#ferguson hills drive-in

[zilabee]

Alf Bicknell, Beatles Chauffeur (and friend), 1964 to 1966:

“It's weird to explain. Even after I left them in 1966 and went back to working with captains of industry and on a cruise, I could never get those songs - all their tracks - out of my system. They'd become a part of me. To be there was the job of a lifetime.”

“It was exhausting. I remember waking some mornings and being filled with trepidation. Filled with the feeling that I couldn't do it, that I couldn't go on at this pace.”

“I ended up with George and this guy, who turned out to be an Italian prince. He offered to show us around Rome. So, together with this prince, his beautiful girlfriend, and George, I had one of the most wonderful of my times with the Beatles. He took us at dawn on this whirlwind tour of Rome. We ended up on some of the Seven Hills of Rome. We were in St Peters Square and all these wonderful places I'd only seen on picture postcards.”

All four had been fond of doodling in an effort to while away the boredom of touring. On this leg of the tour [in Japan] Alf noticed the sketches began to take on a darker tone. Perhaps a legacy of the touring treadmill, although the Beatles discovery of hallucinogenic substances may have coloured their doodles.

“I'm often asked what my favourite tracks are. I don't really know. I guess the two which I think are most poignant are Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever. They make me really sad - I don't know why.”

After the Beatles visit with Elvis, he sent his own roadies round in a giant Cadillac limousine to take the Beatles' road crew out on the town:

“We were wined and dined and went round all these wonderful Hollywood clubs. One place was closing for the night but Elvis's people Sonny and Marty had them open up just for us. Vintage champagne and platters of delicious food duly arrived. Then the singer who had been performing that night came back on and did another set, singing just for the likes of yours truly. I've always thought what a wonderful gesture of Elvis to have remembered us, the humble roadies, this way.”

Re the airport in the Philippines:

“George Martin, in particular, has been documented as saying 'Stupidly Alf Bicknell raised his fists.' I always thought that was pretty rich coming from a guy hundreds of miles away, safely tucked away in a recording studio. Whereas here I was, surrounded by this baying mob, desperate to tear the Beatles to pieces. It was my job to protect them. And it was obvious that reasoned arguing wasn't the answer. You don't stand there and wait till one of the band is hit. It was a case of 'it's the first blow that counts'. ”

Alf decided to leave in 1966, at Candlestick Park when they announced they wouldn't be touring any more. He doesn't go into a lot of detail about why, he just says:

“It had been two years. A magical time, with me privy to one of the most exciting times in the last century. I'd been privileged to be along for the ride. But like the band, the repetition had sort of got to me.”

Ticket to Ride, by Alasdair Ferguson and Alf Bicknell

I'm going to stop now before I type out the entire book. But there are other nice bits in it still. At one point or another he drove each of them back to Liverpool and stayed with their families. He really likes Jim McCartney: "There was a great spiritual feeling about him." He seems to genuinely like everyone. There's a bit where he drives George and Pattie to the airport after their wedding, speeding to escape the press, but when he gets pulled over the officer just pretends to give him a ticket and then holds up the reporters for him. There are the standard bits where John is a bit of a dick, and other bits where he's soft and kind. There's a bit where Alf goes to a bullfight with Brian because no one else will. A bit where he talks about Paul putting on a terrible disguise and going out to look for grandfather clocks, and everyone in the shops pretending not to know who he is. There's a bit where he runs into George in the mid-seventies and they have a hug on the pavement.

(If you're wondering why the Beatles' chauffeur called his book Ticket To Ride, yes, I was also wondering. But he does have another book called 'Baby You Can Drive My Car', so that is why. From what I can work out it's a better version of this one - because honestly outside the quotes from Alf, which I'm assuming are true, this book is badly written to the extreme. It kind of tries to dramatise everything, like 'he sighed dramatically' etc, and is full of small careless mistakes like using passed where they mean past, not once but twice. Unfortunately the other book costs a little fortune, so this one is good enough for now.)

[retromania4ever]

1963 Australian GP 🏁

Graham Hill 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 driving a Ferguson P99 Climax.

[beardedmrbean]

An Orange County Superior Court judge was arrested on suspicion of murder late Thursday after his wife was fatally shot in their Anaheim Hills home, according to law enforcement sources.

Anaheim police arrived at a home in the 8500 block of East Canyon Vista Drive shortly after 8 p.m. after reports of a shooting. Law enforcement sources said officers made an emergency entry and found Sheryl Ferguson, 65, inside the residence suffering from at least one gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a statement.

Officers arrested Jeffrey Ferguson, an Orange County Superior Court Judge, at the home. He was booked into an Orange County jail in lieu of $1 million bail, according to police reports.

Property records show Ferguson, 72, and his wife as residents of the home.

Law enforcement sources said a son of the judge and his wife were at the home.

Ferguson has served as a judge in Orange County Superior Court since 2015. He previously spent more than three decades with the Orange County district attorney's office, during which he worked as part of the Major Narcotics Enforcement Team, according to the North Orange County Bar Assn. Ferguson served as president of the association from 2012 to 2014.

Colleagues who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they were not aware of any issues between the judge and his wife.

“Absolutely shocked. I had them sit on my couch. I would never have thought this for a minute,” one said Friday morning.

Ferguson was admonished by the state's Commission on Judicial Performance for comments connected to a heated 2016 judicial contest between Orange County Superior Court Judge Scott Steiner, who was running for reelection, and Karen Schatzle, a senior deputy district attorney for the county. Ferguson was backing Steiner, who had been censured in 2014 for having sex with two women in his chambers.

According to the commission, which investigates judicial misconduct, Schatzle posted a comment on a Facebook page of the North Orange County Bar Assn. on April 26, 2016, saying, “Scott Steiner uses his office for sex and yet so many aren’t concerned, crazy politics!"

In response, Ferguson went to Facebook and claimed: “Karen Shatzle has sex with defense lawyer whike shw is DA on his cases and nobody cares. Interesting politics.”

The commission ruled that Ferguson’s comment violated ethics rules and that he had acted with “reckless disregard for the truth,” noting that Ferguson could not produce any factual support for his claim.

[greensparty]

BEST DOCUMENTARIES OF 2022

Documentary as a genre can encompass any medium: feature film, TV mini-series, or even podcasts. Here are my picks for the best Docs of the year:

Honorable Mentions:    

Meet Me in the Bathroom  Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern

Nothing Compares  Kathryn Ferguson

Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99  Jamie Crawford

George Carlin’s American Dream  Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio

The Beatles and India  Ajoy Bose and Peter Compton

Freedom Uncut  David Austin and George Michael

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, A Song  Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine

Sidney  Reginald Hudlin

10. Back to the Drive-In  April Wright

9. Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres  Suzanne Joe Kai

8. Is That Black Enough for You?!?  Elvis Mitchell

7. Claydream  Marq Evans

6. If These Walls Could Sing  Mary McCartney

5. Stutz  Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill sits down with his therapist for a doc about the therapist and his approach, that is insightful and thought-provoking.

