So, yesterday Dwight found half a joint in the parking lot. Which is unfortunate, because it turns out that Dwight finding drugs is more dangerous than most people using drugs.
-Jim Halpert, The Office
Sunday, August 30, 2009
I don't know where you pixies came from, but I like your pixie drink!
I just found websites where I can buy both Fanta Exotic and Bitter Lemon. OH. MAI. GAWD. I am like, ridiculously excited about this. I have not had either since I was in Kosovo just over three years ago, and I have searched high and low for both and have been able to find either. I did find some on Amazon once, but it's expensive and the shipping was like $10 on top of the already too-expensive price, so I never ordered. Now, I was curious again, and so I looked and found websites for them both. Unfortunately, not the same websites, which means more shipping than probably necessary, and the bottles themselves are already like $5 which is insane, but I don't even care because, after my next paycheck (when I can actually blow money on ridiculous things, unlike this paycheck which was pretty much reserved for paying back everyone I borrowed money from when I was broke this summer), I am going to go ahead and order 2 liters (or 2.5 liters, whatever the hell they are) of each of them, and it is going to be the BEST DAY EVER. I am SO EXCITED, you would not believe it. And over pop, no less. How silly, and yet, how utterly beautiful. LOLZ AND NOMS. :DDDD
~o~*~o~
So, yesterday Dwight found half a joint in the parking lot. Which is unfortunate, because it turns out that Dwight finding drugs is more dangerous than most people using drugs.
-Jim Halpert, The Office
So, yesterday Dwight found half a joint in the parking lot. Which is unfortunate, because it turns out that Dwight finding drugs is more dangerous than most people using drugs.
-Jim Halpert, The Office
Friday, August 21, 2009
My cat's name is Mittens.
PART 2, LOLZ.
~o~*~o~
"There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast."
-Anonymous
"There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast."
-Anonymous
My cat's breath smells like cat food.
Dees seam liek 3 of mai nu favrit LOLcatz. Dey make funnee:
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Also, chex out dis nu LOLcatz video naow, kplz? It r funnee 2:
HAR HAR HAR.
~o~*~o~
"Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem."
-Genesis 1, Lolcat Bible Translation Project
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Also, chex out dis nu LOLcatz video naow, kplz? It r funnee 2:
HAR HAR HAR.
"Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem."
-Genesis 1, Lolcat Bible Translation Project
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The only difference between our marriage and any one else's is: we know ours is a sham.
Some of my new favorites. ♥
Wasn't it me you didn't want?
Wasn't it me who was hanging on?
Now I'm done but before I go I want you to know ...
This is how it feels
When you wait for a call that never comes
Are you waking up 'cause you miss someone?
This is how it feels
When the trust you had is broken,
And your left to burn with your heart wide open
-This Is How It Feels, The Veronicas
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Remember, you can always find East by staring directly at the sun.
Hokay, I changed my background again. I attempted to make my own, but blogger is being gay and not letting them work, so I just found another one online that I like much better, and then customized the rest of my layout to look good with it. :P Anyway...
I wasn't planning on making a post tonight, but then I remembered that I had promised three new bits of Harry Potter info, so I'll put that up now, shall I? To be honest, I'm not really in a blogging mood, so I'm just going to be quick about this, but at least I'll get it up, right? Right. So here goes it.
FIRST, Nancy, the greatest person in the world, made me another Potter Puppet Pal, this time, Dumbledore!! And the best part is, his robe is removable, so he can become nakey-time Dumbledore (as seen in the above picture)! Hooray!! Just sit back and bask in his infinite cuteness, yeah? :DD
SECOND, I saw HBP in IMAX with Schiffler, one of the other coolest people ever. LAWL. Honestly, it was great seeing HBP again, just because that movie is flippin' sweet and hella good, but I was less than pleased the IMAX part of it. The giant screen and surround sound and all that jazz was cool, and the 3D scenes were awesome, but the 3D thing overall was disappointing. I had originally heard that the first and last 20 minutes, respectively, were supposed to be in the 3D, and it turns out that it was only the first 20 minutes. Now, like I said, those scenes were totally bomb, but if they were only going to do one or the other, I would have much rather had it at the end instead of the beginning. That, and Schiff and I were so excited at the end to see it in 3D - we had our glasses ready and kept waiting and waiting and waiting for it - and it never happened, so we were totally bummed when the credits rolled and we had experienced no more 3D action. We both just looked at each other and were like, "What the hell?!" It was gay. Also, after seeing OotP in IMAX, and getting to experience the MoM battle in 3D (which was like, the most badass thing ever), I was really looking forward to seeing the ending to HBP in 3D as well. You can't tell me that cave scene with all the fire and shit wouldn't have been a zillion times more epic in 3D than just Harry and Dumbles apparating. :P So yeah...that was kind of lame, and a huge letdown.
THIRD, HOLY SHIT I WENT TO THE HARRY POTTER EXHIBITION IN CHICAGO!!!!! *SQUEEEEEEEEEE* Nancy and I spent a few days in Chicago, and we were able to go to the Harry Potter Exhibition, and OH MY GOD, it was the GREATEST THING EVER. I shit you negative, it was probably one of the best moments of my entire life. I will post a giant blog about it later, complete with awesome photos, but for now...that is all I will say. Oh, and I almost jizzed in my pants when I saw the first set of Dan Rad's robes and saw Alan Rickman's robes. It was a beautiful moment. ♥
(So much for summarizing...God, I fail so hard. LAWL.)
~o~*~o~
I sense there's something in the wind
That feels like tragedy's at hand
And though I'd like to stand by him
Can't shake this feeling that I have
The worst is just around the bend
-Sally's Song, Catherine O'Hara/Fiona Apple/Amy Lee (my favorite being the latter, though all are amazing)
I wasn't planning on making a post tonight, but then I remembered that I had promised three new bits of Harry Potter info, so I'll put that up now, shall I? To be honest, I'm not really in a blogging mood, so I'm just going to be quick about this, but at least I'll get it up, right? Right. So here goes it.
FIRST, Nancy, the greatest person in the world, made me another Potter Puppet Pal, this time, Dumbledore!! And the best part is, his robe is removable, so he can become nakey-time Dumbledore (as seen in the above picture)! Hooray!! Just sit back and bask in his infinite cuteness, yeah? :DD
SECOND, I saw HBP in IMAX with Schiffler, one of the other coolest people ever. LAWL. Honestly, it was great seeing HBP again, just because that movie is flippin' sweet and hella good, but I was less than pleased the IMAX part of it. The giant screen and surround sound and all that jazz was cool, and the 3D scenes were awesome, but the 3D thing overall was disappointing. I had originally heard that the first and last 20 minutes, respectively, were supposed to be in the 3D, and it turns out that it was only the first 20 minutes. Now, like I said, those scenes were totally bomb, but if they were only going to do one or the other, I would have much rather had it at the end instead of the beginning. That, and Schiff and I were so excited at the end to see it in 3D - we had our glasses ready and kept waiting and waiting and waiting for it - and it never happened, so we were totally bummed when the credits rolled and we had experienced no more 3D action. We both just looked at each other and were like, "What the hell?!" It was gay. Also, after seeing OotP in IMAX, and getting to experience the MoM battle in 3D (which was like, the most badass thing ever), I was really looking forward to seeing the ending to HBP in 3D as well. You can't tell me that cave scene with all the fire and shit wouldn't have been a zillion times more epic in 3D than just Harry and Dumbles apparating. :P So yeah...that was kind of lame, and a huge letdown.
THIRD, HOLY SHIT I WENT TO THE HARRY POTTER EXHIBITION IN CHICAGO!!!!! *SQUEEEEEEEEEE* Nancy and I spent a few days in Chicago, and we were able to go to the Harry Potter Exhibition, and OH MY GOD, it was the GREATEST THING EVER. I shit you negative, it was probably one of the best moments of my entire life. I will post a giant blog about it later, complete with awesome photos, but for now...that is all I will say. Oh, and I almost jizzed in my pants when I saw the first set of Dan Rad's robes and saw Alan Rickman's robes. It was a beautiful moment. ♥
(So much for summarizing...God, I fail so hard. LAWL.)
I sense there's something in the wind
That feels like tragedy's at hand
And though I'd like to stand by him
Can't shake this feeling that I have
The worst is just around the bend
-Sally's Song, Catherine O'Hara/Fiona Apple/Amy Lee (my favorite being the latter, though all are amazing)
Friday, July 31, 2009
A woman is a lot like a refrigerator. 6 feet tall, 300 pounds...it makes ice.
OH MAI GAWD I FINALLY UPDATED TO THE NEW VERSION OF BLOOGER!!!! :DDDD LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL MY NEW PAGE IS!!!! (Although, I really need to make my own background...this one is pretty okay, but I could make a way cooler one (I actually have many of the same brushes that were used to make this one), particularly if I put together a Harry Potter themed one...I'll get a move on that.) BUT ANYWHOOZLE, WELCOME TO MY NEW BLOG!!! :DDDDD
(I will actually post more about my life later when I am not being lazy, especially since there are three new bits of AMAZING HARRY POTTER NEWS!!!! OHEMGEE!!!)
Kthxbye.
~o~*~o~
"Why are you making cupcakes when you're just gonna poop them out?"
-Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy
(I will actually post more about my life later when I am not being lazy, especially since there are three new bits of AMAZING HARRY POTTER NEWS!!!! OHEMGEE!!!)
Kthxbye.
"Why are you making cupcakes when you're just gonna poop them out?"
-Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy
Monday, July 20, 2009
Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose: it's how drunk you get.
I'm not sure if anyone (ha, I’m talking as if people actually read this thing…hilarious) who isn’t a Harry Potter nerd has heard of this or not, but We Are Wizards is this documentary that was made about the Harry Potter fandom that is totally awesome. It covers Wizard Rock, fansites, Brad Neely's stuff, some of the legal battles surrounding Harry Potter, and there's even stuff in it concerning the whole "Harry Potter is anti-Christian" stuff.
You can check out the official site and watch the trailer for it here:
http://www.wearewizards-themovie.com/
But yeah...I finally got around to ordering my copy about two months ago (I bought the super cool holiday pack with the DVD, t-shirt, movie poster, pin and sticker, which is totally bomb :)), and I just finished watching it tonight, and it's freaking fantastic. It's really interesting hearing some of the people who have been involved in the aforementioned big fandom stuff talk about it and hear how they all started out as just regular fans and decided to start up little "fan stuff," and then have it explode. They interview Paul and Joe DeGeorge from Harry and the Potters, Draco and Malfoys, the chick who started The Leaky Cauldron, and others who were involved in these things, and it's actually really interesting to see how they've gone from doing stuff from the basements and backyards to being known on a national or even world-wide level. It's crazy!!
My favorite parts were definitely the ones where Brad Neely talks. I'm not sure if you're familiar with him either, but the guy is my freaking hero. He essentially did a narration to the entire first HP film called Wizard People, Dear Reader (which you can watch on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u981JhkK46o) which is absolutely freaking HILARIOUS. I first watched it all about a year ago, and I've watched it many times since then and laugh every time. Seriously, you NEED to watch that.
But anyway, on this DVD, he talks about that and makes a bunch of new, improv stories about Harry, and they're just as funny - if not more funny - than the ones he did for Wizard People. For example: Harry Potter flying around with his wand, just lookin' for some chumpass to stick his head at. “I'm so pissed, that this world is like it is. No one is nice, and everybody wants money. I've got enough money to not care about money. What the fuck? Look at this pile of gold that just came out of nowhere.” FREAKING. GENIUS.
I also really enjoyed the interviews with Harry and the Potters. Paul DeGeorge is absolutely freaking adorable, and I love him to death. I also loved how he just sat in the back and laughed half of the time while Joe sat and talked and just spouted out ridiculous stuff. It was high quality.
One other part that I thought was funny, though not for the same reasons, was when the one chick who started the Daily Prophet site thing was talking about Dan Rad in Equus, and was talking about how WB is using double standards, because they get all pissy about people writing or talking about HP slash or whatever and yet, here’s the star of the freaking movie completely starkers in a play. And while I understand that, I still thought it was a bit silly. I mean, after all, she was starting a fansite containing copyrighted material and got in trouble, and people are writing fanfiction or doing fanart or making fanvids about copyrighted characters that find themselves in, err, “questionable positions and circumstances.” All Dan Rad is doing is acting in a freaking play which, as an actor, is his right to do. WB doesn’t own him, and he’s not committing copyright infringement, so why on Earth should WB hold him to the same standards? Don’t get me wrong; I’m an avid Snarry fan and I think it’s dumb that WB can get pissed and tell me that I’m using their characters in a way that they don’t like and could potentially sue me for that, but really…to compare what she and others were doing to what Dan Rad is doing seems a bit ridiculous.
I also really liked it when she said, "I would love to know how many girls are seeing to see that play just because Harry Potter's naked in it,” because, quite frankly, that’s the only reason I was interested in it. …Okay, so it wasn’t so much the “Harry Potter naked” part as it was the “Dan Rad naked” part, but still…it’s essentially the same thing, innit? :)
The one thing in the film that really pissed me off was (cue rant) that woman Caryl Matrisciana. She’s one of those “HARRY POTTER IS THE DEVIL!” people, and for some reason unbeknownst to me, they thought it’d be a good idea to put her in this movie and let her share her opinions as to how Harry Potter was essentially going to bring about the freaking apocalypse because it was teaching kids about magic and planting the idea that the occult was a good thing and that they’re all going to be able to learn about and practice magic in a comfortable environment and we’re going to have this giant cult of little Harry Potter Satanist’s or something. I don’t know, I sort of started to tune out whenever she spoke because she was really pissing me off and bringing down my mood.
I hate people like this who follow this ridiculous bullshit that Harry Potter is a bad series that’s trying to get children to become Wiccan and take part in the occult. I mean, really, how many little kids read Harry Potter and then suddenly start drawing pentagrams and shit on the ground in an attempt to summon demons? I’m guessing next to none, if any. I hate this ridiculous stereotype, because it simply is not true. If anything, Harry Potter further pushes and advocates for very common and popular Christian beliefs. There’s the whole battle of good vs. evil (in which good eventually triumphs), the importance of friendship and family, a gigantic play on how big and important love is, the struggle to stay on the light side and maintain good morals and values, how to stand up for yourself and your friends and what you believe in, that immortality, though something devoutly wished, is in the end, a very un-human thing and not something one should seek, etc. Not to mention there’s hundreds of religious and biblical references, allusions, and parallels that can be found in the books.
I also find it funny that these people seem to think that all of the magic and sorcery and mythical creatures and stuff in Harry Potter are obviously a push for the occult, but yet, find books like C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia or J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy okay. So, what, because these guys were openly Christian and whatnot their books are automatically okay? How is it that Harry Potter gets shafted when these books don’t? Narnia has magic and mythical creatures and witches and truly evil villains, and LotR not only has all of that, but it’s arguably more violent and the characters more gruesome and all that. But still, these people only seem to have a problem with Harry Potter. Don’t get me wrong, I love C. S. Lewis and I’m a Tolkien fan as well, but why is it okay that these people are allowed to talk about this stuff in their stories and Rowling is not? It makes absolutely no sense!!
The other thing that really irritates me about this is that these people have never read the books or seen the movies, and yet, they make assumptions about them and think they’re right, when the only evidence they have is word-of-mouth or speculation. They’ve come up with all of these complex explanations as to why Harry Potter is, for all intents and purposes, the work of the devil, and yet, none of it is based on anything in Harry Potter, because none of them have even cracked open one of the books! That would be like me saying that Caryl Matrisciana is a Satanist, without ever taking the time to read her website or articles or books or talk to her or whatever, and just basing it off of a picture that I saw of her and somebody remarking to me that she has written books related to the occult. It’s a completely ridiculous statement to make on my part, since she is really a Christian (though even that seems a bit speculative, considering the woman seems highly intolerant or anything but her own thoughts and beliefs and is ready to condemn half the world as Satanists for reading Harry Potter (or Twilight, which seems to be her new beef)), and it’s as equally ridiculous for her and others to state that Harry Potter is meant to draw children into the occult when it obviously is not and especially when none of them have read/seen it. It’s simply mind boggling!
