The Essence of Family and Great Times.

– Photo courtesy of Threat Poet

What can I say about the reservation that hasn’t been echoed in sentiments from friends and family? It’s the one place that we as Native Americans can flock to when the going gets a little tough. I never really visit that place due to my own personal reasons. But the real people that reside in those special places, i.e. Relatives and Friends, resonate within my own life and makes me reflect on how well it is that I’m doing. My Grandmother lives there, as well as my Aunts and a bunch of Uncles. It’s family. “Familia” is the word that I love to use. It’s a beautiful word that makes me feel all warm and complete inside.

I took a trip out to Albuquerque to see my favorite cousin, Shawn because it’s what I like to do when I feel some sort of urgency to just be myself. It was the second trip in a very short period of time but I was ecstatic to be out there in “the Duke City” once again.. The new vehicle he got is the epitome of what he’s worked toward his entire life, it’s his pride & joy. When he picked me up at the Albuquerque Sunport in that new truck…I could sense that a tide had turned for him. I consider myself privileged to see his joy.

For Memorial Day Weekend, I decided to join him and his family at Wheatfields Lake in the beautiful north country of Arizona. It was great. Fishing out there on a nice looking lake out there in the pine forests, heaven is the only word that comes to mind. An in-law of my cousin brought out some ATV’s to ride around. That really stuck out to me. I’ve always wanted to pilot one of those monsters and when the time came to ride out and react, I wasted no time. Within a few minutes I was ripping through those dirt roads and handling a 4-wheeler like a champ. It was completely epic and it reminded me so much of how my cousin and I have grown, from riding around on ATV’s with him as adults to how we used to push our bicycles to the limit on the dirt roads that surrounded our Grandma’s house when we were kids. Those moments were tantamount to how I felt as a kid. It was monumental.

The gorgeous scenery was the only distraction that kept my mind off of anything negative. The kicker came when we finally packed up and left that lake in the rear view mirror a few days later. A good friend of my cousin let us fire off a single-barrel shotgun at his spread of land. I’m not too much of a “gun guy” but I tell you, firing off that weapon and reloading like a pro was therapy enough to me.

My cousin and I made a pit stop on the way back to civilization. We stopped at our Grandma’s place and we visited her as well as other relatives that were present. It was so great to see her. It was a welcoming presence.  It was awkward to me because I hadn’t shaved or showered or even attempted to look presentable to my loved ones. Emanating in your own bodily funk for a few days really makes you ponder your station in life. The visit to Grandma’s was totally beneficial.

But the one remaining thought that stuck with me was the fact that my family loves me. They care for me and they know when something is wrong.  I pride myself on still being so close to my Grandma. I think I know why some people call their Grandmas “Big Mama”. It just makes total sense now.

The Pain & Joys of Online Competition…

 – Photo Courtesy of Rockstar Games…

I’ve always been a fan of action films. It hasn’t been that long but video game technology is at the point where they’re becoming more engaging than movies themselves. Most especially multiplayer gaming. The thrill of ducking death and dodging bullets (virtually, of course) has it’s pros and cons. I only entered the online gaming ring about a year and some change ago. But ever since then, a new world opened up for me that included a whole lot of disrespect. Most likely from a someone a whole lot younger or older than me, but that never bothered me because if it’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that opposition and haters come in all ages and forms. Only in the online world of gaming do they remain anonymous aside from the user ID’s these kooks hide behind. Some of these people choose some very imaginative handles too. Like 2Cool4Skool, WhyUMad?, Soldier4Hire, PlainJane420, or my favorite so far: takeitordie07.

I jumped into the online gaming world due to the increased cell phone reports of my cousin. The hook was a game called “Call of Duty: Black Ops”. Once I got a Playstation 3 and hooked it up to a high speed internet connection, it was on like a Hong Kong action flick. My tide had turned. Now I’m not going to sugarcoat, but I completely sucked at it. But the more I played, the more skilled I became. With great skill I learned that hostility would come heavy with being so good. When I learned that my opponents and competitors had microphones to voice their own obscenities and hatemongering toward me, the level of hate increased. But the funny thing about all of it…I loved it. I loved hearing how much another online player hated me because of how well I was virtually destroying them. It mesmerized me. It made me feel good to know that I could bring such an increased discomfort in someone else’s leisure time. Pure joy to me is hearing all the crazy conjointed swear phrases followed by my own handle. Such examples “You got so f****n’ lucky that time, you lucky mf’er!” or “You’re such a s****y gamer that I oughta let my 4 year-old take you on!” And so on and so on.

