Strange Times

"In life sometimes events seem to be moving on the right track. In reality it's two small steps forward...one large step back."

Amber and golden leaves fell on the damp ground as I inhaled the cool autumn breeze. Summer is over. Winter is coming. There's always a sense of meloncholy when summer ends. Summer is the time to be outside with lots of festivals and cultural events going on. The lose of warmth and sunlight is the same as a spring love that's gone cold. My apologies for rambling...I sometimes get distracted when writing.

We're living in strange times. The musical landscape has changed a lot since I released my first EP in 2002. Back then musicians could say some outlandish sh*t and it would be taken as art. We had freedom of expression and it's interpretation was never taken as literal. That is no longer the case. In fact over the last twenty years its become the complete opposite. It's like one of those B-rated sci-fi movies where the persons transported to a parallel world. A place where all the rules are reversed. In the age of "cancel culture," every spoken word, written thought, or musical composition can get u imprisoned. (Facts)

Now musicians are catching cases off songs. Art has become evidence used for persecution. This reminds me of the witch hunts in the 1800's. It's become such a serious matter that legislation has been drafted to stop the practice. The R.A.P. (Restoring Artistic Protection) act was introduced to the House of Representatives back in June 2021. The focus of the bill is to limit how an artists creative expression can be used against them in a criminal case. In a fair society legislation like this should never have to be written. Unlike other forms of music such as rock, country, or blues. The predominant type of artists catching cases off song lyrics are rappers. 

To keep it one hundred. Its different if someone is stating all the facts to a crime with details and locations in a song. That's self incrimination and they deserve whatever punishment is appropriate for the crime. Using circumstantial evidence based off song lyrics is a fear tactic that stifles artistic freedom and creativity. Let me get off my soapbox. I just celebrated another year above ground and it has me contemplative. My love of making music hasn't changed, but my motivation to release it has been somewhat daunted. I despise drama. Recently, I had a situation where my words were used against me. That's a story for another day. Because of that situation I'm more cautious with everything I write.

To keep the stress compartmentalized I've been creating art. Although I've enjoyed developing my digital painting skills at Bored.ai, its not the same as canvas. The biggest difference is when I paint on canvas (or draw on paper) I can taste the colors. Even without having a preset ideal of what I want to create. Just by blending flavors together the painting goes its own direction and the image takes form. With digital painting u have to come up with the concept first then use descriptive words to generate the image. Both styles have pros and cons but my soul resonates with exploring new flavors. One of these days I'm going to take pictures of the two new pieces and post them in the gallery. 

The Ethereum merger happened today. For all the anticipation in the crypto space, the outcome was quite anticlimactic. Most people were expecting the big pump up to 3k to begin. Instead the price dropped to 1450. Right now eth is struggling to get back up to 1500.  There's a chance we could see the bottom this month. If that happens eth is falling below 1k. Some people are saying this is a great place to accumulate. (not investment advice) 

Not me. September is such a volatile month I'm going to wait and see where the price is at the end. Its better to be a little late to the party then too early. I have a small dydx trade open with a liquidation point of 1340. If I lose that trade...I know were going down. Usually after we hit bottom the price goes sideways for awhile. That's the place I would accumulate. (not investment advice) I personally believe the price will rebound before the end of the year. We got a glimpse of the relief rally without any strong momentum. It's just my opinion but the charts are saying a pump is coming. So. I have my bags packed and I'm patiently waiting to board that ride to around 3K. You do what lets u sleep better at night. Regardless of the price action the eth merge was a success, which is a big win for crypto.

Until Next We Speak, Be Well

Tha One an Only

Bad Information

While I've been working on album promotion and shooting movies in Zuid Holland the world has been going bonkers (that's the scientific term).

First, there's the new "Sleep Texting Disorder" that is causing embarrassment and job losses across the US. Basically people who are not mature enough to own a phone, fall asleep with their phone turned on. Then while they're sleeping these people reply to calls and text messages. The simplest solution for most intelligent minds would be to turn off the phone or set it on mute when sleeping. That way even if a call or text comes in while they're asleep they don’t respond.   

Apparently, enough people have “sleep text” that medical professionals are now calling the experience a disorder. When I think of disorders I think of conditions out of human control.  Sleep texting is completely within the realm of control… so it’s too stupid to be described as a “disorder.”  People who don’t know how to work the on and off switch on any device should not own it.

The other technological issue that is currently being debated is A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). Congress is debating on whether or not to give machines permission to kill humans.  (Did he just say robots…killing…people…YES HE DID) I know this sounds like a movie out the Terminator franchise, but its completely true. We now possess the technology where robots can fight on the front lines in place of human beings.  The military already uses drones and other A.I. technology in warfare. The difference between drones and the proposed method of warfare is that a human is operating the drone or other robot being used.Therefore a human is making the decision for the machine.

Under the new legislation being debated in congress, Robots will have the rights to arbitrarily decide who to kill and who not too. There will be no human operator or controller. The robot decides what to do for itself. I’m sure you the reader can see the potential problems waiting to occur if this legislation passes.  If you can’t see the problems take a moment to think about how often MP3 players, phones, game consoles and every other electronic device malfunctions.  Now imagine that the electronic device malfunctioning has a weapon and permission to kill you. (scary huh)

No matter how good the programming is, there is always room for error. I believe mankind should think and act for itself. The moment we give the right to take human lives to robotic machines…mankind becomes extinct. (food for thought) Check out the clips below for more information. 

How to Make an Assualt Rifle with a 3D Printer

I’m a big fan of the new 3D printers. Three D printing is the process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. If you’ve never heard of a 3D printer Google it, because they’re awesome. You can print plates, forks, whistles and all types of items. It’s estimated that within the next decade most homes will have a 3D printer.

The technology that promised to revolutionize how we view printing, has achieved that goal. Although not how the inventors imagined it. Cody Wilson, a 24 year old Law student, is an self proclaimed anarchist and strong supporter for the production of firearms using 3D printing technology. Below is a Documentary on how Cody and his partner create a working receiver (which is the only part of the firearm regulated by the government) using a 3D printer.

With all the debate over gun laws this documentary really opens the worlds eyes. Cody makes the point that regulating firearms won’t stop people from making them, or terrorists from killing. If the terrorist wanted to kill people and didn’t have a gun they could use a car. Then what? Would there be a nationwide ban on SUV’s? The man makes sense and is a highly controversial figure on both sides of the gun control issue.

Smart Testing

I often here the statement “education is the key to success”. That’s true in some ways but misleading in others. Its not how much a person studies that makes them successful. It's a mix of what they study and how they apply those lessons in life. If you’re a Chemistry major and all you study is English literature, it probably won’t help you graduate. Or if you're a History major but spend the majority of the time reading books on plants. You will know how to grow a garden but won't have a degree.When you think about it, the only universal language is mathematics. Why? Math is the same in every country. No matter where you go, whether it be city, town, or village...1 + 1 will always equal 2.

I'm a strong supporter of continuing education and that's why GMAT preparation is useful.  The GMAT is an analytical exam that focuses on learning to think, rather than lesson memorization. In most schools they use standardized tests like the SAT's (Scholastic Aptitude Test) which require students to remember large quantities of information. Most of which is forgotten once the test is over. This type of learning does strengthen the memory but doesn't teach students to think for themselves. This ability is necessary for students doing post graduate studies in fields like Law, Medicine, Business and numerous other careers. 

The GMAT is one of the tests that doesn't just help with school. It helps students achieve their goals in life. For more information about the GMAT and companies that assist in preparation for the exam check out their website.