Whoever the hell thinks that Harry Potter is trying to push the occult and Satanism is simply ridiculous. I have an aunt who feels somewhat the same and used to preach to me about how awful she thought it was and how I was dabbling in witchcraft by reading it. However, I realized that when I argued with her about it, my arguments weren’t any better than hers or anyone else’s who believes in any of that garbage, because my thoughts were also one-sided, not researched, and quite biased. Therefore, I took it upon myself to read up on both sides of the argument. For a year or two, I spent my time reading many internet articles and published books, watching videos and interviews, and listening to various people preach about the issues, all from both sides of the argument, and all giving detailed reasons as to why Harry Potter was or was not Satanic or presenting ideas that would lead young people down the road to Satanism or the occult. And with all the research I did, you know what I came up with?
The same thing that I had been preaching all along: at it’s core, Harry Potter IS NOT a Satanist’s bible, it does not encourage children to dabble in witchcraft and become practiced members of the occult, it does not teach poor moral values, and does not corrupt children. If anything, Harry Potter is actually something that Christians can enjoy, considering it teaches good moral values, the difference between right and wrong, illustrates the battle between good vs. evil, and other things that I’ve already mentioned above in this article. Not to mention the fact that it has gotten many children who previously did not like books to read, something that can be appreciated by all people, Christian or not. You can still call me biased since I was a fan before I decided to make myself informed, but really…I think I’ve still got a better handle on it than all of these other people, considering I’ve actually read the books, and researched the argument from both sides, basing my opinion on all of that, instead of just what other people have said or what I’ve heard.
(End of rant.) (…I think I may have just written the next “Rants On Everything Pissing Me Off at the Moment. :DD)
So anywhoozle…in conclusion, We Are Wizards was a pretty great documentary, minus Caryl Matrisciana, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to be awesome. That being said…I’m done. I wrote more about how I truly dislike her than I did about the DVD itself, but…whatever. I don‘t care. Also, expect my next “Rants” blog to pretty much be the last six paragraphs of this post. Word.
~o~*~o~
Love grows in me like a tumor,
parasites bent on devouring its host.
I'm developing my sense of humor,
till I can laugh at my heart between your teeth,
till I can laugh at my face beneath your feet.
-Fuck Was I, Jenny Owen Youngs
You can check out the official site and watch the trailer for it here:
http://www.wearewizards-themovie.com/
But yeah...I finally got around to ordering my copy about two months ago (I bought the super cool holiday pack with the DVD, t-shirt, movie poster, pin and sticker, which is totally bomb :)), and I just finished watching it tonight, and it's freaking fantastic. It's really interesting hearing some of the people who have been involved in the aforementioned big fandom stuff talk about it and hear how they all started out as just regular fans and decided to start up little "fan stuff," and then have it explode. They interview Paul and Joe DeGeorge from Harry and the Potters, Draco and Malfoys, the chick who started The Leaky Cauldron, and others who were involved in these things, and it's actually really interesting to see how they've gone from doing stuff from the basements and backyards to being known on a national or even world-wide level. It's crazy!!
My favorite parts were definitely the ones where Brad Neely talks. I'm not sure if you're familiar with him either, but the guy is my freaking hero. He essentially did a narration to the entire first HP film called Wizard People, Dear Reader (which you can watch on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u981JhkK46o) which is absolutely freaking HILARIOUS. I first watched it all about a year ago, and I've watched it many times since then and laugh every time. Seriously, you NEED to watch that.
But anyway, on this DVD, he talks about that and makes a bunch of new, improv stories about Harry, and they're just as funny - if not more funny - than the ones he did for Wizard People. For example: Harry Potter flying around with his wand, just lookin' for some chumpass to stick his head at. “I'm so pissed, that this world is like it is. No one is nice, and everybody wants money. I've got enough money to not care about money. What the fuck? Look at this pile of gold that just came out of nowhere.” FREAKING. GENIUS.
I also really enjoyed the interviews with Harry and the Potters. Paul DeGeorge is absolutely freaking adorable, and I love him to death. I also loved how he just sat in the back and laughed half of the time while Joe sat and talked and just spouted out ridiculous stuff. It was high quality.
One other part that I thought was funny, though not for the same reasons, was when the one chick who started the Daily Prophet site thing was talking about Dan Rad in Equus, and was talking about how WB is using double standards, because they get all pissy about people writing or talking about HP slash or whatever and yet, here’s the star of the freaking movie completely starkers in a play. And while I understand that, I still thought it was a bit silly. I mean, after all, she was starting a fansite containing copyrighted material and got in trouble, and people are writing fanfiction or doing fanart or making fanvids about copyrighted characters that find themselves in, err, “questionable positions and circumstances.” All Dan Rad is doing is acting in a freaking play which, as an actor, is his right to do. WB doesn’t own him, and he’s not committing copyright infringement, so why on Earth should WB hold him to the same standards? Don’t get me wrong; I’m an avid Snarry fan and I think it’s dumb that WB can get pissed and tell me that I’m using their characters in a way that they don’t like and could potentially sue me for that, but really…to compare what she and others were doing to what Dan Rad is doing seems a bit ridiculous.
I also really liked it when she said, "I would love to know how many girls are seeing to see that play just because Harry Potter's naked in it,” because, quite frankly, that’s the only reason I was interested in it. …Okay, so it wasn’t so much the “Harry Potter naked” part as it was the “Dan Rad naked” part, but still…it’s essentially the same thing, innit? :)
The one thing in the film that really pissed me off was (cue rant) that woman Caryl Matrisciana. She’s one of those “HARRY POTTER IS THE DEVIL!” people, and for some reason unbeknownst to me, they thought it’d be a good idea to put her in this movie and let her share her opinions as to how Harry Potter was essentially going to bring about the freaking apocalypse because it was teaching kids about magic and planting the idea that the occult was a good thing and that they’re all going to be able to learn about and practice magic in a comfortable environment and we’re going to have this giant cult of little Harry Potter Satanist’s or something. I don’t know, I sort of started to tune out whenever she spoke because she was really pissing me off and bringing down my mood.
I hate people like this who follow this ridiculous bullshit that Harry Potter is a bad series that’s trying to get children to become Wiccan and take part in the occult. I mean, really, how many little kids read Harry Potter and then suddenly start drawing pentagrams and shit on the ground in an attempt to summon demons? I’m guessing next to none, if any. I hate this ridiculous stereotype, because it simply is not true. If anything, Harry Potter further pushes and advocates for very common and popular Christian beliefs. There’s the whole battle of good vs. evil (in which good eventually triumphs), the importance of friendship and family, a gigantic play on how big and important love is, the struggle to stay on the light side and maintain good morals and values, how to stand up for yourself and your friends and what you believe in, that immortality, though something devoutly wished, is in the end, a very un-human thing and not something one should seek, etc. Not to mention there’s hundreds of religious and biblical references, allusions, and parallels that can be found in the books.
I also find it funny that these people seem to think that all of the magic and sorcery and mythical creatures and stuff in Harry Potter are obviously a push for the occult, but yet, find books like C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia or J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy okay. So, what, because these guys were openly Christian and whatnot their books are automatically okay? How is it that Harry Potter gets shafted when these books don’t? Narnia has magic and mythical creatures and witches and truly evil villains, and LotR not only has all of that, but it’s arguably more violent and the characters more gruesome and all that. But still, these people only seem to have a problem with Harry Potter. Don’t get me wrong, I love C. S. Lewis and I’m a Tolkien fan as well, but why is it okay that these people are allowed to talk about this stuff in their stories and Rowling is not? It makes absolutely no sense!!
The other thing that really irritates me about this is that these people have never read the books or seen the movies, and yet, they make assumptions about them and think they’re right, when the only evidence they have is word-of-mouth or speculation. They’ve come up with all of these complex explanations as to why Harry Potter is, for all intents and purposes, the work of the devil, and yet, none of it is based on anything in Harry Potter, because none of them have even cracked open one of the books! That would be like me saying that Caryl Matrisciana is a Satanist, without ever taking the time to read her website or articles or books or talk to her or whatever, and just basing it off of a picture that I saw of her and somebody remarking to me that she has written books related to the occult. It’s a completely ridiculous statement to make on my part, since she is really a Christian (though even that seems a bit speculative, considering the woman seems highly intolerant or anything but her own thoughts and beliefs and is ready to condemn half the world as Satanists for reading Harry Potter (or Twilight, which seems to be her new beef)), and it’s as equally ridiculous for her and others to state that Harry Potter is meant to draw children into the occult when it obviously is not and especially when none of them have read/seen it. It’s simply mind boggling!
Whoever the hell thinks that Harry Potter is trying to push the occult and Satanism is simply ridiculous. I have an aunt who feels somewhat the same and used to preach to me about how awful she thought it was and how I was dabbling in witchcraft by reading it. However, I realized that when I argued with her about it, my arguments weren’t any better than hers or anyone else’s who believes in any of that garbage, because my thoughts were also one-sided, not researched, and quite biased. Therefore, I took it upon myself to read up on both sides of the argument. For a year or two, I spent my time reading many internet articles and published books, watching videos and interviews, and listening to various people preach about the issues, all from both sides of the argument, and all giving detailed reasons as to why Harry Potter was or was not Satanic or presenting ideas that would lead young people down the road to Satanism or the occult. And with all the research I did, you know what I came up with?
The same thing that I had been preaching all along: at it’s core, Harry Potter IS NOT a Satanist’s bible, it does not encourage children to dabble in witchcraft and become practiced members of the occult, it does not teach poor moral values, and does not corrupt children. If anything, Harry Potter is actually something that Christians can enjoy, considering it teaches good moral values, the difference between right and wrong, illustrates the battle between good vs. evil, and other things that I’ve already mentioned above in this article. Not to mention the fact that it has gotten many children who previously did not like books to read, something that can be appreciated by all people, Christian or not. You can still call me biased since I was a fan before I decided to make myself informed, but really…I think I’ve still got a better handle on it than all of these other people, considering I’ve actually read the books, and researched the argument from both sides, basing my opinion on all of that, instead of just what other people have said or what I’ve heard.
(End of rant.) (…I think I may have just written the next “Rants On Everything Pissing Me Off at the Moment. :DD)
So anywhoozle…in conclusion, We Are Wizards was a pretty great documentary, minus Caryl Matrisciana, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to be awesome. That being said…I’m done. I wrote more about how I truly dislike her than I did about the DVD itself, but…whatever. I don‘t care. Also, expect my next “Rants” blog to pretty much be the last six paragraphs of this post. Word.
Love grows in me like a tumor,
parasites bent on devouring its host.
I'm developing my sense of humor,
till I can laugh at my heart between your teeth,
till I can laugh at my face beneath your feet.
-Fuck Was I, Jenny Owen Youngs
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The doctor said I wouldn't have so many nose bleeds if I kept my finger outta there.
OH MAI GAWD.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE CAME OUT LAST NIGHT, AND IT WAS FREAKING BRILLIANT!!!!!
I can't even write about it anymore because I've already done it a thousand times and I can't type anymore...but I will copy and post my original reactions to it, which were posted on the Nuthouse. My original post (with the exception of one thing) should basically make sense, but the rest of the posts after that (which I will mark) might not as much because they were in response to other posts. Therefore, I will clarify a bit and explain what they were in reference to. Enjoy!
Original Post:
WARNING: THIS POST IS RIDICULOUSLY LONG AND FULL OF NOT ONLY SPOILERS, BUT LOTS AND LOTS OF CAPS-LOCK AND SWEARZ. ALSO, IT HAS NO ORDER AND PROBABLY MAKES NO SENSE. SO YEAH. WORD.
OH MY FUCKING GOD, I THINK I JUST DIED AND WENT TO FANGIRL HEAVEN. THAT WAS THE MOST EPIC PIECE OF FREAKING AWESOMENESS THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN.
I FUCKING LOVE HARRY POTTER.
RON IS FUCKING ADORABLE.
FELIX FELICIS!HARRY IS SO LULZ.
SLUGHORN IS FANTASTIC.
DUMBLEDORE WAS DAMN HILARIOUS.
RON/LAVENDER MADE ME WANT TO VOMIT.
HARRY/GINNY, I SHIT YOU NEGATIVE, ACTUALLY MADE ME VERY HAPPY.
MCGONAGALL IS THE SHIT.
SAD!DRACO MADE ME VERY SAD. :(
SNAPE WAS THE MOST BADASS THING IN THE ENTIRE FUCKING MOVIE, AND I TOTALLY WANTED TO THROW HIM UP AGAINST THE WALL AND HAVE MY WAY WITH HIM.
BELLATRIX WAS THE SECOND MOST BADASS THING IN THE WHOLE MOVIE.
I FUCKING LOVE HARRY POTTER.
...Now that all of the expletives and insane yelling are out of the way...OH MY GOD, I LOVED THAT MOVIE!!
Seriously, I cried during this movie. I freaking cried. When I read OotP, I bawled like a freaking schoolgirl, and was depressed for two freaking days. But yet, when I saw movie!OotP, I was just like, "Ah, that's sad..." and then moved on. When I read HBP, I got a little misty eyed when Dumbles died, but I didn't cry. And yet, what happened during this movie? I freaking cried! I got all choked up when Harry started force-feeding Dumbles the potion, and it was just downhill from there. Seeing Draco be all emotional, and then seeing Dumbles die, and seeing Snape obviously not happy...god, I cried. And then when Harry found Dumbledore's body, I cried some more, and and when they all raised their wands for him and everyone else was crying too, there were more tears. I just felt awful about it all.
And Jesus Christ, the Sectumsempra scene!! Honestly, I didn't really like HBP my first time through, and I always joked I hated everything up until the second-to-last paragraph of page 521 in that book, because that's when Harry uses Sectumsempra and from that point on, the book got freaking awesome. And when that scene came in the movie, oh sweet jebus was I ready for it. I knew it was coming, and I started to tense up and get all nervous, and when I saw Draco crying, my heart cracked a little bit cause it was so sad. But with the curse itself, as soon as Harry said the word, I got immediately tense and just...I don't know, like, ridiculously tight chested or something. And that whole time he was walking up to Malfoy, it kept getting worse, and then he sees what he did, and it got even worse, and then Snape fucking comes in and sees what happened and he gives Harry that freaking look, and then I lost it. I got all emotional, and though I didn't cry, that tight feeling just got ridiculous and I got all misty-eyed and it was just like that awful, hollow feeling again. And then he runs out, and Snape starts healing Draco, and it gets even even worse, and then Harry is all upset by it, and just...GOD. I thought I was going to freaking lose it. It was just that shocking, hollow kinda feeling, similar to when Dumbledore died and yet, different. To be honest, I was a little upset that they didn't make the slashes and stuff a little more epic looking, but still...probably one of my favorite scenes in the movie. It was fucking brilliant.
And then the scene with Snape at the end! When he was behind Harry and told him to stay quiet, and Harry lowered his wand thinking that Snape was going to help, and I'm sitting in my chair knowing that he's not going to...God, that was so awful too! In the book, Harry was under the invisibility cloak and in a body bind, too, wasn't he? So he was physically prevented from doing anything. But in the movie, he could have actually done something about it, and instead, he put all his trust in Snape and just let him walk in and kill Dumbledore. And to me, I loved the change, because it made it just that much more tragic.
