Making a list, and checking it twice...

Liberdad!

SAN JOSE MINE, CHILE - After 10 weeks in a dark, hot purgatory 2,000 feet underground, the first of 33 trapped miners were hoisted to freedom early Wednesday, a rescue marking the beginning of the end of a drama that captivated people worldwide. Florencio Avalos, 31, emerged in the cold of Chile's northern Atacama Desert just after midnight Wednesday (11 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday), 69 days after he and his fellow miners were sealed in a cavern. They were trapped Aug. 5 when hundreds of thousands of tons of rocks collapsed on the gold and copper mine.

A specially designed rescue capsule, sporting the Chilean flag and shaped like a missile, maneuvered deep into the Earth down a 28-inch-wide emergency shaft and extricated Avalos. He was welcomed back to the surface with spirited cheers and tearful hugs before medical personnel led him away for a checkup.

-Washingtonpost.com
By Juan Forero and Jonathan Franklin
Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Another Gas Face Victory

On Thursday, Sanchez appeared on the XM Sirius radio program "Stand-Up with Pete Dominick." During the interview with Dominick, Sanchez called "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart "a bigot" and then said that he was bigoted against "everybody else who's not like him. Look at his show, I mean, what does he surround himself with?"
Dominick pressed for specifics, and Sanchez, who is Cuban-American, responded, "That's what happens when you watch yourself on his show every day, and all they ever do is call you stupid."
Dominick, who was once the warm-up comic at Stewart's Comedy Central show and now has a spot on CNN's "John King, USA," noted that Stewart is Jewish and so a minority himself.
"I'm telling you that everybody who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that somehow they, the people in this country who are Jewish, are an oppressed minority? Yeah," Sanchez responded.

Jesse Jackson rips Dan Gilbert’s comments saying that ‘LeBron was already set free by Abe Lincoln’

Jesse Jackson criticized Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert on Sunday, saying Gilbert sees LeBron James as a “runaway slave” but said that LeBron was considered free after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

“He speaks as the master of LeBron and not the master of the entire team of slaves that he owns. His feelings of betrayal personify, even more, this slave master mentality that we are in. He sees him as a runaway slave, when actually, it should not be considered running away when ‘Honest Abe’ said he was free. And as a former slave, LeBron is just trying to respect his President.”

The slave owner from Cleveland wrote a scathing letter criticizing his slave who signed with an owner in Miami who had already worked out an arrangement to re-sign his own hardworking slave. Along with securing the services of a slave from up north in Canada, who traveled the Underground Railroad to Miami.

Jackson also called Gilbert’s comments an attack on all basketball playing slaves and said that all slave owners should face a “challenge” from the government and the Lincoln Administration.

“I am glad that our President Lincoln signed this Proclamation into law, but he must not stop there. LeBron is the first newly freed slave who was able to set a new precedent for Negroes who are able to run and jump. If Dan Gilbert is able to get away with this then every owner is going to come out making disparaging remarks against their former slaves, which could cause some issues down the road. I am just glad that there were some slaves who were able to secure their freedom before this became law. Slaves such as Harriet Tubman who you can see today playing in the WNBA.”

Lawrence Taylor Indicted on Charges of Breaking Quarterback’s Leg

Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was indicted Wednesday by a suburban New York grand jury of a 1985 crime that was broadcast on live television.

November 18, 1985 on Monday Night Football was the setting of this gruesome crime when a botched “flea flicker” play, sniffed out beautifully by LT, led to the linebacker sacking Joe Theismann and ending his career. Forcing that tool into year’s of torturing America as a broadcaster we have been suffering with ever since.

District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said that this has been an ongoing investigation for the past 25 years, but recent clippings on YouTube have provided investigators with all the proof they need.

“One of the most effective ways to target crimes on the NFL field is to go after the perpetrators. We were unsure of the culprit for all of these years because we have heard countless testimony of former NFL players who hated Theismann. But with the different views of the crime we were able to get from YouTube, we are quite confident that LT is our ear ringed man.”

Lawrence Taylor says that he has never seen video of the alleged crime but is positive that he was not involved.

