins. Kevin Garnett is a dominant defensive presence, just ask Chris Bosh. Ray Allen shoots the 3 better than anybody ever. The O'Neal brothers (no relation) give them a tough inside game. When this team has it going, it can beat any team in the NBA. Don't take this team lightly. They will beat you down.
6.) Dallas Mavericks - Dallas gets the nod here because they play in the Western Conference and they have the best shooting big man since Larry Legend. They hit the 3, they get back on D, and Jason Kidd still remembers how to run an offense. I don't see them making the Finals, but they're definitely not a pushover.
LONG SHOTS
7.) Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook give you a chance to win on any given night and they gave the Lakers fits in the first round last year. Factor in the addition of Kendrick Perkins and this team can open up a lot of eyes this year.
8.) Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard and a bunch of jump shooters. That's about it. Gilbert Arenas sucks.
9.) Denver Nuggets - I love the way this team plays basketball. It's not conducive to success in the playoffs but it sure is fun to watch. I'm falling in love with Danilo Gallinari's game. The kid is only 22 and his game has taken off this year. Look for him to be the neo-Dirk for the next 5-10 years.
10.) Portland Trail Blazers - I've always liked the way this team is set up but they just can't seem to stay healthy. Brandon Roy doesn't look 100% and I still don't think Rudy Fernandez gets enough minutes on that team. LaMarcus Aldridge has been a revelation for them this year but a single player will not get you out of the first round. Ask Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady.
11.) Atlanta Hawks - Sadly, I think this team has peaked already. With Mike Bibby running the point, that team was as good as it was gonna be. They still have a solid rebounder and scorer in Horford. Josh Smith can jump out of the gym and Jamal Crawford is the streakiest shooter in the NBA. Besides that, I don't see too many bright spots on this waning team.
NO WAY, JOSE
12.) New York Knicks - I'd love to rank this team higher, I really would. The idea of Melo, Chauncey, and Amare fascinates me, but it's just not happening this year. They play big against the big teams but I don't they can sustain that same kind of energy over a 7 game series. They play Shelden Williams at the Center (who?) and Jared Jefferies and Anthony Carter play extended minutes on their team. That sounds like a D-Leauge lineup. Not good. Better luck next year, boys.
13) Philadelphia 76ers - A good young team but not much more than that. Evan Turner has been a disappointment. The team relies too much on the production of Iguodala and Brand. I don't see Brand holding up in the playoffs. He's getting up there in age and he's not exactly the most dominant inside presence.
14.) New Orleans Hornets - Chris Paul is still one of the best set-up men in the game, but if I were him, I'm begging management to trade me to New York. There are ZERO title hopes for him in New Orleans. They can win a couple of games given the right matchup but you aren't winning any titles with David West and Emeka Okafor. Sorry dude.
15.) Memphis Grizzlies - Give them a point guard who can facilitate the offense *cough* CHRIS PAUL *cough* and then we'll talk. Till then, have fun watching O.J Mayo try to pad his stats so he can get a big contract playing somewhere else.
16.) Indiana Pacers - No way. Not happening.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The God Question
"God did not create man in his image, man created God in his own." - Ludwig Feuerbach
If the title of this post doesn't have you running for the hills, it means that you actually give a fuck about what I have to say on the subject. For this I thank you. Everybody has their own higher power these days. Some call him God. Some call him Jesus. Some call him Allah. Some call him John Lennon *cough* my point is that every body believes in something different. That's what makes the subject so touchy and delicate. Christians believe that we obtain salvation individually through the repenting of sin and receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Buddhists believe in the Four Truths and the Eightfold path. Muslims believe in the word of the Prophet Muhammad. Jews believe in Yahweh. These religions encompass the spiritual beliefs of the great majority of the world that we live in. I'm no one to tell any of these people that their beliefs are wrong. At the base of any major religion are principles that we should all believe in. Religion tells people to be helpful and kind to your neighbor, to respect your parents, to be thoughtful and honest in your actions; I'm not gonna rank on religion. Religion does a lot of things for a lot of people, it's just not for me. I'm not the kind to get on my knees and talk to an unseen force that may or may not exist, I'm crazy enough as it is.
A while ago a wise man told me that I have to find my higher power. He said that for you to accomplish something bigger than you, you first have to believe in something bigger than yourself. For someone that's not religious, it's something that's hard to figure out. What do I believe in? Who is my God?
