Communism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless, society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general. Karl Marx posited that communism would be the final stage in human society, which would be achieved through a proletarian revolution and only becoming possible after a socialist stage develops the productive forces, leading to a superabundance of goods and services. “Pure communism” in the Marxian sense refers to a classless, stateless and oppression-free society where decisions on what to produce and what policies to pursue are made democratically, allowing every member of society to participate in the decision making process in both the political and the economic spheres of life. In modern usage, communism is often used to refer to Bolshevism or Marxism-Leninism and the policies of various communist states which had government ownership of all the means of production and centrally planned economies.
Socialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of compensation based on the amount of labor expended. Most socialists share the view that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital and derives its wealth through exploration, creates an unequalsociety, does not provide equal opportunities for everyone to maximise their potentialities and does not utilize technology and resources to their maximum potential nor in the interests of the public. Socialism is not a concrete philosophy of fixed doctrine and programme; its branches advocate a degree of social interventionsimand economic rationalization (usually in the form of economic planning), but sometimes oppose each other. A dividing feature of the socialist movement is the split between reformists and revolutionaries on how a socialist economy should be established. Some socialists advocate complete nationalizationof the means of production, distribution, and exchange; others advocate state control of capital within the framework of a market economy. The first socialists predicted a world improved by harnessing technology and combining it with better social organization, and many contemporary socialists share this belief. Early socialist thinkers tended to favor an authentic meritocracy combined with rational social planning, while many modern socialists have a more egalitarian approach. Valdimir Lenin, drawing on Karl Marx’s ideas of “lower” and “upper” stages of socialism, defined “socialism” as a transitional stage between capitalism and communism.
Capitalism is an economic and social system in which capital, the non-labor factors of production, is privately controlled; labor, goods and capital are traded in markets; and profits distributed to owners or invested in technologies and industries. There is no consensus on capitalism nor how it should be used as an analytical category. There are a variety of historical cases over which it is applied, varying in time, geography, politics and culture. Economists and historians have taken different perspectives on the analysis of capitalism. Scholars in the social sciences, including historians, economic sociologists, economists, anthropologists and philosophers have debated over how to define capitalism, however there is little controversy that private ownership of the means of production, creation of goods or services for profit in a market, and prices and wages are elements of capitalism. Economists usually put emphasis on the marketmechanism, degree of government control over markets, and property rights, while most political economists emphasize private property, power, relations, wage labor, and class. The extent to which different markets are “free”, as well as the rules determining what may and may not be private property, is a matter of politics and policy and many states have what are termed “mixed economies”.
Corporatism is related to the sociological concept of structural functionalism. Corporate social interaction is common within related groups. Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that views a community as a body. Formal corporatist models are based upon the contract of corporate groups such as agricultural, business, ethnic, military, scientific, or religious affiliations, into a collective body. One of the most prominent forms of corporatism is economic triparism involving negotiations between business, labour, and state interest groups to set economic policy. In contemporary usage, “corporatism” is often incorrectly used as a pejorative term against the domination of politics by the interests of private business corporations; however, such a system would be more accurately described as a form of corporatocracy. Corporatocracy (or corpocracy) is a form of government where corporations/conglomerates and/or government entities with private components, control the direction and governance of a country. Corporatist views of community and social interaction are common in many major world religions and Corporatism has been utilized by many ideologies across the political spectrum including; absolutism, capitalism, socialism, fascism, social democracy, conservatism and liberalism. Meanwhile, the concept of corpocracy allows corporations to provide financial support to competing political parties and major political party candidates. This allows the corporations to hedge their bets on the outcome of an election so that they are assured to have a winner who is indebted to them. As politicians are increasingly dependent on campaign contributions to become elected, their objectiveness on issues which concern corporate interests is compromised.
Realism is based on thoughts/deductions from the exercise of using common logic when studying real situations. Direct realists might claim that indirect realists are confused about conventional idioms such as indirect perception. An example of indirect perception is the media. Optimism is defined as ” having hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favorable or hopeful view.” Pessimism is the opposite of optimism and is a state of mind that sees everything in a negative light. The most common known example of optimism v/s pessimism is the age old question “Is the glass half full or half empty?” Depending on one’s answer, it was decided if one was pessimistic or optimistic. Obviously, the one who sees the glass as half full is optimistic while the one who sees it as half empty is pessimistic. But, what about the one who simply sees 4 oz of liquid in a 8 oz glass? That is a realist! While optomists see things in an positive light and pessimists see things in negative light, the mildly discontented grey area in between in fact reflects the most accurate perception of reality.
