Databomb: Refuge

“Refuge” is about the Syrian refugee crisis, and refugees in general. The people that are fleeing these conflicts are trying to save their children, and their families. All they want is peace. They don’t want to see their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, or children die. They are generally good people, they work, they take care of their families... they pray, but despite all of that, they are being forced out of their country, at the threat of violence... they flee to another country... will that new country take them in, and keep them safe, or will they turn them away? Who’s right in this conflict, the ones that are fleeing, or the ones threatening violence? Why is there a cynicism from other countries, and insist they should stay and fight? Praying isn’t working... and ultimately the question becomes 

“Why has our god forsaken us?”

“No one will take us in... will we never find peace?”

“Can you help us?”

If you haven’t heard “Refuge”, you can find it here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/track/refuge

And if you haven’t yet, you can grab the album “Databomb” for a fiver ($5) here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/album/databomb Not only will you be getting some Rivethead tunes you can mosh to, you’ll also be supporting a great charity (Mental Health Research Canada) in the process too!

Databomb: Instructions To Your Revolution

Ye, some of you may know this, some of you may not, initially when we released this song, it was as an EP appropriately titled “Instructions To Your Revolution”, but this song was also meant to be on “Databomb” as well, so... I’ve felt this for a long time, I’ve always felt that positivity and optimism will change and evolve humanity into a better state! Positivity isn’t just something that falls into your lap, and one day you go from negative thinking and psychosomatic thinking, to positive thinking... positivity actually takes work, it isn’t some slogan for people to follow... it is an attitude and a mindset! I wasn’t always a positive person, there was a period of my life that I was filled with negativity and hate... but after having some severe anxiety, I realized that the negativity and hate, wasn’t serving me... and I started to work on my mindset, and my attitude changed... and gradually went from negative hate, to positive mentality. I really didn’t like being so fucking negative and hate filled... it was actually affecting my mental well-being... when I started to work on it (through taking care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually, and starting to set some goals) my mindset changed, and I started to feel better, and ultimately... after all these years, I’ve found peace, and started to find happiness! It really is amazing what we can do, when we set our mind to it! Course the journey isn’t over... there’s a lot to do, and many goals to reach, but I feel ultimately that positivity will change the world! That is what “Instructions To Your Revolution” is about!

If you haven’t heard it yet, you can find the song “Instructions To Your Revolution” here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/track/instructions-to-your-revolution-2

Aaand, if you haven’t yet, you can download the album here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/album/databomb I mean, I don’t know why you wouldn’t, it’s free!!

The Meaning of "The End of War / The Beginning of Humanity"

What is the meaning of the song "Death Cult"?

Here we discuss the meaning of the song "Death Cult" off the Twitch album "Databomb"!

Manipulations of The System, and Normalcy

For some people, they feel entitled, they feel that they can bully their way into whatever they want, especially when it comes to politics. As of the last few years, there are a lot of people in power, you wonder how they got there, you wonder how they managed to stay in politics for the time they have, and how they ended up in positions of power... Was it shit voter turnout, was it entitled pieces of shit throwing money into the system and getting their way, cause money is the easy manipulation. Was it a combination of all the above... probably.

So, how do we fix this... people who are power hungry, and want to get into politics cause that means, they make the laws, their friends can benefit from their positioning. I think the thing that stands out for me, through all of the shit we've gone through lately, where has the humanity gone? Why are we seeing these ultra right leaning politicians end up in positions of power, and abusing it, and essentially putting peoples lives at risk, all for their bullshit ratings for the next election, or put money in their pockets? Why have we lost humanity in this... like I feel like a lot of these politicians right now, have lost their humanity, I feel like these people in power have gone in the wrong direction, and we see the loss of tolerance of people who are different from ourselves...