I was raised Catholic but I don't accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Don't get me wrong, Jesus was a pretty cool customer. He preached the right things; he followed his own righteous path. I just think it's more than a little naive to place all that importance on a single man. The world that Jesus lived in is not the world that I live in. That takes Christianity out of the equation. Since we're knocking out religions we can knock out Judaism and Islam. It's funny how three different sects of people can believe in the same God but still disagree with each other so fundamentally. That's like if three people all agreed on what movie they wanted to watch, but argued for 2,000 years about how to get to the movie theatre. It's pointless dogmatic babble. I don't think my God would take too kindly to me putting labels and strict definitions on what he is and what he isn't. I don't buy into that shit.
Okay, so now that I've clarified what God ISN'T, now I have to figure out what God IS (btw, I don't have a problem calling him God. The dude's gotta have some kind of name and God is as good as any). The first question I ask myself is: What is bigger than me? What is a force beyond myself that I can believe in? Something that I see operating in my daily life? The answer is everything. Okay, let me backtrack in case I lost you there. I believe that God is in everything. God is in the water we drink and the air that we breathe. God is in the music I listen to. God is in the sound the rain makes. God is in the relationships we have with other people. God is in the way that our world interacts with each itself. We all have a little God in us. My higher power is the world that I live in.
So I've got a God. He doesn't exactly have a face or a name but it works for me. Next question is: How do I get in touch with my God? How do I know what he wants me to do? An exact answer has always eluded me, but I believe that I do right by my God when I do right by myself and those that surround me. You get farther away from God and from your self when you do things that are dishonest and hurtful. It's a lot like karma and the law of attraction (The Secret, read that shit), when you do good things and give off positive energy that you receive that same energy in return & viceversa.
I know I'm not breaking any new ground here. I'm not a revolutionary. I'm not reinventing the wheel. These are all things that we know. I'm just a snot-nosed little git repeating a bunch of shit that somebody much smarter and wiser than myself once said and making it my own. But it's what makes sense in my individual perspective and it's who I am as a person. I am the things I do and the things that I experience. There's still a lot of things I don't know about God and the way of the world. I'm never going to stop learning but I think some things are better left unknown. As long as I do well by myself and those around me, the whole God thing will figure itself out. Until then, I'm not gonna stress it. My God isn't going anywhere and neither am I.
If you made it to the end of this, you are a trooper. I promise my next post will be significantly less philosphical. Here's a bunch of dick jokes to help lighten the mood: http://www.mendhak.com/165-more-than-101-big-dick-jokes.aspx
Hasta mañana and shit.
If the title of this post doesn't have you running for the hills, it means that you actually give a fuck about what I have to say on the subject. For this I thank you. Everybody has their own higher power these days. Some call him God. Some call him Jesus. Some call him Allah. Some call him John Lennon *cough* my point is that every body believes in something different. That's what makes the subject so touchy and delicate. Christians believe that we obtain salvation individually through the repenting of sin and receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Buddhists believe in the Four Truths and the Eightfold path. Muslims believe in the word of the Prophet Muhammad. Jews believe in Yahweh. These religions encompass the spiritual beliefs of the great majority of the world that we live in. I'm no one to tell any of these people that their beliefs are wrong. At the base of any major religion are principles that we should all believe in. Religion tells people to be helpful and kind to your neighbor, to respect your parents, to be thoughtful and honest in your actions; I'm not gonna rank on religion. Religion does a lot of things for a lot of people, it's just not for me. I'm not the kind to get on my knees and talk to an unseen force that may or may not exist, I'm crazy enough as it is.
A while ago a wise man told me that I have to find my higher power. He said that for you to accomplish something bigger than you, you first have to believe in something bigger than yourself. For someone that's not religious, it's something that's hard to figure out. What do I believe in? Who is my God?
I was raised Catholic but I don't accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Don't get me wrong, Jesus was a pretty cool customer. He preached the right things; he followed his own righteous path. I just think it's more than a little naive to place all that importance on a single man. The world that Jesus lived in is not the world that I live in. That takes Christianity out of the equation. Since we're knocking out religions we can knock out Judaism and Islam. It's funny how three different sects of people can believe in the same God but still disagree with each other so fundamentally. That's like if three people all agreed on what movie they wanted to watch, but argued for 2,000 years about how to get to the movie theatre. It's pointless dogmatic babble. I don't think my God would take too kindly to me putting labels and strict definitions on what he is and what he isn't. I don't buy into that shit.
