CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST TATTOO?

So, I've been totally unmotivated and uninspired for quite a while now, and it just keeps getting worse.  Don't wanna draw, don't wanna paint, and really don't care that much about tattooing.  Why?  For the same reasons that I've mentioned plenty of times right here in my blogity-blog thing.  What I love doing has been ruined by douchebags and TV executives.  I should be able to rise above all of this and just say 'fuck 'em all', but it just keeps getting harder.  It's depressing to see what has happened to the industry and how it's affecting my business.  More TV shows, more scratchers- it just goes on and on.

I started the day yesterday with a guy that looked like a fuckin' junkie getting mad at me because I wouldn't sell him any ink caps.  Really?  Ink caps?  You're scratching out of your house, slinging that ol' hepatitis, and you can't find anything to use for ink caps?

Not long after he left, while I was still having my coffee, I came across a story on the internet about another damn tattoo TV show that we're all supposed to be so fucking thrilled about- 'Ink Master' starring Dave Navarro and brought to us by the folks that brought us Miami/LA/New York Ink.  This one will be a tattoo competition.  Hey wait a minute, doesn't Oxygen have a show about to air that's a tattoo competition show?  That's cool, we probably need 2 of those.  The media people are just gonna keep putting these things on and running tattooing into the fuckin' ground.  As long as they can make a buck off of it, what does it matter what it does to the tattoo industry?

Not long after I find that gem, I run across this ad on Craig's List:

Inkaholiks Luxury Tattoos is looking for 2 ELITE style tattoo artists in the Buckhead Atlanta area to represent ATL as part of the Inkaholiks Artist roster! These are the ONLY spots available for local artists so you only need apply if you are a true Inkaholik! Must be willing to be filmed for reality show. Please respond to this ad with Resume and Portfolio. 

These douchebags aren't even open yet and they're looking to get their own stupid reality show.  This place says that they will be an upscale tattoo/hair salon/lounge- what the fuck is that? 

And here's what they have to say about the 'lounge':

Before you "hit the streets" step into the InkLounge where the hottest DJs in Buckhead are spinning the tightest tunes and the beautiful people are down for the party. InkLounge is a chic nightspot in the heart of ATL where the music is hot and the people are hotter. You have to be 21 to have this kinda fun, and make sure your dress is to impress.  

Why do idiots like this feel the need to turn tattooing into anything but fucking tattooing?  They have a grand opening coming up that they're advertising and guess who's gonna be there- Dave Navarro.  Is this really what tattooing has become- stupid reality shows and washed up junkie rockers?  It's fuckin' depressing.  

I don't know what to do to try to get my mojo back and actually want to be a part of this industry.  I sat down at my drawing table yesterday after reading all this bullshit and just stared at a pad of tracing paper, pencil in hand, unable to do a fuckin' thing.  I'm having a really hard time finding any reason to want to be a part of this anymore.

I am NOT the 99%

I am not the 99%, nor am I the 1%.  I am an individual with my own ideas and beliefs, do not try to put me in a category without my approval.  I do not agree with either of you.

That was my FaceBook status a few days ago, and I still stand by that comment.

The so called 99% are in reality probably closer to about 5%, because the other 94% just plain don't give a fuck.  There are a whole lot of people in this country that just don't care- they're uninformed people that would rather talk about sports than politics and don't care what is going on as long as it doesn't interfere with their lives.  And, by 'interfere with their lives', I mean that it doesn't preempt whatever sporting event or media coverage of celebrities they want to watch on TV.  I know that by calling themselves the 99% they are saying that they are speaking for the 'rest' of America, but I can speak for myself.  I believe that I am intelligent and informed enough that I don't need a bunch of kids speaking for me.  I certainly don't need labor unions and celebrities, the likes of which have been showing up at Wall Street protests, to speak for me.  I have worked hard my whole life.  I have never taken government handouts.  The problem with the 99%'ers is that they don't seem to understand that the things that they are asking for will only lead to bigger government.  That's exactly what we don't need.

