Armored Core: The Most Bogus Series on the Planet; and other Updates

I've made it a habit of conquering some of the hardest games there have ever been. Among them have been Megaman games, Castlevania games, The Red Star, and several others that have been known to be near impossible. However, there is a type of game and crowd that I despise. It's something I call the Fraternity genre. This is a genre of games that are absolutely unbeatable without finding a needle-in-the-haystack glitch, or item that allows the game to be played. In games like these, those who stumble upon it, are so proud of themselves that they keep it as a hush secret amongst themselves, and enjoy watching newcomers give up one by one. Armored Core is such a series.

 I had the privilege of first experiencing this game around the age of 13 at a good friend's house, as we used to play games almost every day after school. In fact, he was an undercover tech head. He was into extremely sophisticated and complex games, usually revolving around military combat and espionage. I was drawn in slowly to the games, and I recall a few vividly as I watched him control and play a completely convoluted HUD, navigating through ambiguous missions effortlessly in these games. I was awe struck. I didn't really get into them myself until years later, when he was long gone. He sort of planted the seed. Armored Core was one of those games. The others were games like Space Griffon VF9, and some other game possibly Urban Strike related. When I got my Sega Saturn, I was a freshman in High School. It was 1998. That was some of the last times that me and my friend hung out. I believe we lost contact during the 10th grade. He was in high school in the Bronx, where I lived, but I was commuting to another school, so we hung out after school, which is still shocking because he lived pretty far from me. I remember having very fun memories of playing some games that were right up his alley, being that he groomed me into the genre. The same way he showed me and played Armored Core, I introduced him to Soviet Strike and Crusader: No Remorse, both of which really impressed him. I also brought a funny game over that I really loved starring the hated Kirk Cameron- The Horde. We both memorized the lines from that. I loved those days.

 When I got my own PS2 several years later, Armored Core  was one of the games I purchased immediately just off of nostalgia. I didn't really play it that time around. I didn't have the PS2 for long. In fact, looking back, I don't know why. I had a pretty good library. I had Final Fantasy 10, Hajime No Ippo, Armored Core, NBA Street, and King of Fighters. I think I traded for my Dreamcast, which I still have if I'm not mistaken. When I got my PSP at launch in 2005, not long after, I saw articles showing previews of an Armored Core game coming out. This was when Sony reared the beginnings of their atrocious advertising. The game was depicted like a mech simulator that was based off of Armored Core, with really good looking graphics, where you don't directly control your mech, but set it up to fight in an automated battle. Because of that misinformation, I declined to purchase it at first. It wasn't until later that I purchased a copy of Armored Core Last Raven for my PSP Go.

 I had it on tab to play later, as I was finishing games like Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, Prinny, and Killzone. All of those games were ridiculously hard, as you would know if you are a gaming enthusiast. I didn't get into Armored Core until a few years ago actually. I started the campaign, and then took a break. The controls are very unique for the PSP, as I heard, but I got used to them pretty quick. Building the mech is where the learning curve is. The thing is that you can't keep your mech exactly the same, yet you must maintain your overall ability to take on the harder stages towards the end. It's like a rubik's cube, which I was good at, then bad at in the past. First off, when I found out that Armored Core was a full on port, I was amazed that such a huge game was on the PSP. I've had to get used to the jargon of parts names, ammunition, and weapon types, and statistical  modifications of the Armored Core universe. Online, whenever I looked for help with the game, I would meed a message board of players who sound like a room of Brain Surgeons discussing breakthrough procedures. It's like staring at a floating island. There's no way on. I've done coding somewhat- also known as computer programming, and studied some of Stanford's courses, as well as online tutorials. I know frustration. There is nothing like pining sheets of code looking for the command error causing a program to crash or freeze. Yet, this game is somehow worse.

 Just when I thought I had the gist of the game, the complexity seemed to lose me again. The game has a AI system that adjusts to not only how you play, but the construction of you mech, making already difficult battles, just about impossible. When I looked online, I noticed that all Armored Core games have mechs that zip around the screen, and fire insanely powerful weapons non-stop at the enemy, all while staying airborne. You have no idea how difficult that is to do schematically. It's not the controls that are an issue. It's the limitations of the parts. Most of the advanced parts have to be found in the corners of stages in the game. Many are useless, or won't be found without being told where to look. The standard parts just don't get good enough to compete with the middle to late levels. It just leaves me wondering where the players who beat this game are getting the parts they have that allow them to fly constantly, have a huge sight scope, and move like flies around the level. Often, CPU enemies will do that, and I feel like my character is in the wrong game. Then, I remember that it's a fraternity game. Armored Core let's you carry over mech data throughout the series. If you just got on board, you're way behind in that regard.

 I hate, and covet fraternity games to a degree. Part of me likes the fact that games exist that only few can hang with. I enjoy it once I'm in. However, I loath having to learn something that I would never know on my own, in order to get by.


  Anyway on another note, my job is breaking me down mentally and physically. I actually almost fell asleep on the road today. It was a surreal moment waking up at the gas station. I went in and out of consciousness so many times on the road, I forgot I made it to the station, and was shocked when I woke up. I've been forgetting a lot lately due to overworking myself on these jobs. We'll see what happens. I've been working on some musical and art projects. I have a lot of ideas, and new techniques I want to employ musically and artistically. Much inspiration has come from my buddy Dave Chisholm's album Calligraphy. I've also been working on trying to complete some of these games that have. I'm the kind of person that refuses not to enjoy life. I don't care what work or trials come my way- I will make the most of what's in front of me. I just always hated to be that person that collects things that I never use. It bothers me to let books sit and collect on my shelves, ideas and notes remain in my logs or draft sheets, music to be left unfinished in my folders, and games to be piled up that I always wanted to play, but didn't. I'm continuing the Coming of Age project, which I've sort of decided will be accompanied by an album, which is really sounding good right now. However, with all that's going on, it is holding it up. I'll be updating soon.

Caitlyn and Cosby

I just have to speak on the reactions I'm seeing towards Caitlyn Jenner, after receiving the ESPY award for Courage.

The sad thing is that he is revealing what is growing from an undertone in America and the world, to a loud cry. Look at how embraced he is and was, even before this award. Look on the internet, and look at the shift in transgender and "alternative" preference in the last few years. If you just look around carefully, you can see this has been shifting for some time, and now with the change in laws, and Bruce stepping forward, that was an adrenaline shot that is speeding it all up. I've personally caught a few men I know, who swear they are straight, talking about how attracted they are to Caitlyn. I think that there are a large number of undercover, or in-between people, that are going to be surfacing as the climate becomes more favorable. What is considered normal and straight has been broadening for a while now.

The whole crowd rose to their feet and America embraces and loves not only Caitlyn, but anything besides what was once normal. It's almost as if they have tired of doing things according to their original intentions, and praise any who defy. I keep thinking about the discussion I had with someone when they said one day, being what was once normal will have YOU discriminated against. You already know how I feel about this, as I've written about it several times now. But just seeing how confused people are is amazing. Caitlyn says she still likes women. Apparently, she kept some of her male parts from what I've heard. She also retains Bruce's voice. People don't realize they are applauding and calling courageous, what is merely mischievous confusion. He lived the life of an alpha-male. He had and raised 6 children. He hung with his male friends of many decades regularly, and did everything normal fathers do. And he's stating that he didn't mean any of that. As far as being with women, he is now putting Lesbians in a position where if they choose to be with him, it draws into question what exactly drove them down the path of an alternative lifestyle in the first place. There are so many holes in what is now a lifestyle respected as a race, that it is ridiculous. I'm actually interested to see how it plays out with her, because I feel that she will get more pressure and response from men than she will women. I already said earlier to prepare yourself to hear that she likes men eventually. I see a rollercoaster coming, already started off with the fatal car accident that she caused. There has been an underground growth in so-called straight men lusting for shemales. There was a documentary years ago called, "Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes." Several homosexual males and transgenders were interviewed and said that many high level stars frequently sought them out. At the time, it was ignored as nonsense, but now it's becoming clear how real that was. Look at the news reports surfacing lately about stars like Travolta making advances towards a number of males, or some of our favorite child stars being suddenly on the fence sexually or on the other side completely.