...I will be honest, I want society to get to a point where we can all accept each other for who we are, accept each others differences... what I mean by that is, you can believe in whatever you want to... if you believe in a god, or goddess or multiple gods (or you are an atheist, or whatever), and you can change and grow in your beliefs, and not hurt others on top of it, then that is for you... and that same mentality applies to me as well... the key thing, not hurt anybody else. When I look at what is happening right now, I truly thought we eventually would get to that level of understanding and tolerance, but I feel like there has been this shift in the wrong direction, there are these politicians who when they get into positions of power, they abuse it and they benefit who is in their pocket... or who's gonna make them money. I just don't understand how we got here. When I was younger, in my early to mid 20's I thought that, well I wasn't sure if capitalism worked, but I was hopeful, I looked at the examples of my heroes in life (Trent Reznor / Nine Inch Nails), or Korn, or Ice T, or the various other artists and musicians that have been successful in our current system, and they, after putting in their time, ended up being successful... but now I look at the current economy, and capitalism, and I wonder if it is truly possible to reach my dreams... I mean we look at how things have evolved in the last 10 years, and things have gotten worse, and it seems the current system is not sustainable... Which makes me wonder, are my dreams still possible, was I wrong, thinking that maybe someday I'll be like my idols... I will tell you I am not giving up, but I will also tell you, in light of the recent world pandemic, and essentially the economy falling apart, and the shit things various people in power have been doing during this whole pandemic... it doesn't look good for anyone, but I will also tell you that I have, as a lot of other people and businesses have had to, evolve and change... we don't know what this will look like at the end, and I think putting things in place now is the best thing I can do, for my future, whatever that looks like. I guess anyone trying to stay above the water is reinventing themselves.

At this point, I don't think capitalism is sustainable, with where it has been going, but I also think that we as a western society, have to be very careful of what our next steps are in this pandemic, and how society reinvents itself for the future. I know there are a few people in my circle that think communism is the answer... first of all Marx knew that communism/marxism doesn't and won't work, second of all, granted I know China isn't exactly communist, but the recent riots that had been happening there, the students and protesters that were rioting kept saying to westerners and western media "Don't let this happen to you, it's too late for us...", and it is not good in China, communism is not good for anyone, it is highly corruptible. I mean, look at the Social Credit system that they are using there... essentially it's like Facebook, but citizens can rate other citizens, and if you are a down-rated citizen, even if you are a good person, it's likely that people will treat you like shit, police will treat you like shit, you may even disappear... I mean think about that, if every citizen could rate another citizen here... people could generally rate you a shitty citizen and inform authorities, despite you actually being a good person... and you end up being arrested or interrogated, or just in general picked on by other citizens cause you have a shitty social credit. The social credit system is essentially making people informants... who ever buy's into the system the most, and is the most active in that system, likely will end up in the good graces of the police and military... Good little informants, yeah?

So what am I getting at here, I don't know if I'gonna be able to post this on my social channels, FB has blocked various posts I've made in the past regarding the bad word "D*****ia", but what I'm getting at is this... we have to be very careful of the next steps we take moving forward from this worldwide pandemic... the current system obviously doesn't work in it's current format, I mean if it did, this whole situation wouldn't have happened, and no one would fall through the cracks, cause there would be no cracks to fall through... I don't think capitalism works, I don't think communism/marxism works either... I will say, I do think democracy works as a governmental structured society, but not in it's current state... I do think democratic socialism is the way to move forward. As far as how we fix the current situation... how do we move through it... maybe a basic income for everyone... then a lot of the businesses (especially small businesses) would be able to walk through this without losing and having to close shop.

This is what I see, what do you folks think?

“We can't return to normal, because the normal that we had was precisely the problem.”

The Meaning of the song "Dirty City" as well as "Dystopia For You?" off our upcoming album "Databomb"!

The Meaning of "We All Want Peace" off the upcoming Twitch album "Databomb"

The Meaning of "Refuge"

Here is the meaning of the song "Refuge" off our upcoming album "Databomb":

A Twitch Story: My Time on The Streets and The Waking up Freezing Story

(Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon, SK, Canada)

You might have seen it in our "Making of Databomb" mini-documentary (I went into this a little bit there), but I thought I would get into some of the time I spent on the streets when I was in my late teens (around 1996)... more for your educational purposes. There are a lot of stories to tell around this time, but I'm sharing this particular one, cause it was right around when the weather was starting to warm up slightly, but cold enough to still freeze... I wasn't prepared for the freezing temperature (but who really is when you decide to live on the streets). So, it had gotten colder, and we had sleeping bags and shit, and my sleeping bag wasn't all that great. So, early in the morning (think 5am or so), I wake up, and I'm fucking freezing. So, I get up... wake up my friend and tell him, that I'm cold, he asks "...You're cold?", and I respond "No I'm alright", then he asks "Are you sure?", and I'm like "I'm cold.", he then tells me to go into this indoor area, where it is heated... man was I fuckin delirious... so fucking cold that I couldn't think straight... I took my stuff and went into this heated area and hung out there, I can't remember for how long, but if I'm not mistaken... until my friend finally woke up, and it was time for us to head somewhere else (I think probably to find food).