As a Libertarian, I believe in minimum government, maximum personal freedom and personal responsibility.  That's right, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.  I saw a Wall Street protestor complaining that she had only been in college for a year and she was already in debt- what the fuck?  That's what happens when you go to college- you have to pay for it.  You are paying for a higher education in the hopes of making something better of yourself and having more opportunities later in  life.  You don't wanna pay for college, don't fuckin' go to college, but don't expect or ask the American people (the ones that work for a living in an attempt to support their families) to pay for your college education.  I take personal responsibility for where I am in this life.  I live within my means- I know how much I make and I don't make purchases that I simply can't afford.  I am a small business owner, and will freely admit that over the years I have made some bad business decisions that have either kept me from getting ahead or have cost me money.  I don't blame anyone but myself for those decisions, and consider them a learning experience.  I am by no means rich- I would probably fall in the category of 'lower middle class'.  I'm OK with that- my bills are paid and my family is fed and clothed.  Would I like to make more?  Sure I would.  Do I expect the American people to give me more?  Hell no.  Do I expect the government to give me more?  Double hell no!  I don't even like our government.  I agree with the protestors that the majority of people in the government are liars and thieves, but I sure as hell don't want more government.

A vast majority of the American people are living under the assumption that they are 'victims' and need the wrongs that were done to them righted.  I am not a victim.  People need to stop thinking of themselves as victims and realize that they are individuals that can work to change their situation rather than thinking of themselves as being entitled to things that they have not earned.  One thing that I believe they are NOT entitled to is what I HAVE EARNED.  I worked for it- it's mine, and I'm pretty damn tired of the government taking what I have earned and giving it to people that have not worked for it.

I still believe that America is the land of opportunity, that you can make something of yourself if you try.   The problem is that a lot of people don't want to put the effort into making something of themselves, they want it to be handed to them.  People need to stop asking for more and start asking themselves what they themselves can do to get more.  The problem with that is that it involves hard work, which many Americans are averse to.

Know what you're fighting for, know who you're fighting

Ya wanna bring down the banks?  Ya wanna smash the evil corporations?  Ya wanna take down wall street?  You think that's gonna do away with greed and bring about some sort of 'equality'?  You hate millionaires and billionaires?  Why, because they have more than you?
Lemme tall ya something, things should not be equal all the time.  Equal rights- sure, fine, I'm all for it.  Equality as far as people having the same things and making the same money- no fuckin' way.  Some people work harder than others.  I have worked for 14 years building up my business.  I should have more than someone that doesn't work or that works less than I do.  People have become way more concerned with what they don't have and what others do have than with working hard and trying to make their lives better.
If ya think you're going after the bad guys by trying to bring down the banks and wall street, you're not.  Lemme tell ya how this works- the people that own giant corporations will not be affected.  They have enough money to keep going.  Push 'em hard enough and they'll move their businesses to other countries. Who suffers then?  The same people that you say you're fighting for- the regular working class people, the average American - they end up out of work.
I get it, you're young, you're idealistic, you believe in what you're doing.  Most protestors though are college age kids- you've never had to live in the real world.  You just recently left Mommy and Daddy's comfortable little nest and now you're living in your dorm room or your trendy loft- you think you know everything about how the world works (I did when I was that age).  Well, I'm here to tell ya that ya don't.
You wanna really make a change and make America the great country that it once was, then learn about how things really work.  Learn about our political system.  Support the people that are really gonna make a change.  Push for reform of our oppressive tax codes.  Reforming the tax codes and making it easier and more profitable for people to do business here and will bring companies back to America, which will create jobs and prosperity for the American people.  A free market economy is not a bad thing.  Capitalism is not a bad thing.  Our government is corrupt, but you have the power to vote these people out of office.  That's how you can make a real change.  Don't vote for the guy that promises you EVERYTHING, he's not gonna come through on those promises.  Don't vote for the guy that has spent his entire life in politics.  Don't vote for the guy that looks pretty- he's the same fuckin' guy in a new suit.  These are the people that have sold our country to China.  These are the people that sell themselves to the lobbyists.  These are the people that turn a 2 page bill into a 1000 page monstrosity full of spending to buy themselves votes.  We need a fresh start, we need fresh ideas.  If enough people get behind independent candidates, we can do away with the tired old two party system.  