[Quoting Jess:]
I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN JESS!! I hate her because she killed Sirius and she's the biggest bitch ever, but I can't help but freaking love her at the same time! I blame most of that on Helena Bonham Carter because she's so freaking brilliant, but still...God, I don't want to like her, but I freaking do. She was so ridiculously awesome and badass and I just...God, I love her.
And speaking of characters, LUNA!! OH MY GOD, EVANNA LYNCH IS MY FREAKING HERO. I LOVE THAT GIRL AND WANT TO BE HER BEST FRIEND.
And McGonagall! You know, I always forget about her, but every time I see her in the movies or read her lines in the books, I'm reminded of how much I love her character. She's witty and cool and just awesome, yet at the same time, super sensitive when she needs to be. The scene at the end where she's with Harry in Dumbledore's office was just so sad, but I loved her for it.
AND THE D-BOX! IT WAS SO BOMB!! It was mostly during Apparition scenes, Quidditch, the Pensieve stuff, and then the cave/battle at the end, but it was so worth it! :D
I realized they left out so much, but honestly, the only thing that I'm really disappointed about is the big thing at the end between Snape and Harry. I love that part so much in the book, and I was kind of upset that they didn't do more with that. It's like, Snape didn't even really get upset that Harry called him a coward, and that kind of irritated me. I loved Harry repeatedly throwing curses at him, particularly Sectumsempra and then the corresponding reveal where Snape tells him that he's the Half-Blood Prince, but I just still felt that the scene was...lacking. I wanted Snape to explode and do the whole, "I AM NOT A COWARD!" line, and go fucking apeshit on Harry, and it didn't happen, and I was really disappointed. And while I did love how it was revealed that Snape was the HBP because of the Sectumsempra thing, in all honesty, it seemed a bit anticlimactic. Like, he just says it, and then kinda walks away, and that's that. WTF?
Finally, I will end this post with my favorite line from the movie:
"So, did you and Ginny do it?"
OH THE LULZ.
Post Two:
[talking about the Sectumsempra scene] I know! That scene was just...just...GAH, I can't even describe it. Like so awful and yet so awesome, and just...yeah.
[About loving Snape] AND I KNOW. I'm telling you, it wasn't until probably OotP that I really started to like Snape - like, I often found him kind of witty or funny or something, but didn't really like him until OotP - and my love for him has just been growing ever since. Snape is the definition of "the shit." Like, he is the biggest BAMF ever, and I freaking LOVE HIM. (And having the sexy Alan Rickman playing him just makes me love him that much more...God, I love that man.)
*cheers for the movie and having a good night* This is definitely one of the nights I'm going to remember most when it comes to HP. *nods*
Post Three:
I know. God, Snape...what a fucking beast. I would do him in a freaking heartbeat, especially if it was Alan!Snape. If I ever met/saw Alan Rickman, I would, no joke, ask to have his babies. He's hot and has the sexiest voice ever and is my all-time favorite actor. I love that man. And I love him as Snape so freaking much. Like you said, that look when he killed Dumbledore - brilliant!
I loved the one-liners and the humor, too, and I'm so glad they kept it. :)
[About them leaving out a bunch of the Pensieve scenes/Voldemort history] I was kinda "eh" about missing the extra stuff about Voldie. Like, for me personally, because I knew the rest of the history, I honestly wasn't that upset about it. Normally, I get pissed when they leave that stuff out, regardless of the fact that I've read the book and know what's going on. But in this case...I knew what was going on and for some reason didn't really mind that they left it all out. I was surprised they did, especially because I think it's really leaving so much out for people who haven't read the books and makes it just that much harder to get or follow, but again, I was personally okay with it.
And I agree - I wish there would have been more action and less romance. I liked the romance, of course, but I wish they would have substituted some for a bit more action. I was really hoping for a bit more of a "battle" at the end instead of just the main showdown between Dumbledore and Snape, you know? I was satisfied with what they gave us, but wished there could have been a little more to the ending.
But yes, this was indeed one BAMF of a movie.
Yeah, I think she'll [Meredith] enjoy Greyback, although, to be honest, I thought he'd have a slightly bigger role. He was scary though!! I'll give him that. And yes, I wished for more Sirius grieving, though I figured they'd cut that...after all, JKR did, so why would they spend any time on it in the movie? :P And Remus was a jerk to Harry. To be honest, that part did piss me off a little bit. I also didn't like that he and Tonks seemed pretty close at that point, too, when she was still supposed to be all depressed about it then.
Post Four:
[Talking about the Remus/Tonks thing] Don't get me wrong, I hate RL/NT, but the way they presented it in the movie was kinda gay. I hope they totally don't skip over it all in DH, but they probably will, and just shorten it like you mentioned, TGBTA.
God, I just want to watch the Sectumsempra scene again. And again. And again. That scene was freaking gorgeously done. I loved it.
So yeah...I LOVED THAT FREAKING MOVIE. BEST HP FILM YET.
And just for fun...here's a video from the news this morning about the new film which was filmed at the MoA last night while I was waiting in line for the movie.
THAT IS ALL.
~*~
"Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry."
- Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
~*~
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE CAME OUT LAST NIGHT, AND IT WAS FREAKING BRILLIANT!!!!!
I can't even write about it anymore because I've already done it a thousand times and I can't type anymore...but I will copy and post my original reactions to it, which were posted on the Nuthouse. My original post (with the exception of one thing) should basically make sense, but the rest of the posts after that (which I will mark) might not as much because they were in response to other posts. Therefore, I will clarify a bit and explain what they were in reference to. Enjoy!
Original Post:
WARNING: THIS POST IS RIDICULOUSLY LONG AND FULL OF NOT ONLY SPOILERS, BUT LOTS AND LOTS OF CAPS-LOCK AND SWEARZ. ALSO, IT HAS NO ORDER AND PROBABLY MAKES NO SENSE. SO YEAH. WORD.
OH MY FUCKING GOD, I THINK I JUST DIED AND WENT TO FANGIRL HEAVEN. THAT WAS THE MOST EPIC PIECE OF FREAKING AWESOMENESS THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN.
I FUCKING LOVE HARRY POTTER.
RON IS FUCKING ADORABLE.
FELIX FELICIS!HARRY IS SO LULZ.
SLUGHORN IS FANTASTIC.
DUMBLEDORE WAS DAMN HILARIOUS.
RON/LAVENDER MADE ME WANT TO VOMIT.
HARRY/GINNY, I SHIT YOU NEGATIVE, ACTUALLY MADE ME VERY HAPPY.
MCGONAGALL IS THE SHIT.
SAD!DRACO MADE ME VERY SAD. :(
SNAPE WAS THE MOST BADASS THING IN THE ENTIRE FUCKING MOVIE, AND I TOTALLY WANTED TO THROW HIM UP AGAINST THE WALL AND HAVE MY WAY WITH HIM.
BELLATRIX WAS THE SECOND MOST BADASS THING IN THE WHOLE MOVIE.
I FUCKING LOVE HARRY POTTER.
...Now that all of the expletives and insane yelling are out of the way...OH MY GOD, I LOVED THAT MOVIE!!
Seriously, I cried during this movie. I freaking cried. When I read OotP, I bawled like a freaking schoolgirl, and was depressed for two freaking days. But yet, when I saw movie!OotP, I was just like, "Ah, that's sad..." and then moved on. When I read HBP, I got a little misty eyed when Dumbles died, but I didn't cry. And yet, what happened during this movie? I freaking cried! I got all choked up when Harry started force-feeding Dumbles the potion, and it was just downhill from there. Seeing Draco be all emotional, and then seeing Dumbles die, and seeing Snape obviously not happy...god, I cried. And then when Harry found Dumbledore's body, I cried some more, and and when they all raised their wands for him and everyone else was crying too, there were more tears. I just felt awful about it all.
And Jesus Christ, the Sectumsempra scene!! Honestly, I didn't really like HBP my first time through, and I always joked I hated everything up until the second-to-last paragraph of page 521 in that book, because that's when Harry uses Sectumsempra and from that point on, the book got freaking awesome. And when that scene came in the movie, oh sweet jebus was I ready for it. I knew it was coming, and I started to tense up and get all nervous, and when I saw Draco crying, my heart cracked a little bit cause it was so sad. But with the curse itself, as soon as Harry said the word, I got immediately tense and just...I don't know, like, ridiculously tight chested or something. And that whole time he was walking up to Malfoy, it kept getting worse, and then he sees what he did, and it got even worse, and then Snape fucking comes in and sees what happened and he gives Harry that freaking look, and then I lost it. I got all emotional, and though I didn't cry, that tight feeling just got ridiculous and I got all misty-eyed and it was just like that awful, hollow feeling again. And then he runs out, and Snape starts healing Draco, and it gets even even worse, and then Harry is all upset by it, and just...GOD. I thought I was going to freaking lose it. It was just that shocking, hollow kinda feeling, similar to when Dumbledore died and yet, different. To be honest, I was a little upset that they didn't make the slashes and stuff a little more epic looking, but still...probably one of my favorite scenes in the movie. It was fucking brilliant.
And then the scene with Snape at the end! When he was behind Harry and told him to stay quiet, and Harry lowered his wand thinking that Snape was going to help, and I'm sitting in my chair knowing that he's not going to...God, that was so awful too! In the book, Harry was under the invisibility cloak and in a body bind, too, wasn't he? So he was physically prevented from doing anything. But in the movie, he could have actually done something about it, and instead, he put all his trust in Snape and just let him walk in and kill Dumbledore. And to me, I loved the change, because it made it just that much more tragic.
[Quoting Jess:]
Bellatrix, I kind of love her. Kind of.
I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN JESS!! I hate her because she killed Sirius and she's the biggest bitch ever, but I can't help but freaking love her at the same time! I blame most of that on Helena Bonham Carter because she's so freaking brilliant, but still...God, I don't want to like her, but I freaking do. She was so ridiculously awesome and badass and I just...God, I love her.
And speaking of characters, LUNA!! OH MY GOD, EVANNA LYNCH IS MY FREAKING HERO. I LOVE THAT GIRL AND WANT TO BE HER BEST FRIEND.
And McGonagall! You know, I always forget about her, but every time I see her in the movies or read her lines in the books, I'm reminded of how much I love her character. She's witty and cool and just awesome, yet at the same time, super sensitive when she needs to be. The scene at the end where she's with Harry in Dumbledore's office was just so sad, but I loved her for it.
AND THE D-BOX! IT WAS SO BOMB!! It was mostly during Apparition scenes, Quidditch, the Pensieve stuff, and then the cave/battle at the end, but it was so worth it! :D
I realized they left out so much, but honestly, the only thing that I'm really disappointed about is the big thing at the end between Snape and Harry. I love that part so much in the book, and I was kind of upset that they didn't do more with that. It's like, Snape didn't even really get upset that Harry called him a coward, and that kind of irritated me. I loved Harry repeatedly throwing curses at him, particularly Sectumsempra and then the corresponding reveal where Snape tells him that he's the Half-Blood Prince, but I just still felt that the scene was...lacking. I wanted Snape to explode and do the whole, "I AM NOT A COWARD!" line, and go fucking apeshit on Harry, and it didn't happen, and I was really disappointed. And while I did love how it was revealed that Snape was the HBP because of the Sectumsempra thing, in all honesty, it seemed a bit anticlimactic. Like, he just says it, and then kinda walks away, and that's that. WTF?
Finally, I will end this post with my favorite line from the movie:
"So, did you and Ginny do it?"
OH THE LULZ.
Post Two:
[talking about the Sectumsempra scene] I know! That scene was just...just...GAH, I can't even describe it. Like so awful and yet so awesome, and just...yeah.
[About loving Snape] AND I KNOW. I'm telling you, it wasn't until probably OotP that I really started to like Snape - like, I often found him kind of witty or funny or something, but didn't really like him until OotP - and my love for him has just been growing ever since. Snape is the definition of "the shit." Like, he is the biggest BAMF ever, and I freaking LOVE HIM. (And having the sexy Alan Rickman playing him just makes me love him that much more...God, I love that man.)
*cheers for the movie and having a good night* This is definitely one of the nights I'm going to remember most when it comes to HP. *nods*
Post Three:
I know. God, Snape...what a fucking beast. I would do him in a freaking heartbeat, especially if it was Alan!Snape. If I ever met/saw Alan Rickman, I would, no joke, ask to have his babies. He's hot and has the sexiest voice ever and is my all-time favorite actor. I love that man. And I love him as Snape so freaking much. Like you said, that look when he killed Dumbledore - brilliant!
I loved the one-liners and the humor, too, and I'm so glad they kept it. :)
[About them leaving out a bunch of the Pensieve scenes/Voldemort history] I was kinda "eh" about missing the extra stuff about Voldie. Like, for me personally, because I knew the rest of the history, I honestly wasn't that upset about it. Normally, I get pissed when they leave that stuff out, regardless of the fact that I've read the book and know what's going on. But in this case...I knew what was going on and for some reason didn't really mind that they left it all out. I was surprised they did, especially because I think it's really leaving so much out for people who haven't read the books and makes it just that much harder to get or follow, but again, I was personally okay with it.
And I agree - I wish there would have been more action and less romance. I liked the romance, of course, but I wish they would have substituted some for a bit more action. I was really hoping for a bit more of a "battle" at the end instead of just the main showdown between Dumbledore and Snape, you know? I was satisfied with what they gave us, but wished there could have been a little more to the ending.
But yes, this was indeed one BAMF of a movie.
Yeah, I think she'll [Meredith] enjoy Greyback, although, to be honest, I thought he'd have a slightly bigger role. He was scary though!! I'll give him that. And yes, I wished for more Sirius grieving, though I figured they'd cut that...after all, JKR did, so why would they spend any time on it in the movie? :P And Remus was a jerk to Harry. To be honest, that part did piss me off a little bit. I also didn't like that he and Tonks seemed pretty close at that point, too, when she was still supposed to be all depressed about it then.
Post Four:
[Talking about the Remus/Tonks thing] Don't get me wrong, I hate RL/NT, but the way they presented it in the movie was kinda gay. I hope they totally don't skip over it all in DH, but they probably will, and just shorten it like you mentioned, TGBTA.
God, I just want to watch the Sectumsempra scene again. And again. And again. That scene was freaking gorgeously done. I loved it.
So yeah...I LOVED THAT FREAKING MOVIE. BEST HP FILM YET.
And just for fun...here's a video from the news this morning about the new film which was filmed at the MoA last night while I was waiting in line for the movie.
THAT IS ALL.
"Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry."
- Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
~*~
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Can't we have one meeting that doesn't end with digging up a corpse?
OH.
MY.
GOD.
I'M SEEING HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE OPENING NIGHT IN D-BOX!!! AND THEN I'M SEEING IT AGAIN AT THE END OF THE MONTH IN IMAX!!!! OHEMGEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
Okay, so I was going to order my tickets for HBP tonight, and then found out that the theater that we were going to go see the movie at was sold out of tickets. I started looking around at other theaters, and the closest one showing it at midnight that still had tickets available was the theater at the Mall of America. I decided to just order our tickets then, when I realized they had another, different showing of it in addition to the main one. I knew it wasn't the IMAX one, so I checked into it, and the extra one is a D-BOX showing!! There's only five theaters in the US and one in Canada that are doing D-BOX showings, and this happens to be one of them. So, despite the fact that tickets cost $7.50 more than standard showings, we're going to go see the D-BOX one. I'M SO FLIPPIN' EXCITED!!!!
