Downloading Music.

What is so wrong with that? You are chillin', driving along, and you hear this song that just rocks your world. So you take note of the name, the artist, the lyrics, whatever. You go home, you find it, you click the button, and depending on your modem, in a little while you have a new song in your music library. Maybe you will eventually will burn it onto a CD, maybe you never will. Either way, it is there for your music enjoyment and personal entertainment.

Some college students have found a good source of entertainment in running their own web-based search engines or something of that variety so that fellow students can get the musical hook-ups they want. One Michigan Tech junior is currently getting sued for $98 Billion because of his Google-type search engine. The group that took offense to this is pressing charges for $150,000 a song - are you kidding me. (Check out the article in the Rolling Stone with the American Flag cover...) He's not the only one getting screwed, but he is the only 20 year old that would be eternally in debt if that lawsuit was to go through. And judge that lets that much money go through should be shot. How many people actually feel he was doing something wrong? I'll bet that judge, or maybe his kids, or both, go home every night and download music.

Why do record companies take so much offense? They feel that it drastically reduces record sales. Well, you know, if you would stop signing bands/groups/people that can't really sing, but look good only and can have their voice synthsized to sound fantastic, and could really put on a good show by their own merit, maybe they wouldn't have that problem. People like concerts. People will go to concerts. People can't download concerts on iMesh. Isn't that where the money is, anyway? CD's sell for $13, concert tickets sometimes start at $30. Plus, once you get to a show, there is all sorts of fantastic merchandise, and a lot of people feel a very burning need to buy it at it's grossly high prices. Sucky for them, but awesome for the record company exec.'s that are so concerned that they are only going to make $850,000 this year, as opposed to the $900,000 they made the year before.

And to the artists that are violently opposed to downloading music on the Internet, what good are you? You aren't performing for the fans anymore, if you ever were, you are now too absorbed in yourself and your money to care about your fans. But what's worse is that people will still idolize them, still buy their records, still go to their concerts, buy their merchandise, but - I win! - those same fans also will still download their music! Didn't it ever occur to anyone that downloading music isn't much different than borrowing a CD from your friend and copying it, but they aren't desperately searching for them and piling on the lawsuits. Given, it would be harder to track that down, but the principle of it is what I'm preaching.

Personally, if I really like a group, and their whole album just rocks, I want the real thing. I want the actual little booklet that comes with it, and I want the actual disc that has the cool decoration. If I download an entire album, and it rocks my world that much, then going out and buying the album anyway. However, that doesn't apply to most people, so that wouldn't be a legitimate argument.

I'm not going to say that downloading music is right. I can understand why artist, songwriters, etc. get so upset about millions of people sharing their work on the Internet. Many of them worked very hard to write, practice, perform their music, and they don't want all of that hard work to be in vain because one person distributes it to everyone else. Martin compared downloading music to going into a barn and stealing a farmers milk. Why is downloading anymore right than doing that? As a songwriter and performer, and I can understand where his strong feelings come from. How can someone justify gaining this free music, just because it's not a physical object, like milk? And if you justify it to yourself by saying "Well, it's just me...", how many more people do you think are doing the exact same thing? That's an awful lot of "just me" going on, and that equals an awful lot of money that could be going to one of the people that helped create the song.

And I feel for them. I could imagine that it would be very upsetting, and seeing a firsthand account of the strong feelings that this topic stirs up, it really is. I would be angry also I'm sure if I was in their position. I don't have very strong feelings either way, I can see why it's okay, and why it should be banned, but I figure that since I do some of the downloading, then I feel that I have to say it's okay. It would be hypocritical of me to say it's wrong. My friend Geoff has this take on it: "I think banning the downloading of copyrighted files is wrong becuase whether or not you know how to use a computer (ie. ripping your own cds for backup) you are still entitled to backup your gear, and kazaa and the like help people who aren't computer savvy do just that, the same with movies and games...they need to police individual users, not programs like kazza, because...it's used to share files that are not copyrighted, ie. essays, small programs from small programmers, music from groups trying to become known..." Geoff is saying that people like him should be getting in trouble for this type if thing because they are "downloading copyrighted music that they don't have the license to." True statement.

Which brings me to another thing. I have asked several people about their opinion, and a lot of them give me the "well, it's cool...but I'm not the one getting screwed." Also a very true statement. And very hypocritical. Every single person that said that either downloads it themselves, or gets CD's from friends that download for them. Many of them feel that the artists have enough money as it is - they all drive nice cars, are bling-blingin', have more than one house - so why does it matter if they don't make as much anymore, right? Unfortuantely, the artists aren't the only ones getting the shaft. They have promoters, various producers, mixers, studio help, recording studio use, etc. to pay for out of that disc that you are currently not purchasing. Not to mention that most of them are millions of dollars in debt...