But it’s not all whacked out as some people may see it. There’s connection involved, emotional connection. For example, I use the multiplayer competiton to talk with my cousin via bluetooth microphone because I don’t get to see him everyday and he lives 8 hours away from me. It’s good to know that he has my back and that he won’t let anything happen to me. That kind of confidence going into a online competition is all I’ll ever need to attack, in reality it’s different. That, plus it gives me great relief to know that he’s always going to be a part of my crew no matter what. Teaming up with your family whether it be tangible or friend-like is a definite joy.

On the other hand, online competion can get pretty iffy. There’s no containment system that could corral the sheer absolute chaos that goes on in internet gaming. Some real sick people too, just read their user ID’s. I’ve recently begun playing a game called “Max Payne 3” which would explain the above pic. The multiplayer option on there is insane! But it’s great at the same time because it includes features that I would never get from a “Call of Duty” game. The difference being COD’s 1st person perspective and M.P.3’s third person perspective. There’s a feature on the game called “Vendettas” which allows one player to place a kill out on you for some extra points. But when it takes place and the hit backfires on them, the double points go to you for putting them in their place. I can remember a time when someone placed about 8 vendettas on me in a single round and failed on each and every one because they could never capitalize. I never got mad and placed one out on them. I accepted their vengeance as recognition and was willing and able to take them out before they did me in. That’s not negative to me…it’s all rewarding.

What really gets me though is imagining if this was still the arcade era and people coughing up mega quarters just to keep playing. If 25 Cent arcades were still around, I’d of probabaly spent $500 to keep dishing out virtual hostility. Thank God, the arcades came home.

New Updates…

Hi, everyone! Over here at Threatpoet a lot of new ideas are being thrown around about what type of topics to cover on this blog. It used to be just news concerning the world of hip-hop music and artist but it’s about to get a little bigger. I’m hoping to post some stories on here pretty soon and may do a new overhaul that just may attract some more readers. Stay tuned because it’s going to be one hot summer. Please believe…

– TrG. – Founder of ThreatPoet

Profile of Raul Moreno.

The fitness center on the Paradise Valley Community College is a busy day for some students, to a few who have to endure 5 hours of martial arts training, it just comes with a price of having a Saturday off. Two martial arts classes are taught on Saturday, one is Aikido-Jujitsu and the other is Kickboxing. Heading up both of these classes is none other than Sensai Raul Moreno, a 35 plus year veteran of martial arts. He also teaches classes on Thursdays as well, but in the year and a half that I’ve known him, Saturday has always been the day that we would meet.

            Moreno, a soft-spoken, stocky guy is a native of Corpus Christi, Texas. Moreno has come a long way on his journey to teach martial arts to students who show an interest in learning. He began teaching at PVCC around five years ago, the former teacher that taught on campus passed away, it was Raul’s turn to step up and fill in the role. He has studied a variety of martial arts from Tae Kwon Do, Shotokan Karate, Aikido, Brazilian Jujitsu, Kenpo, Jeet Kune Do, and Wushu among other styles that total up to 15 altogether. All those skills compiled together make Raul Moreno more than qualified to teach.

            His road to becoming a martial artist wasn’t an easy one. He grew up in the barrios of where he lived and ran with the wrong crowd for a bit until one day he met a character who would change his life for the better. That person was Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, a renown world kickboxing champion who held six world titles in five different weight divisions and has also shared screen time with actors like Jackie Chan and John Cusack. “He asked me if I would give up what I was doing then he would guide me and be more of my mentor” says Moreno.

