Sunday, October 14, 2001
Note: This is an excerpt from an email message I just sent to my mother in Kansas City.
It pretty much sums up how I feel about the world lately.

I sometimes can't believe that the world has come to this stage of events, yet, much like the generations preceeding yours, there is definitely an idea in the air, that "duty" is somethng that one must rise to with honor and strength of spirit, and freedom and liberty are more than just abstract ideals better suited for academic debate than actual practice and exercise.

This is, of course, the key reason the US and it's allies in World War Two were able to stop Hitler and the spread of fascist tyranny.

There is no possible way a rational, free Nation could ever accept or live under tyranny, nor could it simply ignore it's friends in the world, just as our allies even now have commited their own full support to us as any good friend would.
posted by Anthony Passonno 11:50 PM

Note: This is an excerpt from an email message I just sent to my mother in Kansas City.
It pretty much sums up how I feel about the world lately.

I sometimes can't believe that the world has come to this stage of events, yet, much like the generations preceeding yours, there is definitely an idea in the air, that "duty" is somethng that one must rise to with honor and strength of spirit, and freedom and liberty are more than just abstract ideals better suited for academic debate than actual practice and exercise.

This is, of course, the key reason the US and it's allies in World War Two were able to stop Hitler and the spread of fascist tyranny.

There is no possible way a rational, free Nation could ever accept or live under tyranny, nor could it simply ignore it's friends in the world, just as our allies even now have commited their own full support to us as any good friend would.
posted by Anthony Passonno 11:50 PM

Wednesday, September 26, 2001
Hey there sexy,

How you doin'?

It's been a while, and I've been thinking about you all the time: When I wake up in the morning, when I eat cold Meatloaf sandwiches,
when I shower, I think about YOU!!!

When my puppy died, you came to my side, comforting me with warm hugs and Chamomile tea.

The sound of the water breaking off the rocks, the misty spray from the tide, the way the sand gets in my boxer shorts, the engaging warmth of your smile, the penetrating gaze of your winsome stare, and the smell of bacon sizzling in a cast iron skillet, these are the things which endear you to me.

You are the reason I exist. The breath in my lungs, THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS!!!

Yes, you, gentle, fair and lovely Blog readers, are the very reason for my existence, and I could but feign attempt at normalcy without you in my life.

I love you all.

Now go away..............................
posted by Anthony Passonno 11:23 AM

Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Wow. What can I say?

We need to show these fuckers who in fact they are dealing with!!!

I don't want to be hasty, but I do believe that we are hearing the unfolding of History here.

SCUM!!!!!! WE MUST DESTROY THEM!!!!
posted by Anthony Passonno 11:15 AM

Saturday, September 08, 2001
Just caught this on Slashdot.org

A word to Hilary Rosen, the RIAA, and the supporters of the DMCA:

EAT SHIT!!!!! DON"T BUY MAJOR LABEL MUSIC!

I think I will be liscencing my music this way.