“Pigs (3 different ones)” is track 3 on the Animals album, a concept album by Pink Floyd based on the fiction novel Animal Farm by George Orwell which tells the tale of farm animals rebelling against humans to form a social system called “animalism”. In the preface of a 1947 edition of Animal Farm Orwell explained how escaping the communist purges in Spain taught him “how easily totalitarian propaganda can control the opinion of enlightened people in democratic countries.” In that preface Orwell also described what gave him the idea of setting the book on a farm by stating; “I saw a little boy, perhaps ten years old, driving a huge carthorse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat.”
lyrics to “Pigs (3 different ones)”
Big man, pig man
Ha, ha, charade you are
You well heeled big wheel
Ha, ha, charade you are
And when your hand is on your heart
You’re nearly a good laugh
Almost a joker
With your head down in the pig bin
Saying ‘Keep on digging’
Pig stain on your fat chin
What do you hope to find
Down in the pig mine?
You’re nearly a laugh
You’re nearly a laugh
But you’re really a cry
Bus stop rat bag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You fucked up old hag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass
You’re nearly a good laugh
Almost worth a quick grin
You like the feel of steel
You’re hot stuff with a hatpin
And good fun with a hand gun
You’re nearly a laugh
You’re nearly a laugh
But you’re really a cry
Hey you, Whitehouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You’re trying to keep our feelings off the street
You’re nearly a real treat
All tight lips and cold feet
And do you feel abused?
You got to stem the evil tide
And keep it all on the inside
Mary you’re nearly a treat
Mary you’re nearly a treat
But you’re really a cry
On August 1, 1981 Music Television (cable network) launched with John Lack’s announcement “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” followed by the famous theme song (a hard rockin’ guitar riff by Jonathan Elias and John Peterson) and equally famous scene of the Apollo 11</a> moon landing boasting astronaut (Neil Armstrong) pushing an American flag into the moon below his feet, of course for the hip theme it was an MTV flag.
It was the beginning of a new era in music. VJ’s (video jockeys) were the answer to radio’s DJ’s (disc jockeys). Five young, unique, fresh faces were hired to fill these shoes. A different world than what the radio generation was used to. The original VJ’s were; Martha Quinn – your cute and spunky punk rock girl, Alan Hunter – the clean cut, hip blonde male, Mark Goodman – a hunky, suave, dark haired male, with the hot rockin’ blonde Nina Blackwood and J.J. Jackson, the most experienced member of the group, always smiling and probably the most talented host.
The original format offered something new and different to music fans, the music video. A music video is basically a short film created to accompany a song mainly for the purpose of marketing. Although music videos were actually in existence prior to the debut of MTV, they were far and few between. Prior to MTV, these videos were considered promotional videos that artists used to generate interest among producers, record companies and on rare occasions to promote new records to fans. These promotional videos somewhat paled in comparison to what followed after the birth of MTV and were rarely shown on television. Videos on MTV required much more than a simple live act, they needed to be a short film that would cultivate more interest among fans. For this, a wide range of styles in filming technique had to be exercised including animation, live action film, and basically storytelling within abstract films. This heightened the competition in the music industry because not only did your music have to sell itself, but you’d best have a good video to back it up. In fact, often the popularity of the video outshined the music itself but still enabled the song to be a best seller. Because visibility was used as a promotional tool in the record industry, the network was criticized for devaluing the importance of music by replacing quality with pure visual entertainment. Ironically, the first video to debut on MTV that early August morning was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. It was their only real hit, but rather historical and revealing as the song was written about the end of an era; telling of the golden days of radio ruined by television. (included in video above.)
Since it’s premier, MTV has made an intense and long lasting impact on the music, entertainment and media industries. Slogans such as “I want my MTV” became etched in the minds of the 80’s pop culture generation and remained throughout. MTV has also been referenced countless times in song lyrics, movies, books, and shows on other television stations. One of the best known music references to MTV is Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” as the lyrics mock how the working man struggles to survive but the “yo-yos” on MTV “ain’t workin’” and are getting “Money for nothin’ and chicks for free.” Ironically, the video for this song became one of the most popular videos shown on the channel at that time.
The moral influence of MTV on young people has been debated throughout it’s existence. Parents Television Council (an American interest group formed to inform parents of television programming that is both beneficial and harmful to children) claims the network is a bad influence on it’s targeted audience. The American Family Association (a non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values) has also criticized MTV for it’s negative moral influence. In the 80’s the parent-media watchdog group, Parents Music Resource Center, fought MTV over certain music videos that were claimed to have explicit imagery of Satanism. On the other side of these debates, the network was also under fire for being too politically correct and censoring too much of their programming.
