Disrespecting Time is Art

Grab a ledge and admire. The world is a slideshow of art that we ignore way too often. So take a second from the minutes we call life, to stop and appreciate art. If the only way to appreciate the world around us is to disrespect life's demands on our limited reservoirs of time...

then so be it.

Disrespecting time is art.

The World. Bush. Anthropologists & Brand-Centric Spectacles

Due to the endeavours of the Bush administration, the global village is becoming increasingly fractured; clusters being defined by various determinants such as nationality, religion, income, age and education (to name but a few). Even Bush’s most ardent supporters will admit that his policies have highlighted the differences, as opposed to the commonalities between cultures. Nevertheless, the negative perceptions that ‘western’ cultures have nurtured predate Bush. If anything, Bush has saved the rest of the world from falling in step with American tastes and culture by bringing the negatives of Americana to the forefront. Disillusioned by his administration’s overtly aggressive stance on foreign policy, many in the Islamic (Asian, European, etc) world are over-compensating by latching onto and exaggerating their own customs, so as to ensure that cultural imperialism can be thwarted. Subsequently, the much awaited clash of civilisations seems imminent. Only by finding communal points of reference that transcend regional boundaries can one hope to ease the friction between cultures that are beginning to seem intrinsically different from one another.

Given this incestuous atmosphere of staying with one’s own, it is interesting to note how globalization has played a role in providing a new platform of commonalities. Ever since MTV launched in the 80’s, a movement began of what can now officially be deemed the MTV generation. Especially applicable to any post Gen X age group, the shared values of viewers, due to their identical viewership patterns ensure that irrespective of nationality or religion, all kids (in a given income group) are aware of the Beyonces, Versaces and Nikes of our world. This might seem inconsequential, but, by adorning the brand-centric spectacles of marketers it's impossible to ignore the underpinnings of a new global language. This language might not have been fully adopted by me or you…but the kids of our generation are on a path of homogenization. Having established a trans-national language of brands, icons and symbols, the generation of the future will be able to gauge the commonalities they share with a third person by judging him/her on a common platform, i.e. clothing, music, styling, etc. This does not imply that the youth are more materialistic, although it does mean that the advertising spend of big brands is beginning to pay dividends. This process can be likened to the adoption of general symbols that now inundate our lives. For example, the sign for a men’s washroom is almost identical everywhere in the world. Irrespective of culture, people now share a common symbol that can not be boxed in by regional boundaries. This is also true for many road signs that we come across daily. But enough of urinals… I hope that you will humour me as I elaborate on those brand-centric spectacles that I mentioned earlier.

Most brands try to create a niche so that consumers associate a unique persona to a brand. Billions are spent to establish a brand’s personality, image, culture as well as its visual and verbal tone of communication. Previously, this practice served one purpose, to increase sales by clearly demarcating a persona that fit the mould of the ideal customer. Alas, the sheer volume of investment in creating these brand personas, coupled with an increasingly individualistic and time starved culture has resulted in a seismic shift whereby individuals now choose a brand to leverage its associations. In short, brands used to previously work on creating personas that would appeal to its target market, but, now people adopt a persona by choosing brands that reflect their perceived ideal.

Due to the prevalence of brands, a kid brought up on Western fodder in Pakistan might now have more in common with a kid in Ecuador than a less privileged Pakistani kid. Commonalities, such as culture, are slowly being eroded under the pressure exerted by global advertising, as well as the tastes and preferences they forge. Anthropologists, scared of being deprived of their livelihood, are obviously livid about this phenomenon, but are powerless to do anything other than to document the slow demise of regional differences. I would be willing to bet that a hundred years from now, anthropologists will be citing M.N.C.’s and the associated media bombardment as being amongst the most influential determinants of future cultural behaviour.

Let me explain why I am so certain of the outcome. Time is becoming almost as scare a commodity as oil and subsequently people have less time to get to know one another. Given this scenario, people subliminally judge one another to gauge whom they would best get along with, thereby, setting criterion of social groupings. Previously, this criterion tended to be based on culture, age and religion because it was assumed that a person from the same culture and religion would share a lot of commonalities. More often than not, this was the case. But, as the walls of cultural segregation are torn down by satellite channels, people are beginning to understand that a shared regional culture does not imply shared tastes, preferences and lifestyles. Instead, brands which are widely recognized are beginning to be viewed as chapter titles for a book titled ‘ME’. Is it a coincidence that people who adorn billabong tend to hang out with people who wear similar brands (Hurley, Quicksilver, Roxy, etc) as opposed to a person who adorns the Versaces of the world? Is it a coincidence that more often than not, a grouping of BMW owners would also include people who own Mercs, Lexuses or Jaguars as opposed to a Hyundai. You yell “that’s segmenting by income you bugger” and I reply “well so are brands!’. Is it a coincidence that more and more brands are coming out with global campaigns as opposed to country or region specific campaigns? Are companies beginning to realize they can use one message to communicate with the whole world as opposed to customizing each campaign for each country? Maybe. But I think companies are beginning to realize that they don’t need to ‘talk to the whole world’, they just need to talk to their world.