If you're unaware of what D-BOX is, it's basically like a moving chair type thing that reacts in time with what's going on onscreen. It's looks ridiculously awesome. Here's their website: http://www.d-box.com/
Oh, and in addition to this, I'm also seeing the IMAX showing of it at the end of the month. Schiffler (my former English teacher) is taking me to it as part of my graduation gift (the other part being a super sweet copy of Pride and Prejudice that she gave me already). That ones going to be awesome, too!! Apparently, there's 3D footage at the beginning and the end of it, as opposed to just the end in this one. God, I'm SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR THIS MOVIE!!!!!! *SQUEEEEEE* Excuse me while I melt into a puddle of fangirl goo!
Oh yeah, and did I mention that I got a free download of "Friends and Love," the new "single" off of the Half-Blood Prince soundtrack for pre-ordering tickets? Because I did. And it's great. :DDDD *DIES*
OH YEAH, and did I also mention that I bought like a million dollars of Harry and the Potters merchandise? Because I did! They had a giant $5 CD blowout sale (which I think is actually still going on, if you're interested), and since I only had the Scarred for Life 7" and their Enchanted Ceiling EP from the first Wizard Rock EP of the month club (in addition to two HatP t-shirts, a couple of buttons, a tour poster, a toothbrush I got for free for writing an essay on an old summer tour, and a bookmark, mind), I decided to buy the rest of their albums! I ended up buying the A Magical Christmas compilation that they're featured on, Harry and the Potters, Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock!, Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love, the In the Cupboard EP (from the new Wizard Rock EP of the month club, which I didn't join this year), and their new 2-Disc, limited edition album Priori Incantatem (which was the full price of $10 and not part of the sale, actually, but whatevs). I also ended up buying the Unlimited Enthusiasm Zine, since I wasn't able to get it at their tour last year because I ran out of money. :P But anyway, that was only $3, and it also came with a full set of 8 HatP postcards from their summer tour last year, too. AND, in addition to all that, they actually ended up throwing in a bookmark, two buttons, and six UEE nametags from last year's tour FOR FREE, probably because I bought so much shit. SO HOORAY AND HOLY SHITZ FOR ALL THAT!!!
FINALLY, Nancy Mai, the coolest person on the entire planet and a very dear friend of mine, made me POTTER PUPPET PALS!!!!!! OHEMGEE!!!!!! She made me a Harry one and a Snape one, and is in the process of making me a Dumbledore one, too. SO HOORAY FOR THAT!!!!
SO YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR AWESOME HARRY POTTER POST! WORD!!!
I'm a lonely boy
I live beneath the staircase
My cousin is real fat
He makes my life a sad state
The Dursleys are my guardians
They are so mean and evil
If only I had some magic powers
Surely I could make them tremble
- I Am A Wizard, Harry and the Potters
~*~
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Well, whenever I'm confused, I just check my underwear. It holds the answer to all the important questions.
http://caitlinschultzweekly.blogspot.com/
Finally, finally did another one. Holy bejeebus I suck at life. :P
Also, only 18 days, 21 hours, 18 minutes and 50 seconds until Half-Blood Prince comes out (as of right now as I'm typing this), and I get to see it in all it's 3D awesomeness at the IMAX. God Bless Schiff. :DD
~*~
Maybe I would have been something you’d be good at
Maybe you would have been something I’d be good at
But now we’ll never know
I won’t be sad
But in case I go there
Everyday, to make myself feel bad
There’s a chance that I’ll start to wonder if this was the thing to do
- Call it Off, Tegan and Sara
~*~
Finally, finally did another one. Holy bejeebus I suck at life. :P
Also, only 18 days, 21 hours, 18 minutes and 50 seconds until Half-Blood Prince comes out (as of right now as I'm typing this), and I get to see it in all it's 3D awesomeness at the IMAX. God Bless Schiff. :DD
Maybe I would have been something you’d be good at
Maybe you would have been something I’d be good at
But now we’ll never know
I won’t be sad
But in case I go there
Everyday, to make myself feel bad
There’s a chance that I’ll start to wonder if this was the thing to do
- Call it Off, Tegan and Sara
~*~
Sunday, March 22, 2009
You couldn't fool your own mother on the foolingest day of your life with an electrified fooling machine!
http://caitlinschultzweekly.blogspot.com/
I finally did it. Enjoy.
I finally did it. Enjoy.
~*~
To pray for what I thought were angels
Ended up being ambulances
And the Lord showed me dreams of my daughter
She was crying inside your stomach
And I felt love again
- I Can Feel a Hot One, Manchester Orchestra
~*~
To pray for what I thought were angels
Ended up being ambulances
And the Lord showed me dreams of my daughter
She was crying inside your stomach
And I felt love again
- I Can Feel a Hot One, Manchester Orchestra
~*~
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Let's drown our sorrows with a big bowl of strawberry ice cream!
I did a bunch of pointless, random Facebook tagged note thingies tonight (four, to be specific), which I will now post here. Have fun reading through them. I know I had fun writing them!! :DDD
Number One
Ten Things I Wish I Could Say to Ten Different People Right Now:
1. For how amazing you are and how close we are, sometimes, you *really* piss me off...but not enough to ever hate you.
2. I sometimes wish you hadn't grown up after ninth grade and were still the same person you used to be.
3. You're one of the only people who I can never get pissed at, and any anger I feel towards you is usually gone within like two seconds. Thanks for that.
4. You're my best friend. Seriously.
5. I often wish that we never would have made up.
6. I liked you a lot better before you started being who everyone else wanted you to be.
7. I'm sorry for being blinded by other people's interpretations of you. I feel like I really missed out on getting to know you better.
8. I'm sorry for being a jackass to you most of the time. I'm also sorry that, most of the time, you're a jackass.
9. I often wonder if I misjudged you. Then you open your mouth.
10. You are seriously the sweetest, most sincere person I've ever met, and I love you for it.
(...wow, am I ever bitter...)
Nine Things about Myself:
1. "I'm only happy when it rains." :)
2. My obsession with Harry Potter is siriusly unhealthy. ...SEE WHAT I MEAN?!
3. I always say I have better taste in almost everything than everyone else. The funny thing is, I'm completely serious about it.
4. I doubt. A lot. But I still yearn to believe.
5. The only thing I like more than laughing, is making other people laugh.
6. I want to be a writer. And I want to illustrate my books, too.
7. I want to be able to speak a gazillion different languages. I'm up to about one and a half. I have a little ways to go.
8. I can't keep my room clean for the life of me. But I'm okay with that.
9. I try not to let what other people think about me effect my life...but sometimes it does.
Eight Ways to Win My Heart:
1. Love Harry Potter.
2. Don't be an asshat. Nobody wants to date someone with a hat made of ass. Seriously.
3. Have a sense of humor. The more obscure, dark, weird, and/or random, the better.
4. Be a nerd.
5. Love me for me.
6. Being a "spiritual" person is always good.
7. Don't listen to shitty music. Your taste in music does not have to be as good as mine, but it shouldn't be horribly shitty either. And believe me, this one's easy to mess up on, because there's a lot of shitty music out there.
8. Love Harry Potter.
Seven Frequent Thoughts:
1. ...What?
2. I'm hungry.
3. Well, in Harry Potter...
4. ...That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
5. Need Shockwave...
6. Seriously, STFU. Right now.
7. Okay, now what does that mean in English?
Six Things I Do Before I Fall Asleep:
1. Wash face/brush teeth/put on pjs
2. Make sure that I have some homework done, and that I'll have enough time to finish the incomplete stuff in the morning.
3. Think about what I have to do the next day.
4. Set alarm.
5. Put on a random DVD (usually whatever box set I'm currently watching)
6. Fall asleep to TV and my thoughts.
Five People Who Mean a Lot:
1. God
2. Family
3. Friends
4. J. K. Rowling
5. Dan Rad
Four Things I'm Wearing Right Now:
1. Glasses
2. Undergarments
3. Earrings
4. Headband
Three Songs/Bands/Artists I listen to Often:
1. Tegan and Sara
2. Manchester Orchestra
3. Antony and the Johnsons
Two Things I Want to Do Before I die:
1. Write a novel
2. Make enough good decisions to balance out all the bad decisions.
One Confession:
I don't like half of the people that think I like them. Whoops.
Number Two (Dinner with a Gypsy)
Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS
4. Pick ten Random friends who like music as much as you do and tag them.
1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Back in the Village (Iron Maiden)
2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Asleep in the Chest Cavity of the Depraved (ANGELswing) [...hahahaha...]
3. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
A Cosmic Telephone Call (Kali Bahlu)
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Sugarcoated Poison Apple (MxPx)
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
27 (Breaking Point)
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Belt (Mitch Hedberg)
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Come Rain or Come Shine (Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers)
8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Harbour (Moby)
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Symphony No. 95 In C Minor, IV, 3 (Franz Joseph Haydn)
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Trippin' (Kittie)
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Odyssey (Orgy)
13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The Camper Velourium II: Backend of Forever (Coheed and Cambria)
14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
The Pill (Atmosphere)
15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Hollow [Constantly Consuming Mix] (A Perfect Circle)
16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Moya (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) [...that's weird...and unfortunate...]
17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Kiss the Sky (Dear Theophilus) [...:)...]
18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Chance (dcTalk)
19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Hop a Plane (Tegan & Sara)
20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Eric's Song (12 Stones)
21. SONG THEY WILL PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
You Stand Above Me (Antony and the Johnsons)
22. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Dinner with a Gypsy (I Am Legend)
Number Three
Number One
Ten Things I Wish I Could Say to Ten Different People Right Now:
1. For how amazing you are and how close we are, sometimes, you *really* piss me off...but not enough to ever hate you.
2. I sometimes wish you hadn't grown up after ninth grade and were still the same person you used to be.
3. You're one of the only people who I can never get pissed at, and any anger I feel towards you is usually gone within like two seconds. Thanks for that.
4. You're my best friend. Seriously.
5. I often wish that we never would have made up.
6. I liked you a lot better before you started being who everyone else wanted you to be.
7. I'm sorry for being blinded by other people's interpretations of you. I feel like I really missed out on getting to know you better.
8. I'm sorry for being a jackass to you most of the time. I'm also sorry that, most of the time, you're a jackass.
9. I often wonder if I misjudged you. Then you open your mouth.
10. You are seriously the sweetest, most sincere person I've ever met, and I love you for it.
(...wow, am I ever bitter...)
Nine Things about Myself:
1. "I'm only happy when it rains." :)
2. My obsession with Harry Potter is siriusly unhealthy. ...SEE WHAT I MEAN?!
3. I always say I have better taste in almost everything than everyone else. The funny thing is, I'm completely serious about it.
4. I doubt. A lot. But I still yearn to believe.
5. The only thing I like more than laughing, is making other people laugh.
6. I want to be a writer. And I want to illustrate my books, too.
7. I want to be able to speak a gazillion different languages. I'm up to about one and a half. I have a little ways to go.
8. I can't keep my room clean for the life of me. But I'm okay with that.
9. I try not to let what other people think about me effect my life...but sometimes it does.
Eight Ways to Win My Heart:
1. Love Harry Potter.
2. Don't be an asshat. Nobody wants to date someone with a hat made of ass. Seriously.
3. Have a sense of humor. The more obscure, dark, weird, and/or random, the better.
4. Be a nerd.
5. Love me for me.
6. Being a "spiritual" person is always good.
7. Don't listen to shitty music. Your taste in music does not have to be as good as mine, but it shouldn't be horribly shitty either. And believe me, this one's easy to mess up on, because there's a lot of shitty music out there.
8. Love Harry Potter.
Seven Frequent Thoughts:
1. ...What?
2. I'm hungry.
3. Well, in Harry Potter...
4. ...That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
5. Need Shockwave...
6. Seriously, STFU. Right now.
7. Okay, now what does that mean in English?
Six Things I Do Before I Fall Asleep:
1. Wash face/brush teeth/put on pjs
2. Make sure that I have some homework done, and that I'll have enough time to finish the incomplete stuff in the morning.
3. Think about what I have to do the next day.
4. Set alarm.
5. Put on a random DVD (usually whatever box set I'm currently watching)
6. Fall asleep to TV and my thoughts.
Five People Who Mean a Lot:
1. God
2. Family
3. Friends
4. J. K. Rowling
5. Dan Rad
Four Things I'm Wearing Right Now:
1. Glasses
2. Undergarments
3. Earrings
4. Headband
Three Songs/Bands/Artists I listen to Often:
1. Tegan and Sara
2. Manchester Orchestra
3. Antony and the Johnsons
Two Things I Want to Do Before I die:
1. Write a novel
2. Make enough good decisions to balance out all the bad decisions.
One Confession:
I don't like half of the people that think I like them. Whoops.
Number Two (Dinner with a Gypsy)
Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS
4. Pick ten Random friends who like music as much as you do and tag them.
1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Back in the Village (Iron Maiden)
2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Asleep in the Chest Cavity of the Depraved (ANGELswing) [...hahahaha...]
3. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
A Cosmic Telephone Call (Kali Bahlu)
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Sugarcoated Poison Apple (MxPx)
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
27 (Breaking Point)
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Belt (Mitch Hedberg)
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Come Rain or Come Shine (Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers)
8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Harbour (Moby)
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Symphony No. 95 In C Minor, IV, 3 (Franz Joseph Haydn)
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Trippin' (Kittie)
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Odyssey (Orgy)
13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The Camper Velourium II: Backend of Forever (Coheed and Cambria)
14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
The Pill (Atmosphere)
15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Hollow [Constantly Consuming Mix] (A Perfect Circle)
16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Moya (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) [...that's weird...and unfortunate...]
17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Kiss the Sky (Dear Theophilus) [...:)...]
18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Chance (dcTalk)
19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Hop a Plane (Tegan & Sara)
20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Eric's Song (12 Stones)
21. SONG THEY WILL PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
You Stand Above Me (Antony and the Johnsons)
22. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Dinner with a Gypsy (I Am Legend)
Number Three
Post your name and I will do each of the following:
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you which song or movie you remind me of.
3. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
4. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
5. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
6. I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.
7. I'll tell you my favorite thing about you.
8. I'll tell you my least favorite thing about you.
9. If you play, you MUST post this on yours
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you which song or movie you remind me of.
3. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
4. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
5. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
6. I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.
7. I'll tell you my favorite thing about you.
8. I'll tell you my least favorite thing about you.
9. If you play, you MUST post this on yours
Sunday, November 16, 2008
How is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain.
So, it's currently 8:26pm on a Sunday night as I am writing this, and I still have yet to start my homework. Now, normally, this wouldn't be a big deal. I'd normally just pull that one essay out of my ass, finish up a worksheet for French, and altogether ignore my Calc homework, like every other night. However, on this particular night, I don't just have a simple English essay and half-finished French worksheet. Tonight, I've got a little bit more. Let's make a list, shall we?
AP Calculus: Review problems, studying for No Calculator Unit Test tomorrow, and Calculator Permitted Unit Test on Tuesday.
American Government: Nothing, actually, which I guess is one good thing
English: A synthesis essay on some packet we read last week for Frankenstein...and, for the first time in my life, I have no idea what to write for this. Also, I have about five other assignments/essays I haven't turned in for this class that I still need to get finished and turned in so I don't fail. :P
Gym: Read through two self-defense packets, familiarize myself with the information contained in them.
AP Biology: An entire study guide (it's like six pages, and we were supposed to be doing it over the course of the last three or so weeks), two test essays, and studying for unit test tomorrow.
CIS French IV: Three or so worksheets from our workbook packets, some reading from our text book, write the last three-fourths of our script for our speaking quiz on Wednesday, and studying said script so I can memorize it by then.
So yeah...I'm a bit overwhelmed in the homework department here. You think I would've started this on Friday, and spent most of yesterday working on all this stuff, finishing off today with some good studying. But instead, I'm sitting here, now at 8:34pm on Sunday night, and I haven't started any of this. And instead of working on this stuff now, I'm writing a blog about how I should work on it, but I'm still failing to do so.