Against all odds, MTV prevailed and in it’s early days was a catalyst to stardom for a large number of artists in the 80’s such as; Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Madonna, Culture Club, Mötley Crüe, Cydni Lauper, Adam Ant and countless other 80’s icons. MTV also played some famous classic rock acts heavily, placing them on a new plateau of popularity by reaching a wider spectrum such as; David Bowie, Journey, Genisis, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Van Halen, ZZ Top and many more.
In it’s early years on air, MTV featured very few black artists in rotation. Many black artist’s videos were rejected because they didn’t fit the rock dominated format at the time. During the uproar of black artists and other supporters of the fight to break the color barrier on MTV, Michael Jackson was among those artists denied airplay on the network. In an effort to pressure the network to re-think the format, the president of CBS records made a strong statement by threatening to remove the network’s ability to play any videos by artists under the CBS label. MTV claims they chose to add Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” video without being pressured, while CBS claims otherwise. Regardless, “Billie Jean” seemed to be the video that broke the color barrier but is also claimed to be the video that brought the network out of struggle and into major popularity. Jackson’s videos from the multi-platinum “Thriller” album (including “Billie Jean”) were credited for the mega success of MTV, thus causing the network to change the format to add R&B music. This change also helped other black artists such as Prince and Whitney Houston enter the music revolution.
MTV is credited for turning music videos into both an art form and a marketing machine that became beneficial to artists. Over time, MTV added several genres to the format and somewhat even created those genres such as alternative rock. Today, however, the general public seems to be disappointed with the ironic lack of music videos played on MTV. While the original MTV network still broadcasts 24 hours a day, the actual showing of videos has (over time) dwindled to a maximum of only 3 hours per day. The rest of the air time focuses on a completely different format, currently a large amount of reality shows and news programs about entertainment and politics. However, today the network owns several sister channels that do broadcast more music videos though all pale in comparison to the original days of Music Television. And to this, I say … I WANT MY MTV!!!
The Buggles:
An English New Wave band with only 2 studio albums and one hit single, “Video Killed the Radio Star”. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buggles
Dire Straits:
British rock band active between 1977-1995 known for hits including “Sultans of Swing”, “Money for Nothing”, “Walk of Life” and “So Far Away”. This band boasts one of the greatest yet most underrated guitar players in rock history, Mark Knopfler. They’ve had 6 studio albums, all of which are very good. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_straits
Duran Duran:
An iconic 80’s new wave band from England who dominated the early days of MTV and were widely known as the “pretty boys of rock”. They are still very popular today and have released 13 studio albums so far during their career with numerous top 40 hits. In my opinion, this band represents the epitome of MTV in the 80’s. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duran_duran
Def Leppard:
Though their sound is mild by comparison today, Def Leppard was considered a British hard rock band when they crashed the scene on MTV and won the popularity contest with hits like “Photograph”, “Bringing on the Heartbreak”, “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, and “Hysteria”. Like Duran Duran, this band also has the gift of longevity and is still popular despite their rough history which includes the death of 2 guitar players and a crippling auto accident leaving their drummer with one arm. They have 11 studio albums and also numerous top 40 hits. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Leppard
Madonna:
Perhaps no star from MTV’s golden era knows more about longevity than Madonna. This All-American 52 year old sex goddess still holds the throne of top rock diva for many reasons. While her image is ever changing with the times, her music has been and remains hip, happening and chart topping. She has a remarkable legacy not only in music but in film and entertainment in general. She also has 11 studio albums and countless top 40 hits. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_%28entertainer%29
Culture Club:
The band Culture Club had one of the most controversial front men in music history, Boy George. Another British new wave band to parade onto MTV and steal the hearts of many viewers, Culture Club had several popular dance hits including “Do Your Really Want to Hurt Me?”, “Time Clock of the Heart”, “Karma Chameleon”, and “Miss Me Blind”. Though the band is no longer together, the music still remains popular and is featured in many films and documentaries based in the decade of decadence known as the 80’s. In more recent years, Boy George has made the news in a negative light and has even dealt with criminal charges and remains recluse. But, in their better days, the band 5 studio albums – 3 of which were big sellers.