And talk they do. They talk to ‘us’ and we talk to the ‘them’s who mirror the ‘me’s. Ideally brands would not factor into the equation, but these days anything is a brand and nobody is above stereotyping. Obviously we all want to be above stereotyping, but through my personal experience of constant relocation (I am a FOK’er (Foreign Office Kid) after all) I have realized that one tends to subliminally migrate towards a person who seems to share the same tastes, preferences or opinions. In an ideal world, one would duly allocate time to discover one’s surroundings, co-workers, associates, etc, but we do not live in an ideal world. We live in a world where time is a commodity and instead of discovering a person we tend to take a quick glimpse of the brands they use or admire to ascertain their tastes. After all, a stoner doesn’t hang out with a raver too often. Why? Tastes and preferences.

I’ve stopped making sense now and have managed to confuse myself so I’m going to do the honourable thing…and stop writing.

Anti-Smoking Ads

As a fellow smoker remarked 'Smokers are a dying breed, both literally and figuratively" and the world seems hell-bent on consigning us to the pile labelled 'tsk tsk'. Yet try as they might, their numerous anti-smoking ads never seem to aptly resonate with smokers or would be smokers. I think of all the warnings, maybe one with a visual of a bent/limp ciggerette and a caption saying 'smoking causes impotence' might just have hit home. Giving creedance to the fact that men think with their dicks, I thought it best to take an approach aimed at our universal love for a babe. In light of this epiphany, i sketched the above and think it might just do the trick...

Mushi Mushi

There is an inherent beauty in the chaos that perennially engulfs Pakistan and its perceived state of affairs. Currently residing in South Africa, and having previously completed a stint as a media strategist in Islamabad, I find it impossible to not comment on the disproportionate amount of media coverage our nation receives internationally, albeit for all the wrong reasons. I guess that is the price that any ”strategically” located country with a population of nearly 150 million has to pay. We need to ask ourselves, however, as to why we supposedly “Proud Pakistanis” choose to exacerbate negative perceptions by continuously highlighting Musharraf’s and the nation's negative aspects. What about the good… does it not warrant a small article too?

Admittedly, Musharraf’s plan is veering off course, and the ground situation is going downhill, but what one is fed through media publications and channels paints a dismal picture that seems more hell bent on self-serving vendettas as opposed to reporting. More often thatn not, it seems like in our quest for the “sensational” and the “awe-inspiring,” we have sadly forgotten the basic doctrines of journalism. The media is not supposed to take sides – its purpose is merely to “inform.” The facts should speak for themselves, and if they don’t, then your facts aren’t all that great. In this context, a news report is more like a piece of art – if the artist (or sculptor, whichever the case may be) actually has to write out an explanation and put it up on a plaque beside the work, then the piece isn’t worth much. So also, if you feel the need to actually go out and explain your report, then the purpose and the meaning is lost. “Activism” is not part of a journalist’s job description. Neutrality is the key that our media unfortunately seems to have lost, and this has apparently been replaced with misplaced priorities.

This is not to say that the legitimacy of a legislative body is not paramount – it is. The rule of law ensures that checks and balances exist to offset the centralization of of the government’s power. But has a court of law NEVER been undermined in this land before. If memory serves me right, our favourite Punjabi pahlwaan did something of the sort as well, back in his day. At the time, however, the media was not as empowered or autonomous as it is now and could not express discontentment. Should this progression in the sector simply be accepted as evolution or should one give credit where credit is due

Since Mushi Mushi took over, the media industry has been spawning bastard children every second day. The number of daily and monthly publications, radio and television stations and even Pakistani-hosted websites have risen dramatically in recent years, begging one to wonder about what drove Mushi Mushi to confront the one sector that he has been most benevolent to.

