Horatio's World

   This morning it was brought to my attention that the 5POINTZ may be demolished in the near future. Upon finding out the news I felt this sudden urge to express my feelings towards a potentially tragic ending to a place that signifies so much more than people seem to realize. I myself am not an artist but can appreciate art of any kind in any form and looking at the 5POINTZ it saddens me to see that Jerry Wolkoff no longer see’s the value this center of expression has. Wolkoff will build a shopping center as well as high rises in place of the 5POINTZ.

    I think that it is sometimes forgotten what the 5POINTZ truly means for a generation that created this art form that is found at the location. I also think that people do not see the meaning it has for this generation and the generations to come. Like any art gallery or museum the 5POINTZ is a place of expression where one can go to speak their mind how they feel fit. The 5POINTZ speaks to a culture and population of people that are not bonded together by color or race but instead bonded by a culture that has been brought together by freedom of speech in the realest way possible. Hip Hop is the culture I speak of, whether it is an Uprock, 16 bars, graffiti or a DJ on the turn tables we have all been brought up to see it for what it is. TRUE EXPRESSION!

     A place like the 5POINTZ is such a staple in our city because it is a place where one can still show expression in an art form that has been forbidden in its truest form. So what do you tell those who still have a passion for this freedom of speech and expression? How do you take away that center of escape from them?

     The biggest question that i have is, When do people of this Hip Hop culture begin to feel that they will finally have a real save haven where there wont eventually be someone looking down trying to invoke their negativity into this Culture?

    The 5 POINTZ is not the only place where people can express themselves in some form when it comes to this culture but it is the last place that a spray can can be put onto a wall with freedom. Once you take that freedom away how do you expect people to react?

  Saving the 5POINTZ from being replaced by a Million dollar condo may not be important to Jerry Wolkoff and keeping it may not give him the profit he wants but destroying it will be a betrayal. Wolkoff has the power to see the right thing done and I pray that he can see the true value that the 5POINTZ has in the city for a culture that can still to this day be unheard and unappreciated.

SAVE THE 5POINTZ……SIGN THE PETITION!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support5pointz/

A SEASON RECAP PART I:

THIS SEASON WAS ONE OF THOSE MEMORABLE SEASONS THAT WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBER FOR MORE THAN ONE REASON, OF COURSE THEIR WILL BE THAT EVER LASTING LINK OF LEBRON JAMES DECISION THAT WILL ALWAYS START OF THE “REMEMBER 2010-11 SEASON. BUT AS THE CONVERSATION GOES FORWARD SO MUCH MORE WILL STAND OUT THAT MADE THIS SEASON SO MEMORABLE AND SO AMAZING. THIS IS PART I OF MY RECAP AND ONLY A SMALL PIECE OF WHY I THINK THIS SEASON WAS ONE OF THE BEST IN MY GENERATION.

A HOT SITUATION:

THE FREE AGENT CLASS HEADED BY LEBRON JAMES WAS THE BIGGEST STORY LINE ENDING LAST SEASON AND COMING INTO THIS SEASON. NOW OF COURSE THE FIRST BIG FREE AGENT SIGNING WAS WHEN THE KNICKS INKED AMARE STOUDEMIRE TO MAX CONTRACT, BUT THAT CAME SECOND TO THE DECISION……

AFTER LEBRON’S BROADCAST OF THE DECISION YOU COULD HEAR, FROM CITIES ALL AROUND THE WORLD, THE HEART OF CLEVELAND BREAK. WITHIN MINUTES YOU WOULD SEE THEIR ANGER EMERGE IN A FURIOUS MANNER AS THEY TOOK THEIR LIGHTER’S TO LEBRON JAMES JERSEY’S ALL ACROSS THE CITY. IN OTHER CITIES YOU WOULD SEE LESS DRAMATIC REACTIONS, BUT DISAPPOINTMENT WAS SPREADING AS QUICK AS THOSE FLAMES ENGULFED LEBRON’S NUMBER 23 JERSEY THAT WAS CHERISHED SO DEARLY THE DAY BEFORE.

THE DISDAIN FOR LEBRON JAMES CONTINUED AFTER AN EXTRAVAGANT BUT UNNECESSARY INTRODUCTION OF HIM AND HIS TWO NEW TEAMMATES IN MIAMI. ONE THAT SHOWED THE WORLD THAT HIS BIGGEST MISTAKE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE DECISION BUT THE BLATANT DISREGARD FOR A HUMBLE APPROACH OF HIS NEW SITUATION. BUT THIS TIME THE FACE OF LEBRON JAMES WAS NOT ALONE, NO BECAUSE CHRIS BOSH AND DWYANE WADE WERE THEIR AS WELL TO RECEIVE THIS ROCK STAR LIKE INTRODUCTION OF EPIC PROPORTION. THIS MADE THE MIAMI HEAT PUBLIC ENEMY #1 AND HAD FANS READY TO BOO AT THE VERY SIGHT OF THEM.

