One of the most damaging drugs of our age has to be crystal meth (aka Tina, Crank, Speed, Ice, etc.) - which doesn't discriminate when it comes to those who get caught up and spun into its dangerously addictive web - attracting, and in turn addicting, members of every age, gender, race, economic background, and sexual orientation it can - if given half the chance. However of all the groups that fall prey to the drug, it seems that the urban gay communities are the most resourceful in their fight against meth or at least in disseminating useful information about the drug's dangers. But others are active too including the infamous, sobering Multnomah County Oregon State campaign that shows the before-and-after pictures of meth abusers. - the visually powerful project that began when a deputy in the Corrections Division Classification Unit put together mug shots of persons booked into Oregon's Multnomah County Detention Center - not pretty. Although not one of these meth offenders booked into the North West detention center, Mark E. Smith
of the Fall (right), who is an admitted longtime speed freak (inspiration for the Fall's classic "Totally Wired" came from somewhere), could easily qualify as a part of this shocking-but-effective anti-drug campaign. One of meth's side-effects is the awful damage it does to teeth.
The Los Angeles bus-stop poster (above) photographed directly outside Amoeba Music Hollywood about a month ago was sponsored by West Hollywood's weholife.org which is funded by the City of West Hollywood. According to this organization and other US health groups, longterm and widespread methamphetamine abuse can lead to devastating medical, psychological, and social consequences. Its abuse can include such adverse health effects as memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior, heart damage, malnutrition, and severe dental problems in addition to, according to one health care organization, "contribute to increased transmission of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, and can infuse whole communities with new waves of crime, unemployment, child neglect or abuse, and other social ills."
In contrast to so many rappers today who pride themselves on 'going dumb' and acting 'ignant' Brooklyn emcee 
catchy hook for the radio and dancefloor. It is no coincidence that "Kweli" in Swahili means "true" since the artist is 100% true to hip-hop as a positive black artform meant to uplift rather than dumb-down the masses.
current and vital. Personally I think he is one of the few contemporary artists making hip-hop that is worth a damn and when I first got his 2006 single "Listen" (off his new album Ear Drum) it just got stuck both in my head and on my turntable for weeks on end. It is the way hip-hop should be: good track and hook with lyrics that actually say something. Check out the video for Listen below. But later today
(Monday August 20th) if you are in the Los Angeles area you can probably see/hear him perform it live if you check out his 
mezzanine area of the cavernous Sunset Blvd building that stretches one full block. She's been at Amoeba for almost three years now and was recruited by fellow Amoebite Chris Carmena. She works on the registers twice a week and three days in the DVD department's movies, which is her passion, she says. In total twenty Amoebites (a lot!) work in the extensive Hollywood Amoeba Music DVD section where there is a truly amazing selection of DVDs - in every genre you can think of, found in both new and used, and at damned good prices.
AMOEBLOG: What are three of the most popular DVDs with Amoeba shoppers in the last week or so?
I can't believe this happened. I still have goosebumps. Patti Smith, live at Amoeba.
