our world is one that is obsessed with outcomes.  profits. awards.  medals.  statistics.  you understand.

​legendary former UCLA basketball coach JOHN WOODEN had his share. he coached a record 10 NCAA championship teams (7 of which were in a row).  for some perspective, the nearest rival to that record (MIKE KRZYZEWSKI of DUKE UNIVERSITY) has only has 5.  WOODEN as a college player was a three time ALL-AMERICAN and later played professionally in the NBL (a predecessor to the modern NBA) some well that he was the first inductee into the NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME as both a player and a coach. 

to this day he is routine heralded as the greatest coach in modern western sports.  end stop.

but those accomplishments are not where his success lies, as lovingly argued by his former player, NBA legend KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR in his recent book COACH WOODEN AND ME: OUR 50-YEAR FRIENDSHIP ON AND OFF THE COURTE (GRAND CENTRAL, 2017) written several years after WOODEN's passing in 2010.  for KAREEM, the success of his coach was in his ability to model an almost antiquated sense of morality, compassion and dignity through his actions and interactions with others.

that is not to say that this went without some friction, as KAREEM's playing days at UCLA were in the back half of the tumultuous 1960s, when the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT was in full swing.  WOODEN was 37 years KAREEM's senior and was born and grew up a HOOSIER in southern INDIANA, intriguingly at the same time of the INDIANA variant of the KLU KLUX KLAN emerged.  luckily his parents raised him to not buy into their racist views but that was part of the cultural milieu he was raised in.  KAREEM mentions several times how this generational and cultural divide rendered WOODEN a bit naive regarding the realities of being BLACK in AMERICA.  when confronted with such, it crushed and deeply wounded his sense of optimism in his fellow man.  but it is to WOODEN's credit, as well as KAREEM's, that they had patience enough for each other to learn from one another and ultimately support each other as lifelong friends.

for me the essence of WOODEN's philosophy regarding team sports, as well as life in general, is the aim of "adapting to each circumstance to achieve the desired outcome - doing good."  the game is an afterthought, instead the work and effort you put in and the relationships you develop are of sole value in this equation.  and that example was his true impact on his players, not the winning streaks or banners in the rafters.

its a deeply personally and almost spiritual example to set.  that of doing good.  the KAREEM/WOODEN relationship transcends generational, racial and even religious lines, which is beyond interesting to learn about.  i can only imagine what it was like for KAREEM to leave his native NYC a national sports figure as a teenager, especially during that period in AMERICAN history, and needing to lose himself in basketball.  in finding a purpose in sports. 

it seems that WOODEN allowed him to get outside of himself, find a deeper focus that was not entirely achievement based in nature.  it was about developing an identity that was internally strengthened and self-affirmed rather than the result of transitory exterior praise.  coach would tell him the futility of seeking outside validation since "if you get yourself too engrossed in things over which you have no control, it's going to adversely affect the things over which you have control."  there is no being better than others, there is only trying your best.  and that has value.

later in life KAREEM found that "the process of trying my hardest was joyful [and] what happened afterward to the work, whether triumph or disaster, didnt matter as much."  to me this type of philosophy would seem almost cliche and antiquated except for who is saying it.  you would be hard pressed to find two individuals that have achieved more on the court than these two, and for them those successes are a distant concern to their own development as compassionate, open and helpful individuals.  and all of this would ring hollow if WOODEN didn't walk this walk.  even to those he argued and even got angry at in pressure moments, which KAREEM only recounts happening once.  after cooling off he considered what was said by a player that called him out the night before in a flight of insubordinate passion, and he realized his player had a point.  at the team breakfast he let everyone know to jaws dropped that he thought about what was said and agreed, and further appreciated having said player on his team.  it was that type of accountability and self-discipline to self-assess and not let his passions overtake him that won over his players.