4. The Pez Outlaw  Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel

This profile of a man who smuggled rare Pez dispensers into America in the 90s and made millions is so crazy and outlandish you need to see it to believe it!

3. Moonage Daydream  Brett Morgen

Morgen’s doc about David Bowie was made with the Bowie Estate and had some rare footage of the rock legend, but it was really the sci-fi approach to the subject that made this electric!

2. Good Night Oppy  Ryan White

The inspirational story of Opportunity, the Mars rover that was expected to live 90 days and explored Mars for 15 years, was the big screen Event Movie of documentaries in 2022!

1. Last Flight Home  Ondi Timoner

Ondi turned the camera onto her father Eli Timoner towards the end of his life with a cinema vérité account of the family confronting death. This went beyond a movie or a documentary and was truly an emotional life experience that was captured on film by one of the people experiencing it. Nothing but respect and admiration for Ondi and her brave filmmaking at such a time.

[thewirely]

The world of high-fidelity audio is set to be revolutionized by British manufacturer Ferguson Hill's latest creation, the Jetstream Loudspeaker System. Described as the company's finest-ever design, this system is not only a marvel in audio engineering but also a striking piece of art, resembling inter-dimensional time portals or floating orbs. With its release, Ferguson Hill, known since the FH001's debut 20 years ago, reaffirms its commitment to pushing the boundaries of speaker design. The Jetstream system includes a pair of Jetstream Horn Loudspeakers, Jetstream Bass Speakers, and a Jetstream Bass Amplifier. The horn speakers, featuring semi-full range drive units developed in collaboration with Cube Audio of Poland, stand out with their transparent design and otherworldly aesthetics. Despite much of the system being transparent, significant improvements lie within its structure, such as dampening structures between the metal ring and the drive unit, and internal leg dampening. With a hefty price tag of £105,200 (approximately $133,385 or AU$202,530), the full Jetstream System is a high-end investment in audio luxury. For those looking for just the horn speakers, they are available separately for £72,955.00 (around $92,550 or AU$140,510). The system's cost, however, is reflective of its unparalleled design and sonic capabilities. The Jetstream system challenges traditional speaker design, moving away from the conventional two- or three-way wooden boxes. The design philosophy is rooted in audio history, drawing parallels to Western Electric's 1927 12B speaker. Like the WE 12B, the Jetstream horn naturally rolls off below about 140Hz due to rear wave cancellation, a testament to its efficient design. What sets the Jetstream speakers apart is their efficiency and unique sonic delivery, owing to the horn design that requires less power to produce loud music. This efficiency is in harmony with nature's preference for curves and waves over straight lines. While comparing the Jetstream Loudspeaker System with other stereo speakers on the market might seem unfair due to its premium price point, audiophiles would relish the opportunity to hear it against other high-end systems like the Sonus Faber Suprema 2.2, unveiled at CES 2024. In conclusion, Ferguson Hill's Jetstream Loudspeaker System is more than just a set of speakers; it is an audio and visual experience that blurs the lines between technology and art. It represents a bold step in high-fidelity audio, offering an immersive sound experience wrapped in a design that challenges and transcends conventional aesthetics.

[thebahamaatlas]

Route #18 Bus Route - Nassau, Bahamas

Route 18 jitney route. This route starts downtown and extends into central New Providence. This map is useful for visitors seeking local landmarks and supermarkets.

Stops: East Street/Joan’s Height/New Hope Drive South/New Hope Drive to Victoria Boulevard West/Victoria Drive/to 3rd Corner on the north side of Victoria Drive/return to Victoria Boulevard/Ferguson Drive/Roberts Drive/Antonio Drive/south east on Antonio Drive to Victoria Boulevard/East street south/north on East Street to East Hill Street Depot/return to East/Shirley Street/Princess Street/Duke Street/Cumberland Street/Navy Lion Road/Bay Street/Frederick Street/Baillou Hill Road/East Street/Return to City Market Shopping Centre

Downtown New Providence offers a variety of activities and attractions for visitors. Some things to do downtown Nassau include: - Visit the Straw Market - Walk along Bay Street (contains duty-free shops, boutiques and local vendors) -  Explore historic sites: Government House, Fort Charlotte and Fort Fincastle. - Visit the National Art Gallery - Explore the Pirates of Nassau - Enjoy local cuisine - Tour Parliament Square and the Supreme Court

Central New Providence contains local eateries, local beaches and supermarkets. - Go to South Beach - Visit local markets - Local Services (Convenience Stores, Gas Stations etc.) - Visit Local mall: Marathon Mall

View/Download this map here.

[blackmagicspecialist786-blog]

California Is In for a Continuing Parade of Storms

SAN FRANCISCO -The morning of Thursday three men employed handsaws to cut the fallen tree that blocked from the entrance of their. City workers had put trees with cones, but did not remove the tree and residents of the neighborhood decided to take things in their own hands. "We just want to clear it so cars can drive, so people can pass through," said one of the men, Francis Broome, who was removing branches from the walkway within the Western Addition neighborhood when I passed across. One man was using an air blower to get rid of the debris. "Some community teamwork!" Another person said. The group sought to restore some peace and calm after the most severe of the week's storms swept throughout in the Bay Area, just days after a record-breaking rainstorm during New Year's Day. The raging river that hit California over the course of Wednesday and Thursday shut off power for thousands of residents, forced evacuations and caused dangerous waves on the coastline. If the storm did have one motif it was the staggering number of downrooted trees which is the most obvious indication of a state moving between extremes in the environmental of drought and flood, as my coworkers Shawn Hubler and Jill Cowan discuss. If you're experiencing a return to the sunshine of California It's likely to be only for a short time. While California's Golden State is expected to be spared from rain this Friday afternoon, it's set for a flurry of storms after that, which will include a intense one on Tuesday and Monday. The pounding could last into mid-January. "We are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination," said Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. "We are basically in the eye of the storm right now." Over the last few days you've been writing to me regarding how dealing with and being affected by the events which are both good and bad. Here's a sample of your thoughts with me, lightly edited "The greenery of the typically gray Los Angeles hills makes this the most beautiful time to be for me in Southern California. My trees are strong while my plants are flourishing. Utilizing one for just a couple of weeks isn't a problem for me in the least." --- Bill Mayer, Los Angeles "We've been without power within Mendocino County for more than 24 hours. There's no heat, too which is why we're inside wearing layers of clothing as well as scarves, knit hats and scarfs. The only way to communicate is a mobile service with the lowest bars. Making food and cooking has become a challenge. We're lucky to have a few Goal Zero batteries to recharge phones and keep our refrigerator operating, and I'll look after an elderly neighbor this morning." --- Robin Applegarth, Gualala "My husband and I travelled on Wednesday, on Route 101 from Salinas through Santa Barbara. The winds and rain that fell close to Santa Barbara were powerful. The eucalyptus plants along the coast shed their branches. It was quite a snarl, but vehicles were actually slowing down for the first time in a while. But, I am thankful that it rained." -Amy Brewster, Salinas. Amy Brewster, Salinas "We have been hard hit with heavy snow that has fallen over the last couple of weeks. There was a lot of snow-blowing and shoveling. Trees that were damaged due to drought years have been slashed, making power a continuous issue. We are however taking advantage of this! There is a generator which is extremely helpful. You just need to get a grip and tackle it." --- Russ Woods, South Lake Tahoe Read the full article