            Turnarounds like this only happen in life very few times and with that said, Raul Moreno went on to better his life through the world of martial arts and has some memorable moments to share as well. Back in the 1980’s he had the opportunity to teach celebrities like David Lee Roth the former lead singer of Van Halen, Dave Mustaine from the band Megadeth, and an assortment of actors of soap operas from “Falcon Crest” and “One Life To Live”. When I asked him the question of which time period he would like to be an artist he responded by saying “In the 1600’s because back in those days, you could see more of the Budo system and it was more spiritual.”

            Back in the PVCC fitness center, Moreno’s students always pay full attention to the man that teaches them life-saving defense skills as well as an art. The room that’s used doubles as a dance studio and is sometimes full of practice mats that fill up the floor space. In Aikido-Jujitsu class, it concentrates more on technique through a variety or grabs, painful wristlocks, and throws that teach the students to be more on their guard. The class is taught in a “teach one, each one” capacity where everybody, even the teacher all learn from one another. At the beginning meditation begins the class and serene Japanese music is played through the speaker system. The same is done when the class concludes, it’s all designed to bring the students to their systems of breathing.

            Kickboxing class on the other hand is a lot more energetic. It’s not an aerobic kickboxing class that is mostly taught at fitness centers around the city, this one is unique in that it encourages the students to spar with one another through the use of proper protection in the forms of mouth guards, boxing gloves, hand wraps and shin guards. The music is changed to an energetic pace filled with rap and old school R&B. The pace is exhausting but very well worth it and Moreno delights his students with words of encouragement, sometimes acting as a referee when sparring really begins to take place. It’s a very great couple of classes that Raul Moreno teaches and very excellent way to work off the frustration that builds up during the week.

Last Weekend with Stuart.

The whole semester was done and vacation time was finally here. Christmas vacation, that is. I was all set to take a trip up North with my cousin Stuart on a Friday night. I had my bags all packed and was all set to hit the road when I heard the doorbell ring. I opened the door to find that my cousin Stuart standing at attention.

“Hey bro, are you ready to get going? He asked.

“I most certainly am, Stu. Let me just grab my luggage and then we’ll get going I told him.

“Is your Mom inside?” He asked me.

“Of course she is, come on in and say hello.” I said.

I assured him that I was going outside to his SUV to throw my bags in there and he went and handed me the keys. I went out to his SUV and loaded up my luggage in the back while he went inside and visited with my Mom and Dad. After that was all done I hugged my mother and father goodbye and told them all they wanted to hear and reassure them of my well-being. Then just like that, we were on the road headed towards I-17 all the way up North.

It was great seeing my cousin Stuart again. We kept in touch with each other throughout the summer and all through the fall. He was a Marine Corps veteran who had been home for more than a year and had managed to pull himself up by his boot straps and carve out a decent living for himself working a job at Boeing airlines working on helicopters. He had 10 working days off and was spending it to go up north and spend time with his sons. He was happy to be a father and I could tell that it really suited him. It was going to be nice to head up to the reservation again. I always got a warm feeling being around this family that was so close to me, especially it being so close to the holidays.

We had time to kill and since we weren’t in any hurry and we didn’t have to be there until Friday evening, we decided to make a couple of detours on the way. On the way towards Flagstaff, we stopped near Camp Verde at Cliff Castle Casino. We thought it would be nice to play some cards and win some money. We walked inside the alarming noises of bells and coins rattling around slot machines. We greeted to lady host at the entrance and presented our ID’s to assure the house that we were of legal age. We made our way over to a refreshment stand and had a couple of Sprites. Afterwards, we headed over to the blackjack tables and decided to do a little gambling. It was my first time being in such a place of gambling. At $20 a hand I lost on a couple of them. No such thing as beginner’s luck that night. It wasn’t my first time playing blackjack. I knew the basics and realized that most of it was luck. The dealer gave us a couple of tips on playing. We continued playing and after utilizing my newfound advice, I came out $100 dollars richer after being down $40. I decided that was it for me and retired back to the refreshment stand for a cup of coffee. Stuart decided he had enough too and told me the reason why we were taking our time on this trip. He had a girlfriend he wanted to see in Flagstaff and he wanted to stop by and see her. I didn’t have any objections. I loved Flagstaff and was cool with his decision. We continued on our way up north and we made decent time in arriving there in Flagstaff. It was so nice to be there in December with the snow and the mountains. It made the trip that much more seasonal since Christmas was around the corner.