KAREEM states upon reflection of his relationship that his playing days "Coach was laying the foundation for lifelong lessons that I interpreted as merely practical information on how to become a better basketball player."  this is telling because he wasn't pedantic or overbearing with his lessons.  he was instead patient and led by example.  as KAREEM sagely writes, it is important to "focus less on following the words and more on being the words."


i love this book not just because it is BASKETBALL, which since childhood has long been my RELIGION, but also just literary aspects of the book.  WOODEN was a former ENGLISH teacher, so the fact that he apparently regularly tossed around verses from ROMANTIC POETS during intense practices makes my heart quiver.  i also particularly enjoyed KAREEM's metaphor about JAZZ being a broader metaphor for basketball, something WOODEN agreed with when he asserted that "certainly doing anything well requires that first individuals master the fundamentals, then learn to react as a group without thinking about it."  the idea that there is sense of play that comes out of preparation and a sense of loosing oneself in a group of individuals seems like as good a recipe as any for success in life.

i am not one for feeling positive about circumstances or mankind in general, especially given the political, economic, environmental, and especially racial problems our country has been dealing with in the past few years.  but the idea that a friendship was born out of this odd couple at an equally fraught period in our history does give me pause.  and secretly even a little optimistic.

cover by nacrowe

watch the latest streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as  JEN presents another chill playlist as she goes about creating one of her dope macrame projects.

​past episodes of MAKE HER SPACE as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

​and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

covers by nacrowe

click HERE for the latest episode of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where Reed and Vince are again presenting a DUAL SIMULCAST from MASSACHUSETTS and NEW YORK as they showcase another playlist of electronic music!

as always, you can access all past episodes of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW via the DEER GOD website as well as those of MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, DEER GOD RADIO and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG.

​and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

GREG PUCIATO, lead singer of SYNTH duo THE BLACK QUEEN and modern METAL supergroup KILLER BE KILLED as well as the former frontman of NEW JERSEY MATH METAL legends DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, recently released his debut album CHILD SOLDIER: CREATOR OF GOD.  judging by the quality of the singles, as well as his overall career discography, this is something well worth investigating and checking out.  apparently he did all the bass, guitar and keyboard work but left the drums to members of POISON THE WELL, CONVERGE and DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. 

the dude is basically the second coming of MIKE PATTON.  he can accomplish anything, especially vocally.

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE a special episode of DEER GOD RADIO  on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist dedicated to modern PUNK ROCK icons RANCID, especially the creative work of main songwriter TIM ARMSTRONG who throughout his career has shown a prowess for deftly integrating THE CLASH-style PUNK ROCK with DANCEHALL, SKA & HIP HOP elements into his seamless compositions.  dude is criminally underrated.
​
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW  and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

LIVE IN THE K! PIT has an ingenious conceit.  put an aggressive band on a small stage in the back of a LONDON pub cramped with hardcore fans and see what happens.

what happens is INTENSITY.  far more than your usual live performance series fare.  gotta thank KERRANG! magazine for conceiving nad implementing this concept because these videos are pretty killer, including the likes of TORCHE, BEARTOOTH, MASTODON (including guest vocalist SCOTTY KELLY of NEUROSIS), PARKWAY DRIVE, REFUSED, CANCER BATS and BARONESS among many others.  enjoy. 

years ago i found myself in RIO DE JANEIRO in a mall (i was searching for an ATM) and noticed that FUTBOL was not the most represented sport in terms of products and merchandise on display, oddly it was all FORMULA 1.  jackets and shirts with an iconic MARLBORO CIGARETTES color scheme and yellow performance racing helmets with blue and green stripes (the BRASILIAN flag colors).  all this for some guy named AYRTON SENNA i learned.

never heard of him.

the documentary SENNA (STUDIOCANAL, 2010) dives deep into the legend and lasting cultural impact of AYRTON SENNA on both the world of FORMULA 1 as well as his native country of BRASIL. 

back then the world of racing was very much a closed community dominated by EUROPEANS (including his FRENCH rival ALAIN PROST) with many unwritten but deeply ingrained "gentleman" rules of proper demeanor and accepted techniques and maneuvers on the racetrack.  there was also a system in place to prove your worth up the ranks.  SENNA basically destroyed all of this.