Over the years, the loosened grip on the media and its subsequent privatisation has resulted in a lot of players entering the market, eager to siphon off profits from the growing number of MNCs who want to communicate with the burgeoning middle class in Pakistan. Put so simply, this seems like a pretty straightforward model that apparently benefits all the players concerned, BUT this simple model was not working until Mushi Mushi came to power. Previously there weren't as many MNC's arriving on our shores due to political instability, a weakened economy and the near non-existent purchasing power of the majority of Pakistanis.

- Before Mushi Mushi the media was gagged to such an extent that Junoon were banned from television stations.
- Before Mushi Mushi there was no one willing to take on the Hudood Ordinance (even if the politicians shot it down).
- Before Mushi Mushi there was no Ali Noor.
- Before Mushi Mushi there was no Expresso Lounge.

If not for Mushi, the beards would have a more pronounced role in the political make-up of the country. After Mushi there is no one with the willpower or the backing to take authoritarian-like measures to sow progress. Enlightened moderation is a catchy coin-phrase that has been lambasted by all near and far, but maybe we should take our cue and practice enlightened criticism. His means might not be correct, but at the end of the day, his heart is in the right place. He might have been tainted by the corruption associated with such a high post, but is the corruption comparable to the millions whisked off by BB or NS?

Despite his domestic problems, Mushi Mushi had done wonders for Pakistan's image abroad. He is affable, relatively well spoken and other than his book-launching episode, has acted with dignity that is at times lacking in other forerunners for political power. I remember turning on the telly during the tumultuous aftermath of THE earthquake to see BB lambasting the nation, the administration and all near and far... I was not around in 1973 or 1961, but, the sincere concern that people had for their brothers in the north was likened by many elders as being a throwback to the years of yore when being Pakistani meant something. It meant that the nation came first. BB spoke to an international audience and chose her time in the spotlight to make sure she discussed Mushi Mushi and what he did wrong as opposed to what could be done. For BB, BB came first. In fact it seems that Pakistan and what it communicates, conveys what is done wrong, as opposed to what is being done. Eager to criticize we all have reservations about how something is being done and vociferously make our displeasure known, but very rarely do we convey what is being done right. Our media fails to make or recognize heroes. WE need heroes. We need hope. We need to know that there is somebody out there doing the right thing. We need to know there is some standard to which we should aspire. Mushi Mushi has a tough job. Lets accept it. Illiteracy, no taxes, beardism, terrorism, geo-political instability and a feudal undertone makes Pakistan a pretty hard country to govern and he is trying…

Nevertheless, in the golden years of mushi-dom: the people were happy, the media sector was making money, politicians were exiled and businesses were ecstatic. Part of the success achieved during those golden years was the harmonious relationship that different sectors (barring the exiled politicians) managed to forge with one another and the ruling party. Those years it seems, are now dead. We are back to our back biting ways, and the general consensus of dissidence seems to be permeating the cities, towns and villages of Pakistan… irrespective of class, education or income. Why? Because of one CJP? Or are we as a nation just not capable of accepting the lesser evil. 'We want democracy!' you say. 'Fuk democracy…I want progress' I say.

PS: im not pro Musharraff...but i honestly dont see any other alternative and that is what scares me...not the eroding power of institutions

Written Spoke Sung

Another year you have written a sung spoke,
one of hi… huh, why? or two.
You draw, nod, dawn
and time is a sea of lines, in which you oft go.
Many goals met , you, who cares.
Answers yet questions have another year (or two).
Dawn, nod, draw,
TO
live!
Cries arise from eyes shut till now
, raving gods of discontent ,
waging war on sense long bled.
“how do you fight ignorance with open eyes?”
When, to win you must not be led
and loss shed.
die!
Live.
On needs ex
And on deeds we base our aspired rations.
Meeting art but wedding thought instead
We defy evolving prerequisites
by choosing anything, save, raving
of bastions of love instead.
I will not

Written Sung Spoke

Another year you have written sung spoke,
one of hi… huh, why? or two
Draw, nod, dawn.
Time is a sea of lines, in which one oft goes.
Many goals met , you, who cares.
Answers yet questions have another year (or two).
Dawn, nod, draw,
to
live!
Cries arise from eyes shut till now
, raving gods of discontent ,
waging war on sense long bled.
So how do we fight ignorance with open eyes
When, to win we must not be led
and loss shed.
to
Live.
On needs ex
And on deeds we base our aspired rations.
Meeting art but wedding thought instead
We defy evolving prerequisites
by choosing anything, save, rave
of bastions of love instead.
or not

the grammys the music the huh?

