Tuesdays with Muerte

Their History Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X met only once. On March 26, 1964, the two black leaders were on Capitol Hill, attending Senate debate on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. King was stepping out of a news conference, when Malcolm X, dressed in an elegant black overcoat and wearing his signature horn-rimmed glasses, greeted him. “Well, Malcolm, good to see you,” King said. “Good to see you,” Malcolm X replied. The exchange would last only a minute, but the photo remains a haunting reminder of what was lost. They would never meet again before each was assassinated, first Malcolm X and then King. Although the two men held what appeared to be diametrically opposing views on the struggle for equal rights, scholars say by the end of their lives their ideologies were evolving. King was becoming more militant in his views of economic justice for black people and more vocal in his criticism of the Vietnam War. Malcolm X, who had broken with the Nation of Islam, had dr...

Very easy. And no, you Sickos, I'm not referring to my Carnal Treasure . (Though, I am impressed if you picked up on that movie reference. Also see: Moroni 9:9 ) I'm talking about the super-secret thingy I keep locked inside my apartment, locked inside my room and locked inside my gym bag with a combination lock! That's right! I'm talking about my Speedo. Only 20 minutes on the internet will teach you all you have to know to negotiate the most menacing of burglary obstacles. Tumbler Locks How to pick a 5-pin lock (standard on front doors): Pop Locks Once inside the house, here's an explanation on how to pop the locks on those simple bedroom and bathroom doors: Combination Lock Once you're inside the room, what you are search for will probably be locked away somewhere safe. They're not super rich so instead of a safe it's just locked away with a combination lock. Fortunately, you came prepared with a " shim ": C...

Darin, my old Hip-Hop instructor at 24 Hour Fitness, would be ticked if he saw these dance steps. I know they are all pretty generic, I swear that Darin came up with those moves--even their names! He was cheesy like that. If he weren't touring the Middle East serving as a Medic, he would probably go into the internet and kick that dance instructor's virtual butt. (It's actually very likely that those two are friends and danced together in the same clubs and studios.) Here is the original download I pulled the video from: Disney.com Or download the Quicktime version HERE . I tried using iMovie to mix some real hip-hop music to this dance instead of that lame country mix, but that program is really rigid; it will only let me attach a second audio track to the original video track--no time adjustments or fading or anything. If you know of a free video dubbing software for Mac that works well, please let me know in the comments section. Below is a crummy previe...

I first posted about this guy back in 2007. Since then, he has posted a number of Disney and pop songs around the web: His Blogspot Account . (Comprehensive videos) Nick's MySpace Account. (Hosts some Disney songs) If anyone knows where this video was shot, I'd be interested to know too. It looks like a mini recording studio at Ringling College of Arts near UC Berkeley. He is a computer animation major there and is looking to get a job a Pixar (possibly both performing and creating). Here is his Thesis Film Project: These are some images from his thesis and a likeness of him lip-syncing: ---------------- Listening to: Flight of the Conchords - Business Time

I was rooting through some of my old Photoshop creations and found these original tributes to Roger Federer . Although currently ranked number 2 in the world (behind Ralph Nadal), Federer is widely considered to be one of the greatest male singles tennis players of the open era. Federer has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles (3 Australian Open, 5 Wimbledon, 5 US Open), currently just one shy of all-time leader Pete Sampras. He has also won 4 Tennis Masters Cup titles, and 14 ATP Masters Series titles, as well as winning Olympic gold in doubles. He holds many records in the sport, including having appeared in 10 consecutive Grand Slam men's singles finals (2005 Wimbledon Championships through the 2007 US Open) and 19 consecutive Grand Slam singles semifinals (2004 Wimbledon–present). He also holds the open era records for most consecutive wins on both grass courts (65) and hard courts (56). ( source ) I love watching Federer because he is a role model for discipline and mental...

The year was 1988. I was a 6-year-old Tiger Cub Scout. (Boy Scouts earn things like Eagle Scout Awards and merit badges. Before you become a Boy Scout, you are a Cub Scout and earn little arrow points that are sewn on to your scout shirt. Before become a Cub Scout, you are a Tiger Cub and earn iron-on tiger paws.) I lived in an area with a strong Scouting program. It seemed like nearly all the boys my age were involved. On Wednesday evenings, about 8-12 boys of approximately the same age would meet together as a Cub Scout Den . We would do things like review basic first aid procedures, learn to tie knots, and identify local vegetation. On special occasions, all the local Cub Scout Dens would united as a Cub Scout Pack . Pack meetings were reserved for award ceremonies and special activities. It was during these meetings that boys were with the various awards earned since the previous Pack Meeting. After these boys were recognized, we would occasionally hold prestigious com...

I am an amateur guitarist, and I've got no funk. My musical skills seem to lacking that special something . Great musicians have it . Those fortunate enough to have gotten hold of  it , create timeless hits. While musicians without it  fade into oblivion. After spending hours searching through Blues history websites and 1970's band documentaries online, I discovered what that special something  is thank to a (70% Man, 30% fish) character from the BBC show "The Mighty Boosh" named Old Gregg. He identified that  thing  as  The Funk ! But what exactly is The Funk ? Here is some dialogue from the show to help explain its origin and purpose: Old Gregg: You're a musician, yeah? Howard: Yes I am. Old Gregg: Butchya ain't very good, are ya? Howard: I'm one of the best in town. Old Gregg: Come on, I read your reviews. Hmm? You know what your problem is? Howard: What? Old Gregg: Ya ain't got the funk. You're all rigid. Hmm? You're l...