Whenever you see people who live what you are being trained to call normal, doing sick acts, it's another side of that coin. Even heterosexuals like Bill Cosby. He iss apparently a womanizer, but society praises that any other time. It's praised all the way up until something goes wrong. That's today's thinking. I had a friend who used to berate me for being a religious and principled guy, saying that when I mature, I'll see how I'm supposed to be- a womanizer. He said it all the way up until his nasty divorce, where his whole life was turned upside down. Try to think about consequences. Cosby's case isn't that isolated. Don't let the the allegations fool you. These women consented to what was a womanizer. What he was doing was wrong, but it is also common. That fact is blighted by the fact that the story is painted as him dominating, and raping dozens of women, which is insanely stupid. One of the victims said she had an affair with him for several years, when suddenly, he raped her. Put that together if you can. It's like me and a coworker said, if YOU, I, or the president had a truckload of sedatives, there is no way in the world any of us would be able to walk around town and scoop up hundreds of women and use the drugs to rape each of them without any consent. People so easily forget how many levels and stages there are to human interaction. The fact that the story is starting to hold up is amazing.

We've all heard of the "Date Rape" drug. You know that to use it, you have to be in a situation where the female is already around you. The predator also has to time his actions and have a plan. Not that Cosby is incapable of that. The thing about it is all of this going unnoticed initially. He is said to have paid women to keep his affairs silent. What this comes down to is money. These were mistresses. The way the media spins it is as if you can walk into a restaurant and use the drug to slip out with someone's wife, with no one noticing, and no consent. The drugs aren't that magical. The most common date rape drug agent is alcohol. By definition, any drug can be considered one. The rape takes place when an incapacitated person is assaulted. The truth is that there is always so much room for accusation. But thus far, there have been no accomplices named in the Cosby case. Being the celebrity he is, he was said to have taken these women to his private quarters during these occasions. The fact we can't ignore is that these women entered into intimate settings with him. If a girl doesn't like a guy at all in that way, she usually won't enter into a date like setting, and if she does drink with him, there will usually be others around. I doubt he carried lifeless bodies away from a crowded room. Some of this would be plausible with an average person, but the fact remains that he was a high profile individual doing this. The odds are that they were in one-on-one settings where he was allowed to give them the drug. Suddenly, decades later, each victim now speaks. They may be victims in a sense, but they each had more of a hand in it than they are saying.

From what I've heard, Cosby had to use the drug to get sex because females weren't that physically attracted to him. He would talk to them, and they would be into him somewhat, but from what I heard, they themselves would on occasion, choose to use the drug to tolerate having sex with him. I don't know how true that is, but I do believe at least some of these women had to be interested in him in some way for all of this to go down. In the end, he is a disgusting womanizer, and adulterer who is now seen as such. But he also represents, in a sick way, the American male ideal. The scary thing is that people don't notice.

Sports Update

In the world of sports, I've been loosely watching the Summer League of NBA, and the Knick acquisitions performing. I actually will be eager to see how this upcoming season plays out. This past weekend was one of the few joys in Fight weeks I've had in a while. With all of the upsets, it was good to see my boys pull through. Connor McGregor, Keith Thurman, and Robbie Lawler all delivered in their performances, in spectacular fashion.

 Robbie Lawler was defending his new title, and silencing any who doubted him still. He was facing a game  opponent in Rory MacDonald.  The fight started very methodically, and was called dull in the start, when it wasn't. Chess escapes fools. It ended with fireworks, and Robbie KO'ing Rory after some explosive standup, having been rocked himself at one point. I like the wrinkles Robbie has added to his game with very smooth boxing, and level changing. His takedown defense is getting even better. Not only does he stuff the takedowns, he makes you pay dearly with counters in the process.

 Keith Thurman has been under the microscope as a potential Mayweather opponent for a while, especially after his several rants calling Floyd out. I wasn't a fan of the matchup myself, but Keith id definitely improving. I didn't like how slow and defenseless he looked in his last fight with Robert Guerrero, who hurt him late in that fight. In this fight, he faced a small looking Luis Collazo. At first, it seemed like a mismatch. Collazo starts slow, and waits to explode. When Collazo lets his hands go, you can see why he stopped a game Ortiz and Berto. He has hard, relentless shots, and a very hard chin. Keith actually stepped his game up. His defense was excellent, and he really didn't take clean shots upstairs. It wasn't until the 5th that we saw him in trouble. He took the kind of liver shot that stopped De La Hoya, and would have stopped most people. How he stayed up is beyond me, but his defense afterward, recovery, and offensive wizardry, really impressed me. He survived the round, then came out and controlled the very next round, leading to a corner stoppage. He apparently had a wrist injury. Like Teddy Atlas said, I didn't see explosive power there much, which could be due to the wrist, but as far as technique, I definitely see an argument for a Mayweather fight there. It would be interesting, but I would rather he fight Khan first. That fight, at this point would be good.

  Lastly, I have to mention the greatest magic of them all- my boy Connor. Connor McGregor is a great warrior. He is living proof that belief takes you far. And not blind belief. I mean drive. Ever since he was in Ireland, he as known he would be champion. With all of the tests in front of him, it's hard to see a way for him to dominate like he promises each time, and yet he always has. When he was set to face Aldo, I felt that he might fade and crumble in that fight. Aldo pulled out due to rib injury, and was replaced by Chad Mendes. I honestly felt that Chad was the tougher fight for Connor, and I still do. Chad hurt and tested Aldo in both of their fights, and has the added wrinkle of being a great wrestler. That's a recipe for a Connor nightmare. Yet, Connor says he has no worries, and promises to cut Chad in half, and the first thing I say to myself is, "How the heck is he going to do that?" Chad is a complete fighter who will test even the greatest and most perfect fighter, if not destroy them. But Connor is special. Just watching his media workouts, I was blown away. He isn't just talk. He takes it back to the very basics of martial arts and technique. He has polished his movement and strikes in such a way, you just don't see that anymore from most fighters. The kind of perfect kicks and punches and just the right time, that most fighters dream of throwing, Connor can throw at will, anytime, perfectly, in rapid succession if need be. He has taken it back to what it truly means to master technique, not just learn it. I was shouting and on my feet watching some of the back kick counter combos he was putting together at the workout. All of that artistry went completely over the heads of the viewers, who didn't know what they were seeing, so resorted to talking about girlfriends in the background. I knew that it was what made him amazing.

  When Connor started the fight, his standup was on display immediately. Not since Jon Jones have you seen a fighter who's timing and striking is amazing at every moment till Connor. Carlos Condit and Josh Thompson are up there, but Jon and Connor are in a class themselves in how majestic they execute. When it was looking bad, Chad resorted to his takedown game, which I thought would be a problem for Connor. He got the takedowns, and went for elbows, and grinding. I was worried that would be it. Connor showed that he can maintain control, even from bottom position, and also took some nasty shots very well. He was taken down a few times, and always found a way to stand. His striking was so amazing that he still seemed to edge the rounds. Then in the 3rd round, when Chad got another takedown, it seemed that he would grind to some kind of finish, but Connor found a way to stand again, and delivered a decisive straight that leveled Chad and ended the fight. It was the kind of amazing that Connor promised and always delivers. When he got the belt, he was in tears. I don't know if Aldo has what it takes. Connor McGregor is everything I told people he would be.

Then and Now

  With the recent, and tragic loss of Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata, I really had a very nostalgic day earlier this week, just thinking about the changes in eras that have happened from the mid 90's to 2002, when the former president of Nintendo- Yamauchi resigned, to 2005, when he completely stepped down from consultant, to 2008-2009, where there was a total change in the fabric of society with the takeover of social media and smartphones, up to today, in 2015, where the world has undergone such radical moral changes in the past few years. It's all so overwhelming, and while I was thinking about my childhood, and the video game memories attached, I couldn't ignore how in sync it was with changes in the world. It's amazing to contemplate. There are a few throwback pics here.

   I think that the loss of Iwata is tragic, and I remember when he took the position. I find it odd that there is a bigger outcry over his death than the death of Yamauchi. If anything, much of the memories that made Nintendo great, are attributed to Iwata instead of Yamauchi by the public, which is wrong. I remember those transitions very well, and Nintendo made a steep down turn when Yamauchi completely stepped down. The difference is tangible enough to cut a knife through. I have to touch on that briefly. I remember growing up, I was raised in a Sega household. We had the Master System starting off. My brother gave it to me when he went to college in 93' I believe. I didn't become obsessed with it right away. I had some memories of trying to beat Zanoni, or whatever the boss' name was in Astro Warrior. It was when the power cable broke, and my parents forced me to throw the system out, that I really started loving it. We would later own Genesis years later, but I immediately took to Nintendo in the mid 90's. I remember getting my mother to buy me a Gameboy with Fifa 96'. I played the crap out of that game. She later got me Street Fighter 2, which I played incessantly. I went on to buy Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Turtles, Iron Man, and a few others over time. I followed Nintendo faithfully, getting SNES when I got enough money, and Nintendo 64. I still have my  Gamecube. However, for years, I watched companies rival Nintendo's handhelds with impressive specs like GameGear, Lynx, Game Com, N-Gage, etc. They all fell in defeat due to Nintendo's support. I was okay with it at first.

