danatmedog’s blog

Site of the Day: My Mini City

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:49:06 -0600

I have to thank Todd Andrlik for posting this on his site.

It’s nothing huge, but it’s a viral RPG-type game, in which you create a city and then try to make it grow by getting other people to navigate to your page.

On that note, please make Honigman City larger. Click here!

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Fugitive fundraiser Hsu ‘freaked out’ on train, witness says (San Francisco Chronicle)

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:10:46 -0500

John Coté, Matt Bigelow, Daniel B. Honigman, Special to The Chronicle
Saturday, September 8, 2007

Fugitive political fundraiser Norman Hsu was behaving erratically as he fled the Bay Area on Amtrak’s California Zephyr, at one point stripping off his shirt and shoes, before paramedics were called to take him off the train in western Colorado, passengers said Friday.

Hsu, 56, on the run for the second time from a 1992 grand theft conviction in San Mateo County, was arrested Thursday after the paramedics took him to a hospital from the train station in Grand Junction, Colo. A spokesman at St. Mary’s Hospital said Friday night that Hsu was in fair condition but would not say what was wrong with him.

Hsu boarded the train in Emeryville about 7 a.m. Wednesday, Amtrak said, two hours before he was to have appeared in a Redwood City courtroom in connection with his grand theft conviction. He had touched down earlier that morning on a charter jet flight to Oakland, his lawyer told prosecutors. Amtrak said he boarded the Zephyr with a ticket for Denver.

Passengers interviewed Friday when the Zephyr reached its final destination of Chicago said it appeared that something was wrong with Hsu.

Alberto Dee, 21, who boarded the train in Truckee, said Hsu “freaked out” when Amtrak personnel approached, and was roaming a train car “without shoes and no shirt. … I thought he had a suitcase full of crack or meth.”

Another passenger disembarking in Chicago, who declined to give his name, said Hsu appeared disoriented and was having trouble opening a door on the train. Several other passengers said they were told Hsu was behaving oddly but did not witness it themselves.

Hsu’s attorney, Jim Brosnahan, said Friday, “a great many friends of Norman Hsu have expressed concern about his mental health and physical well-being” since he disappeared. Paramedics were called to the Grand Junction station about 10 minutes after the Zephyr pulled in Thursday at 11:05 a.m. with “a request for a backboard to assist someone who had fallen on the train,” said Mike Page, a spokesman for the Grand Junction Fire Department.

Paramedics helped Hsu off the train and took him to St. Mary’s Hospital. “He was assessed on the train but was able to get off the train on his own with assistance,” Page said, adding that the backboard ultimately was not needed.

Dan Roberts, 57, a furniture maker from Grand Junction, said Hsu had been sitting up on a stretcher on the station platform and appeared to be moving.

“We just figured he had a heart attack or something,” said his wife, Cheryl Roberts, 52, a nurse.

Federal agents arrested Hsu at St. Mary’s Hospital about 7 p.m. Thursday. Hospital officials would not say how authorities had been alerted that Hsu was there.

Brosnahan said he was “pleased and relieved” that Hsu was now being cared for at the hospital. “We will be getting him the best medical care available.”

“The strain he has been under during the last week has been enormous and, perhaps, unbearable,” Brosnahan said in a prepared statement.

On Wednesday, after Hsu failed to show up for his court hearing, Brosnahan said he was concerned about his client. But when asked whether Hsu posed a danger to himself, Brosnahan replied, “I have no basis for that speculation.”

Hsu was under armed guard at the hospital on federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office sought federal authorities’ help after Hsu failed to appear at Wednesday’s hearing to surrender his passport.

Hsu had been a fugitive for 15 years since skipping his sentencing on the grand theft conviction, transforming himself during that time into one of the Democratic Party’s more prolific donors.

The federal charges will be dropped once Hsu is returned to California to face sentencing in state court in the grand theft case, FBI spokesman Joseph Schadler said. A timetable for his return to California has not been established.

Hsu was facing up to three years in state prison and restitution payments after pleading no contest to a single count of grand theft in 1992 in what prosecutors described as a $1 million fraud scheme involving the supposed resale of latex gloves.

In fact, prosecutors said, Hsu was running a Ponzi scheme, in which early investors get returns on their money through funds that subsequent investors put in, and the later investors lose their shirts.

