In the music

Every holiday season I try to take a break from hip-hop and listen to Christmas music the entire time. I figure it can't be healthy to numb your brain with Weezy 12 months a year and a little Nat King Cole or Sinatra never hurts. Every year it gets harder and harder though as every one of my favorite rappers releases an album hoping it will sell a couple more in the retail propelled quarter 4.

Here's a quick rundown of what I've been bumping when Christmas music isn't running through my headphones.

1. Lupe Fiasco's single "Superstar"

A bootleg concert version of this came out late in the summer and I slept on it for a couple of months. Since the real version has been available I can't stop listening to this song, seriously I've listened this song at least twice a day for the past two weeks. By far the best single to come out in '07 not off "American Gangster" or "Graduation." Lupe again kills the track with flawless lyricism. Props to Hype Williams for making a perfect video to accompany the song.

2. Freeway's "Free at last"

Freeway is by far my favorite Sunni Muslim rapper from Philadelphia. Even though this album isn't as great as his debut "Philadelphia Freeway," the inner Sunni-Muslim-rapper that I believe is inside us all won't let me make any negative comments about this album. Freeway is hard as shit, but also keeps it real such as in the track title "I cry," where he raps "I'm a break it down to y'all a few times in my life when I had to cry/ it's just grown-man shit/ real rap, let's go/ when I was diaper switching/ first time my GI Joes was missing."

3. Birdman featuring everyone - "100 million dollars"

The scene where Weezy is rapping in a room made of money is just epic. When I make it one day, I am going to say Weezy keeping stacks on the blades of his ceiling fan was my inspiration.

4. Murs releasing a video off his two-year old "Murray's Revenge" when he supposedly has a new album dropping early '08.

I say this about half the people I meet in life, but honestly Murs might be my favorite person ever. Definitely top 5 dead or alive and that's just off a couple LPs and a dope concert.

5. The retarded amount of good music that leaked in the past few days that I haven't even got a chance to listen to fully.
Styles P - "Super Gangster, Extraordinary Gentleman"
DJ Drama a.k.a. Barak O'Drama - "Gangsta Grillz (the album)"
Wu Tang Clan - "8 Diagrams"
Ghostface Killah - "Big Doe Rehab"
Murs 3:16 Presents: "Murs and the Misadventures of Nova Express"
Beanie Sigel - "The Solution"

6. Jay-Z - "American Gangster"

One of the better albums to come out in my lifetime. Enough said.

7. Snoop Dogg - "Sensual Seduction"

Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction [EXCLU]
Uploaded by PeteRock

Snoop Dogg may be the flyest person ever. The idea of making a P-Funk inspired video in grainy resolution 15 years into your career in the year 2007 is simply genius. Also props on cutting the middle-man that is T-Pain and just using a voice box himself.

Other shit:
Magazine I'm most anticipating: "I'm a martian and if you understand me than you're Jesus Christ" Props to Marc Ecko for knowing how to sell a goddamn magazine.

Random Cats shit: Reasons I haven't blogged the past two games
1. When you don't want to be a sports journalist, it's tough to find motivation
2. I figure everyone watched the Kansas game
3. Work that actually pays me, unlike journalism
4. I try to like the Cats, I really do, but there is not one player on the team who I really enjoy watching or have an invested interest in
5. Some other shit, namely apathy and homework

Best thing I've heard about the Cats recently: "We should start a Facebook group called 'Brielmaier from 15!!!'" - in reference to UA walk-on Bret Brielmaier jumper (with a wide-open lane) with 5 seconds on the clock against Kansas.

Random Oregon shit: They had a game tonight against K-State that was nationally televised. I took a nap between the first quarter and :45 second mark in OT, effectively missing the whole game...But they won, so I can't complain. Notes: Catron had 15 in the second half...Freshman Cameron Brown spells his name Kamyron Brown...Ernie Kent is a G...Oregon already gave away Adrian Stelly's #21 to freshman Nicholas Fearn...

