TheGunsAndTheGanja

Don't Feed The Trolls!

2011-12-15T02:55:00.000-08:00

YouTube has become one of those websites I check whenever I have free time along with Facebook, Twitter and my email. Actually, YouTube was one of the first of these websites that I started checking regularly. Twitter and Facebook came after. Soon enough, I created an account where I could subscribe to my favourite channels, making it easier for me to watch newer videos. It has evolved from simply allowing users to post videos to what it is now; essentially a social network. Allowing users to comment on videos, share videos onto other social platforms and post video responses has never been seen before. The video view count can say a lot about the video you are just about to tune into.

There’s just one problem that I feel cannot be worked around, no matter how many times they change their layout or their policies. There will always, always be internet Trolls around. Troll is internet slang for someone on the web who posts or comments with unimportant, off topic and sometimes offensive material. Basically, they are the arseholes of the internet. They can strike at any moment and pounce on the vulnerable. Videos and users on YouTube are no exception too.
Most videos posted will have negative comments, but those are expected. Its right to give people an opinion, constructive on not, it’s an opinion that’s worthy of note. However, in my opinion its not right when comments are in bad form and in bad content. Time magazine wrote an article in 2006 about Web 2.0 praising it for enabling

“Community and collaboration on a scale never seen before”, but then later on says that Web 2.0
“Harnesses the stupidity of crowds as well as its wisdom. Some of the comments on YouTube make you weep for the future of humanity just for the spelling alone, never mind the obscenity and the naked hatred”.

I am intrigued by what they meant by ‘naked hatred’. When people’s social lives start to dissolve with social networking, I think they find themselves becoming more comfortable in being negative rather than finding positives out of the finer things on the web. Like how does a person negatively bring comment a 4 minute video viewing it just once?

The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph also punched in with their opinion on Youtube keyboard warriors.

“Juvenile, aggressive, misspelled, sexist, homophobic, swinging from raging at the contents of a video to providing a pointlessly detailed description followed by a LOL, YouTube comments are a hotbed of infantile debate and unashamed ignorance – with the occasional burst of wit shining through.” I don’t think you could put it any better than that.

Time Magazine – (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570810,00.html)
The Guardian – (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/nov/03/youtube-funniest-comments)

Now the Kids Know

2010-10-13T02:25:00.000-07:00

Normally sport games arent meant to educate the ones who play it religiously, certainly not those who play them online and get caught up so much in it that they feel they are actually competing for real. Thats on the brink of being just bad for you.

I dont feel thats the case with NBA 2K11 however.

NBA 2K11 is probably the most anticipated sports game ever, simply because of the inclusion of Michael Jordan, the man who changed the game of basketball forever. Its anticipated by those who were fortunate enough to watch him play from the mid 80s right up until the end of the 90s because they will have understood what it meant to play with a hero, an idol. For those maybe younger than 18 years old, the game may have less meaning.

I am 20 years old and through my father I learnt about the greats of yesteryear. If I tell him that there's something about Michael Jordan in some magazine, he'll say he's read it all before. Its true, he probably has, but I haven't. But now, what about those younger than me? When they are constantly slapped in the face with stars of today such as Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard. The media in today's sport is so intense, that you cannot get away from these players.

But that's no disrespect to today's elite players, where would we be without them? But how about asking a younger audience where would basketball be without MJ? Even today, years and years after he dominated, he's still around and he's still the benchmark. The media love to pit Kobe's achievements against MJ's, they love comparing Lebron's rise to MJ's, calling Derrick Rose 'The Second Coming' and so on. So clearly he's still around, what this latest instalment from 2K Sports does is to open the eyes of their younger audience.

When you first start up the game, it shoves you into playing a game in the 1991 NBA Finals against the Magic Johnson led Lakers. There's your first bit of history, MJ's first title and arguably best highlight/circus play. Dig deeper into the MJ's greatest moments mode and you have 10 Challenges in which you must recreate his best performances. Younger gamers will be having a hard time accepting how the hell he managed to do all of this.

The game should also squash any argument about Kobe vs MJ. For fuck sake, there is no comparison. I have enough respect for Kobe, he's the best alive now and even if he surpasses Jordan's 6 Rings, he's not there yet. Kobe Bryant never changed the game of basketball so that millions worldwide could watch it. Jordan globalised the game and the rest are all following the benchmark.

