The SnapClap

We got the them semi automatics
we got them revolvers
we them [people] you should get at
if you got a problem
when them hollow tips hit ‘em
man thats just somthing
we got them Lugers them Rugers them M1’s
and they’re all for sale.
- A Teem featuring 50 Cent
  ”Guns for Sale”

How many of ya’ll saw Chris Rock’s last HBO special?  It was classic Chris Rock, one of his best routines ever.  He killed.  It was especially funny to me, because Rock’s comedic observations are pointed, witty and smart.  One of his observations was about censorship and the role of the media in America and how it relates to black folks.  He said, a white man makes guns, makes a ton of money, cool.  A Black man says ‘gun’ in a rap song; and there’s a congressional hearing.

Yeah, it’s funny; funny ’cause there’s truth to it.  At any rate, the other day I was watching FutureWeapons on the Discovery channel.  This show is pretty ill.  I mean, I’m a techie type cat so I’m always interested in learning about the newest technological weaponry and such.  I used to read popular mechanics from time to time (I stopped reading Pop Mechanics after they had this article talking about America’s superior technological advantages in weaponry etc; I felt like the article was straight propaganda, you know?) needless to say I’m somewhat interested in this stuff. 

But then, it hit me.  This show, which is hosted by a former Navy Seal, displays real, actual guns and weaponry.  This dude be lettin’ off with all types of gats.  Stuff that’s not even out yet.  He’s shooting armor piercing slugs; he’s shooting the most accurate sniper rifle ever made.  I mean this guy is really lettin’ off real rounds, you know? Check this clip out.  He’s shootin’ target dummies with helmets and Kevlar vests; rather he’s shooting THROUGH helmets and Kevlar!

Meanwhile, the guns and violence in music videos is censored.  Now, I’m not suggesting, that the marijuana leaf emblem on Dr.Dre’s hat should NOT be censored.  But what I am saying is that, it’s odd that the hyper reality in music videos is censored, but the actual violence of shows like Futureweapons is NOT censored. 

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the army spent about 1.4 billion on advertising in 2006. (YES, . .1.4 BILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!) I’m sorry but WTF!

This is like straight propaganda.  Word UP.  There’s no other way to say it.  We live in an environment where the media outlets choose what we see and do not see and I refuse to think that they have my best interest at heart.  Hell NO!

They want me to fear black men; they want me to think that black men are violent, that I need to be protected from them; that I need to lock my car doors when I’m driving through Bed Stuy.  SO, they capitalize on imagery and paint this evil picture.  They create a specter and apparition of super bad blackness that needs to be censored.  Meanwhile, . .we’ll inundate you with freaking Army commercials between the videos.  Commercials which clearly and plainly show guns and military weaponry which are utilized to kill actual people right now! WAAAY more people than ice cube ever even THOUGHT about killing in one of his songs.  YET AND STILL, . Ice Cube’s album Amerikka’s Most Wanted has a Parental Advisor Sticker on it.  We need parental advisory stickers on these damn Army Commercials!  (WARNING, THESE DOD FOOLS DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU AND WILL FLY ACCROSS THE GLOBE TO KILL PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE YOU AND THEN THEY’LL ABONDON YOU WHEN YOU COME BACK TO THE STATES INJURED)

Now look I’m not saying don’t support troops and that you should absolutely NOT go into the military.  I’m just saying don’t it seem odd that they spend 1.4 billion to get you to join?  How many other countries spend anything near that amount to recruit soldiers?  C’mon the Army has a damn NASCAR team; WTF is that all about.  Aren’t you appalled by that?  Young men and women are dying for a cause that’s as noble as king cake, and the ARMY has a freaking NASCAR team!!  WHY do they have a NASCAR team?  ’Cause NASCAR is a great way to show American pride and support the troops,. . NO!  Because NSACAR is REAL popular with Bible belt folks in the south that make a big portion of recruits, right? 
 
So basically, it’s ok to glorify violence if it’s in the right hands.  Violence is ok, it just depends on who you bought it from.  So long as its not one of those dangerous African American rappers who kill so many people, we can have all the violence we want.  They might as well put pictures of guns on the side of the US ARMY NASCAR team cars, that would be cool, right?  We can show actual real live deaths and broadcast political puffery amid ’shock and awe’ campaigns but I’ll be damned if Dr. Dre says the word weed, let alone smoke it.  That’s just nonsense, man.  We think we’re so free, we ain’t free.  We’re sleeping, dreaming that we’re free.  When are we gonna wake up?

Then again, maybe I’m just bugging; “honey, lock your doors, there seem to be alot of rappers around here.”

(Oh and by the way, a message to O’Shea Jackson: Stay True to the Game.)