Random Shot at the ol' J.O.B.: This ether I laid in the comment section of an article that made a mockery of journalism. No offense to Ritter, his side was legit.

Sneaker Watch of Life: I saw a bum today wearing Soaps, the shoes that are designed aggressive freestyle walking.

Coming up on Wherespmac.com: Review of favorite X-mas tracks and albums. Be ready.

Merry Christmas

I hope the Christmas-themed Wherespmac.com throws you in the holiday spirit. If new banners and red and green fonts don't do it for you, the clip below should do the trick. (If you can't see it click here)

Schwartz in Kansas

Where's P-Mac proudly presents the writing of the Daily Wildcat's Michael Schwartz. Schwartz is the greatest sports writer in Tucson, hands down in my opinion and he continues to produce the only readable material in the Daily Wildcat.

Schwartz is also the biggest sports fan I know, demonstrating this by knowing all of Paul McPherson's stats off the top of his head and willing to continue the impoverished dream of being a sports journalist. He's a die-hard D-Backs and Suns fan and he's quick to snap, "You're an idiot," if you disagree with his views. Oddly enough, nothing makes me happier than Schwartz telling me how wrong I am, then giving me a million stats to back up his reasoning. Without further ado...

LAWRENCE, Kan. – With an ESPN-televised so-called showdown against Arizona on tap the next day for its No. 4 Jayhawks, the city of Lawrence, would normally be caught up in basketball fever.

After all, Kansas football fans often look forward to basketball season even sooner than Wildcat fans.

But that was certainly not the case Saturday when the No. 2 Jayhawk football team played with a chance to take over the No. 1 spot in the nation and move one game away from the BCS Championship Game with a win over its hated rival, No. 4 Missouri.

For those of you unaware of the Border Showdown, it’s the second-oldest rivalry in college football with more hatred spewing from a Jayhawk to a Tiger than from a Wildcat to a Sun Devil.

The streets in Lawrence appeared empty as if it were 2 a.m. when kickoff approached just after 7 p.m. local time, with the entire city indoors watching the game. (That, and the fact that the weather was absolutely freezing).

At The Hawk, a popular bar in Lawrence, the establishment only gave out wristbands between plays so nobody would miss any of the action. Every person in the place intently watched the game – even the girls – cheering their Jayhawks on every snap as if they were attending the game.

Some people showed their hatred for Missouri with “Muck Fizzou” shirts, and the bar played the Kansas fight song at halftime.

Over at Jefferson’s Restaurant, the unofficial hangout for Kansas students, fans packed the place wearing Kansas blue and red, cheering every play even louder than at The Hawk. Cardboard faces of Kansas’s hefty head coach Mark Mangino dotted the restaurant, where dollars bills, some with pro-KU sayings, covered the walls.

The game did not go quite how Jayhawk fans would have liked, with Kansas dropping a 36-28 decision, but it was not for lack of effort from the fans on the home front.

With under a minute left, Jayhawk supporters roared for a third-down stop and cheered emphatically when the Tigers could not convert a first down. That only led to language typical of the UA student section after Missouri forced a safety on Kansas’ first play of its next drive to seal the KU defeat.

While Kansas fans mourn their football team’s missed opportunity at a chance at a national title – as this would be worse than ASU eliminating Arizona from bowl contention again next week – they can certainly take solace in the bread and butter of the school, a No. 4-ranked basketball team that has Final Four talent and Elite Eight experience from last season.

Those fans should be ready to take out their anger on the Wildcats by game time Sunday night.

More tidbits from Lawrence
I ran into ESPN analyst Jay Bilas Saturday while he shopped at the Allen Fieldhouse gift shop. Bilas, who is calling Sunday’s game for ESPN, predicted a close contest.

UA video and recruiting coordinator Matt Brase walked into Jefferson’s with a couple of team managers in the fourth quarter in all of their Arizona gear, but they were not openly rooting for either football team.