Joke Ting

2010-08-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

Not many things make me laugh anymore. I rarely laugh during films if something is funny. If theres mass word on some video thats been posted on Facebook or Youtube I probably wont find it funny.

Now, im talking about side-splitting, cant breathe, need to see it twice funny. The only real time ive done that is when im with friends, but that's why they are your friends. So whens the last time someone you've watched on TV or on your computer that's made you cry with laughter?

3 things have made me laugh over this summer and Ive seen them again when Im in a shitty mood because they are that funny. First was a stand up from American comedian Kevin Hart. I saw a clip of a show he did in Cleveland and I had to see the whole thing. Not since Katt Williams and even before that Richard Pryor have I laughed so much watching stand up comedy. Here's a clip:

I dont know what it is about this man, but he is too funny for his size. Its amazing how a man of his size can command a crowd of that size.

After seeing the whole show, I looked him up on Wikipedia (shout out to everyone's favourite reference point) I saw he was in Death at a Funeral which had a host of black comedians so this I had to see. I'll tell you, it made me laugh but the scene where Danny Glover had to lay a brick whilst Tracy Morgan struggling to help and the aftermath of it all, brilliant.

Now, the 3rd thing I watched that made me seriously 'LOL' (I saw 'lol' alot in texts and online conversations but usually when I saw 'lol' its because I have nothing else to add into that converstaion..lol) was 2009 All Star Comedy Jam presented by Cedric the Entertainer and Shaquille O'Neal. There were four comedians on the bill and every single one of them held their own. Aries Spears and Kevin Hart once again stole the show for me.

Yeah, Im asking you to support these comedians! Go buy this shit! We are running out of good, original comedians.

Jay-Z x Nike Air Force 1 'All Black Everything'

2010-08-12T04:32:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z x Nike Air Force 1

As part of the inaugural World Basketball Festival – brought together by Converse, the Jordan Brand and Nike Basketball – recording artist JAY-Z will take the stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Thursday August 12, 2010, following an on-court showcase featuring finalists for the 2010 USA Basketball World Championship Team.

In addition to his performance, JAY-Z has joined forces with Nike to create an iconic collection of Air Force Ones – the All Black Everything collection inspired by the World Basketball Festival. Nike has donated the shoes to the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation who in turn have linked up with eBay on a charity auction that begins on August 12th at www.ebay.com/jayznikewbf. Only two pairs of each of the five designs will be created, one for the winning bidder and one for the man behind the design, JAY-Z.

Gone Til November huh?

2010-07-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

Well, you kinda did expect this to be the outcome anyway, Lil Wayne shaving months off his jail time.

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne will reportedly shave off four months from his one-year jail sentence as new reports suggest he will depart Rikers Island this fall.

According to reports, Weezy F. Baby is set to come home by early November.

Lil Wayne is approximately halfway through his one-year jail sentence, which began March 8 when the superstar MC turned himself into authorities after reaching a plea deal. According to prison records accessed by MTV News, the rapper has a projected release date of November 4. Pending any violations or infractions for behavioral issues, the rapper is expected to see the light of day eight months after entering prison. (MTV)

This week, Wayne released a letter to fans detailing his daily routine behind bars.

"So I've been writing and let me be the first to tell you that the lyrics that I'm writing are... well there's no word that I can think of that properly defines them. Amazing would be too typical and perfect would be unfair. I listen to the radio sometimes, emphasis on sometimes, and I hear the new music. I like some. I applaud my Young Money family for what they're doing. As I'm not surprised. This is what we're supposed to do. Congrats to Drake and Nicki for all their recent success. Those 2 are going to have me retiring early. I love my team. Much love to Tez and Mack. I know that people are inquisitive of what I do all day, so here goes. I wake up around 11AM. Have some coffee. Call my kids, and my wonderful mother. I then shower up. Read fan mail. Have lunch. Back on the phone. Read a book or write some thoughts down. Have dinner. Phone. Pushups. Then I listen to ESPN on the radio. Read the bible, then sleep. That's my day." (Weezy Thanx You)

Lil Dez Talks South Beach With Lebron

2010-07-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Drake - Paris Morton Music

2010-07-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

"I hate calling the women bitches but the bitches love it..."

