Throwback Track: Aaliyah- rock the boat

Aaliyah- rock the boat (2001)

Good music

Its been a tough week for me hence the slow posts but I'm gonna get nostalgic with my music and play some Tupac. He wasn't just a gangsta rapper to me. For me some of his songs are poetic and timeless. Songs like Brenda's got a baby, Wonder Why They Call You Bitch, Dear Mama, Keep you head up, Changes spoke to me and I apprecieated what they meant.

My brother's Strictly for my NIGGAZ, All Eyes on me and 2Pacalypse Now were never played out for me, even if there was a fair amount of profanity in there. I'd sit back and play back some songs just so I could learn the lyrics.

If asked who I'd list as the greatest hiphop artist of all time, I'd say it was Tupac.

Keep your head up (1993)


I pick this song because the lyrics say it all. Press play n have a listen

Dear Mama (1995)


Considered one of the greatest hiphop songs of all time. This was dedicated to his mother. Its a great song. You can't deny he wrote well and this song is a testament to that.

LA Fashion Week recaps via Clutch

Check out the fashion recaps from LA fashion week so far over at Clutch Magazine.

Here's a couple from Kevan Hall



Even before I read the small print at the bottom of his collection I got a very African vibe off his spring line. I like the patterns and the volume in the dresses coupled with bright and rich colours.

and TART



SOURCE

Throwback Track

I only just found out that Lucky Dube was shot and killed during a hold up in South Africa. I was stunned to say the least. Man I remember when his videos were the staple of Mekim Music back in the day.

Lucky Dube - together as one

Post does a Gordon Bennett (snr)

The Post has again, although mildly, been told to know it boundaries after it conducted separate interviews of Toy Molly (who suffered brutal abuse that lead to the death of her unborn child) and her husband who is the accused of the abuse, a case which has been given a lot of coverage in the paper over the last two weeks.

Teaser

Name two British music acts who's albums were featured in the Absolut ad campaign

ANSWER: David Bowie and Queen

Artist Spotlight: Mario

Its been a while since Mario released Turning Point back in 2004. Let me love you was a good slow jam but the rest of the singles released off the album failed to have the same success as the first single.

Since then he's been involved in acting and is featured in Step Up and Freedom Writers as well as completed work on his third album.

Titled Go!, the album has been pushed back several times this year with several songs leaking onto the net. The official release date is the 27th of November. The slow jam How do I breathe was the first single off the album which came out in May and he's recently released the Polow Da Don produced track Crying Out for me as his second single. Other producers who worked on the album include the Neptunes, Ne-Yo, Timbland, Brian Michael Cox (B Cox), with guest artists including Juelz Santana, Bow Wow and Rich Boy.

So far I've listened to other tracks Why,No Definition, Skippin' as well as the leaked track My Love featuring Usher. Go! seems to be largely a love and relationship themed album which ranges from up beat to slow RnB tracks. I must admit it, if sounds are anything to go by then Go! is definitely going to be better than Turning Point.

Eye Candy

ConcreteLoop ran Chingy's promo pics as one of their GUESS WHO posts. "DAMN" was the first thought that popped into my head after I saw who it was. He looks like he's been hitting the gym hehe.

Chingy's been under the radar since...hmm...pulling me back ft Tyrese came out late 2006. Since then he's signed back with Disturbing the Peace and appeared on one of their singles that came out mid year. Click here to listen to his new single Fly Like Me featuring Amerie. For a mid-tempo song its catchy and the lyrics are decent. I kinda feel like Ludacris would've added a lil something extra to the song, either that or this song was written by Luda himself.

Throwback track

Dirty Vegas - Days go by (2003)

A day in the life: my rants and random thoughts

Neighbours and their [Timbland] music
It's a Saturday afternoon. My neighbours (a white couple, 19 0r 20, I can't be sure,probably enrolled at Vic Uni too) are playing Timbaland's Shock Value for the umpteenth time. I get it folks, you're into his latest offering but that shitt is getting tired.BTW you were 4 months late in picking up that album SMH (if you're reading this then you probably sense my irritation at people who catch on late to new music releases, something I pride myself on-another indication that I'm probably turning into a highly strung biatch too but I digress) I can now identfy each song by its heavy base beats,timbland-esque production as well as his wack attempts at singing (but I guess he's more bearable than P.Diddy and TI on My dear)

I'm getting old
I know I'm only 22 but it seems like every second day I am reminded that I'm getting old. Either that or I'm nostalgic with my music and can't seem to understand how Ay Bay bay got popular. I find myself downloading music from the 90s just to counter the rubbish that's coming outta hiphop, in fact I'm gonna say it now: I confess I've never heard Ay bay bay the whole way through or Crank dat. I'd rather listen to The Fugees or some Tupac or Common thank you very much.