One person apparently ready for basketball season at Jefferson’s wore a shirt that said “Why play with Roy when we can play with our Self,” in reference to men’s basketball head coach Bill Self and former head coach Roy Williams.

(Schwartz is in no way an official writer for Where's P-Mac, content stolen from here, with Schwartz's approval)

Staying Fresh in Eugene

Today's Ducks post is written by Where's P-Mac resident hardcore Ducks fan/site contributor Andy Sigler. The image above is courtesy of my creative genius.

I would like to briefly point out what an honor it is to contribute to one of the finest internet publications going. It has been a goal of mine, and I would like to personally thank Justin for this incredible opportunity.

The 2007/2008 Ducks are back intact for the most part from last seasons Pac-10 Tournament-winning squad.

Key losses include senior leader Aaron Brooks, who had a breakout season last year which made him a first round pick of the Houston Rockets. Adam Zahn, a forward/center who graduated in June, is the only other non returning player who saw any kind of important minutes last year. Wheres P-Mac’s other favorite son, Chamberlin a.k.a. Champ a.k.a. DatNig Oguchi, decided it would be a brilliant idea to leave a top-tier team for the friendly confines of Illinois State. Even though Champ only had one good month in his entire UO career, he will for some unknown reason be sorely missed. New additions to this year’s team include freshman recruits Kamyron Brown and Drew Viney, freshman walk-ons, Nicholas Fearn and John Elorriaga, and “The Haitian Sensation” looking to turn Eugene into “Dorsainville, U.S.A.”, Franz Dorsainvil. Also, LeKendric Longmire will be on the active roster this year after red shirting his freshman season. Let’s get to the game…

Other notes:
Where's P-Mac Favorite Joevan “Stay Fresh” “I can fuck a bitch better than you, but I’m willing to help” Catron is ready for March Madness early, entering the season with a very fresh playoff beard.

Tajuan Porter had off season surgery on his ear and will no longer be featuring that abnormal growth that we all know and love.

Jordan Kent, former 3-sport standout for the Ducks, and son of famed head coach Ernie, has decided to celebrate not making the Seahawks roster by frequently attending UO games.

Bold Claim of the Year: Bryce Taylor will challenge Malik Hairston for Pac-10 player of the year.

Pit Crew Pit Stop of the Game: As I took a timeout to hit the restroom, mascot Donald Duck, fresh off probation mascot took my seat. Quite an honor to say the least.

UMKC at UA

My first real game of the season. A real thriller as the Mid-Con/Summit league's University of Missouri Kansas City paid a visit to McKale to play the Lute-less Cats.

• Watching UMKC warm-up I notice they only have three black players on their team. If you doesn't murder them, this will be an embarrassment.
• No Weezy, but UA now plays a little pre-game Daft Punk. Respect.
  
• It's close all the way throughout the first half UMKC is actually leading at the 7-minute mark, 18-16. Keep in mind only one black dude started.
  
• After a quick run, UA goes into the second half, up 37-29. Although 9 first half turnovers and allowing 7 offensive boards made the first half almost unbearable to watch.
• UA finally wakes up 20 minutes into the game. Hitting 3s, getting boards, and playing with a little energy for a change of pace. All UA in the second half.
• Final 81-62. The Cats are back above .500, 2-1 baby!! Bring on Adams State.

Where's P-Mac Nic Wise Moment of the Game: Up 17 with 2:56 to go in the game, UMKC is taking the ball out of bounds with 8 seconds on the shot clock. Coach O'Neill brings in defensive specialist Nic Wise to make sure the UMKC Kangaroos don't bring this game any closer. As the shotclock expires, UMKC forces an off-balance deep 3-pointer from the top of the arc. Whistle, foul, 1-3, white. 3 at the line. Utterly incredible.