We stopped at his girlfriend’s place in a very nice suburban area of town and proceeded to head to the door. It was great getting to finally meet Stuart’s girlfriend, Lavelle. She was a student at NAU and was very intelligent, pretty, and funny. After meeting and greeting we all decided to go out and have some fun on the town. We all had a great time that night and got a good night’s rest. That morning, the three of us went out to breakfast and took our time admiring the beautiful snowy morning. Stuart said his goodbyes to Lavelle and we proceeded on the road up north toward Kayenta, Arizona to pick up his sons. I always did get a kick out of driving through that area. It was a nice and scenic area to take a drive through. The weather was entirely cloudy on the way up and when we got there, we were there to greet his sons. We gathered them and buckled them safe inside the vehicle and finally entered the last leg of the trip. We were all Sanders, Arizona bound and we weren’t stopping for anything.

One thing I could say about Stuart was that he knew how to drive somewhere fast and efficiently. We made it to our destination in two hours’ time. It was so nice to be taking that trip and seeing the sun setting down on the hills to the west of us. When we finally arrived to my drop-off point which was my Aunt Cynthia’s we unloaded the luggage and I was happy to find out that my older brother Maurice was on his way there soon with his family. Stuart and I visited with my auntie for a bit and hammed it up with my younger cousins and had some laughs joking around with them. We all were visiting with each other waiting for Maurice to show. When he did it was all hugs and cheers to see him again. He brought his wife Jeannie and his children Miles, Dylan, and Delilah. It was really great seeing all of us together, especially Stuart and his boys. After visiting for a while with each other, Stuart bid us goodbye and left with his sons. I felt really good about how the weekend was already turning out.

Saturday came around and Stuart, Maurice, and I headed out to take care of some tasks that required a certain amount of manpower. That took up our entire morning and in the afternoon when we were done, Stuart took us out to a remote spot to shoot some rifles. He brought along his scope-mounted Winchester rifle and we spent the rest of the day firing guns. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. When the evening came, Stuart, Maurice, his wife Jeannie, and myself all made our way into Gallup, NM which was about 45 minutes east from us. We all went into town for a fun night out on the town. I felt nothing but ecstatic being around the guys I considered brothers to me. A certain sense of camaraderie was in the air and I felt that nothing could go wrong. When we all had enough, we made our way back to Sanders. I had fallen asleep on the way back and made my way back into my aunt’s house and into the bed I was using that weekend. It was all a blur to me and I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The next morning was Christmas Eve. I knew that from the night before. I got shaken awake by my younger cousin J.R.

“Hey Trav, wake up. You got to wake up right now.” He told me

Not wanting to be disturbed, I got a little angry at why he was waking me up so early.

“Leave me alone, J.R. I’m not fully rested yet and you know how I get when I don’t get my rest.” I scolded him.

“It’s about Stuart, bro. He wrecked his ride last night and died.” He assured me.

Knowing what pranksters my cousins could be sometime, I was getting really angry about how they would try to wake me up by saying something like that. I got up and rubbed my eyes open and asked J.R. “What did you just tell me, little brother?”

J.R. then explained to me that Stuart got into an accident early this morning when his SUV flipped over during a high speed drive, just after he dropped Maurice, Jeannie and I off that early morning. I couldn’t believe it. I went into the living room and found all my family members with their head hanging low. The mood in the air was very sad and somber. I went over to my brother Maurice and asked him if it was true. He told that me it was true and he laid out the whole story to me of how it happened. My skepticism was at an all-time high because to me that just wasn’t possible.

“We were just with him last night? How could this be possible?” was the first thought that jumped into my head.