Mötley Crüe:
Reminiscent of the glory days of Alice Cooper, the New York Dolls or Kiss this band brought back the theatrics of flashy rock music and they added a sound heavier than most on the market at this time. Mötley Crüe were the true pioneers of what is labeled today as “hair metal” or “glam rock”, but in the 80’s this was considered a rather hard core sound and scene. They were one of many up and coming metal bands from the Sunset Strip of L.A., California. Still widely known and popular, they’ve sold nearly 100 million albums worldwide. If any metal band has a colorful past it’s these guys. They’re notorious for bad behavior, bad reputations and just all around bad-ass-ness! Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6tley_Cr%C3%BCe
Cyndi Lauper:
Though she wasn’t quite Madonna’s nemesis and the two artists were very different, the uniqueness and charm of Cyndi Lauper made her tough competition … especially since she happens to be incredibly talented as well. This American icon quickly rose to fame with her aptly titled debut album “She’s So Unusual” that including chart topping hits like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time after Time”. She has always been a stand out artist among her peers and still tours for sold out audiences today. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyndi_Lauper
Adam Ant:
This British pretty boy’s career originally began with Adam and the Ants and later he went solo as Adam Ant. A real heart throb for all the ladies during the 80’s, he seemed to bring a steamy sexuality to the small screen with his well known hit videos for “Goody Two Shoes” and “Strip”. He was once voted the sexiest man in America by the MTV viewing audience. Unfortunately, similar to Boy George, his almost come-back was shattered with criminal charges for bad behavior that landed him in a psychiatric hospital. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Ant
David Bowie:
It would be impossible to sum up this brilliant artist in a few sentences and I’m not even going to try! Bowie is best known for his work in the 70’s, but his hit making career spans from the late 60’s to current works. He has released 24 studio albums, all of which are a must have for any avid music fan. During MTV’s high point, Bowie released the album “Let’s Dance” which included popular videos for “Modern Love”, “China Girl”, and the title track “Let’s Dance”. To learn more (and I suggest you do) click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie
Journey:
Journey boasted one of the most iconic lead vocalists ever to grace rock music, Steve Perry. Though this All-American rock band debuted in the mid-70’s, the 80’s was their time to shine. Their catalog of music is a catalog of top 40 hits and I struggle to think of a song they recorded in the 80’s that wasn’t a chart topper … I don’t think it exists. While they didn’t share the theatrics and style of video making that many of their competitors did during the 80’s, they won audiences over with classic simple videos that displayed their talent lyrically, musically and vocally. This band is always imitated and never duplicated. In 1998 Perry left the band with no rumors of a reunion since and, though Journey still tours with numerous replacement singers, without Perry things have never been the same. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_%28band%29
Genisis:
Genisis formed in the late 60’s with Peter Gabriel as their lead singer. And, much like Bowie, it would be hard to sum this band up in a few sentences. But, in the 80’s they became famous with Phil Collins as their lead singer as well as drummer. Though they were considered progressive rock in their earlier days, during the 80’s I think they would be best described as controversial in some ways with their political lyrics and thought provoking music. However, they were also know for some meaningful love songs. Collins brought them into the mainstream and to the peak of their popularity, but left the band for an equally popular solo career in the mid 80’s which kept him as a familiar face on MTV. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genisis_%28band%29
Fleetwood Mac:
Like Genisis or Bowie, attempting to summarize the history of Fleetwood Mac is nearly impossible. This was, however more of a 70’s band than 80’s though MTV did help keep their career in tact with a few hits like “Little Lies” and “Big Love”. The band seemed to have a revolving door with members and their romances which included Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham who seemed to be more popular in the days of MTV with their solo works. But, never the less, Fleetwood Mac is historically one of the best known bands in rock history with top selling albums and singles decade after decade and are touring today with all of the original band members… well, the 2nd wave original band members anyway. Yeah, there’s no way to sum this history up so just learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleetwood_Mac
Heart:
This great band went through 2 major phases of popularity, or you could say it didn’t end. In the 70’s they were a pleasant surprise or alternative to mainstream rock music because they were a sister power duo with the phenomenal lead vocals of Ann Wilson and the sultry lead guitar of Nancy Wilson. In the 80’s they gained popularity on MTV with power ballads and videos showcasing their sex appeal such as “What about Love”, “These Dreams”, “Alone”, and “Nothing at All”. But, most people will remember their iconic hits from the 70’s like “Barracuda”, “Magic Man”, and “Crazy on You”. However, nobody was complaining about being able to see this vixens in video! They’re still popular and still touring… and their still kicking ass, take it from me cause I just saw them live a couple of months ago and was left feeling satisfied yet longing for more! Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_%28band%29
Van Halen:
I have to laugh because probably the main reason I can’t sum up this band in just a few sentences is because they are unequivically one of my all time favorite bands. My opinions would be biased here and perhaps unfair to the reader… but here goes…
Van Halen has had 3 lead singers over the last 3 decades, but in my opinion only one that matters … the iconic and unmatched David Lee Roth (who recently reunited with the band and they are touring and doing a fantastic job!). So, I have to warn you that I will only be referring to the David Lee Roth era (even thought he Sammy Hagar era was very popular as well). Van Halen burst into rock music fame in the late 70’s with their multi platinum self titled album that included the unforgettable hits “Running with the Devil” and “You Really Got Me”. Now, I could comb over their entire history in fine detail here, but I’ll just cover the 80’s MTV era of popularity for Van Halen which is the height of their career.