It helps artists get their music out. Man, there's a way to justify. Most of you still won't buy the disc once you "discover" them, and you know it. And why should you, right? I mean, here! It's free! You don't have much money either, right? They sure have a heck of a lot more than you do (see previous paragraph), so why not. Mmhmm...don't know about that! They have to make a living somehow, and if everyone thought like that, then there would be problems I fear. Oh, wait! There are! Otherwise, people wouldn't be prosecuting, right...yeah, right.

Many artists get labeled as sell-outs for being angry about this. Like what I said earlier, they care more about the money than the music and the people. All very disappointing. But can't you see where they're coming from? If you were a doctor, and then one day somebody just decided that you had to start giving free check-ups to whoever had the means to get them, how would you feel? You only worked for at least 7 years to get there, right? A musician only works for years to get a record deal. Why not steal from them once they get there?

However, the prosecution really gets me. Aren't there better, more threatening things to be filing lawsuits for and filling court rooms with? All of this time and scandal is being taken up with downloading music - something that will probably never really hurt someone - from a World Wide Web filled with child pornography and recipes for bombs and drugs. To quote a reader of Rolling Stone, "All this time it hasn't been the murderers, rapists or drug dealers who have been threatening our safety but those damn music fans."

People really suck! Even friends seem to struggle being generally nice. I'm not even remotely trying to make you think that I am an exception to this rule, I am more mean than a lot of my friends, actually. But seeing other people do it makes me sad, and realize how much I really suck even though I do next to nothing to change myself...

So one of my buddies takes a standardized test. He scores extremely high, and I am so proud of him! I am so pumped in fact, that I feel the burning need to share the info with another friend of mine, who didn't do that badly on the same test. Instead of going nuts and being really pumped, much like myself when I heard the news, the first words out of his mouth are, "What a loser!" Okay, well, "loser" isn't the word I would use to describe someone who just got a ticket to any college he wants. Maybe saying "I'm jealous, why can't I be as awesome as him?" would have been more appropriate there.

That was what happened today that inspired this Rant. However, there are 5 million other instances that fit this scrotching scenario! Why can't friends just be happy for each other? Have you noticed that it sometimes seems easier to show kindness to those you don't know than those that you do? You don't go up to the stranger sitting on the bench and say "You're so worthless, why can't you do anything right?" even if he is and he can't...but here, you have a person you consider a friend, who you have seen do things worthwhile, and witnessed them doing something right, and you rip them apart.

Are we going for low self-esteem? Make ourselves feel better about us? What is there to feel good about when you are being so mean and cruel to other people, the people that you expect to be there for you when the going gets tough? And then to act suprised when they want nothing to do with you...wow. I love stupid people!

Taking another sports look at things, let's go back to those starters and second-stringers. You've got the starters who are all about praising their second-string counterparts when they have to sit the bench. "It's all good man, you're a great player, you'll get your day, you're just in a bad position, we've got tons of talent there." Then, starter has a bad game. Gets pulled out after error 12. So second-string goes out there, and now starter is yelling at him, swearing, saying "I could do better than that! What's he doing out there?" Well buddy, maybe you're not out there because you couldn't cut the proverbial mustard. Deal with it. Praise your friend a litte, help him out. As long as you're starting you have no problem telling him how good he is and sympathise with him about the fact that he's getting screwed by sitting the bench. That was when you had a starting position. Now you're sitting the bench and not getting any encouragement at all, besides the underlying "you'd be better off in Siberia" tones that Coach keeps having when he talks to or about you, amidst compliments about your former bench-sitting friend.

I am tired...I might add more to this rant later. Take care!

Why do people think that they must drink to have fun? Seriously, if someone has some valuable input as to why not having control over yourself is fun, let me know! For some reason, I struggle seeing it.

My class sucks with that. What is so great about winning a big game, and "celebrating" the victory by getting so obliterated that they hardly remember anything the next day. The definition of the Class of 2003. It's like most of them don't know how to have fun without alcohol anymore. I hear of these people, some of them kids I've known since elementary school, and they are so gone now. It's not entirely alcohol, but boy does that play a huge role in some of them.

So it's Wednesday. You're chillin', it's in between classes, and your buddy comes up to you, "Hey, big thing at [insert Lakewood kids name here], you should come!" Alright, I'm there! Oh, that's right...that's the same house where 5 kids got MIP's last fall, and where there is more weed than the average unkept lawn. Wonderful. I don't have a life to life, or a future to think about at all. I'm never planning on getting away from here anyway, so why not go for it? Oh that's RIGHT! I like having control over my self! Gosh, how could I forget? I'm so silly...