Guess Nike didnt 'Write The Future' after all...

2010-07-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

Didier Drogba - Never got past the group stages, suffered an injury before the tournament had begun.

Fabio Cannavaro - Led Italy to glory in 2006, never got past group stages in 2010.

Wayne Rooney - Failed to perform to his high standards, England were dumped out by Germany.

Franck Ribery - Another not to perform up to his usual standard of play, France, amidst team bust ups, were knocked out in the group stages.

Theo Walcott - Never even got chosen for the England squad.

Landon Donovan, Tim Howard - Knocked out by Ghana.

Ronadinho - Not even selected.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Failed to show the world of his powers that cost Real Madrid £80 Million. Knocked out by Spain.

Others, well even Roger Federer got knocked out early during Wimbledon.

So yeah, Ive kinda been waiting for them to all get knocked down thanks to Nike's great TV ad campaign which was probably aired across the globe. They did have Fabregas, Iniesta and Pique rubbishing a newspaper though, they kept silent.

Congratulations to Spain, World Cup Winners 2010.

The Rick Ross “Teflon Don” Figurine...Um okay?

2010-07-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Bad move me thinks, Fiddy will have loads of fun with this now. He can now say he has Rawss in his pocket!

LeBron James: A Broken Legacy?

2010-07-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

As Lebron walked into Akron University around early may, he was preparing to receive his second straight League Maurice Podoloff trophy. It was a hands down choice, winning an astounding amount of first place votes, no one was remotely close. Only a handful of players in the past have won back-to-back MVP trophies and the list is a who's who of the greatest players in the history of basketball; MJ, Bird, Chamberlain, Russell, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic, Moses Malone, Duncan and the most recent, Steve Nash (Its debatable Nash shouldve won the second, James was a frontrunner for the honour too that year). It was confirmed last night during Lebron James' decision program that he will be joining All Star forward Chris Bosh and the recently resigned former Finals MVP Dwyane Wade. It's not great for the NBA, heck, it's horrible for Raptors and Cavs fans especially because of the huge void Bosh and now James have left in the teams they have called home since their draft in 2003.

With this move, can Lebron James carry the name 'King' anymore? Certainly not because he isnt the King of Miami, hell no. Dwyane Wade isnt the 'King' either but he's been the face of Miami based sports for years now and that wont change anytime soon. Lebron will just be known as 'Lebron' from now on, it just doesnt bear the same meaning as it did in Cleveland. I'm going to go back talking about the greats of the game and what they had to do to win Championships. Some may have had to leave their teams in pursuit of Rings; Drexler, Shaq are among the better players who have had to do so. Whilst some, and you'll recognise a few of these names, have chosen to stay with their original teams; Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon are just some of the names. Tim Duncan has four championships under his belt and has won many individual accolades to go with it, a well known story is that during the summer of 2000, coming off winning his first NBA championship, he was a free agent. A similar free agent to how Lebron, Wade, Bosh were. The other big name that summer was Tracy McGrady, and the story goes Tim Duncan called Greg Popovich and told him that there arent any beaches in San Antonio. He was looking at the possibility of moving to Orlando. That was that and he never left San Antonio where he won 3 more championships. Tracy McGrady? Yeah, the Orlando Magic signed him and only kept him for 4 seasons, it was fruitless and he still has nothing to show for his abilities.

The point im trying to make is that is that Lebron shouldve stayed if he wanted to cement his greatness even further. Kids will still buy his Number 6 jersey and they will still try to copy his moves but the impact on who it matters most, himself, has taken a huge hit. I dont think Lebron will win any more MVP trophies, and the factor I just hate that he's let go; the chance of a rivalry with another star player. I was never around in the era of Russell/Chamberlain or Bird/Magic. This was our chance to see that happen! It couldve been Lebron/Carmelo, Lebron/Durant or the one that will have launched each other's status, Lebron/Kobe. I honestly dont think the Miami Heat can fail now, the Lakers are the biggest stumbling block and that will be a great matchup, anyone else will get stomped on. The OKC Thunder, if they keep on improving may get to the Finals one year, who knows. People will talk about "will they gel?" Of course they will fucking gel, that question should be banned from asking because from watching them play for Team USA and the All Star Games, they can play. Expect Alley-oops everywhere. Lets now usher in a new Dynasty into NBA history; Miami Heat.