EFF Open Audio License:
Version 1.0
I. Preamble
II. Terms of Use
III. How to Use this License
I. PREAMBLE
Principles
Digital technology and the Internet can empower artists to reach a
worldwide audience and to build upon each other's ideas and imagination
with extremely low production and distribution costs. Many software
developers, through both the open source software initiative and the free
software movement, have long taken advantage of these facts to create a
vibrant community of shared software that benefits creators and the
public.
EFF's Open Audio License provides a legal tool that borrows from both
movements providing freedom and openness to use music and other expressive
works in new ways. It allows artists to grant the public permission to
copy, distribute, adapt, and publicly perform their works royalty-free as
long as credit is given to the creator as the Original Author.
As in the software communities, this license is intended to help foster a
community of creators and performers who are free to share and build on
each others' work. This also frees their audience to share works that they
enjoy with others, all for the purpose of creating a rich and vibrant
public commons.
More specifically, this license is designed to serve as a tool of freedom
for artists who wish to reach one another and new fans with their original
works. It allows musicians to collaborate in creating a pool of "open
audio" that can be freely modified, exchanged, and utilized in new ways.
Artists can use this license to promote themselves and take advantage of
the new possibilities for empowerment and independence that technology
provides. It also allows the public to experience new music, and connect
directly with artists, as well as enable "super distribution" where the
public is encouraged to copy and distribute a work, adding value to the
artist's reputation while experiencing a world of new music never before
available.
Why is the EFF advocating a license?
Because, despite the fact that we are uneasy with the licensing, as
opposed to sale, of both music and software, we see this particular
license as a tool of freedom. Our goal is to use the tools of copyright to
free artists and audiences from the portion of current copyright law that
seems, to us, to be getting in the way of copyright's original purpose --
the creation of a vibrant public commons of music that we all can enjoy
and that artists can build upon. As part of it, we hope to demonstrate
some of what we believe should be the best practices in licenses,
including respect for the rights and limitations of copyright law
including fair use, first sale rights, as well as consumer protection laws
and of course freedom of speech. The aim of this license is to use
copyright tools to achieve copyright's stated objectives of spreading
knowledge and culture while preserving incentives for the author.
For legal purposes, this document is the official license under which Open
Audio is made available for public use. The original version of this
document may be found at:
http://www.eff.org/IP/Open_licenses/eff_oal.html
Specific terms and conditions for accessing, copying, distribution,
adaptation, public performance, and attribution follow.
II. TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE:
Access, Copying, Distribution, Public Performance, Adaptation, and
Attribution
This license applies to any work offered by the Original Author(s) with a
notice indicating that it is released under the terms of the EFF Open
Audio License, "(O)". If used in conjunction with a sound recording
(whether in digital or analog form), this license encompasses the
copyright in both the sound recording (the "master" rights) and the
underlying musical composition (the "songwriter" rights).
The Original Author retains the copyrights to works released under this
license, but grants the worldwide public permission to use the work in the
ways authorized herein. Activities other than those specifically addressed
below are outside the scope of this license.
Access, Reproduction, Distribution, Modification, and Performance
Rights. Subject to the terms and conditions of this license, the
Original Author irrevocably and perpetually grants to the public
authorization to freely access, copy, distribute, modify, create
derivative works from, and publicly perform the work released under this
license in any medium or format, provided that Original Author
attribution be included with any copies distributed or public
performances of the work, as well as any derivative works based on the
work, as further described below.
Original Author Attribution Requirement. Original Author attribution is
generally defined as a method in the regular course of dealing that
reasonably conveys to the recipient of a copy or performance the
following information: (1) The notice "(O)" that indicates the work is
released under the EFF Open Audio license; (2) the identity of the
Original Author; (3) the title of the work (at Original Author's
option); and (4) how the first listed Original Author may be contacted
(at Original Author's option).

Where a common, widely-adopted method for attribution is available (such
as ID3 tagging for MP3 files), Original Author attribution should be
implemented using the common, widely-adopted method. In other
circumstances, Original Author attribution may be implemented in any
reasonable fashion, such as by including attribution in the public
performance, or affixing it to the physical media, or embedding it in
the digital file. See the Suggested Guidelines for general attribution
requirements for giving proper credit to the work's Original Author in
differing circumstances.
Agree Not to Limit Others' Use. Any new work that in whole or in part
contains or is derived from a work (or part thereof) made available
under this license, must itself be licensed as a whole under the terms
of this license.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, mere aggregation on a volume of a storage
or distribution medium of an independently created work with one that is
made available under this license does not bring the other work under
the scope of this license. It is not the intent of this section to
contest the rights of others in works created entirely by them; rather,
the intent is to exercise the right to control the distribution of
derivative or collective works based upon a work subject to this
license.
Acceptance of Terms. Because you have not signed this license, you
cannot be required to accept it. But nothing besides this license grants
you authorization to copy, distribute, adapt, or publicly perform
royalty-free the copyrighted works released under it. These activities
are prohibited by law without a license or other contractual right
granted by the copyright owner. By exercising one of the rights granted
herein you indicate your acceptance of this license and agree to be
bound by all its terms and conditions.
License Version. This license is Version 1.0. New versions of this
license will be published from time to time at: Anyone who releases a
work under the license without specifying a version number allows the
recipient to use the work subject to the then-current version of this
license.
Civil Liberties Unrestricted. Nothing in this license is intended to
reduce, limit, or restrict any fair use, the first sale doctrine, or the
public side of the copyright bargain under copyright law, or to in any
other way limit any rights bestowed under consumer protection or other
applicable laws.
Warranty. By offering an original work for public release under this
license, the Original Author warrants that (i) s/he has the power and
authority to grant the rights conveyed herein, and (ii) use of the work
within the scope of this license will not infringe the copyright of any
third party.
III. HOW TO USE THIS LICENSE
If you are a musician, band, or other artist and you want your creative
works to be experienced by the widest audience possible and touch the
hearts and minds of the greatest number of people around the world, the
EFF Open Audio License allows your fans and supporters to market and
distribute your work through viral marketing that creates attention and
adds value to your identity. You can also help build a common pool of
creative expression that can be accessed and improved upon by all of
society.
To do so, convey or affix the following information to or about the copy
or performance of the work:
The designation "(O)", representing "open" which indicates that the
Original Author(s) have released the work subject to the terms and
conditions of this public license;
Name of work's Original Author(s) (both the performer and the song
writer);
Name or title of work (at option of author);
First Original Author's specified contact means usually an email or
Internet address (at option of author);
notice, year created; and license version number.
Examples:
(O) Future Tribe "Gaian Smile" www.VirtualRecordings.com 2001 V.1.0
or
(O) Future Tribe "Imitatio Mundi" future@virtualrecordings.com 2001
V.1.0
This license is designed to provide artists with a mechanism to promote
their creative talents and identity to millions of people through
releasing certain recordings to the public. It is also designed to serve
as a tool to allow musicians to experiment with new business models that
do not depend solely on a payment of fee-per-copy. Changing times require
artists be creative in devising new business models for assuring payment
and adequate compensation for their important contributions to society.