Wow, what's up with that?
I'd like to blame it all on a case of Senioritis. And, quite honestly, part of that does play into this. Especially since I'm going to Normandale next year, and though I have yet to apply (I know, just one more thing I keep putting off), I'm about 99% positive I'm getting in, because I'm not retarded, and currently have a B+ average with a 27 ACT score and did PSEO there during my junior year, which, by Normandale standards, makes me a freaking genius. But I digress...
Despite the fact that part of my lack of severe procrastination and "I don't give a shit" attitude is due to this "Senioritis," fact of the matter is, I've been doing this for far longer than this year. I mean, I've been procrasinating for years. And I mean years; I honestly remember putting off my first major project until the night before it was due when I was in fifth grade. Seriously. By now, I'm a pro at waiting until the last minute and pulling shit out of my ass (no pun intended).
But even with that, I've never been this bad. In the past, I've still always gotten the work done, even if it meant staying up until un-godly hours of the morning to do so. Don't get me wrong; I've missed more than a few assignments, and there have been numerous times where I haven't done my homework, but really - this is a bit ridiculous.
I think maybe it's just that I really don't care as much anymore, as obvious and/or as stupid as that may sound. It's like, I leave home at 7:30 in the morning, and literally don't get home until 7:30/7:45 at night. That's 12 hours of my day that I've spent at work and school. And I'm sorry, but the last thing I want to do at the end of a day is a shitload of homework. The same applies for weekends, too; at the end of a week spent at work and school, and staying up extremely late those nights when I actually do my homework, I just want to be able to sleep in a little on Saturday, and then get up and, for once, spend a little time doing what I want to do, not what I have to do.
It sucks that I'm forced to do a gazillion hours of homework every night (and a gazillion times a gazillion on nights like tonight when I've been putting everything off all weekend), when, in just over six months time, I'll be out of this school and done with high school entirely. And I hate that I have to do this to "prove" that I'm smart and diligent or something. I know I'm smart, and I know that, when it comes to something important to me, that I am diligent and responsible. That may sound cocky as hell, but damnit, I know that I'm intelligent and creative and smarter than a lot of the people I know, but that I just don't always apply myself because I think that a lot of what we do in school is so retarded and so pointless, that I feel like I'm wasting my time trying to do it. Again, call it cocky and arrogant and bigheaded if you want, but fuck, I know it's true. And it sucks that this is how it is.
But you know what sucks even more? The fact that I'm going to be starting this all over again when I go to college next year.
I used to look forward to college. But after attending college last year, I realized it's much the same as high school, except that more kids smoke and the parking lot's a lot fuller and I don't know nearly as many people. And the classes are a lot more intense and the teacher's care less if you have other stuff going on outside of their class and people are less likely to smile at you in the hallways and I feel a lot more like I'm just walking through the hallways without any purpose.
I don't know...all I do know is, I'm not looking forward to going back there anymore than I'm looking forward to doing all my homework tonight. And it sucks, because based on what everyone else has told me, I need at least a basic college degree to get anywhere in life these days. And if I don't have one? I'll be working at Lifetouch for the next fifty years of my life, something that seems even more depressing.
All I want to do with my life is write and paint and travel and love and laugh and live. But I feel like my entire life right now, and for the next fifty-odd years or so of my life until I retire, is just going to be one boring day after the next, where I'm either in school, or working to pay for school or my home or my car or my life in general. And it's really depressing. Maybe this is just the part of my brain that is scared of leaving high school because it means I'm giving up the last 18 years of my life, giving up on my childhood and my dreams and everything that it was and is to be me, in order to go out into a giant world that's scary and either super unpredictable or super predictable, where I'm going to have to work everyday just to make ends meet and never have anytime for myself until I retire, at which point I'll probably be so old I won't have the strength or ability to do what I want anymore. Maybe it's just me trying to cling to what I've always known and lived and what I will soon be ripped away from. But if that's the case, really, what am I clinging to? I'm not saying that my life over the last 18 years has been terrible, but there are a lot of things that I've gone through that I never want to repeat again. And if this is just the beginning...well, quite frankly, I'm not sure I'm ready for what comes next.
I honestly don't know where this is going anymore...what started as a post half an hour ago about me not doing homework has now turned into a post that is deeply rooted in fear about moving on, but also a fear of staying put. I don't know...I have no idea what to do with myself anymore. Somehow, I thought senior year would be different, you know? And it is, I suppose; just not in the way I planned. Fuck.
AP Calculus: Review problems, studying for No Calculator Unit Test tomorrow, and Calculator Permitted Unit Test on Tuesday.
American Government: Nothing, actually, which I guess is one good thing
English: A synthesis essay on some packet we read last week for Frankenstein...and, for the first time in my life, I have no idea what to write for this. Also, I have about five other assignments/essays I haven't turned in for this class that I still need to get finished and turned in so I don't fail. :P
Gym: Read through two self-defense packets, familiarize myself with the information contained in them.
AP Biology: An entire study guide (it's like six pages, and we were supposed to be doing it over the course of the last three or so weeks), two test essays, and studying for unit test tomorrow.
CIS French IV: Three or so worksheets from our workbook packets, some reading from our text book, write the last three-fourths of our script for our speaking quiz on Wednesday, and studying said script so I can memorize it by then.
So yeah...I'm a bit overwhelmed in the homework department here. You think I would've started this on Friday, and spent most of yesterday working on all this stuff, finishing off today with some good studying. But instead, I'm sitting here, now at 8:34pm on Sunday night, and I haven't started any of this. And instead of working on this stuff now, I'm writing a blog about how I should work on it, but I'm still failing to do so.
Wow, what's up with that?
I'd like to blame it all on a case of Senioritis. And, quite honestly, part of that does play into this. Especially since I'm going to Normandale next year, and though I have yet to apply (I know, just one more thing I keep putting off), I'm about 99% positive I'm getting in, because I'm not retarded, and currently have a B+ average with a 27 ACT score and did PSEO there during my junior year, which, by Normandale standards, makes me a freaking genius. But I digress...
Despite the fact that part of my lack of severe procrastination and "I don't give a shit" attitude is due to this "Senioritis," fact of the matter is, I've been doing this for far longer than this year. I mean, I've been procrasinating for years. And I mean years; I honestly remember putting off my first major project until the night before it was due when I was in fifth grade. Seriously. By now, I'm a pro at waiting until the last minute and pulling shit out of my ass (no pun intended).
But even with that, I've never been this bad. In the past, I've still always gotten the work done, even if it meant staying up until un-godly hours of the morning to do so. Don't get me wrong; I've missed more than a few assignments, and there have been numerous times where I haven't done my homework, but really - this is a bit ridiculous.
I think maybe it's just that I really don't care as much anymore, as obvious and/or as stupid as that may sound. It's like, I leave home at 7:30 in the morning, and literally don't get home until 7:30/7:45 at night. That's 12 hours of my day that I've spent at work and school. And I'm sorry, but the last thing I want to do at the end of a day is a shitload of homework. The same applies for weekends, too; at the end of a week spent at work and school, and staying up extremely late those nights when I actually do my homework, I just want to be able to sleep in a little on Saturday, and then get up and, for once, spend a little time doing what I want to do, not what I have to do.
It sucks that I'm forced to do a gazillion hours of homework every night (and a gazillion times a gazillion on nights like tonight when I've been putting everything off all weekend), when, in just over six months time, I'll be out of this school and done with high school entirely. And I hate that I have to do this to "prove" that I'm smart and diligent or something. I know I'm smart, and I know that, when it comes to something important to me, that I am diligent and responsible. That may sound cocky as hell, but damnit, I know that I'm intelligent and creative and smarter than a lot of the people I know, but that I just don't always apply myself because I think that a lot of what we do in school is so retarded and so pointless, that I feel like I'm wasting my time trying to do it. Again, call it cocky and arrogant and bigheaded if you want, but fuck, I know it's true. And it sucks that this is how it is.
But you know what sucks even more? The fact that I'm going to be starting this all over again when I go to college next year.
I used to look forward to college. But after attending college last year, I realized it's much the same as high school, except that more kids smoke and the parking lot's a lot fuller and I don't know nearly as many people. And the classes are a lot more intense and the teacher's care less if you have other stuff going on outside of their class and people are less likely to smile at you in the hallways and I feel a lot more like I'm just walking through the hallways without any purpose.
I don't know...all I do know is, I'm not looking forward to going back there anymore than I'm looking forward to doing all my homework tonight. And it sucks, because based on what everyone else has told me, I need at least a basic college degree to get anywhere in life these days. And if I don't have one? I'll be working at Lifetouch for the next fifty years of my life, something that seems even more depressing.
All I want to do with my life is write and paint and travel and love and laugh and live. But I feel like my entire life right now, and for the next fifty-odd years or so of my life until I retire, is just going to be one boring day after the next, where I'm either in school, or working to pay for school or my home or my car or my life in general. And it's really depressing. Maybe this is just the part of my brain that is scared of leaving high school because it means I'm giving up the last 18 years of my life, giving up on my childhood and my dreams and everything that it was and is to be me, in order to go out into a giant world that's scary and either super unpredictable or super predictable, where I'm going to have to work everyday just to make ends meet and never have anytime for myself until I retire, at which point I'll probably be so old I won't have the strength or ability to do what I want anymore. Maybe it's just me trying to cling to what I've always known and lived and what I will soon be ripped away from. But if that's the case, really, what am I clinging to? I'm not saying that my life over the last 18 years has been terrible, but there are a lot of things that I've gone through that I never want to repeat again. And if this is just the beginning...well, quite frankly, I'm not sure I'm ready for what comes next.
I honestly don't know where this is going anymore...what started as a post half an hour ago about me not doing homework has now turned into a post that is deeply rooted in fear about moving on, but also a fear of staying put. I don't know...I have no idea what to do with myself anymore. Somehow, I thought senior year would be different, you know? And it is, I suppose; just not in the way I planned. Fuck.
~o~*~o~
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking.
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older.
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.
-Time, Pink Floyd
All you touch and all you see,
Is all your life will ever be.
-Breathe, Pink Floyd
Is this the real life,
Is this just fantasy,
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
-Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older.
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.
-Time, Pink Floyd
All you touch and all you see,
Is all your life will ever be.
-Breathe, Pink Floyd
Is this the real life,
Is this just fantasy,
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
-Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
Monday, September 15, 2008
Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel.
Standing on a corner watching all the girls go by
Standing on a corner watching all the girls go by
Brother you don't know a nicer occupation
Matter of fact, neither do I
Than standing on a corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by
I'm the cat that got the cream
Haven't got a girl but I can dream
Haven't got a girl but I can wish
So I'll take me down to Main street
And that's where I select my imaginary dish
Standing on a corner watching all the girls go by
Standing on a corner giving all the girls the eye
Brother if you've got a rich imagination
Give it a whirl, give it a try
Try standing on a corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by
Brother you can't go to jail for what you're thinking
Or for that woo look in your eye
Standing on the corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by
Powder your face with sunshine
Put on a great big smile
Make up your eyes with laughter
Folks will be laughing with you in a little while
Whistle a tune of gladness
Blue never was in style
The future's brighter when hearts are lighter
So smile smile smile
Powder your face with sunshine
Put on a great big smile
Make up your eyes with laughter
Folks will be laughing with you in a little while
Whistle a tune of gladness
Blue never was in style
The future's brighter when hearts are lighter
Future's brighter, hearts are lighter
When you're wearing a great big smile
'm praying for rain in California
So the grapes can grow and they can make more wine
And I'm sitting in a honky in Chicago
With a broken heart and a woman on my mind
I matched the man behind the bar for the jukebox
And the music takes me back to Tennessee
And he asked who's the fool in the corner crying
I say a little ole wine drinker me
I came here last week from down in Nashville
'Cause my baby left for Florida on a train
I thought I'd get a job and just forget her
But in Chicago, the broken heartache's still the same
I matched the man behind the bar for the jukebox
And the music takes me back to Tennessee
When they ask who's the fool in the corner crying
I say a little ole wine drinker me
I say a little ole wine drinker me
How lucky can one guy be
I kissed her and she kissed me
Like the fella once said
Ain't that a kick in the head
The room was completely black
I hugger her and she hugged back
Like the sailor said, quote "ain't that a hole in the boat"
My head keeps spinning
I go to sleep and keep grinning
If this is just the beginning, my life's gonna be beautiful
I've got sunshine enough to spread
It's like the fella said
Tell me quick ain't love like a kick in the head
Like the fella once said
Ain't love like a kick in the head
Like the sailor said, quote "ain't that a hole in the boat"
My head keeps spinning
I go to sleep and keep grinning
If this is just the beginning, my life's gonna be beautiful
She's telling me we'll be wed
She's picked out a kink size bed
I couldn't fell any better or I'd be sick
Tell me quick, oh ain't love a kick
Tell me quick, ain't love a kick in the head
...I love Dean Martin like a diehard Snarry shipper likes the HPSS bumlove...
~o~*~o~
"The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
That’s her destiny"
-The Winner Takes it All, Abba (or, as I prefer it, Meryl Streep)
Standing on a corner watching all the girls go by
Brother you don't know a nicer occupation
Matter of fact, neither do I
Than standing on a corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by
I'm the cat that got the cream
Haven't got a girl but I can dream
Haven't got a girl but I can wish
So I'll take me down to Main street
And that's where I select my imaginary dish
Standing on a corner watching all the girls go by
Standing on a corner giving all the girls the eye
Brother if you've got a rich imagination
Give it a whirl, give it a try
Try standing on a corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by
Brother you can't go to jail for what you're thinking
Or for that woo look in your eye
Standing on the corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by
Powder your face with sunshine
Put on a great big smile
Make up your eyes with laughter
Folks will be laughing with you in a little while
Whistle a tune of gladness
Blue never was in style
The future's brighter when hearts are lighter
So smile smile smile
Powder your face with sunshine
Put on a great big smile
Make up your eyes with laughter
Folks will be laughing with you in a little while
Whistle a tune of gladness
Blue never was in style
The future's brighter when hearts are lighter
Future's brighter, hearts are lighter
When you're wearing a great big smile
'm praying for rain in California
So the grapes can grow and they can make more wine
And I'm sitting in a honky in Chicago
With a broken heart and a woman on my mind
I matched the man behind the bar for the jukebox
And the music takes me back to Tennessee
And he asked who's the fool in the corner crying
I say a little ole wine drinker me
I came here last week from down in Nashville
'Cause my baby left for Florida on a train
I thought I'd get a job and just forget her
But in Chicago, the broken heartache's still the same
I matched the man behind the bar for the jukebox
And the music takes me back to Tennessee
When they ask who's the fool in the corner crying
I say a little ole wine drinker me
I say a little ole wine drinker me
How lucky can one guy be
I kissed her and she kissed me
Like the fella once said
Ain't that a kick in the head
The room was completely black
I hugger her and she hugged back
Like the sailor said, quote "ain't that a hole in the boat"
My head keeps spinning
I go to sleep and keep grinning
If this is just the beginning, my life's gonna be beautiful
I've got sunshine enough to spread
It's like the fella said
Tell me quick ain't love like a kick in the head
Like the fella once said
Ain't love like a kick in the head
Like the sailor said, quote "ain't that a hole in the boat"
My head keeps spinning
I go to sleep and keep grinning
If this is just the beginning, my life's gonna be beautiful
She's telling me we'll be wed
She's picked out a kink size bed
I couldn't fell any better or I'd be sick
Tell me quick, oh ain't love a kick
Tell me quick, ain't love a kick in the head
...I love Dean Martin like a diehard Snarry shipper likes the HPSS bumlove...
