Independence in “08

I hung up my cell phone and took a moment to think about the previous conversation with my Editor. We spoke of her intention to make like a Baldwin and blow this pop stand named America. I’ve heard her sentiment many times over the past couple years. A majority of Americans are fed up with the greed and terror of our current society. They are sickened by America,  where welfare corporations rape her reserves, where the new age nanny rapes her mind, and where men in power suits and oval seals rape her. However, it is easy to become enraged. The hard part is acting upon justified rage in a constructive way. Here we hit upon the best thing about independent publishing, When I get to tell you fun, anti-conglomerate ideas, like  shut off your television, join your community, and support local business.

Join Your Community!

“SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.”~ Thomas Paine “Common Sense”

What a great quote! Thomas Paine is the great saint of rebellion. In one paragraph, he eloquently explains the reasons to get active in your community. America has two faces, one of government and one of the people.  The recent past has shown how little we can effect the face of government. Our political system is rotten and every American knows it. However, we, as citizens, can have a great impact upon the face of society. Everyone is empowered with a way to better society and there are many ways to get active. You don’t have to be a super-hero chained to a tractor to protect an obscure endangered specie. You can get active on small and large levels of commitment. Why not join or start a book club, take in a political rally, check out a local roller derby or live music venue? Each one is a fun time and will get you out there in society. Craigslist.org has a section for local groups and volunteer opportunities for any hobby imaginable, if you can’t find one then start one of your own.

Remember this comes from the biggest web head of them all, but sometimes even hardcore web slingers have to get out into the light of day. We must understand the importance of community. The Net is a great place to connect with people of a like mind. Meatspace is a great place to connect with people of a different mind.

Support Local Business

The most important corner stone of any Capitalistic system, or a democratic system for that matter, is a vigilant consumer. We must understand the importance of our money and spend our money wisely. We hold the power, in our wallet, to choose the products we buy. As Americans, we can choose to fill up our cart with every day low prices or quality products. Yet, we lose this ability more and more each year. A momentary set back but we can bring about change.

As we grow further into the coming depression, we must take this message to heart. Every penny you save at the store empowers the conglomerates. In the end, you save no money as your product is poorly produced, by near slave labor, and built to last long enough to not fully piss you off. Only a limited number of people prosper. A matter which transcends the check-out line and leeks into the office. Why give them your time? For a pay-check which will stop when they hire an intern, you trained for your job, or when your job is moved to Turkey or Folsom? Their system is madness and profits off the back of hard work.

Independence is not easy and I do not urge you to quit your job. I urge you to look for a job you’re passionate about. Start a hobby, which can become your job. Life is a red or blue pill choice. You can power the conglomerate machine, or you can live outside the grid and maybe starve to death. Let’s hope NOFX was right when they said “There is no freedom like a shopping cart.”

Shut Off Your Television

Take a bit of advice from a television junkie and shut off your television. I am a man of “I Am” and believe in miracles, but I harbor no illusions of a life without television. We all love the new age nanny far to too much to kick her out. Besides Adult Swim’s line up sounds better than ever, new monk, new psyche, Knight Rider got picked up, and maybe new Breaking Bad. There are far too many reasons not to shut off the television. I do propose, we ask ourselves a simple question as we sit down to the new age nanny’s glow.

“What dose this show do for me?”

Take a time to think, meditate, and come to a decision anyway you like. If your show makes the cut than enjoy,  but if the show doesn’t make the cut, then cut the show. Sometimes your answer is going to be “pure entertainment”. That is O.K. Monk is “Pure Entertainment” for me, but the writing is great, the actors are great, the comedy is on time. I won’t give up Monk, but I will give up the endless repeats of “I love the 80′s” and  Mtv, the whole station. I  really understood Tia Tiquilla, and Snoop Dogg is dope but I would rather keep the pimp image and ditch the father knows best. Reality television as a whole and movies. Why go to movies, when you can download movies and save the 20 bucks for a local music show complete with beer, music and live full blooded, non binary, woman? Well aside from compression rates and poor video quality, of course.

My point is we are not helpless. We can strive for perfection but we will always fall short.  We should not be discouraged by our failures. A prefect system has problems, for a system with no problems is one of black and white realities. Our aim is shades of gray, the color of Liberty and Freedom.