God forbid I suggest an alternative. "Well Alesheia, we could go to see a movie, but getting plastered sounds so much cooler! I might not even be able to move in the morning, YES!" Hey, sweet guys. Since I have to be up so early tomorrow, I would love to do something ridiculously stupid and feel like crap!

I keep focusing on that. That's the big thing. I don't care that my peers drink. More power to them, enjoying a cold, refreshing beverage just because they can (I said nothing of it being legal, but even you must admit that they are capable). But why must they drink so many of those cold, refreshing beverages that they can't remember doing it afterwards!? Oh my goodness, you people don't get it! People can get hurt doing that...that's how people die. That's how "accidents" happen, though I struggle calling it a legitimate "accident" if they made the conscious decision to drink and do something retarded. I hate those people.

For some, it's as if fun can't exist unless alcohol is there. You know, back in elementary, and even Junior High for some of us, we knew how to have a good time, and alcohol was not a factor. Birthday parties in 3rd grade, when your whole class got invited to go roller skating, or when they "cool kids" that you were friends with got to go play games and eat food at someone's house. Doubt that anyone spiked the punch at those! Now, you say the word "party" and you either get "is there going to be Bud there?" or "Man, I heard about [insert Lakewood name here] is having one too, but if I can still drive, sure!" Hmm, how 'bout no.

What is so cool about slowly killing your liver? Given, you're slowly dying anyway...looking technically at things...to speed the process seems a little silly. Here, kids your own age are dying due to other's stupidity, and you're injecting yourself with an insta-liver-killing serum. Yes! Where can I sign up!? Oh, right...at [insert name]'s house this weekend!

And when you ultimately decided to go do something cool and sober with other friends, you get the weird looks like you're that strange. Way to not do what everybody else is doing! You're missing out! Yes, missing out on watching my closest friends do things that make me sad and angry. Making me feel like I'm losing that much more of what I once had in the midst of every other change I'm going through right now. And making me realize that I am right where I want to be.

Hey...not too much here. I changed the time on this thing, so hopefully it will work now! Recognize! was also wrong, but I potentially fixed it. I had them set to Pacific time...I'm dumb. The baseball team did well on Saturday, so that was cool. I saw X-Men 2 on Friday...it was too cool! One of the best super hero movies ever, I think. That is going to be an awesome series of movies I think. Saturday I went to G-Rap and hung out with Liz. We had many good times. Prom is like, 5 days away. That is a little scary, actually. I'm excited to go with Nick, and my dress is going to rock. So...that event could go either way I think...very bad or very good. And I haven't seen Nick in a long time, so we have much catching up to do...I think it will go well.

The Rant. I have been struggling writing logical Rants, so all of my attempted ones have failed. I have a lot of good ideas for them, but when I try to actually do something with them, I just ramble about literally nothing. I get off-topic for multiple paragraphs. Which is super. So I have this list of topics, and sometime when I'm tired and feeling particularily annoyed, I will do some massive ranting. I promise! I apologize to those who read this (Martin, LeeAnn, Cass mostly, hehehe) because it has been sucking. :S Last night, I was in the right state of crappiness, but I was too tired and emotionally exhausted to think enough to Rant.

I like Gatorade. When I'm really thirsty, and water just can't do it, bust out a Gatorade. Soda doesn't quench a thirst like those extra electrolytes can, you know? :) But, for now I shall jett...more later!

The baseball team won today! They mercied the Rapids, both games! We made up the first game that was rained out...so yeah! It was cool...still going for first in the league. So that's super. I'm pumped!! But, we're off to see X Men 2 now...I will rant later, I'm sure that someone will give me something to complain about.

Ah, the Daily Rant. Today I shall rant about...friends. Friends are weird. I love being with people. And being the person they can come to for anything, talk to, trust, depend on...but I can NOT open up to people! I really can't...it's impossible. There are a few people that know more about me than anyone else, but there is not a soul that gets it all. My Dear Brother/Best Friend comes very close, but it's not like I go and tell him everything. I mean, I probably would given the opportunity, but since I don't have that option, then I do not.

Weirdly enough, it's a couple of people that I haven't even known that long that know more about my family life than anyone else. That is the hardest for me to talk about. Family is one of the subjects I don't like to discuss except in moderation and with much refraining. There are so many things that I can't tell people for fear of seeming whiny (did I spell that correctly?) or obnoxious. Which is funny, because I'm sure that other people feel the same way that I do, but I encourage them to open up anyway. I mean, I know what it is like to keep everything inside and just want to explode. I've been there. It's not fun. And it continues to not be fun, as I continue to not open up to people.