   Then, I was in High school, when the Gameboy Advance launched. We fell in love with it. Me and my friends played so many classic titles on that system, and loved it even more, when the backlit SP version was released. That was one of my favorite systems of all time. I still remember Kingdom Hearts being the last game I beat on it. When president Yamauchi stepped down as president, it was 2002. I was a junior in High school. Immediately, I was worried. The Gameboy Advance, and the Gamecube had just launched in 2001, and showed so much promise. We were further worried, when we heard Iwata talking about the changes the company would be making. In fact, there were already discussions about the new Nintendo Handheld that would use 2 screens. I was annoyed, being that I was in love with what I was already playing. I was glad to hear Yamauchi announce that he would stay on as a consultant. That was probably one of the most powerful moves in gaming history, and many don't get that. By doing that, he pushed back some of those radical changes, and kept the quality of games very high until the mid 2000's. The Gamecube had a stellar library, and I will probably never sell my unit. I still love playing Smash Brothers Melee, as it holds so many memories of a golden era I had hanging with friends and bonding over it.

   Iwata gets a lot of credit for many of the legendary releases such as Metroid Prime, Melee, Zelda: Wind Waker, Mario Kart, Mario Sunshine, etc; being that he was president at the time, but if you pay attention, you can see that Yamauchi was probably the main catalyst. After he completely stepped down in 2005, you can see a sharp turn in the company, and the quality of titles change completely. I'm pretty sure he didn't put the idea of the Nintendo DS out there himself. He no doubt backed it, as a consultant, but what it became is not what he would have intended. The balance of titles was lost somewhat. Now don't get me wrong, the DS had titles that I liked as well, such as Trauma Center, Nanostray, Hoshigami and Metroid Prime: Hunters. DS launched in the US before Japan, which in itself speaks volumes about the companies change in direction. I remember hearing the American CEO of Nintendo at the time, talk about the changes that were coming, with this possessed look in his eyes. Almost none of it sounded good. But, if you look at the library on the DS, you notice the same pattern. All of the great titles that kept the system relevant, were either released, or in development by the time Yamauchi stepped down. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see the correlation.

  When the DS launched, I noticed something else that changed. Their marketing approach, and fidelity. Nintendo was the company for years that was the honest Bob. They told you what you were getting, delivered, and sucked you in with their consistency and support. However, in the campaign leading up to launch, they promised games, and graphical prowess that were lies, to sell over the competition of the Sony PSP. That was when things changed for me. I tried to convince myself to get a DS, but something didn't feel right. Then I saw the crappy launch titles, and wondered why they kept showing pictures of these Sonic games that wouldn't come out for years. They knew they had the inferior hardware, and they were trying to hoodwink the public. I didn't bite. I chose to trust Sony. I knew that no opponent of Nintendo ever succeeded in the handheld market, but something felt different. The rest is history. I never really enjoyed a Nintendo Handheld again. I had a DS at one point, and even a 3DS, but it never delivered. The only reason they succeed is because of the enormous revenue of Nintendo, and the ignorance of the public, who figure quality handhelds have to be Nintendo, and think the PSP is an unsupported Playstation 1 ripoff.

   It's amazing to think that all of that occurred in an era of no social media. I read game magazines, and went to my local game store, researching everything. Back then, I used the internet to play games sometimes, or go to art galleries. I hardly stayed on the computer at that time. Isn't it amazing to think that we've gone from that to now, where 80 year olds are attached to their phones and networking sites. No one can get off of the computer. It's used more than it ever was, because now there is a constant excuse for it. In fact, life has almost left outside, and retreated into the computer, where you must go to find it these days. It's amazing. I always loved to create and write, but I never imagined back then, putting any stock into writing blogs, and running sites like this. What a change in culture.


 The other day, I was sitting down, scrolling through the channels when I came across "Bulletproof Monk." I started to turn away, and then eventually turned back, and watched it. That came out in 2003, and there was something so emotional about seeing a movie from the later stages of an era that held some of the last innocence. I was sitting and thinking about what I was doing at that time. I was graduating from High school, pursuing spiritual goals, and transitioning into adulthood. During those years from 2002 - 2005, I really had a golden era. I got a lot of encouragement physically, and spiritually from the group of friends I hung around. I remember having deep talks with a friend at the time about the days to come, and being so optimistic about things, just from being able to discuss all of that with friends. When I graduated secondary school in 2005, I felt reborn again, but during those years, a lot of that support was waning. Friends were either beginning to leave or changing. It didn't happen right away. We hung out, and had fun for a while. Then by 2008, they were mostly gone, and so much began to crowd in on me. And the lack of that group of friends and constant support stunned me. I eventually drifted into chaos myself. In fact 2008 was a historic year, because I did so freaking much in that year I still can't believe it, from art, to sports, to music, etc. I can't believe how much I crammed into that year, and how many highs and lows I hit as well. I went through a lot of growth then.

   I remember, during that time, having time to do a whole lot of self analysis, and the solitude was actually rejuvenating. I joined the Shenmue initiative in early 2009, and found a new thing to do in that. I did alot that year too. Barack became president, and more radical change was to come. It was late in that year that I had for the first time in almost 5 years, another mentor/friend who helped me a lot. When I was getting myself together, my friend Andy, who studied with me, really got me back into shape mentally. That's the last time I can remember having a friend who leveled with me, and stepped all the way into my life. He was firm, yet compassionate. And I'm the kind of guy who gives results like that. Once I have your trust, I'm like a pit bull- loyal. He had me on point. My whole study habit and behavior was refined hanging with him, and I still marvel at that to this day. Friendship is something you can't force. And there's no getting around the fact that friends share common interests in the plural sense. Those are just things that I haven't had in so long, I forgot how they feel. I've had associates from time to time, but even when they seem like they're close to friend material, they reveal in some way, that they want anything but that. It's just a different world. People are guarded, and not expressive like we were back then. I remember my friend Solomon who I met through my friend JP. I didn't hang around him for a bunch of years, but he was like a brother almost right away. There's that thing that clicks when you're around someone who just gets you, and who you get. I used to let him drive my car while I ate in the passenger seat, when we went to Taco Bell after football practice. I never do anything like that, but with him, I just did. I miss having that, and I think this is just a world that isn't designed to hold it.

  That's what these recent events made me think about. So much has changed over the last decade. So much. I was playing some old Nintendo games and telling a youngster what he missed, and it's so amazing to think about it all. That's why hearing a breath of fresh air like the Soul singer- Leon Bridges is so good. I honestly never thought music would ever go there again. To me, it seems like a territory that holds no profit or interest to the public. I felt that for someone to do that, it would have to be for love, and at great cost. He sounds like the rebirth of Sam Cooke, and has fresh material that seems like it was pulled from a lost era. I can't get enough of his new album- "Coming Home."Things like that make me feel like there is still more to do.

New Concepts

This is some concept art I'm working on right now. I've been really stagnant lately, and haven't been finishing ideas. I want to get back on my guitar, and get my theory solidified.

Frogs Boiling in Water

I have to speak on a couple of different things, and if you can grasp them, you can distinguish yourself from the billions of frogs boiling in water right now.

Just today, there was a ruling that few saw coming, in gay marriage rights being established. The other topic is an older one in the reviewed fight footage of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao matchup from May 2nd. I'll start with the fight.

 For the last almost 2 months, there has been an enormous clash on the internet over the validity of Floyd's victory in the fight, amidst his being under investigation for judge tampering for years. Shortly after the fight on May 2nd, I made a couple of posts with mixed feelings about the result, and posted them here, as well as on Youtube, Facebook, etc. I rewatched and analyzed the fight, to clarify my opinion, and found that as I did round-for-round scoring, I was unable to give Mayweather more than 6 rounds. I also noticed that the numbers they had for Compubox looked way off. This is before the fight was reviewed in Europe by a panel of officials, where my suspicions were echoed. Bob Arum then went on a couple of interviews where he stated this, and was flamed by the public. I saw it as a breath of fresh air, due to the fact that when I see everyone saying something that I know for a fact doesn't fit, I question them, not myself. Most are not capable of that kind of thinking and focus. Facts and physical laws do not change, and I always keep this in mind. Then, shortly after that, a slowed down version of the fight was released, that showed every punch landed, confirming the panel's findings. In fact, I believe that one of the early slo-mo releases was the one used by the panel for review. Then, the video was revised and refined several times over.