Okay, so now that I've clarified what God ISN'T, now I have to figure out what God IS (btw, I don't have a problem calling him God. The dude's gotta have some kind of name and God is as good as any). The first question I ask myself is: What is bigger than me? What is a force beyond myself that I can believe in? Something that I see operating in my daily life? The answer is everything. Okay, let me backtrack in case I lost you there. I believe that God is in everything. God is in the water we drink and the air that we breathe. God is in the music I listen to. God is in the sound the rain makes. God is in the relationships we have with other people. God is in the way that our world interacts with each itself. We all have a little God in us. My higher power is the world that I live in.
So I've got a God. He doesn't exactly have a face or a name but it works for me. Next question is: How do I get in touch with my God? How do I know what he wants me to do? An exact answer has always eluded me, but I believe that I do right by my God when I do right by myself and those that surround me. You get farther away from God and from your self when you do things that are dishonest and hurtful. It's a lot like karma and the law of attraction (The Secret, read that shit), when you do good things and give off positive energy that you receive that same energy in return & viceversa.
I know I'm not breaking any new ground here. I'm not a revolutionary. I'm not reinventing the wheel. These are all things that we know. I'm just a snot-nosed little git repeating a bunch of shit that somebody much smarter and wiser than myself once said and making it my own. But it's what makes sense in my individual perspective and it's who I am as a person. I am the things I do and the things that I experience. There's still a lot of things I don't know about God and the way of the world. I'm never going to stop learning but I think some things are better left unknown. As long as I do well by myself and those around me, the whole God thing will figure itself out. Until then, I'm not gonna stress it. My God isn't going anywhere and neither am I.
If you made it to the end of this, you are a trooper. I promise my next post will be significantly less philosphical. Here's a bunch of dick jokes to help lighten the mood: http://www.mendhak.com/165-more-than-101-big-dick-jokes.aspx
Hasta mañana and shit.
The Woman With The Tattooed Hands
If you've never heard this song before, I recommend that you give a listen to it before reading the rest of this post.
When you first listen to it, it's hard to really get an idea of what Slug (Sean Daley) is really talking about. On the surface, the song seems to be about a beautiful woman. He explains that the woman is 43 years old and had never been with a man. The woman has tattoos on each of her hands; on the right had she had a portrait of a nude woman and she claimed it was what God resembled. On the left she had a portrait of the same woman, except this one looked like the Devil. Clearly, the tattoos epitomize the idea of duality in life. The struggle between what is good and what is evil. Slug gets intimately involved with this mysterious woman and shit starts going down. The woman begins caressing herself and the woman's tattoos smile as if inviting him to do so himself. Slug is being seduced by the woman with the tattooed hands. At this point "heaven" and "hell", represented by the woman's tattoos, come to life. The tattoos rise slowly up from her skin and climb up into her lady parts, as if to show him why she had never been with a man. The woman with the tattooed hands bit her bottom lip, presumably in both pleasure and pain, still attempting to entice the desires of Slug. Needless to say, Slug ain't playing that shit and he steps and leaves. He expresses that he caught a glimpse of religion and came that much closer to understanding the things that intrigued him the most. His experience with the woman did not turn him on in a sexual sense, but the experience turned him. It gave him a lot to teach, but even more to learn, so through himself he implores his audience to keep their eyes open and and take in all that they can from his experience with the woman with the tattooed hands.
"There's good and evil in each individual fire identifies needs and feeds our desires. As long as we keep our spirit inspired, she can bite her bottom lip all she wants."
All this is fine and dandy, but when trying to deconstruct this song for it's meaning most people face the same question: Who is the woman with the tattooed hands? Some would argue that the woman is the hiphop/music industry; the tattoos representing the duality between the good and evil things that come with fame and notoriety. Some would argue that the woman is Slug's muse; that the woman with the tattooed hands is an expression of the idea of creation. This idea follows the Adam and Eve template of falling into temptation and twisted adoration of the wrong principles and beliefs. Slug runs because he does not want to fall into the woman's trap. Slug emphatically tells the woman to bite her bottom lip all she wants. This line can give some the inclination to believe that the song is literally about a woman. Another easier explanation is that the song is about the duality of life. A man's surrealistic dream-like struggle between the forces of good and evil.
