The Sopranos on the surface was a mafia drama but it captivated viewership and a cult following by showing the emotional depths of complicated characters put in compromising situations. Contrasting the world of organized crime with the troubled family issues in the life of New Jersey Mob Boss Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini, made the show relatable while presenting a powerful character who had to reveal vulnerability to regain control of his life. Culturally,...
Looking back at Pop Smokes short but legendary career feels like it was over before it really even started. In the posthumous release of his first commercial album Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon Pop delivers a complete album from start to finish and is a showcase of the lost potential of one of rap’s quickest rising stars. The album is a meld of the grungy bangers of New York’s drill scene, slow...
CHOP formally known as CHAZ was an occupied protest zone in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood that was created after the public outrage that came following the killing of George Floyd. This change was born out of that chaos that followed the police’s excessive use of tear gas and flash bangs repeatedly. The protestors chose to occupy the area surround the Seattle Police’s east precinct until the department caved under public pressure to leave the zone...
Spike Lee’s latest movie Da 5 Bloods has come straight to the streaming titan Netflix, it is equal parts heist film, history lesson, and social commentary who’s timing couldn’t be better. The film follows four Black Vietnam War Vets on the search for the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold riches he helped them hide in the jungle years ago. The film takes risks in the way it was shot through multiple...
Baseball is part of America’s DNA, it captivates us with its mythological tradition and tales of superhuman feats that the average man can only dream of. Lone Gone Summer is a documentary about Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire chasing Roger Marris’ home run record in the summer of 1998. The same record held by Babe Ruth for 34 years, 60 home runs. This record is one of the many reasons Babe is a legend bigger...
It is safe to say that George Floyd’s death has caused a ripple of racial consciousness throughout the world unseen since the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. In the past being a non-black minority (Latino & Native American) has made my feelings complicated during these times of racial unrest. I would post on social media but that would be the end of my “activism.” I chose not to protest, I chose not to march,...
I woke up to a text from a friend that said “America is on fire” last Saturday morning, I thought he was over exaggerating and speaking in hyperbole. I was wrong. Last weekend’s protests are a stark reminder of how fed up Americans are with racism and police brutality. This generation has been raised with the internet giving us visibility to worst policing our country has to offer. This current chaos is reminiscent of the...
The Covid-19 pandemic has surfaced a lot of my personal struggles with mental health. I deal with depression, anxiety, problems with self worth, and suicidal thoughts. During most of my adolescence I pushed it down with drugs and alcohol but when my dad died my use accelerated to a point where I spun out and hit rock bottom two years ago. Oddly enough hitting that rock bottom may have been the best thing to ever...
“The greatest team of all time” is one of the phrases that has become synonymous with the 1998 Chicago Bulls. Though highly publicized the reason for this team’s sudden break up has been compiled of rumors and speculation until now. The Last Dance is an all access pass to the behind the scenes drama that was the 98’ Bulls in the form of a ESPN docu series. Michael Jordan has been immortalized for his heroics...
We are living in historic times. The world has been flipped upside down and the consequences of the Corona Virus have effected our economy, workplace, and very way of life. While many people have lost their jobs others have had to adhere to the new government mandated restrictions changing the way we interact professionally. My company has been deemed “essential” so we have continued to do business and my position in the finance department has...