[handeaux]

Remember When We Buried People Alive For Fun & Profit?

It was 1960. The Ray Milland horror film, “The Premature Burial,” based on a tale by Edgar Allen Poe, was about to swing through the auto theater circuit.

In Cincinnati, the operators of the old Ferguson Hills Drive-In needed a gimmick to pack in the viewers. It is not recorded who decided to bury someone alive. Maybe it was part of the studio’s publicity plan. At any rate, the Cincinnati Police didn’t like the idea and issued a cease and desist order. The drive-in management sued and Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Otis R. Hess ruled the show must go on. If somebody wanted to get buried alive at Ferguson Hills Drive-In, it was their constitutional right.

The still-breathing and never-identified “corpse” was buried on 17 June 1960. In court testimony, the drive-in described him as a “professional stuntman,” but Ferguson Hills had run a help-wanted ad just a day prior to the stunt, seeking “Man To Be Buried Alive.” One wonders how the auditions went. Advertisements triumphantly blared, “Free Pass To Each Lady Who Does Not Faint! Nurses In Attendance!”  

The gimmick worked and the buried guy packed them in. The burial was at the entrance to the drive-in and the “corpse” was observable through a glass viewing tube. The idea was so effective that it was picked up for the second run of the same movie in 1962 by the Hi-Way 28 Drive-In east of Milford.

They were still burying people alive in 1965 when Bob and Jerry Hedlesten, announced a promotion for their magic-themed cocktail bar – the Mystery Lounge –  in Madison Place. Bob Hedlesten, who had recently escaped a straitjacket while hanging suspended from a crane, was scheduled to be buried under the Albers Supermarket parking lot across the street.

Promotional stunts along the lines of living burials were fairly common in the 1950s and 1960s. A lot of traveling freak shows had fallen on hard times and suburban audiences, embarrassed to be seen hanging around the carny tents, had no qualms about catching a freak show at their local drive-in, shopping center, or automobile dealership. A Cincinnati Enquirer business reporter investigated the trend and published [20 August 1961] this analysis:

“In past months at shopping centers in and around Cincinnati, plumed camels have hauled cartloads of kiddies, wrestlers have wrestled, the Marines have staged a landing, and Marian Spelman has warbled excerpts from ‘The Student Prince.’ Even a baseball-playing monkey has appeared.”

And, they buried men alive. As audiences lost interest in plain old buried guys, the hucksters realized they had to up their game. How about burying a guy in a snake pit? In August 1963 the Western Hills Plaza featured “Ahab the Arab,” buried for more than a week in a coffin filled with snakes. Shoppers could step up on a low carpeted platform to gaze down a six-inch pipe at a man entombed six feet down with a dozen slithery companions in a box six and a half feet long, three and a half feet wide and three feet tall.

We know “Ahab’s” real name, because he had to file a lawsuit against the Cincinnati Police to gain the privilege of burial under the Plaza parking lot. “Ahab” was 23-year-old Jerry Shinners and Cincinnati Police tried to stop his show by claiming he lacked a license to perform. Judge Simon L. Leis agreed with Shinners and approved the snake man’s burial with a rattlesnake, two boa constrictors, a couple of water moccasins, and some copperheads, bull snakes and indigos.

That Western Hills Plaza show was staged by herpetological impresario Lawrence E. Nunn of Glasgow, Kentucky. Larry Nunn pretty much had the snakes-in-a-coffin game locked up. It was never Larry in the coffin. He always worked with a partner and the partner always operated under an exotic name, like Ahab, Keeoga, or Wachickanoka. The stage names were necessary because the turnover rate was high. The longest-lived Wachickanoka was a dude known only as Pancho, who split receipts 50-50 with Nunn. Each of them raked in $4,000 weekly or more for a good part of the 1960s. Nunn advertised in The Billboard, claiming [18 April 1960]:

“We had over 50,000 paid admissions in Minneapolis, Minnesota for Radio Station WDGY; over 40,000 in New Orleans, Louisiana for Radio Station WTIX; over 40,000 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for Radio Station KOMA.”

By 1965, Larry Nunn claimed that he had sold 3 million tickets since his first snake pit show in 1950. Larry died at the age of 73 in 1992. He is buried in Glasgow, probably without snakes.

Audiences are fickle and, you know, once you’ve seen one knucklehead buried in a coffin full of rattlesnakes, you’ve seen them all. With each iteration, the buried alive racket needed a new twist. How about burying women alive? While wearing a bikini! Frozen in a block of ice! That’s the ticket!

So the ultimate living burial came to pass at a Bridgetown automobile dealership. According to the Cincinnati Post [Thursday, 15 May 1969]:

“A bikini-clad young lady will be sealed in 5000 pounds of ice at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Tom Kneer Dodge Inc., 6475 Glenway avenue, and may be viewed by the public any hour of the day or night up through her release at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.”

Some Bridgetown residents still remember the long lines at the Childs-Glenway intersection and the woman “mechanically waving” from her frigid tomb. The unnamed young lady was, according to newspaper reports, hypnotized to minimize the effects of extreme cold. She was accompanied on a national tour of automobile dealerships, mobile home parks and the like, by a “scientist” named Forrest G. Parker who claimed her bodily functions were slowed through hypnosis to about half their normal rate. After conducting several experiments along this line, Parker “decided to present his findings to the public,” apparently selecting Dodge dealerships over peer-reviewed medical journals for some perfectly logical reason.

With ladies in ice, the buried alive promotional fad seems to have lost popularity. Car dealers and radio stations were forced to conjure up new thrills, like dropping live turkeys from helicopters.