​first off he was a veteran of the KART RACING circuit, a "lesser" form of racing with smaller financial barriers of entry.  his move up the ranks and ability to fight his way into FORMULA 1 was a testament to his preternatural driving skills.  his time in KARTING also made him familiar with various aggressive, highly risky maneuvers that would prove controversial in FORMULA 1 as they were done at much increased velocities.  if there is one thing i know about BRASILIAN culture it is that it is not enough for the just to win, what they truly desire is to win beautifully.  such is the case in futbol and thanks to SENNA such was the case with these risky maneuvers.

to the BRASILIAN mindset, he was out there dancing on the circuit, moving like none before in an inimitable form of SAMBA.  and he was winning, having claimed the 1988, 1990 and 1991 FORMULA 1 titles before his death in 1994. 

Having driven for MCLAREN team for most of his career, he switched to WILLIAMS as they had a new onboard computer that could account for the tires in hard turns, apparently providing a competitive advantage.  this new technology was used by competitors and so SENNA was attempting to keep up with technology.  unfortunately they were not reliable and given his relative inexperience with the system before the season, he overcompensated a turn that resulted in a crash that ended his life.

i can attest personally that the now mythic figure of SENNA is point of personal pride for BRASILIANS, the very embodiment of a local self-made kid done good in a world dominated for centuries by EUROPEANS.  there is a definite COLONIALIST subtext to this pride, which is different than other heroes like PELE who participated in team sports.

my assumption is that SENNA did it alone.  he won big and he did it beautifully.

SENNA is an interesting, well-constructed documentary about a public sports figure little known stateside.  well worth checking out.

i am continually amazed by how little i know about the history of my country.  and i took and excelled in my AP US HISTORY class in high school.  ask me about the native population in the UNITED STATES and i am clueless.

thus i was particularly motivated to read S.C. GWYNNE's intense EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON: QUANAH PARKER AND THE RISE AND FALL OF THE COMANCHES, THE MOST POWERFUL INDIAN TRIBE IN AMERICAN HISTORY (SCRIBNER, 2011), which as its title suggests explores the trajectory of the COMANCHES, but also serves as a reminder of our own sordid involvement in the tragedy that was the wholesale destruction of the PLAIN INDIANS in the late 19th century.

i want to say at the beginning that the sheer scope of this book is quite an achievement.  the central narrative is that of a family, the PARKER CLAN, whose experiences over three generations serve brilliantly as a metaphor for the emerging friction and destructive convergence of two peoples, two cultures and two economies that would not and could not sustain itself.  one had to give.  by the time of their waining power in the 1870s, GWYNNE states that "the once glorious Comanches were really nothing more than a tiny population of overmatched and outgunned aboriginals who happened to occupy an absurdly large chunk of the nation's midsection."  previously they served as an indomitable force along the plains that reached north to NEBRASKA and down well into MEXICO, which basically bisected the UNITED STATES.  their presence stopped the onward advance of SPAIN, FRANCE, MEXICO, THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS and later the UNITED STATES to the extent that both tribes and regional governments sought to buffer their enemies into COMANCHERIA and face certain doom.  the COMANCHES were a decentralized, militaristic people who dominated and terrorized the region, INDIAN and EUROPEAN alike.

the brutality and sheer carnage that they brought on their enemies is beyond description.  the closest i've thing come across regarding the inventive means of torture of which they contrived and implemented was POL POT in CAMBODIA with his school-based facilities.  such was the norm along the plains against rival tribes and encroaching settlers alike.  the emerging pioneer populations effectively displaced the tribe, killing the buffalo herds they followed and effectively dismantled their society over time.

this book follows that trajectory, but the fact that they were such an impenetrable force of nature for nearly 200 years is incredible, or as GWYNNE puts it: "that they were able to do so in an era of steam engines, transcontinental railroads, nation-spanning telegraph lines, and armies capable of greater destruction than the world had ever witnessed, was inconceivable."

one of the greater gifts rendered in this book is a GWYNNE's ability to showcase both sides with empathy.  you really get a sense of how both sides initially misconstrued the threat of their adversary.  the figure of QUANAH PARKER, the last major COMANCHE war chief, whose mother CYNTHIA ANN PARKER was a captive of the aforementioned PARKER CLAN of influential TEXAS pioneers and later prominent statesman.  CYNTHIA ANN was captured at twelve and effectively was raised a COMANCHE.  when recaptured later in life she wanted desperately to go back to the plains.  she died socially isolated and heartbroken at the loss of her family.  her son was a brilliant and fearless war chief but ultimately was no match for a war machine headed by the brilliant RANALD S. MCKENZIE who adopted COMANCHE tactics in the field and had superior weapons and munitions as well as a never-ending supply train.

it was no match.