I wouldn’t be convinced until I saw the crash site. I ran out the door without a second to waste and all the way towards where the crash site was. I kept running and running until I finally found it. About a half a mile away from my aunt’s house near Sanders Valley High School where Maurice and Stuart used to attend school, I could see the support on a cattle guard just twisted. I went over to where they found Stuart’s vehicle and I could see busted glass and little twisted pieces of metal…and some blood on the snowy ground. My eyes watered up and I felt myself crying out there in the cold morning. I couldn’t believe it. The cousin I rode up from Phoenix with was dead from a vehicular wreck. I felt myself shaking from fear and the cold. How could this have happened? It was indeed the darkest Christmas I’ve ever endured. I collected my composure and returned back to my aunt’s house. I called up my Mom to tell her the news of what happened. She was just as shocked as I was. It was one of those phone calls you don’t ever want to make, but I had to.

We all reconvened for the funeral a week later near New Year’s Eve. We all saw each other again under sadder circumstances. Stuart’s mom, dad, and sisters all showed up for the procession. A bunch of relatives I wasn’t used to seeing were there. I attended with my Mom and I made sure to hold her hand and reassure her that I was still here. Stuart was buried in St. Michael’s Graveyard for Veterans just outside of Window Rock, AZ. It was a beautiful morning but so very sad. A mutual friend, Jason who I hadn’t seen in so many years showed up too. It was quite a surprise and it was very comforting to see him again. Jason was as close to Stuart as Maurice and I were. We all grew up together on the reservation. When the time came to sprinkle some dirt on his coffin after he was lowered into the ground, I went over and I started tearing up again. It was so hard to say good-bye to someone so great. Somebody that had so much to live for and always being a good person was something I hadn’t prepared myself for. I’ll never forget Stuart and the time we shared in the few months prior to his death. It’s something that’s bound to stay with me for a long time. I can hardly believe that it was five years ago.

How To Repair Drywall Holes.

How-To Repair Drywall Holes

 

 

            I have nephews and nieces that love to rough house and play around inside their rooms. They have so much fun with it that they don’t think about being careful inside their domain. I can remember a time when they were rough housing and one of them put a hole into the wall of their room. Being the concerned Uncle I am, I asked what happened and soon a blame game began. I, myself knowing how adamant their Dad would be to discover such disaster, told my nephews that this was their one time “get-out-of-jail-free card”. I decided to fix it for them. The problem came into play once I saw the result of the damage.  A big hole in the wall is what I had to look forward to repairing.

I hope that one day you may never have to face the problematic issues of repairing a hole in a wall. But just in case you do, I will give you some tips on how to repair a hole in your drywall and have it looking good as new. Let’s get started first shall we? First thing you’re going to need are some tools to get you started. What you’ll need is a utility knife, joint drywall tape, drywall screws (about 3), a 14-inch taping knife, an electric drill, scrap wood (1 x 1), a pencil, quick set joint compound, a squared measuring tape, a sanding block or sandpaper, and piece of scrap drywall enough to cover the area.

 

First Step: What you want to do is measure out a square hole bigger than the hole already in the wall, so you can fit in another piece of drywall.

Second Step: you want to take a straight edged utility knife and cut deep into the wall along your square and some cuts along each corner towards the center to ensure a clean break.

Third Step: Break out the piece with your hand, be gentle. Then after you’ve made your square hole in the wall, you want to measure out a square on a piece of scrap drywall that fits inside your square hole, making sure it has the proper thickness of your wall.

Fourth Step: What you’re going to want to do after all of that is create a bracket for your piece of drywall to ensure a snug fit. So, take your saw and cut off a piece of scrap wood, remember to exercise caution in using the saw. After you’ve cut your wood bracket, you take it and place it inside the hole while holding it and drill a dry wall screw above the hole and below the hole.

Fifth Step: Insert your square piece of drywall and drill in the final screw dead center of the square. Now it should like the missing piece of a puzzle inserted, all safe and secure.

Sixth Step: What you want to do next is take the joint compound tape and put 4 pieces over every side of the square for extra security. Make sure it goes over the cut areas, there should be 4 like a square.

Seventh Step: you want to take some joint compound and mix it up. You can use either 20 minute quick dry compound or 45 minute compound depending on the size of the job, both come in powder forms. If you want to you can use a pre-mixed compound that is ready to use right out of the bag.

