Censorship – of myself

I was super stoked last night because PBS was airing Foo Fighters in concert in HD.  It was a great show, shot in amazing quality, and best yet…..it was FREE.  No expensive cable or satellite bill required.  No $20 DVD purchase…..not even a $1 rental charge.  All thanks to one of my favorite stations: PBS.

Now, last night I did was I usually do when I’m excited about something and want other people (who I legitimately think may be interested) to know about it. I posted it on Facebook.  There’s only one problem with that. For every one person who is just posting about what they are doing or something they are interested in, there are two people who feel obligated  to either  A.) rain on your parade B.) completely and totally disagree with what you are saying and tell you why you are wrong.

Now a normal person may understand that this is the natural order of the universe and dismiss those people.  Only 2 problems with that.  First, these types of people are behind the comfy confines of the internet so  their trolling skills are instantly amplified by 100 ( to the point that they would never say the things they say to you in person.)  Second, those B people drive me insane.  Now, I will be the first to admit that I don’t know everything (unlike the B people) and am perfectly willing to concede a point if I am proved wrong….and I’ve done so on many occasions.   But when people have to spout their mouths off on the stupidest of topics or get violent/insult people because of those topics, then we’ve got a problem.

Now, why am I bringing all of this up?  Well, the last time I posted on the net about why I liked PBS, it started an extremely ugly and drawn out debate on the merits of PBS and whether or not it’s a “liberal media” outlet.  Now regardless of your thoughts on what bias you think PBS has, you can NOT deny the fact that the good outweighs the bad.  There are COUNTLESS programs on PBS that are certainly educational, and these outweigh the news programs.

So, this brings me to the point at hand.  I’ve been eagerly awaiting the new Foo Fighters record.  They’ve completely re-invented their sound, going back to why I liked FF in the first place.  And they recorded completely analog, in Dave’s Grohl’s house and it sounds AMAZING.  There’s been a lot of buzz on the internet about this new record and it was a pleasant surprise to see that there was a free concert on PBS last night!  Oddly enough the ONLY reason I knew this as on is because our DVR was last set to PBS to record Sesame Street for Violet, so it was still on that channel.  Cheryl and I had just finished watching NOVA ( a well implemented documentary on the earthquake/tsunami in Japan) and when it went back to live TV, the Foo Fighters were on!  So obviously, we spend a lot of time watching PBS in our house because it’s EDUCATIONAL.  We don’t watch PBS to further our “liberal agenda”.  Anyone that says otherwise doesn’t spend any time in my home and is grasping at straws.

So needless to say, I posted on Facebook that I was excited to watch it!  Normally this wouldn’t be an issue.  But two major factors are at play here.  #1 there are a few bad seeds that have to ruin everything by making sure that their way is the only way to think. #2 Justin being Justin has to troll people after they’ve been ugly with me for no reason.  I’m not going to take people’s crap and I’d like them to know it. (especially when they aren’t being pleasant of fair).

So………I censored myself and took the post down.  Why did I do this?  Well, someone posted that I was a lightening rod.  Which, most of the time I am, indirectly.  Except this time I was doing it on purpose. Plus, I made a promise to myself this year that I was going to try and recognize when I’m doing it and stop.  I made a New Years resolution that I was going to try being one of those people that just posts about happy things and when they’re going to the store, etc. 😉

 

 

 

AT&T-Mobile

Why does life continue to crap on me?  This is absolutely horrible news for every cell customer out there….especially those of us with T-Mobile service.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110320005040/en/ATT-Acquire-T-Mobile-USA-Deutsche-Telekom

I love T-Mobile.  It’s been the best cell service I’ve ever had.

Goodbye great customer service.
Goodbye cheap cellphone bill.
Goodbye hassle free company.

