Fortress Of Freedom Board

[Maurice Ali]

If it were up to me I would start training babies to develop their full potential before the plasticity of their minds begins to harden. Having them stay with their parents only develops the children with the limitations and inadequacies of their parents.





Worked for me as a kid!




That won’t fly in our present world of course. Perhaps a reorientation for the parents as to why it’s needed to be on board with developing some strange mental exercises is needed, as I don’t want to separate children from their parents. But I think we can offer the future humans a more open and better life with an expanded mind.




Worked for me as a kid!



I hope you see just how hard things like this are to do. Just look at that third house at the UN! So, humanity is in a race to keep itself from being irrelevant and we have less than 100 years if not less than 10 or 20. That Worldwide Vote is just a start and look at how it has everyone’s panties in a knot!



I could go on about what we are developing in infant minds - but I’ll need some people in white coats with degrees and designations supporting all of this - or else people will think the people in white coats are needed for me…..hehehehe…..



Anyway, I’ve opened my mouth too much already. Many now would prefer me to actually be a far right southern US guy (I did produce a music video about the Mississippi River and New Orleans…..) as opposed to a globalist giving people a global identity and their children different ways of thinking and perceiving the world - but there you are. Better to deal with the devil you know than the devil you don’t I suppose. As are my original ambitions, I am here only to disseminate ideas and have them spread like a virus….



Personally, if tech does not slow down, then basically we are screwed as we can’t keep up - an AI could with the humans going extinct or worshiping it as their god. Oops, talking too much again…..




Goodnight…..








https://youtu.be/HxUuDPNbkJk

[Maurice Ali]

The new CEO of Twitter is fully on board with the global town hall philosophy.







So if the UN becomes a disappointment for the Worldwide Vote then some more advocating at Twitter maybe another option. We did it before and we can do it again. So another package may soon be on the way folks.








I need to order that new AI book and send it off to Archives Canada.




Archives Canada in Ottawa!.



The AI conference in Los Angela’s starts today. I really just want to see if the AI threat is even there or just the usual commercial takes on things.




Goodnight…..





https://youtu.be/2hI1IY782ig

[Maurice Ali]

So over two weeks and still no word from the insurers.



I hope you see the conundrum I would be in if you signed a contract and paid them and couldn’t go on because you had no insurance. I put the first contract on my credit card - yes, you could buy three cars with the limits I have - and possibly could dispute the contract and get my money back but that is a one shot deal. No, you have to get to insurance beforehand and then proceed. These last few weeks have only nailed down the approach I have taken.







Man ooh man, Reddit is breaking! The CEO wants an IPO later in the year. Then in an effort to stop the AI folk and the like from using Reddit as basically a low cost research leg, small time devs get caught up and have to close and moderators revolt over that.



To go public, Reddit has to show their money via valuation is safe from shenanigans like this. So the revolting moderators have to go. What’s next, are hackers going to get involved?



I have no skin in this game so I just watch. I am affected a bit as some communities I frequent are shut down. Anyway, there were probably better alternatives to this but I have no skin in this game.







BlueSky finally up and running but the infrastructure is so small you have to still get on a waiting list to use the service. The app is there for download but you cannot just go and sign up. We mailed them the voting and positive mandate letter - no word yet - seems only Twitter made any sense.




Goodnight…..

[Maurice Ali]

It looks like voting may coming to Reddit after all!







This is because of the moderators shutting down many Reddit’s because of a few third party devs now shut out from the site. We shall see how this goes but once the Genie is out of the bottle it is hard to put it back in.








Facebook is now the last big hold out to the idea. We contacted them all with the voting idea to democraticize the platform. Recent events have pulled me out of the recent funk I’ve been in.




That funk is getting to retirement age and not having anything truly definitive to show the process of dissemination is working. It’s still not definitive but seeing voting in global platforms does increase your positive vibes regardless. It’s enough to keep me going even when things are quiet like right now. I’ll go by the James Bond novel quip about things like this even though I’m not an enemy - but maybe to the establishment:



Once happenstance - Twice coincidence - Three times: Enemy Action!