Eight Step: You then take your joint compound and pour some in a small container of some sort like a bucket and mix it with a little bit of water. Use a putty knife to mix it to a thick mud-like paste. Then take the joint compound and apply it over the taped square area. Apply it evenly and then use a large taping knife to smooth it out nice and evenly.

Ninth Step: You want to use a sanding block or a fine grained piece of sandpaper and smooth out that patched up area. It’s a fairly easy job and afterwards you’ll need a fresh coat of paint to go over the patched up area once it’s nice and dry. There it is, you have yourself a freshly patched up drywall repair job done with complete efficiency. Take caution in gathering up your tools to put away and make aware of any kids who are playing a little too recklessly in the house. That way, you don’t have to deal with this type of repair again.

 

 

 

 

Here’s What’s Up…

I’ve been gone for a minute with the news and everything else this blog has to offer. I went on hiatus in the summertime and for a bit until now. But my time off has come to an end. I will be returning with more news and more updates to Threatpoet. So…until then, keep your eyes on the prize and keep on keepin’ on…ONE LOVE, PEACE!!

Issues Over Gun Control On Arizona College Campuses.

photo courtesy of motiffake.com

In this day and age it’s not too crazy to believe that people have taken to arming themselves for their own personal protection. For the citizens of the state of Arizona, the second amendment is a serious issue. Ever since the tragedy in Tucson in which Jared Lee Loughner took six lives and injured nineteen people including U.S. Representative Gabrielle Gifford. The gun debate issue is more wide open more than ever and includes some pretty far-out proposals. One of the those has AZ law makers proposing that community college instructors be allowed to carry a concealed weapon with them as long as they carry the proper permits. Gregory Ferris, a former attorney of 35 years with the federal government and instructor on the Paradise Valley Community College campus believes differently. “The 2nd amendment to the Constitution does not “justify” students or faculty carrying weapons on campus, it allows citizens to bear arms in general. The argument that includes students and teachers is valid, however, you can imagine the tension that would be created in the classroom environment if a significant number of teachers and students carried weapons openly” says Ferris. He makes a very valid point. I can only imagine the horror being created if a gunfight went down on a college campus with potential injuries and fatalaties bestowed on innocent students caught within the crossfires.

The Right To Bear Arms…In Certain Places

It’s no big secret that law makers in Arizona have passed a bunch of laws recently that favor practitioners of the 2nd amendment. The right to carry a concealed weapon carries with it a lot of power and that power seems to make the average gun-toting citizen of Arizona feel a bit like Clint Eastwood in a Western. Gun laws have been enacted that allow citizens with the proper weapons permits to carry a gun in a business establishment like a restaurants, bars, and other public places. But if you have to really ask if firearms should be allowed to be carried on community college campuses, then you’d get a surprising answer from the security. Paul Keller, a Public Safety official on the Paradise Valley Community Campus had this to say about the 2nd amendment and how it pertains to students and faculty on campus. “I don’t think our forefathers were thinking about weapons in an educational facility when they wrote the 2nd amendment” says Keller. Here is another point that should be taken into consideration. It’s very rare for someone to have such an onpoint perspective on such a matter, especially in this state where the gun statistics are frightening to some people. It gives the people the impression that Arizona really is “the wild, wild west”.

If We All Can’t Carry Weapons, Who Can?

I’ve always been of a believer that the proper figures of authority should be required to carry a firearm. Authority figures go pretty much without question. I’ve always felt safer knowing that the average police officer carrying a firearm of some sort has the power to stop the someone from trying to hurt me, injure me, or rob me. But then again, there are so many police officers in the city and they all can’t protect the average citizen. So I can sort of see the logic that law makers in Arizona have in passing gun laws to the average firearm possessing citizen. Byron Calvin, a security guard for a well-known firm and U.S. National Guard member and also former student of Paradise Valley Community College had this to say: “A citizen should have the option to defend themselves. But, also go through the proper training and learn the laws that go with the responsibility. Educating citizens who wish to defend themselves with firearms should go through proper procedures.” I know for sure that I can definitely see the logic with that. It brings to mind the cases of elderly citizens who get robbed at night by the average criminal thieves. If only they would have got the proper weapons training then they would still have their valuables on them.

