Middle Finger to Bootleggers

Imagine everything you worked so hard for, gone down the drain.  The blood, the sweat, the tears, the time invested, the sacrifices you made, the constant strain on your brain to create whatever it is that you created.  I’m not saying that everybody creates something for the purpose of compensation, because some people create just for the sole purpose of recognition, just for the props, just for the credit or acknowledgement. 

But on the flip side, what if this is your job, what if this is something that brings extra income into your home, what if you depend on your craft to bring in a few extra bucks a week?  What if this is your passion, your niche, your inner urge, the gift that God has given you……

How would you feel if someone bootlegged your work?  How would you feel if you walked to your local store and a man had your music, your book, your portraits, selling them for 75% off of the original price.  Would you approach him, pull him to the side, knock his entire stash on the ground, or simply act as if you failed to notice your work in his possession?

                It really irks me when seeing people selling products that they bootleg, and what’s worse is the fact that consumers actually support the bootlegger.  Understand that you aren’t supporting the artist when engaging in such behavior, you are only supporting the bootlegger.  So, how would you like it if I came in your home and took whatever items I thought was of value?  Not fun is it?

                I was in a barbershop that was far from my first choice and got into a heated debate with the barber that was cutting my hair. (Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why he gave me one of the worst haircuts in life.  Now I know not to piss off the man with the clippers.)

It all started when he asked me about a few movies.  Most of the movies he inquired about were still playing at the theater.    I’m thinking to myself like….This guy must really make a lot money from cutting heads to afford to take his wife to so many movies.  But I learned later in the conversation that my theory was wrong.

He was setting me up for his sales pitch.

“No, I haven’t seen any of the movies you just mentioned.” I replied.     

“Oh, well I have them for sale if you would like to see them.”

At first I played along as if he may have a potential buyer.

“How much?” I asked.

“Three bucks.” He replied.

“Damn, that’s cheap.” I stated sarcastically, but he didn’t follow my tone.

“Yea, I am pretty reasonable.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.” I fired back.

The clippers stopped buzzing.

“And people wonder why going to the movies are so expensive.” I continued.

He stood idle with the clippers still in his hand.

“I only do the blockbusters.” He said as if that made it better.

I couldn’t help but wonder if he believed his own words.

“So local art/artists you support?”

“Yea, I mean, I only bootleg the stuff that makes money.  I don’t bootleg people who are up and coming.”

Something inside told me not to argue with a fool, but I couldn’t help it.  Blame my animal instincts.

“So, how would you feel if you spent at least 6 months filming these movies, editing them, then making sure the soundtrack relates to the movie, the makeup artists, and ect.  How would you feel working for free?

He paused.

Checkmate.

After he was done cutting my hair, I paid him and said “I can’t knock your hustle.  But just think about my words.”

He averted my gaze and showed signs of being timid by not looking me in my eyes.

Maybe this is a touchy subject, maybe I overreacted, but knowing that it took me close to 3 years, over 1000 days to complete my first Novel, Married 2 Struggle, If someone was bootlegging my creation, I’d snap! 

Point

Blank

Period!!!!

Who would be willing to pay my bail????

Until next time, Comment and Subscribe…

Sincerely

Varrsity

Technology makes us lazy!

In this land of instant gratification, technology plays a major role. We live in a society where everything is so convenient, easily accessible and suited to fit in our personal schedules.

In the book “Technology Matters: Questions to Live With,” author David E. Nye addresses the importance of technology and the impact it has on our daily lives. He writes: “Technology matters because it is inseparable from human beings.” Nye continues, “We are intimate with devices and machines from an early age as children.”

Many wouldn’t argue with that, but where do we draw the line when it comes to making “grown-up toys” so acceptable in today’s society? Everywhere you go it’s almost foreign not to be in contact with the latest machinery; if you’re walking around with a Walkman compared to an Ipod, you’re looked at as being an outcast or someone who hasn’t made the proper transition in this ever-changing, fast-paced world.

Look at cellular devices for instance. It’s become more than just a tool used for chatting; it’s become something we rely heavily upon. With most phones, users can add up to 300 contacts, browse the net, store vital information and remind themselves of important dates such as anniversaries and birthdays, all while listening to the built-in MP3 player.

Things can come to a point where it’s more than a cell phone; it can become something similar to a companion. Some people store their entire lives into a cell phone and are in a state of total turmoil when the small piece of equipment is misplaced or accidentally gets some liquid spilled over it.

We may never know how important it is to know a telephone number or two by heart (like people did in previous decades) until our battery dies and we’re stranded somewhere in unfamiliar territory.

Our entire world is slowly but surely being taken over by technology. The cliché phrase “the rich get richer while the poor get poorer” is something that the era in which we live is seeing more and more of by the day.

Big name corporations aren’t interested in hiring a mass bundle of humans to get their work done when all they have to do is make a computer do all the things that a human can do without the pay. Technology makes things more profitable for corporations, not us.

Walk into you’re local grocery store and take a glimpse at all of the jobs that have been taken away from struggling Americans like yourself. If you don’t want to stand in line all you have to do is go to the U-Scan aisle and do everything that the cashier once did without any assistance. It’s as easy as listening to the operator’s voice and touching the screen where indicated before paying for your items.

It’s hard not to agree with Nye when he says “Technology matters.” It matters because we’ve grown so accustomed to using its many advantages. Everything has pros and cons — technology isn’t exempt. No doubt it helps, but how often do we hear people speaking about how much it’s injuring our society?

The downside of technology is how it hurts us. It results in humans becoming lazy and having little to no patience because we are so accustomed to things happening in a timely fashion.

How many current writers are willing to take the old school approach by typing out manuscripts by using a typewriter? We would enhance our brains due to the amount of words that we would automatically know how to spell without any assistance.

The thought alone of working with something that didn’t have the privilege of having handy tools like spell check or word count gives me the creeps.

Less labor equals better production, which results in a dependent and lazy society. We have modern technology to thank for that.