The weekend is just puttering around the house and playing the guitar.




Goodnight…..





https://youtu.be/FKCmyiljKo0

[Maurice Ali]

Big, big, happy day for Saturday!








To be honest, I was mostly going through the motions when I mailed out the Reddit letter. And so I hope you see that the one that you paid no attention to - paid off in the end.



The thing to. note here is that in this platform called Twitter you rely on moderators,and the CEO is willing to have a vote over one of the most important structural changes to this platform - where have we heard that before…..







Also exciting is that Twitter and Reddit are located on the same street a block or so from each other (Reddit will move by September but the two platforms were basically in the same spot for months and months). Staff and even the CEOs have a chance to regularity run into each other at restaurants, bars and what not this close. This vote runaround play is what Elon did at Twitter and this change to eliminate third party mostly free access is exactly what Elon Musk did earlier with Twitter. Coincidence? - maybe but one more on the Bond quip above (one more to go), and I think we have to acknowledge that maybe all that advocacy has some effect on things! It is now a possibility - a possibility - that my plan is working at some level…..



So that was the thrill of today.



To celebrate I got that black guitar strap I lusted last Sunday at Cosmo Music - and I got it almost half off at another music store! I also bought a small bottle of my favorite wine - but more and more we may use it for Father’s Day tomorrow. I was also going to spring for some take out dinner but that would cut into my guitar belt purchase. What I did there was apply a 30 dollar bill against it that I never spend, then. I had a 40 dollar overage on one credit card and applied the rest to that and that expensive strap only increased my bottom line by 10 bucks! This is the cheap businessman in at work here. If it was a physical purchase it would not matter. But all that work sourcing an expensive belt half off and reducing it on my side even further - has its impact reduced when you take these savings and spend it on fast food - so a TV dinner tonight…..



If I was with a woman I would probably have spent it on a date, but all by myself? I would spend the savings on greasy fried chicken and greasy fries and salad with tons of calorie spiked dressing. My flat belly would instantly balloon to a pot belly that would take a week to come down. Make that two weeks cause we have Father’s Day with the usual meal in there. Sos you see I’m not that bad of a man if you think it out.




Goodnight…..





https://youtu.be/md_WfmSYAuQ

[Maurice Ali]

Father’s day:








So we did the Father’s Day thing with my dad. I’m no father and never get a card. One of my relatives who was a kid took pity on me and made me up one many years ago…..









And that will probably be the only Father’s Day card I get.



I take a photo of every advocacy mail-out and I should just post them for you to see. Usually at the post office on the scale. Man does my handwriting suck!


I did get John Wick 4 in 4K and am watching it tonight. Physical Media may die a slow death as it is now maybe the only way to get rare movies as streaming services take all those titles off the websites. They lose money keeping it in the list but the huge markup in discs makes it worthwhile. Downloads are another option but items tied to a device and not as popular. I thought the industry would have died by now - so I’m pleasantly surprised.





Buckethead



According to shedder heavy metal artist Buckethead:


"Ten of the most important guitars of life were stolen. It's a tremendous loss. I'll never really be able to replace them, but I'm looking for anybody who knows of any instruments that come close to these. Hopefully, somebody can help out. I'm trying to get 2 Studio Gibson Les Pauls. Please contact service@bucketheadpikes.com. Thank you.”


The thing I love about this is that is that his most wanted guitars are regular Gibson Studio Les Paul’s like the one I have and not some expensive Custom. Like my Player Plus Strat, the Studios are plain workhouse machines and sometimes used to gig as they are not works of art (Buckethead does alter the switches), but the same guitars just to sound good. So many go on tour and the artists bond with them.


Anyway, his latest music video looks like a gen 2 AI video and I hope musicians don’t use this as a crutch to make music videos - because it’s obvious what you are using…..




Goodnight…..





https://youtu.be/CLMBse9D3S0

[Maurice Ali]

I keep talking about this funk I’m in and the funk is my age and the area I aim to as CEO which is five years from now…..