At first, we kinda looked at it (the streets) as an adventure, but then after a while you realize... if you don't get off the streets, you'll end up fucked somewhere. Now eventually, my friend and I got off the streets, but it is an experience that him and I will never forget... you learn a lot... especially when it comes to survival, and for us, the will to get off the streets was definitely instilled! After getting off the streets eventually the will to having some kind of life after... is instilled as well. You also realize, that there are a lot of people who tend to be out of touch when it comes to helping people and others (especially politicians, when they make certain decisions)... You also realize that the streets, the communities, the neighborhoods... these are our people... we are all one, and no one can take that away from us.

(I do believe more of Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon, SK, Canada)

Anyway, I thought I would share that story... maybe you learned something from it, maybe not... I might tell more of these stories... we'll see...

I guess the whole point of me telling this story is... yeah, I did survive it, I've seen things you people wouldn't believe 😉, attack ships on fire off the shore of the South Saskatchewan River, I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near Broadway Avenue... lol! Out of all seriousness, yeah... I did survive it, and the experience made me ultimately realize that certain people are really out of touch when it comes to helping others... aaaaaaaand, ultimately the streets, the communities, the neighborhoods... well reiterating what I said above... we truly are all one, and no one can take that away from us.

Love you folks, not sure if this was helpful, but I had a story in me that I needed to get out!

Let me know your thoughts!

The Meaning of "Databomb"

Alright, here is the meaning of the title track off the upcoming Twitch album "Databomb"!

Self-Isolation and De-Stressing

(Let your hair out and headbang!! Short hair? Who cares... do it anyway!! 😜)

In my last video (here), I had a little bit of a dance party in my living room, it was a solo dance party, but a dance party none-the-less... so I wanted to talk about a couple of tips that you can use to de-stress and you know... not take shit too seriously... so, here they are:

Tip 1: This tip is probably the most obvious tip... have a dance party in your living room, with your partner, or if you are self-isolating, or quarantining... a solo-dance party... yeah, that's right! Break out the tunes, turn them up a little bit and dance your ass off!! The key here is to have fun!

Tip 2: Learn something new... if you are not currently working, due to the virus, it is a great time to use online learning tools, like Lynda.com to educate yourself and learn something new. For instance; music production techniques (you can find a lot of these on Youtube too), or how to use the Microsoft Office Suites (this is a great way to expand your knowledge of the tools typically used in an office environment to write letters, or send emails, or keep track of budgets, or do desktop publishing, all kinds of shit)... there is a lot of good things out there to learn and to keep your mind active!

Tip 3: Work-out / Exercise: This one is key, working out can relieve stress and improve your overall health! Hey, you get bigger muscles out of it too!

Tip 4: Going out for walks is a great way to get outside and get a breath of fresh air, and sometimes getting out of your creative space, or work space, can really reset and refresh your mind, and you can come from a different head space and refocus on whatever you are working on!

Tip 5: This one people really don't do enough, or at all... Meditate... spending time to meditate can really clear your mind, or even help you focus on the important things and what the next steps are that you need to take in your creative, work, or other endeavors! Even just resetting and refreshing your mind... can do wonders... your mind will be clearer, you will feel more relaxed and ready to take on the next challenges (whether work, creative, or next steps to reach your goals)!

Tip 6: Something else that may help you is... get creative! If you are an artist, musician, or some kind of creative... write a song, write an album, paint, draw... really express what is going on inside you right now... getting those things out will help you cope with what is currently going on!!

Tip 7: Watch a movie or TV show... yeah, we need escapes sometimes!

Tip 8: Play a game; whether it's board games, video/computer games, card games, whatever...

Tip 9: Read something; whether it's a fictional book, a comic book, something educational... or what have you!!