[p-isforpoetry]

"Cashel of Munster" by Sir Samuel Ferguson (read by Aidan Gillen)

I'D wed you without herds, without money or rich array,   And I'd wed you on a dewy morn at day-dawn gray;   My bitter woe it is, love, that we are not far away   In Cashel town, tho' the bare deal board were our marriage-bed this day!  

O fair maid, remember the green hill-side,           Remember how I hunted about the valleys wide;   Time now has worn me; my locks are turn'd to gray;   The year is scarce and I am poor—but send me not, love, away!  

O deem not my blood is of base strain, my girl;   O think not my birth was as the birth of a churl;   Marry me and prove me, and say soon you will   That noble blood is written on my right side still.  

My purse holds no red gold, no coin of the silver white;   No herds are mine to drive through the long twilight;   But the pretty girl that would take me, all bare tho' I be and lone,   O, I'd take her with me kindly to the county Tyrone!  

O my girl, I can see 'tis in trouble you are;   And O my girl, I see 'tis your people's reproach you bear!   —I am a girl in trouble for his sake with whom I fly,   And, O, may no other maiden know such reproach as I!

[dolls-and-cats]

The Mystery of the McIntires, chapter 10

Molly flipped the pages of the journal in disbelief. After the almost-daily entries from Mary Catherine's journey with her aunt from the mustering site at Sycamore Shoals to Kings Mountain, there was no entry saying what happened during the battle. Had Mary Catherine's father survived? Molly wanted to know.

There was a brief entry eight months after the battle saying that Mary Catherine and Micajah were wed in June 1781.

Then, in November 1781, there was a longer entry.

A few months after Mary Catherine and Micajah were married, they received the news that General Cornwallis had surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown. They were all giddy with joy. The war was not over yet, but surely it was soon in sight, and God willing, a Patriot victory. That possibility had seemed so far out of reach before the surprising victory at Kings Mountain.

Mary Catherine's monthlies had stopped a couple of months after the wedding, and her aunt told her that her belly would swell up with the baby in a few more months. Micajah was eager for her to meet his extended family, so they decided to take the trip before her pregnancy advanced. Thankfully, driving the cart was not as hard to do as other things he had learned to do without his right arm since the battle.

Micajah had also had nightmares ever since the battle. He wanted to go to the battle site one more time, in case it let him release some of the demons that tormented him. Mary Catherine had never seen the battle site other than the base of the hill where she and her aunt had loaded wounded men to take them back to the inn.

Micajah pointed out the place where Mary Catherine's brother Elijah had died. Elijah was buried at Kings Mountain, in a mass grave with other Patriot soldiers. Her father would have liked to bring Elijah's body home for burial, but it had been impossible with the remaining horses and carts, and the wounded taking priority. When he returned home, her father kept saying "It should have been me." Then, after some time, he stopped talking much about it at all. Mary Catherine wondered if Elijah had had the handkerchief she mended when he was killed. So strange that she could fix a torn cloth but not her wounded brother.

Her brother Daniel and all three of her cousins had lived, although her youngest cousin would likely have died if Aunt Janet had not been there to care for him. So that was at least a good result of her journey with her aunt.

Mary Catherine noticed how dense the trees that surrounded the top of the hill were and how difficult it would have been to tell friend from foe. The soldiers only had a piece of paper or sprig of greenery in their hatbands to differentiate them.

The top of the hill was clear of trees, and birds were singing. It would have been a lovely place to picnic. Micajah looked around, disbelieving. "It's so different than I remembered," he said. "It's different from my dreams."

Mary Catherine patted his hand and settled down on a log. "Let me know when you'd like to leave, my love," she said. She put her hand over her abdomen, thinking of the new life inside.

* * * T H E E N D * * *

Note: Although the Battle of Kings Mountain is real, this story is totally fictional. It is something I wrote while on a genealogy-focused vacation, but is not meant to be a source of information about how things happened at this battle. Specifically, I'm not aware of any women traveling with the Patriot farmers-turned-warriors as they approached Major Ferguson. Also, the Patriot troops did not know they were going to Kings Mountain at the time they mustered at Sycamore Shoals.

My wife's genealogy research revealed that she and I are both descendents of "Overmountain men" who fought in this battle and their wives.

For well-researched historical fiction about this battle, I recommend Kings Mountain by Sharon McCrumb.

[adrenalineguide]

2021 Subaru Crosstrek Outdoor: Possibly the best car for Canadian winters

Words and Photos By Michael Hozjan

With the first significant snow fall well under way I decided to blow the wet snow before it got too deep and heavy for my old Massey-Ferguson. Well about a quarter of the way down my driveway I looked up to see a trail of something brown oozing onto the white stuff. Scurrying back up the hill I shut the engine off to discover that thankfully it wasn’t oil but some rusted antifreeze spewing out of the radiator cap. Jumping into Subaru’s latest addition of their best selling SUV, the Crosstrek Outdoor, I recalled a television commercial from my youth. The black and white low lit night scene started with the commentator saying “What does the snow plow driver drive to work?” The camera pulls out as the driver gets to the yard and starts up the plow, when we see a Volkswagen Beetle.

Why did I remember that commercial? Probably because I had about half a foot of wet packed snow to contend with in my driveway, not even thinking about how deep the snow was at the entrance where the plow usually pushes up as much snow as possible to ruin everyone’s day. Now back in the sixties we negotiated the roads in our rear wheel drive sedans, but we’ve turned into wimps. When front wheel drive cars came out, we were able to apply power to the steered wheels and pull ourselves out of the city plow’s wrath a lot easier. These days it seems like we can’t survive sans all-wheel-drive. You’ll notice I said we because like most people, as cars have changed, my lack of time behind the wheel of a rear wheel driver has been drastically cut and my proficiency has dropped as well. Yes, like most people I welcome all-wheel-drivers and I especially welcomed the Crosstrek to get me through today.

And I recall a time even when we were still driving rear wheel drive cars back in the ‘70s, a Japanese 4x4 caught my eye – the Subaru B.R.A.T.  A small pickup with rear-facing buckets in the bed, clearly something that would drive today’s legislators insane. The writing was on the wall, the B.R.A.T (for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter – talk about a mouthful) was an alternative to the big heavy 4x4s of the day and gave Subaru a foothold in the lucrative North American four-wheel-drive market. Of course a lot has changed in the five decades since, except that Subaru continues to lead the affordable SUV/crossover market, and its top seller is the compact Crosstrek.

