Hidden Agendas and other Government Policies

Ask not what your country can do for you...but who can you screw in your country....or something like that.

Have you seen the new "anti-piracy" bill floating through congress all clandestinely and what not? The quotes are intentional. That the bill's intent is different from its title is probable. That its effects are far-reaching is definite.

Several websites have been shut down already by the Department of Homeland Security for piracy violations. Piracy is illegal. Yes. I get that. The Department of Homeland Security though? Really? And people want to discuss government waste. An entity created to protect our country from terrorist threats (don't pretend that you had even heard of a Homeland Security prior to 9/11...B? yeah you B...stop it) is now monitoring sites (mostly hip hop sites seemingly although i don't think it's an "anti-hip hop bill) looking for the nefarious international pirates who are selling unauthorized music.

Look, I know the music climate has changed. I also know that the labels are struggling with low record sales (partially because of piracy, and partially because a lot of this music does exactly what a Kirby vacuum was designed to do). But this bill is heavy handed and will impact the artists who are creating their own buzz online. Destroying the very nature of how we share and discover talent. How many of you would have heard of Drake without Myspace? Oh..."they're not targeting social networks". Gangbangers in drive by shootings aren't targeting innocent civilians, either. But how often do you see the news story about a a child caught in the cross-fire? The hype? Do NOT believe it. The bill is poorly written (surprise!) by people who wouldn't know a search engine from a diesel engine. That the creators of many of the websites with the most traffic are opposed to this bill gives you an idea of who wrote the bill. Youtube? Yeah...they could get shut down. Not because the people behind YouTube are posting illegal music, but because someone like you or me might post some copywritten material to share with others (with no intent to profit). Make no mistake, this is as much about money and lobbyist as it is about anything else.

It's also about freedom. The internet is a global community. If you come to my house and I play a CD for you, that's not piracy. If you go to my youtube page and I post that song...same thing. Now...if I sell you the song, that's illegal and I should be prosecuted. This bill prevents the latter AND the former. You're going to far, now. This is like responding to a slap with a gunshot. But hey....I guess it doesn't matter until you go to your favorite site and get that "404" message. Let's not wait until congress rapes our rights to occupy common sense (we've allowed the Patriot Act to go unchecked for a decade...it could happen). Let your congressman know that you want the government to address the budget, debt, foreign policy, jobs, and other REAL issues. SOPA? Stop it B.


P.S. for those of you who may think this is somewhat "self-serving"...perhaps. But ask yourself, would you have heard of me if it weren't for WSHH or GBTV sharing my content (without my consent mind you)? I didn't complain then because, as a new artist, I appreciated the exposure to different markets. A LOT of new artists feel that way. This bill would end that. Think about it....

Occupy Your Own Mind

Whose fault is it!!!! We need someone to blame!!!! It’s a circular argument. There are people to blame on both sides. The occupiers don’t help their own cause with blatant violations of the law (although to some degree…their intention was to disrupt, there are many people there who intended to be a part of a peaceful protest).It’s hard to feel good about defecating on police cars (even if you’re getting pulled for going 6 miles over…bastids!) The police aren’t helping with the occasionally heavy handed aggression used to control the crowd (I’ve seen the videos of the police using their batons to force the crowd to move even though the crowd is unarmed and offering no resistance). Whose fault is it?!

There are those who say the police are using necessary means to control the crowd. There would be no violence, they say, if the occupiers (they use more disparaging terms for them) would just go and get a job and stop occupying! That ignores the issues being brought forth by OWS (it also ignores that unemployment is as high as a giraffe’s tonsils but that’s another argument). There IS massive corruption on all levels of government. Politicians aren’t listening. So the age-old method of protest was brought in to existence. Whose fault is it? It’s not the politicians who created this economic mess? It’s not the people who’ve ignored the lies coming from Washington for years, only to pay attention to the misinformation coming from the media NOW? It’s not your fault? It’s not mine?

Most of the time when people are searching for someone to blame…it’s to avoid being blamed. It’s everyone’s fault. It’s our fault for allowing two parties with the exact same agenda (to retain power for their party) to control us through smear campaigns and misinformation (and reality TV I’m borderline convinced that the government created that bullshit). It’s our fault for voting party lines and NOT our conscience. It’s our fault for treating career politicians as saviors. It’s our fault. The blood is symbolically on our hands. Many of us are just spouting the talking points we’ve heard on television from whoever our favorite celebrity political analyst is (more on that in the next paragraph). Others have taken to using childish name-calling (which we were taught to ignore before kindergarten but now use as a weapon. It’s still childish b). Whose fault is it?

