RIP Alero...

As of today I am no longer the owner of a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero.  I bought the Alero right after I graduated college in December of 2003, and I nearly drove it until the wheels fell off.  (I'm not really a fan of making car payments).  I had the Alero for about ocho yearos and the odomoter read 192,2?? when my girlfriend, Stacy, dropped it off in exchange for a 2010 Honda Accord today.  The Alero was on the verge of becoming one of these, but I can't really complain.  We definitely had a good run.  RIP homie.  The following is a picture of the Alero at it's most hood rich moment...

    

Fantasy Football

Prior to 2011, I wanted nothing to do with fantasy football.  In fact if I had to pick three words to describe fantasy football before this season I would have choosen: lame, corny, & useless.  I can remember being annoyed countless times listening to dialect similar to this...

"Bro, I've got Tom Brady AND Adrian Peterson on my fantasty team!  There's a 70% chance of rain and an 100% chance of a beatdown on your ass tomorrow!"


"My fantasy squad is unreal.  I've got Fitzgerald, Welker, & Wallace as my receivers.  I have the Steelers defense, and Sebastian Janikowski is my kicker.  Chicks wanna bang me because my fantasy football team is so awesome."  

In conclusion, Pre-2011 I thought fantasy football was a game that was primarlily designed with douchebags in mind.  However, as of late the times they are a changing, and I am now quickly becoming one of those douchebags. 

My younger brother started an ESPN fantasy football league this season, and he asked me to join.  At first I was reluctant, but eventually I agreed.  I'm now paying more attention to football than I have in years. 

It's been an up and down year for my squad the Nut Kicking Ninjas.  We've had some running back issues this season, and I have a bad habit of benching players when they have their best game of the season.  At press time we're 4-6.  The Ninjas aren't playoff bound (our season is only 13 weeks), but if we win out we can still have a winning season.  However, I definitely wanna put together another team next season, and I think my team will do better next year.  Before you know it I will be the one saying....

"Hello.  This is a courtesy call from Comcast.  I just wanted to make sure that your cable is working properly, and that you just witnessed Drew Brees throw 5 touchdown passes to finalize your defeat.  If by any chance there is a coffin nearby you, now would be a good time to stick a nail in it.  Thank you and have a nice day."           

Miscellaneous Awesome

The following is a new mix from yours truly.  The tracklist is posted below.  Thanks for lending me your ears. 

Miscellaneous Awesome by DJ Nin

Tracklist:
DJ Khaled - I'm One One (KillaGraham Remix)
Flo Rida vs Mt Eden - Fresh Leone (DOSVEC Mashup)
Jay-Z & Kanye West - N!ggas in Paris (DJ Nugget Re-Fix)
Major Lazer vs Dead Prez - Hold The Line (Risk One Fake Records Fix)
B.O.B. - Strange Clouds
Win Win x Kingdom x Rick Ross - Chopper In The Car (Jimmy2times Blend)
Jay-Z - Dirt Off Your Shoulder
The Pixies - Where Is My Mind (Bassnectar Remix/Spryte Cutdown)
MIA - Paper Planes
Chiddy Bang - When You've Got Music
John Denver - Country Roads (Pretty Lights Remix)
Nas - It Ain't Hard To Tell (Large Professor Remix)
A Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God
Kidz In The Hall - Break It Down
Nipsey Hussle vs MIA - So Fresh (DOSVEC Mashup)
Common - Ghetto Dreams
Notorious BIG - Gimme The Loot (Superginger Remix)
E-40 - My Beat Bang
Black Sheep - The Choice Is Yours (DJ Soo Wub Wub Re-rub)

Unguarded - The Story of Chris Herren

I'm a fan of ESPN documentaries, and the one I watched last night was the most powerful one I've seen.  Unguarded - The Story of Chris Herren tells the story of a star athlete who had the world in his hands, lost it all due to drug use, and then fought his way back from addiction.   

The majority of the story is told by Herren, and his brutally honest first person point of view is what makes the documentary.  Herren goes into vivid detail about his drug use.  The subject matter of some of Herren's stories include: scoring drugs minutes before the tip off of an NBA game, and riding a 10 speed bicycle 12 miles on a highway without shoulders to get drugs.   