Bartending from the net

Not that I'm a professional bartender or anything but I take to experimenting with drinks like I do my cooking - with a passion and the intended outcome of getting fed, well in this case drunk and having FUN!
Here's a couple drinks recipes to kick start your weekend

Liquid Cocaine #6:
30 ml Smirnoff® vodka
3/4 glass Riccadonna Asti® Champagne
fill with Red Bull® energy drink
Mix together in a champagne flute and drink.

Kamakazie
1 part vodka
1 part triple sec (Cointreau®,McGuinness®)
1 part Rose's® lime juice
Shake well with ice and strain mixture into a shot glass.

White Russian
2 oz vodka
1 oz coffee liqueur
light cream
Pour vodka and coffee liqueur over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass. Fill with light cream and serve.

Have a good one folks! Salute.

Teaser

What classic movie is this quote from?

Mildred: what are you rebelling against Johnny?
Johnny: whaddya got?

Answer: The Wild One



Here's some trivia from the movie.

• The movie was deemed to dangerous and banned in the UK till 1968 (it was released in 1953)
• The Triumph motorcycle that Marlon Brando rides in the movie was his personal bike.
• This was the first film in which the manufacturer's logo on motorcycles was not blanked out.

Women's petition against violence

Since the Women's Petition on Violence was presented to Pariliament on Tuesday women's accounts of abuse and violence in the home has been given a growth in coverage in the Post Courier. I think the media spotlight on this issue has highlighted that there is a growing need to have systems in place to help victims. Maybe the next move should be to set up a help line, support groups and couciling services for victims and design a public awareness campaign to curb domestic violence.

New Zealand in the last few months launched a "Domestic Violence: Its not okay" campaign to combat the growing cases of violence against children and in the home. Apart fromt that there is the global movement of "thursdays in black" which encourages supporters to wear black on Thursday in support of a "world without rape and violence in our community". Student bodies in NZ have also been pushing this campaign although awareness of it's existence seems to be in decline.

Be Inspired

Introducing Be Inspired, a new section of The Vent where I post a Q&A of everyday Papua New Guineans who are making things happen. People have the inherent ability to be resilient and turn nothing into something. Thats the kind of inspiration I want my readers to take away when they read these posts. Enjoy the first of many to come.


What is your name?
Lisa Renee Resson-Costigan

Where are you from?
Lou Island, Manus Province – Papua New Guinea

What do you do? (job/occupation)
Accountant/External Auditor

What’s your most significant achievement(s) to date?
Academic – completing a Bachelor of Business Degree, graduating at the top of my class.
Professional – Completing my professional accounting exams, hence obtaining Associate Membership of Certified Practicing Accountants PNG; Being promoted to Senior Accountant, where the next level up is Manager.
Personal – Having and continuing to take care of my precious son, Tayshaun.

Who/what inspires you? Why?
My mother inspires me with her strength of character. She’s been through things I never want to experience. And yet, though it all, she has maintained a remarkable spirit of hope and caring. The love and attention she has showered us with has never diminished.. from childhood till today.

My father inspires me with his determination and drive, that yielded my strong academic performance throughout school.

My son inspires me become a better person, so that he in turn can cultivate the good character traits that will enable him to live a good, honest life.

Finally, I am inspired by successful professional women who prove, by being where they are in the organisational hierarchy, that women can perform at a level equivalent to their male counterparts.

If you could change one thing in your world, what would that be?
I want to be more forgiving, and appreciative of what I have now, instead of pondering upon what could or should have been. That would change a lot of things for me.

Leave us with one of your favourite quotes:
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

TIME does Style & Design

I'm on the late,late bus with this issue of Time but I needed to post this up.

The September 16 issue of Times covers Style and Design i.e. what's hot and happening in style (products,trends and looks), who are the movers and whose leading the pack in luxury brands and products and how access to products is changing - the net and the online shopping experience.

Who knew that despite the luxury brands being dominated by men, that women were still the key figures behind how making these brands successful. Enter women like Valerie Hermann (CEO of Yves Saint Laurent), Silvana and Roberta Armani and Wanda Ferragamo.