Sneaker Watch: This is where Mustafa and Marcus' departure hurts the team the most. Hate 'em or love 'em they always had nice kicks. Only thing worth mentioning in Monday night's game was Jawann's white/blue Huarache 2K4s. Raja would be proud. (By the way wasn't it always love it or hate before the Game/50 song. I swear to god they changed around the order of that saying. Maybe I'm just crazy)

Louis Nap Sack Where I hold'n all the Work at Moment of the Game: To the security guard who let bring in a nap sack full of Goldfish (that's just how real I keep it) after one of the other guards wanted me to throw them away. "To throw away that many Goldfish would be a crime," he said. I could agree more.

Some Links

Need a time-out you probably shouldn't be taking. Here's some articles and videos that are probably more entertaining than your homework.

First, an update in Agent Zero, err, Hibachi, err, Nacho's blog.

This is why I love the NBA. Melo and AI bringing new meaning to the mile high city.

I always knew they had a chance.

Incredible piano medley of Kanye's Graduation.

I am not the best journalist in the world, in fact I'm not even sure I'm a journalist at all any more, but I'm gonna go ahead and give the WPM Lamest Lead Ever Award to this trash. Come on now Lance, step your game up.

I have driven through Casa Grande a million times. I never knew there was a massive Fritos factory there. Respect on the green chips.

Every time I read an article on Google, I get more and more excited for the day they take over the world.

"When it comes to awareness of the stock price, they say, Google is different from other large high-tech companies where they have worked, like Microsoft, where the day’s stock price is a fixture on many people’s computer screens.

At Google, the sensibility is more nuanced, they say. “It isn’t considered ‘Googley’ to check the stock price (which hovers in the high $600s),” said an engineer, using the Google jargon for what is acceptable in the company’s culture. As a result, there is a bold insistence, at least on the surface, that the stock price does not matter, said the engineer, who did not want to be named because it is considered unseemly to discuss the price."

Hopefully Google can one day do something about Saudi rape victims receiving 200 lashes.

Still don't think Google can ever help Mustafa Shakur's game. Congrats on signing on to a club in Poland.

Finally Marcus Williams, who was widely hated by every athlete on campus for being a self-obsessed dick, is finally getting his. After being drafted in the second round and cut by the San Antonio Spurs, Marcus was recently cut by the NBA D-League's Austin Toros. I didn't even know you could get cut from a D-League squad.

In Virginia, we smirked at that Simpson trial

The first official game notes of the season are going to be short and sweet, mainly because I wasn't at the game, but I caught enough of it to throw these notes down.

• Despite interim/permanent Coach O'Neill's request to deny Virginia any 3s. UVA hit them at will, often with nobody on them, giving them an early lead in the first half. Fast forward to the final minute of the game.
• 45 seconds: Sean Singletary busts Jordan Hills ankles with a crossover, Singletary then pulls up, and they're ain't shit for UA to do but look. Re-up, re-locate, re-off them brooks. 73-69, UVA. Next play Jerryd Bayless gets gully for a freshman and hits a deep 3 in the biggest game in his young career to put UA within 1, 73-72 with 28 seconds on the clock.
• Coach O'Neill's alleged cut-throat defense finally works and UA forces a 5-second violation as UVA tries to inbound the ball.
• What happened to that boy? Bayless gets ungully as freshman and makes a stupid mistake as he tries to catch the deep inbound pass, as he tries to prevent a back-court violation he passes the ball directly to UVA's Adrian Joeseph, who is quickly intentionally fouled.
• Joseph calmly sinks 2 at the line to put UVA up 75-72.
• Zona had a chance but ended up fucking it up horribly with 28 seconds to run a play.
• Virginia wins 75-72. Somewhere Pusha T and Malice are happy.

Where's P-Mac Nic Wise Moment of the Game: With 6:13 left in the second quarter and UA down by 3, Nic pulls a jumper from the top of the key, completely out of any rhythm of the offense. The result? Straight air homey. I guess you could chalk it up to nervous jitters, which makes a lot of sense in the second game of the regular season in your sophomore year.

Sneaker Watch: Coming soon.

