What the internet will look like if the US Government has its way
I don’t listen to or watch the mainstream news. And for good reason – it’s always negative. Bad news sells and it keeps people stupid and in submission. When the internet became widely available to the masses in the mid-90s, it was an oasis of free flowing ideas. Information that used to take ages to discover could now be accessed at one’s fingertips. Of course, not all of the information is “good.” Recipes for how to become a terrorist, illegal software, music files and pornography are all over the internet. The model changed and rather than embrace this new technology, companies refused to change and then had the nerve to blame technology for their failure.
The best example of this is the music industry. When file sharing was introduced, the old guard in the music business had so many chances to “get in bed” with this new technology and instead continued on as normal. A precedent was unofficially set that “digital music is free and if you want the physical product, you will still have to pay for it.” Way after the fact, the music business decided to start charging for these digital files, but by then, downloading digital music for free via non-traditional routes (i.e programs like Napster and blogs) had spread like an uncontrollable form of cancer. The music business cried foul INSTEAD of admitting they made a huge mistake.
The government has gone after many of the copyright infringers and many organizations have been taken down in the process. In the same way that you cannot arrest an entire city because it is home to several criminals, you cannot regulate the internet because some people do illegal things on it. Enter the US government. (If you have theme music for the song “Team America, FUCK YEAH!” – which you’ve possibly downloaded illegally – play it now). A new bill has been introduced called the “Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)”and if this bill passes, copyright holders would be able to complain to law enforcement officials to get websites shut down. Sites could be punished for linking to other sites that host pirated content and internet companies could be held liable for users’ actions.
The website Boing Boing has explained it in the most simplest terms: “Making one link would require checking millions (even tens of millions) of pages, just to be sure that we weren’t in some way impinging on the ability of five Hollywood studios, four multinational record labels, and six global publishers to maximize their profits.” If this bill passes, independent sites like According2g.com are not going to survive. I’ll be god-damned if I am going to spend my valuable free time to give something free publicity and then try my hardest to provide additional information for my readers, but if by some chance, the website I’ve advised my readers to check out just so happens to have illegal content on their site (such as the link to Boing Boing which I’ve harmlessly provided you), I’ll be sued or shut down! NO FUCKING WAY!
The world needs to get off their collective asses RIGHT NOW and DEMAND that our government not waste our time, money and resources on UTTER BULLSHIT such as these unnecessary laws! It’s extremely easy to see that if the masses (aka 99% of the world) instantly stopped condoning this behavior (that 1% of the world is doing) by voting, paying taxes, etc., there would be instant change IMMEDIATELY! Why wait around for some schmuck to promise that after he proposes a bill and a bunch of rich white men talk deliberate over it for months that the changes he promised to make will happen?! Not going to happen. People have tiny attention spans and would rather sit around talking about “a trainwreck they couldn’t take their eyes off of” instead of getting to help. I’ve always advised against that type of behavior because one day it might be you on that train! That day has come!
If we’ve learned ANYTHING from the internet, we should know that when it comes to change – we want it and we have the resources to have it NOW! Anyone that tells you otherwise is trying to keep you ignorant.
Opinions are opinions obviously, but based on some of the ignorant comments I’ve heard in regards to the singer Lana Del Rey since her weekend appearance on the TV show Saturday Night Live that I’ve heard, I thought I’d offer my two cents about Lana Del Rey. I’m only saying these words as someone who sees HUNDREDS of live acts a year. That might not qualify me as an expert in live music, but I’ll tell you one thing – for some of the shitty things I’ve heard about Lana, I certainly did not see YOU at her show and I’ve certainly not seen YOU going and checking out live music night after night to expand your musical horizons and trust me, I’d remember!
Lana Del Rey became a Youtube sensation in 2011 and based on the strength of two viral videos, many doors have opened for her. She’s gotten international exposure by appearing on many TV programs and up until now, her performances have been pretty solid. She performed two songs on Saturday Night Live, a TV show that everyone seems to say “has lost its thunder years ago,” and yet everyone seems to watch it and complain about how bad it is. So anyone that falls into that bucket, which I’ll conservatively estimate as A LOT of you, deserves to have their words discredited as ALL of the people in that bucket DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR WORDS! If you don’t like something, DO NOT SUPPORT IT! Please don’t support it and then complain about how bad it is (that goes for awards shows and reality TV also). It’s a double standard and anyone with half a brain (such as myself) can see right through it! Don’t “watch” train wrecks – GET OUT AND HELP because one day YOU might be on that train!
Yes, Lana Del Rey’s appearance on the TV show was nowhere near as good as her videos and was disappointing, but suddenly, the same people that watched Lana’s videos and made her an internet sensation are doing everything in their power to tear her down. If you believe what you hear on the internet, there has never been anyone ever in the history of music as bad as Lana Del Rey! That makes NO sense! Before you utter another bad word about Lana, PLEASE remember that the world has allowed someone as talentless and tone deaf as Katy Perry to break records set by someone truly talented like Michael Jackson. Please remember that the world has allowed pop auto-tune and lipsynching icons such as Britney Spears and Rihanna to be hugely successful and sell out stadiums across the world! Let’s see them perform acoustically!? It will never happen because it will expose their lack of singing talent. It will prove that they are frauds and that the world is filled with idiots who are incapable of making decisions for themselves!