“This is a vicious accusation by these investigators and I will exhaust every effort to prove my innocence. Yes, I was on the field when Mr. Theismann was hurt and I may even have played a part in the sack. But I was not the cause of his leg being broken. And I am tired of people using me waving to the Redskins’ sideline as proof that I did it. I was actually just trying to wave over the cameraman so he could get a close-up of me laying ‘Joey Sunshine’s’ ass out.”

Aktivate, BBJ (Boom Bap Jesus)

I have a confession... I never listen to an album straight through. More on that later... When I first happened upon Ryknow in the early fall/late summer of 1989 in a Prince Georges county school cafeteria, a lanky, smile on his face, serious look in his eye, tall for his age kid carrying a trumpet case... Little did I know this "kid" would grow into full fledged artist, with not just just an understanding of perspective and pitch, but the gift to relay his own perspective in simplest of terms.

Fast forward to 2010... Aktivate!
The first time listening to Ry's offering was a bit strange for me. I had only seen him a week or two prior and asked him about the progress and true to his modest form, he gave me the, "eh, it's about ready" retort. I was like, "cool, can't wait to hear it." So when I finally sat down and committed to hear it I couldn't get his face out of my mind. It was a strange mixture of pride, admiration, and confusion. Here's my take on the effort...

Aktivate opens with a simple statement of truth furnished by longtime Phonetic Armageddon cohort J-Who?, over a what I can only describe as a daring (yes daring you to listen)type of beat. The beauty of Aktivate is suddenly revealed as the album moves easily and rightfully on to the aptly named Knowtime better than the Present; a melodic summertime scene setter. From there the album paces itself into Skatter Brush, a thought provoking track with a "timeout" feel to it... Bringing us to the title track "Aktivate" where Ryknow demonstrates his ability to encapsulate the sound of a whole album on one song, Aktive is your favorite rollercoaster's favorite rollercoaster. Next the album moves on to Blue Instrospektion, which I will admit is a bit confusing to me, but it's art and art is perspective. After, Blue Instrospektion, Aktivate does what few albums have dared to do... It grows in circumference with Sunday Morning, J-Pope's offerings on the track are simply stunning. J-Pope exhibits fine tuned time machine of a voice that will chase you through any era, catch you, and then deliver bars that are felt by anyone who has had or will have questions on spiritualism. It's definitely one that gets run back... As the album moves on to Toe Knee Grundgy, I have to admit when I first heard it, my exact thoughts were "Dear Boom Bap Jesus!" It is a moment in Boom Bap history that will resonate within the listeners head for quite some time. It might be my favorite effort of the album. Another beautiful moment/ability of the album is to cleanse your palate in a way. That's what the next track Falls does without much effort. The haunting Nas samples and laid back road tripesque vibe draw you back into your own thoughts of how you wish you would have or wouldn't have done certain things... Yet, I digress. Falls is the point of the album when you or I actually start to appreciate the artistry behind the music, the cuts (DJ SupaStar) and the engineering (Cam1). Perfectly placed track. No sooner than you are thinking about rewinding back to Falls you are flattened by the beautiful horns on the albums next offering 3Dreams... talk about timeless music and a standout and a reason to buy. 3Dreams is one of those tracks that cement an album. This brings me to Kinetic Duck Sauce... if you wont freestyle to this, then rhyming isn't your thing. Almost enough said... Kinetic Duck Sauce is definitely a feel good musical movement. Sometimes Hip Hop as a culture has to remind itself to have fun. Kinetic Duck Sauce does just that. "She was on a search and destroy mission." Ryknow's voice? These words grab your attention like cement hands closing around your neck. "Dear Leanne" 11 tracks in and we finally get a lyrical offering from Ryknow. Dear Leanne is uber poignant, honest, and emotional. What more can you ask for? At this point the album is speaking for itself as any and all great albums will and must do... it has become a self sustaining, self motivating piece of living art. Pardon Muah, the albums next offering is upbeat, fun, and nostalgic. String Fellow the next track only adds to the diversity of the album, String Fellow is screenplay/score quality music... *note to self* use it in your screenplay. As I stated earlier, the album has long since taken on a life of it's own, this point is driven home yet again on the thought provoking Master Prestidigitor. Just when you think the album can't get anymore diverse it jumps up with Comeletwego, if there was ever going to be a sword fight in Hip Hop, this would be the background music. Beautiful. Finally we are delivered to Unchained Heart, the last offering of the album? Ryknow closes with what to me seems like a musical thank you; and another encapsulating effort.