After he fled sentencing in San Mateo County, Hsu appears to have spent time in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan, before emerging in recent years as a New Yorker who donated generously to Democratic political campaigns, regularly attended fundraisers and was photographed with party leaders.

Hsu has given an estimated $600,000 to Democratic political campaigns since 2003, money that many candidates are now pledging to donate to charity.

Hsu surrendered to San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies last week after press accounts linked him to the grand theft case. He spent a few hours in county jail before posting $2 million bail and agreeing to relinquish his passport.

After Hsu failed to show up in court Wednesday, a judge issued a no-bail warrant for his arrest.

Chronicle correspondents Matt Bigelow and Daniel B. Honigman reported from Chicago, and staff writer John Coté reported from San Francisco. E-mail John Coté at jcote@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Review: Talib Kweli - 'Eardrum'

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 07:04:41 -0500

By Daniel B. Honigman

The Jewish golem parable is probably one of the last things you’d expect to read on DanielHonigman.com, but here goes: In late-16th century Prague, an edict commanded that all Jews in the city were to be killed. A rabbi, desperate to protect and save his people, created a golem made of clay that became so powerful it couldn’t be controlled. The golem eventually had to be destroyed.

Hip-hop is this golem. It’s 2007, and hip-hop finds itself struggling to remain relevant as a result of its overexpansion. Over the last three decades, it has become so powerful that it’s turned on itself. It’s no longer an art form. It’s no longer empowering. It isn’t even exciting.

Hard to believe, isn’t it? We may be witnessing death of a musical genre in less than half a century after its inception. Hip-hop culture may be irreparably damaged and lost forever. It, as Nasir Jones would say, is beyond saving – it’s dead.

Perhaps not. Maybe hip-hop has one more chance to survive. Maybe hip-hop has an Arnold Schwarzenegger-type Terminator as its savior that’s all that stands between the genre and complete annihilation. Or homogenization.

This bothered at least one of hip-hop’s pioneers more than a decade ago. “People have to understand what you mean when you talk about hip-hop, hip-hop means the whole culture of the movement,” <strong>Africa Bambaataa mused in a 1996 interview with celebrated hip-hop historian and commentator Davey D. Getting hip-hop back to its roots would be no easy task, he continued, but it would be a simple one to start, at least. “We need to do what brother Malcolm X, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Minister Farrakhan and many others had suggested – read books.”

If the burden of representing hip-hop culture were placed on one with the highest hip-hop I.Q., few would be more qualified for the role than Talib Kweli. If it were based on hip-hop skill, the answer, more than likely, would still be Mr. Kweli. The son of two college professors, the Brooklyn, New York native Kweli is known for his smart, earnest rhymes – after all, it is his namesake. (“Talib,” an Arabic name, means “seeker” or “student,” and “Kweli” is a Ghanaian name meaning “of truth” or “of knowledge.”)

From his Rawkus Records days with DJ Hi-Tek and Mos Def, through collaborations with, Kanye West, The Roots, Madlib, Just Blaze and others, Kweli has earned the moniker of the highly skilled, conscious rapper. He tasted some mainstream success with the West-produced “Get By,” a single off his 2002 album “Quality” (Rawkus Records) and with several appearances on the now-defunct “Dave Chappelle’s Show.” His last album on Rawkus, “The Beautiful Struggle,” however, signaled the beginning of a short slump.

Kweli then signed with Koch Records, of which rapper 50 Cent (who lists Kweli as his favorite hip-hop artist and one of his primary influences) referred to as “an artist’s graveyard” earlier this year on New York’s HOT 97 radio station. While on Koch, Kweli released “Right About Now,” a mixtape album that dangerously tiptoed the thin line separating himself from irrelevancy. The album’s one redeeming quality may be that it left many fans eagerly awaiting the next new Kweli release, still hungry from the paltry offerings on “Right About Now.”

“Eardrum,” his highly anticipated new album, if anything, has successfully pushed him back into modern hip-hop’s upper crust. (If he had ever fallen from it, really.) Originally slated for release last November off his own label Blacksmith Records (Atlantic), Eardrum was pushed back several times as he continued to record new songs and tweak the tracklist. As a result, its release date was TBD for a while, much to his fans’ chagrin, then listed as July 24 and pushed back once more after the album was leaked on the Web. Along the way, he and acclaimed producer Madlib released the well-received “Liberation” mixtape.