What’s New

Well Subaru has just upped the anti in the crowded, hotly contested segment by adding a second, more powerful engine to the Crosstrek line up. Pulled form the company’s Outback and Legacy parts bin, the 2.5L boxer four cylinder now finds a home in two of the Crosstrek’s trim lines. There’s a 30 horse and 31 lb-ft premium over the base 2.0L boxer mill, that’s 182 horses and 176 lb-ft of torque going to the continuously variable transmission (CVT). Surprisingly the 2.5 liter also is remarkably fuel efficient.

Above: The 2.5 litre boxer four is new to the Crosstrek 

To date the 2.5L is available only in the Outdoor and Limited trims, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the option makes its way into the other trims. Sadly, the larger engine is not available with the 6-speed manual transmission, but the CVT with paddle shifters, too bad as it would be a really nice combo. Yes the AWD system that comes with the CVT is far more electronically advanced and capable of going into further and deeper in the rough than the one that comes with the manual, still, it would just be nice to have a third pedal with the larger engine.  

Best of all, unlike some manufacturers, who reserve larger displacement engines exclusively to the top tier trim levels, the Outdoor is in the middle of the Crosstrek trim level.

The Outdoor goodie bag doesn’t end there. You also get the new Dual-function X-Mode. X-Mode better manages throttle response to avoid wheel spin and controls power output to the center differential and individual wheels as well as being able to have you descend slippery slopes with its hill decent control. But let’s face it, we’re not in a perfect world and there are times the white stuff is just too deep and you just need to gun it to get out. Enter Dual-function X-Mode, which allows you to do just that - think of it as shutting off the traction control.

There’s even more, you get a wide-angle front view camera (unique to the Outdoor), just the ticket when you��re avoiding stumps and boulders on the new path up to the lake, side/rear vehicle detection system (SRVD), an 8-inch infotainment screen, and Subaru’s driver assist technology - Eye-Sight with its new lane centering assist. All for only $29,995 Considering the bare, entry level, Convenience with the smaller mill will run you $23,795 and the only other trim where you can get the 2.5L is the Limited at $34,495, the Outdoor is a no brainer.

While all 2021 models get a redesigned grille and new wheel options, the Outdoor can easily be distinguished from the rest of the Crosstrek line by its rather overly large, garish black cladding on the wheel wells. Sorry Subaru. I know it’s an attempt at making it look tougher, but…

The Greenhouse

The interior combines functionality with taste. The buckets are comfortable wrapped in easy to clean soft-touch all-weather material with the Crosstrek name embroidered in gold on the seatbacks and gold stitching on the seams. Gold stitching continues throughout the interior highlighted by a gold colored steering wheel spoke. The Outdoor has almost all the requirements I noted a few weeks back as the ideal Canadian (winter) car, namely heated front seats, heated steering wheel and floor mounted heater ducts to keep rear seat passengers’ footsies warm.  

Above: all controls and buttons are clearly marked, and easy to reach.

There’s ample head, leg, and shoulder room for four adults with two USB ports in the instrument panel and another two in the armrest console. Despite being on the smaller scale of its competitors, there’s more cargo room than most including Chevy’s Trailblazer. 

Above: Cargo capacity is  20.8 cu.ft. and 55.3 cu.ft. with the rear bench folded flat.  

Above: Small spare but a full array of tools including the tow rings, a $100 option on the Cherokee 

The verdict

The Crosstrek’s competitors include the Chevy Trailblazer, Nissan Qashqai and Mazda CX-30 to mention a few. Yet the Subie stands out with its low center of gravity despite having a good amount of ground clearance, which clearly makes it adept at handling light off-roading a swell as highway travel. In its eight year history the Crosstrek has always been a strong competent contender and one of the more affordable all-wheel-drive vehicles, add in the latest features, combined with its sporty agility, and the Crosstrek has left the competition choking in its dust.

Best of all the 2.5 liter is surprisingly fuel efficient, despite trudging through some heavy snow near the end of my week long time with the Outdoor I averaged a respectable 8.0L/100km.

Epilogue

Not too long after I dropped off the Crosstrek I found myself behind the wheel of the Nissan Rogue. Well, let me tell you it didn’t take long to realize that the Subie is significantly quieter in drowning out road noise.

Price as tested: $29,995

[tabloidtoc]

Globe, October 12

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Devil cult burns JonBenet Ramsey’s grave 

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Kaley Cuoco and her dog in a stroller in New York City, Donatella Versace off the coast of Italy, Johnny Depp gets a gander at fans in Spain 

Page 3: Jude Law jogging in London, Mama June Shannon gets her roots dyed, Jon Stewart lends his voice to support U.S. military vets in Washington, D.C. 

Page 4: Man-hungry Kathie Lee Gifford has a mad crush on Craig Ferguson but he’s married and since she’s isn’t about to be a homewrecker instead she cast him to play her kissy-huggy love interest in Then Came You a flick she penned and released a couple weeks back 

Page 5: Tyra Banks has turned Dancing with the Stars into a miserable sweatshop behind the scenes -- Tyra is not only the host but an executive producer and she takes that title seriously and even with all these big personalities and egos Tyra wants it to run like a military operation which was how she did things on America’s Next Top Model -- Carrie Ann Inaba is seething and Bruno Tonioli is revolted and Derek Hough is huffing with displeasure, Chris Rock revealed he’s in therapy seven hours a week after being diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder meaning he doesn’t understand nonverbal signals when talking to people 

Page 6: Fierce fights during lockdown have shredded strong-willed sweethearts Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s 37-year love in -- Goldie and Kurt recently had their worst-ever clash which led them to axe plans to finally get hitched this winter, you’d think filming Elf would have been a ho-ho time but bad blood between star Will Ferrell and writer-director Jon Favreau killed plans for a sequel 

Page 7: Shocked by the frighteningly gaunt and frail appearance of Bob Newhart friends of the hard-working star fear he’s working himself into his grave 

Page 8: Queen Elizabeth’s personal wealth is estimated at $450 million but she could wind up in the poor house because most of her wealth is locked in her two sprawling country estates which cost a king’s ransom to run: Sandringham and Balmoral 

Page 9: Prince Harry is sporting a choppy-sloppy short-cropped haircut that makes him look like a pauper apparently given to him by his wife Meghan Markle

Page 10: Kirstie Alley has been firing herself into a frenzy about everything these days from her weight to world affairs and her yo-yoing antics are driving friends batty and she’s also becoming more of a recluse 

Page 11: Joan Collins claims she was haunted by her sister Jackie Collins after the novelist died from breast cancer in 2015 -- Joan recalls upon learning her little sis had passed away the electricity went out putting her and husband Percy Gibson in the dark, country music legend Willie Nelson admits to being far from a model husband in his no-holds-barred new book -- the four-time married Willie admits to cheating and says his wandering ways were too much for any woman to put up with 