That's a lot of Starburys

My most sincere apologies for the 14-day Where's P-Mac drought, not sponsored by The Empire. I was on strike with the writers guild until I realized that I never was getting paid in the first place and I'm not part of any guilds.

I was actually in New York City promoting Where's P-Mac East, and by promoting I mean scribbling Wherespmac.com on the walls of NYU's dorm halls. While I was there I did get to witness what may be Stephon Marbury's last game as a Knick.

I went to the World's Most Famous Arena Sunday night to watch the Knicks play the Heat, who are still waiting for D-Wade to get up for the eighth time. I was pumped to see Stephon Marbury, one of my favorite players ever, in action. Unfortunately Jason Williams owned Steph the whole night, getting steals, hitting game winners and forcing Steph to take a horrible shot as the clock expired. Miami ended up winning their first game of the season 75-72.

Since then Steph has vanished into thin air. Not playing in the Tuesday's loss to the Suns and now threatening to snitch on Freaky Zekey.

"Isiah has to start me," Marbury fumed, according to the source. "I've got so much (stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I'll (get) him first. You have no idea what I know."

Since two of the leagues craziest people are involved, nobody knows what's going to happen, but Steph has already been fined $180,000 or 12,016 pairs of Starburys.

On to the college game. UA has got off to a stellar start edging out a garbage Northern Arizona by 7 points in their opening game. I missed the game, but according to every report, it was an underwhelming effort by Zona.

Bad news: The Lumberjacks shot 50 percent from the field in the second half and stayed in the game despite shooting 19 fewer free throws. The Cats were only up 3 with 52 seconds left. Jordan Hill fouled out and the other big men got handled by Big-Sky-caliber big men. Jerryd Bayless is not Gilbert Arenas.

Good news: The season is still pretty young and the Cats got the win.

Better news: Brandon Jennings officially signed on. The same Brandon Jennings who appears on the latest SLAM presents PUNKS cover.

Greg Hansen has been brutally honest on UA sports all year and he's not stopping for hoops.

Early contender for Where's P-Mac Nic Wise Moment of the Season: In a feature in Sunday's Daily Star hoops season preview Nic Wise (now a sophomore) listed English 101 as his toughest class this semester. Seriously Nic? English 101 is your toughest class in your sophomore year? The C.A.T.S. program must work miracles with these kids' schedules. Honorable mention goes to senior Jawann McClellen for listing Celtic Spiritualism as his toughest class.

Other items of importance:

A new DJ Khaled video for the "I'm so hood remix" with Busta Rhymes wearing 100 chains.

I don't even watch the shit any more but great quote from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, "It would just be a colossal dick move if they did that," regarding making shows without his writing or voice.

Great example of drugs ruining a rap career.

Great example of drugs ruining a rapper, then the said rapper realizes he's now mentally retarded, rolls with it and makes it work.

Umm...Ok.

Finally I can't make Saturday's UA game versus Virginia. If anybody out there wants to write some notes on the game for the site get at me (jadler1@email.arizona.edu). You won't make a dime, but your e-street cred will go through the roof.

All Souls Procession

I've talked about Bookmans and LuluBell's shop, but the All Souls Procession is by far by favorite thing in Tucson and something everyone should attend while living in the Old Pueblo.

Since I plan on sticking with society for my run on Earth, Tucson's All Souls Procession is the closest I will ever come to the Burning Man Festival - and that's good enough for me.

Basically it's every crazy and wanna-be-crazy person in Tucson, in costume partying through the streets. At last year's procession, my friend and I saw a person shooting up in the streets, so my expectations were high for the '07 celebration.

How crazy you ask?

There were several people mourning loved ones - whether it was humans or animals - understandable and not that crazy. One woman was screaming throughout the parade "Where's my Pené?" She was holding up a paper and almost crying in search of her "Pené."

She came up to me and then asked if I had seen her "Pené," a white comb she had lost a year ago at "this very procession." Crazy.