posted by Anthony Passonno 12:27 PM

Wednesday, September 05, 2001
Here's a new one for you.

On Seattle's KOMO am 1000, on which I listen to Coast to Coast am with Art Bell, they have been running a new commercial spot
for one of their shows, which is Dr Laura.

The truly scary thing, is this radio spot is a RAP tune, featuring too obviously funkdafied brothas extolling the virtues of Dr Laura Schlesinger, to a funky ass beat.

Has it all come to an end? Are we in some sort of HELL here?

Any Seattleites care to comment?
posted by Anthony Passonno 1:28 AM

Sunday, September 02, 2001
Hi!!!

It's okay, don't be alarmed, I am in a happy place, well, at least psychically, working on new music,
etc. Nothing much new here, as it seems that every time I have something brilliant for the blog, I am at work, and by the time I get home, which is roughly around 2:00 am every morning, I have long since forgotten. Anyone have any memory retention ideas?

EXCLUDING NOTEBOOKS!! Notebooks are evil, and an excuse for people to jot down bits and pieces of whatever pops into their minds, for good or ill, and, well, umm, yeah, I guess Bloggers pretty much the online equivalent to a notebook.............

PS,

A special limited time offer,

Ladies, do you get frustrated every fall, when the boys huddle together in their exclusive little circle jerk to watch the game?
Is your ATHLETIC SUPPORTER of a husband unable to keep his diminutive Quarterback up through the half?

Well, have I got a proposition for you!!! Yes, right now, for a limited time, I am open for business, so, all you lonely, misused football widows, I can satisfy your every desire, and then some.

For a nominal fee, (BEER AND A SANDWICH) I will make sweet sweet love to you by the fire, on the beach, in church, or anywhere you may desire.

Sessions run anywhere from 1 hour(!!) to 12 hours(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), depending upon your stamina!

DON'T DELAY!!!! ACT NOW!!!!!!!

posted by Anthony Passonno 3:00 PM

Sunday, August 26, 2001
For my money, the world's worst band has to have been the Grateful Dead. I was at work the other night, and, upon listening
to the often horrifying DMX cable music system, I heard the Grateful Dead's version of "Good Lovin'", by The Rascals.

Eek, what a wretched, stupid, ugly piece of Hippy crap is THAT song? It was a perfectly servicable pop song originally, but Jerry and the boys had to go and ruin it with their patented Dead brand of slow-blues-suicide goddamn hippy jam band shit. Weren't they just about the most boring freaking band in the world? At least The Allman Brothers had some actually good songs, at least before Duane Allman crushed his head on a motorsickle.

Fuck Hippies. Right now I am listening to Zappa's Uncle Meat, one of my favorite all time albums, bar none. I seem to be in a Zappa phase right now, that and Classical. Yeah, I guess that makes me some sort of music snob.

You know what. I am. Hooray for me, and woe is the fool sitting in his or her comfy little crap hole they call a home listening to their
Mariah Carey or N'Sync. They are not actually people at all, and should in fact not be give any rights whatsoever in our society.

posted by Anthony Passonno 11:33 AM