Now, this is the second time I’ve gone through a cell company merger.  The first was one of the worst dealings I’ve ever had with a big company.  To give you a little backstory, my first cell service was with AT&T wireless back in….oh…1998.  The service was just ok, but cells were in their infancy then.  The customer service was horrid, but the plan was cheap ONLY because I got a discount through CompUSA where I worked.  All of my friends were on Sprint which they loved and had great dealings with.  Fast forward many years later.  Cingular bought AT&T wireless.  This was the worst planned out company transition ever.  The week the transition happened, my phone just stopped working.  All of a sudden….no more service.  I happened to be driving down to my mothers house that day and when I got there I had received 4….count them 4 phones on my doorstep from Cingular.  What the F*** does a single person need with 4 phones in the first place?!??!!?

My wife and I were meeting my mother for dinner that night.  Instead I spent the next 2 hours straight (missed dinner) on the phone with AT&T, I mean, Cingular, I mean AT&T, I mean Cingular, I mean AT&T, I mean Cingular……

Why do I keep repeating myself?  Because during that whole 2 hours, I was bounced back and forth between the “blue team” and “orange team”  No one knew what the hell was going on. I talked to probably 4 different supervisors.  Through this ill conceived and completely unplanned transition, no one could tell me why my cell service was just shut off, and no one could tell me why I was shipped 4 new Cingular phones.  After those 2 hours, and a talk with the supervisor’s supervisor I finally got my phone back up and running.  Of course, I lost one thing I could not retrieve.  I had one of my favorite guitar players from my favorite band (Steve White from KMFDM) record my outgoing message.  This was gone forever.

Needless to say, the day my contract was over, I switched to T-Mobile and have been absolute happy there ever since.  The fact that they were the first to adopt the Android platform tells me a lot about their company.  Android has all but past up the market penetration of iPhone in only a few years!  My lovely wife bought me a Google/Android G1 the week it came out.  Only a few weeks ago I re-signed a 2 year T-Mobile contract with the new G2.

Now, who knows what the future holds.  If I have to go through that mess again (and God knows it’s possible with AT&T at the helm) I will be a VERY unhappy customer!

I’m very loyal to T-Mobile because of their amazing prices, great customer service, convenient website, good upgrade paths, and phone selection.  None of those qualities are characteristic of AT&T.

The worst part about this whole situation is the joke that has become monopoly laws in this country.  History does indeed repeat itself.  So who do we have to choose from for cell companies now?

Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon.  Whoopie!  In other words, high prices, high prices, and high prices.  The US has the worst cell service in the world.  Lowest coverage, highest prices, least phone choices….the list goes on.   Now we can add to our list of problems holding technology back in this country.

To quote….well, you know…..
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this”

 

 

 

 

I want to live in a world……

I want to live in a world where the DVD/BluRay goes right to the menu.

I want to live in a world where the commercials are during COMMERCIAL time and don’t take up half the screen of my SHOW.

I want to live in a world where there are RECORD STORES

I want to live in a world where music had dynamics

I want to live in a world before mp3…..before shitty audio was considered normal

I want to live in a world where a webpage actually has content rather than being 3/5 advertisements

I want to live in a world without Facebook

I want to live in a world where I don’t spend half my salary on gasoline

I want to live in a world where my cell phone bill was actually for the service and not fees

I want to live in a world where I can get a credit card with under 10% interest

I want to live in a world where television actually takes up the whole screen and every other program isn’t formatted improperly…..where every program is of the same quality and resolution.

I want to live in a world where my every move is not followed by the government

I want to live in a world where I can actually find a decent amount of food in the box.  When I open a bag of chips, it’s more than half full.

I want to live in a world where there are actually CHOICES for things, and monopolies are frowned upon.

I want to live in a world where stores carry a decent amount of products…..where you don’t have to look online to find something simple because stores only carry a fraction of what they used to.

I want to live in a world where movies are original, and sequels are reserved for horror movies

I want to live in a world where film franchises are rebooted only when films are more than 20 years old…..not 5.

I want to live in a world where America isn’t so politically polarized.

I want to live in a world where people have respect for each other.