With “Eardrum,” Kweli’s intentions are clear from the start – he’s not looking to create club hits anymore. He’s about soulful beats and adroit, meaningful rhymes. Right off the bat, he lets us know that his latest offering was worth the wait. Instead of opening the album off with a home run, he starts with a smooth single, the Madlib-produced “Everything Man,” a tune reminiscent of “Reflection Eternal”-era Kweli.

The album continues with several strong tracks (“N.Y. Weather Report,” “Say Something”), and like hip-hop in general, Kweli seems to find himself at a crossroads. On the Just Blaze-produced “Hostile Gospel Pt. 1,” arguably the album’s best track, he laments hip-hop’s commercialization, and it’s on this track that Kweli really shines. (“I start a conversation based on general observation/Hip-hop is not a nation, take it to population/n****s got a lot to say when locked inside the belly of Satan/awaitin’ trial, debatin’ how the hell I got placed in this system/Am I a victim or just a product of indoctrination?/They exploit it and use me like a movie with product placement/You hear the congregation – this is the hostile gospel/The truth is hard to swallow, it’ll leave you scarred tomorrow.”)

“In The Mood,” produced by Chicago native Kanye West, features renowned jazz vibraphonist and acid jazz innovator Roy Ayers, successfully blends the genres, (In one of the album’s last-minute changes, West himself also adds a solid verse.)

But it isn’t until “More Or Less” that Kweli battles his hip-hop demons and offers a solution. (“More originality/less biting off ‘Pac and Big/more community activism/less pigs/more Blacksmith and Def Jux/ less Geffen and the rest ‘cause the rest suck, they got the shit all messed up”) “Electrify,” a Pete Rock-produced track on the leaked Eardrum album, unfortunately didn’t make its way to the final product. However, this is one of the album’s only missteps.

There have been several critically acclaimed rappers whose music has fallen on deaf ears. Kool G Rap, Big L, AZ, Jeru the Damaja – these are all artists for whom good reviews and a couple of bucks would get a ride on the El. Fortunately for Kweli, this album won’t fall on deaf ears, and hopefully for Kweli, critical acclaim will translate into record sales.

Kweli will be able to get on that El. The rest of us can only pray that the rest of hip-hop follows him on board.

(Originally appeared on DanielHonigman.com)

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Tidbit of the Day: Undoing Bush (Harper's Magazine)

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:18:09 -0500

Talk about a direct headline. Here's an interesting piece from the June 2007 issue ofHarper's Magazine titled "Undoing Bush: how to repair eight years of sabotage, bungling, and neglect."

(Originally posted on DanielHonigman.com)

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Funny Video: Dora the Explorer Chola

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 21:34:19 -0500

Funny video of Dora the Explorer video footage mixed with Down AKA Kilo's "Lean Like A Cholo"

Dora the ExploraChola

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HipHopDX Review: Big City - 'The City Never Sleeps'

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 11:10:58 -0500

By Daniel B. Honigman
Rating 2 (out of 5)

Beatnuts founding members Psycho Les and Al Tariq, along with Missin’ Linx member Problemz must enjoy each other’s company. It’s been almost 15 years since "Intoxicated Demons" was released and almost a decade since the three have worked under the same banner. Still, they comprise Big City and they’re embarking on something of a reunion tour.

Thing is – is anyone listening?

"The City Never Sleeps" (Nature Sounds), is Big City’s first album together. If you already like the ‘Nuts, you may be happy with this latest offering. Then again, it may just make you sad. If you’re not a fan, maybe you should check out Intoxicated Demons or "Street Level" first. Don’t get me wrong; the Beatnuts’ old swagger is still there. Les’ production skills are there, in theory. But it’s clear there’s some old dust they need to shake off, cause it is basically a shell of their former sound.

The album has a couple of redeeming joints, though. Stickem Up is an energetic track featuring an equally strong hook from the always reliable Greg Nice. In D.J. Famalam, Problemz’ lyrics catch fire in what is one of the nicest verses I’ve heard in a minute; “Act like you know the name/Caught a flat on the road to fame/Now back hitting switches/Made a detour to get some digits/On the road to the riches.” One of the album’s high points, this track is in stark contrast to the next song, Milf, which is about…well, you know. “You know I can’t wife ya/but I really like ya/and I want to pipe ya”. (‘Nuff said.)