No disrespect to the musicians of yore, but the awards held yesterday seemed like an elongated history lesson. The emphasis on showcasing country music, as Dixie Chicks ran amok at the awards podium, coupled with nostalgia resulted in a show that was looking over its shoulder as opposed to ahead. BUT despite its shortcomings, man o man was I glad that some of the artists and tracks I was plugging ended up getting nominated. I’d been preaching Lupe Fiasco (BRILLIANT), Imogen Heap and C. Bailey Rae to all near and far and im glad that these commercially obscure (except CBR I guess) artists managed to get their names on the bill.

WTF was up with Mary J getting the awards she got. A duet with Bono should not mean she gets unwarranted recognition for tracks (which relative to her other releases off the album) are average at best. LuDA’s time was a coming and the performance of ‘Runaway’ was wicked, socially conscious and it seems that Nas, Ludacris and maybe Lupe have picked up the mantle of social commentary in hip-hop vs the gangsta shyte that now seems pretty regurgitated (cept maybe the game...he ayte). A sublime performance of ‘just like a star’ made the rest of the crap almost worth it. John Mayer ravaged his guitar. But just like a star man… first time I heard the track I knew! It deserved a grand stage. Where were Muse goddamit???!!!Oddly enough I think they held back this year on purpose so that the 50 year anniversary can be a grand gala, and I have to admit, the MTV EMA awards won the glitz, coolness and semi-credibility battle. Man Europeans just see to know good music when they hear it. Good music as opposed to popular music! No carrie underwood’s n Christian preaching allowed.

BUT BUT the grammys have really really taken a stand on the War issue by showering Dixie Chicks after the release of their anti-war album. A bit too little too late non? But at least they made the thoughts of the music community known. It seemed like a battle within a battle… history vs. the present vs. the future (in terms of music)… country music vs. Dixie chicks… Texans vs. the rest of America. Cool stuff aye? N I still have yet to hear anything by the Dixie chicks cus I don’t think they release outside the states. I guess it’s a good thing. Oh btw the POLICE managed to get together for a bit to start it off. And please if anyone mentions timberlake once more im gonna puke.

even funnier was how all these supposed hollywood actors seemed so wooden compared ot the musicians. the latter might be dumber BUT man they dont need to act. the 'characters' are entertaining as is. actually when they were jsut musicians up on stage it didnt seem soo scripted which considering these kinda events is pretty impressive.

Ps: highlight of hte night was Don healy of Eagles snubbing the other ‘texan’ n country music as he throws his weight behind the Dixie Chicks.

PSS: im waiting for hte dream colaboration of CBR, alicia keys n lauryn hill or fiona apple

Table of Contents

At times I feel my thoughts are as muddled as the serenity of a clear thought broken by a prism of self-consciousness. At times I feel that the spoke not spoken might be better translated in the written word but most times I realize that it requires the ability to explore that part of myself that has been explored one time too many.

Unfortunately, repetition helps not, because i must see myself as someone else before I judge, and when I manage to do that I can only catch a glimpse of scattered thoughts in a meadow that rots of stagnation.

But fortunately, for the sake of future word I managed to strap my ADD laden brain long enough to get the chapter titles for blog thingies yet to be written. I guess it’s a process of a self-exploration but but but atleast I got a roadmap of thoughts…all that’s left is to explore the tangents.

-intuition is a precursor to knowledge
-reality feeds the body, while ideals feed the soul (umbi)
-the basis for evolution is a revolution
-we need to analyze the paralysis of thought
-god + war = resolve
-the commercialization of life has resulted in it becoming a series of ready-made daydreams
-destruction is a form of creation
-can we tell which human beings are solar powered as opposed to power powered?

PS: I AM NOT AN ANARCHIST

The Ocean: Brethren

“We are all sailing down the stream of time which we can neither create nor direct. All we can do is steer with (more or less) experience and skill.”

Broken steps litter the journey towards what one feels might be salvation. Unopposed the stream of people finds the path of least resistance and culminates to form what can only be deemed a reservoir of fear and hope. The reservoir leaks streams which join forces to form a river that grows wider and drives forward faster. The river has many tributaries… leaks from the reservoirs of cliques, countries, groups, the human race. Not only do smaller streams flowing down the staircases of the corporate ‘west’ contribute but so do the streams that gush forward like the very liquid gold that the ‘non-corporate’ drill. It was a movement. Slipping and streaming. Inertia was on their side.

Twists. And. Turns.

