I'm all dumbfounded stubborn as an ass

It is possible I suppose, for an artist to establish a group of fans that are dedicated and deeply in love with the music without having an interpersonal relationship with the fans. But I am hard pressed to see how that would work. In this era of easy online communication what is the excuse for not keeping fans informed about the goings on wihtin the musical scene surrounding the performer of interest. I would go so far as to say that it is offensive to the fans for a performer to not be willing to file occasional updates. Even if it is only by proxy-even if the update is-sorry no updates the audience deserves to know these things. That there is any aspect of guest work in fandom in this post-post-modern era is somewhat ridiculous. It is highly unlikely that there are many people out there who are unable to set up a Yahoo account. Now, granted, my mum has an account that she can barely use-but still-she has one. That's the thing-the internet connects everyone to the same information-it is a great equalizer. The casual fan and the die hard junkie are able to locate the same information. And that makes it fair and reasonable=fan clubs are a dying breed. This is sad and positive at the same time. It is sad because there was an amount of effort in the joining and participating in the fan club culture. Now, all one needs is a screen name and an easy to remember password.
There are so many more opportunites for people to find and discard new performers. It is so easy to become disenfranchised or bored with the output of an artist. For the artist to fail to communicate-through regular website updates, blog entries, listserv emails, podcasts or whatever tomorrow's trend toward constant connection may be-is a major failing on the part of the performer. The performer that does not offer a blog entry on the production of the new album is the performer that finds their new album is released to little interest and even less fanfare. An audience without news about their favorite performer is an audience that soon finds a new favorite performer. Familiarity, in the age of the Internet, breeds not contempt, but affection.
It is considerably easier to decide to throw down the cost of gas and a hotel room in a distant town for the record release party for the artist that has provided regular updates regarding the production and completion of a new album than it is to drive to Grimey's and buy the new CD by a band that recorded, mastered, and released an album about which the intended audience knows nothing. There are a lot of releases each week, gas is expensive, and CDs aren't exactly available on the Discount Bargain Menu either the fan, even the most dedicated fan, is likely to have better ways to spend his or her money.
Performers like Will K and B47 let their fans in on their thoughts and the creative process. These performers see that they are performing because of the people that sign up for mailers at shows and who buy merch and proudly display their loyalty as part of their daily live. It is extreme arrogance to think that fans will put up with being ignored by the performers when fans, in this era, are acutely aware that the reason performers are able to perform is because of the fans. The ignored fan is the former fan. The neglectful band is one that is well on its way to being a former band.

The country I come from is called the mid-West

My music collection-my sad little not containing every CD ever recorded-music collection-probably there's only 3,000 albums in one format or another in my collection-that's not near enough-needs CDs by:

early Bob Dylan (who I call Zimmy cuz we're tight) esp I need a copy of "Masters of War" and any of those beautiful singable protest songs from the early 60's-to wrap my mind around as I drive the distance to school. As of right now I am watching the Dylan doc on PBS-how fantastic is that little piece of history? Terribly fantastic. What my generation has forgottten, or maybe never known, is that there is a sense of community ijn protest and resistance. And that creates identity. We need an identity.
The Bobby quote that is so clearly drawn from The Patriot Game gives me my title for this entry. That being the case-the person that put these lyrics down has some issues with spelling and well, phonics and little stuff like that With God on Our Side But if you ignore the obvious errors it's enjoyable.
Anyone else creeped out to the power of 4 that when Dylan talks he has no nasal sound at all to his voice? He just sounds like any guy from Minnesota. That is damn strange, if you ask me.

Trust no one-Deny everything-The truth is out there

Why do I watch these craptacular series? Why have I watched 3 (4?) episodes of Degrassi today? Have I gone mad without my knowledge? Why am I so excited that Noggin is going to rerun the old Degrassi (Jr) High series? Don't I have a life?
Earlier I was longing for the days of Sunday nights and the X Files. The simple days when life was all about family dinners and what is going on between Mulder and Scully this weekend. I miss really addictive TV like that.
Oh, sure. I have SVU which features the nearly identical emotional dichotomy of Benson and Stabler but it's just so lacking in aliens.
These days life is so lacking in the paranormal-you know.

This Post Has No Title

My thoughtful insight for the day-soap operas are the best kind of television. Not just the daytime serial stuff-but the stuff masquarading as "serious" television. Like Rescue Me and Degrassi: the Next Generation and the Sopranos. The exception to the rule is of course L&O SVU which is not a soap opera but is very highly dramatic and contains elements of soap opera. (Will they? Or won't they?) That's good TV right there.