“1984” was the album of the 80’s. Everybody who’s anybody had that album! While this album brought the band ultimate success with chart topping hits such as “Hot for Teacher”, “Panama”, “I’ll Wait” and “Jump” it also brought the demise of the David Lee Roth era as egos began to outshine the talent and caused band members, namely David and namesake/lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen to butt heads until David left to persue a solo career which also brought him much fame in the 80’s/MTV era. Anyway, you can learn more from me personally (lol) or click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen
ZZ Top:
Was well known for their classic videos of the 80’s, even though they were a very popular 70’s band. ZZ Top videos told a story, and because they were so downright cool the songs behind them became wildly popular such as “Legs”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Gimmie All Your Lovin”. This Texas Based Southern Rock band has a bluesy rock sound backed by legendary musicians Billy Gibbens, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard. Though MTV may have given this band commercial success, ZZ Top had been a success for many years before and has remained a success to this day. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the band and even though they still have music in their hearts Billy Gibbens’ health issues has crippled touring and any new projects. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zz_top
Michael Jackson:
In all seriousness, I’m sure I haven’t had to define who any of these artists are in this blog but at the very least I know I don’t have to explain Michael Jackson. He is, after all, “The King of Pop” and one of the most well known artists in the history of music… ever… only to compete with Elvis Presley or the Beatles, but in all seriousness… probably more known. I have to say I feel it would be a waste of my time to try to summarize his career or life at all in this blog or anywhere else. There are countless movies, documentaries, news articles and so fourth about him and he is particularly in the current news as the world mourns the anniversary of this death one year ago this week. I doubt I even need to offer you a link to learn more about him, but here it is anyway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson
Prince:
In my opinion, no truer an artist (musically) by definition than this man. He can and will do anything… anything… and do it amazingly well. He writes, composes, plays every instrument, acts, and just downright shines at everything he even attempts! He spews sex appeal, emotion and passion in all of his works. He’s controversial, political, and phenomenal at all times. His career began in the 70’s and was an underground success that overtook the 80’s with steamy videos and unforgettable movies of his own as well as his work with other artists (song writing, record producing…etc…). A real genius in my opinion and yet another artist I couldn’t possibly summarize. Prince manipulates multiple genres of music including rock and R&B (an incredible feat). Some of his more notable MTV era hits are “1999”, “Little Red Corvette”, “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry”. But, really, summarizing Prince just does him and you a real injustice so please, learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_%28musician%29
Whitney Houston:
Actress, model and notable performer, Whitney Houston had a million dollar act the moment she danced onto the small screen with her first hit “How Will I Know”. America fell in love with this knock out vocalist who had all the elements missing from the 80’s female R&B scene. Once MTV got a hold of her, there was no turning back on one of the most notable careers any female artist could ever hope for. She seemed to be a hit making machine and as her career grew she also dominated the big screen. Recognized as one of the best known divas in music history, Whitney became a multi-millionaire almost overnight with hit after hit, but behind the scenes she led a very troubled life that would end up crippling her career and today she struggles to make a comeback. However, she still has the talent so I suspect that once she gets her act together she can have a very strong return to the industry. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston
Who do you remember most from the MTV era? Did you love it or hate it? What are your thoughts on this topic? What do you think of MTV today?
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Charlie Sheen was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He never had to worry about anything or want for anything. He was given free reign at birth to do whatever he pleased. Today, he blames his father (who basically gave him that silver spoon and freedom) for his wreck of a life. Is that wrong? In some ways, not so much. If you have lived your entire life doing as you please, no matter how bad it may be, and not suffered any real consequences then why not? Sure, this path of destruction began with the freedom of being a rich, spoiled, Hollywood son but in his adult life is his father really still to blame? Well, being so spoiled in his youth was the groundwork for not having to mature and deal with reality but how has he evaded reality in his adult life? He has done things many common men would still be sitting in a jail cell over, yet Charlie Sheen has never had to do so. Our legal system has continued to polish the silver spoon forever planted in his mouth by continuing to allow him to avoid the consequences of his actions simply because he’s a rich celebrity who can afford to buy his way out of any situation he may find himself in. His only real consequences have been that he is under the media microscope. Is he crazy? Maybe not. If I had such a silver spoon in my mouth and a microscope over my actions, perhaps I too would be beyond obnoxious. It only seems logical. Why are we so shocked? I’m not. I love it. I think he’s spitting in the faces of all the fools who enabled him. He really is winning… at least for now. Even though there are no legal consequences for his actions that we’ve really seen, I do believe there will be some health issues in his future. There probably already are and we just don’t know it yet. But, while we all sit back and enjoy the showing of Charlie’s melt down there are bigger questions left unanswered.