Were am I supposed to be five years from now?



Some say: “Gone!” I would be 68 and that is still viable but it’s no certainty at that age. And I don’t mean alive or dead. I’m firmly in command now but what happens in five years? That is when a hand off could occur. So the question remains as to whether I should plan for the hand off or not.



The answer is that you must at least have some plan. I could take it to 73 and then you truly would hand it off. So five to ten years and a transition would be happening as you plan it out. Five years comes up quick - so you are now planning things that maybe don’t have you involved. If you love your orgs as others love their kids, you can’t saddle your successor with having to start from zero, you have to plan things in progress that they can take over and finish themselves. So it’s no longer about you anymore and that has this effect on you, sort of like looking over your shoulder and seeing your shadow - but that shadow is not yours.



While you are feeling the funk of the future you have to make some hard decisions on the future of things.







The record label is humming along fine but Covid 19 stalled things and getting new artists and the artists we have are all getting old. As a label we are still alive, but musicians operate now without thinking about a label. So we are now an anachronism and the question is where to go from here. The label will make it passed the five year mark.







Movies and shorts and music videos and such are stalled but viable with new cameras and editing software. That will make to to the next five years.







IAIJ is a success and will continue, The advocacy will carry on. I’m there till the membership says I’m not. Personally I’d like to see some definite direction in the advocacy I brought in before a transfer of leadership takes place.





The musical not-for-profit - FOFSTOCK - had to happen as that is relatively rare considering how many musicians are in the world. Advocacy and events to help keep the spirit of the music world alive. I want FOFSTOCK to carry on as just being a music festival is more precarious for survival and in the short term this is no guarantee. But by creating FOFSTOCK I have forced myself to do this which is genius, as without it I was seriously planing to scale back the music division.




So that’s what is going through my mind. Then there are the family responsibilities and aging parents and all that. It puts you in a funk. The Twitter and Reddit and UN stuff give you hope right now, but the future may not be as bright as in the past. Like your family life, you can’t walk away from all of that, you just continue, running things and planning. A real retirement seems like only a dream now…..



To be honest, two weeks of real retirement would have me climbing up the walls - so better this way…..




Goodnight…..







https://youtu.be/rQtFSwHSGLQ


https://youtu.be/eXVUAqshhBs

[Maurice Ali]

Not much to report.



I’m actually mowing the lawns at my place and my dad’s. On hot days this takes priority.





Glen Atkinson



The gang seem to be involved in making or finishing one last song with the recently departed Glen Atkinson on the drums. We shall just have to wait and see what all involved want to do with it and proceed from there.



Reddit supposedly has now been hacked with a ransom ware request all based on the third party app fiasco. This is like watching a movie now…..




Goodnight…..





https://youtu.be/WgjnbgyfFUA

[Maurice Ali]

Always something going on when nothing is happening…..



Dropped off my sister to get her hair done and me and dad are running errands, and all of a sudden the engine of the Enclave is losing power. Turn it off and turn it on and we have power and shifts through the gears. However the engine light is now on permanently so I’ll take it in and see what it says.



I always bitch about stuff like this - but - I should console myself that it isn’t someone sick and going to the hospital for example. So Saturday will be the day to check this out. The Mustang still groans a bit on some turns but it is really minor, and I had two mechanics look at the bearings and brakes and road tested it and didn’t find anything wrong. So I keep driving it till something breaks - cars, always something going on…..



Nothing from anyone. Remember that 3.8 Billion dollar law suit with the Ontario Government - no updates at all! Nothing in the insurance file - but I set the date for the last day of July so that may be my doing right there.



It’s the first day of summer and everyone seems to be on vacation. It never lasts and probably everything will start happening all at once. Once again: It could be way worse than being bored and a car with a check engine light. Oh, I have to fiddle with settings to prevent that new Yoga laptop from running down the battery when supposedly turned off. It looks like you have to disable fast start to do that.