How often have you thought to yourself “that guy makes a good point” when watching CNN, MSNBC, FOX or whatever? Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh, Maher, Ratigan, Matthews….their job is to draw viewers. If these guys were really the smartest people in the room…why aren’t they running? If they are the most patriotic, best informed…why aren’t they in DC making the changes they talk about on their show? The same reason I’m not running. I’m an entertainer. I remind people of that daily. Yes, I have an opinion (and I’m blessed to be in a country that allows me to state that opinion without fear of imprisonment or worse), but I have NO desire to deal with the partisan bullshit that permeates today’s politics. Nope…I’m an entertainer….and so are the guys I just mentioned. Don’t believe me? Go back and find some clips of Beck when he was a centrist host on CNN who had as a goal…taking over for Larry King. Way easier gig than he’s got now. Name a popular centrist host….I’ll wait. You can’t. You can name a host that’s less to the right/left than the ones I listed…but tension and salacious speech moves the needle. Do you think a calmly stated, profanity free rant by me would have caught Glenn Beck’s attention? Imus? What if I was a white guy in a suit with no beard? If you REALLY believe you would have even heard of me if it weren’t for my appearance and word choices, I’ve got some of that unicorn dust left for sale.

Beck to the right of me!!!!

Maher to the left of me!!!!

It’s OUR fault. If it’s important to you, go to source documents. Go to the ows website. Don’t read and then compare what you read to what the “stars” are saying. Comparing it to how you were raised. Compare it to how you raise your children. Compare it to what YOU believe. THEN act. Doesn’t mean you will agree with the movement…but you won’t sound like a clone when discussing it. OWS is flawed. The police’s response is flawed. WE are flawed. So what is the solution?

First, dismantle the political parties. Yes, that’s how it’s always been. At one point in our history, people had always thought the world was flat. At some point in our history slavery was legal. At some point in our history (at least in England) people didn’t bathe regularly. Now all of these things are considered disgusting (except for the world being flat…that’s just stupid). So…just because we’ve always had a 2 party system doesn’t mean we have to continue. Second, vote. “My vote doesn’t count anyway”…it damn sure doesn’t if you don’t cast it (sidenote: if you believe that the illuminati or other secret organization controls everything and thus your vote is irrelevant…so is reading this article. You are helpless and hopeless. Good luck on the revolution. Also…Tupac is dead. Sorry.). Third, recognize the things like race, religion, location, sex, sexual orientation, age, etc. that have been used to divide us, and turn away from anything that ends in –ism unless it’s inclusive. (everybodyism?)

This is a short list…and it’s just a start. But it’s not a policy that needs to be changed. It’s not a legislator that needs to go. It’s a MINDSET that needs to be created. Change your thinking. Change your life.

I'M POPEYE B*&%%!!!!

My name is Felonious Munk, and I'm a comedian. I know this comes as a surprise to many of you who have watched my videos. Yes, there is humor in the videos, but I often tackle very serious issues/subjects. Yet, the videos are but one area of my comedy. I perform stand up. I write satire and humor articles. I do characters, accents, and impersonations.

I am a comedian. Who Am I? At the risk of sounding self-absorbed, google me, baby. I've been reading about Donald Glover (whom I respect a lot for being unafraid to be really good at a variety of things) and it occurred to me that I may not fit into your traditional idea of "comedian". Cool. "nobody built like (me, I) designed myself". What Jay Z said there isn't (in my mind, at least) any type of statement relating to a Higher Power creating/not creating him. It's about taking responsibility for your own person.

I'm a comedian. Even when I'm not funny. The process requires that I view life logically, to determine what is illogical. Well...MY process requires it. See, that's the thing....it's MY process. It's always funny when someone argues with me about who/what I am. If you introduce yourself to me as "Johnathan", how weird would it be if I said "no, you are Muhammad. When I look at you I see a Muhammad"? Enjoy my work. Criticize my work. Hate my work. But, while I'm alive...don't define my work FOR me. Because...before I'm a comedian...I'm a man.

A man doesn't let life dictate to him. A man dictates (through his decisions and actions) what his life will be like. A man isn't limited by his past...he's motivated (and educated) by that past. I will never ACT like a man. A lion doesn't have to act like a lion.

So if you ever mistake my roar for that of a different creature...that will be your issue. I'll continue roaring. I'll continue being a man. And I'll continue being a comedian...even when I'm not funny.




P.S. You should be at Pace Univ in Manhattan for this ---> PACE HERE WE COME!!!!!