Tag: #opinion

First Do No Harm

jamie

I’ve never understood why people want to become famous. Being famous means you can’t be yourself. You give up being ordinary. At least you used to. Ordinary people get pretty famous nowadays.

The Internet has changed the meaning of fame. You can have millions of followers (I don’t, but some people do) and still be pretty ordinary; obscure, in terms of the public eye.  You know…Including all those other people who are too good to Google. Too cool for TikTok.  For the rest of us, it’s sort of a golden age in a way. If you’re on the right apps, that is. If the Government doesn’t take them away because they’re afraid of the power we have.

What I want to know is where is the true music underground? The next breakout sound is out there, in some garage or dive bar. A bigger than life, but authentic scene. Where the music speaks the truth and the true seeds of destiny will spring. Not about the industry or money or fame. Music has the power to change. To change Us.

I’m a libertarian at heart. You don’t need a bunch of rules if you follow just one: first do no harm. When the industry is killing the product, the industry needs to change. The money is literally killing the music.

They will exploit us until we refuse to be exploited. Then they’ll find a new way to exploit us.

Co-Ed Pro Sports

jamie

Why are there no women in the NBA? I mean, there are women in the WNBA with more skills than some of the men in the NBA. Are the boys too scared of getting upstaged by a girl? Do we really need to protect their fragile egos?

I appreciate the existence of the WNBA, but in a lot of ways it seems like the ‘separate but equal’ flavor of discrimination, that isn’t equal at all.

I think basketball would benefit from women in the NBA, and they could replace the WNBA with ‘farm teams’ like in baseball, so second best would be reserved for those who aren’t quite ready for the big league…male AND female.

It’s just my opinion, but I hope the amazing ladies in the WNBA demand their right to play in the NBA. Their right to compete for equal salaries is being denied because the WNBA doesn’t have the sponsorship and fan base of the NBA, and likely never will. Look at the USFL and other attempts to compete with the bigs. It doesn’t ever work.

Women can only compete equally if allowed to compete in the NBA. Separate but equal is never really equal. It’s just gaslighting, meant to draw attention from the discrimination.

Authors note: I don’t really watch basketball, or any pro sports really. I think many of them make too much money for doing what they love. But this isn’t about sports. It’s bigger than sports. It’s about equality for all.

I’m Ending My Abusive Relationship with The Wealthy.

jamie

I think it’s time that the human race figures out, that progress for a few should never mean regress for some. If your success comes at another’s expense, it is not really success.
It’s abuse.
Abuse of human rights. Abuse of our shared resources. Abuse of power, for profit…and more power.
Call it Capitalism. Call it anything you want to, to justify it in your conscience. But I call them crimes against humanity, and only the wealthy and powerful are actually able to commit them. Uber Wealthy People. Big companies. Countries.
Because after all, who can actually hold them accountable?

Authors Note: All opinions expressed here are just that: opinions. If you don’t like mine, I probably won’t like yours either. Let’s just nod, and walk away. Maybe come back with solutions instead of opinions. Because of the two, only solutions actually matter.

Dear Pro-Life Men

jamie

I’m just gonna say it. Any man that isn’t pro-choice, is an asshole. 100% of them.

Photo: Jack’s Eye by Jamie Gray

Message To Pro Life Men – Dude. It’s not about you, and your probably unimpressive equipment. It’s certainly not about God. It’s about something you probably know next to nothing about. So why not just STFU, and be honest about how threatened you feel around strong, confident women. Women are not yours to control. Let the doctors and families handle the tough decisions for ALL Americans.
I am not uncertain.

Religion isn’t about God

jamie

It doesn’t matter which God you choose to call your own, RELIGION is the ultimate problem that mankind must overcome. Religion is, by definition, perversion of God to manipulate people into behaving a certain way. God just IS (or isn’t). What you believe about Them isn’t relevant to anyone, except to YOU and God.

At best, religion is a distraction from finding your own spiritual destination. Easy answers to reassure, instead of clues about your truths. At it’s worst, religion has brought us countless Crusades and Jihads, The Holocaust, 9/11 and The War on Terror, and so many other atrocities committed by “righteous men” in the Name of God.

Religious hypocrisy is legendary, and yet the sheep keep coughing up their tithes to reach enlightenment or avoid the scourge of Hell. I completely understand the need to believe in something. I just think it’s better to search for, and believe in your own truths, rather than in others who might profit off your faith.

Authors Note: All opinions expressed here are just that: opinions. If you don’t like mine, I probably won’t like yours either. Let’s just nod, and walk away. Maybe come back with solutions instead of opinions. Because of the two, only solutions actually matter.

Please visit https://jamiegraymusic.com/WordPress/ for more content like this

Thinking About Thinking

jamie


I wouldn’t want to tell you what to think any more than try to tell you what to do. What to eat. What to buy. Who to Fuck. These are your decisions, not mine. You don’t even have to think at all, for fuck’s sake. Living your best life without thinking might make me a little jealous, but I wouldn’t seek to deprive you of the joy.

But I will urge you one thing. If you choose to think, think for yourself. Thinking is completely optional. I don’t judge you for your ability to turn off the silent, running commentary in your head. But please don’t try to sell me someone else’s thoughts if you have none of your own. Chances are I’ve already heard their opinion…from them, and nobody likes an unsolicited parrot, pretending to be something they are not.

Authors Note: All opinions expressed here are just that: opinions. If you don’t like mine, I probably won’t like yours either. Let’s just nod, and walk away. Maybe come back with solutions instead of opinions. Because of the two, only solutions actually matter.

“Today may not feel like Wednesday. But what is Wednesday supposed to feel like, anyway? Talk amongst yourselves.”

Did George Washington Predict Today’s Partisan Divide?

jamie

Looks like we’ve completely forgotten our first president’s warning against the corruptive power of political parties…

“They [political parties] are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government”

~President George Washington

It took the power of the Internet to push our government to the brink and back, but here we are. Partisan polarization is entrenched, supported by legalized bribery (aka lobbying) and corporate meddling. Our politicians have become an elite ruling class that routinely ignores the will of the People.

The solution is pretty simple:

  • Publicly funded elections. No campaign donations allowed. NONE. Free and equal airtime given to ALL verified candidates, regardless of party affiliation…not just Democrats and Republicans. Issues, not party affiliation should matter again. The number of votes should decide elections, not the number of dollars spent to manipulate our opinions.
  • Term Limits. No one should serve in Congress forever. If our elected officials service is temporary, they can properly focus on making progress, rather than getting reelected.
  • Get rid of the filibuster. Give us true democracy, rather than oligarchy. Americans deserve a popular vote for President and majority rule in the Senate. Independent and Other Party candidates should not be discriminated against by a system that seeks to perpetuate the ‘Two Party tradition’.
  • Truth, Transparency, and Ethics. Politicians must be ethically above reproach, and should not be profiting on their votes. Bills should be simple, readable and single purposed, not 1000s of pages of unrelated legislation. CSPAN should broadcast EVERYTHING and the People should get to vote on the bills too. Then the popular votes can be compared to how our politicians voted. If they vote against us too often, make recall and replacement easy.

Of course it’s complicated. Nothing is just a simple answer. But…These are things that would make a BIG difference, but our politicians will NEVER consider because it upsets the status quo…and things are pretty fucking good for THEM just the way things are. Trouble is, they aren’t so great for all of US. It’s time for drastic changes, folks. Before it’s too late.

Authors Note: All opinions expressed here are just that: opinions. If you don’t like mine, I probably won’t like yours either. Let’s just nod, and walk away. Maybe come back with solutions instead of opinions. Because of the two, only solutions actually matter.