It's All Gossip-Driven

I was listening to this radio show the other week about the state of affairs in the collapsing recording industry, and on the show many of the guests wresteld with the problem with pirated mp3s and the myriad of peer-to-peer download sites that are at their core stealing money from the artists and the propaganda organizations (the record companies). This one guest suggested that the model of cable TV be instituted for the web, in that each and every ISP would charge $3/month that a would funneled to ASCAP/BMI -- and then people can trade as much "illegal" music as they want AND the artists get compensated.

It's not a bad idea. Xtina Aguilera had recently lamented that the music business has become driven by the tabloids and the gossip columns -- if you think about it, that is too true. New music doesn't really have a chance of becoming internationally known unless the big media money is spent on it, and the Record Companies seem to only want to spend money on the well established acts (which also have a back catalog). For instance, I've been listening to this CD (yeah, I actually bought the CD) of this supergroup from the UK called THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE QUEEN; it's Damon Albarn's new project that Danger Mouse produced that features Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen and The Clash's bassist Paul Simonon. You'd think there'd be a lot of buzz about this music, off the participants alone, not to mention the quality of the tracks.

It actually drives a nail into my dick knowing that the a huge element of pop culture is dictated by the bratty rich bitch behavior of Hollywood socialites. Music, arguably one of the most plebian-influencing activity, is caught in the deathgrip of "did you hear that Brittany cut off all her hair?" or "Jessica Simpson is dating John Mayer! No, they're not... oh, yes they are" or "Cameron Diaz just bitch-slapped Justin Timberlake at the Sunset Marquis." See -- nothing of any actual importance, in fact it's the kind of crappy drivel that people will talk about at the watercooler at the office or what they'll read about when 15 different photographs from 15 different photographers about the same subject on 10 different magazines... er, tabloids masquerading as magazines.

So where are we actually with music without the continuous mulch of bullshit.

A Surprise for the Establishment

Henry Box Brown - A Nigga Who GOT OVER
Originally uploaded by Phalanx.

What can I say, Obama in '08 is probably the least surprising thing about Washington politics since Bush won AGAIN in '04. Mainly because I remember people talking about Barak that half-Naija/half-white junior senator from Illinois as a possible presidential candidate before he even took the Oath of Office for Senator!

I figure he has to spend all of his time creating a platform, and unlike most white politicians I seriously doubt that Barak has any skeletons in his closet -- no mistresses, no cocaine-abuse, no fake military service that Daddy can erase with the wave of a hand, no junkie wives, little known drug use, no homosexual sibilings or children, no affiliation with crooked business men, no war time scandal that comes back to haunt. All those things that if the GOP found out about they would crucify him before the Primaries.

Obama's time has CEO of the Harvard Law Review is where people will look to smack him and go negative, but even then I suspect that's

Black People in his generation, who want to go in to politics, know that whitey is out to fade, so they've been working for a long time to stay on the straight and narrow. 'Cause if ya thought skulldugger practictioners like Carl Rove stick hot pokers up the ass of people like John McCain, John Kerry or Bill Bradley -- imagine how much Rove AND HIS WHOLE CREW would like to skewer a nigga looking to hold the highest office in the land.

Let's not forget that MANY a people claimed that having Bill Clinton in the white house was a dry run for how a nigga would behave up in there! In fact, Clinton lauded by many in the Black community for acting like "we would" when he was getting lynching for using a Monte Cristo as a sex toy.

I'm reading this Rolling Stone article on Barak, and I'm getting a copy of his book from the LA Library (still homeless, so buy copies of hardbacks only works to hurt my back more) to read up on what Barak's mind-state is, 'cause if he can win the Democratic nomation... this country is about to have a dose of the racial tension that nearly drowned it after the OJ Trial.

What will happen is that because there is precious little SHIT to smear on Barak, the GOP and any right leaning Democratic, will just pull up the race card as the political game of Texas No Limit is played over the next 21 months.

Speaking of No Limit, there's been estimates that $100 million (if not quite a lot more) will need to spent to capture the White House this time. When I heard that I was like, WHAT THE FUCK? I might have miss heard, when they actually meant a billion dollars. It was on NPR, and apparently there was a breakdown on what Bush and Kerry spent their money on, so I have to check that out -- as that kind of green is obscene, particularly since Bush wasted all the United States' political capital internationally and the Country's economy doesn't affect the globe the way it used to.

But still that's a lot of money for a SINGLE campaign. I'm obviously in the wrong business, I need to be one of those guys on K-Street who collect bucks hand over fist just to peddle influence!

The price of Beauty

Ever heard of Taiza Thomsen? Yeah, me neither. But anyway, she was the 2002 Miss Brazil and she fled the scene shortly afterwards and people thought she was the victim of fould play or kidnapping. Yet, she was doing well and good living in isolation in London. Even her parents didn't know where the hell she was. Taiza just wants to be left alone... that classic line uttered by Greta Garbo still has weight.

Apparently, being crown a fuck object in the world's most sexually explicit country isn't all that it's cracked up to be.