It is time for people to get real.


We are all financially stressed right now, and many for quite a while.


We have lives,crises,hardships,etc...

We surround ourselves with music,books,plays,movies,magazines,art,to help make these struggles easier to handle.


Imagine doing what you do for a living, going to cash your bi-weekly paycheck, getting to the bank, and finding out that your paycheck is actually an invoice for your work.


Would you be outraged,clamoring about fairness,justice,etc.
,ad nauseum?

Well, this is exactly what you are doing to independent musicians,writers,filmmakers,artists , community theaters and others when you don't support performances, buy bootlegged CDs and DVDs of independent artists,lithographs of art stolen by Walmart and Disney,rely totally on downloads, look constantly for gratis only services from all of the above.


Not only is it not fair, it is a disrespectful to treat those who provide you with inspiration,relaxation,pleasure,humor, and otherwise help indirectely with your own journey through life.


Kudos and compliments are lovely,everybody needs and appreciates these things, but independent artists cannot pay the mortgage or gas bill with admirtion only, anymore than you could.


We can either support in whatever way( and it doesnt take alot of money really) those who do what artists are supposed to do...that is,create lovely,orignal,inspirating things in this world or just sit back and cynically continue allowing this reptilian brain appealing backround noise palaver being hoisted upon us from the mainstream as music,art,writing,etc.finally take over a disengaged public.

Amy V.