Herren openly admits that he blew every dollar he ever made from professional basketball on drugs.  He overdosed on more than one occasion.  Honestly, Chris Herren is lucky to even be alive today.   

However, while Herren's story is tragic in a lot of ways, it ends on a positive note.  Herren states while in rehab washing dishes 14 hours a day with nothing to do but think about his life that he eventually found his soul.  He has recently celebrated his 3rd year of sobriety, and he now does a lot of public speaking concerning his story and drug awareness.  Herren is also still very involved with basketball to this day. He runs a skills and conditioning program-Hoop Dreams-where Herren not only coaches, but mentors young basketball players as well.  It seems that after years of fighting inner demons, Herren is now finally at peace with himself.        

This story hits me very close to home.  I live in area where heroin and prescription drug abuse are a huge problem, and I know a lot of individuals and families who are fighting the same battle that Herren did for so many years.  While Unguarded is a very gruesome tale at times, ultimately it leaves one with an impression of hope.             

Uhhhhhhhh. Yeah??!

The following two photos have absolutely no relevance to anything I've posted on here whatsoever, but sometimes you just need stuff like this on your blog.  Without any further delay I bring you The Elk & The Chicken...



The Champ Is Here

I google myself on the regular.  (That sounds incredibly wrong).  Lately, I'm moving on up in the realm of SEO.  In the past few months, my facebook fan page has become the number one ranked "DJ Nin" hit.  So whenever you google "DJ Nin" the first result is my facebook fan page.  Ahhhh.  It's good to be king.  Shout out to all the other DJ Nin's who want a shot at the title.... 

     

Fun With A Jukebox

As a DJ, you want to cater to your crowd.  The basic idea is to play music that the majority of the crowd is into; and to create a good atmosphere while keeping the dance floor packed.  However, once in a while whenver I'm off duty I like to go against the grain.  Way against the grain. 

I've spent my fair share of time in bars.  Hanging out in bars can be a lot of fun, but on the other hand sometimes it can be extremely boring.  The following is a way to make those boring times more enjoyable for you, however the rest of the bar may not share in your joy.

In order to complete this mission you need two things: a jukebox & a five dollar bill.  Basically what you want to do is pick a song that does not fit the bar environment at all, and play it repeatedly.  For example, if you are in a bar full of college kids hit them with Ian Lex's timeless classic Tarzan Boy 10 times in a row.  If you are in a old timers dive bar with some of your grandpa's closest homies play $5 worth of Shots by LMFAO.  If you're at a sausage fest where the crowd consists of a bunch of dudes watching a football game Hit Me Baby One More Time by Britney Spears will work well.  By now you should get the idea.  You will want to make sure music is already playing before you sabotage the tunes.  Obviously this awesome prank will not work if the bar goes from dead silence to instantly playing an incredibly out of place song on repeat.

After the damage has been done it is important to keep a good pokerface.  Granted this is easier said then done.  Most people will not instantly catch on, but after Cotton Eye Joe has been played a few times someone in the audience will probably begin to scream profanities.  Again, you will want to maintain composure while laughing to yoursely hysterically.

I've pulled this prank off a few times with some of the songs previously mentioned.  I also have a friend whose weapon of choice is Whoomp!  There It Is.  In my opinion, this prank never gets old.  However, anyone who has been in attendence whenever I've pulled this move off probably has different thoughts about it than I do.            

It's a wrap

Last night the final episode of Entourage aired on HBO.  I've been watching Entourage since it began 8 seasons ago, and I've seen every single episode of the show.  Here's my breakdown of each season of Entourage:

Season 1 - Awesome
Season 2 - Awesome Part II.  Prob my favorite season. 
Season 3 - Good
Season 4 - Decent
Season 5 - Mediocre
Season 6 - Mediocre Part II
Season 7 - Good
Season 8 - Weak

To be honest, I'm somewhat relieved that it's over.  The first few season of Entourage were great, but after that it went downhill.  Entourage was insanely popular so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it's longevity, but after a while the show just got boring.  However, I still felt compelled to watch Entourage weekly due to it's previous greatness.  In my opinion, season 7 was by far the best season in recent years; and I expected Season Ocho to be good as well but it turned out pretty shittay.  I'm pretty sure there will be an Entourage movie coming out in the near future though, and of course I will have to watch it.   