A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND:

NOW AS I SAID BEFORE LEBRON JAMES WAS NOT THE FIRST FREE AGENT SIGNING, HE CERTAINLY WAS THE MOST ANTICIPATED BUT SOMEWHERE UP IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS THEIR WAS A 6’10 POWER FORWARD THAT WAS GETTING READY TO ROCK A CITY THAT WAS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A STAR. AMARE STOUDEMIRE WAS THE FIRST FREE AGENT TO INK HIS MAX DEAL AND BECOME THE FACE OF A NEW FRANCHISE. THEIR WAS DOUBT IN HIS ABILITY TO CARRY A TEAM BECAUSE WHILE IN PHOENIX HE WAS PAIRED WITH STEVE NASH AND WELL PLAYERS HAVE A HISTORY OF DROPPING OFF WHEN THEY LEAVE THAT GUYS SIDE. APPARENTLY HE IS ONE OF THE BEST POINT GUARDS EVER, WHO KNEW?!

BUT AMARE CAME TO NYC AND MADE A MAJOR IMPACT AND NOW THE KNICKS WERE RELEVANT AND FUN. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT FANS WERE NOT USED TO AND IT TOOK US 11 YEARS TO FINALLY SEE A TEAM WITH A REAL FUTURE. BUT OF COURSE THIS IS NYC SO THEIR IS ALWAYS MORE TO COME……

BIG GREEN MONSTER:

ANOTHER STORY THAT I HAPPENED TO LOVE WAS THE ARRIVAL OF SHAQ IN BEANTOWN. SHAQ IS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME AND SEEING HIM COME TOGETHER WITH SOME OTHER GREAT VETS WAS JUST GOOD TO SEE. HIS ADVENTURE IN HARVARD SQUARE WHERE HE POSED A STATUE JUST SHOWED THE GOOD TIME THIS BIG GUY CAN BE. BUT THE POINT OF HIM GOING TO BEANTOWN WAS TO WIN ONE MORE RING. WITH THESE TOUGH MINDED  VETS WHO WERE READY TO TAKE THE GOLDEN BALL HOME AT SEASONS END AFTER SUFFERING A HEART WRENCHING DEFEAT TO THE LAKERS IN THE FINALS THE SEASON BEFORE.

THE HOUSE JORDAN BUILT:

CHI-TOWN!

MICHAEL JORDAN IS A GOD IN THIS PLACE AND AFTER YEARS OF STRUGGLES AFTER HIS RETIREMENT CHICAGO WAS READY FOR THEIR YOUNG POINT GUARD DERRICK ROSE TO PUSH THEM BACK INTO GREATNESS. MUCH LIKE THE KNICKS THE BULLS HAVE HAD A TIME OF REAL STRUGGLE, BUT THE LAST TWO SEASONS AFTER DRAFTING ROSE THE BULLS SO PROMISE. THESE BULL JUST FINISHED SIGNING CARLOS BOOZER AND WITH NOAH AND DENG ALREADY THEIR THIS FRANCHISE WAS READY TO GIVE THE KEYS TO ROSE HOPING HE CAN GUIDE THEM TO GREATNESS AGAIN………..

TIP OFF!!!!:

AFTER AN OFF SEASON OF PLAYERS MOVING TO STAYING THE SEASON WAS READY TO BEGIN AND THEIR WAS NO LONGER ANXIETY JUST BASKETBALL AND BOY WERE WE IN FOR A RIDE!!!

RIVALS?:

NOW THE CELTICS CAME INTO THIS SEASON WITH ONE BIG CONCERN, AGE! THIS WAS A LEGIT THING TO WORRY ABOUT CONSIDERING THE MILEAGE THAT SOME OF THESE GUYS HAD ALREADY AND THEN ADDING SHAQ MADE THEM EVEN OLDER. BUT WHAT THESE GUYS DID HAVE WAS HIGH BASKETBALL IQ’S TOUGHNESS AND A YOUNG POINT GUARD WHO WAS HUNGRIER THAN EVER.

FURTHER SOUTH…..A LOOOT FURTHER SOUTH IN MIAMI WERE THE NEW BIG 3 WHO WERE READY TO TAKE THE REIGNS OF THE EAST AND DESTROY THE COMPETITION STARTING WITH THE CELTICS AS THEY WERE THEIR OPENING NIGHT OPPONENTS……..

