X Is Known

Oh boy another vague title. Okay, let’s do this.

Well, to start off, just to get the ball rolling, I know that this blog is supposed to be about Malcolm X. To me, it could go in either two directions:

1) X discovering himself.
Or
2) His prominence in today’s society

I prefer number one, so I will commence with that one.
At this point in the book, X is educating himself and is just discovering the Nation of Islam. He says that it is the first time in his life that he had ever had an important thought. He is examining himself, society and what is real and what is not. X was blown away by the rich history of his ancestry and angered that he was blinded for so long. Islam gave him an awakening experience. It was like being reborn. It gave him a new prospective on life. He no longer felt hate towards religion. His introduction to Islam came at the right time in his life. Just as he was discovering the truth, a religion that claimed to have the whole truth was presented before him. I have not finished the book, but I can imagine that it will be about X cleaning himself up and his work with human rights. None of that would have been possible if he had never discovered himself in prison.

You know what…now that I think of it, I don’t really like the second option. Skip that guys just kidding.

X Marks The Spot

X Marks the spot. As in, that’s the goal. As in, that’s where all the ends justify the means. We are reading Malcolm X’s autobiography. It includes everything from his life. Not just all his accomplishments. It includes his messed up childhood, his hustle, his drugs, his running around with women, everything. However, I feel like he wouldn’t change a thing. He analyzes everything and sees the significance. X is aware of where he has messed up and takes full ownership. He is even thankful for some of it. Without prison, X would have never found the nation of Islam.

X marks the spot. His goals and ideology were a result of his past. What the overall “spot” is, I'm not sure. My previous knowledge tells me he aimed for a proud black race that is fully aware of themselves in the past, present, and future. That they achieve economic independence and won't allow anyone to step all over them anymore. I actually am looking forward to the rest of the book. I will probably have a better interpretation of him then.　
　
　
Soo I'm not sure if how I read this blog was totally off base. I would actually like some people's thoughts if anyone bothers to read other people's blogs AND comment them :) 

Low End Theory

I’m not sure who introduced me, where it happened, or when it was that I started listening to A Tribe Called Quest, but I’m happy I do. I am a lover of quality hip hop. Not Soulja Boy. Not Flo Rida. Anyway, A Tribe Called Quest is probably one of the best rap groups from the ‘90s, and comprised of three members: Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife, and Jarobi (I'm pretty sure he left after the first album though). It is in contrast to the hardcore gangsta rap of the time with a more laid back even jazzy style.

I try to get everyone who hasn’t already, to listen to their music. I always recommend Low End Theory because it’s my favorite and because it is a piece of art. From the smooth flow in Jazz (We’ve Got) to the playful back and forth in Check the Rhyme, The Low End Theory is the epitome of what good hip hop should be. It's not just candy garbage with no meaning or just some dude saying how great he is the whole song. They show their talent through raw tracks that didn't require a lot of editing or that thing T-Pain uses. I can never get tired of listening to them.

Above are just a few of the songs off the album. Enjoy.

I know this means something...

I know this means something…you are quite the sly one Mr. McCarthy with your ambiguous blog titles. Of course this has some deep, philosophical meaning that I have yet to tap in to. I will figure it out just watch.

Or…is there even anything to figure out? Do we try too hard to find a meaning? Does everything have to have some kind of meaning or can it just be? What if there is no underlying meaning? What if it is just as is…Is there such a thing?

Most words have different meanings. Situations are different to every person. Perspective is purely subjective. There is not a single meaning that this blog could have. It could be everything at once.


BAM! Nailed it.

Thee Ultimate Recipe D:

Thee ultimate recipe…hmmm...I don’t know if I have any recipe that I can consider “ultimate.” I do not really have any recipes or anything written down. I usually just cook. Well, I made my little sister some good pancakes this morning, so I will tell you how I made those. They weren’t from scratch, so it is not that impressive.

I’ll skip the obvious pouring and mixing of water into the pancake batter because that does not need any further detail. It is important to get the right consistency though. If it is too watery or too thick, the pancakes won’t come out well on the pan. Also before pouring the batter onto the pan, make sure it has butter on there to prevent sticking.

Okay, so you have your batter and your oiled pan. I like to put chopped nuts in my pancakes (if you laughed because I said nuts shut your face). All you have to do is add them straight into the batter. I also like to put strawberries as a topping instead of syrup, so then you have to wash and cut them.

When pouring pancakes, my little sister always makes the mistake of moving the bowl around to make a circle. That’s wrong. Just keep pouring in one spot and the batter will disperse. Wait until the edges of the pancake look almost done and then flip.

TADA! That is one good pancake. Repeat several times until you’re done.