~o~*~o~
"The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
That’s her destiny"
-The Winner Takes it All, Abba (or, as I prefer it, Meryl Streep)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I've gone back in time to when dinosaurs weren't just confined to zoos.
I thought I'd post a copy of my research paper from my Freshman Comp course from Normandale last year on here, because a friend of mine wanted to read it. So yeah... since I'm too lazy to upload the actual thing to either an e-mail and send it or another site where everyone can read it all formatted and whatnot, I decided to just post it here. Note that because of that, it's obviously missing a title and table of contents page, and the formatting that I do have is really terrible, but whatever. I'm not really expecting anyone other than her to read it, so yeah. But if you're interested in the topic, give it a little skim. And if you're really interested in what a paper of this magnitude is like when you write it all the night before it's due, DEFINITELY check this out. :) So with that, I give you:
Music piracy is a controversial issue in today’s society. There have been many disputes and cases filed over whether or not an individual has the right to use an electronic medium to take from or share a piece of music with another person based on the United States copyright laws surrounding it. And with the rise of technology and global communication over the last decade, there has also been a rise in music piracy. However, while some companies – like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) – still think that electronically downloading, burning, and file-sharing music illegally is harmful, many recording artists who are the “victims” of piracy are now in favor of it, and are actually embracing it and using it to their advantage.
Many organizations today are trying to tell society that not only is music piracy illegal, but that it’s also morally wrong. MusicUnited, an organization that is trying to publicize how and why piracy is wrong and the negative effects that it can have has said, “Most of us would never even consider stealing something – say, a picture or a piece of clothing – from a friend’s house. Our sense of right and wrong keeps most of us from doing something so selfish and anti-social. Yet when it comes to stealing digital recordings of copyrighted music, people somehow seem to think the same rules don’t apply – even though criminal penalties can be as high as 5 years in prison or $250,000 in fines,” (MusicUnited). Basically, what they’re saying is, stealing is stealing. Taking a book from a store without paying for it is stealing, and stealing is illegal. Most people know this, and would have the common sense not to do something like this. The same idea holds true for a song, however; if one downloads a song from the internet without paying for it and without the artist or record company’s consent, then one is stealing the song, which is an illegal action. It’s as simple as that.
However, some people still have trouble comprehending that, because MusicUnited, the RIAA, and other organizations are continually trying to get out the word about the negative effects that music piracy has on bands and record companies, and that the action itself is illegal. According to statistics found on the RIAA’s official website, global piracy causes, “$12.5 billion of economic losses every year.” (RIAA). Also, there are, “71,060 U.S. jobs lost, a loss of $2.7 million dollars in workers’ earning, and a loss of $422 million in tax revenues, $291 million in personal income tax and $131 million lost in corporate income and production taxes,” (RIAA) every year due to music piracy. Those are some very startling figures. Basically, what all those numbers mean is that the recording industry is losing very large sums of money every year due to music piracy, and therefore, they cannot afford to pay employees that work for them, resulting in many job losses. These statistics are what have led the RIAA to believe that music piracy is harmful, and needs to be stopped.
There are also laws surrounding music piracy that are further backing up the RIAA’s case. According to federal copyright law, there are, “severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, rental or digital transmission of copyrighted sound recordings. (Title 17, United States Code, Sections 501 and 506). The FBI investigates allegations of criminal copyright infringement and violators will be prosecuted,” (RIAA). If a song or an album is copyrighted, and one uploads the album onto the internet or downloads it from a website without paying for it or without the consent of the record company and/or band, then one is, in effect, breaking copyright law and stealing the album, which could result in one being arrested and/or fined.
But, again, it is not simply legal issues that give anti-piracy supporters a reason to prosecute those that choose to download music. As mentioned previously, morals play a large role on their decisions and actions, and so do the livelihoods of all the musicians who make the music. Many people fighting in the battle against piracy feel that by downloading music illegally, one is disrespecting the band whose music one is downloading, and that one is preventing said band from earning money for the work that they are doing. MusicUnited has stated that stealing music, “…stifles the careers of new artists and up-and-coming bands.” (MusicUnited). They believe that by downloading an album, one is preventing a sale to the band. This means that, while one may have a copy of the album, that one is not actually giving anything back to the band for having it. By stealing the music, one would be stealing money from the band, which can damage the band’s career, especially if they are not very well-established.
Not only that, but the site also goes on to say , “The cost of recording and promoting a major album can easily top $1 million, and only one out of every ten ever turns a profit.” (MusicUnited). Albums are extremely expensive to create and market and produce, and by downloading an album without paying for it, one would be making it harder for a band to make a profit from their CD. Based on all of these facts, one can see that there are many moral and legal issues surrounding the controversy over music piracy, and why it has the potential to be harmful to those involved in the music industry.
It is not only organizations who are sharing their views on the music piracy issue, however. Many bands and artists are now coming forward and sharing their personal views on illegally downloading music. And, surprisingly enough, not all of them see it as harmful. Obviously, there are many who agree with the RIAA’s stance on music piracy and believe that it is wrong and hurting their careers. Multi-Platinum Award-Winning artist Eve has been quoted as saying, “We work really hard. We love our fans and we appreciate the love, but don’t steal from us, support us. Go in the stores and buy the records.” (MusicUnited). Musician Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits has said, “You might as well walk into a record store, put the CD's in your pocket and walk out without paying for them,” (MusicUnited). These artists, obviously, are just as opposed to illegally downloading music as the RIAA seems to be. They feel that, with all of the hard work they do, they should be able to profit from their work. And those that illegally download are stealing their music and are preventing them from receiving the money that they claim to rightfully deserve. The Barenaked Ladies, a famous Canadian band, says, “When the Gap went online, T-shirts didn't become free,” (MusicUnited). They are stating that, just because one can find music online, doesn’t mean that one is allowed to download it at no cost. These artists – and many others, including music-icon Madonna, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Elton John, three-time Grammy winner Diddy, rap-icon Eminem, and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, to name a few – believe that uploading, downloading, and file-sharing music is, first and foremost, against the law, and second, damaging each of them as a band or musician. And they would all prefer to see music piracy put to a stop.
Yet, not all bands agree. In fact, many popular artists are in favor of downloading music for free, and are using it as a way to boost their sales as opposed to lowering them. Not only that, but there are many musicians who feel that some of the facts that the RIAA is coming up with are not true, and are not a very good representative of the general population of music lovers.
One of the most outspoken people about music piracy and views on it in the musical world is singer/songwriter Janis Ian. Since 1957, Ian has been producing music professionally, and has been nominated for and won many awards for her music, in addition to being known world-wide for it (Ian, Wikipedia). Ian differs from many artists in the fact that she feels that music piracy can actually be good for an artist’s career. She has written two major articles on music piracy on her official site stating her beliefs, and the overall theme of both is that the RIAA has mixed up and misinterpreted a lot of their facts, and that music piracy can actually do more good than harm. (Ian, Debacle and Fallout).
Ian has asked, “Who gets hurt by free downloads? Save a handful of super-successes like Celine Dion, none of us. We only get helped,” (Ian, Debacle). She claims that, apart from really well-known, well-paid musicians, not many artists today are really suffering due to piracy; if anything, they are only being helped by it. In fact, she has stated that, since she began placing free downloads of some of her songs on her site, her merchandise sales have increased by 300%. (Ian, Fallout). That is a significant percentage for sales to go up, and she believes that it is directly related to the fact that she is now letting fans download her music for free.
Ian isn’t the only one who believes in piracy, however. Many other bands and artists are pro-piracy as well. Radiohead, an Electronic Alt-Rock band from England, released their album In Rainbows last year as a free digital download. Fans did not have to go out and pay money to buy the album when it came out; instead, they could download it all directly off the band’s site for free (Radiohead). Trent Reznor, the popular industrial musician behind Nine Inch Nails, is a believer in illegally file-sharing songs, even boasting about having an account on the now late torrent-based file-sharing site OiNK (Buskirk).
Reznor, who recently split from his label, also decided to release his newest album in much the same way as Radiohead by offering the first nine tracks for free download off of his website. If the more diehard fans wanted more, they could get a, “$5 download of all 36 tracks, a $10 two CD set, a $75 deluxe edition package and a $300 ultra-deluxe limited edition package which featured a Reznor autograph, along with a variety of other merchandise,” (Strobel). He charged money to those fans who really wanted to pay for the album out of their love and respect for him, but allowed others to download a part of the album for free if they wanted to. Because of the respect that many fans have for Reznor, “the limited edition [$300] package…sold out all 2,500 copies,” (Strobel). Reznor proved here that a band does not need to professionally market their CDs and have a price put on them for people to buy; allowing the fans the option of downloading an album could potentially boost record sales.
Other artists, too, including Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra and the members of the band Staple, allow fans to download, upload, and share their music for free. And they all claim their record sales haven’t been hurt because of it. Some bands have also embraced file-sharing because they feel that they are spreading the word about their band more effectively by allowing people to keep passing on their music to others free of charge. In an interview with ThEbAkEr, a female musician who is part of the underground experimental black metal band DarkGrandpa, she stated that she and her band allow their fans to download a good portion of their music, because, “It’s nice to be able to show the old fans our new stuff and introduce new fans to what we have to offer,” (ThEbAkEr). Others feel the same way, stating that it’s easier for people to hear about and listen to them if their fans are able to freely spread their music around without having to purchase a new copy of the CD each time. Ian has claimed that artists do not become successful strictly through CD sales, but through “exposure,” (Ian, Debacle). She says that people aren’t going to buy a band’s CDs if they don’t know who the band is; they need exposure in order for people to hear about them and buy their CDs in the first place. And she believes that downloading albums on the internet for free is a great way for a band to gain this necessary exposure (Ian, Debacle). By downloading or sharing copies of music by an artist, individuals are getting to hear what said artist sounds like without having to pay full price for their CD. Before going out and spending money on a CD that one has the chance of not even enjoying, one could download or get a burned copy of the album to “preview” the tracks first. And if one likes the CD enough, one can then go out and purchase a copy of it.
Many bands are also beginning to see more eye-to-eye with those who are pro-piracy because they feel as though what the RIAA is saying is a misinterpretation of the facts. They say that, while the record companies and music industry in general may be losing some money from illegal downloads, that they themselves are not experiencing much – if any – negative effects from it. Popular mainstream rapper 50 Cent has been quoted as saying, “What is important for the music industry to understand is that this [music piracy] really doesn't hurt the artists.” (50 Cent). Janis Ian also believes that RIAA and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) are being ridiculous in saying that downloading is costing her money and hurting her record sales. She says, “The premise of all this ballyhoo is that the industry (and its artists) are being harmed by free downloading. Nonsense,” (Ian, Debacle). She believes that the case that the RIAA is trying to make about piracy hurting a band’s record sales is false. In fact, she goes on to say that, “…after 37 years as a recording artist, [and] creating 25 albums for major labels,” she’s, “never once received a royalty check that didn’t show that I [she] owed them money,” (Ian, Debacle). She claims that she has made most of her money from touring and shows, merchandise, updating her own site, writing articles, etc. This gets her money and exposure, which results in a larger profit for her. The idea, then, that piracy has been hurting her income is preposterous. One must ask the question, then, as to whether the organizations who are against piracy are more worried about the impact it’s having on the artist’s finances or their own.
Courtney Love, widow of grunge legend Kurt Cobain and singer and frontwoman of the band Hole, doesn’t necessarily agree with music piracy, but does agree with the thought that the bands are the ones losing the most profit from sales due to piracy is ridiculous. Much like Ian, Love claims that the labels these days are making the most money. According to her, many musicians have even had to file bankruptcy to make any money or get out of terrible contracts with their labels, because, despite the fact that their albums are selling millions of copies and earning them millions of dollars, they’re not seeing any of that money; their labels are getting it all. (Love). She has cited different artists and groups that this has happened to over the years, including TLC and Toni Braxton (Love).
Love has mentioned on her internet blog that the RIAA is upset about piracy because it is coming out of their pockets, not the artists. In fact, because of the way that some companies are interpreting copyright laws, many are claiming that they own the rights to a musician’s song as opposed to the musician’s themselves owning it. Many artists are opposed to this, and Love is one of them. She explains her reasoning like this: “When you look at a legal line on a CD, it says copyright 1976 Atlantic Records or copyright 1996 RCA Records. When you look at a book, though, it’ll say something like copyright 1991 Susan Faludi, or David Foster Wallace. Authors own their books and license them to publishers. When the contract runs out, writers get their books back. But record companies on our copyrights forever,” (Love). What Love is saying here is that, unlike author’s who own the rights to their books, most musicians don’t own the rights to their own music; their labels are the ones that own it and are allowed to make all decisions concerning it.
In the interview with ThEbAkEr, this musician thought the RIAA owning the rights to a band’s music was, “stupid,” (ThEbAkEr). While not signed to a label, she still believes that labels have too much control over their bands music, and that they have more rights than they should. She believes that most decisions concerning piracy should be left up to the band or musician, not their label (ThEbAkEr). And, because artists want the freedom to make their own decisions and own their own music, many are leaving their labels. According to Love, many bands are choosing to leave their labels once their contract expires so that they can manage themselves. This allows them to have more money and take all their profits for themselves, without having to pay their record companies, and allows them to make more of their own decision (Love). Reznor, mentioned earlier as splitting from his label and producing and marketing his own music, has already done this, and many bands are sure to follow him.
What does this all mean for the RIAA, then, and how does it relate to piracy? Simple: if bands start disagreeing with and leaving their labels, said labels aren’t going to be getting any money. And therefore, neither is the RIAA. According to Orson Scott Card, author of more than thirty novels and a regular contributor to the online political newspaper, Ornery American, record companies are realizing that, “musicians don’t need them [the record companies] anymore,” (Card). And if a musician doesn’t need a label anymore, that means less and less money for the label. Which is why some argue that so many companies and organizations are so dead-set against piracy: they don’t want to lose a profit. After hearing this and examining how the RIAA has misinterpreted and not been completely honest about some of their facts and statistics, one must wonder if they are not just pushing the issue because they are most worried about losing money for themselves. Of course there are some who must have the artist’s best interests at heart, and indeed, there are many artists who against illegally downloading music. However, one must also note that it is interesting that most of the hype and controversy surrounding music piracy comes from those who are being most greatly effected by it, and yet, are not making the music in the first place.
So, this all leaves one with a few final thoughts: What does one do about the issue of music piracy? Is there a way to resolve it? Do companies like the RIAA just continue to slowly track down and sue each music pirate one by one? Or, can artists and their labels learn to adapt to piracy?
According to a 1996 article by James Boyle in the New York Times, “If classroom copying is sharply curtailed, if we give someone a software patent over basic functions, at some point public domain will be so diminished that future creators will be prevented from creating because they won’t be able to afford the materials they need. An intellectual property system has to insure that the fertile public domain is not converted into a fellow landscape of walled private plots,” (Boyle). What he is saying is that, if we keep putting into effect new kinds of copyright laws, and we keep preventing people from using material that has already been used, that, eventually, no one is going to be able to create anything new anymore. In effect, creating more, tougher laws isn’t necessarily going to make things better; if anything, in the long run, it could actually makes things worse.
Instead, labels, companies, and musicians need to try a number of other ways to go about relating to the piracy issue. Card has offered some suggestions on how to lower file-sharing, beginning with just telling people to cut back. He has said that these people in charge should not outright tell those that are downloading to stop or arrest them for it as the RIAA has been doing, but “scorn” them for it. He also suggests that the record companies should get rid of the, “piracy hurts sales crap,” and should, “drop CD prices to a reasonable level,” (Card). And, most importantly, “start treating the artists better,” and, “stop threatening…[people] with ludicrous prosecution,” (Card). He is saying that, while labels still have a right to profit from music sales and therefore be angry because they are down, that the ways in which they are going about to prevent this are only making matters worse. Instead of suing everyone and telling them to quit right this second, they should just tell music pirates to cut back on the amount they download and support the artists they love by occasionally buying a new CD. And if labels lower CD prices to a more reasonable level, this should encourage people to buy more CDs. By learning to adapt to the issue instead of opposing it, the RIAA will not only be saving a lot of time and money, but, if done properly, could be making more money in the long run.