THE RIVALRY HAD COMMENCED AND THE CELTICS ROUTED THE HEAT IN BOSTON GREEN FASHION 88-80…..THIS SET THE TONE FOR A SEASON TO REMEMBER!!!!

PART II COMING SOON!!!!!

A LONG ROAD TRAVELED……

DIRK DIGLER PROVED ME AND THE WORLD WRONG.I ALWAYS THOUGHT HE WOULD BE ONE OF THE GREATEST TO NEVER WIN A RING AND BOY DID HE SAY FUCK YOU TO EVERYONE.HE SLOWLY BECAME ON OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS, WHICH WAS WEIRD BECAUSE I THOUGH HE WAS SOFT AND INCAPABLE OF BEING A CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER GUY.BUT ONCE STEVE NASH BOUNCED TO THE VALLEY OF THE SUN DIRK BECAME A BEAST AND EARNED MY RESPECT AND COUNTLESS OF OTHERS….MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT FOR THE BIG GERMAN

CONGRATS DIRK DIGGLER

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT!

I STILL REMEMBER THE DAY JULY 9TH, 2010…….OH BOY!

LEBRON JAMES, DWAYNE WADE & CHRIS BOSH ALL CERTIFIED THEIR PUBLIC ENEMY #1 STATUS WHEN THEY CAME OUT IN AN ABSURD FASHION FOR THEIR MIAMI HEAT INTRODUCTION.

THIS RIGHT HERE WAS THE SADDEST THING I HAD SEEN IN SPORTS SINCE A-RODS CONTRACT FIASCO IN 2000, BUT LETS NOT GET INTO THAT….

IT WAS A SHOW OF ARROGANCE THAT TOLD THE WORLD THAT THEY WOULD BE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. AND WHILE MIAMI STILL WON 58 GAMES THIS SEASON AND WERE CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE FAVORITES TO WIN IT ALL COME THE POST SEASON THEY SLOWLY TRICKLED DOWN TO THEIR BELOW AVERAGE SELVES AND WITHERED AWAY IN THE CLOSING MINUTES OF GAME 6.

BUT BEGINNING THE 10’-11’ SEASON AND SEEING HOW THEY CELEBRATED THEIR UNION AS THE BIG 3 YOU WOULD HAVE IMAGINED THAT LAST NIGHT CHRIS BOSH WOULD BE IN TEARS AND NEARLY FALLING TO HIS KNEES BECAUSE THEY WON THE GOLDEN BALL NOT BECAUSE THEY FAILED TO LIVE UP TO THEIR OWN HYPE.

I UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES FEEL SORROW FOR THEM BECAUSE THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE SCRUTINY THAT WAS GIVEN TO THEM WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY BROUGHT ON THEMSELVES. FORGET THE DECISION AND FOCUS JULY 9TH AND THE STORY LINES AFTER THAT DAY. CHRIS BOSH COMPLAINING ABOUT THEM WORKING TO HARD AND NEEDING TIME TO “Just chill”, OR DWAYNE WADE COMMENTS ABOUT HOW “the world is a better place” BECAUSE THE MIAMI HEAT LOST A GAME…….UHHHHH YEAH THEY ASKED FOR THIS BY COMPLAINING AND WHINING AND ACTING LIKE VICTIMS OF SOME SORT OF UNJUST CRUCIFIXION. YEAH THEY WERE TORN APART IN THE MEDIA AND YEAH THE FANS BOOED THEM @ BARS AND GAMES BUT WHEN DID THEY REALIZE THAT COMING TOGETHER WASNT THEIR PROBLEM, TAKING THE MONEY WASNT THE PROBLEM BUT ACTING AS IF YOU WERE A CHAMPION BEFORE YOU WERE A CHAMPION WAS WERE YOU STARTED TO WRONG THE SHIP THAT HAD NOT EVEN SAILED YET.

THE MIAMI HEAT WILL WIN AT LEAST ONE RING, AT LEAST THATS MY BELIEF BUT WILL THEY EVER EARN THE RESPECT THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED BEFORE THEIR UNION IN MIAMI?….

OR WILL THEY GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE LEAST FAVORITE TEAMS OF ALL TIME?

MAYBE WE WILL ONE DAY SIT BACK LIKE WE DID FOR DIRK,KIDD,TERRY & MARION LOOK AT THESE GUYS AND SAY I HOPE THEY WIN A RING BEFORE THEY RETIRE.

ONLY TIME WILL TELL………