  Fast forward to today, and you have the large majority of fans spitting blood through their teeth, swearing that those who argue in favor of what the footage shows, are stupid Pacquiao fans who are just bitter, and need to learn sense. I know I shouldn't be totally surprised, but it's very hard still. My jaw just drops as I contemplate how completely stupid the people of this world have become. Thinking that would be impossible a decade ago, has now become the standard. Who would have ever thought that the day would come when after video confirms that someone committed a crime, the majority of the public would say that it's completely stupid to think they are guilty. Wow. All I could say to others, was to try to take note of all of this.

  Then, we have the more serious matter of  gay rights involving marriage being established today. It's sad that no matter how peacefully I, or anyone speaks on this, if they don't ravenously support it, they are already under the axe. First, let's go back in time. If you can recall about 20 or more years ago, the gay lifestyle was treated violently by some, and put in its place by others. In the end, it was considered a niche lifestyle, that everyone, including those involved, knew was improper. Some of the actions toward them was cruel and wrong, as no one should be abused. The insulting names and treatment thrown at them was not right, and as with anything that is mistreated, that only fuels the fire. If you notice, there has been a constant fight by gays to be not only accepted, but justified over the years. It's one thing to want to be treated with respect as a person, but even those who aren't spiritually minded have wondered to no end why it is so important to them to have the aesthetics and honor of other relationships. But if you look at any two people who have no principles, who live together, and violate many of God's laws, you'll notice that they will usually insist on marriage after a period of time, and attribute it to everything but their conscience.


  The churches, and gays have tried for years to incorporate the scriptures in their defense, and have proved, obviously unable to do so, as the scriptures so clearly state God's disapproval of the act. Therefore, as should be expected, there has been a move away from the scriptures completely. There are some who still know the improper nature of it, but wonder what can be done.  The simple way to break it down is this: if you had an addiction to a drug, that you found was killing you, you wouldn't enjoy quitting, but you wouldn't question the necessity to do so. It's hard to see homosexuality like that for many, but if you analyze the scriptures, it is just that. I explained to a friend of mine who is a homosexual, in a deep conversation years ago, that we all have vices. At the time, I was dealing with one of my own. I told him that acknowledging it is the first step. The main thing is to prioritize things correctly. If you put your creator- God first, and everything secondary, it becomes much easier to see what you want to do, and what you need to do. And the scriptures also clearly state that if you put God first, he will support you in these kinds of trials, if you are battling doing what you know is wrong. Male to female relationship is not an old preference: it's God's arrangement. Bestiality and other practices are what was condemned and done by those who sought to anger and insult God. Go back and do research on pagan practices. They are the  foundation of so much of society's practices today for a reason.

  If someone told you right now, that they am attracted to animals, and feel that they should be able to have sexual relationships with any animal that they own, you will tell them that it's improper, and totally unacceptable. You will also probably say that it is not related to homosexuality. But the truth is that it is very much related. They are both unnatural acts condemned exactly the same by God, and even listed right next to each other in his word as detestable acts. Science and nature speak themselves about how improper they are, if you use simple sense. Even relations with family members was condemned early in bible times. At a time, the world was lightly populated, and it was difficult to find someone who wasn't closely related to you. However, in time birth defects could come about due to the improper action, and those who practiced it were condemned severely. How much moreso today? If you feel it's a step in a progressive direction, you are thinking with your emotions and a tainted heart and conscience. If that's the case, then you should be in agreement with someone having relations with an animal if they choose, or with someone taking your small child and having relations with them so long as the child consents to it. But at the present time, you wouldn't consent to that. Just know that they are all one in the same.

 Recognizing these things, separates you from the frogs boiling in water. Those frogs don't realize how society is deteriorating before our very eyes. The complex that some people have deep down, is that they are their own gods. Just like the story of the cat in Aesop's fables, who claimed he didn't desire the fruit in the tree, and degraded and insulted it, once he realized he couldn't jump to catch it, when people realized that their desires, or just lazy thinking and practices are colliding with God's will, they assume that telling themselves that He no longer matters, somehow removes him from His power. That's extremely foolish thinking. His standards and laws don't change. People do. You can't choose what you want to be outdated. The earth is still spinning. Oxygen still has its purpose. Gravity still hasn't bent. Why not consider those obsolete and write them off? They were all laws put in place by the same person, very long ago. It's not about convenience. It's important to focus on pleasing your creator before worrying about ruffling the majority of mankind's feathers.

  In the end, this isn't a rant against anything on a personal level. It's just an observance. The truth is that, as a reader of the scriptures, I knew from bible prophecy that this would eventually take place, as a sign. The bottom line is that whether these marriages are legalized or not, at the core, the entire arrangement is what it is. It can't be changed in God's eyes based off of acceptance in society, or getting so-called religious acceptance from prominent figures. Speaking out of love to someone involved in that, I would simply remind them not to lose sight of that. There are a lot of temptations in the world, and life and decisions aren't easy, but in the end, decisions do matter.

My Take on Recent Social and Sporting Events

 So much has been happening lately. In the world of sports, I'm not really happy for Golden State. That was as gift wrapped as championships get. To see a shoot-happy, anti-playoff team get away with a championship is a travesty in my opinion. As shot as the Cleveland roster was, they were more deserving of that trophy. Nevertheless, it's over. Now the new golden child can shine in Steph Curry.

 In the boxing world, I laugh at the fact that Floyd Mayweather is now slowly becoming the authority on all things boxing. And this is facilitated by his fabricated undefeated record. He now appears in countless interviews giving his take on who's hot and who's not in the boxing world. Errol Spence has become his new lapdog. Personally, I'd love to see Errol level him. In this past couple of weeks there have been a few upsets. Cain Velasquez lost in a title defense match with Fabricio Werdum, in a fight that marked the end of a very long lay off, fought at an unfamiliar high altitude to Cain. He never looked properly conditioned in the fight, and lost via Guillotine submission. Then, in a fight that looked to showcase MMA vs. Street Fighting, Kimbo slice looked like the more complete fighter and knocked out Ken Shamrock, after escaping a deep rear naked choke. That fight had me shocked for a while. After all of the talk, it seemed like it should be a walk through for Ken, who said he could win the fight anywhere. From the opening bell, he shot for takedowns. He got them, but didn't do anything except try for transitions into submissions. No damage was accumulated. Kimbo showed so much growth in his technique escaping the choke. When Kimbo broke free and stood, he walked over to Ken with a fresh body and delivered a couple of right hooks that ended the fight.

 Andre Ward actually looked very impressive in his comeback fight, and a lot like the fighter that GGG has been ducking. It's going to be interesting watching GGG convince his fans that he wants the fight now, while continuing to run. Shawn Porter pretty much ran through a loud mouth Adrien Broner in route to a UD victory in what I had pegged as fight of the year. It somewhat lived up to my expectations. I expected a bit more activity and versatility from Porter. He was sometimes open for the left hook, and was floored by one in the 12th round, when everyone thought Broner might stop him suddenly. I'm not sure how keen I am on Porter's eagerness for a Mayweather matchup. I honestly can still see his sparring partner- Pacquiao taking him out, with what I saw. Honestly, I'm looking at other weight classes lately, because I have no interest in the Mayweather sweepstakes any longer. Not only Mayweather, but the ignorant fans have killed my interest in anything involving him. He won't pick an opponent who is a threat to KO him in September, and as long as he survives, he can drop 12 rounds and convince every idiot out there, that it was another masterclass. I have no desire to see that. If he couldn't take the loss he deserved in the Pacman fight, I'm pretty sure it won't ever happen. I've sent video clips and breakdowns to countless people, and they are so mentally whipped into stupidity, they all fall back and retreat when faced with the fact that Mayweather lost his last fight. People despise being showed and confronted with how stupid they really are. That's a large part of the widespread continuing denial in his loss, despite the mountain of evidence. Apparently, he is considering Andre Berto or Karim Mayfield as his next opponent, overstepping Porter. I don't know who he'll pick, but apparently, he is avoiding Khan at the moment. He will most likely play the usual psychological game with the public, eventually being pushed into his actual choice.

More importantly, we have the Social news:

 In other news, we have three stories that I've been saying are related in certain ways. One story is the escape of 2 "white" murderers from an upstate prison, who enlisted the help of a worker at the prison in their escape. They're still on the loose and could be anywhere. We also have the massacre of 9 people at a southern church by a little white boy who says he is seeking to start a race war. And we have the sudden uproar over Rachel Dolezal being a white woman, and pretending to be black for years before taking the seat as head of the NAACP chapter in Washington. Now, you've all heard just about everything regarding these cases, so I'm not going to go into reiterating what's been said a thousand times. But I will tell you what I'm pretty sure you haven't heard, and what ties these few stories together.