I want to live in a world where Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter, and Keith Olbermann don’t exist.

I want to live in a world where news is news……not opinion.

I want to live in a world where journalists are respected.

I want to live in a world where expensive items aren’t disposable….where things can actually be repaired.

I want to live in a world where I can actually AFFORD extra things….not just necessities.

I want to live in a world where houses aren’t vacant everywhere you look.

I want to live in a world where people can easily find work.

I want to live in a world where my privacy isn’t invaded just for wanting to travel in the air rather than on land.

I want to live in a world where everyone isn’t paranoid about terrorism.

I want to live in a world where politicians remember they are taking care of their constituents, not themselves.

I want to live in a world where Americans are proud of their country, but also for the right reasons.

I want to live in a world where film making takes imagination and effort….where CGI is a last resort, not a crutch.

I want to live in a world where companies are proud to make QUALITY products……..in America.

I want to live in a world where things don’t become obsolete after 3 months.

I want to live in a world where pants are meant to stay above your waist.

I want to live in a world where record companies are made up of people who like MUSIC.

I want to live in a world where ROCK is still king.

I want to live in a world where recording studios still exist.

I want to live in a world where musicians actually go to professionals to record their music, and don’t THINK they can do it themselves.

I want to live in a world where George Lucas is done making “movies”.

I want to live in a world without pre teen pop stars.

I want to live in a world where there aren’t tornadoes in January.

I want to live in a world where I feel like I actually have rights and freedoms.

I want to live in a world where I don’t feel paranoid.

 

What the hell happened in the last decade?

 

I was done going to the theater a long time ago

THIS is getting out of hand.   Why on Earth would I pay MORE to see the movie once, than buying it?

http://www.cinematical.com/2010/03/29/fan-rant-i-can-afford-a-pizza-but-not-a-movie-ticket/

You’ve heard of RINO’s….I’ve got a new one for ya…..

You’ve all heard of RINO’s….Republicans in Name Only

I’ve got a better one for you…….ERSTAI

“Embarrassed Republicans Saying They Are Independents”

These people are MUCH more common.  You all know what I’m talking about.  It’s not fashionable to be called a Republican.  Amazingly, I haven’t run across a Republican in a LONG time…..yet I know an AWEFUL lot of people with exclusively right wing views……that are in some weird state of GOP denial.

Your turn.  Can you come up with a better acronym that means the same thing?  I’m not too fond of mine.  It would be better if it was an actual word.

Glenn Beck – another insane rambling from a crazy person

Will someone please make this man get off the airwaves?  This man is pure poison.  I’m sick of his hateful rhetoric.

Glenn Beck urges listeners to leave churches that preach social justice.

A tough one…….political conversation

As of the last 7 years or so,  I’ve considered myself fairly politically conscious.

And as many of my friends know, I can be pretty passionate about certain things…..but not passionate enough to alienate friends and family (hopefully)!

I was reading an article in an article about a  radio personality who did indeed alienate friends to the point of ending friendships based on political ideals.  I never want to be that person.  I do get upset when people don’t care about the world around them because it affects their lives, but I will not impose my will on someone who I know can’t be swayed, OR demean or”de-friend” them for not listening to what’s going on in the world. IT’S NOT THAT IMPORTANT!!  Is what YOU are saying going to be enough to change the world?  Is YOUR small influence enough to sweep the nation into radical change?  Of coarse not!  And if you think that…you’re fucking jaded.  So why destroy the life around you if, at the end of the day, it means nothing?

Sure I get into my fair share of political arguments with people.  Sometimes heated.  But it’s also proven (wish i had a cite right now) that sometimes arguments can be healthy for relationships.  To NOT argue can be more worrisome.    Eventually though, everything is back to normal.  My father and I get into political arguments all the time.  He’s very right, I’m slightly left of center.  The funny thing is, we have the same basic ideals.  But the small details can get in the way.  Or HOW the message is broadcast.  We go back and forth, and eventually someone just stops talking about it and all is right in the world.