"So again, the Knicks are back."

2010-07-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Those are the words from Amar'e Stoudemire as he today signed a deal rumoured to be worth around $100 Million over the next 5 years.

After watching him play for the last 8 years, I can say that we will miss his presence, there's no doubt about him but there is life after STAT. Its been a rollercoaster ride, he's been in trouble, he's shown his brilliance but after last season I think we all saw a different Amar'e, a more matured player who focused on his game. Maybe it was just the contract season boost that was lingering about, I dont know. The Knicks fans will be hard to please, they will expect success right from the get go. The last bit of success they had was when they reached the NBA Finals in 99' running into a freight-train that was the San Antonio Spurs. But take a look at the players on that roster that year, you'll recognise the tough, hard-nosed nature of them; Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby, Allan Houston, Kurt Thomas, Larry Johnson and of course Patrick Ewing. The fans have been so used to the likes of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller murdering their team, they now want that same dominance to be for them, every game.

A deciding factor was Mike D'antoni who was his coach for many years in Phoenix. He knows how to handle Stoudemire and knows how to get the most out of him, but ask Suns fans how any coach can get the best out of him; Steve Nash. NYK need a good floor general now. Wade maybe capable, Lebron maybe, but if they manage to get either Chris Paul or Tony Parker, it will work.

But, I wish him all the luck in the world. He has a opportunity to go from good to great in New York.

"Ball players, rap stars addicted to the high life"

He Came, He Saw, He Conquered...

2010-07-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z spends his 4th of July weekend in London performing as a headliner for Day 3 of the Barclaycard Wireless Festival in Hyde Park. I was lucky enough to be there for the day. Also seeing the likes of Slash and Wale perform.

As always, he killed it. I was there for his Birmingham gig and was nearer to the front. Last night I was way further behind but still felt the vibe. Being around people who probably dont embrace hip-hop as some in that crowd was a bit weird, but his music is still felt by everyone.

El Papanata Raul Albiol

2010-07-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Erm...

2010-07-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

Touching. Im sure after meetings with New York, Chicago and LA. He's still convinced that Cleveland Ohio is a great place to live in.

J. Cole Reveals 3 Tracks That Made The Cut For Debut Album

2010-07-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

Free Agency Footwear?

2010-07-05T05:51:00.000-07:00

Poll: Based on our Nike Air Max LeBron VIII mockups, where should LeBron James play next year?

Full article can be found at:

http://www.nicekicks.com/2010/07/free-agency-footwear-5-sneaker-scenarios-for-lebron-james/

Courtesy of Matt Halfhill at Nicekicks.com

Countdown to Thursday begins...

2010-07-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Every basketball fan across the globe will be anticipating Mr.James' next career move which was predicted, picked apart, analysed ever since he signed a contract extension a few seasons back. Teams have shuffled their rosters, their coaching staff, their boardroom just to make sure they at least have a slight chance of landing the NBA's biggest star. There will be debates over whether he is even that much of a prize considering fellow superstars Dywane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson (at the time of writing, he agreed to stay with the Hawks for a fuckload of cash) and Amar'e Stoudemire are free agents too. Teams who have cap space, we all know by now who they are, will try to sign Lebron because that will lead to other major decisions with the other stars and they will align shortly after, trust me. So if Lebron James does decide where to spend his next 6 years on the 8/6/2010, then expect other major moves to happen shortly after.

I personally want him to stay in Cleveland, but everyone has their view. Im a Phoenix Suns fan by the way. I wish Amar'e well in New York. Dont get it twisted though, Amar'e wont be the same without Steve Nash, if New York dont bring someone in who can get the ball to Amar'e in any way, then they are in trouble (Rumours of Chris Paul and Tony Parker possibly joining).

This pretty much summed up his 8 years playing for the Purple and Orange. Sorry Dywane, this was the dunk of the year.