The Friends of Coal Bowl

On Sunday I will be making a trip to Morgantown to watch some college football.  I almost always root for the Mountaineers when they take the field.  However, on Sunday I will not be supporting WVU.  You see I went to that other school in West Virginia.  I am a graduate of Marshall University in Good Ol Huntington WV.  I will be severly outnumbered, but I will be pulling for my alma mater.  In fact, I'm going to the game with about a crew of roughly 8 to 10 people, and I'll be the only one with green on.         

The Friends of Coal Bowl series began in 2006, and so far it's been ugly for the Herd.  Marhsall unquestionably plays the role of David compared to the Goliath WVU in this series.  Last year was the time Marshall realistically had a chance to win since the series began.  Marshall actually had the game in their hands, but in the fourth quarter they blew it royally*.  Marshall is once again the underdog this year. 

Regardless of who wins, I'm sure I'll have a great time in Morgantown.  I just have to mentally prepare myself for the pre game verbal tounglashing that I am about to face from some of my closest friends**.  Hopefully, for once I'll be able to say something in retalliation this year.       

In closing, I leave you with some wise words that were directed at a few of my friends dressed in Mountaineer colors by a car full of Marshall students while attending the Friends of Coal Bowl in Huntington in 2008....

Blue and Gold make Green Bitch!!  Blue and Gold make Green!

GO HERD.


*I actually had a nice, well thought out, post game text message typed up that I was planning on sending to about 8 WVU fans but unfortunately that text message never saw the light of day due to Marshall choking in the fourth quarter.

**  I am all for a little bit of trash talking, but a lot of people take it way too far.  If you actually try to fight someone based upon the team that they root for at a football game then you are an enormous douche and you deserve to be kicked in the nuts.

Tis The Season

 

The calendar states that today's date is August 29th, however Sam Adams Octoberfest is already available in grocery stores, beer distributors, and bars.  I am one happy dude because of this.  This post is dedicated to you Octoberfest.  You're effin delicious.

Diggin This..

Common is a beast.  Nas isn't too shabby on the mic either.  This has a 90's vibe to it.  Yessir. 

Little League Baseball

 

While we're on this Nintendo theme, I have to give a special shoutout to Little League Baseball for NES.  Now Little League Baseball might not be a Top 5 Nintendo game, but it definitely deserves a Honorable Mention.  In the process of "researching" my Top 5 Nintendo Games of All Time, I stumbled accross the fact that you can play a lot of Nintendo games online.  My productivity at work has gone seriously downhill since I've discovered this.  

At first I was extremely rusty, but lately my skills are much improved.  I always run with California.  (My man Sid is a beast on the mound and at the plate.)  In the past week I have conquered all of North America with the exception of New York.  Those New York kids are no joke.  I struggled with Canada for a while too, but eventually they felt the rath.  

           

My Top 5 Nintendo Games Of All Time

By far the coolest Christmas present I ever received as a child was my Nintendo Entertainment System. Santa Claus really hooked it up when he left me a Nintendo under the tree.  Actually, I've recently been told there is no Santa, so maybe it was my mom?  Regardless, I was about 7 or 8 whenever I got my Nintendo; and I pretty much spent the rest of that Christmas day playing Ice Hockey, Mario Brothers, & Duck Hunt. (Duck Hunt is quietly slept on as a Nintendo classic by the way.)

I put in a lot of time as a kid playing video games, hell I even owned a VHS copy of The Wizard.  So, I feel I have enough creditability to publish my own personal top 5 list.  Without any further delay I give you my favorite Nintendo games of all time....

5) Kung Fu

Kung Fu is another slept on Nintendo classic.  It's by far my favorite martial arts game for Nintendo.  The game is pretty simple. You bascially just want to kick and punch everyone who crosses your path, and not get hit by weapons.  Some random snakes & dragons will also fall from the roof every now and then; it's in your best interests to avoid them.  You will be chased by dudes with purple shirts. You want to kick and punch them.  Some random dudes will throw knives at you from time to time, you should kick and punch them too.  At the end of each level you will have to fight a boss.  They are the toughest people you come across, and they have an aresenal of weapons to attack you with.  Guess how you beat them??  Kick and punch son.  Kick and punch.  Kung Fu is a really fun and highly addictive game.  I've spent roughly the past twenty minutes playing it here.


