yup.

haven't posted in a MINUTE.
but i've got some things to say.

i've been really paranoid and skeptical of everything these past few months, but i feel like it's for legitimate reasons.
going to art school, working at bull moose and living in the city have made me realize now more than ever how programmed we all are to consume.
i know that deep down inside, most of us are aware of the mind control and manipulation that's going on.
it's been happening for years, and it's only going to get worse unless we make an effort to fall off the radar and enjoy things that are good because they're good, not because someone tells us it's good.
here's what needs to happen:

1. turn off the goddamn tv.
i'm glad i haven't watched cable in months. it cuts out so much advertising and shitty false information.
i don't trust the news especially, and it makes me sick to my stomach to think that so many people assume that nbc/abc/cbs MUST check their facts if they're going to broadcast to millions.
get real. assume that everything they report is a lie.

2. surf responsibly.
asking people to stop using the internet is ridiculous, i know. i'm guilty of social networking and blogging and what have you, but having a skeptical attitude helps to avoid a lot of the bullshit i'm exposed to. the most important thing to do right now is to avoid any site that is collecting information about you. limit what you say you're interested in. your friends should appreciate you for who you are, not who you're listening to or watching. you should delete your last.fm account. when i started mine four years ago, the site was owned by a small company in london. about a year ago, it was bought by cbs. the data that website collects makes it sooooo easy for record companies to put together shitty pop groups who sound like your favorite bands, and in turn entice you to buy their cd. i want to shake every fourteen year old myspacer who comes into bull moose to pick up a hollywood undead cd. get some taste.

3. know who you're giving your money to.
buying a cd or dvd from wal mart is just like having a last.fm account. you are letting a huge corporation know what you like, which makes it that much easier for them to target you with advertising. buying a used cd from bull moose or another independent record store is a much smarter option. and when you get that cd home, pop it in your cd player rather than your computer. i have a feeling that itunes is recording tons of data too. an even better option is to buy vinyl. as if anyone will have any idea what i'm into if i'm spinning a record i bought at strange maine or enterprise. no computers in those places, dig?

i sound super paranoid about technology, but i think we should all be more aware of who's watching us and how they're doing it. i'm sick of having my style shaped and molded by a handful of rich dudes in powerful positions. whoa, nelly. that was a rant.