The issue also looked into the emerging markets of consumer brands in India,China and Russia. A larger part of their populations were now leaning towards being more brand conscious which has driven up the demand for luxury brands.

Maybe I was drawn to the fashion and the products being covered but I think a larger part of me was intrigued at how successful these women were in there roles. Don't sleep on this issue of Time!

Teaser

What classic movie is this quote from?

"Mildred: what are you rebelling against Johnny?
Johnny: whaddya got?"

Hint: it stars Marlon Brando

Answer on friday folks...

Numbers

Some figures courtesy of Time Magazine's numbers column (02/10/07)

Iraq
$50 billion
Amount by which the Bush Administration plans to increase its 2008 budget for military operations abroad
$500,000
Amount the Iraq war costs per minute, according to a new analysis by a Nobel-Prize-winning economist at Harvard, who noted that the amount spent on the war each day could pay for health care for 423,529 children

Steroids
124
Number of people in 27 U.S states for illegally distributing human growth hormone and other bodybuilding drugs, in the largest anti-steroid raid in U.S history
242
Number of kilograms of raw steroid powder seized since 2006 that was made in China, which us authorities say is the main supplier of illicit performance-enhancing substances

Riches
$1.3 billion
The minimum net worth for the inclusion in Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans this year, up $300 million form last year. Bill Gates still tops the list with an estimated $59 billion
82
Number of Americans billionaires who did not make the list


History
$30 million
Expected price for an original cope of Magna Carta, the 13th century document that laid the foundations of England's legal system, which Southeby's plans to auction in December
17
Number of original Magna Carta copies in existence. The one at auction, published in 1297, is the only version in private hands.

Throwback track

Outkast ft killer Mike - The Whole World (2001)

Free Burma Vigil

Right, I was on my way to do some much needed retail therapy when I decided to stop by the Civic Square and join in the Free Burma Vigil. I wasn't going to go but it was on the way to Lambton Quay and I thought, why not, you may be a lil late but show your support anyway.

They had speakers from the Burmese community speak as well as political activists and it was good to see people uniting for a common cause to make a statement. We had a moment of silence for those in Burma and a man from the Burmese community said a prayer.

This vigil was one of the many events happening around the world today as part of the Global Day of action for a free Burma.

As I left the square at the end of the vigil I was handed a flier for another rally of some sort. One for Stand up against poverty on the 17th of October. Hopefully I'll be able to go to that one too.

Teaser

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous"

answer: Coco Chanel

Behind every successful man, is a woman

No woman, no cry is a book that stays true to that saying. It reads like a beautiful love story even though their life was full of struggle (I can hear Talib Kweli's Beautiful Struggle playing in my head).

Written by Rita Marley with Hettie Jones its a revealing biography about her life before meeting Bob and then details here struggles during their time together and after his death. There were the joys of parenthood and the music. Then there was the struggles to survive and earn a living. That doubled with his infidelity would have been overwhelming but she got through it with the support of her friends and family and her faith as a Rastafari.

Through it all she found herself, launched a music career and created an identity that was separate from her husband's. After reading it I don't think I would have been as strong but I guess that's how phenomenal women can be. Always turning something into nothing and keeping things together.

If you can't stand the heat...

"PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday revealed he would introduce legislation to regulate the media.
Fuming at yesterday’s front page article in the Post-Courier which detailed his discreet arrival in Port Moresby from America, the Chief told Parliament it was time the country’s daily newspapers were regulated as they continue to publish anti-Government stories." SOURCE

When governments start talking bout regulating the media, the people should start asking serious questions. Start regulating freedom of speech and then you take away people's basic rights. While the Post Courier ran this on their front page, I could not find any story bout that in the National Online. Call me a conspiracy theorist but I wonder what happened there?

Absolut Vodka

The choice of drink for me and the absoluts back in 05. Those were the days. Couple rounds of taki (till the bottle finished mind you lol) and we'd be off hittin' the clubs.

But besides that the Absolut ads are definitely one of the stand out ads as far as alcohol advertising campaigns go. Who could miss the distinctive shape of the bottle coupled with "Absolut" and another word at the bottom of their ads. The campaign began in 1980 and is the longest running ad campaign ever.

Absolut Vodka released Absolut New Orleans, a mango and black peppered flavour back in August. This is a charity initiative with 100% of the profits going go to the Gulf Coast-people affected by hurricane Katrina.

Teaser

who said this?

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous"

answer on Friday...