QUANAH ultimately died on his parcel of land in a reservation in OKLAHOMA, but made a go at living according to the ways of his captors.  that he was able to do so successfully, looking out for the interests of his people (even when they were ignorant of these centralized bureaucratic systems themselves) while retaining a certain dignity is heartening to consider.  you get the sense that in one lifetime he felt the full swing of history drop on his broad shoulders.  he never stood a chance, which is largely the story of so many of his native brethren across the continent.

'progress' is a word people tend to throw around quite a bit, even today.  it is utilized to justify past decisions and even manipulate future ambitions.  for me this book is a comprehensive look at the cost of said progress. 

i dont know the solution or right answer to this quandary.  for me, that is what makes this such a compelling story.  how much richer would our story be if these societies were still intact?  is that even impossible or was this genocide and land-grab an inevitability?

this is a great book that corrects historical fabrications taught over the past few generations in TEXAS and is worthy of investigation by anyone interested in AMERICAN HISTORY.

join us tonight at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where we explore the music performed by the legendary studio musicians known collectively as THE WRECKING CREW.  if you are unfamiliar with their work this will be a fun show because they were on seemingly everything back in the 1960s.
​
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW  and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

cover by nacrowe

click HERE for the latest episode of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as host TOM FERRIE presents a new impromptu playlist during this unscheduled episode.

remember that past episodes of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, MAKE HER SPACE, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

made up of members of MASTODON (TROY SANDERS), QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (TROY VAN LEEUWEN) and AT THE DRIVE-IN (TONY HAJJAR), GONE IS GONE is a surprisingly atmospheric ALTERNATIVE ROCK band that is more interested in mood and texture than the kinetic sonic mayhem their regular gigs are known for.  at times it even borders on a SHOEGAZE-level preoccupation with noise and shifting ethereal soundscapes.

as a listener and a fan, it is always compelling to see artists take a risk and broaden their aural palette.  GONE IS GONE is successful example of such.

well worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

watch HERE this recent streaming episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist dedicated to the BRITISH INVASION bands of the 1960s.  this brief moment laid the groundwork for popular music for the rest of the century and is still relevant in terms of song-craft, production and lyrical depth well into the new one.
​
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW  and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

here is a blast from the past.  ever since MP3s took over the music business back at the turn of the millennium, long before streaming was a thing or even the iphone for that matter, there was a resurgence of interest in VINYL RECORDS.  this was due to the warmth of that analog sound that just can't be replicated on a digital format.  call it psychosomatic but we all know its true.

roughly a decade ago the television channel FUSE (remember FUSE?!) had a series of small segments called CRATE DIGGERS in which they interview producers, artists and musicians like AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, PEANUT BUTTER WOLF, HANK WILLIAMS III, PETE ROCK, JELLO BIAFRA, LORD FINESSE, DJ MUGGS, SHEPARD FAIREY and DAN THE AUTOMATOR about their vinyl collections and how they went about amassing them.  its basically a love letter to the pursuit of new unexplored sounds.

definitely worth checking out.

anyone with a passing familiarity with nature documentaries in general is no doubt familiar with the spectacular cinematography and minute attention to detail that have come to signify the breathtaking work of natural historian and longtime presenter SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH going back decades.  these tv series are in essence a celebration of life.

the film DAVID ATTENOROUGH: A LIFE ON OUR PLANET (SILVERBACK FILMS, 2020) is a little different.  it is his witness statement, acknowledging the global degradation of the natural world by mankind during his lifetime.  it is an essence a warning to us all.