Aktivate... is it Ryknow's magnum opus? No, I don't think so. I think there is much more to come from him. The diversity displayed on Aktivate are it's strengths and weaknesses. In saying that however, I think that everyone's strength and weaknesses lay within their own display of diversity. All in all a beautiful, qualified, and timeless album. I am proud to say that I listened to Aktivate all the way through and will do so again. Ultimately to me Aktivate serves as a lesson on the big picture and the larger statement.

In closing, please support the church of Boom Bap Jesus by helping his child Ryknow:

http://ryknow.bandcamp.com/

RIP

Hoping Gary Coleman is at peace... RIP

Nobody Bothers Me: The Sweet Science

Boxing is a combat sport and martial art in which two people fight using their fists. Boxing is typically supervised by a referee engaged in during a series of one- to three-minute intervals called rounds and the boxers generally of similar weight,. There are three ways to win; if the opponent is knocked out and unable to get up before the referee counts to ten seconds (a Knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is deemed too injured to continue (a Technical Knockout, or TKO). If there is no stoppage of the fight before an agreed number of rounds, a winner is determined either by the referee's decision or by judges' scorecards.

History

Fist fighting depicted in Sumerian relief carvings from the 3rd millennium BC, while an ancient Egyptian relief from the 2nd millennium BC depicts both fist-fighters and spectators. Both depictions show bare-fisted contests. In 1927 Dr. E. A. Speiser, an archaeologist, discovered a Mesopotamian stone tablet in Baghdad, Iraq depicting two men getting ready for a prize fight. The tablet is believed to be 7,000 years old. The earliest evidence for fist fighting with any kind of gloves can be found on Minoan Crete (c. 1500–900 BC), and on Sardinia, if we consider the boxing statues of Prama mountains (c. 2000–1000 BC).

In ancient Rome, there were two forms of boxing both coming from Etruscan boxing. The athletic form of boxing remained popular throughout the Roman world. The other form of boxing was gladiatorial. Fighters were usually criminals and slaves who hoped to become champions and gain their freedom; however, free men, women, and even aristocrats also fought. Gladiators wore lead "cestae" over their knuckles and heavy leather straps on their forearms to protect against blows. The deeply scarred and cauliflower eared figure of the Boxer of Quirinal show what a brutal sport it could be (matches often ending in the death or maiming of an opponent).
Eventually, fist fighting became so popular that even emperors started fighting, and the practice was promoted by Caesar Neronis. A fight between the agile Dares and the towering Entellus is described at length in the Roman national epic Aeneid (1st century BC).
In 393 A.D., the Olympics were banned by the Christian emperor Theodosius, and in 400 A.D., boxing was banned altogether by Theodoric the Great as boxing being an insult to God because it disfigures the face, the image of God. However, this edict had little effect outside the major cities of the Eastern Empire. By this time, western Europe was no longer part of the Roman Empire. Boxing remained popular in Europe throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. Wrestling, fencing and racing (both chariot and foot) were never banned by the late Romans, as they did not cause disfigurement.

Rules
Early fighting had no written rules. There were no weight divisions or round limits, and no referee. In general, it was extremely chaotic. The first boxing rules, called the Broughton's rules, were introduced by heavyweight champion Jack Broughton in 1743 to protect fighters in the ring where deaths sometimes occurred. Under these rules, if a man went down and could not continue after a count of 30 seconds, the fight was over. Hitting a downed fighter and grasping below the waist were prohibited. Broughton also invented and encouraged the use of "mufflers", a form of padded gloves, which were used in training and exhibitions.

In 1838, the London Prize Ring rules were codified. Later revised in 1853, they stipulated the following:
Fights occurred in a 24 feet (7.3 m)-square ring surrounded by ropes.
If a fighter was knocked down, he had to rise within 30 seconds under his own power to be allowed to continue.
Biting, headbutting and hitting below the belt were declared fouls.
Through the late nineteenth century, boxing or prizefighting was primarily a sport of dubious legitimacy. Outlawed in England and much of the United States, prizefights were often held at gambling venues and broken up by police. Brawling and wrestling tactics continued, and riots at prizefights were common occurrences. Still, throughout this period, there arose some notable bare knuckle champions who developed fairly sophisticated fighting tactics.