Major League Baseball’s all time Hit king, Pete “Charlie Hustle” Rose just admitted to betting on the Cincinnati Reds every single night they played while he was manager. Of course he admitted that he gambled in his 2004 autobiography, but I’m not sure that we knew of the magnitude of Charlie Hustle’s gambling habits. Needless to say, Rose was banned amid speculation of gambling by MLB, 15 years ago. Since then, Rose has been able to participate in only TWO MLB events, just two. He has not been eligible for the Hall; he hasn’t had his jersey retired, and he is banned from participating in any on or off the field MLB activities. Of course, Rose did lie about gambling for like 12 or 13 years, but at the end of the day, he admitted his faults. He’s admitted his mistake, and apologized. Clearly, Rose is NOT doing himself a favor by reiterating the depth of his previous gambling habits on Dan Patrick’s ESPN radio show; and I must admin I winced as a read the article about it.  

BUT, Rose has been banned for 15 years. 15 YEARS. I honestly know dudes that have done WAY worse and been incarcerated for far less. Now, I’m not trying to equate incarceration with a lifetime MLB ban, but, . .wait a minute? I AM equating a lifetime MLB ban to incarceration. C’mon, think about it. This man gave his life to MLB. He’s freaking Charlie Hustle for Pete’s sake (pun intended, of course) No one has more hits, no one has more heart; this guy used to slide HEAD FIRST. . . C’MON MAN. . . his name says it all Charlie Hustle, PERIOD. Rose was rookie of the year in 1963, he has three World Series Rings, three batting titles, an MVP, two Gold Gloves and made 17 all star appearances at a record FIVE DIFFERENT positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B and 1B)

Now, he can do no more than watch a game on TV, like any other average Joe; locked out of that part of his life forever. That’s just so unfair. How much money did the owners make off of Charlie Hustle’s Back. How much did major league baseball make off of Charlie Hustle? You know what I mean?

I will say this much, Rose hit the nail on the head when he spoke about the sports writers and media and their apparent shunning of Mark McGuire for the Hall of Fame as a result of allegations of performance enhancing drugs. Big Mac, like Bonds after him and Rose before him; gave it all to the game; and appears to be getting shafted in return. At least with Bonds and Big Mac, they’ve got millions of dollars to retire on. I might shed a tear ‘cause they’re not in the Hall and they deserve it, but admittedly it’s a little tongue-in-cheek. But, I’m not sure if Rose was able to capitalize on the huge contracts endemic to professional sports these days. So where does that leave him? A has been. Charlie Hustle, the has been, his legacy to professional baseball a mere memory, while the league and its ownership continue to cash in.

I guess at the end of the day, I can’t really feel that bad for Pete Rose, at least he had a chance, right? He had a bite at the apple. I guess I’m really writing this, or what I’m really getting at is, if they do this to Charlie Hustle, what’ll they do to me and you. Just average Joes, you know? I ain’t even really get a bite at the apple, know what I’m saying? It’s kinda like what I was saying about Britney Spears. She was beloved, and then the media monsters, just turned on her, you know?

People are so unforgiving, they want you to give it all, and give you nothing in return. You better watch out at your job kid, you might get “Charlie Hustled” you know? Get a lifetime ban from working at IBM, son.

By the way, my blog is not Cooperstown, but for whatever its worth here are the highlights of Pete Roses MLB Career:

• Major League records:
o Most career hits – 4,256
o Most career games played – 3,562
o Most career at bats – 14,053
o Most career singles – 3,315
o Most career total bases by a switch hitter – 5,752
o Most seasons of 200 or more hits – 10
o Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more hits – 23
o Most consecutive seasons with 600 or more at bats – 13 (1968-1980)
o Most seasons with 600 at bats – 17
o Most seasons with 150 or more games played – 17
o Most seasons with 100 or more games played – 23
o Record for playing in the most winning games – 1,972
• Only player in major league history to play more than 500 games at five different positions – 1B (939), LF (671), 3B (634), 2B (628), RF (595)
• National League records:
o Most years played – 24
o Most consecutive years played – 24
o Most career runs – 2,165
o Most career doubles – 746
o Most career games with 5 or more hits – 10
o Modern (post-1900) record for longest consecutive game hitting streak – 44
o Modern record for most consecutive hitting streaks of 20 or more games – 7
• NL MVP Award (1973)
• NL Rookie of the Year Award (1963)
• 17 All-Star selections
• Three World Series rings (1975, 1976, 1980)
• World Series MVP Award (1975)
• Two Gold Glove Awards (1969 and 1970, both as an outfielder)
• Roberto Clemente Award (1976)
• The Sporting News Player of the Year (1968)
• The Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (1985)
• The Sporting News Player of the Decade (1970s)