i found this to be a deeply moving film.  as a nonagenarian this likely to be one of his final statements and their is a retrospective quality to the first part of the film, which chronicles his career and travels relative to various markers regarding year, human population and global biodiversity.  he is rather explicit about the fact that the natural world he experienced, however "wild" it appeared, was already reeling from the effects of a changing environment due to a nascent and steadily developing climate crisis.  in terms of content this film is very much in line with ELIZABETH KOLBERT's THE SIXTH EXTINCTION (review linked HERE), which explains how mankind's behavior has affected global environmental systems and created various scenarios that has spurred a sixth mass extinction of a scale in terms of geological history.  that book concludes that this massive, widespread degradation of the natural world (through industrial deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, ocean acidification, etc) is our lasting impact as humans, but ATTENBOROUGH here provides a way out.

​that answer is familiar to any and everyone attuned to the problem.  adopting a plant-based diet frees up land and water from use by the beef industry.  investing in renewable energy sources like wind and solar farms will likewise limit our releasing of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  limiting fishing zones and putting a halt to deforestation would also allow the earth and its various systems to rebound and heal.  limiting reproduction to two children per household would also stabilize the world population and the resources needed to sustain such.

its a nice vision.  i just dont see it happening in a capitalist world order.  living sustainably at present is at odds with market incentives.  it shouldnt be, given that the world has finite resources, but it is.

for me the most powerful aspect of this film is the opening and closing, wherein we find ATTENBOROUGH in UKRAINE.  specifically CHERNOBYL, site of the famous 1986 accident at a nearby nuclear power plant.  during the opening it is used as a visual metaphor for our mistreatment of world, how our failings and mistakes resulted in unnecessary damage to the surrounding environment to the point that it had to be abandoned.  it could no longer support humans.  in a very clever reversal, the film closes with CHERNOBYL being used as a metaphor for the resiliency and permanence of nature.  luscious visuals show how nature has reclaimed the former city.  rare animals can be found there now.  it visually displays how nature will find a way in spite of our collective actions and inactions. 

and that is his answer to those that question whether change is even possible.  change is our only option.  if we don't we will soon be shuttled down a corridor "of one way doors" leading to our destruction.  in the end it is not the earth's sustainability that should concern us.  it is our own.  we are not "saving the planet,"  we are in fact saving ourselves.  as ATTENBOROUGH put it, we need to cease being "apart from nature and become a part of nature."

deeply moving film.  should be shown in schools and seen by everyone.

its interesting to consider that all FORTUNE 500 companies began once as a startup.  even a monolithic, globally dominant, seemingly omnipresent, iconic brand such as NIKE.  as of 2020 the company is conservatively estimated to be worth $32 BILLION, but at one point  it germinated as a "crazy idea" by STANFORD BUSINESS grad and former UNIVERSITY OF OREGON letterman long-distance runner PHIL KNIGHT.  SHOE DOG (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2016) is his memoir and explains the uneven trajectory of NIKE from its inception to its public IPO in 1980.

at STANFORD a young KNIGHT developed a business plan for a self-described crazy idea of his that saw an opening for JAPAN to dominate the global footwear industry much as it had done with consumer electronics.  this was due to heavy government subsidies that gave them an unmatched advantage in the global marketplace.  KNIGHT thought that if he could become a stateside distributor for a major JAPANESE player than he could take on ADIDAS' dominance as the premier shoemaker.   on a lark he went to JAPAN, having never traveled abroad and convinced ONITSUKA to let his "company" BLUE RIBBON SPORTS serve as a distributor.  the name was made up on the spot during his meeting with them in KOBE.

long story short, KNIGHT and his assembled team of misfits did very well selling them stateside and built up their market over more than half a decade.  this despite maxing out creditors and leveraging everything over and over again to promote growth.  it was a slow rise with potentially deficits around the corner always set to sink the fledgling company. 

at some point they had a suspicion and later learned that they were about to be cut out and replaced as ONITSUKA's distributor.  the NIKE line of football cleats they initially made were meant as a hedging bet against losing ONITSUKA.  the name NIKE, the SWOOSH and other legendary corporate iconography where made on the fly out of necessity in short order with no time to rethink such.  that alone is quite stunning given how much image and the promotion of such thereof is synonymous with the brand.  KNIGHT throughout the book consistently complains about advertising and doesnt see a need for it.  again, just a staggeringly insightful comment given their famous brand identity and long-established mass market appeal promoted by one of the most successful advertising campaigns of all time (its a real pity he doesnt get into how "JUST DO IT" came about, was looking forward to learning about that).