The Marquess of Queensberry rules is a code of generally accepted rules in the sport of boxing. They were named so because the 9th Marquess of Queensberry publicly endorsed the code. They are intended for use in both professional and amateur boxing matches, thus separating it from the less popular American Fair Play Rules which were strictly intended for amateur matches.

History

The boxing code was written by John Graham Chambers in 1865 and published in 1867 as "the Queensberry rules for the sport of boxing". This code of rules superseded the Revised London Prize Ring rules (1853), which had themselves replaced the original London Prize Ring rules (1743) of Jack Broughton. This version persuaded boxers that "you must not fight simply to win; no holds barred is not the way; you must win by the rules" (17, sect. 5, pt. 1).
One early prize fighter who fought under Marquess of Queensberry rules was Jem Mace, who won the English heavyweight title under these rules in 1861.

Rules

1. To be a fair stand-up boxing match in a 24-foot ring, or as near that size as practicable.
2. No wrestling or hugging allowed.
3. The rounds to be of three minutes duration, and one minute's time between rounds.
4. If either man falls through weakness or otherwise, he must get up unassisted, 10 seconds to be allowed him to do so, the other man meanwhile to return to his corner, and when the fallen man is on his legs the round is to be resumed and continued until the three minutes have expired. If one man fails to come to the scratch in the 10 seconds allowed, it shall be in the power of the referee to give his award in favour of the other man.
5. A man hanging on the ropes in a helpless state, with his toes off the ground, shall be considered down.
6. No seconds or any other person to be allowed in the ring during the rounds.
7. Should the contest be stopped by any unavoidable interference, the referee to name the time and place as soon as possible for finishing the contest; so that the match must be won and lost, unless the backers of both men agree to draw the stakes.
8. The gloves to be fair-sized boxing gloves of the best quality and new.
9. Should a glove burst, or come off, it must be replaced to the referee's satisfaction.
10. A man on one knee is considered down and if struck is entitled to the stakes.
11. That no shoes or boots with spikes or sprigs be allowed.
12. The contest in all other respects to be governed by revised London Prize Ring Rules.

Techniques

Stance
The modern boxing stance differs substantially from the typical boxing stances of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The modern stance has a more upright vertical-armed guard, as opposed to the more horizontal, knuckles-facing-forward guard adopted by early 20th century hook users such as Jack Johnson.
In a fully upright stance, the boxer stands with the legs shoulder-width apart and the rear foot a half-step behind the lead foot. Right-handed or orthodox boxers lead with the left foot and fist. Both feet are parallel, and the right heel is off the ground. The lead (left) fist is held vertically about six inches in front of the face at eye level. The rear (right) fist is held beside the chin and the elbow tucked against the ribcage to protect the body. The chin is tucked into the chest to avoid punches to the jaw which commonly cause knock-outs and is often kept slightly offcenter. Wrists are slightly bent to avoid damage when punching and the elbows are kept tucked in to protect the ribcage. Some boxers fight from a crouch, leaning forward and keeping their feet closer together. The stance described is considered the "textbook" stance and fighters are encouraged to change it around once its been mastered as a base. Case in point, many fast fighters have their hands down and have almost exaggerated footwork, while brawlers or bully fighters tend to slowly stalk their opponents.
Left-handed or southpaw fighters use a mirror image of the orthodox stance, which can create problems for orthodox fighters unaccustomed to receiving jabs, hooks, or crosses from the opposite side. The southpaw stance, conversely, is vulnerable to a straight right hand.
North American fighters tend to favor a more balanced stance, facing the opponent almost squarely, while many European fighters stand with their torso turned more to the side. The positioning of the hands may also vary, as some fighters prefer to have both hands raised in front of the face, risking exposure to body shots.
Modern boxers can sometimes be seen tapping their cheeks or foreheads with their fists in order to remind themselves to keep their hands up (which becomes difficult during long bouts). Boxers are taught to push off with their feet in order to move effectively. Forward motion involves lifting the lead leg and pushing with the rear leg. Rearward motion involves lifting the rear leg and pushing with the lead leg. During lateral motion the leg in the direction of the movement moves first while the opposite leg provides the force needed to move the body.