  A friend of mine, and fellow trumpeter posted online, his take of things and how society is somewhat conditioned into seeing certain things as normal and other things as abnormal, and that leading to rifts in different groups. I can't recall the details of it, but he touched briefly on some powerful stuff. I'll take it all the way, when I say that society has been conditioned for countless years into believing in white supremacy. It's sad, because even those who don't want to feel that way, are so surrounded by that thinking, which this country was sadly built on,  that their thought process is tailored to that. I had a deep discussion with my coworker a couple of weeks ago, when I said to him that this country has no culture at all. To have a culture, you have to have common bonds that unite all different groups in the region. The USA is not the only diverse country, and may not even be the most diverse actually. Yet, if you go to other lands, there just isn't the same kind of senseless racial divide that there is here. You can't use music, food, or any other common cultural sectors to identify this country, because all of those things divide it further. You can take 2 different looking people from Italy, or England, and regardless of what issues they may or may not have, they can both, in agreement show you a culture, and have many things that integrate them, from dialect, to interests. You couldn't do that in the USA, because as far as the inhabitants are concerned, they come from different countries, and each believes the other doesn't belong here. My coworker put it well when he said that you can't run from a culture, and destroy another, to build one. He pointed to how this country began, in the outing of the inhabiting Native Americans. Enough was said there.

 Even when you look at argument over the confederate flag in the south, it's laughable. There are actually many, who feel as if they support the flag as non-racists, and to remember their fallen ancestors. And they may honestly feel that way on the surface. But the truth is that, just like the argument for same sex marriages, the flag argument only hides deeper issues under a layer of so-called good intent. The flag clearly represented those who believed in the former ideal of an enslaved America. Period. Supporting one supports the other. Yet, they can't, or refuse to see it that way. I said jokingly earlier, that if the 2 prisoners were minorities, I wonder how far they would have gotten. Or if the boy who shot the church up was black, how far would he have gotten. It's funny, but if we're honest, we have to admit they would have likely been gunned down before even doing much at all. Now, we have residents of an upstate area, with mixed feelings, because criminals are on the loose, who would be, on any other day, folk they associate with. The 2 convicts blend right into the area they escaped from, which is likely a big part of why they got so far. But if they should happen to harm or kill one of the local residents, the same brainwashed people will be forced to revisit who exactly, they choose to diligently hate. That's the interesting part. There is so much hatred towards blacks at this time, that other criminals are being totally forgotten, as they reek whatever havok they can.

  The boy who shot the church up, was able to escape from the police's grasp initially, which is amazing in itself. Then, a hunt went on, until he was turned in. There were countless things that could have went down in that span of time, that I'll let you speculate on.


 It's sad to have to say that, but it's the truth. And on the other side of things, the truth is that race separation is indeed a man-made concept. There are a variety of different people in the world, but as one reporter stated in the Dolezal story, "who is what," is a concept that society has made up on its own. What Rachel did is a bit sad, but the funny thing is that she has also exposed a bit of hypocrisy. If you look at many African countries, as well as Mexico, and other lands of tan skinned minorities, you will see that someone as "White" as possible in the public eye, is often elected to the highest seat of official. Rachel did her hair to appear "black," but in truth, she looked as black as people chose to see. If you look at Saul Canelo Alvarez, he is a hero in Mexico, and no Mexican will accept that he isn't 100% Mexican, because they're proud to have his face as their symbol, although he is clearly of Irish decent. In many African countries, elected officials often look similar to Rachel. Not that race is a prerequisite for those positions or Rachel's, but it speaks of an undertone. On Wendy Williams' show, they put up pictures, and talked about how black she looked. She looked "blackish," but in truth, many non-blacks can pass for that typical androracial look that she took on. It's the look that is often portrayed in commercials, sought after by every black woman to the best of their ability, and used as the face of the American black. It's become shameful over the years to put anything "less" forward. And that is a subtlety that has creeped into black society as well. The truth is that when you genuinely mistake a "non-black" for a "black," it's just evidence of the fact that we are all related, and come from Noah. As science has revealed, there are more variations within races than without. These differences are reached for.


 But anyway, I just wanted to speak on current events. Don't be put off by my blatant stating of the facts. It's not intended to stir any pot of separation, as I love all races, and identify with all. I come from African, Mediterranean, Asian, and Caucasian ancestry, as far as these man-made classifications go. That's why I think perspectives like mine are useful at times. Personally, I hate to have to use race handles like "white" or "black." To me it's stupid, and shouldn't even exist. That's why I usually put it in quotations, due to the fact that it's often fabricated. Look, for instance, because it's attractive now, a brown-skin Kim Kardashian is white in today's world. Just like any other prominent celebrity in that position or what would formerly have been a hispanic George Zimmerman, who wants to suddenly gun down blacks in the name of justice, is now as white as anyone else. No one knows where I come from, or my roots. They label me based off of what they feel I socially should be characterized as, and my social "status," regardless of how far off it may be. The truth is that love should supercede all imposed borders. Just like I love Floyd Mayweather, but I love the sport more, so when I see him take a loss in front of my eyes, I'm not controlled by feelings as far as what I say. I would respect the boxing world more if they were the same. Unless better officiating is done, I don't see a point in even watching big events. As society gets dumber, you will only see more of this nonsense, and more support of it from the masses. Until next time.

Tribute Painting- The Nova

I did a tribute some years ago for one of my favorite players and artists Rafael Nadal. Now, I believe my very favorite player is long overdue. Here's to Novak Djokovic, who I affectionately call Kofax.

The painting is called- "The Nova." My scanner is down, so low quality photos for now.. sorry

How am I Whack?

  For a long time, a few people, including small label executives, and so-called avid music listeners, have sworn that they don't particularly listen to my stuff, or my "type of stuff," or like it, not because of it not coming from an established name they are familiar with, but because my material is legitimately whack. A workmate of mine, keeps going on with that as his little running joke. We constantly get into these "BAR" discussions. In fact, the other day, I was asked about my top 5 favorite lyricists. Among them, I included Lupe Fiasco, and Rakim. They couldn't understand the Lupe selection. I explained that when you are talking about lyrical content as the basis for the argument, even if it's the delivery man, he has to be considered, so long as his work shows that. People can't separate preconceptions and evidence. I go to Genius.com sometimes to look up the breakdown of certain song lyrics that I like, and what I see is hilarious. The site is basically shallow and narrow minded listeners interpreting the lines of some of the artists that they consider deep. As a lyricist, I liked the concept, but there's no point in doing a site like this, unless deep thinkers are going to get involved. I looked up "City of Gods" by AZ, and watched as lines were misquoted, and some of the deepest lines in song either were skipped for obvious reasons, or completely went over the head of the commentators and were misinterpreted. It is so frustrating to see such a waste. I had a class in high school that specialized in analyzing works and compositions, and we as kids dug deeper than the clowns on that site.

 So, without further ado, the stage is YOURS listeners. This goes out to Chis, as well as all others who argue that I'm overlooked legitimately. It's your chance to point out how and why I'm so whack, in your opinion, that I don't deserve any attention at all. It's your chance to bring forward lyrics of you own, or the stuff you listen to and respect from your favorite artists, and stack them against these lyrics here, and show the gap. Show how those lyrics dwarf mine.

In the attached video, I have selected a few random songs from my career. I play through sections of them, and show the lyrics, as many hide behind the excuse that they can't hear me or understand me. There will be no excuses this time. The lyrics are there to criticize. Show me how they are foolish and whack. I didn't select my best songs either. I'm not a desperate artist. If you know me, you'd know I have work for days. I could have put my best stuff in, but there is no need, as the way I write is consistent. This is a video that you can pause, rewind, etc. Leave a comment if you dare on this page, or on youtube backing up your claim as to my lyrical prowess or whackness. The ball is in your court.

 Ignorant silence for those who have an argument, only shows the lack of faith in your argument, so I encourage you to say your peace. Have the courage to listen, and the courage to state your mind.

Love

Love has so many songs, and like the jazz standard, Speak Low says, is often misunderstood. Some time ago, I got a message from a buddy from a website I used to frequent for quite a few years, congratulating me, and encouraging me to continue doing what I love to do. The thing is that, my continuance puzzles a lot of people. Some wonder, how I keep this pace and energy with so little return of support or acknowledgement.

