Author: Seth Werkheiser

BE KIND

In this post Dan Blank describes how we can now take a video and upload it in seconds for the world to see.

I take it for granted how easy it is to do with just WORDS on a screen! We’re all typing, and hitting post, or send, and whoosh it goes out there and people can read it on their computers, or their phones while in line at the drug store, or on the bus!

Then those words can take us on a journey, much like the post I’m talking about today!

They lead us on sharp turns and twists, and then we sit with them, and laugh, or cry, or leave comments, or share them with a friend.

JOBBER SUMMERSLAM

Found this via a music blog – rcmndedlisten! In 2023!

I was listening casually, then came across this part:

Guitarist and vocalist Kate Meizner, drummer Mike Falcone, guitarist Michael Julius, and bassist Miles Toth aren’t just indie rock sports entertainers who can channel Helmet, Hum, and ‘99 era Macho Man in one fell swoop.

Then I was like, oh shit! It all clicked, and fuck, I love this song.

SIGN UP FOR THE PRIDE 5K

Just about two months out from the Pride 5K, founded by total bad ass Nikki Hiltz.

Posting this here because not everyone is on Instagram, and so maybe they wouldn’t see this otherwise.

Register here, knowing that you’re helping support the mission of  Point of Pride.

Point of Pride is a nonprofit organization that provides financial aid and direct support to trans folks in need of health and wellness care. Their mission is to provide access to gender-affirming resources such as chest binders, breast forms, and other essential items to those who may not have the means to acquire them. Besides simply donating money to Point of Pride, our goal is to make sure that every transgender person knows that there is an entire community of runners who love and support them and believe they belong everywhere they decide to be.

And if you don’t think you can run 3.1 miles, I bet you can walk it, and that counts, especially when the money is going to such a good cause.

I GET PAID THE MOST

Neat interview with guitarist Steve Vai, on how he skipped making 0.25 cents per record to recoup and instead went and made $4 per record by going direct to the distributors.

And now artists are how here promoting the fuck out of DSPs where they get 0.003 cents per stream, on platforms that limit their ability to engage with 70% of their fans.

THIS IS EVERYTHING

Ira Glass sums it all up in this recent interview with Vulture:

It’s just crazy to me that people are having a hard time earning money making something so many other people clearly want.

Well, part of the problem is that people aren’t paying for it, right?

Right. They’re accustomed to getting it for free.

That’s the hole in the business model.

Most people ain’t paying for shit.

There was a time when Limp Bizkit sold a million albums in one week. Now artists on labels with managers and lawyers are lucky to sell 50,000 in a month.

You used to have to pay money to go see a movie. Now you pay a few bucks a month for a few streaming services and never buy another DVD

Podcasts, websites, newsletters – free, free, free.

Yes, a small percentage of diehard fans support via Patreon, or Substack, or whatever, but for the most part there’s been more entertainment options that exist in the world.

Think about the 100 or 200 or 1000 things we read a day, and watch, and listen to. In a DAY. A MONTH.

I pay my ISP $56/month, and some streaming services. I don’t think I spend $100 a month on everything, and I can fill my eyes and ears with “content” every second of every day.

And we’re all paying that $100 every month, and more (much more), and a few people are making money from making the things that everyone loves.

Again, from the interview: people are having a hard time earning money making something so many other people clearly want.

What the fuck?

MAKE YOUR HOMEPAGE A HOUSEPAGE

On the left, the Salomon website. Three images, hardly even 350 pixels wide.

On the right, the Salomon Instagram page, a carosel of five, giant, screen filling images.

As I wrote in “DON’T MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA YOUR TROPHY CASE,”

We’re quick to posts our biggest moments on social media.

The “SOLD OUT” marquees. Massive crowds from stage. The plaques. Photos with our heroes and fans and friends.

We take photos of ourselves standing in Times Square with that big Spotify digital ad in the background.

We’ll share those slick DSP images on social media, showing off our placement on a cool playlist (like mine, below).

It’s the same even if you’re not in a band: we post all our most interesting photos, the imagery that shows off our unique, creative spirit, the videos that capture our spontaneous, magical energy.

We don’t put any of it on our website, then complain that nobody goes to our website.

Imagine making your website the MAIN place to see your latest photos, your behind the scenes, your deepest thoughts, your biggest BANG.

Instead we’re all giving our best stuff to social media platforms for free in hopes that a few people can even find a link to visit our store.

And who even reads this way? Back and forth, big sections of white space? Might as well put some pop up ads in there, too.

People LOVE the social media feed – photo, text, photo, text, photo, text.

It’s how ZILLIONS of people consume the internet these days.

And websites are still out here with tiny fucking images, text that zig zags all over the place, and letting social media platforms get all the attention by offering a better reading experience.

STOP BANNING TRANSGENDER ATHELETES

From A Quick Brown Fox program direct and bike racer Ayesha Mcgowan, re: banning trans athletes from competition:

Don’t @ me pretending to be a scientist, a member of the peloton, or even a savior for women’s sports. Women athletes are underpaid (if at all), under-supported, underestimated, and face a world of very real problems in the present that actually need solving. Banning transgender athletes is not helping us in any way. It’s cruel and sad and wrong. If you really want to save women’s sports, learn ways to help solve the problems we are actually facing.