Everyone knows that the Declaration of Independence states that "All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", but read a little further, and you'll find that it also says, "whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it". 

I know it's cool to protest, especially when all your friends are doing it, but do you really even know what you're protesting?  The recent protests that are going on in major cities around the country seem to be quite unorganized.  Too many different ideas- too many people waving signs that say different things.  Everyone is upset about something, but they don't seem to be able to come up with a common cause.  In order to be effective, you have to stand for something.  Fight one battle at a time, then move on to the next one.  That's how the war is won.  Historically speaking, protests don't bring about drastic change.  If ya really want to change things, you need to do it from the inside- USE the system.  Use the system to get rid of the people that don't care about anything but getting re-elected.  Use the system to get rid of the people that don't care about anything but how much money they can put in their pockets before they're out of office.  Use the system to get rid of the people that don't believe in FREEDOM.
I am a FairTax supporter.  The people that slam the FairTax, for the most part, are the people that don't understand it.  Read about it, and not just what the naysayers are writing about it, read about it from the source- read the FairTax book.  You wanna know why most politicians are against the FairTax?  Because it takes a whole lot of power away from them and puts it back into the hands of the American People- that scares the shit out of them.  Losing their power to do whatever they want scares them a whole lot more than protests.  Vote for the people and the policies that take power away from the government.  Vote for the people that really want to reduce the size of the government.  Attack them from the inside.  Use the system.  Don't just listen to what your friends tell you, research the truth.  Don't listen to rock stars and actors, these are people that live outside of the REAL America.  Listen to the people that work for a living, that have to support their families, that live month to month.  These are the real American People.


I wrote this about a week ago, but never got around to posting it, now, I have more to add:


Now the protestors have been joined by Michael Moore and various Labor Unions.  Michael freakin' Moore and the Unions?  Lets start with Michael Moore.  Michael Moore is an anti American Liberal Fucking Nut Job!  Plus, he's a freakin' millionaire- the people you say you're fighting against.  How much of the money he makes from his propaganda films and DVDs does he give to the people he pretends to be helping?  He talks a big game, but he's laughing all the way to the bank.  This idiot is so far to left that he's off the fucking scale.  The Unions?  The Unions are in bed with the democrats and are huge supporters of Obama- the guy that wants to tax us more to pay for people that don't do anything.  Another week or so and you'll probably see Obama at an 'occupy' rally.  He knows his chances of getting re-elected are slipping, so he'll align himself with the movement to get votes.  The worst thing that could happen to this country would be re-electing this asshole. This country was built on Free Markets, Free Enterprise and Freedom- three things that our President is opposed to.  Big government and their policies of over regulation is what has gotten us into this situation to begin with.  Obama believes in Free Lunches and Free Money.  For who?  For the people that don't do a fucking thing.  I don't get handouts from the government, and I sure as fuck don't get free lunches or a free fucking ride- I work for a living, and big government taxes me to the point where I can never seem to get ahead for the sake of people that I don't fucking know.
"A democracy can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury"  There is some debate over whose quote this actually is.  Regardless of who said it, it is where we now find ourselves as a nation.  Obama will continue to promise free everything to the people that have less in order to get votes, but at what cost?  At the cost of the people that work for a living, of course.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that the Occupy people have some valid complaints, just as I believe that the Tea Party people have some valid complaints, many of which overlap, I just think that they're going about things the wrong way.  They're aligning themselves with the wrong people.  They see it as strength in numbers, but when the additional numbers are comprised of people that helped to create the current situation, they're not helping.  Know who you're siding with.  Don't just blindly believe that because you have 10,000 people that they're all on your side.  A lot of them are only out to help themselves and further their own political careers/agendas- the same mentality you claim to be fighting against.