 I watched an interview the other day where ESPN analysts asked Wayne Brady why he considered it a joy even when he performed for pennies. They couldn't believe he was sincere when he said that it's due to loving what he does. It even led to an argument. Maybe a non-artist will never understand, but when you are in love with something as an artist, even you yourself can't properly gauge it. I've expected many times in the past to just burn out and retire, or give up. And I know there are many who await that as well. But the thing about it is, I don't have the ability to do that. I will always continue to push myself beyond my limits. And it will lead to either the grave or the throne. And it isn't because I want to. It's because I have to. It's hard for almost anybody to believe that an artist does something solely for passion. There's always that little cynicism deep down that assumes that fanfare is the ultimate goal. It's natural to want to be loved, and understood. But if this is what you really do, even if that never comes, you won't ever stop.


  There are so many changes going on in life, and it's at times like this that I look at what I'm doing and what I've done, and the layman inside me takes a glance and wonders what's holding me up. I'm actually running out of room to put my art pieces. This is over a year after vowing that I wouldn't do anymore. Even since my last album, I've somehow finished enough for another record. I'm just a different breed. Even when I relax, it's not conventional. I uncontrollably try to maximize how much I'm getting done, even when I'm laying back and taking it easy. But, I've learned to like this. As much as acceptance is aesthetic, there is a limit to some things. I must say, that in the future, there are certain events that I won't be able to share as freely as I have up until now, should there remain no firm foundation of support. But hey, nothing last forever they say. I'm hoping that won't be the case here, but that is something beyond my control. That's up to YOU as the readers.

By the way, play my Soundcloud Channel along with the gallery for the full effect. That's the closest thing to the full experience I was going to create.
CLICK HERE AND ADD MUSIC TO THE GALLERY

  Keep checking the "Coming of Age" art gallery online. There are new things going up. I'm hoping to expand it in the future.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ART GALLERY

Coming of Age- Art Gallery v1

Hey guys. This is just a link to art gallery on 3dvas.com. It's a start. I'm working on fleshing it out more.


Coming of Age- Gallery

Coming of Age- Promo beta

Coming of Age - Beta

Tom Brady

The Patriots have been caught cheating, stealing plays, stealing footage, and deflating footballs. They have then been denying those facts, and acting victimized in the public eye. They have also been caught, having been deflating balls for perhaps the past 8 years, since the rule change that facilitated that. The numbers speak for themselves, as in every one of the dozens of running backs they've had, including their receivers, having jaw dropping low numbers in fumbles. And all these years, their fans just thought they were perfect.

   Part of human nature is that when something works, we don't question it. For years, I remember remarking how Tom Brady's receivers seemed to sink into the ball wherever he threw it o their body. He would squeeze it into tight spaces, and even taunt defenses throwing it right passed them. As I questioned this, I was called a hater, as my constituent went on praising him. It never looked right, and it never felt right. But at that time, I had to just ignore that fact, due to no proof.


 I made a comment several years ago when Tom Brady was injured during a season that the Pats went 11-5. That was the season Matt Kassel came out from high school onto the football field. I remember telling people to take note of the fact that, if you didn't squint and pay attention, you would never know that Tom Brady went down about 2 games in. The team continued to churn like an engine, and people still kept worshiping Brady despite that mountain of evidence. Many said it was a testament to the system they run, like the Spurs, which allows anyone to be proficient. Oddly though, it was during the time where they apparently began taking advantage of the fact that they had their own balls. They also changed running backs like underwear, as ESPN radio pointed out. One thing I remember noting, along with the fact that Matt Kassel looked like Brady, was how their running backs all looked like beasts when they carried the ball. The most green and unassuming player that came to the Patriots roster from Welker to Edelman to many of their running backs, looked practically flawless on the field. It has been noted that during that span of years, not only are the numbers staggering, but the team had almost no fumbles. You can't ignore numbers that ridiculous. All of this was almost assuredly achieved by deflated footballs. The league is not becoming aware.


 I give Tom Brady his due as far as being a solid player, but I've always said that he's no better than Tony Romo, as far as overall ability. One of them just happens to have rings and an O-line. They brought up the question of whether the cheating effects Tom's legacy or not. There was a resounding denial of that by all of the reporters on ESPN. That's where they look stupid. First off, they were caught red handed doing it in the AFC Championship game, before their odd superbowl win, in which the Seahawks gave them the game as clear as day. Secondly, why in the world would you not think it makes a difference, when Brady, Bellichick, and the others, go through calculated lengths to do it over the span of 8 years. Why in the world would they do it, if it has no significant effort. And lastly, why do we play the game? To win championships. That's a no brainer. Do you think they did all of that, in the conniving way they did, just to try to win a few more games? Be real.

  In the end, much of what I've been saying is coming to the fore. I said many times now, that all of the greats who stand ahead of the pack, like Lance Armstrong, have a tendency to come out as having cheated greatly in some way. It's only a matter of time and conscience. And it does make a difference. People cheat to get ahead. If Mayweather fought outside of Vegas, without the notoriety he has and the incompetent judging and public at his disposal, he would be great, but his record would not stand out as the best likely. If Tom Brady didn't cheat like he has, be it deflating balls, or stealing film and signals, he wouldn't be the force he has been. He'd be solid, but he wouldn't stand as far ahead of the pack as he seems to at this point. If A-Rod didn't juice, he would still have an amazing eye, and legendary swing, but his numbers wouldn't be the eye-gouging record breakers that they are. And that's what these athletes do all of this for. Whatever slight-of-hand trick they have to do, as long as it pushes them out in front.

One Last Statement on the May 2nd Card.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but I just have to make one last comment that was on my mind about the fight that almost no one saw on May 2nd, and the reaction that has turned me off to the sport.

I posted this on Youtube earlier:

It's funny. We would all agree that Mayweather has hardly ever been bruised, and doesn't bruise easily. And we would all agree that Pacquiao bruises fairly easy compared to him.  And the concensus before the fight on May 2nd, was that Floyd has underrated power, was working further on his power, and should be able to hurt Manny fairly easy. He also made it clear that's what he intended to do.Yet, at the same time, you all swear you saw Floyd pounding right hands into Pacquiao's face all night. Yet, no bruises on Pacquiao's face at all. You all swear there was only 1 punch Pacquiao landed on Floyd's face the entire fight. That's the punch that tripled his lip size and swole his face all by itself, on a guy who doesn't bruise easy. Also, Floyd directed his entire training to building power and going for the KO. If he was controlling the fight and had Manny in his hands, where was the KO that he clearly wanted? Manny's already been cracked by Marquez, and showed a softened chin when Bradley wobbled him in the second fight. I'm sure you'll all give the strength edge to Floyd over Bradley. If all of those punches really laced Manny up, it's a bit odd that he wasn't wobbled again. Like I've said, that was apparently the worlds biggest magic trick, because somehow Floyd fooled almost every single one of you.

  Part of what has people confused is the fact that Manny didn't KO or swarm Floyd. The minute that didn't happen, you all went blind.

I keep seeing footage of Mayweather lacing Manny with right hands. Those are the same clips of the 5 right hands he landed the entire fight. He ate as many as he landed. His camp and team are so happy that people are stupid. I asked a few people today to look at Mayweather Sr. If you know the Mayweather family at all, you know how Senior would be acting if what people think they saw actually happened. He has never been quieter than he was after that fight. Ask yourselves why that is, instead of waving it off. He even began to go on a rant about how after seeing the fight, he hopes his son hangs it up soon. And even with that, Marcos Villegas, Fighthub, Fight Hype, ESPN, and almost every boxing celebrity out there including the fans, still can't put together what happened on that night. If that's the case, you may as well listen to the fights on the radio. Clearly, people can't see anymore. Mayweather can lose rounds, and because of the way he does it, you all find yourselves giving him garbage rounds, and you don't even see yourselves doing it. It's true. He probably would beat GGG if they fought, and handily. If his opponent doesn't KO him, there is nothing else your brains are programmed to see, than a dominant boxing lesson by him. It's sad.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Pre Fight Podcast

This was a video that was supposed to be uploaded a week before the fight, but I got side tracked. I decided to put it up anyway, as it touches on some interesting topics. Enjoy.

Third Times A....

 I just watched, meticulously, the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, and I have never been more convinced that the mentality of this world has plummeted to ridiculous levels in the past few years. I felt I was being generous when I watched the fight the first 2 times. I had it scored between a 115-113 win for Mayweather, and a draw. But as I mentioned earlier, Flounder from SB Nation had the fight for Pacquiao 115-113, and I remember saying that when watching it, I could see that argument.