Big horns and cowbells give Chedda a bouncy feel, making it a fairly decent club track. But there are a few missteps on this album. On Boy and Running Around, Les uses two flute loops that, instead of giving the songs momentum, make them sound stagnant. Lick Balls features a Houston-influenced, screwed-up beat. (Why they bothered with this, I have no idea.)

Junkyard JuJu was an integral part of the group’s original sound. Sorry, folks, but to leave him off "The City Never Sleeps" should make you wonder what Big City wants to accomplish – other than releasing mediocre hip-hop albums.

Personally, I would have released "The City Never Sleeps EP", cutting the tracklist in half, saving everyone half of their money – or half of their download time. Part of me likes this album, don’t get me wrong. Maybe I like the fact that the original ‘Nuts are still at it, nice to have Les and Fashion rocking together again.

You may like the album after giving it a few listens. But after a good dozen or so spins, don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching for the “Eject” button.

(This review originally appeared on HipHopDX.com)

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Cracking the Technorati 5,000

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 09:41:07 -0500

It's official. I just cracked Technorati's Top 5K blog list. Woo-hoo! This is mostly due to some viral tagging efforts and Technorati's generous backlink strategy, e.g., the Questions of the Day. If you want to increase your blog's visibility, submit one! It generally works.

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Chicago 2016 Update: Taxpayers won't be footing bill for Games, at least for now

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:27:05 -0500

Yup, I said it. Well, actually, the new money manager for the Chicago 2016 bid committee, Rick Ludwig, said it, according to a Sun-Times report.

The city and state have offered to cough up $500 million if Olympic revenues fall short, but Ludwig doesn't think they'll be tapped into.

Why? Bad accounting, of course...or is it honest accounting?

Ludwig said that if cities lose money because of the Games, it's a matter of accounting. He says the costs of permanent building projects shouldn't be included.

If he believes the city absolutely needs these changes, I understand that. But to think these changes would happen regardless of the Olympics on the same timetable, well, I think he's mistaken.

(Originally posted on DanielHonigman.com)

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Another viralink try

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:12:27 -0500

(The following Technorati Viralink scheme - fuhaha - was taken from Nostalgia Vanilla)

Everyone who owns and maintains a blog understands just how important Page Rank is! This includes your ranking in Technorati, Alexa, Google PR, SERP (Search Engine Result Page), etc. Are you happy or satisfied with your current Page Rank? (Probably not, or you wouldn't be reading this post.) If you're serious about boosting your Page Rank, then read carefully and follow these simple steps:

Instructions: 1.) Copy and paste the entire matrix of “ViralTags” below. 2.) Substitute the Host Tag and one of the “ViralTags” in the matrix with your anchor text of choice containing your blog’s URL. Please keep anchor text to a maximum of 3 words to keep the matrix size manageable. 3.) When you get a ping back from someone that has your link in one of their “ViralTags”, practice good karma by copying his/her Host Tag’s anchor text (automatically the associated link will also be copied) and paste it over one of your “ViralTags” below. 4.) Encourage and invite your readers to do the same and soon this can grow virally.

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Chicago 2016 Update: ABC 7 Chicago’s Ben Bradley also blogging on the Chicago 2016 bid

nobody@vox.com(danatmedog) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 07:11:15 -0500

Ben Bradley, the ABC 7 Chicago reporter covering the Chicago 2016 bid, is blogging about the Games!

While he doesn’t offer regular updates (the last post is from May 30) what he does offer is a bona-fide press credential. And he’s pretty candid on his blog, too. About his experiences covering the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, he writes:

The Chicago media’s attempts to secure credentials to cover the Pan Am Games may be emblematic of the problems plaguing the organizing committee: We are just five weeks away from opening ceremonies and Rio 2007 has not yet managed to issue non-rights holder credentials to members of the press seeking to cover the Pan Am Games. Typically, this purely bureaucratic task is accomplished nine months before opening ceremonies. Heck, the committee hosting the Summer Olympics in Beijing next summer have already contacted the media to begin the credentialing process.

I look forward to reading more posts from Ben. Keep it up!

(Originally posted on DanielHonigman.com)

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