Saturday's TV Narrative

I was about 14 years old. I remember turning on the TV one early Saturday morning. I sat down with my bowl of Lucky Charms (save the Leprechaun jokes for later) in front of the TV to watch my morning cartoons. Having to tune in with aluminum foiled antennas I hear this guy DJing come out. A piece that read Graffiti Rock followed as people danced in the background while Kool Moe Dee rapped. I was like what the heck is this? I look at the clock and I was like it "This isn't Soul Train cuz it isn't 11am yet." So I turned up the volume and watched with enthusiasm as my Lucky Charms got soggy and my milk turned different colors. Not realizing I was to watch one of the dopest Hip-Hop shows till this day -
GRAFFITI ROCK

here's the intro - hahaha - if you watch closely you can see Debi Mazar at .36 seconds and occasionally dancing here and there. She's a hottie.



In this "ahead of it's time type show" Michael Holman, the MC of the show, who was also the producer along with Vincent Gallo back then "Prince Vince" goes on and breaks it down for the Hip-Hop movement. It was attempt to develop a show that was similar to Soul Train and American Bandstand.

With the New York City Breakers, a stage embellished with graffiti by BRIM and an MC battle between Run DMC and the Treacherous 3, this pilot show became one of my favorite shows ever. Till this day, can never grow old watching it. It always brings back good memories.

This is the New York City Breakers getting down.



The New York City breakers were managed by Micheal Holman and it was a elite crew comprised of some of the best breakers in NYC

A bit of information too. The Beastie Boys has an excerpt of the this show in their song "Alright Hear This" from their Ill Communication album.

Stop Thinking Negatively

"As a man thinketh so he is" - What are you thoughts filled with?

Life is usually what you choose to make of it. What you choose or choose to believe often dictates an outcome; your outcome. I am not referring to ones actions. We all know there is a reaction to every action, but further more referring to the thoughts conceived that more than likely shape and form who we are and what and how we do things and more importantly how we view ourselves. And too often, negativity resides in the neurons of many.

Negativity is a force that holds us back or slows us down from accomplishing anything we may set our minds to accomplish or achieve, or better said, wish to accomplish or achieve. We too often focus on and nourish the negative, stagnating ourselves and stunting our growth and development in life.

I hear, too often, people limiting themselves by their own thoughts and even words they speak about themselves. Not realizing how powerful our words spoken affect us as well. Words have power to give life or death - But I will leave that for another blog.

What "negative" thoughts or elements are affecting or hindering your life? ask yourself? Do you lack faith in yourself? Do you believe you can not? Are you afraid to fail? To lose? To look silly? Afraid to be yourself? Afraid of being disliked? Uncomfortable in certain social settings because you feel un-worthy? etc etc etc. Whichever it is, it will clearly reflect in your life, attitude and demeanor. It is the mirror to your heart and mind.

Well I am here to encourage you to transform your mind, your way of thinking. Do not allow yourself to be conformed to negative thinking. WAKE UP PEOPLE!! Identify you negative thought patterns and decondition them. Replace them old patterns with new positive ones. Little by little you can overcome these futile thoughts. But you gotta choose to do so.

In addition, cutting loose friends or people who are negative and/or have negative vibes is helpful. Those that are always complaining. Always knocking someone coming up. Always discouraging you or others. Always hating on someone. Always focused on the worse in someone. Always judging. Never forgiving. Vengeful. Hopeless. Do what they do or say cause more stress in your life? Do they wear you out emotionally? blah blah blah...cut cut cut. Laters man have a nice life. To me there's nothing more annoying and obnoxious than a pessimistic person.

People's attitudes are contagious man!! whether it is positive or negative.

Surround yourself with those things that are positive. With those that have faith in not only themselves but in what you do and support you in what it is you wanna do. Forward Thinking man.

Being optimistic may be a sham for many. But I'd rather be optimistic than negative. I've learned to be optimistic about everything, not to the point where I set myself up for disappointment but enough to believe in myself that I deserve it. I'd rather always see the glass half full and or as they say if lemons are thrown at you make lemonade.

So Stay Strong - Stay Positive

And keep in mind that I, my fellow readers, I support you. I believe in you. I have faith in you. And I know you can.

Corporate Graffiti

Recently there has a been a hype over the removal of the extremely large, can-not-miss, horrendous, in-your-face, monstrosity of ads that have been surfacing up like rabbits throughout our City of Angels.

If many aren't aware, and presumptuously am certain many aren't, these "graffiti tactic" type ads are completely illegal. Yes people - ILLEGAL.

"OMG!! what are you talking about Galo? How can a billboard from a reputable company be illegal?" (in sarcastic tone)

Glad you ask. Well it's simple, their approach is pretty clever. A marketing type company scouts for a space (a building) to "hit up", once found they contact the realtor or owner, persuades them for X amount of dollars to rent or lease the space, generates a large ugly digital print known as "supergraphics" and has them installed, on the building for us to be bombarded with its imagery and be seen every morning while we either drive to work or every evening while we drive home. And just like graffiti, the larger the better and the more up the more seen.

