The Hip-Hop Word Count: A Searchable Rap Almanac was accepted into the 2011 SXSW PanelPicker! Vote for it multiple times daily until August 27th; so we can present at SXSW. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/hhwcxsxsw

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The Hip-Hop Word Count is a searchable ethnographic database built from the lyrics of over 40,000 Hip-Hop songs from 1979 to present day.

The Hip-Hop Word Count describes the technical details of most of your favorite hip-hop songs. This data can then be used to not only figure out interesting stats about the songs themselves, but also describe the culture behind the music.

How can analyzing lyrics teach us about our culture?

The Hip-Hop Word Count locks in a time and geographic location for every metaphor, simile, cultural reference, phrase, rhyme style, meme and socio-political idea used in the corpus of Hip-Hop.

The Hip-Hop Word Count then converts this data into explorable visualisations which help us to comprehend this vast set of cultural data.

This data can be used to chart the migration of ideas and builds a geography of language.

That’s exactly what I felt like this WWD article did to South Africa. The long and the short of it is that they are speculating where Chelsea Clinton and her new hubby spent there honeymoon and stated the following.

“Well, sources say the newlyweds have headed into the wild — South Africa. While a spokesman for President Clinton declined to comment Monday, speculation is the couple is on safari in South Africa, which, if true, would make perfect sense. First, few people would recognize them in South Africa. And second, what paparazzi is going to risk being attacked by a lion or rhino just to get a photo of the couple?”

Ooooookay, really WWD? That’s all there is in S. Africa? Wildness, Rhinos & Lions? It’s sooooo scary that no one would ever think to go that far, Even if you REALLY think that, pls explain why it was colonized in the first place, and it seems to be a hot spot for rich western vacationers.

I love how South Africa is fit for an ex-president’s daughter to vacation, but still a risky endeavour. Geesh, when is this ‘Scary Africa’ sentiment going to die?

I love (and hate) my hip hop music and must admit that I jam out to alot of things I can’t co-sign on and have taken the liberty to compile a short, non complete list of extreme cases.

1. Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t have None) by Snoop
Can’t say that I’ve ever tried to convince my lovers to make Mclovin’ with my homies, but hey, what ever floats your boat.

2. Ante Up by M.O.P. Honestly I never find my kidnapping people, but do consider it as a career option when I hear this.

3. Anything by the Clipse
Generational drug dealing is always makes for entertaining dinner conversations

4. Just about anything DJ Quick has ever said.

I consider my self to an educated, well rounded, cultured gal, and these def do not fit in with my feminist views but I love them to pieces and the only justification I can give for this, is that I love the stories. Yeah, I wouldn’t necessarily compare Ante Up with the Bicycle Thief,  or Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart but they all tell  engaging  stories.

What music do you get engaged with but don’t relate to?

This is the Eames House it was apart of a project called The Case Study House Program in the 1940’s to early 1960’s. It was one out of the 25 homes that were built which had to use furnishings, techniques, etc. derived from the second world war and implemented into the modern world. The homes could either be for a real client or a fictional client. The architects of this house Charles and Ray Eames had a concept of having the home being for a married couple whose career is in the design field. They wanted to show the “clients” career with the house. They also wanted to show a shock factor while keeping the peace and tranquility with the overall landscape.

I have been coming across very interesting articles about public sleeping online recently and thought that I would share some of the best ones with you while at the same time wishing I were asleep with the television on. A girl can dream, can’t she?

A private member’s club in London offers a “Lazy Lawn” designed by Tom Dixon where members can lounge, sleep, or sunbathe their days away.

In Toronto, The Z’s by the C project is encouraging people to participate in a napping initiative aimed at promoting citizens’ rights to public space.

In Austria, visitors can spend a night at the Das Park Hotel where the hotel’s “pay as you wish” policy allows them to sleep in sections of used pipes.

Now I don’t think I would ever go here, but if you are interested in going to prison without a sentence then you can visit the Karosta Prison in Latvia. At this “hotel” which was formally (as recently as 1997) a prison, visitors can pay to be treated as prisoners and sleep on a wooden plank or a dusty single bed.

The current bill increased spending on food stamps

It increases the accessibility of fruits and vegetables in low-income schools by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, which gives free fruits and vegetables schools

Farmers Market Promotion Program, Community Food Project grants, and other food programs will be funded

Part of the bill gives tax credits to producers of cellulosic biofuels which are produced from wood and other non edible plants.

Its’ program, Rural Energy for America Program, will give grants up to 25% of energy upgrades for agricultural producers as well as rural small business.