This is the beautiful part about music to me. There are an infinite amount of ideas out there, all waiting to be explored and expressed in whatever way you want to. I'll probably never know exactly what Slug is talking about in this song, but in the way that I perceive the song, I give it my own meaning and apply it to my own life. Not everybody perceives it in the same way, but that's the beauty of it. Music means whatever you want it to mean. We live life through the blinders of our own perspectives and thought-provoking music such as this helps broaden those perspectives. More than anything, what I get from this song is that we are not meant to understand everything. We take what we learn and what we experience and we make it our own. There's good and evil in everything, but as long as we keep our spirits inspired, she can bite her bottom lip all she wants . ;)
Friday, April 1, 2011
Brain Vomit
My brain moves so fast that my body can't keep up. Even now I'm unsure of what to write. I tend to think 3 or 4 sentences ahead, making it impossible to keep my mind focused on the task at hand. As I write this I am: listening to the Marlin's game on TV, following an ESPN GameCast of the Heat game, talking to people on Facebook, and trying to figure out what I'm gonna do tonight. It gets noisy in there, man. I get caught up in my inane bullshit and stare into space; as if somehow that's gonna help me solve all the world's problems. I guess that's why I'm doing this. I'm trying to clear the noise. Writing things out helps keeps things in perspective and writing has always been a passion of mine. Not everything is gonna be like this. This isn't gonna be one of those blogs where you sit and read about some emotional little fuck who hates his life. I wouldn't want to read that shit; why would you? Instead this is gonna be a blog about my interests which include: sports (obviously), music (but then again who doesn't love music), politics (no preaching, you have my word), movies, and too many other things to list.
My name is Daniel Jose Hidalgo and I was born in Miami, Florida to parents Rolando and Consuelo. If those names aren't a dead giveaway, I am a Hispanic male. My father was born in Costa Rica and my mother is an American of Cuban descent. I have a Deaf older sister so that makes me fluent in three languages: English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
I listen to ANYTHING and EVERYTHING as long as it's good music. I can appreciate a good folk song just the same as I can appreciate Kanye (though don't get me started on him, that guy is a douchebag). My favorite band is The Beatles (no shit) and I need to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers before I die. My favorite rapper is Biggie and my favorite guitarist is Carlos Santana. I have an unhealthy obsession with Robert Allen Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan. Dylan is God. I write songs as a hobby. Recently, I've been getting into writing hip-hop verses and choruses. Don't ask why. I just am. You'll see that my brain works in very peculiar ways.
I'm a registered Democrat but that doesn't mean I agree with party rhetoric. I'd register Independent if I were honest with myself, but I've always found registering Independent pointless since you can't vote in primaries. Registering Democrat was the lesser of two evils for me. I think Obama has been disappointing. Don't run a campaign on "hope" and "change" if you're gonna give us more of the same. His presidency has been disingenuous at best.
I am the biggest sports fan that you can ever hope to meet. My favorite sport is a toss-up between the two footballs. I'm a homer. I live and die with my Dolphins and my Heat. One of my first clear memories of anything is of Edgar Renteria hitting a line-drive single up the middle to drive in Craig Counsell for the winning run of the 1997 World Series. I bleed blanco, azul, y rojo (the colors of the Costa Rican flag) and FC Barcelona is the team of Gods. Lionel Messi is allowed to procreate with my future wife. She has my permission. I spend more time watching ESPN than almost any other channel combined. I'm one of those stat geeks that memorize everything. I know that Bill Russell played for the University of San Fransisco and I can name the starting lineup for every team in the NBA. It's like dat son. If you don't like listening to people rant about sports, this is not the blog for you.
I consider myself moderately intelligent even though I've made a very many idiotic mistakes in my life. Substance abuse and overall apathy have effectively crippled my academic and vocational situations, but I'm trying to get back on my feet. I SUCK WITH WOMEN. I get attached too easily and once I attach myself, it's nearly impossible to unattach me. I mean well, I just have these obsessive compulsive tendencies that are hard to control. I guess I've always felt like I've needed a girl by my side to validate me to myself, which seems completely retarded. I mess up relationships by being a whiny little cunt who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. I'm working on that. Some things are better left in my head; left unsaid.
My father recently told me something that was very true. He said, "Before anyone can fall in love with you, you must fall in love with yourself." That's my prime objective right now. Do me. Some days are more difficult than others. Some days I feel like singing and dancing and writing poems. Some days I feel like locking myself in my room and disappearing off the face of the Earth. The goal is to even out the highs and the lows; to get myself to a place where I act more rationally. Not let the small stuff get me down. Not let the good stuff go to my head. Learn to live life on life's terms and all that good shit.
I'm done for now, but I'll be back. You guys will be hearing more from me soon.
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