Punches
There are four basic punches in boxing: the jab, straight right/left hand, hook and uppercut. If a boxer is right-handed (orthodox), his left hand is the lead hand and his right hand is the rear hand. For a left-handed boxer or southpaw, the hand positions are reversed. For clarity, the following discussion will assume a right-handed boxer.
Jab – A quick, straight punch thrown with the lead hand from the guard position. The jab is accompanied by a small, clockwise rotation of the torso and hips, while the fist rotates 90 degrees, becoming horizontal upon impact. As the punch reaches full extension, the lead shoulder can be brought up to guard the chin. The rear hand remains next to the face to guard the jaw. After making contact with the target, the lead hand is retracted quickly to resume a guard position in front of the face. The jab is recognised as the most important punch in a boxer's arsenal because it provides a fair amount of its own cover and it leaves the least amount of space for a counter punch from the opponent. It has the longest reach of any punch and does not require commitment or large weight transfers. Due to its relatively weak power, the jab is often used as a tool to gauge distances, probe an opponent's defenses, harass an opponent, and set up heavier, more powerful punches. A half-step may be added, moving the entire body into the punch, for additional power. Some notable boxers who have been able to develop relative power in their jabs and use it to punish or 'wear down' their opponents to some effect include Larry Holmes and Wladimir Klitschko.

Cross – A powerful, straight punch thrown with the rear hand. From the guard position, the rear hand is thrown from the chin, crossing the body and traveling towards the target in a straight line. The rear shoulder is thrust forward and finishes just touching the outside of the chin. At the same time, the lead hand is retracted and tucked against the face to protect the inside of the chin. For additional power, the torso and hips are rotated counter-clockwise as the cross is thrown. Weight is also transferred from the rear foot to the lead foot, resulting in the rear heel turning outwards as it acts as a fulcrum for the transfer of weight. Body rotation and the sudden weight transfer is what gives the cross its power. Like the jab, a half-step forward may be added. After the cross is thrown, the hand is retracted quickly and the guard position resumed. It can be used to counter punch a jab, aiming for the opponent's head (or a counter to a cross aimed at the body) or to set up a hook. The cross can also follow a jab, creating the classic "one-two" combination. The cross is also called a "straight" or "right", especially if it does not cross the opponent's outstretched jab.

Hook – A semi-circular punch thrown with the lead hand to the side of the opponent's head. From the guard position, the elbow is drawn back with a horizontal fist (knuckles pointing forward) and the elbow bent. The rear hand is tucked firmly against the jaw to protect the chin. The torso and hips are rotated clockwise, propelling the fist through a tight, clockwise arc across the front of the body and connecting with the target. At the same time, the lead foot pivots clockwise, turning the left heel outwards. Upon contact, the hook's circular path ends abruptly and the lead hand is pulled quickly back into the guard position. A hook may also target the lower body and this technique is sometimes called the "rip" to distinguish it from the conventional hook to the head. The hook may also be thrown with the rear hand. Notable left hookers include:Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson

Uppercut – A vertical, rising punch thrown with the rear hand. From the guard position, the torso shifts slightly to the right, the rear hand drops below the level of the opponent's chest and the knees are bent slightly. From this position, the rear hand is thrust upwards in a rising arc towards the opponent's chin or torso. At the same time, the knees push upwards quickly and the torso and hips rotate anti-clockwise and the rear heel turns outward, mimicking the body movement of the cross. The strategic utility of the uppercut depends on its ability to "lift" the opponent's body, setting it off-balance for successive attacks. The right uppercut followed by a left hook is a deadly combination employing the uppercut to lift the opponent's chin into a vulnerable position, then the hook to knock the opponent out.

These different punch types can be thrown in rapid succession to form combinations or "combos". The most common is the jab and cross combination, nicknamed the "one-two combo". This is usually an effective combination, because the jab blocks the opponent's view of the cross, making it easier to land cleanly and forcefully.