I think I'll leave things off here, there's a lot of tips you can utilize here... I mean these will get you started to de-stressing and not worry about what is currently going on!

I will make a note here; it is very important for you folks to remember, life is waaay to short for bullshit... and despite what is going on right now, I would say putting things in place for you to possibly have a better future after we get through this whole situation is probably the best thing you can do right now!

I do believe we will make it through this!

Stay positive people! Love ya!!

EDIT: I forgot one tip to add to this...

Tip 10: Feeling lonely? Call/FaceTime/Skype/Zoom/Facebook Video Chat with your friends and family. Yes, we have to stay isolated, but that doesn't mean we can't share a call or video chat with friends and family!

Twitch, COVID19 & Plans!

Well, I thought it would be better if I write this down… Obviously we all know the situation… it’s good to minimize contact with other humans right now… if you are gonna be around people, make sure it’s small numbers… not huge gatherings, if you can self-isolate… even better. As some of you folks know, if you watched the most recent video we made here! As well as previous videos about isolation… it is very tough for me to be in isolation… I deal with it a lot, have dealt with it a lot over the last… well we’ll just say, there’s been plenty of times that I’ve been forced into isolation, due to not being able to get out with friends, because they are too busy doing other things, or doing their own thing, or whatever, so I’ve spent a lot of time alone. I will say though, if it wasn’t for this “forced” isolation, I wouldn’t have written the first “Self-Titled” Twitch album… Twitch wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t been for that, and now I can say with confidence, that Twitch has existed for 20ish years (we turn 21 this year), and most bands can’t say that! I will also say… being that that has also been the case over the years, I have, what my friends like to call it “workaholic” ethic when it comes to my music endeavor, but in a positive way (not to the point where I’m unhealthy because of it)! So, on that note… You’ll hear some of this and see some of this on our social channels, though blog posts like this, or YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram… and I’m telling you what the plan is here… we are waiting on a couple details (artwork) and just sorting out set-lists for preparation of potential live shows, in support of this album. If things don’t work out in our favor and it is recommended that we have to self-isolate for much longer, we are preparing for live stream performances on Facebook or other platforms (if there is a better way to do it) for people to watch in support of this album!   …I’m not sure the logistics quite yet of the album, I think we’ll be keeping it completely and strictly digital! That is the way the world is moving… and I figure for us that is the best way in going about in distributing Twitch…

...So, on that note, even though this situation seems to be bleak (I truly don’t think it is), and there are opportunities for us and other humans to reach out, and help others…. Whether that’s facetiming/skyping/ or video chat with your friends if they are quarantined or are self-isolating! Stay safe people! Do what you can, and if you are feeling isolated, definitely reach out and chat with friends online through text, and if you are like me who needs some kind of human contact, do facetime/skype, they may not be there physically, but you can still chat and maybe have a beer with them in a virtual space or video chat!! Even me people, if you want to have a video chat, let me know… I’ll definitely be there for you!! Love you folks, once again stay stafe… sometimes we are thrown these curveballs, but remain positive we have survived worse!!

Love your Canadian Goth | Rivethead,

Shayne “Daemon_w60” Lawrence / Twitch

P.S.: I’m gonna try to write or video once a day and post those up on the various social platforms to keep you positive and thinking about ways you can get around isolation… and some of the tips I have used and such in the past, to get you started, here’s a blog with some tips regarding isolation here!

New Music video for "Instructions To Your Revolution"

Here's our new music video for "Instructions To Your Revolution":

Twitch releases new single "Machine Heart"!

It's here!! Twitch's, first in a series of singles called "Machine Heart"! This single and coming album is the result of a 3 year process... in that time a joke of a president was elected in the US, we here in Canada almost ended up in a similar situation with this most recent election. Technology saw great advances, some for good, some possibly very bad. Will we survive our time? Will humanity survive to see the stars... and travel the galaxy (or even further)? Will we survive and live to see the possible heat death of the universe..?

"Machine Heart" is the attitude, "Machine Heart" is the answer!



