As Banks Retreat, Lawmakers Press Attack - WSJ.com

As Banks Retreat, Lawmakers Press Attack - WSJ.com

2008, The Year of the Original Gangster (OG) Part 1

This post shall be my attempt to make mockery and sense of the new type of Gangster that was ushered in during 2008.

Hip hop, youth culture, and to some extent old school culture elevates the status of the "Gangster." Every subculture defines "Gangster" differently. Please reference the table below for various uses and meanings of the term Gangster.

The use of the term gangster usually invokes fear, excitement, or reverence. However comfortable or uncomfortable we are as a society with the definition or use of the word Gangster, 2008 has been a record year for the "Gangster." The Gangster of 2008, has helped to redefine the term "Gangster" by taking unprecedented actions that only a true Original Gangster (O.G.) can do. The actions of the 2008 Gangster have shaped our lives so much that when Time Magazine recognizes its "Man of the Year," they should do a segment honoring "Gangster of the Year."

Please allow me to explain by first giving you the list of Original Gangsters for 2008 and allow me to briefly explain why each is in the elite class of "Gangsterism" and the ties that bind. The explanations will come in part 2 of this series.


Original Gangsters of 2008 (not in order)

1. Sara Palin & John McCain
2. Barack Obama
3. Hank Paulson
4. Jon Paulson
   
5. AIG
6. The guy that threw a pair of shoes at President Bush
7. Bernard Madoff, $50 Billion Ponzi Scheme
   
8. O.J. Simpson
9. Mumbai Terrorists
10. Foreign Oil producers
    
11. Jeremiah Wright
12. Dick Fuld, Chairman of Lehman Brothers
    
13. CEOs of the Big 3 Auto Manufacturers
14. The "Repo Man"
15. Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich

Subculture	Various Meanings & Uses of "Gangster"
Football	Gangster could mean a hard hitting tackle, interception, or a kick off return by Reggie Bush
Finance	Gangster could mean a hostile corporate takeover or a hard nosed boss that would take money from a three year old.
In the Hood	Gangster could mean a drive by shooting or bank robbery.
Old School	Gangster could mean doing business like Al Capone or infamous crime bosses.
Hip Hop	Gangster could mean a narrative that "fantasizes" about the life of crime for entertainment purposes. It could also refer to the size of a great record deal that an artist scored. Gangster could describe the characteristics of an expensive car.
Youth Culture	Gangster could mean a term of endearment or an adjective to describe something "Gangster."

Halloween Party in Charlotte, NC

Above are our pictures from Halloween. I know that I am about 2 months late on posting these bad boys, but better late than never.

We (my brother & I) went to Charlotte, NC for a family Halloween Party at my cousin's house. We had a great time.

Enjoy,

Ronald Funderburk

Sorry

This blog is for my family, friends, blog readers, and to the entire blogger nation.

I have not blogged in a long time, and I feel like I let each of you down. I have missed out on writing about some juicy events during my period away.

I think that I have not written in a long time because certain aspects of my life have gone awry. I am not necessarily living up to my expectations or the expectations that other people have set for me. Life is tough when you begin trying to live out life according to the expectations of other people.

I want to go further, but it isn't needed. I think that you get the point. Life is great and I should celebrate life as it comes and not filter certain aspects of life just because it falls short of someone else's expectations.

Love, Peace, & Happiness


Ronald Funderburk

testing

testing

My First NFL Game --Panthers Stadium

Now that the Panthers are dominating the NFL, I am pretty hype that I was able to catch them in action this past year. The Panther dominated every home game and gave Panther fans quality entertainment, week in and week out.

The week that I attended the game was no exception. I believe that the Panthers blew Kansas City out by 40+ points and shut out the Chiefs offense.

At first I thought that it was a pretty poor performance by Kansas City and a decent performance by the Panthers. In retrospect, after watching the season develop, I didn't give Carolina enough respect after its win against Kansas City.