Obama in Music

So I originally intended to post this on Inauguration Day, but I got as caught up in that amazing event. 35 days later a lot of the cultural frenzy around Obama has died down. But not that tonight is his first address to Congress, I thought it would be a good time to get this out.

When Obama first came onto the scene as a political force to be reckoned with, a lot of artists took notice (and I guess a lot of "entrepreneurs" as well). We all know so well that famous poster. But I am such a music fan, I wanted to know where Obama was mentioned in such. So I went to AZLyrics and searched for "Obama". And there was certainly a trend. Most of the songs came from the hip-hop genre, my favorite. The references within the song also ranged. Some were not even relevant at all, and I ended up rating them with either a low, medium, or high relevance. (From the mention of the word Obama and how it relates to either the line, verse, or entire song). Here is the full list, and I have provided the lines for the highest relevance:

High

• Nas – "Black President"; It is my distinct honor, and privilege to introduce the next President of the United States - Barack Obama. (This entire song is pretty much about Obama).
  
• Young Jeezy – “My President”; Tell him I'm doin fine, Obama for mankind
  We ready for damn change so y'all let the man shine.
• Neil Young – “Looking for a Leader”; Someone walks among us And I hope he hears the call, And maybe it's a woman, Or a black man after all, Yeah maybe it's Obama.
• Common – “Changes”; What is change? change is Martin Luther King jr, Ghandi,
  Shakespeare, Tupac Shakur, Barack Obama.

Medium
Chamillionare – “My Dream”
Chamillionare – “The Evening News”
The Game – “Letter to the King”
Common – “The People”
Talib Kwali – “Say Something”
Jay-Z – “Jockin’ Jay-Z”
Lil Wayne – “Black Republicans”
Bow Wow – “Roc the Mic”
Chamillionare – “Put on for Houston”

Low
Three 6 Mafia – “Lolli Lolli”
Chammillionare – “Fire”
Karina – “Baby Baby”
Flobots – “The Rhythm Method”
Ghostface Killah – “Toney Sigel a.k.a. The Barrel Brothers"

There were two more songs that I didn't include. Every knows about will.i.am's two songs: "Yes We Can" and "It's A New Day". These songs were played so much during the media coverage surrounding Obama. Will.i.am was even on CNN multiple times during Inauguration Day. I was looking for other songs that didn't get as much coverage as these two.

But as I was listening to these, another song crossed my mind and I had to mention it here. My second favorite song of all time is by Tupac Shakur also called "Changes". Whenever I heard Obama mention "change" in his speeches during the campaign, I thought of this song. Now I am not going to put all the lyrics on this page because I've already made this a long post, but the most meaningful are these two:

"And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh"

I wonder how Tupac would feel about the wonderful accomplishment Obama made and the place in history it holds now?

So Many Blogs, So _____ Time

At last count, I subscribe to 51 different blogs with topics including marketing, internet, technology, sports, and job hunting.  Now I need to make good with all of these.  Most of these publish 2-3 posts a day, some only once a day, a few once a week, and one blog probably publishes maybe 15-20 posts per day.  That's a lot of reading.

But I was hoping I could get some help out there.  How many blogs do you guys read?  How many hours per week are you reading them?  How do you manage them all?  I am not talking about using an aggregator, putting them into folders or anything like that.  If you read as many blogs as I do (or more), what's your system for staying up to date?  Taking one hour per day and just powering through them?  Waiting until the weekend and staying in bed until they are all read?  Etc.  

Right now time isn't a factor, because I am still looking for a job.  But once I start working again, these posts are going to be piling up.  I enjoy all of the blogs I read, and it helps to stay current in industry topics.  But it's a lot of information out there, and I want to make the best of it.  Go ahead and tell me about your reading "systems" in the comments below!

  

First LinkedIn Answer

Recently, I have been using LinkedIn more - adding more connections, updating information, asking for a recommendation, etc.  Another important part to LinkedIn is the Answers section.  Here, anyone can pose a question about an industry, or skill.  Then, other LinkedIn members can answer those questions.  I've decided to start asking and answering questions.  I found a great first question, and here is my answer:

Q: What is you definition of a green product and what is your favorite green product? (From Antonio Luck Filho)

A: I think the definition of a green product can be quite varied.  Many companies might consider simply putting their product in, for example, 80% post-consumer recycled paper and consider it green.  But then you also have the other end of the spectrum, with compostable silverware and dishes; see what I mean here.

My favorite green products are simple: a reusable grocery bag and local food.  Reusable groceries bag, either made from canvas or even recycled plastic bottles.  They cut down consumption of both plastic and paper bags.  I've found them to hold more and be more durable.  You can save money too off your bill as many stores give you a discount for using them.

I also love to shop for local products as much as I can.  That is quintessential green living.  The farther a product travels, the more energy it uses (gas in a trailer-truck, or cargo plane).  My girlfriend and I shop at the local farms for the best produce in town.  Local farms are almost always cheaper too. 

It's the simplest things that make all the difference.