Labels also need to realize that society and technology today is different than it was five, ten, or even twenty years ago. Anthony G. Gorry, a professor of management and computer science at Rice University, has said that music companies really need to learn to adapt to the increasing amount of technological advances. By simply calling Person-To-Person (P2P) sharing, “theft,” they are overlooking the technology that has allowed that to be so. He claims that today’s kids are raised in a different society, and have different beliefs relating to technology and illegally downloading music, which music companies fail to recognize (Gorry). He believes that as technology advances and changes, that more and more people are seeing it as a better way to get what they want without any negative effects, and that many believe that piracy isn’t wrong. Because of this, companies need to learn to adapt and somehow embrace this, because, as time goes on, it’s only going to increase. And being so thoroughly opposed to it is going to get them nowhere. Companies are already starting to this a little bit. When posed with the question as to whether CD burners should be outlawed, since many people are using them to burn illegal copies of CDs, the RIAA has stated they do not believe that is a good way to go about things. They believe that, while burners are obviously being used to make illegal copies of CDs, that CD burners and other “burning” or “copying” devices should not be outlawed. They have claimed that, “Devices and technology are not the problem. It’s when people use technology to break the law that we take issue,” (RIAA). In other words, they want people to use CD burners and other technological devices, but in a responsible, legal way. This still isn’t adapting quite as much as they could – or should – be adapting, but it is a start and is showing that they are finally beginning to acknowledge that some things in technology are almost encouraging people to pirate music, and that it would be virtually impossible to completely get rid of it based on that.
Finally, it has been stated by many that one of the best ways to go about eliminating piracy is to make products that consumers will enjoy for a reasonable price. Ian has stated in one of her articles on piracy that, “It’s difficult to convince an educated audience that artists and record labels are about to go down the drain because they, the consumer, are downloading music. Particularly when they’re paying $50-$125 a piece for concert tickets, and $15.99 for a new CD they know costs less than a couple of dollars to manufacture and distribute,” (Ian, Debacle.) She believes that part of the reason that people pirate music so much is not just because it’s free and easy and technology allows them to do so, but because the cost of CDs, concert tickets, and other merchandise is just too expensive. She asks later in her article Fallout, “Do I think consumers, one the industry starts making product they want to buy, will still buy, even though they can download? Yes. Water is free, but a lot of us drink bottled water because it tastes better. You can get coffee at the office, but you’re likely to go to Starbucks…and bring it back to the office with you, because that coffee tastes better. When record companies start making CDs that offer consumers a reason to buy them, consumers will buy them. The songs may be free online, but the CDs will taste better,” (Ian, Fallout.) What Ian is saying here is that, regardless of whether the albums are available to download for free online or not, that if companies start producing good quality, affordable material that their consumers will want to buy, that the issue of piracy will not be as big of a deal. Reznor has already proven this in marketing his last album. Again, part of the album was put up for free download online, but fans could also choose to pay money for it as well. And because it contained a lot of material that they wanted and liked, his fans ended up buying all 2,500 copies of the $300 set. (Strobel). This shows that, given a quality product that is marketed right and comes with items that they want to have, that fans will always buy music, regardless of whether or not the album is already online. Companies need to adapt to this and start marketing their products in a better, more affordable way, and start giving their audiences exactly what it is that they want to have. In doing so, they can stop worrying about piracy being such a huge issue, because more will be willing to buy than download.
There is indeed much controversy when it comes to the issue of music piracy. Many companies, including the RIAA, believe that by downloading a song, one is stealing it based on copyright law and is therefore committing an illegal act, and there are a number of artists who feel the same way. Record companies feel as though they are being robbed of their income because they are not making enough profit off of CD sales anymore. Yet, more and more bands are beginning to embrace the concept of music piracy, and are starting to see it as a way to get them new exposure and new fans. And because some don’t agree with the ways in which their labels are claiming rights to music that they didn’t even create, bands are beginning to leave their labels in favor of producing music on their own; some, such as Radiohead, Trent Reznor, and even Janis Ian, even going as far as to put tracks up for free download on their websites. Artists are beginning to use the concept of piracy to their advantage and learning to adapt to it. And if record companies would be willing to do the same, in addition to working on a better way to market CDs and merchandise and sell them at a more reasonable price, they too would find that, while the songs may still be available for free download online, that more consumers will start buying CDs again. By learning to adapt to advances in technology and the changing thoughts of consumers that make up the largest part of the music industry’s sales, music piracy will no longer be an issue. If anything, in the long run, it will end up helping artists to make more sales than hinder them. As Janis Ian has stated at the end of her Fallout article, “America has always exported its culture; that is our number one route into the hearts of the rest of the world. Instead of shutting that down, let’s run with the new model, and be the first and best at it. It’s a brave new world out there, and somebody’s got to grab it,” (Ian, Fallout).
Buskirk, Eliot Van. “Reznor vs. Radiohead: Innovation Smackdown.” Wired. 09 Apr 2008.
<http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2008/03/reznor_radiohead >.
Card, Orson Scott. "The Harms of Online Music Sharing Are Exaggerated." At Issue: Internet
Piracy. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints
Resource Center. Gale. Normandale Community College. 02 Apr. 2008
<http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID
=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010337203&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGro
upName=mnanorman&version=1.0>.
50 Cent, "http://recproaudio.blogspot.com/2007/12/50-cent-piracy-hurting-my-label-
artists.html." Recproaudio: Miscellanious Music. 09 Dec 2007. 10 Apr 2008
<http://recproaudio.blogspot.com/2007/12/50-cent-piracy-hurting-my-label-artists.html >.
Gorry, Anthony G. "Many People Do Not View Online Music Sharing as Wrong." At Issue:
Internet Piracy. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing
Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Normandale Community College. 09 Apr. 2008
<http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID
=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010337204&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGro
upName=mnanorman&version=1.0>.
Ian, Janis. "FALLOUT - A Follow Up to The Internet Debacle." JanisIan.com. 01 Aug 2002. 10
Apr 2008 <http://www.janisian.com/articles-perfsong/Fallout%20-%20rev%2011-23-05.pdf >.
Ian, Janis. "THE INTERNET DEBACLE - AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW." JanisIan.com. May
2002. 10 Apr 2008 <http://www.janisian.com/article-internet_debacle.html >.
"Ian, Janis." Wikipedia. 3 Apr 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janis_ian >.
Love, Courtney. "Courtney Love does the math: The controversial singer takes on record label
profits, Napster and "sucka VCs."." Salon.com. 14 June 2000. 13 Apr 2008
<http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/14/love/print.html >.
MusicUnited, MusicUnited.org. 02 Apr 2008 <http://musicunited.org/>.
Radiohead. 09 Apr 2008. <http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/ >.
RIAA, "Facts and Figures." 02 Apr 2008 <http://riaa.org/keystatistics.php >.
Strobel, Dan. "Trent Reznor: Singlehandedly Fixing the Music Industry?." The Campus Word.
23 Mar 2008. 14 Apr 2008 <http://www.thecampusword.com/content/view/2668/589/ >.
ThEbAkEr. Personal interview. 14 Apr 2008.
The Music Piracy Controversy: A Hindrance or an Aid to the Music Industry?
Music piracy is a controversial issue in today’s society. There have been many disputes and cases filed over whether or not an individual has the right to use an electronic medium to take from or share a piece of music with another person based on the United States copyright laws surrounding it. And with the rise of technology and global communication over the last decade, there has also been a rise in music piracy. However, while some companies – like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) – still think that electronically downloading, burning, and file-sharing music illegally is harmful, many recording artists who are the “victims” of piracy are now in favor of it, and are actually embracing it and using it to their advantage.
Many organizations today are trying to tell society that not only is music piracy illegal, but that it’s also morally wrong. MusicUnited, an organization that is trying to publicize how and why piracy is wrong and the negative effects that it can have has said, “Most of us would never even consider stealing something – say, a picture or a piece of clothing – from a friend’s house. Our sense of right and wrong keeps most of us from doing something so selfish and anti-social. Yet when it comes to stealing digital recordings of copyrighted music, people somehow seem to think the same rules don’t apply – even though criminal penalties can be as high as 5 years in prison or $250,000 in fines,” (MusicUnited). Basically, what they’re saying is, stealing is stealing. Taking a book from a store without paying for it is stealing, and stealing is illegal. Most people know this, and would have the common sense not to do something like this. The same idea holds true for a song, however; if one downloads a song from the internet without paying for it and without the artist or record company’s consent, then one is stealing the song, which is an illegal action. It’s as simple as that.
However, some people still have trouble comprehending that, because MusicUnited, the RIAA, and other organizations are continually trying to get out the word about the negative effects that music piracy has on bands and record companies, and that the action itself is illegal. According to statistics found on the RIAA’s official website, global piracy causes, “$12.5 billion of economic losses every year.” (RIAA). Also, there are, “71,060 U.S. jobs lost, a loss of $2.7 million dollars in workers’ earning, and a loss of $422 million in tax revenues, $291 million in personal income tax and $131 million lost in corporate income and production taxes,” (RIAA) every year due to music piracy. Those are some very startling figures. Basically, what all those numbers mean is that the recording industry is losing very large sums of money every year due to music piracy, and therefore, they cannot afford to pay employees that work for them, resulting in many job losses. These statistics are what have led the RIAA to believe that music piracy is harmful, and needs to be stopped.
There are also laws surrounding music piracy that are further backing up the RIAA’s case. According to federal copyright law, there are, “severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, rental or digital transmission of copyrighted sound recordings. (Title 17, United States Code, Sections 501 and 506). The FBI investigates allegations of criminal copyright infringement and violators will be prosecuted,” (RIAA). If a song or an album is copyrighted, and one uploads the album onto the internet or downloads it from a website without paying for it or without the consent of the record company and/or band, then one is, in effect, breaking copyright law and stealing the album, which could result in one being arrested and/or fined.
But, again, it is not simply legal issues that give anti-piracy supporters a reason to prosecute those that choose to download music. As mentioned previously, morals play a large role on their decisions and actions, and so do the livelihoods of all the musicians who make the music. Many people fighting in the battle against piracy feel that by downloading music illegally, one is disrespecting the band whose music one is downloading, and that one is preventing said band from earning money for the work that they are doing. MusicUnited has stated that stealing music, “…stifles the careers of new artists and up-and-coming bands.” (MusicUnited). They believe that by downloading an album, one is preventing a sale to the band. This means that, while one may have a copy of the album, that one is not actually giving anything back to the band for having it. By stealing the music, one would be stealing money from the band, which can damage the band’s career, especially if they are not very well-established.
Not only that, but the site also goes on to say , “The cost of recording and promoting a major album can easily top $1 million, and only one out of every ten ever turns a profit.” (MusicUnited). Albums are extremely expensive to create and market and produce, and by downloading an album without paying for it, one would be making it harder for a band to make a profit from their CD. Based on all of these facts, one can see that there are many moral and legal issues surrounding the controversy over music piracy, and why it has the potential to be harmful to those involved in the music industry.
It is not only organizations who are sharing their views on the music piracy issue, however. Many bands and artists are now coming forward and sharing their personal views on illegally downloading music. And, surprisingly enough, not all of them see it as harmful. Obviously, there are many who agree with the RIAA’s stance on music piracy and believe that it is wrong and hurting their careers. Multi-Platinum Award-Winning artist Eve has been quoted as saying, “We work really hard. We love our fans and we appreciate the love, but don’t steal from us, support us. Go in the stores and buy the records.” (MusicUnited). Musician Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits has said, “You might as well walk into a record store, put the CD's in your pocket and walk out without paying for them,” (MusicUnited). These artists, obviously, are just as opposed to illegally downloading music as the RIAA seems to be. They feel that, with all of the hard work they do, they should be able to profit from their work. And those that illegally download are stealing their music and are preventing them from receiving the money that they claim to rightfully deserve. The Barenaked Ladies, a famous Canadian band, says, “When the Gap went online, T-shirts didn't become free,” (MusicUnited). They are stating that, just because one can find music online, doesn’t mean that one is allowed to download it at no cost. These artists – and many others, including music-icon Madonna, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Elton John, three-time Grammy winner Diddy, rap-icon Eminem, and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, to name a few – believe that uploading, downloading, and file-sharing music is, first and foremost, against the law, and second, damaging each of them as a band or musician. And they would all prefer to see music piracy put to a stop.
Yet, not all bands agree. In fact, many popular artists are in favor of downloading music for free, and are using it as a way to boost their sales as opposed to lowering them. Not only that, but there are many musicians who feel that some of the facts that the RIAA is coming up with are not true, and are not a very good representative of the general population of music lovers.
One of the most outspoken people about music piracy and views on it in the musical world is singer/songwriter Janis Ian. Since 1957, Ian has been producing music professionally, and has been nominated for and won many awards for her music, in addition to being known world-wide for it (Ian, Wikipedia). Ian differs from many artists in the fact that she feels that music piracy can actually be good for an artist’s career. She has written two major articles on music piracy on her official site stating her beliefs, and the overall theme of both is that the RIAA has mixed up and misinterpreted a lot of their facts, and that music piracy can actually do more good than harm. (Ian, Debacle and Fallout).
Ian has asked, “Who gets hurt by free downloads? Save a handful of super-successes like Celine Dion, none of us. We only get helped,” (Ian, Debacle). She claims that, apart from really well-known, well-paid musicians, not many artists today are really suffering due to piracy; if anything, they are only being helped by it. In fact, she has stated that, since she began placing free downloads of some of her songs on her site, her merchandise sales have increased by 300%. (Ian, Fallout). That is a significant percentage for sales to go up, and she believes that it is directly related to the fact that she is now letting fans download her music for free.
Ian isn’t the only one who believes in piracy, however. Many other bands and artists are pro-piracy as well. Radiohead, an Electronic Alt-Rock band from England, released their album In Rainbows last year as a free digital download. Fans did not have to go out and pay money to buy the album when it came out; instead, they could download it all directly off the band’s site for free (Radiohead). Trent Reznor, the popular industrial musician behind Nine Inch Nails, is a believer in illegally file-sharing songs, even boasting about having an account on the now late torrent-based file-sharing site OiNK (Buskirk).
Reznor, who recently split from his label, also decided to release his newest album in much the same way as Radiohead by offering the first nine tracks for free download off of his website. If the more diehard fans wanted more, they could get a, “$5 download of all 36 tracks, a $10 two CD set, a $75 deluxe edition package and a $300 ultra-deluxe limited edition package which featured a Reznor autograph, along with a variety of other merchandise,” (Strobel). He charged money to those fans who really wanted to pay for the album out of their love and respect for him, but allowed others to download a part of the album for free if they wanted to. Because of the respect that many fans have for Reznor, “the limited edition [$300] package…sold out all 2,500 copies,” (Strobel). Reznor proved here that a band does not need to professionally market their CDs and have a price put on them for people to buy; allowing the fans the option of downloading an album could potentially boost record sales.