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Gabourey Sidibe (picture), Lisa Rinna laughingly brushes off claims that her husband Harry Hamlin had a steamy 2018 affair near their Canadian getaway home, Jane Fonda believes in ghosts because she’s seen the ghost of her mother who committed suicide when Jane was 12, Kim Cattrall is still hot and heavy for her British boyfriend of four years Russell Thomas and the two start each day with a cup of tea, not even two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19 Robert Pattinson dropped his mask at a London park to kiss girlfriend Suki Waterhouse even though production on his big-budget flick The Batman was thrown into a tailspin when Rob tested positive for the virus

Page 13: David Harbour grabs a bite in NYC (picture), Rebecca Gayheart runs errands in Beverly Hills (picture), Michael O’Keefe of Caddyshack plays a real-life caddie on Long Island to raise money for charity (picture), Tiffany Haddish isn’t joking when she says she tried for years to be on The People’s Court 

Page 14: The People’s Court’s judge Marilyn Milian enjoys filming her show from her Miami living room where she sees litigants testifying from their homes via remote and she can see how they live, it’s a true kiss and tell by Adam Levine who’s getting loose-lipped about a wet wild kiss he shared with the late Kelly Preston in the music video for Maroon 5′s hit She Will Be Loved, Fashion Verdict -- Gabrielle Haugh 3/10, Paris Hilton 2/10, Keira Knightley 5/10, Tilda Swinton 7/10, Janelle Monae 9/10 

Page 16: Leah McSweeney of The Real Housewives of New York City is sporting black eyes after getting a nose job, Storage Wars star Rene Nezhoda bought a storage locker abandoned by Daniel Baldwin that houses $2500 worth of model trains 

Page 17: The coronavirus plague, natural disasters, the stock market crash, civil unrest, raging wildfires and gruesome death are all signs we are now living in the biblical End Times as predicted by Edgar Cayce and Grigori Rasputin and Nostradamus 

Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Drew Barrymore, Wendy Williams has come clean about using binoculars to get an eyeful of the naked dude next door in the shower, The Real Housewives of Potomac star Ashley Darby dishes that she and husband have engaged in threesomes 

Page 20: American Justice -- dentist Seth Lockhart jailed for yanking a patient’s tooth while riding a hoverboard among other crimes, it’s game over for a deputy sheriff Pasquale Salas from Texas who was convicted of grooming and exploiting young girls he met while playing Minecraft with them online 

Page 21: Blake Lively is fed up with husband Ryan Reynolds’ juvenile practical jokes and she’s ordering him to knock it off and after years of putting up with ridiculous Ryan’s weird pranks her nerves have been rubbed raw since COVID lockdown, dog lover Jon Hamm handed a twice-rejected rescue pup a new leash on life and now the pooch Splash is turning him to mush 

Page 23: NeNe Leakes won’t be returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta after a tumultuous season 12 which saw NeNe feuding with most of the cast, Lady Gaga claims superstardom helped feed her deep dark depression and she was terrified to leave the house and she was often catatonic and says she’d sit outside and spend hours chain-smoking and crying, the $6 crown that Notorious B.I.G. wore in his final photoshoot sold at auction for $594,750 

Page 24: Cover Story -- JonBenet Ramsey’s family is facing new horror after the murdered child’s grave was defiled in a shocking incident investigators fear is linked to Satanic rituals 

Page 26: Health Report -- anxiety linked to thyroid problems 

Page 36: Lindsay Lohan has pulled a vanishing act while begging pals for much-needed cash -- she’s been living out of a suitcase for years and very few people know how to get hold of her or where she is -- now a high-profile book publisher has sued her after forking over $365,000 for a tell-all that she failed to complete so she’s hitting up all the big contacts she can and the word is she’s running on empty 

Page 38: Real Life -- Alzheimer’s stricken granny’s home of 50 years was seized by cold-hearted bureaucrats because she owed a paltry six cents in back taxes 

Page 44: Straight Talk -- we’re tired of scripted reality shows 

Page 45: Just months after the deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna his mother-in-law Sofia Laine says a shocking rift has shredded the close relationship she had with her daughter and Kobe’s widow Vanessa Bryant, Tom Petty’s kin have ended their feud that got so petty they sued each other over salad dressing and now the clan’s uniting to re-release his legendary 1994 album Wildflowers which was almost scrapped due to nasty infighting between Tom’s widow Dana and the grown-up daughters Adria and Annakim from his first marriage 

Page 47: Hollywood Flashback -- Jeff Goldblum as Tricycle Man in Robert Altman’s Nashville, Bizarre But True 

[memphisbarbecue]

FAREWELL: COLEMAN’S IN HERNANDO

  This thoroughly crappy year just continues to pile on the sad news. The closing of the Coleman’s Bar-B-Q restaurant in Hernando in no way ranks with  the death and misery that  have ravaged this country since March, but the news still hurts.    Eight years ago I did some posts on the Coleman’s chain, which flourished across the South in the 1960s and 1970s, eventually boasting more than 170 locations. Old Coleman shops are all over Memphis and the Mid-South as rebranded restaurants and ghost pits, but the Hernando shop (No. 43) was one of three that I knew of that still were true to their origin. The others were in Senatobia (No. 9) and one at 5175 Millbranch in Memphis.

As best I can determine, the Senatobia shop is still open. The Millbranch site is now home to the Southern Hands restaurant.

        The Hernando Coleman’s is particularly interesting because of its family ties. It was opened in 1971 by Mae C. Treadway, sister of the chain’s namesake founder, A.B. Coleman,  and her husband, Carl Ferguson, now deceased. Her son and daughter-in-law later ran the business. Here’s the link to a story about the closing (thanks to my daughter for finding this): http://m.desototimes.com/business/the-closing-of-coleman-s-means-the-end-of-an-era-not-just-a-restaurant/article_e6620fc2-d81b-11ea-9aa9-c7582e932e1d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share&fbclid=IwAR3yS0CfLdPec_gP3Iy02nOClfFjX0lAf_gmbwn8Cil1tS3VnMZ7GPA0DMs

   I ate a couple of times at the Hernando and Senatobia shops. The food was good, and the time-traveling was even better. You can get the Coleman’s vibe without having to drive to Senatobia. Captain John’s in Collierville is an old Coleman’s that hasn’t changed much at all. My real go-to spot with Coleman’s ties used to be the greatly missed Showboat Barbecue on Hickory Hill, run by Porter Moss, who was Coleman’s right-hand man in the creation of that chain and also Loeb’s.