I told her I hadn't seen it, before I offered my apologies and prayers that she would soon find her precious comb. The weirdest part of all this is that she appeared fairly Anglo, but all her screams were in Spanish. I guess the comb only spoke Spanish.

The goal of the parade according to the website is to, "experience grieving, reverence, release, opening, joy, and closure with thousands of other participants in a safe environment, at the level you wish to participate."

It was founded in 1990 by a woman who decided to best way to remember her father was with an insane street parade, according to the site.

The picture at the top shows a burning urn, which was the grand finale of tonight's parade. The urn was filled with these prayer forms, for people to mourn whatever and whoever.

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the blogging.

A weird-ass penguin.

Crazy animal skeleton-thing.

Remember that weird stick-juggling game that was really fucking lame in second grade? Well it's pretty much life-and-death for this guy. I have never seen anyone more focussed in my life until I saw this guy and his glowing, neon stick.

This man had a huge snake in the middle of the crowd. That didn't bother me. However I bugged the fuck out when I realized the dude had sliced his tongue to match his snake's. That's going to disturb me for at least a month.

This took place during the finale, this ghost (best pic I could get) floated in the sky, suspended from huge balloons and still tied to the ground. After staring at it for 30 minutes I realized there was a person inside it, eventually the person ripped the whole angel-get-up off and then did crazy acrobatic tricks in the air until the urn burning. (better pic I stole)

My friend the Beit Machine and some wild Mickey.

A really trill take on politics.

My friend Seth and I with some huge furry dog.

The whole night I was rocking a green bandanna my friend gave me (next year it will be on with face paint and costumes). My friend comes from a small town in Rhode Island named Chepachet, where the regional dance is called "bloaking." This was my attempt at it.

Here are some other pics of the urn from other people's flickr account, one of which had this line: "While the urn was burning, I chanted silently, 'May s/he, I/we be free of suffering, anxiety, fear, and dis-ease. May s/he, I/we experience joy and expansive well-being.'"

Futbol y más

(available for immediate release)
Wherespmac.com is proud to announce its first partnership with the intramural soccer club Off Constantly. Last year only one team beat Off Constantly in a stellar inaugural season, in which Off Constantly went undefeated before losing deep in the playoffs.

This season Off Constantly is having a rough time adjusting to new players and shaking off the summer rust. However Off Constantly is admittedly using the 2002 Lakers approach of dogging the regular season and saving their energy for the post season run that will hopefully include a championship.

Random Links:

First off, hope all is well for Lute.

After last year's tazing before the UNC game and this year's tazing at the football home-opener, maybe ZonaZoo t-shirts should be made out of this.

It's good to see the King making cameos in bullshit rap videos.

Agent Arenas breaking down why he should be MVP.

A really interesting NPR bit on ghost people.

Really good read on the Google Phone.

Apparently Staf is no longer on the Kings roster.

“I have the utmost respect and aloha for black people" -Dog

Killa Cam quote of the day:
"Hahaha, of course! You know my lawyers are Jewish, they be saying that all the time. So then I was watching Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Larry David—I fuck with Larry—he called Ted Danson a ‘yenta.’ Yo, I fell out laughing. That sh-- was crazy. I said, that’s exactly what all these folks are doin’, gossiping about me. Yentas. That’s where the ‘Cam’ron is anonymous’ came from too. Did you see that episode? That’s my sh--. You have HBO On Demand? Its episode 52…."

Please God

Make this a reality

I need Kobe in a Bulls jersey. Mr. Paxson please figure out a way to pull the trigger on this. The Bears suck. The Blackhawks suck. The Cubs will always suck. Chicago needs this right now. I understand the Bulls have been building a solid young core with only one retarded contract (Big Ben's), but you don't pass up on getting the greatest player in the game. It's 1:30 in the morning and I can't sleep just thinking about Kobe practicing in the Berto center, let alone coming out of the tunnel in the United Center. If Kobe, Kirk, Luol, Tyrus and Joakim become a reality I will watch WGN like it's porn (make what you want of that line).