In working on my Scribble Jam cover story (OK, shameless plug, but pick it up next Wednesday!), I got to thinking about just how much hip-hop has changed since I was a kid. I went to the "Original Superstars of Hip-hop" concert at Annie's in the East End last week and while there were plenty of eye-opening things to see - especially in regards to some of the outfits in the crowd - the thing I'll remember is just how nice it felt to watch four veteran artists do their thing.

But alas, while we all get older, not all of us get wiser. And that can only mean one thing: It's time for another dosage of Thoughts for the Thoughtful.

DIRTY BIRD. There's a lot of talk about Baltimore Orioles player/debatable future Hall of Famer Rafael Palmeiro right now thanks to the suspension he received following baseball's second-most recent steroids incident (Seattle Mariners pitcher Ryan Franklin was also suspended for 10 days the next day). And you know what? He deserves all the criticism he gets until it is proven he didn't take the steroid purposefully. I'm no doctor, but if he took the Hummer of steroids, wouldn't you be lead to think he knew what he was doing.

Think about it: If I worked in a restaurant and came out to your table with a purple hamburger with a blue bun and said, "Hey, eat this" and you couldn't find it mentioned on a menu anywhere and I was the only one offering to you, wouldn't you be at least the little bit suspicious? I know people who throw away the free product samples that come in the mail! C'mon Raffy - you and the porn star 'stache both need to come clean. I wonder how the Viagra company feels about having had you as a spokesman now??? Then again, you can always hang out with Pete Rose and do chili commercials I guess ...

STILL NO. 1. Speaking of sneaker deals, Reebok recently announced this major blockbuster deal with Adidas that will clearly make it the No. 2 shoe company in America if not the world. And that's where they're going to stay because of three little words: Jordan and LeBron.

Nike's marketing savvy (minus the Kobe Byrant decision) to lock Michael Jordan and LeBron James up (not to mention Carmelo Anthony, Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter among others) will keep them at number one for years to come because people simply love those two athletes like none other. (Can you readily name a Reebok spokesman off the top of your head? Didn't think so.)

I have a friend who has two obsessions in life: Jay-Z and Jordan brand shoes ... and he didn't even buy a pair of S.Carter shoes after Reebok signed his hip-hop hero to a shoe deal. Until you can change the mentality of people who obsess about having the latest Jordans (ooh, look - they come in camouflage!) and LeBrons, you have no shot at becoming number one.

ANOTHER REASON TO TRUST CiN! You know what, I've written a lot of movie reviews, some of which some of you have told me you didn't necessarily agree with. (Feel free to keep that e-mail coming, both positive and negative, as any feedback is better than none.) But no matter how you end up feeling about my points of view, I will make you one promise right now: You will never, ever have to worry about someone trying to buy me off to produce a scandal like this one. I saw Hollow Man when it came in theaters and which I could blame it on Sony, but I did it of my own free will. Oh well, I can probably still sue 'em anyway. (This is America, after all!)

DARKNESS FALLS. Rick James is dead - and according to this report, so is Chappelle's Show. On a positive note, Dave's new stand-up comedy DVD For What It's Worth comes out Aug. 16th and the show gave us one thing the world truly needed: An inside look into the insane and hilarious look into the life of Eddie Murphy's big brother Charlie, a new star on the verge. Darkness is spreading!

20/20 VISION? Here's something I'll bet some of you will find shocking: I like Kathy Griffin. Self-deprecating humor has always been a big hit with me, and no one does that - or ragging on celebrities - better than the loud redhead from Suddenly Susan. But here's something not so funny straight from Kathy herself. Looks like I'll be keeping my glasses on at least a little while longer.

TRAINING DAY. I'm trying to work out to be in better shape. But I've quickly come to realize a few things in the process: [1] If someone opened up a fast-food restaurant with baked or broiled food, they'd be rich. [2] If you want to be healthy in America, it's going to cost and hurt a lot and [3] thank the good Lord in heaven I'm not a pro football athlete. These workouts are just as billed - insane.

THE ICEMAN MELTETH. Finally, what would be a summer without a Vanilla Ice reference? Not as funny as this, that's what! Catch him at the Great Inland Seafood festival in Newport next week, but pick this up with extreme caution!