There are SOME people, however, that JUST………WON’T………..STOP.  And THAT, my friends, brings me to the main topic of this post.  Unfortunately, the internet has spawned a bounty of  self righteous, arrogant, know-it-all, my way or the highway trolls.  These people absolutely REFUSE to consider that they may be wrong (while ironically damning you for having different ideas), and usually spout their frequent doomsday message in a very hateful and bombastic way.

We all know these types of people.  And if you DON’T know these types of people, I’m sorry to say…..YOU probably are the asshat.

But do I ever try to knock these people off their self righteous pedestal? Usually not.  I may say one little jerky comment and then walk away from the conversation.  But it never escalates beyond that.  Because, either I have personal issues, or I ‘m just too much of a good natured person.  I guess that one is in the eyes of the beholder.  I don’t want to end a friendship, even if someone is messed up in the head…and I know a LOT of those people 😉

Another issue I have is people that are MY age and think they are socio-political geniuses because they are friends with Glenn Beck on Facebook.  Sure I have my opinions.  But I’m also willing to change those opinions, because I know there are people out there with much more experience than I have.   People who lived through certain things that I can’t begin to comprehend.   I understand my place.  I wish there were a lot more people out there with that quality.  Does that make me a pushover?  Of coarse not!  It means I have a freaking brain and am able to change my opinion based on a non-biased outlook of the circumstances at hand.

As I sit here writing this, I look over at my 1 year old daughter and think…..Holy Crap!  She’s the cutest, most amazingly precious thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.   She means more to me than anything.  You can pontificate your vile trash talk about the political climate until you are blue in the face, but at the end of the day…..it means nothing.  And I feel sorry for you for wasting endless hours of your life reading your biased, propaganda websites  and being angry at the world when there are much more important things in life.

You must ask yourself….am I ACTUALLY making a difference?  Or am I just preaching to the choir?…because those who’s minds I could be changing are turned off by my delivery (and OHHHHH GOD, I guarantee they are!  Trust me, I’ve asked them)

This is a direct call for these types of people to chill out and fucking take it EASY for five minutes.  Yes, I’m still your friend, and I love you

……..honestly

but sometimes you just want to punch the one you love in the freaking face!

Stay classy San Diego!

More RIAA insanity

All these insane punishments for file sharing make my head spin.  I’m a musician, so I know that musicians deserve their pay (even though they don’t get what they righfully deserve thanks to record companies, but that’s another story), but these fines are insane.  But what’s more insane is that there is no precedence whatsoever for WHAT the fine should be.  In one case we have almost $2 million for 24 songs, and now we have $27,000 for 37 songs.  Where are these numbers coming from?!??!

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/02/former-teen-cheerleader-dinged-27750-for-infringing-37-songs/

Blue Cross

We don’t need nationalized healthcare, what we need is some freaking rules imposed on the broken system we already have.  This should be criminal.  People’s lives are being ruined by going bankrupt because they got sick or injured while these jackasses make more money.  This makes me sick to my stomach.

http://www.truthout.org/documents-reveal-anthem-blue-crosss-california-rate-hike-purely-profit-driven57159

UPDATE:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61O63C20100226

I hope to God this actually goes somewhere!

Apparently I’m a Complainer

I’m setting up this blog because apparently I’m a complainer.  I recognize that fact, but I’m also in denial at the same time.  I guess I’m under this strange disillusion that people have the same passion for things as I do and care about expressing those things and discussing them.  I guess not.

I set this up to be a conduit for those thoughts.  If people read them and comment, that’s alright.  But I’m hoping this may be therapeutic in a way, so that I can better keep my misgivings to myself.

I’m sure I’ll have a lot of PAST complaints to pick up on 😉

There’s a saying….no one likes a complainer, so I wouldn’t doubt if absolutely NO ONE follows this.  But again, it’s ok either way.  It’s more for me than anything.