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:Wumpscut: and it's Influence on Twitch

Well, being that we are on the topic of Wumpscut I thought I would tell you a little bit about Twitch's second release "We Are Here To Dance!" (2002). When I wrote this album, I was healing from being in a not too good place mentally, and this album was the transition from negative-hate to positive attitude! The album and lyrics were written between 2001 and 2002, and finally released in January of 2002! One of the songs on the album, "What Good Is It!?" was heavily inspired by Wumpscut's "War"... when I was writing "What Good Is It!?" I was trying to capture some of the feeling of "War". Lyrically speaking the song is much different than Wumpscut's track... I was trying to get across that nothing can come from war, and that it doesn't solve anything... and that we should smash all our weapons, put our differences aside, and work towards peace! The major influence that "War" had, was probably the delivery of the vocals, granted my vocals are slightly distorted, and Rudy's vocals on "War" was fairly clean, but I tried to capture a similar feeling. Have a listen:





What are your thoughts? Let us know!!


If you would like to support us, you can purchase our albums here!


Thank you for reading, and listening!

Thoughts on Dystopia: RANT TIME

**BEGIN RANT**

Well, it seems like a lot of people out there are saying we are currently living in a dystopia because of current politics and what is going on in the world right now. And it seems as though people are almost romanticizing the idea... Truthfully speaking, I love cyberpunk fiction. However that form of fiction was written as a warning to not tread the path laid out in those stories... it was meant to be a warning to not end up in a dystopia. (EDIT: Dystopia isn't fun. When the fiction was created, it was meant to be a warning for us not to end up in that situation! William Gibson was intelligent enough to know that this could be a possibility if we don't do something about the situation we are in... what I am saying here, is if he was intelligent enough to see and know that, then we are intelligent enough, to not end up in that situation!) I also think we are not living in a dystopia... and quite frankly, I'm willing to do anything, so we don't end up in that reality. And, here's my point, if you truly don't want to live in a dystopia, go out there, get involved in a local charity, or a cause of some kind... stop fuckin saying we live in a dystopia, and start actually doing something about what is going on around you and your fucking communities... I actually view being in a dystopia, is not a good thing, it's not an intelligent thing... I think we as a human species are more intelligent than to let something like that become a reality! If you truly don't want to live in a dystopia, get out there, get involved in your communities, make the world a better place, cause if you don't, we'll certainly end up in that reality!


By saying we live in a dystopia, means you've already given up, and you are ok with what is going on around you... you've thrown in the towel, and accepted that it is not possible to do anything about the world situation, the political situation. You think when we went to war in World War II that we thought that nothing could be done about that whole situation..? People gave their lives so we could have our freedom... and they changed the world for the better for us! It is not impossible, if we put our minds to it, we can change the world!

Once again; as with the last rant: Violence should be the last resort!!

**END RANT**

Note: I know I've ranted about this before, but I want to get across the point, you have the power to change things! No matter how big or how small! If it wasn't possible, what is the fuckin point, we might as well lay down and let the world end... Sorry folks, that's the reality of life, if we can't affect change within ourselves and ultimately influence others to take action... then why live?! Each one of us has the ability to change! You are not fated to do anything, society isn't fated to do anything... You always have a choice, and you will always have the ability to change, and in doing so, you influence others to take action! That's all I gotta say.

EDIT 2: I removed something earlier… and censored my blog a little bit… and now I feel I should have left it in, with a bit of an explanation… so I’m putting this back in it; the reality of Dystopia, is that corporations rule… Government pays lip-service to the people and capitalism has run rampant, with no checks and balances. Secret wars are going on, mega-corporations are taking out competing corporate executives by hiring, hired-guns, or anyone that is a threat, or could pose a threat… everyone carries weapons, cause no one knows who’s next and is not sure who is competing against them for the same space. Violence is normalized… no one is safe. What I had taken out of the blog is, I don’t want this to happen… and quite frankly, the idea of me picking up a weapon, whatever it is… to protect myself is something that I don’t want to do (violence actually makes me physically sick; one of the reasons why I can’t watch horror movies anymore, or even watch violent movies and shit, or even the news for that matter, cause there is too much negativity, and too much violence)… I believe in peace… maybe not a true peace (we still have to be able to defend ourselves, cause unfortunately there is people out in the world that want to hurt you), but I definitely believe in peace! I also believe that we will overcome the current world situation, by accepting each others differences (that doesn’t mean you have to believe what I believe, but accept that we are all different… and as long as you are not infringing on anyone’s rights, or going out there hurting someone [I believe we all have a right to life], and you can change and grow within those beliefs then that is for you)… This can all be done without violence, I believe we will overcome it without violence. What I was getting at in this blog Rant is; there seems to be a lot of people in our community (especially, the goth/industrial community), that are saying that we are living in a dystopia, and the idea is almost romanticised… and what I am trying to articulate is… if you truly think we are in a dystopia, or we are on the verge of becoming a dystopic society here in Canada or even the U.S., is go out there and get involved in your communities, donate time to a charity or worthy cause… whether it’s volunteering at the local drop-in centre or raising awareness for mental health issues. Do something to circumvent the dystopia! It’s one thing to say we are living in a dystopia, or are on the brink of becoming a dystopia… but if you are not taking any actions to circumvent it, then we will truly end up in that situation, if you truly don’t want it to happen, go out there and get involved in your communities and make the world a better place! I realize it’s one thing for me to rant about it on the internet and social media… but I’m already, working on the making the world a better place part ;) ! We can’t make the world a better place, unless all of us are doing it together!