"But Galo, these people are paying for this space! how can it be? and how does that make it illegal?" (in now inquisitve tone)

Well...that's a great question. Let me explain. You see young one, these ads are illegal because they are placed randomly throughout the city without the approval of Board of Building and Safety Commissioners hence without any approval - translation = illegal

Any kind of billboard ad(s) or sign(s) or even murals have to go through a very extensive approval process. The surrounding community plays a significant role as well. They have to be notified! very much so as a filming crew notifying you that they will be filming in your neighborhood. And if that was not enough, the ward councillor also needs to be notified and okay it as well. In addition, there are numerous other forms of approvals to go through through the city.

These companies simply found a new way to "get-up" while going or getting around the sign and ad law act. And it doesn't stop there! oh no no no no - it branches out to those poster type billboards you see on the side of stores or buildings. Those are...Illegal. Posting bills as those seen on construction sites those too are illegal. Even some of the billboards that are on top of some buildings are illegal. The owner just decided to build a billboard space and charge corporations for their ads. Ilelegal illegal illegal.

Very much like a graffiti artist defending their graff as free speech, these companies also defend them as free speech and say city leaders are discriminating against them by forbidding them from posting or installing these "supergraphics". HA! that cracks me up. I wonder what kind of punishment they receive. Similar to one as a graffiti writer? I think not!

All this sounds pretty much like graffiti to me. It has the same undertones, same principal, same tactic, same objective, same approach, same accomplishment. The only difference? one is "corporate" and the other?? well we know what is said.

Graffiti is always cast as an "urban blight" - but peeps, an ad where an almost nude 50 foot man in underwear advertising a cologne that I do not wear is an "urban blight" to me. Why would I want to see that? Do you enjoy it? I am sure most don't and like graffiti is to many a nuisance these corporate ads are a nuisance to many. To me at least.

Anyways - here's a little billboard for corporate America!!



have a great weekend all.

Sleep Troubled Nights

Well not necessarily

Troubled

I just couldn't think of another word that began with the letter T that can be used for STN while describing my Sleepless Nights. so many T's make it so negative. Sleepless Tough Nights, Sleepless Terrible Nights, Sleepless Turbulent Nights, Sleepless....eeeeh.

Anyways - I was heading down Sunset yesterday and saw Never Sleep written across a yellow truck. I should have taken a picture but when I read it - it hit me. yeah...Never Sleep!!...It inspired me! Funny how a simple "tag" a on a truck, a vandalized truck, something so looked down upon, can actually inspire you and motivate you.

So I just wanted to say Sleepless Nights for me this year. I am gonna be on Never Sleep mode for this year and hopefully for a couple more.

I have a lot of work this year, which is good, not complaining, but I want to do more and if I want to do more I gotta sleep less (and even socialize less) - screw it...I am almost hitting 40, yes people 40, and I have so many ideas, things I wanna do and accomplish, goals I wanna achieve that I just need to tighten my belt and grind on them. It may very well require Sleepless Nights.

This whole thing reminds me of a poem written by a great poet named - Mary Oliver

"The grass never sleeps.
Or the roses.
Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning."

excerpt from The Grass Never Sleeps

I am the grass. I am the ROSE - I AM NO SLEEP!!

peace

Breakin is not a memory

It's Saturday and I am ready for the weekend. Looks like it will turn out to be a great day but any day I am not pushing up Daisies is great for me.

So Ima try to get out, since I can now, and head to the theatre today, or some time this weekend. Not to go watch a typical blockbuster type movie that lacks substance, is overfilled with explosions, has unnecessary almost irrelevant sex scenes, has minimal mental stimulation, has no artistic creative flare or touch to it but to go watch Planet B-Boy a movie by Benson Lee.

Well it's more a documentary than an actual film. A documentary that focuses on the ever evolving movement and current scene of breakdancing mostly known as B-Boying. Yes people, breakdancing!! Please don't call it a comeback!! because it's been here for years. Just cause it is not in

"THE LIMELIGHT"

of the media attention like back in the 80's does not mean it's a fad that came and is now gone. It just went back to it's natural roots.

Anyhow - Planet B-Boy combines breaking scenes with interviews and some old-school footage that I anticipate will be nostalgic for me. The film goes throughout the "planet" to capture the phenomenon of breakdancing and how it has advanced from its early stages of breaking on street corners or cardboard boxes.

If you go watch this film, I am sure you will get an eye treat full of power moves, complex freezes and pozes, amazing acrobatics and fancy footwork that I am sure will leave you mesmerized and will have you going back home trying to break.

Here's a little trailer of the film. It has a couple of scenes of one of my favorite breakdancers from Japan in t he begining. Love the scene. I also dig the train scene too.



here's a little something something too.....



yeaaaaah...ya'll didn't know I can bust huh?

alright ya'll gotta go - Hannah Montana is on.

places to go watch it:

Laemmle's One Colorado
42 Miller Alley
Old Pasadena, CA
www.laemmle.com

Imaginasian Center
251 South Main Street
Los Angeles, CA
www.theimaginasian.com