For instance, why is this man’s moronic behavior headline news when so many other things are going on in this world that are far more worthy of our attention? Is this part of the media’s game as they work closely with our favorite Uncle Sam to distract us from real news? Is Charlie Sheen’s decline really more important to our daily lives than the unraveling of the middle east, the raping of the middle class American or the push to continually feed racism? Is Charlie Sheen an optimal candidate for the destruction of his name because he was once on the front lines fighting against our government with his support of the 911 conspiracy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyKR2-A0KPU
Granted, the government didn’t drive him to the ultimate insanity that we are eating up daily but in all seriousness, he’s 1 in a million… a million egotistical addicts who think they are winning. He’s really not that different than anyone else. He got paid over a million per episode of “Two & ½ Men”. Nearly 200 episodes have aired in 7 years. That’s a butt load of cash. Do you really think you’d be the same person you are today if you had that kind of cash? Seriously? Ok, well you can lie to me if you want but don’t lie to yourself. Personally, I have a bit of a demanding nature and if I was worth over 200 million I think I’d be a raging bitch. I probably wouldn’t do any of the hard drugs but I’d try like hell to keep up with my new friends in the Hollywood scene. I guess I’d be drinking a lot of Starbucks Double Shots to stay up, maybe shooting up some B12 and such. I’d be the healthy freak. I can’t deny that if I got interviewed I wouldn’t go out on a limb and say some crazy shit like “I’m high on Susan Monti” because…well, frankly I would be. I always like to joke and be sarcastic though, and having the world as my audience would probably fuel my fire beyond description. Being obnoxious is fun, but us regular folks can’t get away with it the way a celebrity can. Money really is a God. With money comes freedom, power, immediate gratification, and so many things us regular folks can’t acquire. I’m sure having millions upon millions of dollars is quite the high in itself and spending it any way you like is probably pretty addictive.
I’m only human. I’m enjoying the Charlie Sheen show just as much as everyone else. I’m in no position to judge anyone, especially if I’ve never been ‘in their shoes’. I can say, in my current pair of shoes, what I’d do if I were worth millions and it would be sharing with everyone I love, traveling, raising awareness on the causes that matter most to me and donating to them, and more of that kind of stuff. And, of course, having a good time all the time. I can also honestly say, I’ve never wanted to be a celebrity. Truly. Now, of course I’d like to be rich but there’s only so much money you can spend in a lifetime and even though it can buy a lot of fabulous stuff, it can never buy true love. I would be happy if I was in a financial position where I and those I love would never have to do without anything we needed. My dream has always been to write a best seller and be known for that. When that happens, then I will be winning.
Anyway, in all of my recent viewings of Charlie’s chattering I have to say my favorite quote is “People misinterpret my passion for anger”. Oh come on, who hasn’t felt that way?
For anyone who doesn’t know this, the state of Mississippi was the 20th state admitted to the Union. The state was named after the Mississippi river which flows along it’s western boundary and has Indian roots in the name stemming from “great river”. Mississippi’s catfish farms supply the majority of catfish in the USA’s seafood industry, while the state also offers a large supply of all seafood in the industry. Mississippi is bordered on the North by the state of Tennessee, on the East by Alabama, on the South by Louisiana and a coastline along the Gulf of Mexico and on the West (across the Mississippi River) by Louisiana and Arkansas. There are 5 major rivers in Mississippi and 4 major lakes. The coastline includes large bays at the cities Bays St. Louis and Pascagoula. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by the shallow
HORN ISLAND, MS GULF COAST JUNE 2010
Mississippi sound and partially sheltered by Petits Bois Island, Horn Island, East & West Ship Islands, Deer Island, Round Island and Cat Island. I’m telling you all of this because I think many people don’t know Mississippi and it’s time you should. Mississippi is the forgotten daughter of this nation in my opinion and Mississippi is a beautiful gem somehow kept secret from our brothers and sisters that need to know. There’s a reason why I’m telling you all of this, so please don’t get bored and stop reading. It’s important to me, and it should be important to you too … even if you live in a favored state of this nation, Mississippi is still your sister.
