A.D.D. Report: Konichiwa, Stern-sie

We are about to witness the departure of NBA commissioner David Stern and I, for one, am glad. All these analysts have been very kind in their words about him, but I will not.

I've seen him introduce different basketballs for really no good reason. I've seen him eliminate the wear or compression tights (and let's be real, it was only because the NBA wasn't making money off of it seeing as they didn't make them). I saw him add an age limit provision to entering the NBA. It stated you couldn't declare for the NBA draft straight out of high school. The timing didn't make sense because it came after Amare Stoudamire and Lebron James won back to back Rookie Of The Year awards, who were both straight out of high school .And at the time, some of their best players were straight out of high school (i.e. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady). He also introduced these non-flattering sleeved jerseys. He also nixed the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers. To add insult to injury, he then approved a Chris Paul trade to the Clippers, with whom the Lakers share the same arena. Stern good riddance, no Green Day.

Black is the New Orange: 10 Ways Working In a Restaurant Is Like a Jail Sentence

Welcome back to the blog formally known as Conscious Residue (TBKACR for all you hip cats). If you've seen one episode of MSNBC's Locked Up, you've seen them all. Each prison has the same cast of characters and cliques. It's a bunch of individuals confined to a large secure building, forced into a "family" with people who, under normal circumstances, they would probably never intermingle with. Most prisons force their prisoners to wear identical uniforms. Every inmate has an idea of how long they should be there, but not actually sure what their actual release date is. Blah, blah, blah...I could go on, but then this would just turn into a post about a shitty repetitive reality TV series.

My point? I worked a shift at my second job (a restaurant) last night. As I looked into the security camera and buzzed in for entrance into the back door, walked past the vatos in the kitchen, into a sea of people wearing similar variations of the same color outfit as me discussing the time they were scheduled to leave compared to the time they thought they would actually leave, I thought "holy Shawshank, Batman, this is a f*cking prison!" I started to feel less like I had just entered the back of the house of a dining room, and more like I entered Em City from HBO's Oz.

At first I thought this was merely exaggeration born through the fact that I was giving up prime Saturday relaxation time, I mean I do have the option of leaving at my own will, I'm not stuck here. The more I thought about it, the more correlations I found between prison and my hospitality based work place, with the people and attitudes within the environment. Here are the 10 most prevalent.

WacGyver: Episode 2-The Golden Triangle

Episode 2 is FINALLY here!  Listen, enjoy, and have some fun!

Unfortunately, episode 1 is down for now, but we are working on getting that back soon.

Click the link, and start the show.

WacGyver: Episode 2 - The Golden Triangle

Trade Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) Vol. 1

The trade I finished this week was:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1:  Change is Constant

Story by: Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz
Script by: Tom Waltz
Layouts by:  Kevin Eastman
Art by:  Dan Duncan
Published by: IDW

So, what's up with these new Turtles?

I had heard a lot about this new TMNT (the cool kids use initials) book.  Mainly that it was a hot title, with single issues and reprints selling out everywhere.

My kids are currently going through their TMNT phase, so I picked up this update last April at C2E2 (Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo.  2 C's, 2 E's).  I finally got around to reading it this week.

New Music: Halsted - Salmon Crouquettes (Prod. by No I.D.)

He's back and he dropped the Mikkey. The emcee formally known as Mikkey Halsted has recruited legendary producer, No I.D.. for this mellow rock of heat. Halsted's lyrics blend beautifully with No I.D.'s hypnotic beat. It looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I hope to hear more from these two in 2014. Damn, it feels good to hear some actual GOOD music come out of Chicago, and I'm happy to support it. You're welcome.

Week Sauce: 1/12/2014 - 1/18/2014

Happy MLK Day! Well, either it was slow news week, or my eyes and ears were on vacation. Needless to say, I don't have much for you today. I didn't really feel like digging, so here's a short list of what were the most memorable forgetful stories of the week. You're welcome.

2014 Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival: The Great Divide, Nick & The Ovorols, & Bigg Otis @ The Tonic Room 1/15/2014

Reviewed by: John Goodin

Alright, this was going to be my first time experiencing live bluegrass and/or blues music. I didn't know what to expect. I was excited to try something new, but fearful that it would, you know, suck, and I would be stuck at a concert that I desperately wanted to escape. Luckily, the latter did not occur, and I had a great first time experience at the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Fest.

We (my photographer Stu and I) arrived at the Tonic Room at 8 PM. The first band was setting up and at the time there were only 4 patrons in the bar. The Tonic Room was intimate (a.k.a. small), dimly lit with candles, and everything was red. All in all, a cozy venue. We saddled up to the bar and got some drinks and we waited. An hour passed as a more people trickled in.


