I miss punching people in the face.

Beat'Em Ups, or as others may call them, Brawlers, are my favorite genre of video games.  I miss games like Double Dragon, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage.  Remember cooperative play, kids?  When I was a child I would go to the corner store or arcade and drop tons of quarters on TMNT.

The Business Behind Beats by Dre (Are they for you?) by @MKBHD

If you are a fan of tech to any degree Marques Brownlee is one of the best YouTube channels that you can be subscribed to.  In this video he gives you six minute business lesson on why Beats by Dre are successful for their style far more so than their sound quality.  There's nothing new here but it's succinct.

Friends. How many of us have them? / Online Gaming

I copped a PlayStation 4 earlier this year after not owning a system since the early days of the PS2 and the Xbox.  It's been roughly 8 years since I had played video games and a lot has changed.

Online gaming is the main thing.  I never did it before owning a PS4.  As much as I love meeting new people online, that's not really the case when it comes to online gaming.  I'm more interested in playing with people that I know to some degree or another.  It's the only way I'm used to playing.  It's funny enough not sitting next to someone.

@SESweeting aka Snark Twain's #8Essentials

I found a second victim volunteer for my 8 Essentials segment.  This time it's Sharri aka Snark Twain aka @SESweeting.  She's one of the funnier people on Twitter, whether she's live tweeting television or giving a play by play on everyday annoyances.

Sent out invitations via email explaining that all they had to do is respond to that email in order to rsvp thinking it was easier for them
— Snark Twain (@SESweeting) August 7, 2014

40% of the RSVPs came in via text/phone call because Black.
— Snark Twain (@SESweeting) August 7, 2014

Without further ado ...

1. Zebra F-301 Fine Point Pen
I'm a lefty, and this pen never bleeds and lasts forever. Since most pens are designed for right handed people, so when I use them they stop working way before the ink runs out. This pen never lets me down.

2. Air Max ‘90s
These have been my favorite sneakers for just over 10 years now. The old school chunky running silhouette reminds me of the glory days of the ‘90s where all the cool girls wore tennis skirts and sneakers.

3. Galaxy Note 3
I was hesitant about getting such a large phone, because I worried about whether it would fit in my pocket. Then I realized that I usually keep my phone in my handbag anyway so I joined the phablet club. This is the first cell phone where I actually use all of the features: the wifi hotspot, the split screen, document scanning, and yes, I actually create handwritten notes on it.

@AthenaDDixon's #8Essentials

The proprietor of Linden Avenue Literary Journal and host of the Books, Beats, and Blogs podcast tells us what helps keep her creative juices flowing.

1. Red Converse All-Star Lows
I wear these with everything from jeans to dresses. They're so comfortable it feels like I’m barefoot and the red gives a pop to just about anything I wear.

2. Beats earbuds and 80GB iPod Classic
I'm plugged into music most of the day so being able to enjoy all of it is important to me. I shuffle thousands of songs depending on my mood while at work and at home.

3. The Max Fischer Sandwich from Mr. Zub’s in Akron, Ohio
This sandwich is perfect. It combines a fresh bagel, flavored cream cheese, great deli meats, and veggies in a huge portion. I always pair it with fresh hummus and pita.

It's been a long time / My #8Essentials

I know it’s been pretty dormant over here recently, but I have never been quite sure what I was going to do with this space.  I loved posting mixtapes, but I'm seeing far fewer mixtapes worth downloading, let alone posting.  I also thought about opening up more about myself, but I don't think this is the place for that, if I ever decide to do it.

I got the idea for a new segment for the blog when I fell down an internet rabbit hole and ended up on GQ’s website.  They have an interesting feature where they ask people what are some of the things that are essential for getting them through life.  Since it’s GQ and they are often talking to celebrities, most of the things that they mention are expensive as hell.  I figured, why not try to see what gets people like you and I through life.  If I'm going to do this I might as well start with myself.  So here goes nothing.

8 Essentials:

1. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
The only bad thing about Fridays is that there’s no Jon Stewart on my television.  I really wish they would have episodes on Fridays.  The Daily Show is the only thing on television I can always depend on to make me laugh on a weekly basis..

2. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
This album is the most influential piece of media on my life, ever.  It’s the only album I remember the exact place I first heard it.  I didn’t really care about music at all until I heard this.  Midnight Marauders and Illmatic are still the only two perfect Hip-Hop albums, I've ever heard.  There's not a single bad or skippable song on either.    Also, you can click on the pic to enlarge the album cover to get a better look at the faces on the cover.  You should checkout Egotrip's oral history for the making of the iconic cover.

Denzel Washington As The Equalizer (Movie Trailer)

I remember my mother watching the original television show, when I was a child.  I think it stuck in my head because the star of the show was a badass, pale, older white man who was what may be called, now a "fixer", but I think he worked for free.  The show alluded to him being a former spy or soldier trying to make amends for past sins, similar to the show Burn Notice.  Denzel's version of The Equalizer seems to have less of a backstory than the original.

In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a former black ops commando who has faked his death to live a quiet life in Boston. When he comes out of his self-imposed retirement to rescue a young girl, Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), he finds himself face to face with ultra-violent Russian gangsters. As he serves vengeance against those who brutalize the helpless, McCall's desire for justice is reawakened. If someone has a problem, the odds are stacked against them, and they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer. - Sony Pictures Entertainment

Nas Discusses Illmatic With Faith Newman #IllmaticXX

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Illmatic, Complex reunited Nas and Faith Newman, the A&R rep for his debut album.

The Stuyvesants - The Stuyvesants Xmas (Instrumental Album)

Here's a nice Christmas present for the music lovers.  Merry Christmas, from The Stuyvesants!

Random Thoughts: It's free for everyone, but YOU.

I love it when I'm reading an article or blog and come across someone expressing my thoughts to a t.  Demetria Lucas has been writing an advice column on dating and relationships featured on The Root for sometime.  Recently a woman wrote in about finding a man that is husband material, although she's currently dating a guy that she describes as not being marriage material and "a 'street guy' who has kids but doesn't seem passionate about them."  Demetria's answer focused on the obvious question of, why is she with him.  But towards the end of the piece she hit on something that ate away at me like crazy when I was "actively" trying to date when I was younger.

Men complain that women will waste time with men who are of little value, giving them relationship benefits with no titles, and then suddenly decide they want a good guy and want him to put a ring on it. And the guys are rightly thinking, "For what? You want me, a man of substance, to step up to the plate, but for a man of less quality you have no requirements? Please."

This is one of those things that it seems like women can say to other women, but if a man were to say it he would be seen as a misogynist.


Thanks for stopping by,

8

Big K.R.I.T. - King Remembered In Time Mixtape

@BedstuyBetty Isn't Seeing The 20/20 Experience

Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience Reviewed By Bedstuy Betty

It’s late, it’s still brutally cold outside, and this rum in my glass isn’t lifting me up. I’m in need of something nostalgic but still smooth and danceable. Unfortunately for me, what my editor left in my inbox is not necessarily in line with my cravings. Like that bad case of hay fever you get indicating that Spring is near, Justin Timberlake is also trying to jump back into the swing of things with his new album The 20/20 Experience.

Initially, it was rather hard to sit through for one continuous listen. Mainly because Timberlake appears to clutch from a grab bag of different sounds from different eras, and then combine them in a manner that while valiant comes off messy. From the very first track “Pusher Love Girl”, it begins with a beautiful orchestral set only to come to a screeching halt with saccharine sweet modernized doo-wop. The next track, his breakout single “Suit and Tie” is pleasantly catchy, perfectly suited for wedding dance floors and other large functions. The addition of Jay-Z’s verse doesn’t do much to enhance the track and he sounds like he knows it with lazy delivery. The following song “Don’t Hold the Wall” surprisingly kept me body rolling. Timbaland’s production shines on this track as he effortlessly mixes bhangra rhythms, which provides a perfect background for JT’s vocals making something both hypnotic and sensual. A later track, “Tunnel Vision” is another seamless fusion of production and voice. Timberlake even laces the song with his beatbox stylings, which isn’t as corny as it would seem.