While the media does not favor this great state, Mississippi is not what they may lead you to believe. The media wants to convince you that we haven’t moved forward since the civil war. That our mindset remains prejudiced,
OPRAH WINFREY IS A MS NATIVE
backward, and ignorant. They don’t want you to know that great musicians, authors and artists came from this humble state. They don’t want you to know about the culture and beauty that is overflowing here. The coast of Mississippi hosts beautiful beaches, classic homes, talented musicians and artists and some of the best fishing any enthusiast could ever ask for. The coast of Mississippi was the place where Hurricane Katrina actually made landfall 5 years ago this summer. But, the media overshadowed that fact with reporting of our neighbor and more popular city, New Orleans. The difference, however, is that New Orleans flooded due to a failure on their local government’s part by ignoring repairs to their levee system that was decades overdue while Mississippi’s coastline faced the brunt of this (the nation’s worst
WILLIAM FAULKNER IS A MS NATIVE
natural disaster in history). Mississippi was raped and pillaged and in areas like Bay St. Louis, Waveland, and Lakeshore the damage completely wiped out homes and businesses up to 8 miles inland and widespread destruction so deep inland that even the northernmost cities of the state faced destruction. But, while the people of Mississippi were ignored by the government, media, and celebrities looking to lend a hand we remained strong and took matters into our own hands. We are a resilient people who are no strangers to being the forgotten daughter, so we worked hard to do things on our own. And we were blessed by many volunteer groups who did come to aid our efforts in rebuilding the secret gem that is the Mississippi Gulf Coast. But once again, despite the fact that this information is important … this is not what I am here to blog about today. However, I am here to blog about the fact that we are yet again treated as the red haired step child of this nation and now I’m going to tell you why.
HURRICANE KATRINA SATELLITE IMAGE 8/05
JAMES EARL JONES IS A MS NATIVE
I am a resident of the resilient and beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast. I was born and raised here. This is my home. I love this place. Before Hurricane Katrina, the cities of this coast had it all … quaint little shops and pubs lining the beach, fine dining restaurants and entertainment as well as prosperous industries in seafood and tourism. We have been struggling to rebuild what we lost and we have held fast to our hopes and dreams of recovery. Today, in the wake of a disaster that heavily overshadows Katrina, many of us are losing our strength, our hope and our dreams and waking up to just how forgotten we truly are here. Once again, I don’t want to write this as if any reader is living under a rock and doesn’t know the disaster I speak of, but I’m speaking of the BP Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that occurred April 20, 2010 and continues to spew millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico daily. If, by some crazy chance, you don’t know what I’m talking about you can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill .
During the last 3 months we have learned all about the damage to Louisiana’s marshes and seafood industry and Florida’s beaches…etc… We have seen footage of what is and isn’t being done to protect these popular states’ coasts ecologically and economically but we have seen and heard very little about the forgotten sister that is Mississippi.
DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL RIG EXPLOSION APR. 20,1010
Though this sentiment has been in my heart since Katrina, yesterday two incidents spawned my desire to write this blog. First of all, I traveled my local coastline yesterday to see what the BP clean-up efforts were like, what the media was doing and what the people were doing. What I
BP Clean Up-Waveland, MS 7/10/10
found was disappointing. I did see some laborers raking the sand and picking up tar patties that washed upon our shorelines and placing them in garbage bags. The workers were far and few between and absent in many areas. I waited until they ended their work day before I went out to do my own inspection and what I found was very disturbing. Oiled litter, tar balls and oiled water was still as far as the eye could see. Exhausted boom remained desperately needing replacement as oil seeped past it. It was heartbreaking and painful to see. I wondered why, but then quickly answered my own question … because the media doesn’t care about Mississippi so the nation doesn’t know that we are being treated this way and the government doesn’t care about the people of this state so our cries will not be heard. Last night, after a trying day of dealing with this reality, I went out to have a drink. Much like after Hurricane Katrina, the bar was full of transients who came here to make a buck following yet
Oiled litter post clean up-Waveland, MS 7/10/10
another tragedy. In other words, laborers for BP here to do clean-up work. I was seated between men working on Louisiana clean-up to my left and Mississippi clean-up to my right. They were discussing what their work days consisted of. The comparisons were mind boggling to a point that I couldn’t hold my tongue. In Louisiana’s clean-up efforts there are more safety measures, crews, EPA involvement, BP and
Tar balls found post clean up-Lakeshore, MS
Government employees present and more detailed demands. Louisiana’s clean up focuses on getting the oil out of the water and the marshes as well as getting the tar balls off the coastlines in heavy detail with inspections and safety measures as well as quickly replacing used boom with new boom to continue to protect the delicate marshes and waters of Louisiana. At the end of the day, all clean-up boats in Louisiana waters must be thoroughly cleaned before returning to their ports as to not carry oil and contaminants inland. NONE of this is occurring in Mississippi clean-up efforts. There are less employees working in Mississippi, the EPA & Government are not present, boats are not cleaned and oil and contaminants are carried into our ports daily and Mississippi workers even complained that they feel their efforts are in vain because of the lack of supervision and precaution that are only spreading the oil and contaminants around rather than removing them. The skimming methods on Mississippi waters are far less professional and hardly working compared to that of Louisiana. Booms are not being replaced in Mississippi and our marshes are not being protected. After hearing all I could stand of these comparisons, I blurted out the obvious question “Why?” and received the answer from both sides “Because Louisiana is ecologically and economically more important to the country than Mississippi.” Ouch. That hurt. But, I guess the truth hurts. And so, I have a few photographs I took yesterday to share this truth with you. These were all taken within a 5 mile radius of Waveland and Lakeshore, MS , just a small portion of what is going on here that I wanted to share with you because if I don’t care, who will?