It’s been avoidable to hear reports that she bought her way into stardom or slept her way to get where she is. SO BE IT if any of that is indeed true. It sure worked for Madonna and look where she is now. We’re not going to get into Madonna’s preaching to the masses about destroying your ego while she maintains one of the largest egos on the planet either, because that’s a diatribe for another day. I’m not on Lana Del Rey’s payroll, but UNLIKE YOU at this point in the game, I’ve seen her perform a full set and I found her songs to be great. Certainly she’s not the best singer in the world, but she’s certainly not the worst either. I found myself intrigued to hear more, and I think that her recent performance was an off night instead of a lack of talent as the armchair critics of the world are condemning her for. Her album will be released at the end of the month and time will tell if the old adage that all publicity is good publicity is still true in 2012.
So with that in mind, revist a live performance of “Video Games” that I recorded from a small club show in December 2011.
6 years today – January 12, 2006, I packed up my belongings from Los Angeles and moved to New York. 6 years ago, I am not quite sure I could have imagined the crazycool ride I’ve taken both physically, spiritually and mentally. There have been so many people, places and events that have forever changed my life for the better, all I can do is express my extreme gratitude for the differences you’ve all made in my life. For the people that like a “by the numbers” sort of recap, here’s a few of the accomplishments that have happened to me since I’ve lived in New York.
- My first book of poetry “Sketches of Verbal Alchemy” was released.
- My name has appeared in a CD from the singer Prince
- I have written the lyrics for over two albums worth of music (which are for sale on iTunes)
- I’ve seen my name on Prime Time Network TV
- I’ve seen my name on a movie screen
- A line of T-shirts that I’ve designed has been released
- I’ve been immortalized in a painting
- I’ve been in music videos from the bands Spoon and Penguin Prison
- I launched a blog that has had over 1,000,000 viewers since it was started
- My stories have made their way onto internet giants (such as D-Listed and Brooklyn Vegan) as well as on the pages of band websites such as Kiss, Heart and Duran Duran
- I’ve been photographed with over 500 artists, musicians and celebrities
- I’ve interviewed over 30 artists whose work inspires me
- I’ve made and sold some of my abstract paintings
- Photos of mine have turned into and sold as limited edition prints
- My words have been the subject of tattoos
- A second book of poetry and my first coffee table book have been written and are awaiting distribution
- Countless artists and websites I admire are now friends of mine
and the list goes on…
Thanks again to everyone for your tremendous love and support. It means the world to me! Sometimes I cannot believe all these amazing experiences, but I promise you – this is just the beginning!
It’s stories like this that make me say “when there’s blood on the streets, we had it coming!”
It’s 2012. Things in the world are more messed up than ever. People are losing everything due to a really horrible economy. The tension across the world is causing Mother Nature to react with more natural disasters than ever and there’s a feeling in the air that something really bad will happen before anything gets better. Though it’s been obvious all these years, people are starting to protest the fact that our governments and news media are lying and have been lying to our faces. Better yet, people are starting to stand up to it. You’d think this global feeling would put politicians on their best behaviours as it seems their days in the sun are numbered. You’d think that world leaders would get together and try and make a better world for the people they are supposed to be protecting. Not so in Indiana.
US Senator Vaneta Becker from Indiana has NOTHING BETTER TO DO than to gain a little press by trying to address her version of the worst atrocity known to man – rock stars altering the lyrics to the “Star Spangled Banner.” She hopes to impose a fine if people get the words wrong to this time honored classic. The fact this even makes the news is ridiculous in light of the REAL problems going on in the world. The fact that the people of Indiana don’t march right over to her office and depose her INSTANTLY just shows that people are still sheep. Just give the masses something to suck on and they’ll go away. People are waking up, they just need a leader to follow. It’s gonna happen Vaneta, whether it’s to you or one of your colleagues and on that day, I hope the last sounds you hear are groups of people singing the words to this archaic song incorrectly right in your face! You ought to be ashamed of yourself! And tax payers, don’t forget, you are spending a good chunk of your paycheck to let people sit around and debate something this unimportant. It’s time for a change!
This is going to be long, but I’ve really thought it through and I want there to be no question as to my feelings on this matter, so if you don’t mind, I am about to get up on my soap box.
I started writing a blog for so many reasons – and some of the main ones include the fact that so many times in my life, someone introduced me to some sort of art (music, movies, books, painting) that changed my life in a positive way, but I wouldn’t have known about it otherwise. As I am blessed to be in a position where I am constantly challenging myself to experience art 7 days a week, I decided to pass on my knowledge and experience with hopes that my readers get something out of it.