Like I said earlier, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Fest, but then the first band, Bigg Otis, started playing. They showcased a 3 piece ensemble of drums, guitar, and bass that makes a lot of noise. The lead singer/guitarist (Rob Blaine) howls his blues into the mic while the drums and bass (Dana Thompson and Ari Seder) keep the songs together in a tight performance. This band is a real taste of good old Chicago blues. The crowd hooted and whistled while Rob shred on his guitar, wildly bending his strings into screaming blues riffs. I couldn’t help but be drawn into this band and every song the whole crowd bobbing their heads and dancing.

The second band of the evening was Nick & The Ovorols. Another 3 piece ensemble, but with a different sound (guitar- Nick Peraino, bass-Lance Lewis, and drums-Cam Lewis). The best description I can think of is funky groove rock with blues on the side. Nick Peraino played long bluesy riffs reminiscent of Jimi (Mr. Hendrix to the uncool). My favorite song of theirs was Heed the Words I Say, a grungy slow jam with a wicked guitar solo.

As Nick & The Ovorols left stage, The Tonic Room was filling up. The crowd clamored between sets rushing the bar for drinks. The Great Divide was the last band of the night. They were a 7 piece ensemble with 2 guitars, a bass, drums, a trumpet, a trombone, and a keyboard. That wasn’t enough though. For the first 2 songs Nick Peraino from Nick & the Ovorols joined them. With 7 players, The Great Divide had a big band feel with the horns carrying the songs when the vocals dropped. They share the same lively upbeat feel with great gospel music. Everyone was moving to the sound. You couldn’t help it. Moorie was my favorite song they performed with Teddy Grossman singing his heart out over a lovely melody that had me singing “Oh, happy day! When I go to see Moorie!”

All these bands surprised me with the talent they brought, but my favorite of the night was Bigg Otis. They set the stage for the whole evening. Even though they played for only 15-20 people max, they still brought the roof down like it was the United Center. I had a blast watching each group and seeing their take on the genre. I guess you can say the CBB has a new supporter.

Trade Review: The Manhattan Projects Vol. 1

I read a lot of comic books week to week, so I figured, why not write about it?

This week I finished, The Manhattan Projects Vol. 1:  Science.  Bad. Published by Image Comics, written by Jonathan Hickman, and art by Nick Pitarra.

Daily Throwback: Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

The Shuffle God says...just because. You're welcome.

Week Sauce: 1/5/2014-1/11/2014

It's been a while since I've done one of these. I think the rust will show. So without any further ado, here is the best/worst of what I considered news from last week. You're welcome

Netflix Review: Lilyhammer

So, over Christmas break (yes, CHRISTMAS break...not doing the PC holiday switch) every TV show and their mama was on hiatus. Since the wife doesn't watch college bowl games, and I don't watch parades, there was literally nothing for us to watch together. I figured it was a good time to scroll through my trusty Netflix account to find a new television series to watch.

Before I go any further, no, sheep, I did not start on Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, or Walking Dead. I wanted something fresh and off the beaten path. So after scrolling through my phone for 6-7 grueling minutes, I stumbled across the Netflix original series Lilyhammer.

NBC's Community: Intro To Top 10 Lists 101

The fifth season of Community is here, and it is as good as ever.  I was worried, with season 4 being less than stellar, but Dan Harmon is back, and he's letting everyone know.

The adventures of Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), Annie Edison (Allison Brie), Shirley Bennet (Yvette Nicole Brown), Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase), Troy Barnes (Donald Glover), Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi), and Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs) are some of my favorite.  Let's not forget about Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) and Senior Chang aka El Tigre (Ken Jeong).  So, I spent a large portion of the winter holiday re-watching the entire series to pick my top 10 episodes, and it was CRAZY tough.  Also, no episodes from season 4 were even remotely considered.  

Daily Throwback: Rick James - Cold Blooded

Today the Shuffle God tries to bring us some heat with this frozen hell we're living in. You wrong for this, Mother Nature, you wrong. You're welcome.

Neighbors Insurance Crusade

The beginning of 2013 saw the city of Chicago author several stories of pain and mindless violence. This year, it seems there are many citizens out there that want to help co-write an alternate, more positive ending for the Windy City.

Let me introduce you to DeMario Trent and the Neighbors Insurance Crusade. DeMario is on a mission to help make sure 10,000 children and young adults in Chicago (particularly in African-American communities) are covered under life insurance policies by the end of 2014. His ultimate goal is to see this number reach 100,000 by 2020

Daily Throwback: Erykah Badu - Bag Lady

The Shuffle God seems to subliminally still be on his New Year's kick with this classic from Mrs. 3000, Mrs. Sense, Mrs. Electronica, Mrs. Badu. Leave that 2013 baggage behind, and create new 2014 fresh baggage. Just playing...you're welcome.

