Category Archives: Uncategorized

File-sharing: my opinion

Originally posted here.

I have been watching the news lately, and alot of what I see has been dedicated to the so-called “crime” of file-sharing. The RIAA, the same organization which notifies the public whenever an artist’s newly-released record hits “silver”, “gold”,  or the ever-famous “platinum” status, has been slapping subpoenas on ordinary citizens in the United States, Canada, and even Europe, charging such people with “stealing, or tampering with, the copyrights of music artists”.

First of all, let this be certain: the RIAA is an organization of people who look out for the welfare and prosperity of the music industry fatcats, not for the artists. This organization is only satisfied with the three words: “Buy My CD”. Anything else is of no importance to this organization.

The organization only uses the word “copyright” for the benefit of the people who they are supposed to represent: the fatcats. To this end they will use and construe with any type of legal jargon that will either confuse the public and/or win the day for their clients.

Second, why is it that the music artists themselves are so against file-sharing? Look at how much money they make through live concerts and signature memorabilia! They can believe those utter lies about copyrights construed by the RIAA and the US government if they want to, but here’s a fact:

Most people will probably buy the artists new CD for the cover and the content of anything but the music on the CD, if they really had a reason to buy a CD.

Some of my friends have bought all of T.A. Shakur’s CD’s, but not for the music on that little plastic thing called a compact disk! They’ll buy it for anything but the music on the CD, like the photos, lyrics, and personal quotes of Tupac Amaru Shakur.

And finally, since when did music have a price upon it? I mean, do you pay for listening to the radio (unless you have satellite radio)?

If music should have a price, it should only be for that little plastic thing called a compact disk, not for the music that you listen to, and should have a right to listen to.

So, in that case, screw the so-called “record industry”! Music is not an object!

Why I admire the cynic

Originally posted here.

There are two people on television whom I seriously admire: Raven (from “Teen Titans” on Cartoon Network) and Daria (that girl with the glasses and brown hair who was first shown on “Beavis and Butthead”, and then had her own show on MTV). There is one reason for which I am attracted to them:

They are cynics.

Cynics have a bad reputation for being the “party poopers” and “downers” on several television shows. But I have to disagree with such misconceptions.

“Oh, why would you, Rayne? You know that cynic people don’t get anywhere in life! You know that they’re so so negative! And nyah nyah nyah!!!” (says the sneering voice in the back of someone’s head right now)

Well, there are a few good reasons why I have an admiration for cynics.

First, cynics do not get caught up in the hype of things. Whenever some new fad or fashion suddenly gets advertised, cynics don’t try to “get with the in-crowd” on such trifling matters. Rather, they will make up their own minds whether or not this fad is a waste of time, money, and their own sanities. And when that fad goes out of fashion, and many devoted short-time followers are left out in the cold, it will be the cynics who have the right to say, “Man I can’t even believe that you settled for this crap. Well, that was dumb.”

Second, cynics will most often see the objective side of things, or the side that most people will probably never see until later.

50 Fad people: “Like oh my god, these thongs will make me look SO sexy with the guys! And these hydros will make my boobies look SO big!”

Cynic: “Wait a minute, wont these thongs hurt your ass and give you a panty line? I’ll settle for a bikini. And aren’t you satisfied with the way you look right now, instead of looking like a sleazebag for some stupid jocks? You are so stupid.”

See what I mean?

And, finally, cynics will be honest and straight-up about their feelings if you press the right buttons. Cynics will “tell it like it is”, and nothing more.

“So how was your day at school?”

“I dealt with jocks, muscleheads, and lying, cheating skanks. I wanted to choke the frickin daylights out of all of my teachers, and my “friend” was a real butthole as well. I got a C on my report card, big deal. But other than that, it was a good day at school.”

I try to have the same honesty with only a few people, while other people are too much of some buttholes to talk to, let alone come into contact with at all.

But that’s another story.