 I turned the sound of the ignorant public off, and watched the entire fight on mute, even rewinding the close rounds to take a closer look. What I've come to see is that people probably won't get any closer to the truth no matter how many times they watch it, because they don't know what to even look at. They understand 2 simple things- Aggression, and that magic thing that Mayweather does. That's how deep the minds of the fans go. I tried to give Mayweather rounds, and still, after scoring the fight round for round, at best, I had a draw. I definitely see the argument for a Pacquiao win 7 rounds to 5. And get this, it would actually make sense to see Pacquiao winning 8 rounds. I' going to do a short video to break it down further, in case you still don't get it.


 The first 2 rounds were clear Mayweather rounds. He worked from outside. And changed position enough to get good offense going. "THAT" was boxing. What you people can't do is separate retreating and ring generalship. There were rounds where Pacquiao won off of ring generalship. The reason you'll never see it, is because you don't even know how that would look.

I was kind before and gave Mayweather rounds 4 and 5. If you watch those rounds again, there is just no way in the world to give those to him based on activity and accuracy. Those are the rounds that he began to realize that his usual pot shot game wasn't going to work. So he made a conscious effort to put on his best act, and it convinced you all that he was pot shotting anyway, which is freaking amazing. He was dramatic with his every moment, and had 1 spot on those rounds where he tried to rush Manny. He landed 1 punch in that effort, but with his wild act, it looks to the naked eye like he teed off on Manny. Flounder called it, and I totally see where he's coming from. Manny won rounds 3 -7. You try to break those rounds down in slow motion and make an argument for the counter, and you will only show how stupid you are. Stop putting your faith in Compubox. Those are a panel of people just as boxing-retarded as the rest of the world. They had no idea what was going on in front of them. Even if you just glance over the fight, you will instantly notice that the 2:1 ratio of punches that they had for Mayweather was ludicrous. He pulled that off simply by range jabbing. They scored every one of those range jabs and lead straights as landed, totally oblivious to them bouncing off of Manny's guard. What I noticed was that half of the time during Mayweather's offense. Manny's forearms and hands were being pushed against his face.



 I had to squeeze round 8 in for Floyd. I honestly mean that. Manny worked better and more effectively in that round, and I still gave Floyd the round reaching, and assuming he had more control. I didn't even feel comfortable doing that. Mayweather won rounds 9 and 11 relatively clear. He got Pacquiao to get sloppy chasing him during those rounds. The problem is that he got all of you to see the entire fight like those 2 rounds, and poor Manny has to suffer, when he actually did just about as good as you can. That's the closest it was going to get to outboxing Mayweather. Partially because he's that good, and partially because he is a master at making any offense he takes look  ugly. Like I said before, Hopkins is another master at that. Chad Dawson had his number like crazy, but it ended up being a majority decision, because Bernard muddies up the waters so well. You people were looking for Pacquiao to bat Floyd around the ring. Like I said before, that is not going to happen. Just because it didn't, doesn't mean we didn't see a great performance from Manny.


  There were so many rounds I really tried to give Floyd, as a fan of his. But watching his output and control, I found myself screaming at the screen, "You're not giving me enough to give you this round." That's straight from a boxer's perspective. It really puzzles me that everyone is singing the same tune. I know that if I caught those nuances, that Paulie Malignaggi, and Bernard had to catch them, but to watch their interviews, it looks like they just have dialogue lines to follow. There is more than enough room in there to give Mayweather "A-side" favoritism, and STILL have the rounds even at best. There is no good reason why this fight couldn't have been scored a draw. At least that would have been only a minor robbery to Pacquiao, who did enough to win. Now I'm starting to see, that it wasn't part of the contract. Even if you look at Floyd Sr.'s face and Floyd Jr.'s face, you can see they know they didn't take that fight. But of course, all they have to do is put on the act, and the gullible fans will fall in line. Manny should have been smart, and made his case that he won, then remained silent. Bringing up a shoulder injury hurts his credibility, and in all honesty, he didn't have to do that.

 Here's a video of some of the breakdown:

Into Me: Art Series Update

I've been a bit caught up, but here are the next couple of minimalist pieces to the art series. You know what? I haven't even thought about how I'm going to compile the collection when it's done. The little pieces of music I've done make me want to do something musical, but the thought of a movie or motion picture scares me off due to past failed attempts. So many things have to come together for that to be a success. I would need a team behind me, and I'm not sure if that will happen. Anyway, we'll see. Here they are

J.K.A

Hi-Science

The Breakdown of the Mayweather Science Abbreviated

As Roger Mayweather often says, most people don't know anything about boxing. Because of that issue, I still hear interviews with Mike Tyson, and others where reporters will ask the most basic and ignorant of questions, hundreds of years after the sport's inception. Even the amateur programs have become dumbed down, and produce underachieving prospects that bomb out at the olympics if they get there. Also, this affects how people receive Mayweather performances in the ring, and the prestige of his opponents. I will attempt to simplify and break down this fight to explain why I had it scored a draw, and what you as the fans are missing, in his approach to boxing matches.


This is an excerpt of a post I made on First Take's Youtube feed:

This is just proof that stylistically, it's impossible to win rounds against Floyd, unless there is a serious revamp in the quality of judges and all of those involved in the boxing industry. This fight as well as the Canelo fight, had his opponents doing fairly well, yet, like Skipp said, not getting rounds unless they drew blood. For the record, I don't completely agree with Skipp. On my scorecards, in all honesty, I had the fight even the first time I scored it round for round. But the statement about Floyd's jab by Steven is inaccurate. Floyd's jab was much better than I expected, which was awesome, but much of the time, he threw it at Manny's guard and followed with a right hand that was blocked and threw Manny across the ring. He sold that so well, that you scored those punches, when half of them were blocked. In all honesty, he is a master, but the issue with simple minded people watching a master work, is that they don't know how it looks for him to lose or give ground. There were a few rounds in the Canelo fight that were close chess matches that Canelo edged. But it's hard for people to dissect Mayweather's work, so he often so-called dominates based off of his overall performance, which isn't totally wrong, but it's inaccurate. Unfortunately, what this ends up becoming, is opponents like Canelo being perceived as being blown out. I don't mind calling the Canelo fight a schooling, because while it was chess, Mayweather was for the most part, a step ahead, in that regard. But in this fight,  the class Manny showed in the ring, that would have gotten him props in any other matchup, was overshadowed, not only by Floyd's talent, but sadly, by his ability to manipulate how you read fights.

  What that translates to, in short, is that when he faces a formidable opponent, he draws in incompetent fans and judges, with an overall approach that makes them give him most if not all tight rounds. Like Skipp alluded to, the head nodding, and the emphatic body movement play a part. Also, he will slap or chop at a guard with punches often with authority, because he knows if you do that right, it can simulate a strong landed punch. All this he does while keeping a range jab in front of him, which should never be scored. A range jab is a short quick jab thrown at the front of a raised guard to measure distance when moving. It has no offense at all. But, he sells his confidence so well, that judges find themselves scoring things for him completely against the rule book. You'll notice, that you will never hear fans like Stephen A. go at the analysis round for round. They always talk of the scope of the entire fight, because that's how his performances have trained you to look at them. And I really don't care to hear about Compubox anymore. I used to think it was an accurate computer system, but I'm starting to see how poorly it works. He spreads out his rushes well to make them appear longer. Also, his posture plays a key role. When he takes a punch, he makes sure to recoil into a transition or step. This has several benefits, and one of them is that it can make his 3 punches to your 3 punches appear to be 10 punches to 3. He isn't wrong for his style, it's just that since people can't understand it, they don't get the fact that besting him will never look clean. Manny could have won every round, and it still would have looked ugly on his part. That's just how Floyd's technique is designed. 


 To illustrate:There were times that Manny used the effective 2-1 combination, starting at the body. He would finish it with a  hook often times. As he finished the combo, Mayweather would already be stepping to his left. As Manny would pursue and throw jabs, Floyd would be riding the 2-3 jabs, so that the combination would never be finished in one place. That's very intelligent, yes, and also very hard for most people to score. If you mix that in with sharp attack counters, it can make 3 punches trump a 7 punch combination. When they were along the ropes, he did the usual of covering up. Manny impressed me with how sharp he was getting through the guard. That's why Floyd used the double guard instead, abandoning the idea of slipping. He bites down and many of those punches that usually hit arm go through the guard and hit the temples and kidneys. Because you so often see slower fighters miss, you discount those punches without thinking or bothering to look much. Hopkins makes his fights ugly like that even in mismatches. Mayweather knows how to position himself before, and after getting hit. I know many of you wonder why Manny didn't pressure more. Some of us wonder why he didn't step to his right more and slip in the counter. Why didn't he pick up his work rate. Those are all valid questions, but you have to understand Mayweather to understand the answer. And you have to understand boxing.