Hope, yes it forms, but fear keeps it temperate as it spews out into the hinterland that has no land. The ocean is a funny place. The twists and turns are no more. You find brethren. You find yourself.

2007: a beginning

Within the unforgiving grip of monotony the minutes seem like years but the years seem to go like minutes.


“in an unchanging universe a beginning in time is something that has to be imposed by some being outside the universe; there is no physical necessity for a beginning.”
SH “A brief history of Time’

I don’t know if reading SH’s book was a good thing or not. I am a big believer in the ‘ignorance is bliss’ stream of thought and this book doesn’t seem to be compatible with that viewpoint. I mean is SH trying to subtly tell us that no matter what science proves there needs to be a catalyst or a HIM that can impose a beginning, thereby scientifically proving the existence of god or or or … all our stumbling self discoveries are misplaced… maybe there is no beginning.

Stand your Ground

The fire burns into another lie.
Another reason to stand your ground and watch life pass you by

A mural of words
A composition of thoughts
Stand your ground… apathy hope is not.

Seconds mould ‘now’ into a minute of a year
Of a fire that dies leaving embers of lies to be told
About us, about them, about her, about him. not art.

Stand your ground. Life is an exhibition.
Read the murals. Hear the harmony of thoughts.

We still live in an era of prohibition
Guard your art.

boca

Ounces

Is it better not to whisper that which life kept unsaid?
To tremble with not one, but many ounces of regret
An ounce for fear, love, joy, and those put to eternal bed
But if ounces are ounces, time is now for words to be said.
Words:
NO I AM STRONG. I AM BUT ME
And to fear, love or revel in the joy of bed
is to accept that which cannot be

boca

the artist

The worker uses his hands

The craftsman uses his hands and head

The artist uses his hands, head and heart

the ITs

Heartless creature of the night the ITS are cannibalistic in their search for escape. Whores for the next new thing they fluttered through a wide array of corridors and unmarked doors. Entering but not absorbing. Seeing but not absorbing.

The pack does not have a distinguishable leader but it could easily be dissected into two groups: a group of individuals dripping narcissism and a group of followers who lap up the bedpans of the aforementioned narcissists. Further segmentation is unavoidable.

The fringe
The its
The bums
The bees

As I enter the room I breathe in the questions of an outsider. Who is fucking who? Who is fucked on what? Who knows who?
….Who cares?

An Ode to 'I'

Q. What am ‘I’?

A. The flux of consciousness constituting itself as the
a) unity of itself
b) ‘who’ is what he is not and the ‘who’ is not what he is

Thus ‘I’ is not what at any instant they might want to say I am. I am that towards which I project myself but am not yet.


[Jean-Paul Satre’s L’etre et le Neant has to be the most convoluted book I’ve ever read and I remember that after having leafed through half of it, the above was what I had to jot down so that I had a platform from which to approach what he was going on about… needless to say knowing ‘I’ did not help in knowing JPS]

PS: in no way am I trying to insinuate that I am ‘The Who’.

An Ode to 'You'

“your memory is a composition written for performance by the human mind”

Boca

“My darling anything you wish, anything I am, anything I can ever be… that’s what I want to offer you- not the things I’ll get for you, but the thing in me that will make me able to get them. That thing- a man cant renounce it- but I want to renounce it- so that it will be yours- so that it will be in your service- only for you.”

GW (F.head)

“your absence has gone through me
Like thread to needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its colour”

Separation by W.S. Merwin

You without the trimmings

I just stumbled upon a behemoth of an epiphany recently while devouring ‘the fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand. It was a book intent on uncovering a simple manner of approaching complex situations… I liken it to a marriage terms: Simplexity. It was crazy how at times we need to digest something in a tangible form to find words for the thoughts that one holds inside. I recommend the book for all and the central characters of Howard Roark, Peter & Dominique provide a perfect spectrum of outlooks that we are laden with. Agreed they might be the extreme examples of it, but nonetheless I assume we need extremes to be able to understand the subtleties of ourselves. Not making too much sense, but then again it will, if you read the book.

Here’s an excerpt of Dominique’s

“People want nothing but mirrors around them. To reflect them while they’re reflecting too. You know, like the infinite senselessness you get from two mirrors facing each other across a narrow passage. Reflections of reflections. Echoes of echoes. No beginning and no end. No center & no purpose. I am what you want me to be. I don’t go sprouting book reviews to hide my emptiness of judgment [irony knows no bounds]- I say I have no judgment. I don’t borrow designs to hide my creative impotence- I create nothing. I am you without the trimmings.”