Album Stream: Del The Funky Homosapien - Iller Than Most

Earlier Del dropped a new single, 10 Paces. Now he just said f*ck it, and released the whole album. Here's what 1/3 of Deltron 3030 had to say about the pleasant surprise:

In the words of Billy Ray Valentine, "Merry New Year!" You're welcome.

5th Annual Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Fest

You don't have to wait until summer in order to enjoy a good ol' fashioned Chicago music festival. The fest season starts next week when the 5th Annual Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Fest kicks off at the Concord Music Hall.

I know what you're thinking, "what the hell do you know about bluegrass music!?!?" Not much, but I'm sure many of you reading don't either, so this is the perfect opportunity for all of us to get familiar with this forever evolving genre.

Many people associate the term "bluegrass" as being a younger sibling to country and western music, and while that statement might hold some merit to it, country is only a small fraction of what influences can be heard in today's bluegrass. If you listen closely you will hear traditional sounds from many European countries (Ireland, England, and Scotland to name a few), a sprinkle of of folk music, and even a splash of jazz.

Daily Throwback: Jay Z - Girls, Girls, Girls

The Shuffle God wishes everyone a happy new year by giving you all the gift of Hov. This gem was a stand out on Jay's legendary The Blueprint album. I loved this album and this song. I remember not having a job and being broke at the time the album was released (September 11th, 2001...the album Bin Laden couldn't stop) and contemplating just running up in Wal-Mart and strong arming a copy. Now that's a fan.

The only thing that disappointed me about this song was that Biz Markie, Slick Rick, and Q-Tip were all featured on the hook, so I always envisioned a remix with them all having verses that never happened. Wishful thinking I guess. The song is still great. Till this day, I will still blurt out "Jigga man, why you treat me like animuhl?" for no particular reason. You're welcome.

December Misses

With all the holiday hub-bub and end of the year lists, it looks like I might have missed the opportunity to hit you with some new music.  There was a lot that I missed...a lot. Some heavy hitters put in work to end 2013 right.

Most of these songs could have been featured in their own post, but I was just too damn lazy to keep up. For those of you that think you are in complete understanding of my musical preferences, don't hate me for my number one song (I know River won't). It was the most anticipated song of the season, and it just about lived up to all its expectations (the hook could have been better, but that's just how it goes sometimes). You're welcome.

New Year...New Name...New Game

Happy New Year everybody! Many of you may already know that I am not one for making New Year's resolutions, so please believe that what has taken place is in no way some fake ass promise to you or myself to be better. I mean let's face it, I'm as good as it gets, so the only promise I can make is to give you more. I've had this plan in motion for while, it's just a coincidence the name change happened on January 1st, so suck it

When I started Conscious Residue, it was mainly just release therapy for myself, but the more I wrote, the more curious I grew as to what this could evolve to. I was able to provide a space for other creative and like-minded individuals to express their thoughts on various subjects and contribute great content (Dustine, Tim, and Jeff), and two others who claim they will eventually write something for the blog (I'm not going to name any names, but for argument's sake, let's just call them Allycia and DeMario). With these new partnerships, CR was able to get over 12,000 unique views in 2013.


I know what you're thinking, "12,000!?!?! That ain't shit! I seen a kitten wearing a bow-tie and tube socks on YouTube get 12 million views in 2 days." To that I say blow me. I think 12,000 views is not bad for a medium (the Internet) that is geared towards a partially illiterate audience and having a strict marketing budget of posting on Facebook. My goal is to at least double that in 2014.

Which brings me to the name change, #Culture. Even though I love the name Conscious Residue, it just didn't have that ring to it like major online media brands Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, or Grantland do. Let's face it, Conscious Residue sounds like an album title from a pretentious jazz artist or a new strand of marijuana some hippy in Montana cultivated.

Yes, technically the name #Culture dumbs it down, but it still gets our point across. In Twitter terms, the hashtag (#) means trending or the current hot topic. Not only will we showcase trending topics, but I hope to have #Culture itself trending in 2014.

We will still rant about dumb pop-culture nonsense, hit you with the standards (Week Sauce, The A.D.D. Report, Daily Throwbacks, etc...), and give you a few new things (WacGyver Podcast and live event reviews). Who knows, we might be able to get Jeff Donovan to complete his 31 Horror Movies in 31 Days reviews list...wishful thinking.

I'm excited about the work I plan to put into this blog this year, and hopefully one or two of you will enjoy the outcome. For the first time this year...you're welcome.