I hope I got my point across!


What are your thoughts?

Documentary - The Great Hack

We all know what the political climate is like right now, we all know that because of social media being exploited, "hacked" and politicians using it to manipulate the general populace, the results of the election didn't turn out for the good, and there is a joke of a president in power... who is only interested in benefiting himself and his family. If you are curious how social media was involved and used to manipulate people, then watch "The Great Hack" on Netflix! Such an excellent documentary! A little commentary here: If the laws change around the internet and social media to not be able to use our data without our permission, and fake news also not being allowed, we might be in a better place, but so far nothing has really changed all that much... which means this shit can still happen... as you'll see in this documentary, know that your data can be used against you, and used to manipulate you... You would not believe how much data your leaving online with simple interactions, even with playing "games", such as those online "fun" questionnaires (eg: what is your spirit animal, etc).

The Online World: Lost in Translation

I think their needs to be something said about social media and the online world, and online communities... the problem with writing posts online, and texts, and emails... is we don't quite understand context... like when you are talking to someone in person, you see their body language, you hear their voice inflections... you basically get a sense of what a person is trying to articulate (you may be able to tell if they are agitated, or anxious, or even angry)... in the online world, it is completely different; you don't see someone's body language, you don't hear their vocal inflections, text on a screen does not accurately articulate what point someone is trying to get across. It is nice that we can communicate online, but in the end, we do not understand what a person is truly trying to articulate cause through text we can't articulate those things that we can only say and do in person. Sure, there's emojis and shit to give someone a general sense of "ok, this person might be angry..." or "ok, this guy is happy, or laughing", but in the end, even emoji's can't truly show an individual what is going on on the other end of the screen! Don't get me wrong, I like being connected online and in the digital world, social media and the various online forums and communities are a nice tool to use to connect with people across oceans, but I will say it can only do so much to get our points across, to truly know what a person is trying to articulate, you need to be in the room with them, you need to hear them, their voice, you need to see their body language. I'm not saying unplug from the net, what I'm saying is, take these things into consideration when conversing/communicating with people online... a lot can be lost in translation from person-to-text-to-person... and hey I mean, the irony here is I'm communicating this thought with you online via a blogging app... but if you want to have an in person conversation, feel free to call me or message me and we can arrange to meet!! Obviously, I'm not gonna meet with someone that isn't within my community... still gotta play safe folks... but if you are in my community (you know who you are 😉) feel free to message or call me!

What are your thought's on this subject? Do you feel we can articulate our points and opinions and all the other shit well online, or do you think something get's lost in the translation?