       In the 1960s and 1970s, Memphis was a hotbed of opportunity to own your own barbecue restaurant. A.B. Coleman was involved with the Loeb’s chain, which covered the Mid-South starting in the early 1960s. At the same time, Little Pigs of America sold franchises across the country before falling into bankruptcy before the end of the decade. Later in the 1960s, A.B. Coleman started his namesake company that spread as far as Texas and Florida. The best surviving Loeb’s I’m aware of is Three Little Pigs on Quince. Getting the Little Pigs of America experience requires driving to North Carolina (always worth it -- Asheville is good, Statesville better).

Got this from Tumblr last month (July 25). Hard to believe. It’s been on fumes for the last three years or so, and this pandemic environment doesn’t bode well for the future. I can’t get out like I used to, so things will be more hit and miss that usual. Anyway, thanks to all who have stopped by over the years. Also, happy birthday to the Little Pigs in Statesville, NC, with which this site shares a birthdate. I hope they are surviving this corona mess.        

[moonlightmadnessreviews]

Doctor Sleep, and How Cinema Helps Us Revisit Old Ghost

As I write this review, the phrase “Better late than never comes to mind.” Not only because I’m only just now seeing Director Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel Doctor Sleep in mid December, but because I feel like this is a phrase Dan Torrance must have muttered to himself during the events of the film as well. Picking up after not only the first book, but the first movie as well (as most horror fans know, the two are very different affairs), Doctor Sleep manages to swiftly maneuver its way between both its source materials while creating a story of its own. Don’t be fooled though, as the Overlook Hotel is as horrifying as ever.

In the film we follow Dan Torrance, now I’m his 40s, as he struggles with the bottle much like his father Jack Torrance once did. We see that he uses this as a means to dull his Shine; a coping mechanism that only seems to break him down both mentally and physically. Meanwhile, we also meet young Abra Stone. Abra’s Shine is perhaps the strongest felt in decades, as we see it catches the attention of Rose The Hat and her family The True Knot. Rose is a Pennywise-type character of sorts who hunts down those with the ability to Shine, using fear to strengthen (or even season) their essence, which her and the True Knot then consume.

Bringing Dan Torrance back to the silver screen is actor Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson portrays Rose the Hat, and finally Abra Stone is portrayed by Kyliegh Curran. The cast is rounded out by some Flanagan regulars such as Carel Struycken (Grandpa Flick, The Moonlight Man in Gerald’s Game), Violet McGraw (Violet, young Nell Crain in The Haunting of Hill House) and Henry Thomas (in a role I won’t spoil for ya, young Hugh Crain in The Haunting of Hill House).

McGregor plays Dan wonderfully, embodying the sort of longing for peace Dan Torrance has wanted ever since his family stepped foot into the Overlook Hotel. Ferguson is menacing and cunning as Rose, and has this sort of animalistic appeal which just jumps off the screen. Curran brings to life my favorite character from the novel, playing Abra as confident and sure of herself, all the while still amazed by her own abilities. I was afraid the movie wouldn’t focus on Abra enough, but luckily we get plenty of time for her character to grow and learn, Curran breathing life into an already fantastic character!

The film is shot beautifully, with cinematographer Michael Fimognari creating an eerie and cold look to the film. There are sequences that pay tribute to Kubrick’s film, and they are shot with such care that it had me grinning from ear to ear. Along with the look of the film, The Newton Brother’s do a magnificent job with the score. Once again, we have tributes to Kubrick’s film and they help to really solidify the connection I feel Flanagan was going for.

As I mentioned, the film pulls from Stephen King’s literary sequel to The Shining, while also calling back to Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of King’s original novel. Director Mike Flanagan has a task in front of him that I am hardly jealous of, yet he manages to respect both. As a page to screen adaptation, Flanagan does his best to leave in as many of the novel’s plot points while still having enough vision to cut out, or change, some pretty big aspects. I was afraid we’d get a complete rehashing of most of the story to help it fit in better with Kubrick’s film, but for the most part, the first two acts really manage to follow King’s work.

Where the film takes its biggest liberties are in the opening sequence and the films climax. Though I do wish Flanagan had stuck to King’s original ending, I did enjoy how he decided to wrap things up. Furthermore, King’s ending no longer made sense in the context of the film, as Flanagan changes a major driving force for Dan pretty early on. Where Flanagan’s ending succeeds most is in reconciling the ending of Kucbrick’s film and The Shining novel. Though this isn’t a retcon by any means, it helps to bring closure to many of the stories characters, and gives us an amazing scene between McGregor and Henry Thomas which I did NOT see coming.

Along with its visuals and performances, Doctor Sleep has solidified Mike Flanagan as one of the strongest directors in the horror genre today. In every one of his outings, you feel that Flanagan has a great understanding of classic film making. He manages to find a balance between terror and heart in an age when Hollywood horror tends to be more and more flashy. Doctor Sleep takes its time, much in the way The Shining did, building dread and tension with the patience it takes to let a scare really get its claws into you.

Mike Flanagan has managed to combine the worlds of screen and page into an experience that I feel will satisfy both King’s film and literary fans. With knock out performances from the entire cast, stunning visuals and music which plants you firmly in the world of the Shining, Doctor Sleep is certainly a film that needs to be experienced in theaters. Even if you’re catching a 10:30 showing in mid December, with a film of this caliber, it’s certainly better late than never.

Rating: 5 Full Moons out of 5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

[words-by-slay-blog]

Faker Than Snow on Tha Bluff

2014 was perhaps the best year of J Cole’s career.

Like now, that summer was a summer of unrest. Protests erupted not only in Ferguson, but in various cities across the country, in response to the police murder of an unarmed black man. The #BlackLivesMatter movement had reached national consciousness. They demanded justice against Darren Wilson, the murderer, and an end to police brutality.

While most celebrities remained silent, J Cole was eager to show his support. He showed his face at the Ferguson protests, in a show of solidarity. After that, he dropped one of his most memorable singles, “Be Free”. It wasn’t a usual J Cole song. Not only was he singing on it, but it was much more raw: a sad cry of frustration in response to the familiar spectre of Black death. It was melancholic; it was serious; it shed light on how many were feeling. He even performed the track on Late Night with David Letterman. A few months later, he dropped Forest Hills Drive, his magnum opus,  and cemented his status as the quintessential “conscious” rapper. Many hip hop heads looked to Cole as a leader, a role model, an example for what rappers should strive to be. He became a voice for our generation.

Six years later, history would repeat itself. Again, the police killed another unarmed black man. In fact, other police murders came to light around the same time: Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, to name a few. Protests sprang up all over the country. 