The Situation As It Stands

You can have all the qualifications for owning and possessing a weapon at certain times and it could backfire on you. That’s probably the most remote possibility ever to happen, but you can’t leave it to chance. Imagine this scenario: a college student with hate issues comes to school one day in the wrong mood and proceeds to go on a shooting spree that leaves people injured and dead. Now imagine this, another college student who came to class that happened to forget to lock his weapon up in his vehicle and takes it with him to class that day. Then the moment happens when these two armed students lock horns and a gunfight ensues that leaves even more innocent students injured and dead. Two wrongs don’t make a right and if that’s what these issues of gun control are teaching us, then it gives us a possibility that hasn’t been examined. I, myself don’t carry a firearm. It’s not that I’m a pacifist by any means, it just means that I don’t think carrying a weapon all the time gives me comfort. Having a loaded weapon stashed in my bookbag doesn’t make me feel like “Dirty Harry“, it makes me fearful that I may have to take a life when the situation calls for it. I know there will still be debates over these issues, but I for one choose to stay out of it.

Aspects Of The Dance On A Friday Night.

The amazing art of Capoeira - photo courtesy of lat34.com

The place ot be on a Friday night was the Paradise Valley Community College Center for the Perfoming Arts. The event? The 2011 Spring Dance Collection which showcases a variety of different dance sets ranging from Ballet, Jazz, and Capoeira. The dance collection featured dance choreography from Sonia Valle, Bret Navarre, Erin Nielsen, Ava Fleming, and others. The program began with a ballet set from two of PVCC”s dance students. The style, technique, and grace exhibited by these two dancers was a sight to behold as they stunned the audience with their range of ballet dance. The next dance set was a tango set with four couples set to some a nice tango musical number. The chemistry exhibited between the dance partners made the crowd cheer with righteous applause. After a couple of solo ballet sets that bordered on ho-hum, things began to get interesting. The “Tribaret” set featured a squad of female dancers exhibiting some Zumba and Belly-dancing techniques. If the crowd got excited about that set, they were really in for a treat with the next dance set. The AXE Capoeira Group came out and put on a some Capoeira set to real live Capoeira music that had the crowd plus myself cheering at the end. It was very energetic and gave me a taste of what Carnival season in Rio De Janeiro might be like. “The music was awesome but the dancing was really really good” says Ally Botkin an attendee of the event. It was the highlight of the night for me because the Capoeira dancers exhibited complete physical prowess with displays of kicks and flips that had to be seen to be believed. After a few more solo ballet set and a duo, a Michael Jackson tribute continued to bring the house down with a massive array of dancers emulating the moves of the late Pop singer, very cool indeed. A dancing light show by a group of PVCC’s own students came afterwards and was visually mesmerizing. The program concluded with an eclectic dance entitled “Fall of the Lobo” set to Shakira’s “She-Wolf”. It was pretty good as well. “I think the program itself needs a lot of work. It’s more like classes and all the classes come and perform at the end, versus an actual dance program like some of the community colleges. It’s a little bit different in terms of what you’re required to learn here or not required to learn here” says Kayla Roossin when asked about the dance programs at Paradise Valley Community College. I’m inclined to disagree after seeing a brilliant display of dance skill at Friday night’s event.

2pac’s Murder Details Released By Feds.

My how 15 years can go by so fast -- photo courtesy of voluntad.com.co

I know what you must be thinking. Deja vu, right? Last week we had news of the F.B.I. releasing it’s documents on Notorious B.I.G’s murder. While that document was a well-endowed 359 pages, the documents surrounding 2pac’s murder are only 102 pages and chronicles details on an extortion scheme allegedly perpetrated against 2Pac and late N.W.A. founder Eazy-E by the Jewish Defense League, a Jewish nationalist group that has been characterized as a domestic terrorist organization by the FBI. The scheme apparently went like this: anonymous death threats were phoned in to well known rap artists and the Jewish Defense League would come in and offer protection services for a certain fee. Tupac Shakur was murdered in 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 25. This smells like a conspiracy and if it’s coming from the Feds, it has to have some legitimacy to it. Conspiracy theorists, feel free to go crazy.

Story Courtesy of xxlmag.com