Otherwise-had a great week---weekend. Tho I went to bed a little earlier than the cool kids. I must be getting old. And frightening myself. What has become of me.

Conversation of the weekend:
SCENE: the restroom of a honky-tonk.
Me: Hey, I see all the cool people hang here.
B: Oh yeh, I'm just catching up. It seems Mike is a fag and smokes crack. ::points towards some grafitti on the bathroom door::
M: Yeh, earlier I was inspired to support our troops by another wall.
B: And I was on the fence about that.
M: Thank you toilet stall for showing me the way!

Australian festivals ruin my plans for the evening and I think I'll watch Footballer's Wives now...

Very useful entry this.

Payin' the Bills and Movin' the Country

Watching the cable television in the last 10 minutes I've seen 2 people I see regularly around town. In fact, I saw one that I'd seen 15 minutes earlier at Kroger. Course, in the grand tradition of running into people I had run out just to pick up a couple things for dinner just to the ghetto Kroger, just around the corner, no where special you know-no brush to the hair, no clean shorts or t-shirt, barely any shoes. Seriously I look like crap. It is when I look like crap that I find myself seeing people I know but not well enough to see me in working in the yard attire. Note to self: always go out looking decent. Doesn't have to be your best-but Jay-sus girl!
Oh wait, I know him too, insulted him in sign language last night actually (he returned the insult, tho I don't think he knew what I said)-3 people I know have been on TV in the last half hour. Either A) I am watching a friend's public access TV show-or B) I know people that make good talking heads on County Music Television. You be the judge.
I wanna be a talking head on country music and any other kind that'll have me TV. It's my life goal, actually. VH-1, CMT, GAC, hell, MTV 7 3/4 give me a topic, I have an opinion on it.

So what else happens in my world other than me watching lots of cable television? Gas prices are kicking my ass. The ass of the whole collective driving country. When I talked to Sis on Friday we were talking about how back when I got my DL we could have $5 and have enough for gas and a trip thru the Taco Bell DT-$5, you had yourself a night, just cruising and listening to grunge and being kids. Damn, I never thought that those years would be something to look back on, but, there ya go. My Black Rose, doesn't get the most amazing gas mileage in America. It's pretty alright, but it ain't Scion hybrid mileage you know. And I've got to make 2 trips to KY for school a week (yeh, yeh, I could live there and never have to drive any-fuckin-where but I don't and I'm glad I don't because if I lived there I'd live in-Kentucky and not in Nashvile-but it has to be clear that I love being in East Nasvhille and my life here so it's not even worth thinking about the other option. I made my choice and Diety in which you place your Faith made the decision to destroy the city of voodoo and amazing food and music and culture. Life's like that.) But I'm lucky, real real damn lucky because Da told me that he was thinking that what with gas being over $3 a gallon I shouldn't send him $100/month I should send him $200 cuz that seems fair...Or, if I couldn't swing that, how bout I just on good faith pay what I can afford each month, no use suffering when I don't have to, they're not gonna have any problem if I don't pay so much as I'd planned so why should I. Lots of stuff may be questionable about my world-but that my parents love me-there ain't a question.
I'm cutting back when I can, I have no problem riding the bus and a bus pass is pretty cheap too so I'm going to look into getting one of those. The weather is alright so I've been saving money on electricity not running the A/C. I sent what I could afford to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. It wasn't much, but at least I can feel like I tried. Wish I could do more, but I can't right now. Life is good. I'm having a great time. Went honky tonkin' last night and danced (badly) and had a great time with good friends and good musis. Tho it was a little weird, for reasons I am not entirely sure of. It was just weird-I think maybe Delta Dawn had a lot to do with it. Here's $5 pal, never play that song again. Or wait, here's $20, play Thunder Rolls. That'll be even funnier.
Yeh, so anyone know what the hell was goin' on dt Nashville last night? Whatever it was was wild enough I tried to go the wrong way down a one way street (no, I was not) just to get the hell out of it. I felt awfully sore thumb-ish what with being a red headed hippie redneck hillbilly girl in a sea of high stylin' black folks with pimped autos. I wasn't uncomfortable, but I sure was noticable. I mean, Lord have mercy-quarter to 3 in the morning and the town looked like it was ten til 5 on a Friday. Whatever was going on must've been a good time. Maybe I should've gone to that party.
Now, I simply must watch more cable TV, as I'm paying for it and should thus watch it...Augh...tho seriously...Wynona-someone send her away she scares me.