People need to calm the #$@# down!

Ok, I understand that the economy is in the tank. How do I know things are getting worse and not better? Because Angelinos rarely, if ever, talk about being poor, broke or really anything negative. And lately, I've met new people who, right off the bat, will tell me how they don't have any money.

Yeah no shit.

I mean, we had the perfect storm of problems brewing for years.

As a rule, Americans like to overspend. Credit cards gave us almost unlimited access to nicer-than-we-could-afford vacations, dinners out, clothes, etc. And now all that overspending is catching up with us in a big way.

The real estate bubble, while it certainly has burst (is bursting), created unaffordable housing and rents, especially in 'hot' areas like Southern California. And yet wages for many have remained the same, increased *slightly* or even decreased (thank you recession).....So you do the math - unaffordable housing and flat, stagnant or decreasing wages. Plus increasing prices for everything from food to health care to gas and how is anyone supposed to have any money right now?

Yes, the LA Times reported yesterday that this is the worst recession we've seen in 60 years. 60 years people! To many of us, it feels like a depression.

And despite talk of things getting better, they are in fact, still getting worse. Maybe not as bad as before...but this is the time for the entrepreneur - to be creative in ways to make money in non-traditional ways.

Friends of mine are selling clothing in the Avon/Mary Kay/tupperware fashion. Or doing web design or Internet SEO. Or house sitting, dog walking, selling things on ebay, doing matchmaking, you name it, to survive these days. Good for them! We need more creative businesses right now that meet people's needs - not more corporate jobs.

But my real point to this blog entry is not to complain. Because there is only so much we can do right now.

What we do not need is people freaking the #$@* out.

You sure do see someone's true colors when things get bad.

I've had more people snap at me lately than ever before -- even online on services like facebook. Facebook, yes, the place I go for fun. Maybe I post too much, I don't know, if you don't want to read my facebook updates or for me to comment on your status updates, then you probably should de-friend me right now. I mean, what's the point of a status update if people can't comment on it? Now I try not to comment on people's updates often if I don't know them that well....but oftentimes I feel like saying something, especially if a post was clever, interesting or what not.

Snappy, snappy, snappy.

I guess I shouldn't take it personally.

I've had work contacts basically tell me to "f off" on facebook recently, for no apparent reason. I mean, Jesus, don't lash out at someone, online, in a public forum, without at least giving someone a head's up that you've been pissing them off.

Oh well.

I know everyone's drama has way more to do with their own @#&% than anything I've said or done to them.

But still.

If things are going that badly for you in your personal life, maybe you shouldn't be on a public site like facebook.

Take a deep breath, go for a run, have a beer, sit and watch some TV, hit the beach, read a book, take a yoga class but DO NOT freak the #@^%$ out, especially on me.

I like to consider myself tapped into the news and what's going on online but I also certainly can't be expected to know everything either. People talk about online charities and web sites and technology like it's the alphabet. Hello people. I may spend an hour at night on facebook but that doesn't mean I know that some charity got started for someone's sick child. I'm not God. I'm just a person, trying to survive in a crazy economy in this music business.

'nuff said.

Hope you are well!

Who cares about my blog? Or your blog? Well, hopefully your friends do.

I've read a few posts and had friends say, "Why should I care about a blog my friend writes?"

And sure, while a lot of bloggers use their blog as simply an online journal, I think that's exactly the point.

If you care about someone, you may want to peer inside their world and see what they are eating for breakfast or what's on their mind.

Ok, maybe not the breakfast part but I'd curious about what my friends are up to!

I mean, if no one cared, well, would facebook be so popular? And twitter? And those facebook status update / what's on your mind things?

Sure, there are probably only a handful of people in our lives that we want to follow on a regular basis.

Let's face it. If it's one thing that I've learned from facebook lately it's that rock stars lives are and can be just as dull as ours.

We assume everyone is up to fascinating things - yet facebook brings everyone "down" to the same level as that CEO of that company or your idol may indeed just be eating oatmeal for breakfast and watching TV at night. Humph.

Anyhow, I don't expect a casual friend to care about my blog. Blog reading and writing isn't for everyone.

I guess I'm just blessed to have more free time than most of my friends who work 9-5 jobs. Ah, the benefits of being self-employed.

And I also love writing.

And reading my friend's blogs.

In fact, I wish more of my friends had blogs.

So if you don't care what I'm up to, don't read this.

We probably aren't that good friends anyway ;)