Iraq...the captives... the captors

There have been many kidnappings in Iraq over the course of three years. These kidnappings have subsequently increased as the lack of the law's overarching arm becomes apparent. A practice that not many can approve of no matter of which religion or if htey were pro war or anti- war. Roping in innocent civilians to pay the price of modern day colonialists, aka the coalition forces, the resistance movement is harming its own cause and slowly pouring a corrosive stream of uncalled for blood on the global sympathy that Iraq's resistance movement could initially ellicit. The clippings from Al-Jazeera usually showed the captives in a deplorable condition and the tape usually ended in a gruesome manner. Maybe it was the pent up angst of the occupied having no avenue of expression, or maybe the earlier spat of kidnappings were meant to document the hallow victories to spur on the movement. who knows?

But with the recent release of two captives of a christianity orientated NGO and that of Jill Carol (a reporter) the mujahadeen finally seem to be utilizing media and confronting widespread perceptions, be it knowingly or not. Jill Carol's recent statements lauding the treatment she received at the hands of her captives does more good to their captives' cause than the hundreds of beheadings previously aired. The recents statements by the Brit and Canadian freed by the coalition forces conspicuously did not contain any gratitude nor did they belittle their captors. Maybe the Mujahadeen are beginning to catch on: kidnap people, treat them nicely, have them slandor the coalition forces, and use the extensive media coverage of each rescue to spread the word... not all people involved in the resistance movement are terrorists. not all of them are crude backward people with no respect for life or the intrinsics of humanity. who knows. maybe it was planned. maybe they got an image consultant.

well whatever the case these frequent kidnapping are still doing more harm than good and in no way am i siding with the kidnappers. besides the majority of kidnappings taking place presently seem to have an underlying financial motive as opposed to ideological. i guess it should make some Americans happy... the seeds of capitalism have definately been sowed.

a handful of sand

Man usually takes a handful of sand from the endless landscape of awareness around him, and calls that handful of sand the world. Once he has that handful of sand, the world of which he is conscious, a process of discrimination goes to work whereby he defines his realities, his needs, his wants and his prejudices...

I decided today that enough is enough. I am going to grab two handfuls of sand from the coast of Cape Town and watch the sand slowly slip through my fingers... finally managed to prioritize this life o mine.

Aural Elitism

I don’t know if it’s the marketer in me but have you all noticed how one can come across a group of people and start to subliminally classify them in one group or another. Helped with the numerous stereo-types that litter or lives its becoming harder and harder not to slot a person into a pre-conceived mould. Appearances, mannerisms, lifestyle, hobbies… the list is endless. It’s not something a person is usually proud of, but being judgmental is one of those traits God made sure all of us were endowed with. Or maybe not. I don’t know, maybe I am just trying to justify my own form of snobbery.

Well it’s a hard thing to confess but I’m a aural elitist. In my defense I am sure you have it in you too. Music somehow transcends normal art forms since it combines the visual (music videos), aural, as well as the written forms of expression. It’s a harmonious marriage of all three, and thus I view it as a barometer of what people would be like. You know how it works, “you listen to Pet-shop Boys?!! Are you stuck in the eighties, have you not discovered the new millennium??!! Are you gay?’… so many question and the only answer is the forgettable tune of pet shop boys trying to remix ‘where the streets have no name’. Its just that there seems to be a certain level of snobbery as far as music is concerned. Mainstream acts, such as bon jovi, backstreet boys, britney, etc. do not seem to elicit the acknowledgement that niche acts such as Prince and Alicia Keys seem to evoke. It’s a small thing, but it goes a long way in helping one to come to terms with their insecurities. Its OK to like something that gets airplay on MTV. Its okay to like something that your 13 year old sister likes. Don’t be ashamed. Embrace it.

Why bother even thinking about such a mundane insignificant thing aye? Let me explain… I was lounging on the couch casually flicking through the channels and Christina Aguilera’s ‘Beautiful’ happened to be on… a beautiful song I must admit, but its kind of hard to embrace the innate beauty of the message when you have a friend sitting there who believes anything on MTV is ‘corporate’ and another friend who is just waiting to pounce on the chink in the my armor of indie, lounge and alternative music. Tuff stuff. Maybe I am just too caught up with appearances, but hell I overcame. Kuuumbaya my lord ! maybe we all just need to care less about what we project and learn to object to the system that we all seem to be caught up in. just remember
You are beauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutiful no matter what they say.