Finding the right time to Open Up is also key. There are times when I want to talk to someone so badly, feel this burning need to talk, and there is only a person or two that I could possibly talk to, and the moment is not right. They just lost a game, won't answer their cell phone, whatever. Not only that, but it's not like I'm the only one of my friends with stupid stuff to deal with. I feel as though I have it pretty easy, actually. Not so much because I have fewer problems than others, but because I feel like I have any number of people that would be more than willing to listen to me. It's weird though. I don't just want someone to listen. I don't really want advice either. When I come to someone with a problem, I want the way to fix it. Not a "maybe" or a "you can try this"...I want a "this is guaranteed as long as you do it." That would be ideal...

So why do I keep looking for the human that can do that for me? I don't know! I know I'm not going to find it! I could at least settle for something close, or setmy standards a little...more possible. Because finding a human that just magically holds all answers IS impossible, no matter what silly people will quote about "anything's possible"...I need to trust in God more. I have faith in God. I have asked Jesus into my heart, I believe that He is the Almighty Ruler...I think the Bible is pretty cool to read sometimes, actually, hehehe...I try to pray every night. It makes me feel better when I can discuss the days annoyances with someOne who won't comment when I don't want them to, and it brings a little comfort to think that, when I ask for something and don't get it, that He's got something better planned for me sometime. Hopefully soon, right?

God is not a bad friend. He's the closest thing to Perfect that I've got, huh!? However, God doesn't TALK to me...He might have all of the answers, I have no doubt in my mind that He does, but He sure doesn't tell them to me! Very disappointing...I just want some guidance, man! I know you're helping me out constantly, but it's so hard to go through every day constantly wondering when whatever I want to happen is going to happen! I try to trust in God, I do trust Him, I just am selfish and greedy and want my answers now! Grr!

Back to friendships of the mortal realm...I was just talking to Hannah about this. I take a Middle-of-the-Road stance a lot. Like, I won't pick one side or the other, because I see both sides of something, and I can see the good and bad of each side, so it makes it so hard to have to decide which one is right! Ah! I am excited to take an ethics class!

Well, this rant has straggled a bit...and I'm not letting it flow very well...my thoughts aren't processing very quickly...I suppose that for now, I shall go. More at a later time. (Just for the record, I am becoming obsessed with these Blogs!) Farewell!

Word...This is a link to Martin's blog!! Everyone should go see it, it is coolness!

Hello! Today is a baseball game...I'm sort of excited! It is against Eaton Rapids, will be a good game, and put us further into the running for League Champs, go us! I am really becoming attatched to this baseball stuff, hehehe...I had never even really watched a baseball game until I was a soph., and now I'm a stat girl...it's weirdness. Baseball stats are really difficult! There is so much to keep organized, and remember...I'll get it someday. Not that I have that long...but maybe this will open up opportunities...perhaps I will keep stats of some sort at college. I don't know how that stuff works. I'm sure the coaches probably have all of that taken care of...but the thought is nice. I plan on coming back to The Wood a lot next year anyway, so being a stat keeper for a college team would not work that well, I couldn't imagine...but I have to go figure out some songs, so I will talk more later!

I'm going to rant. Don't you HATE IT when people complain about something that they have been saying they want for a long time!? Oh my goodness, it's like, "Hello! You've been wanting this since I've known you and now you can have it and you're finding fault with it! Geez!" It wouldn't be such a big deal, but so many people do it all the time! Like, the people who join a sports team. They join it, all set to play, and they practice - sometimes do their best, sometimes not - then regardless of that, let's say they don't get to start at the beginning of the season. Suddenly, it's "Whatever, I need to start, this is bull, I'm getting cheated!" Then, 2 weeks and hours of complaining later, someone gets injured and they get to be the starter. First time out there, coach yells at them for something they did wrong. Now all of a sudden they don't want to start, it's annoying, and - this is the best - coach has no right to yell at them for something that is not their fault. Are You Kidding Me. I guess that's the real beef...sports. I love being with my friends, athletes, I love being their pseudotrainer...but goodness, I just want to beat them in the face when they complain all of the time! It's funny for some of them, or in some situations, but when it's a constant thing, grr...I think that I'm done for now. I could probably rant for much longer on this, so I'll probably come back to it...farewell!

Hi again!! Today was fun...we hung out, I didn't have to go to school until 9:30 this morning and was STILL late! Jeff did actually come over, and he scadalized me on the Internet! Hehehe...and now I'm talking to people, trying to determine when to start the new blogs...since I am hooked now, I must start all kinds! But, I will go for now. I was toying with the idea of doing a daily rant...so I might start that soon! Farewell!

This thing is nuts!! I sort of like it...however, I am computer illiterate, so learning the ropes of this could be interesting!

Hi! How are things with everyone!? I am chillin' here...I have no clue what a Blog is! This was an impulse thing...Martin told me about it...I'm probably going to get hooked now, hehehe...so - Enjoy!