4) Tecmo Super Bowl

I owned my fair share of football games for the NES.  Some of them included: John Elway's Quarterback Challenge, 10 Yard Fight, NFL Football, and the original Tecmo Bowl.  However Tecmo Super Bowl easily trumps them all.  Now honestly none of these game were very realistic, but Tecmo Super Bowl was definitely the most fun.  It was the first football game I remember that could track stats and allow you to play out an entire season with your team.  It was also really cool to be able to pick the plays for your playbook, which was definitely a huge upgrade over the four pre set plays that you could choose from in the original Tecmo Bowl.         
          
3)  Super Mario Brothers 2

All of the Mario Brothers games were cool in their own right, but if I have to pick a favorite I'm going with Mario Bros Numero Dos.  The graphics and gameplay were both improved over the og Mario Brothers; and I had way more fun playing Mario Bros 2 than I did Mario Bros 3.  How can you not love a game where you can instantly dig onions out of the ground and throw them at people?  I probably rolled w/ Luigi the most, but I still choose Mario & the Princess a good bit too.  The only character I never picked was Toad.  Toad was weak sauce. 

2) Contra

Contra was a futuristic war game.  It was fun as either a one player or two player game.  Contra has probably the most well know cheat code in the history of video gaming:  Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A B A Select Start.  This cheat code gave you 30 lives, and definitely made beating the game a whole lot easier.  It almost made beating the game too easy.  In fact I would say that if you grew up the late 80's/early 90's and never beat Contra that you were an underachiever as a child.   

1) Mike Tyson's Punch Out

Hands down my favorite Nintendo game of all time is Mike Tyson's Punch Out.  (I actually own a t shirt with an illustration of Bald Bull on it.)  This game was just fun, and I used to spent days playing it as a kid.  To this day, I've still never beaten Mike Tyson.  I've fought him a few times, but I always got knocked the what out!  Dude was an animal.

The game pits you as Little Mac.  Tiny Mac would have been a more appropriate name.  Your opponets look like towers compared to you.  It looks like you have no business being in the ring with these monsters, but if you can dodge a jab , block, and counter you will be alright.  If you can master the star punch Little Mac becomes a 4 ft 8 107 lb monster.       

Things I Like vs Things I Don't

For whatever reason I enjoy creating random lists, and I feel that my blog is due for a random list comparing things I like against thing I do not.  So if you've got nothing better to do....

THINGS I LIKE

1. Grilled chicken
2. EPMD  (linked for the youngins)
3. HBO on Sunday nights
4. Outkast
5. Yuengling
6. Not being stuck in traffic
7. Independently owned pizza joints
8. Asparagus
9. Grilled peppers
10. Old school Nike & Adidas gear
11. T Shirts
12. Football
13. Damn near anything cooked on a grill
14. Blue Moon Brewing Company
15. The Roots
16. Fall weather
17. 91.3 WYEP
18. Cargo shorts
19. This song
20. Red Bull
21. Face to Face
22. Good movies
23. Mountain Berry Blast Powerade
24. Eric B. & Rakim (see EPMD footnote)
25. Weightlifting

THINGS I DISLIKE

1. Traffic
2. Gucci Mane
3. Plies
4. The majority of the requests I get
5. Humidity
6. Bees/Wasps
7. Fast food pizza joints
8. Broccoli
9. Carrots
10. Top Buttons
11. Turtlenecks
12. MTV
13. Clear Channel
14. The Kardashians
15. Shittay movies
16. Mornings
17. The Cupid Shuffle
18. Fake people
19. Snobby people
20. People who can't handle alcohol
21. Miller Lite
22. Music with lots of screaming, yelling, & ROAR!
23. People who take professional sports waaaaaay too seriously and act like they are actually on the roster of their favorite team when in reality they're just watching the game on tv and getting drunk on their couch
24. AC/DC
25. Diet soft drinks

SLS

At the moment, I am suffering from a pretty intense case of SLS.  What exactly is SLS you ask?  Allow me to explain...