after lawsuits with various entities NIKE goes public and the next corporate phase begins.  it is during that phase we have all the well known athlete tie-ins (MICHAEL JORDAN, TIGER WOODS, SERENA WILLIAMS, CRISTIANO RONALDO, KOBE BRYANT, MIA HAMM, ANDRE AGASSI, LEBRON JAMES, NEYMAR, SIMONE BILES, CARL LEWIS, KEVIN DURANT, JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE, etc.) with the exception of running legend STEVE PREFONTAINE who was very much a part of the initial and identity of of the nascent company in its early development.

what i took from this memoir is the amount of continual sacrifice it takes to establish a viable company in a competitive field from scratch.  learning about the early history of NIKE almost felt like the reading of a gambling addict, someone who routinely bet the house and survived.  the perseverance and focus of KNIGHT is quite remarkable.  i also learned that a brand identity can be far removed from the company itself, as few people in the early staff were able to run.  in fact the major players, aside from KNIGHT, included the morbidly obese, chain smokers and even a paraplegic.  what they shared was a vision and a faith in their leadership, a faith in KNIGHT that at times he did not share himself but willed himself through.

obviously there is the issue of outsourcing production to ASIA, specifically JAPAN then TAIWAN and later CHINA, which has dogged their corporate image over the years.  KNIGHT does address such but through the lens of how the company has raised factory conditions from their previous levels of cleanliness and overall sanitariness.  its a hard sell that i wasnt totally convinced of, partly having myself been to places like CAMBODIA where AMERICA companies employ textile factories that have subhuman working conditions.  that argument falls on jaded ears im sorry to say.

my thought is that such is the limit of MARKET CAPITALISM, which beholds itself to the stockholder and the god of profit, not our better angels.  despite how well intentioned his pronouncements of his familiarity with the precepts of BUDDHISM are throughout this memoir, it is as if he forget the basic tenet of RIGHT OCCUPATION.  the idea being that it is a moral imperative to conduct work that does not cause others to suffer.  just saying.

like i said before, this book is not the story of MICHAEL JORDAN or other famous endorsees of NIKE, it is about the early struggle of the company to survive.  arguably that is a more interesting phase in the trajectory of its life as a firm.  KNIGHT Is a gifted writer with many well-constructed running analogies for business concepts that i will remember and carry forward.  if learning about what makes a company work and prosper and survive financial, political and competitive obstacles to flourish than this is a great book to consider.  if you are interested in the history and evolution of footwear specifically, than this is probably not the book for you.  the fact that they are selling shoes is largely inconsequential in the narrative presented outside of KNIGHT's appreciation for RUNNING and the similarities regarding the task-obsessed mentality of both an athlete and a business owner.

i thought it was a compelling story and look forward to seeing the film as it was recently optioned with participation from KNIGHT himself.  should be an interesting biopic.

cover by nacrowe

watch the latest streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as MAGIE and JEN present a CALM & SOOTHING playlist to help relax us from this politically tumultuous and emotionally draining era we are all currently slogging through.

​past episodes of MAKE HER SPACE as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

​and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

covers by nacrowe

click HERE for the latest episode of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where Reed and Vince present a new eclectic playlist of electronic music!

as always, you can access all past episodes of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW via the DEER GOD website as well as those of MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, DEER GOD RADIO and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG.

