My favorite television shows...Law and Order edition

Here is my list of favorite television shows that are NOT on television anymore... Im really sad about some of this...

Prison Break (FOX)- It was a very intense program from the first episode, the brain of Michael Schofield worked all the time, he was always a step ahead. Lincoln Burroughs was a bull, who complimented his brother's wit with his brawn. The complexity of the characters and the ever present plot twist were amazing and the cliffhanger at the end of every episode made you want more. Alas they couldnt run forever. All seasons are now available on DVD and Blu-ray and worth it...

Justice (FOX) - A short lived yet intense drama, about a high profile law firm that took cases, solely on media exposure. (Cases like O.J. or Phil Specter). It had a very sophisticated mix of high tech and logical deduction. The main lawyers were complimentary of and to each other. The drama was in many cases a conflict in approach and tact. What was really interesting was that at the end of the episode the crime was re-enacted and the culprit revealed.

OZ (HBO) - One of the best dramas ever created, written, and produced in the history of television. It was about PRISON! Maximum security prison at that. The cast was one of a kind and IMO the second or third best ever assembled on TV, (depending on where you rank The Wire and The Sopranos). The cliques of inmates were incredible, you had the Muslims, the Arryan Brotherhood, the Hood Niggaz, Mexicans, Italians, Whiteboys, Politicians, White Collar criminals. I havent even gotten to the employees and the plots yet. The narrorator was Augustus Hill (a name that I can relate to) was in a wheelchair paralyzed from the waist down and put a very interesting twist to the entire series when he released a book called OZ that was an account of pretty much everything that had gone on...then was murdered, then remained on the show as you guessed it the narrorator. There was so much tension in the plots and side switching and side deals, it was simply amazing. My favorite scene was NOT the killing of Adabisi, but when O'Reily ground up the glass in dudes food and he died...that was more like a WOW moment than anything else... All seasons are available on DVD

The Wire (HBO) - Where do I begin? Baltimore, Maryland..Good guys and Bad guys on both sides of the law. This has got to be the best written program, although it never won any major awards, but has been recognized for its writing. There was plenty conflict in the plots of the show and once again its not what you thought. Cops vs Cops vs City Government vs the City itself. Each season had a main focal point with sup plots that ran off the main topic or intertwined into it. But at the center of it all was McNaulty (Dominic West) he was the detective that was good at being bad and bad at being good. He constantly had his head in the game and knew just how far to push...He just aint know when to stop drinkin. The war against drugs / crime was a never ending topic and there were two cliques that did it better than no other...Avon Barksdale's crew and Marlo Stanfield's crew.s and form a co-op, but Marlo wasnt really down with it. The drama was intense and many of the characters where just that. The last two seasons focused on youngins gettin in the game with Michael becoming a very big player in the game. This is the show that gave us hard asses Avon Barksdale,Omar (the gay thug feared by everyone...so much that when he hit the block there were screams of "OMAR COMIN!". the clever and calculating Stringer Bell, Snoop, Cheese (played by rapper Method Man), and the prophetic and seemingly wise Prop Joe. By far in the top 3 of all shows done on HBO. All seasons are available on DVD

The Sopranos (HBO) - Arguably the best mob drama ever... Not Goodfellas, not Casino, and right under The Godfather... This series was based on a New Jersey crime family headed by Anthony Soprano, a complicated man therapist in tow. He had so much to deal with, his crime family, the New York mob, and the biggest demon of all....his family... Carmella the woman that stood by his side regardless how right or how wrong he was. Anthony Jr., this boy had more problems than a math book, im serious this dude had issues. and Meadow "Daddy's lil girl...what more can I say. Tony had plenty stuff on his mind and it sometimes resulted in mad conflict with himself. He had to deal with his mother who wanted him dead, his sister that was a leach and tried her damnedest to get in his pockets and his head. His senile Uncle Junior, who shot him during a "senior moment". The most trying thing on his mind for the majority of the series was coming to grips with the fact that he had to off his best friend turned confident informer "Big Pussy". He maintained order the best way he knew and that was with an iron fist. All in all with all the conflict, drama and twist in plot this was the grand daddy of them all. The only part of the entrie series that I and million of viewers were uneasy with was the season finale... The Soprano's met at a diner and amidst an assortment of seedy characters in the bar...NOBODY DIED! They faded to black with a Journey track in the background. It left the series open ended like there could have been an additional season or at least another episode...Now dont get it twisted plenty folks died leading up to the finale, but there were enough underlings and flunkies around to at least extend the storylines to a point where either Tony could have gotten thrown in the joint (there were plenty enough wiretaps around for that) or gettin wacked by one of the rival familiesl. But it is what it is,...I didnt write it nor could have. I aint that deep.