SLS is common acronym/initalism.  It can be associated with any of the following things mentioned here.  However, SLS in the sense that I am referring to is an acronym for Squat Leg Syndrome.  Squat Leg Syndrome is a condition that usually occurs anywhere from 4-24 hours after doing squats in the weight room.  The symptom of SLS is extreme soreness that makes activities such as sprinting, jogging, jumping, walking up steps, walking in general, sitting down, standing up, and pretty much anything else that requires leg movement difficult and painful.  Basically, SLS sucks royally.  Now I know my limits in the weight room, and I warm up and stretch before and after I squat; however I still frequently suffer from SLS.  I've read numerous times that "eventually the initial soreness associated with squatting will go away".  Guess what?  I've been squatting regularly for the past 6 years.  I don't think that "initial" soreness is going anywhere.

I actually do love squats though.  When done properly they are one of the most, if not the most, effective exercises one can do in the weight room.  I guess the SLS just comes with the territory and is something I have to deal with.  Oh well, it could be worse.  However, I not looking forward to standing up anytime in the immediate future.     

Apathy

Apathy is a really good rapper.  His 3rd solo album Hong Kong is dropping on August 23rd.  The album features production from DJ Premier, Da Beatminerz, Statik Selektah, Evidence, & DJ Muggs.  Here is the first video from the album titled Check to Check...

"Do You Fools Listen To Music Or Do You Just Skim Through It"

I recently started reading Decoded by Jay-Z.  At press time, I am about halfway through the book.  So far I really like it.  As expected, hip hop is thoroughly discussed throughout Decoded.  The following is a great quote from Jay concerning hip hop, lyricism, and the controversial aspect of rap.....

Hip hop has always been controversial, and for good reason.  The music is meant to be provocative-which doesn't necessarily mean it's obnoxious, but it is (mostly) confrontational, and more than that, it's dense with multiple meanings.  Great rap should have all kinds of unresolved layers that you don't necessarily figure out the first time you listen to it.  Instead it plants dissonance in your head.  You can enjoy a song that knocks in the club or has witty punch lines the first time you hear it.  But great rap retains mystery.  It leaves shit rattling around in your head that won't make sense till the fifth or sixth time through.  It challenges you.  

Which is the other reason hip hop is controversial: People don't bother trying to get it.  The problem isn't the rap or the rapper or the culture.  The problem is that so many people don't even know how to listen to the music.   

  

Dope Mixtapes!!

Peep em if you haven't already...

Sir Michael Rocks - Rocks Report
http://www.djbooth.net/index/mixtapes/entry/sir-michael-rocks-report/

Chiddy Bang - Peanut Butter & Swelly
http://www.datpiff.com/Chiddy-Bang-Peanut-Butter-Swelly-mixtape.234754.html

Shout Out to 91.3 WYEP For Putting Me On To The Following Jams...

Rest In Peace Joey C

On a much more serious note than the ususal nonsense I post on here, Planet Earth lost a great human being on May 4th.  My cousin, Joe Cullinan passed away from a sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, at the young age of 32.  Joe was a hero, a leader, an athlete, a musician, and possiblly the funniest person I've ever know.  It was impossible to hang out with Joe and not laugh.  R.I.P. Joe Cullinan.  You will definitely be missed.

Joey C Obituary 

Customer Service Vocab

Is it just me or do all customer service reps use the same words???  Every time I speak to a CSR they all seem to use the following terms in their dialect: not a problem, unfortunately, expedite, great, resolve, issue, appropriate, situation, & have a nice day.  And usually whenever the CSR is saying something positive like the words "great" or a "have a nice day" I can literally feel the sarcasm in their voice.  

On a related note, I hate the phrase "not a problem".  Especially when I ask a simple question and get the response "not a problem".  For example once I asked a CSR if they could provide me a estimated shipping date for an order I placed, and the CSR responded "not a problem".  I wanted to say--I asked a simple question--Why would that be a problem??!  I don't know.  I just am not a fan of "not a problem".      

New Mix!!

Fresh vs Stale by DJ Nin

A Couple Of New Joints I'm Digging...

Random Thought Of The Day...

I graduated college in December of 2003 with a BBA in marketing.  Since graduating, I have worked in the credit reporting, banking, & health care product industries.  However, DJing has been a lot more relative to my degree than any "real" job I've had in the past 7 plus years.  Ironic.