​and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

i became aware of the ENGLISH electronic INDIE ROCK outfit IS TROPICAL years ago when their insane "THE GREEKS" video came out, which  still holds up with its make-believe violence and cartoon gore.  reminds me of being a kid again. 

their music definitely splits the difference between INDIE ROCK-inspired DANCE music that induces a carefree sense of general abandonment.  definitely worth checking out.

i was suggested this book by a history teacher in high school.  it was the end of my sophomore year at a NEW ENGLAND boarding school and i had made the decision to join my parents the next year in KUWAIT.  i had previously attended middle school in NIGERIA and had some familiarity with PAN-AFRICAN politics but none of that prepared me for THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X: AS TOLD TO ALEX HALEY (GROVE PRESS, 1965).

this was a book that pulled no punches and described an upbringing spent in the midwest under the thumb of segregation and overt racism. MALCOLM X, so self-monikered later in life from his birth-name MALCOLM LITTLE as a means of denying the name imposed on his family by a past slave master, was a man constantly in search of an identity which mirrored that of his following and really, AMERICA writ large.  this book describes a leader and intellectual with a singular gift for oration and a sense of well-placed fiery righteous indignation.  he is an interesting counterpoint to MARTIN LUTHER KING JR in his pre-HAJJ period in that he called for revolution. with a more than a hint of MARCUS GARVEY, he called for using all available instruments of persuasion and even coercion, a fight fire with fire  strategy to ensure political rights.  to some he is a patriot and others an insurrectionist.  i side with the former.

again, for me the context of reading this book was my move to a MUSLIM country for the first time.  whats interesting about MALCOLM X is that he belonged to the NATION OF ISLAM, an ISLAMIC-adjacent religious community that followed the controversial teachings of ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.  given his background it makes sense that MALCOLM X would find a home within a community that promoted BLACK NATIONALISM and the political, economic and cultural empowerment of such therein.  now the NATION OF ISLAM is well outside of the mainstream of modern ISLAM, and this book gets into that friction which to me was the most interesting aspect of his life's trajectory.  

when i arrived in KUWAIT in the late summer of 2000, it was around the same time i got to the part of the book when MALCOLM X goes on his HAJJ to MECCA.  for those that are not familiar, a pilgrimage to the holy city of MECCA in SAUDI ARABIA and bearing witness to the KAABA, or "The House of God," is mandatory religious duty of all MUSLIMS that have means and are physically able to do so at least once in a lifetime.  for MALCOLM X this journey was a revelation.  his religious and political belief system was very much intertwined with perceptions rooted in internal AMERICAN politics, attitudes and deep-seated beliefs regarding RACE.  on pilgrimage he was stunned to see MUSLIMS of all ethnicities joining together as one religious community.  like i said, this was a revelation and changed the tone of his politics until his death.  it also marked his second conversion, this time to SUNNI ISLAM.  with that conversion came a more muted political outlook that sought nonviolent means of persuasion in the pursuit of personal and political freedoms which found him more in line with the teachings of KING.  this was his evolution.

for me this book was an introduction to the politics with ISLAM, something that provide a point of empathy in the post 9-11 period as well as my later time spent in MUSLIM-majority communities in ALBANIA and KOSOVO as a PEACE CORPS volunteer.  this book gave me some sense of how religion cane be a deeply unifying and positive force fo connecting with others, even those that wish you harm.  religion cane be a base of empathy.  my time visiting SARAJEVO (BOSNIA) as well as KUKES (ALBANIA), PRIZREN and GJAKOVA (KOSOVO) taught me that in spades.  this book only becomes more prescient and relevant as AMERICA continues to navigate and negotiate a tension within ourselves and our body politic to come to terms with our RACIST and SEGREGATIONIST past.  to me MALCOLM X is a manifestation of that tension and his evolution serves as a reminder of what we can accomplish with a collective sense of moral strength and personal courage to evolve together.

i recommend this book to anyone interested in history that is complicated, counter-intuitive, entangled, passionately debated and highly instructive.  could not recommend it any more strongly.

with the impending second bankruptcy of GUITAR CENTER likely to be finalized at the close of this month, it seemed as good a time as ever to look back at the live performance series GUITAR CENTER SESSIONS that they co-produced with DIRECT TV that took advantage of their iconic flagship HOLLYWOOD location.

it feels like the end of an era with their impending doom, but sadly they never took advantage of the internet and basically ceded that ground to competitors like SWEETWATER.  it is mind-bogging that COVID knocked them out give that this lockdown period we've been living through has sold more guitars and instruments then any other period in history.  just think about that.

oh well, at least we have these performances until they inevitably get taken down.