EXPIRED BOOM SITS IN FRONT OF DAMAGED MARSHLAND
Oil Mixed with toxic chemicals seeping past boom in marshland
High tides push oil onto the streets
Without proper protection or prevention, oiled water moves inland
Without proper protection or prevention, toxic soup forms in our marshes
Without proper clean up, toxic soup stagnates roadside
Oiled sand post clean up every 6" or less
an all too familiar sight along our beaches...
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SUSAN
7/11/10
Are your isms in check?
the amount of labor expended. Most socialists share the view that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital and derives its wealth through exploration, creates an unequalsociety, does not provide equal opportunities for everyone to maximise their potentialities and does not utilize technology and resources to their maximum potential nor in the interests of the public. Socialism is not a concrete philosophy of fixed doctrine and programme; its branches advocate a degree of social interventionsimand economic rationalization (usually in the form of economic planning), but sometimes oppose each other. A dividing feature of the socialist movement is the split between reformists and revolutionaries on how a socialist economy should be established. Some socialists advocate complete nationalizationof the means of production, distribution, and exchange; others advocate state control of capital within the framework of a market economy. The first socialists predicted a world improved by harnessing technology and combining it with better social organization, and many contemporary socialists share this belief. Early socialist thinkers tended to favor an authentic meritocracy combined with rational social planning, while many modern socialists have a more egalitarian approach. Valdimir Lenin, drawing on Karl Marx’s ideas of “lower” and “upper” stages of socialism, defined “socialism” as a transitional stage between capitalism and communism.
capital are traded in markets; and profits distributed to owners or invested in technologies and industries. There is no consensus on capitalism nor how it should be used as an analytical category. There are a variety of historical cases over which it is applied, varying in time, geography, politics and culture. Economists and historians have taken different perspectives on the analysis of capitalism. Scholars in the social sciences, including historians, economic sociologists, economists, anthropologists and philosophers have debated over how to define capitalism, however there is little controversy that private ownership of the means of production, creation of goods or services for profit in a market, and prices and wages are elements of capitalism. Economists usually put emphasis on the marketmechanism, degree of government control over markets, and property rights, while most political economists emphasize private property, power, relations, wage labor, and class. The extent to which different markets are “free”, as well as the rules determining what may and may not be private property, is a matter of politics and policy and many states have what are termed “mixed economies”.
affiliations, into a collective body. One of the most prominent forms of corporatism is economic triparism involving negotiations between business, labour, and state interest groups to set economic policy. In contemporary usage, “corporatism” is often incorrectly used as a pejorative term against the domination of politics by the interests of private business corporations; however, such a system would be more accurately described as a form of corporatocracy. Corporatocracy (or corpocracy) is a form of government where corporations/conglomerates and/or government entities with private components, control the direction and governance of a country. Corporatist views of community and social interaction are common in many major world religions and Corporatism has been utilized by many ideologies across the political spectrum including; absolutism, capitalism, socialism, fascism, social democracy, conservatism and liberalism. Meanwhile, the concept of corpocracy allows corporations to provide financial support to competing political parties and major political party candidates. This allows the corporations to hedge their bets on the outcome of an election so that they are assured to have a winner who is indebted to them. As politicians are increasingly dependent on campaign contributions to become elected, their objectiveness on issues which concern corporate interests is compromised.
that indirect realists are confused about conventional idioms such as indirect perception. An example of indirect perception is the media. Optimism is defined as ” having hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favorable or hopeful view.” Pessimism is the opposite of optimism and is a state of mind that sees everything in a negative light. The most common known example of optimism v/s pessimism is the age old question “Is the glass half full or half empty?” Depending on one’s answer, it was decided if one was pessimistic or optimistic. Obviously, the one who sees the glass as half full is optimistic while the one who sees it as half empty is pessimistic. But, what about the one who simply sees 4 oz of liquid in a 8 oz glass? That is a realist! While optomists see things in an positive light and pessimists see things in negative light, the mildly discontented grey area in between in fact reflects the most accurate perception of reality.
Waiting on karma to pay back that debt... 