Other artists, too, including Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra and the members of the band Staple, allow fans to download, upload, and share their music for free. And they all claim their record sales haven’t been hurt because of it. Some bands have also embraced file-sharing because they feel that they are spreading the word about their band more effectively by allowing people to keep passing on their music to others free of charge. In an interview with ThEbAkEr, a female musician who is part of the underground experimental black metal band DarkGrandpa, she stated that she and her band allow their fans to download a good portion of their music, because, “It’s nice to be able to show the old fans our new stuff and introduce new fans to what we have to offer,” (ThEbAkEr). Others feel the same way, stating that it’s easier for people to hear about and listen to them if their fans are able to freely spread their music around without having to purchase a new copy of the CD each time. Ian has claimed that artists do not become successful strictly through CD sales, but through “exposure,” (Ian, Debacle). She says that people aren’t going to buy a band’s CDs if they don’t know who the band is; they need exposure in order for people to hear about them and buy their CDs in the first place. And she believes that downloading albums on the internet for free is a great way for a band to gain this necessary exposure (Ian, Debacle). By downloading or sharing copies of music by an artist, individuals are getting to hear what said artist sounds like without having to pay full price for their CD. Before going out and spending money on a CD that one has the chance of not even enjoying, one could download or get a burned copy of the album to “preview” the tracks first. And if one likes the CD enough, one can then go out and purchase a copy of it.
Many bands are also beginning to see more eye-to-eye with those who are pro-piracy because they feel as though what the RIAA is saying is a misinterpretation of the facts. They say that, while the record companies and music industry in general may be losing some money from illegal downloads, that they themselves are not experiencing much – if any – negative effects from it. Popular mainstream rapper 50 Cent has been quoted as saying, “What is important for the music industry to understand is that this [music piracy] really doesn't hurt the artists.” (50 Cent). Janis Ian also believes that RIAA and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) are being ridiculous in saying that downloading is costing her money and hurting her record sales. She says, “The premise of all this ballyhoo is that the industry (and its artists) are being harmed by free downloading. Nonsense,” (Ian, Debacle). She believes that the case that the RIAA is trying to make about piracy hurting a band’s record sales is false. In fact, she goes on to say that, “…after 37 years as a recording artist, [and] creating 25 albums for major labels,” she’s, “never once received a royalty check that didn’t show that I [she] owed them money,” (Ian, Debacle). She claims that she has made most of her money from touring and shows, merchandise, updating her own site, writing articles, etc. This gets her money and exposure, which results in a larger profit for her. The idea, then, that piracy has been hurting her income is preposterous. One must ask the question, then, as to whether the organizations who are against piracy are more worried about the impact it’s having on the artist’s finances or their own.
Courtney Love, widow of grunge legend Kurt Cobain and singer and frontwoman of the band Hole, doesn’t necessarily agree with music piracy, but does agree with the thought that the bands are the ones losing the most profit from sales due to piracy is ridiculous. Much like Ian, Love claims that the labels these days are making the most money. According to her, many musicians have even had to file bankruptcy to make any money or get out of terrible contracts with their labels, because, despite the fact that their albums are selling millions of copies and earning them millions of dollars, they’re not seeing any of that money; their labels are getting it all. (Love). She has cited different artists and groups that this has happened to over the years, including TLC and Toni Braxton (Love).
Love has mentioned on her internet blog that the RIAA is upset about piracy because it is coming out of their pockets, not the artists. In fact, because of the way that some companies are interpreting copyright laws, many are claiming that they own the rights to a musician’s song as opposed to the musician’s themselves owning it. Many artists are opposed to this, and Love is one of them. She explains her reasoning like this: “When you look at a legal line on a CD, it says copyright 1976 Atlantic Records or copyright 1996 RCA Records. When you look at a book, though, it’ll say something like copyright 1991 Susan Faludi, or David Foster Wallace. Authors own their books and license them to publishers. When the contract runs out, writers get their books back. But record companies on our copyrights forever,” (Love). What Love is saying here is that, unlike author’s who own the rights to their books, most musicians don’t own the rights to their own music; their labels are the ones that own it and are allowed to make all decisions concerning it.
In the interview with ThEbAkEr, this musician thought the RIAA owning the rights to a band’s music was, “stupid,” (ThEbAkEr). While not signed to a label, she still believes that labels have too much control over their bands music, and that they have more rights than they should. She believes that most decisions concerning piracy should be left up to the band or musician, not their label (ThEbAkEr). And, because artists want the freedom to make their own decisions and own their own music, many are leaving their labels. According to Love, many bands are choosing to leave their labels once their contract expires so that they can manage themselves. This allows them to have more money and take all their profits for themselves, without having to pay their record companies, and allows them to make more of their own decision (Love). Reznor, mentioned earlier as splitting from his label and producing and marketing his own music, has already done this, and many bands are sure to follow him.
What does this all mean for the RIAA, then, and how does it relate to piracy? Simple: if bands start disagreeing with and leaving their labels, said labels aren’t going to be getting any money. And therefore, neither is the RIAA. According to Orson Scott Card, author of more than thirty novels and a regular contributor to the online political newspaper, Ornery American, record companies are realizing that, “musicians don’t need them [the record companies] anymore,” (Card). And if a musician doesn’t need a label anymore, that means less and less money for the label. Which is why some argue that so many companies and organizations are so dead-set against piracy: they don’t want to lose a profit. After hearing this and examining how the RIAA has misinterpreted and not been completely honest about some of their facts and statistics, one must wonder if they are not just pushing the issue because they are most worried about losing money for themselves. Of course there are some who must have the artist’s best interests at heart, and indeed, there are many artists who against illegally downloading music. However, one must also note that it is interesting that most of the hype and controversy surrounding music piracy comes from those who are being most greatly effected by it, and yet, are not making the music in the first place.
So, this all leaves one with a few final thoughts: What does one do about the issue of music piracy? Is there a way to resolve it? Do companies like the RIAA just continue to slowly track down and sue each music pirate one by one? Or, can artists and their labels learn to adapt to piracy?
According to a 1996 article by James Boyle in the New York Times, “If classroom copying is sharply curtailed, if we give someone a software patent over basic functions, at some point public domain will be so diminished that future creators will be prevented from creating because they won’t be able to afford the materials they need. An intellectual property system has to insure that the fertile public domain is not converted into a fellow landscape of walled private plots,” (Boyle). What he is saying is that, if we keep putting into effect new kinds of copyright laws, and we keep preventing people from using material that has already been used, that, eventually, no one is going to be able to create anything new anymore. In effect, creating more, tougher laws isn’t necessarily going to make things better; if anything, in the long run, it could actually makes things worse.
Instead, labels, companies, and musicians need to try a number of other ways to go about relating to the piracy issue. Card has offered some suggestions on how to lower file-sharing, beginning with just telling people to cut back. He has said that these people in charge should not outright tell those that are downloading to stop or arrest them for it as the RIAA has been doing, but “scorn” them for it. He also suggests that the record companies should get rid of the, “piracy hurts sales crap,” and should, “drop CD prices to a reasonable level,” (Card). And, most importantly, “start treating the artists better,” and, “stop threatening…[people] with ludicrous prosecution,” (Card). He is saying that, while labels still have a right to profit from music sales and therefore be angry because they are down, that the ways in which they are going about to prevent this are only making matters worse. Instead of suing everyone and telling them to quit right this second, they should just tell music pirates to cut back on the amount they download and support the artists they love by occasionally buying a new CD. And if labels lower CD prices to a more reasonable level, this should encourage people to buy more CDs. By learning to adapt to the issue instead of opposing it, the RIAA will not only be saving a lot of time and money, but, if done properly, could be making more money in the long run.
Labels also need to realize that society and technology today is different than it was five, ten, or even twenty years ago. Anthony G. Gorry, a professor of management and computer science at Rice University, has said that music companies really need to learn to adapt to the increasing amount of technological advances. By simply calling Person-To-Person (P2P) sharing, “theft,” they are overlooking the technology that has allowed that to be so. He claims that today’s kids are raised in a different society, and have different beliefs relating to technology and illegally downloading music, which music companies fail to recognize (Gorry). He believes that as technology advances and changes, that more and more people are seeing it as a better way to get what they want without any negative effects, and that many believe that piracy isn’t wrong. Because of this, companies need to learn to adapt and somehow embrace this, because, as time goes on, it’s only going to increase. And being so thoroughly opposed to it is going to get them nowhere. Companies are already starting to this a little bit. When posed with the question as to whether CD burners should be outlawed, since many people are using them to burn illegal copies of CDs, the RIAA has stated they do not believe that is a good way to go about things. They believe that, while burners are obviously being used to make illegal copies of CDs, that CD burners and other “burning” or “copying” devices should not be outlawed. They have claimed that, “Devices and technology are not the problem. It’s when people use technology to break the law that we take issue,” (RIAA). In other words, they want people to use CD burners and other technological devices, but in a responsible, legal way. This still isn’t adapting quite as much as they could – or should – be adapting, but it is a start and is showing that they are finally beginning to acknowledge that some things in technology are almost encouraging people to pirate music, and that it would be virtually impossible to completely get rid of it based on that.
Finally, it has been stated by many that one of the best ways to go about eliminating piracy is to make products that consumers will enjoy for a reasonable price. Ian has stated in one of her articles on piracy that, “It’s difficult to convince an educated audience that artists and record labels are about to go down the drain because they, the consumer, are downloading music. Particularly when they’re paying $50-$125 a piece for concert tickets, and $15.99 for a new CD they know costs less than a couple of dollars to manufacture and distribute,” (Ian, Debacle.) She believes that part of the reason that people pirate music so much is not just because it’s free and easy and technology allows them to do so, but because the cost of CDs, concert tickets, and other merchandise is just too expensive. She asks later in her article Fallout, “Do I think consumers, one the industry starts making product they want to buy, will still buy, even though they can download? Yes. Water is free, but a lot of us drink bottled water because it tastes better. You can get coffee at the office, but you’re likely to go to Starbucks…and bring it back to the office with you, because that coffee tastes better. When record companies start making CDs that offer consumers a reason to buy them, consumers will buy them. The songs may be free online, but the CDs will taste better,” (Ian, Fallout.) What Ian is saying here is that, regardless of whether the albums are available to download for free online or not, that if companies start producing good quality, affordable material that their consumers will want to buy, that the issue of piracy will not be as big of a deal. Reznor has already proven this in marketing his last album. Again, part of the album was put up for free download online, but fans could also choose to pay money for it as well. And because it contained a lot of material that they wanted and liked, his fans ended up buying all 2,500 copies of the $300 set. (Strobel). This shows that, given a quality product that is marketed right and comes with items that they want to have, that fans will always buy music, regardless of whether or not the album is already online. Companies need to adapt to this and start marketing their products in a better, more affordable way, and start giving their audiences exactly what it is that they want to have. In doing so, they can stop worrying about piracy being such a huge issue, because more will be willing to buy than download.
There is indeed much controversy when it comes to the issue of music piracy. Many companies, including the RIAA, believe that by downloading a song, one is stealing it based on copyright law and is therefore committing an illegal act, and there are a number of artists who feel the same way. Record companies feel as though they are being robbed of their income because they are not making enough profit off of CD sales anymore. Yet, more and more bands are beginning to embrace the concept of music piracy, and are starting to see it as a way to get them new exposure and new fans. And because some don’t agree with the ways in which their labels are claiming rights to music that they didn’t even create, bands are beginning to leave their labels in favor of producing music on their own; some, such as Radiohead, Trent Reznor, and even Janis Ian, even going as far as to put tracks up for free download on their websites. Artists are beginning to use the concept of piracy to their advantage and learning to adapt to it. And if record companies would be willing to do the same, in addition to working on a better way to market CDs and merchandise and sell them at a more reasonable price, they too would find that, while the songs may still be available for free download online, that more consumers will start buying CDs again. By learning to adapt to advances in technology and the changing thoughts of consumers that make up the largest part of the music industry’s sales, music piracy will no longer be an issue. If anything, in the long run, it will end up helping artists to make more sales than hinder them. As Janis Ian has stated at the end of her Fallout article, “America has always exported its culture; that is our number one route into the hearts of the rest of the world. Instead of shutting that down, let’s run with the new model, and be the first and best at it. It’s a brave new world out there, and somebody’s got to grab it,” (Ian, Fallout).
Works Cited
Buskirk, Eliot Van. “Reznor vs. Radiohead: Innovation Smackdown.” Wired. 09 Apr 2008.
<http://www.wired.com/enter
Card, Orson Scott. "The Harms of Online Music Sharing Are Exaggerated." At Issue: Internet
Piracy. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints
Resource Center. Gale. Normandale Community College. 02 Apr. 2008
<http://find.galegroup.com/
=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ
upName=mnanorman&version=1
50 Cent, "http://recproaudio.blogspo
artists.html." Recproaudio: Miscellanious Music. 09 Dec 2007. 10 Apr 2008
<http://recproaudio.blogspo
Gorry, Anthony G. "Many People Do Not View Online Music Sharing as Wrong." At Issue:
Internet Piracy. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing
Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Normandale Community College. 09 Apr. 2008
<http://find.galegroup.com/
=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ
upName=mnanorman&version=1
Ian, Janis. "FALLOUT - A Follow Up to The Internet Debacle." JanisIan.com. 01 Aug 2002. 10
Apr 2008 <http://www.janisian.com/ar
Ian, Janis. "THE INTERNET DEBACLE - AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW." JanisIan.com. May
2002. 10 Apr 2008 <http://www.janisian.com/ar
"Ian, Janis." Wikipedia. 3 Apr 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wi
Love, Courtney. "Courtney Love does the math: The controversial singer takes on record label
profits, Napster and "sucka VCs."." Salon.com. 14 June 2000. 13 Apr 2008
<http://archive.salon.com/t
MusicUnited, MusicUnited.org. 02 Apr 2008 <http://musicunited.org/>.
Radiohead. 09 Apr 2008. <http://www.radiohead.com/d
RIAA, "Facts and Figures." 02 Apr 2008 <http://riaa.org/keystatist
Strobel, Dan. "Trent Reznor: Singlehandedly Fixing the Music Industry?." The Campus Word.
23 Mar 2008. 14 Apr 2008 <http://www.thecampusword.c
ThEbAkEr. Personal interview. 14 Apr 2008.
~o~*~o~
"I don't need air
I don't need to breathe
And I don't need rest
I don't have time to sleep
'Cause I've got you... and you've got me
And that's all we need"
-When I Get Up, Tegan and Sara
"I don't need air
I don't need to breathe
And I don't need rest
I don't have time to sleep
'Cause I've got you... and you've got me
And that's all we need"
-When I Get Up, Tegan and Sara
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Number Four
Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 16 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you (or because I know you!)
1) I could live on mashed potatoes and bread. Those are seriously like, the two best foods ever.
2) I've never gotten a speeding ticket.
3) I'm really good at pulling essays for school out of my ass. And not only am I good at the action, but the essays themselves are really good. Phenomenal even. Yeah, I'm kinda bomb like that.
4) I have an entire, GINORMOUS wardrobe that is completely full of art and craft supplies.
5) I have strong opinions about most things. And I'm not afraid to tell you that mine are right and yours are wrong. :)
6) I crack my wrists. A lot.
7) I'm totally addicted to caffeine.
8) I once changed out of shorts and a skirt into a pair of jeans while driving my car.
9) My favorite cookies are Icebox Cookies from the Cold Spring Bakery in Cold Spring, Minnesota. That is the only town that you can buy them from. And once, I drove about 45 minutes out of my way just to get them.
10) Everyone knows that I'm really weird, but I'm A LOT weirder than anyone but my family probably knows.
11) One time I wore the same pair of socks for almost a whole week.
12) I love peanut butter and bacon bit sandwiches. I also love cream cheese and bacon bit sandwiches. Mostly, I love bacon bits.
13) I have nine piercings on my right ear. I'm going to make it ten.
14) I love to sing (especially in the shower). Just not in front of people.
15) Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is quite possibly the sexiest man alive.
16) And even though he's 62, if ever given the chance, I would totally bone him.
"I hate so much about the things that you choose to be."
-Michael Scott, in reference to Toby Flenderson on The Office