  Manny often did try to exchange jabs in the middle of the ring, even with a 5 inch reach deficit, and had very decent success. He actually has a sharper jab than Mayweather believe it or not, but it doesn't matter. Mayweathers stance and timing will make your jabs almost always look ineffective compared to his, based on when he starts and stops.  He throws most of his jabs when you are transitioning or planted, rather than  randomly like most boxers do. This adds to their power, and scores more emphatically. When he sees you raise your lead foot for a jab, he slides back his rear foot, to position to ride the jab and counter over top, or quickly switch position and make it look ineffective. To prevent Manny's strong hand from getting too much work in, he simply controlled distance like Paulie Malignaggi stated, and stepped back routinely, forcing Manny to reset. That's why Manny couldn't step to the right as much as he wanted. Because of Manny resetting, he had to use feints to get back in while Mayweather retreated. If he rushed in like many wanted him to , simple reach would have made him eat counters and shots unnecessarily. People keep saying that Roach had no gameplan. That's ignorant talk. They worked on in and out movement. If you notice, Manny didn't eat nearly as many right hands as he normally does in his top level fights, and this is against the best lead right hand thrower in the game. Early on, Floyd tried to line up the lean right hand often, and realized it wasn't working like usual, and resorted to pumping a range jab and holding. Look again, and you'll see Manny gave almost as good as he got in the jab battle. The bottom line, is that there is a price for everything. Manny minimized the cost of that price, not being wreckless, to get inside when safe, and to land pot shots of his own, which we haven't seen done to Floyd. Manny doesn't have the size and brutal power of Maidana. He doesn't have the height of Oscar De La Hoya. As far as an effective performance with his tools, that's about as good a performance as you can possibly get from him against Floyd's style.


 Mosley picked Floyd to win. The fact that he and Evander saw the fight differently isn't because they are suddenly boxing dumb. Remember, Mosley faced both of them. His input was respected up until now. When I see the bulk of celebrities all saying something so contrary to those to HOF'ers, I don't get swayed because I know something must be up for that to be the case. I love Floyd, but I will call it as it is. I don't latch onto what I hear everyone else saying. When I scored the fight the second time, I gave it to Floyd 115-113.

Fight Replay: Read Carefully, and Re-watch the Event

You know, I went back and watched this fight again like I did the fight between Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana. I have to give a shout out to SB Nation and Flounder for the excellent analysis. Listening to his podcast after the fight, I was reminded that there are people out there with brains who can analyze technique. I realize I wasn't crazy in my analysis of the Canelo vs. Mayweather fight. The fight was much closer than advertised. I went back once again, and analyzed the super fight this Saturday between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Here it is:

 After watching the replay on my computer, I find that the main swing rounds were actually rounds 9 and 10. I gave round 9 to Mayweather based on slightly more effective work. Round 10 was a Manny round that could have been stolen, depending on how a judge looks at it. I don't understand the debate over round 12. It was similar to the middle rounds in the fight with Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson. Mayweather decided he would dance for that last round to be safe, and take shots if they came. Manny's defense was better than expected in that round, and he outlanded, and then chased Floyd, finishing strong. If you give that round to Mayweather, then you probably gave the swing rounds to him like most people apparently did. From an analytical point of view, even someone like myself, who favors the artist, and the boxer, there are rounds where aggressive pressure can outbox defensive movement and countering. It's part of the sweet science. Giving all of the swing rounds to Mayweather on my cards, I have it- 115-113 Mayweather or 7 rounds to 5. In my opinion, that is as far as I see it reasonably going. In all complete honesty, Flounder from SB Nation said he had Manny winning on his cards, and got blasted by his comrades on the podcast. I do not fault him for that score. If you honestly break the fight down, Manny could have taken that fight 115-113. I think Floyd deserved a win, but it could have gone either way.

  Flounder said something very interesting. He said, the way he judges fights is based off of activity and effectiveness. He said many people get caught up in Mayweather making you miss, and score those moments, which mean nothing offensively. He said that he makes it a point not to get caught up in that, like so many fans do. It's a way of selling the performance, that Mayweather does so well. He said also, that Bradley and Hopkins do that very well also. If you remember, Bradley did the exact same thing to Manny in the first fight, and was busy to boot, pinning Manny to the ropes, and hooking off combinations often, yet you all have no problem saying Manny destroyed him in that fight. Now, suddenly, the same approach, with less activity, swings the other way in public opinion. When Manny came in, he feinted and then used the straight to the body, followed by a jab upstairs, and occasionally a hook and uppercut to finish the combination. The combo worked effectively and landed shots for him during the lulls of the fight. When Mayweather  showed flash and punched at Manny's guard in return, suddenly, those jabs that were blocked, were not only scored, but erased the rushes of Manny. That is unfair scoring, and I think the main reason for everyone's perception of a Mayweather blowout, when in fact it was not one at all. Seeing the fight again, Floyd's movement really became a problem for Manny after the 10th round. It was only for a couple of rounds that it seemed to effectively frustrate him. There were many times that he landed very sharp jabs to Mayweather's face, and check hooks of his own, over the top, that the judges, commentators, and fans completely missed. In the 3rd Marquez fight, he won just like that. Everyone felt Marquez was ripping him apart, but on those Compubox numbers, it showed the subtle offense that Manny mounted. This fight, somehow, that was all missed, even by Compubox.

  Mayweather has a very tough body and head. He's the kind of fighter who doesn't really move much, even with clear shots. If you paid attention, he ate quite a few solid shots to the head and chest, that were not commented on, or scored. Also, a lot of his pot shots were answered, often with pot shots. It was a very interesting fight, because it's the kind of fight that would have been given to Manny with another opponent, on a given night. Yet, I'm not angry at the decision, just the scorecards.

 I understand that the A side of the card, and the love child of boxing and Vegas, has to get the benefit of the doubt. I just have a problem with the bashing of Manny, and the wide scorecards. I urge you to go back and watch the fight. I'm not calling it a robbery, but I wish people would appreciate the effort from both fighters and the event itself. I'm eager to see what's next.

The Fight of the Century..Sike

The super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Floyd wins by a wide 117-11, 116-112,116-112 margin on the scorecards. It wasn't explosive, but it was effective. I was relieved to see that Floyd looked lean at the weigh-ins yesterday, and not roided up, as rumors led me to fear. I was able to watch this as a fan.

  Well, as I called it it sort of happened. First off, I have to get off my chest how shocked I was in the mega fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao, that Floyd's movement speed gave Manny trouble. I could have swore that Manny moved quicker. But Floyd moved better. His change of direction threw off Manny's straight counter constantly. Manny did land several shots of note down the pipe,  but there wasn't enough flurry boxing to please the judges and the fans. He never stepped to his right properly like he practiced to cut off the back door when walking Mayweather down. It's always different under the lights, and both fighters seemed tense in the fight. Manny hurt Floyd a couple of times, which was good. I think the judging was off however. I'm actually surprised that it wasn't scored closer. Manny had decent success, and there weren't many times he was being battered. It's amazing how depending on the time and circumstances, so-called sane people can see completely different things.

 I wouldn't call it a travesty in Mayweather getting the decision, but I am surprised that it wasn't scored closer, and that there wasn't more clamor that Pacman won. He not only applied pressure, but landed a decent amount of solid shots himself. I think, just like Canelo, the minute he decided to play chess, he completely lost the fans. Both he and Canelo did much better than they are given credit for. People just expected a KO or a  high paced affair. Since it was more strategic, they feel it must have been a boxing lesson by Mayweather, since they can't visually break it down and understand it. That wasn't necessarily the case. 

 I wanted Manny to sustain his attacks more, and step to his right to cut off Floyd's retreats more,  but he didn't do horribly like so many people keep saying. Mayweather's jab was better than I expected, mostly due to length. Manny was caught by right hands, but no more than in the Algieri and Bradley fights. He also landed more consistent shots than most previous Mayweather opponents. I lost even more faith in compubox. If you play the first fight with Bradley vs. Pacman next to this one, they were pretty identical, minus the higher amount of surges Pacman. If you just look at Bradley in that fight, next to Mayweather, defensively, and offensively, it was similar. With so much movement, I don't see where he landed 2 times as many punches. Very odd numbers. It's worthy of a rematch.
  I called a Mayweather KO, but I was surprised there too. Manny's defense was pretty impressive when Floyd did decide to press the attack. There wasn't enough action to live up to the greatest fight in history at all. In the end the proper guy won. The whole world was watching, and Mayweather won for all of the artists such as myself. He showed that grit, heart, speed, power, and aggression don't make a champion. It's love. He loves what he does. He's an artist, and in an age where so few appreciate that word, he shows that that fact doesn't matter.