I have always tried to write about things I like as opposed to talking smack on the things I dislike. Of course, this is not always fool proof, but the positivity on According2g far outweighs the negativity and I am very proud of that. I can tell you from looking at so many other sites out there on the net, I am part of a rare breed. It takes a lot to write a blog in the way I do it. Again, of the blogs and major websites out there, According2g is one of the only sites I’ve EVER seen that GOES to the events they write about. I am not asking for awards or internet martyrdom, but please know that my brain is always in search of a great photo or idea to share with my readers. If I am not physically writing, you should realize it takes tremendous amount of time to research the events I choose to go to, to spend the time experiencing the event, uploading photos and posting blogs. A lot of time! It doesn’t even make sense to me why someone would spend their time and energy only to talk trash about something – especially when they are just an armchair critic who has no personal experiences to draw from! If I meet a blogger and they don’t even own a camera, I have to discredit them immediately! If you are that witty and clever, be a stand up comedian! We can all find something to complain about! It makes even less sense to me that the masses waste their time reading these types of drivel and can’t even see through it!
I learned a long time ago that you cannot rely on anyone but yourself to take advantage of all the opportunities life puts in front of your face and as a result, I’ve self-funded most of the events I write about. I’ve been let down too many times by PR people, agents, managers, venues and the artists themselves for events that were really important to me. Rather than let that dissuade me, I make it my mission to have the most fun you can possibly have at EVERY SINGLE event I go to. I’ve chosen not to write about the incompetence of PR firms who want me to follow up with them multiple times in order to give their clients free publicity. I’ve chosen not to discuss gallery owners talking smack on their clients AND artist roster. I’ve chosen not to write about celebrity meltdowns I’ve witnessed first hand and I’ve also chosen not to write about some of the idiosyncrasies I’ve personally witnessed by some of the world’s best loved artists. Why? I am a lover not a fighter. Because I have seen and done and experienced so much, if something I write about is negative, believe me – it really left a bad taste in my mouth. My threshold for what I will and will not accept is extremely generous and I assure you, I could write volumes of “behind the scenes secrets,” and the publishing of such a tome would cause many famous businesses to shut down and a lot of well loved celebrities to hide their heads in shame. In my time, I’ve been lied to, cheated by and found out first hand that people I idolize are complete frauds. I feel their bad behavior is punishment enough, though I unfortunately know all too well the reality of the phrase “nice guys finish last.”
The blog has seen a lot of highs and lows. On a positive side, I have experienced first hand around 99% of the things I’ve written about (and again, I challenge you to find a website with as diverse topics as According2g with the same approach). In essence, I’ve created my own news network and I’ve been able to post an average of 5 blogs a day, 7 days a week with events and art that I’ve personally experienced! That’s pretty impressive, even for my own standards. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of the artists I’ve written about, many of them know me personally now and I have been thanked by many of my idols for my dedication! You can’t put a price on those types of amazing experiences, and believe me, the word gratitude doesn’t even begin to cover the feelings I have!
But let’s face it – we live in a dollars and cents world. It is not cheap to live in New York City. Since According2g began, I have experienced many financial ups and downs and as of this writing, many more downs than ups. Writing as much as I do also hinders my free time dramatically. Many times, I stay in and write while the rest of the world is out having fun, but I realize this is my choice and at this time in my life, so I am not looking for sympathy. What I am looking for is for people to wake up and support quality and not just accept mediocrity!
Flash forward to a trip to Los Angeles in November 2011. I was on a street art expedition with a writer friend of mine. My friend shares many of the same ideals as me and in addition to being a cool person, has a work ethic as strong as my own, which in and of itself is a huge inspiration! We hit the streets and had observed that it was strange that in a time where street art has started to dwindle a little from the public eye, and also in a time of great civil unrest, there’s not much exciting art out there. Rather than voice the opinions of the people who are too afraid to speak out, we’ve been noticing a lot of self-promoting logos. Of course, that’s fine and well with me, but it brings up another gripe I have in my list negative things associated with blogging. Many artists/PR firms drop off the face of the earth until they need something from you and then all of a sudden, they are your best friend – and since you are their friend, they want you to write all about their next item they want promoted! It’s really irritating and again, if you don’t think I see through it, YOU are even dumber than you think I AM!
But I digress, a walk down a popular street art spot in Los Angeles and my heart dropped. I saw the really shitty graffiti you see presented above – “Fuck The Blogs.” Fuck the blogs? Fuck the blogs?! Why don’t you walk a mile in my shoes before you go running your spray paint can, you piece of shit! Further down the alley was the tag “these walls are our blogspot,” which is an obvious attempt to whine that your art has not been featured on one of the sites. I’m disgusted! The amount of people in the world that care about street art is sadly very small and the voices that help to broadcast your message to an international audience are even smaller. HOW DARE YOU? You can rest assured that rather than write up a blog about how ridiculous these so called artists are, a much worse punishment is not writing about them at all! If only this theory could be carried over and applied into the realms of celebrity and politics, some folks would not be able to make a career out of being horrible. I survive on my own natural talents and perhaps you should too.
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