Go Dookie! Go Dookie!

OMAR COMIN!!!!!

Posted by the Insomniaq...signing off and lookin for the remote control

Milk Carton Approved

With a very impressive body of work, loads of ability and talent...where is Lauryn Hill? Over the years you've heard about her losing her mind, outlandish attire / look, and the supposed load of babies she's had for that Marley boy. But whats really goin on? She needs to return to the world and hit us with some of that X Factor.

The only reason I even wrote this post was because I was lookin at some images and this one particular one (on the left) made the wheels in my head start turning. After all these years someone needs to find her, get her together, find her a damn psychiatrist and put her ass in the studio.
Her resume speaks for itself, over 20 million records sold with The Fugees and the millions her solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and the crop of "talent" out there would in my opinion would be inspiration to come back and do the damn thing.

Her accomplisments alone from the "Miseducation" are the things that make a hip hop legend, (not to sound sexist) but especially for a woman. The title was loosely interpreted from the film and novel about a troubled African American youth, "The Education of Sonny Carson". She collaborated with some of the best in the business: D'Angelo, Carlos Santana, and the Queen of Hip Hop Soul - Mary J. Blige and John Legend (before he blew up). It was said that the album didnt get the blessings of band mate Wyclef Jean (but who really cares, he's fake to me anyway), but offered to do some production which she turned down (TOUCHE' old bandwagon jumpin ass nigga).

The cd had songs on it that were inspired by things in her life. "I Used to Love Him" was supposedly written about the relationship between she and Wyclef, (which he denies...dumb ass) and "To Zion" was written about her first child that many around her suggested she abort. As if that was gonna ruin her career, thats some bull. There are plenty of successful single working mothers (mine included) and im pretty sure that none of them regret what choices they made in their life.

When the album was released it garnered plenty of critic acclamation...her first single "Lost Ones" was definetly a banger, and followed up by her first solo number 1, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" was my jam. I remember being in a club in Cleveland, Ohio and I danced my ass off. That joint had me wide open. Then she dropped "Ex-Factor" and that song was bananas..."Everything is Everything" was hot, "Nothing Really Matters" (with D'Angelo), a very sensual and sexy ballad puts you in the mood of love and sittin in a black light lit room with some sandlewood incense staring at the ceiling thinkin about that special someone (YES I DID IT!) and I put it on repeat for hours until I fell asleep."To Zion" was a touchin song with a tight track and deep meaning.

As the 1999 Grammy Awards nominations were announced Lauryn's name was called 10 times. It was the most ever by a female artist. The night of the award show she won 5 of them, including Album of the Year (over Madonna's Ray of Light), Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist. Another first, she was the first woman to every win 5 Grammys in one night a feat later done by Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Beyonce, and most recently Amy Winehouse. Between 1998 and 1999 earned $25 million from record sales and touring, and by the end of the year was virtually on every critics "Best of" list. As of 2008 she won 30 awards ranging from the American Music Awards to the Soul Train Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year in 1999.

She released an MTV Unplugged album, (that I still cant find to download) and has appeared in a Fugee reunion on the Dave Chappelle Block Party and in concert oversees... I just want her to put out another banger and give me a reason to love her all over again.

Post by the Insomniaq lookin for my lighter and sandlewood incense...Peace