Things That Scare Me

We live in a society where a lot of people--in particular young people--think it's cool to act hard.  Too many people want to act like thugs for no reason, and in reality the majority of them are softer than mashed potatoes.  I'm not a fan of this trend, and I think people should just be themselves.  Now don't get me wrong, I listen to a lot of hip hop just like any other 30 year old white dude from The Burbs.  But I've never felt the need to act like a thug.  So in protest of a society that thinks it's cool to act tough, I am going to blog about three of the things in life that scare me.....

1) Animals That Can Eat Me

I fear any creature on this planet that could end my life just because it wanted some dinner.  Sharks, alligators, & crocodiles are proably at the top of my list; and I would have to say that I am most afraid of bull sharks simply because they can survive in fresh water and have been spotted as far north as Michigan.  It's not that I am so scared of sharks that I won't go into the ocean, but I can't help but think "I hope Jaws isn't lurking around here" every so often whenever I'm chilling in The Atlantic.  Now I know that one is more likely to get struck by lightning than to be attacked by a shark. However, I actually have an Uncle who was struck by lightning.  Thankfully, he somehow survived.

2) Serial Killers

I also fear anyone who enjoys killing people.  This fear is largely originated from the television series Criminal Minds.  Criminal Minds has fallen off lately, but the first few seasons have some episodes that are pretty terrifying.  The scariest aspect of Criminal Minds is that the murder scenes are very vivid and realistic.  The writers do a good job of putting the viewer in the mind set of a helpless murder victim.  This show is responsible for severly altering my awareness levels whenever I walk around a dark corner or into an unlit room.

3) Parallel Parking

Last but not least, I am scared of parallel parking.  I know that I am losing Major Man Points for this, but hey it's the truth.  If I were to make a list of things that I suck at in life, parallel parking would be close to the top.  Given that I have lived in the metropolis of Weirton, West Virginia the majority of my life, parallel parking was never really a skill that I had to master.  In fact I could probably count the number of times that I have parallel parked on my fingers.  Regardless, I am honestly intmidated by the thought of parallel parking.   


            

Upon Further Review....

March Madness

I'm a casual sports fan at best these days.  In fact the older I get the less attention I pay to sports.  It's not that I dislike sports, I just don't put the same amount of time and effort into watching them as I used to when I was younger.  However, I do still follow March Madness semi-religiously.

The NCAA Tournament is a special kind of awesome.  It's the kinda thing that will have me on the edge of my seat watching a game between two schools I didn't even know existed.  In fact a lot of times I don't know a damn thing about the teams I'm watching; but I'll still watch regardless just becaue it's entertaining basketball.

So many games.  So many buzzer beaters.  So much awesome.  Gotta love March Madness.    


             

R.I.P. Nate Dogg

Some Rap Songs I Like...

I listen to a lot of hip hop.  (Go Figure).  The following is a few newer joints that I'm diggin these days.  Some are newer than others...

Stinkbugs!!

My 9 to 5 is a shipping and inventory management position with a company that sells health care equipment.  The majority of my work day is spent in our warehouse.  We have always had our fair share of insects flying around the warehouse, but as of late one particular insect has become King of The Castle. 

Last summer our warehouse was invaded by stinkbugs.  These bastards are everywhere, and it doesn't look like they're going away anytime soon.  The stinkbug to employee ratio at press time is about 10:1 advantage stinkbugs.  It has gotten so bad that some of our customers have called customer service to complain about receiving stink bugs in packages that have been shipped from our warehouse.  I guess Free Stinkbugs isn't one of our best promotional ideas??  Luckily, they don't really cause any major problems though.  They don't bite, or even really bother me; but they're everywhere.  And for some reason I felt the need to blog about them.  The End.                

Greetings....

What's up.  My name is Chris.  However, I have acquired a few nicknames throughout the 30 years I've spent on this planet.  Some of them include: Tex, Cully, E, & Vanilla Shaq; but I am mostly commonly refered to as Nin.  To be honest I'm not 100% sure where I am going to take this blog, but some of the topics I plan on blogging about include: music, life, and randomness.  Thank you for your time, and I promise I will try to make this interesting.