GRADUATION DAY

Well today yours truly (SAXOMAN aka Afro-Samurai) graduated from Claremont Graduate University. Yes, it's true. SAXOMAN is not your typical uneducated blogger but one of extreme intelligence and wisdom. I am sure that my many readers have been able to tell my extreme intellect based on my vast knowledge on so many subjects such as music and Asian cinema. Too bad they didn't teach these subjects in school! HAHA! I have now obtained my EMBA (Executive Masters of Business Administration). It took me a little less than three years to accomplish this goal and I truly enjoyed the experience. I think this is a major accomplishment for a guy that barely got through high school.

So now that I am done what's next? Obtain my PHD so all of you will have to call me Dr. SAXOMAN? Run for Governor? Run for Congress? Mayor? Who knows, maybe I'll just take over the world! HAHA! Anyway, now it's party time so I gotta go!

I think this video of Homer describes my feelings perfectly!

MAN VS FOOD - WHAT?

Those that know me know that I can eat a lot of food. I have a never ending appetite but still seem to maintain my chiseled physique. Lately I've started watching a show on The Travel Channel called Man vs Food. Basically what this guy does is go to all these eating places that serve mammoth amounts of food and tries to conquer their house special. Last night the host of the show (Adam) was trying to eat a 7 pound burrito and I can tell you that thing was huge! (see photo). He wasn't successful in this challenge but he has succeeded in many more. I wasn't able to post any of the videos of this program from YouTube so you'll have to check it out for yourselves! Enjoy!

HOMER SIMPSON - DOUGHNUTS AND BACON HUH?

OK, we all know I am a big Simpson's fan right? And we also know that two things that Homer loves are doughnuts as well as bacon. Now here's a combination that I feel Homer would truly love. The combination of a doughnut (maple bar) with bacon on top. I kid you not! This scrumptious treat is available at The Voodoo Bakery in Portland. I saw it on the Travel Channel and yes I know, I have way too much free time on my hands. HAHA! I think Homer's drooling says it all.

ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED FUNK GROUPS OF ALL TIME - MANDRILL

One of the most underrated funk groups of all time is Mandrill from the early 70's. With funk classics such as Fencewalk and Hangloose, Mandrill was the real deal. What? You say you're not hip to Mandrill? Well shame on you! Check out the link for some audio clips of the double cd (pictured) titled Fencewalk - The Anthology. This double cd contains the best that this funky group has to offer.
http://www.amazon.com/Fencewalk-Anthology-Mandrill/dp/B000001EIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1242258768&sr=8-1
On a related note: Back in my early days in Pasadena I was in an original funk band called Stone Cold Sweat. We were an original funk band and rehearsed five days a week but seldom played any gigs. One day our manager brought Wolf Wilson from the funk group Mandrill by our rehearsal to hear our group. He liked what he heard and came back a second time with a tape recorder to record us. We recorded a few songs but the tape recorders speed was way too fast making us sound almost like The Chipmunks. We were not happy with the quality of the recordings so went and continued with our rehearsal completely ignoring the opportunity that was right in front of us. Who knows what could have been? We could have been an opening act for Mandrill! And then? Headlining arenas! and then? Smash hit after smash hit? I could be playing Old School Funk Festivals till the day I died. Oh well.........such is life I guess.
Check out this video of Mandrill in 1973 playing Get It All! Dig it!

REGGAE CD PICK OF THE WEEK - BURNING SPEAR

Here's a long overdue reggae cd pick of the week. This weeks pick is the great Burning Spear with the cd titled 100th Anniversary. This cd contains two albums (Marcus Garvey and Garvey's Ghost). Released in 1975 these were the lp's that put Burning Spear on the map! What? You say you've never heard of Burning Spear? Oh my god! Well, as my mission statement says "my mission is to hip the un-hip" so check it out and get hip! Burning Spear is constantly touring and performing so go check him out! Me? Why of course I've seen him in concert. I am hip you know....

Go to the link on Amazon to hear some audio samples or check out some video of my man Burning Spear in action!

http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Spear-Marcus-Garvey-Garveys/dp/B000003QGU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1242232291&sr=8-2

LAKERS VS ROCKETS - GAME 5 - 40 POINT BLOWOUT

My beloved Lakers looked like a whole different team last night. The Lakers continue their Jekyll and Hyde like performance by playing like the best team in the world (at least for this one game). This was in contrast to Sunday's game when they looked like the worst team in the world. Oh well..........Anyway, I enjoyed every moment of the victory and was not ready to turn off the tv as I know the Lakers love to blow big leads. So now the Lakers are up in the series 3 - 2 with the next game on Thursday. I look forward to (hope) that the Lakers wrap up the series on Thursday. They would then play the winner of the Dallas/Denver series and I can tell you Denver is playing really well right now.
Me? Well it looks like my swan dive off of Suicide Bridge in Pasadena will have to be postponed for now. What? ( see blog post of 5-10-09)
That's ok, I believe oh yes, I still believe........

LAKERS VS ROCKETS - GAME 4 - LAKERS A NO SHOW

My beloved Lakers were a no show for game 4 against the Rockets. Although the final score shows the Lakers only lost by 12 points, it was never ever close. At one point the Rockets had a 29 point lead! How humiliating! And this was supposed to be an easy game when it was announced that Yao Ming would be out for the rest of the playoffs. WhooHoo! we all shouted! The series is ours now!

I had rushed home to catch the game and all I saw was lay up after lay up by the Rockets (in between them hitting three point shots). A thoroughly humiliating defeat! All I can say is if my beloved Purple and Gold don't get it together soon they will be sitting on the sofa watching the remainder of the playoffs. If that happens, look for yours truly (SAXOMAN aka Afra-Samurai) to take a flying leap off of Suicide Bridge in Pasadena! Noooooooooo!!!!!

LATIN FUNK CD PICK OF THE WEEK - LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES

This weeks Latin Funk CD pick of the week goes to the the Venezuelan group Los Amigos Invisibles and their cd titled The New Sound Of The Venezuelan Gazadera. This is one funky cd and I definitely recommend that you check it out!
Check out the video of Los Amigos Invisibles playing their hit Ultra-Funk and get hip!

LAKERS VS ROCKETS - GAME 3

Even though my beloved Purple and Gold was without D. Fish tonight, the Lakers played a smart, error free game and hit 11 three pointers, committed only 6 turnovers, had 11 steals and also had 9 blocks. An all around solid effort from my Lakers! Artest was ejected again (knucklehead) and Yao limped off the floor at the end of the game. The Lakers now lead the series 2 - 1 with the next game Sunday afternoon. I look forward to my Lakers going up 3 - 1 on Sunday and wrapping it up at home. This is their destiny. I believe.....oh yes, I do believe! Stay tuned!
P.S. I still feel that Yao Ming was genetically created in a test tube!

GAINING WEIGHT

OK, as most of you know I have unlimited free time on my hands. Because of this I find myself eating and snacking a lot more than I normally would. Because of this I have probably packed a few pounds on my normally chiseled physique. That or I just wanted to post a pic of Fat Homer wearin' a moo-moo. HAHA!