But this time, it was different. As days rolled by, the list of names grew and grew. The protests swelled more and more, reaching critical mass. Their demands were more far-reaching: defund the police and an end to white supremacy. Antagonized by police forces, these protests often turned to violent clashes. Despite this, more and more people showed out. What began in the city of Minneapolis became a global movement, of black people fed up with a world that doesn’t value their lives (and allies standing with them). It’s a moment that is both exciting and nerve-wracking. We haven’t seen this much momentum since the Civil Rights era. With this newfound leverage comes pressure: we don’t know when we’ll have a moment like this again.

Now, organizations and institutions rushed to make shallow demonstrations of support, if only to save face. Celebrities of all sorts tweeted messages of solidarity, some genuine, others to avoid public backlash. Statues are being taken down and streets renamed. But that only does so much. 

Like last time, J Cole put out a song, presumably about current events. But it differed from “Be Free”. Rather than a reflection on #blm, it reads like a confession: he has much more to learn; he isn’t the woke leader people make him out to be; he wants to do more but doesn’t know how. And in doing so, he asks the black woman in the song, in the most “respectful” way he could, to sweeten her tone and get him up to speed.

And as you can expect, the public received his new song…  differently this time. “Snow on the Bluff” itself became an enormous distraction, turning a long-deleted tweet into a social media firestorm.  

I will say this straight up: this wasn’t it, chief. 

And as a fan of J Cole, I’ll honestly say I’m disappointed.  This is how he broke his silence? The issue is less so with the message, or how respectful he’s being, but more so with how he’s using his platform. Now is not the time to check a black woman’s tone. Black people of all genders are ticked off right now, if you couldn’t tell. 

But bro… what did he do wrong? Didn’t he already make a song about this? Hasn’t he talked about these issues his entire career? He was being respectful: we don’t need another “Be Free”. 

Maybe another “Be Free” isn’t what’s needed now. There’s been so many bars about police brutality and black plight: would another “Fuck the Police” really change anything?

But it’s impossible to ignore how big a platform J Cole has. He’s the man who went triple platinum with no features. He has an army of stans who hang onto his every word. As a voice for a generation, duty calls. 

No one is asking him to become the spokesperson of the struggle. As Dave Chappelle said, “the streets are talking.” Activists on the ground, and educators who have done the reading are who we should listen to right now. The sheer size of Cole’s celebrity could drown out the voices of those on the ground. The communities in question can speak for themselves better than any platinum rapper can.

However, is that an excuse to stay silent? Or to be careless about how you use your platform?

The fact of the matter is this debate he sparked became more divisive than the tweet in question. Even if his intentions were pure, he unintentionally sicced his army of fans onto a fellow rapper who has been doing the work. (click here for more: https://www.nonamebooks.com/books) 

Imagine what good he could do if he had just used his platform differently. Imagine if, instead of throwing up his hands and saying that he didn’t have the answers, he uplifted the voices of those who might. 

It’s obvious that Cole cares deeply about these issues. He might do more behind the scene than we realize. But the question is, how can he do more with the voice and platform he has?

Yes, your commitment to the struggle shouldn’t be measured by how many tweets you post. But with great power comes great responsibility. This was a misuse of that power. 

Maybe it was wrong to expect or hope for more from Jermaine. Maybe we are witnessing the limit of the traditional “conscious” rapper. But it’s a question all of us are wrestling with right now: how can we do more?  It’s one Cole himself ponders at the end: 

“But damn, why I feel faker than Snow on Tha Bluff?

Well maybe ‘cause deep down I know I ain’t doing enough” 

[john20ryan]

Conscious Rap & Race (Blog #1)

Rap music as a genre has been stigmatized since it’s origins. Many people frown upon the genre and accuse all the content in the music as vulgar, explicit, and in some cases sexist. These stereotypes have largely discredited the work of rappers throughout their careers. Whether it was Tupac in the 90’s, NWA, Lupe Fiasco, or numerous others, there have been a number of rappers throughout the genres existence who have done their part in trying to make a difference.

           In the recent years, conscious rap has become even more popular, and more importantly, it’s becoming the “cool” thing for rappers to talk about. While in the past, discussing real issues may have been labeled as soft, todays artists widely acknowledge the importance of meaning in their music. Like the aforementioned NWA, conscious rappers today often vocalize their displeasure about racial issues in America. Two artists who have been particularly successful with their music about racial tensions in America have also been the two who have helped popularize the conscious rap movement, J Cole and Kendrick Lamar.

           Possibly the most impactful performance regarding racial tensions in America was given by J Cole live on the Letterman show. Cole was invited on Letterman’s late night show to promote his upcoming album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Just like any other musician on a press tour, he was expected to perform a song of his upcoming album for promotion. However, Cole saw an opportunity to protest the Michael Brown situation by writing an emotional song pleading for change. “On Friday, just days after the death of Michael Brown and the subsequent civil unrest in Ferguson, Mo., J. Cole’s somber protest song “Be Free” spread around the world in a matter of hours, fueled by social media and the hip-hop world’s intense online discourse about Mr. Brown, an 18-year-old who was fatally shot by a police officer last Saturday” (NY Times). Everyone in the crowd, including Letterman was stunned by the performance and Cole was universally praised for his decision. Between Cole’s emotional verses and chorus pleading for freedom, Cole placed an eye-witness account from Dorian Johnson, the friend who was with Michael Brown at the time of his tragic death. The song was beautifully crafted and did an excellent job at bringing the Brown’s death and racial inequalities to the forefront.

           While Kendrick Lamar does not have one signature performance like Coles “Be Free”, Lamar won a Pulitzer Prize for his album titled “DAMN” and vocalized racial issues to new lengths on his album “To Pimp a Butterfly”. While Cole talks about the issues of racial discrimination head on, Lamar takes a different approach. Throughout the album, Lamar goes on a rollercoaster of highs and lows in life but always emphasizes that no matter how dire the situation, it’s important to remain positive and try and escape. “This is an album about tiny quality of life improvements to be made in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.” (Pitchfork). In particular, Lamar talks about trying to make it out of Compton as black individuals who grow up in the worst of circumstances. Creating an album that instilled hope in people experiencing situations like this was a first and defines Lamar for his forward-thinking ideas.

Whether it’s “Get Out” or “Sorry to Bother You” the movies and articles we have discussed in class talk about a lot of the same things Lamar does. Institutionalized racism that gives black people a higher chance for failure because of the opportunities at hand. It’s one thing to give in, but whether it’s protesting, fighting back, or Lamar offering a glimmer of hope, It’s important to vocalize these issues. Rap has done a great job at doing just that in recent years.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/16/arts/music/j-coles-be-free-spreads-around-the-world-in-hours.html

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20390-to-pimp-a-butterfly/