Mistakes and Learning from your Past

Well, I just want to say something here, especially about mistakes, and learning from your past. What I'm finding is, a lot of people (especially) in the online social media communities are quite reactionary and aren't really thinking about what they are saying and the example they are setting for others... This is true of everyone; we all make mistakes, no one is perfect (I have made plenty of mistakes, and paid for them too)... that includes politicians, police, military, everyone... every single person on this planet has made a mistake... some people are paying for their mistakes in the penitentiary system, some of them are paying for them by doing probation in society, or community service... some of them have learned them by being called out by their family or friends... No one, absolutely no one is pure... if we didn't make mistakes, how the fuck are we supposed to learn and make amends, and rehabilitate... I'm not gonna point any fingers here, but I'll give an example... remember the guy on the Greyhound bus that decapitated a kid... I'm sure most of you remember that story... that guy is now walking free in society... after the incident, he was given a psychological assessment, they found he had a mental illness, and that whole incident was the result of his mental illness... after serving a period of time in jail (or whatever correctional institution he was in), with being monitored, he was given the go to be released back into society, because he was doing well, and realized the error of his mistake, and is now on a serious dose of medication (that story is here)... There were a lot of people pissed off about that, because he served very little time (the family of the victim wanted him to remain in jail), but I think that's what people are forgetting... the idea of jail is in the end we want to rehabilitate these people, and get them to be a functioning member of society... that is the key, jail is not meant to be a revenge on the perpetrator of a crime (that is why they are called correctional facilities)... Granted there's people who get released into society that probably shouldn't be, but there are also people who have rehabilitated and should be given a chance to be integrated into normal society again (I'm sure some of you will block me, or even have some choice words, or this post gets blocked or flagged or whatever, but quite frankly I'm not afraid to say it, cause we have to be aware that we all make mistakes, and we should all be given a chance to correct them and learn from them), I think that's my point... everyone should be given the chance to correct their mistakes and learn from them, to be rehabilitated... Maybe this is an unpopular topic, but I think it needs to be said, cause if we are truly human, we need to give people this ability, we need to give them the ability to make amends.

Note: I'm not an apologist here either... I do realize sometimes people have to remain in jail for the rest of their lives cause they can't be rehabilitated currently (cause we don't know how to fix them), or being in jail the rest of their lives is how they rehabilitate. What I'm trying to point out here is that we do have to let people make amends and heal/rehabilitate (if they can)... I mean look at anyone's life... how many times have you or your friend fucked up, or made a mistake and your friends understand that and have given you a chance to make amends?? I'm also not saying that these mistakes or whatever are right, what I'm saying is that everybody makes them, and should be given a chance to make amends (as I stated earlier).

What do you folks think?

Mental Health and Music

There was an recent article released about how 73% of independent musicians are affected by mental health issues, or worry about their mental health, which you can read here! I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not surprised with the study, and to me it's always been obvious that this has been the case... musicians and artists typically use their music as a means of therapy, to get out the issues and things that they've been struggling with... when you add the business side to things and trying to succeed within that business, and trying to make a living... the pressure can be great. I will be honest, I struggled with mental health issues for a number of years. There was actually a period of 4 or 5 years that I lost to mental health issues (not focusing on music, and not progressing musically), and sometimes it bothers me that I lost that period of time, as I could've been pushing my music career forward, rather than dealing with mental health. I would say that, I do realize that now, and I have figured out ways to cope... and even though I'm behind, and not where I want to be musically, I would say that if it wasn't for those 4 or 5 years, I would probably be in a much worse place... I wouldn't have the coping skills that I have now, and I might have been locked in some mental institution or something like that. I also realized that, yes, I do have to do music... it is a requirement for my mental health... I realized, when I'm not focused on it, or music related stuff, my mental health declines... course there are other aspects too... obviously that can't be the only focus, being healthy physically and spiritually is also, essential too! Without that whole picture I or anybody for that matter would be struggling mentally. Each of those pieces are important! I think the one thing that is worrisome and pisses me off, is that here in Canada... the province I live in (Alberta), there has been a conservative government elected in, and I will not be surprised if mental health initiatives and funding for people who are using mental health supports will see cuts! We'll see people having to move out of their homes because they can't afford to pay rent, or pay for food, or medications or whatever... We'll see a lot of them being dumped on the streets... and the government doesn't care... I know when Stephen Harper was in power... he thought mentally-ill people should be in jail or locked up in institutions. Unfortunately, this new Premier, Jason Kenny, worked with Stephen Harper, and has even more extreme views than his Prime Minister friend... I think that is why it's important to remain strong and don't give up, cause most of us know, having a mental illness or mental health issues, doesn't make you a criminal... and I would also say to any musician/artist that... use this situation or similar situations in your writing and art, as the world needs your voice, and we can only overcome this by raising awareness of these issues, and destroying any stigma attached to mental health issues!