The funny thing happening is the record label. I actually deposited a check into its bank account yesterday. That is a rare instance for me. And with the record label of all corporations…..




Goodnight…..






https://youtu.be/eKH0GoVj9d4

[Maurice Ali]

A very late one but I’m busy.



Cars and their problems. The Buick Enclave had a stuck pressure solenoid and we shall see how that goes with some minor things and take it from there. The Mustang still has its mysterious groans from wherever - but it doesn’t affect functioning. You should know that one creak when backing up was not the rear suspension at all, but the rear seat - see how that works…..




AAVRY KNAPP



But the record label that refuses to die! Yes, it makes the most money. No: I won’t close it down. But it can also be a pain in the ass. However: Many exciting and memorable moments were had at the label and many of our shows and movies were made with musicians as they are all “characters”.




Shaun Kelly



A record label was always a place an artist could call home. Many are creative but mentally fragile otherwise. At the label they have a place and their music has value. For some it’s home. So no, we aren’t closing it down.



Buttonz



Anyway, I still actually have to manage that corporation. And it’s still clung to by artists that have little else to brag about. A record label with me at its helm…..



Tabitha Blair



That “is” the twilight zone!




TWENTY6HUNDRED




Goodnight…..

[Maurice Ali]

There is just too much going on in the world today for me to all about anything right now.




Later…..

[Maurice Ali]

Watching movies and it hit me again how easy it is to get girls if society approved.



In this one movie this backward tribe just gave a traveler a wife - just like that! I always wondered how the human race could survive as it seemed impossible to meet women or even ask them out. But of course it was just me being a black guy in an all white world where society disapproved. Even if you got a girl the parents disapproved, everyone on the street disapproved, the church disapproved, the whole society was against you; so why would a women put up with that? If society approved you could ask a girl out on a date. Socially develop and such - when I was a teenager I had none of this, so no opportunity and you become a social cripple so that later on you still have problems. All this came back watching some character in a movie get a wife handed to him!



Changing the transmission fluid on my dad’s car.




Our Buick Enclave!



So I got a code about about one of the pressure solenoids on my dads Enclave. This car is 15 years old with 53,500 kilometers (33,000 miles) but the oil is 15 years old - so replace the oil and you should have basically a new transmission. On cars with actual high mileage you never replace the transmission oil as varnish is holding the tranny together and clutch disc matter has transferred to the oil from the discs - so change the oil and you have to change the transmission. it my tranny was new - so that’s what I did and so far so good.



I did forget to tell you what happened on Friday at the parking ticket dispute place. After waiting for a written ticket to appear online, I had but three days to dispute it online which I did - twice - but got no confirmation. Then a few days later I get a letter saying they increased the fine to 62.50! I stomped down to the parking authority and had to make an appointment a month later which happened last Friday.



So what happened last Friday? All she did was take down the particulars and had me email some photos and told to wait another 30 days! She did acknowledge the website for disputes was screwed up though. What a useless system that is. It would have been better to just pay the thing but now that I’m in it - I’m in it to the end…..



The only good thing about Saturday was fixing the Enclave. Now it’s back to fixing my Mustang…..




Goodnight…..






https://youtu.be/qT5U4-tQHAw

[Maurice Ali]

Time for bed…..



You have some time on the weekends now and lament how things turned out. It’s not over year but you have enough “time in the saddle” to make some general predictions on things. I did the UN advocacy the best I could with the final moments being the best workarounds worthy of “movie script” plots. But as the saying goes: You can do everything right and still lose!



Things aren’t that dire, but the new Global Social Contract at the UN may happen without any prime ideas from my side. That’s just how it goes though nothing is laid in stone - yet. If we expand the sphere to social platforms there definitely is “some” room for optimism. I would have to say that the push for that global social contract was worth the effort. But was that enough to make a life?







There is also the Positive Mandate for Humanity. You could spend the rest of your active life consolidating the positive mandate as a legitimate concept and philosophy. It may still get lost in the scheme of things - but would this be enough for a life?



All the other activities to get to the mandate were an adventure - but does it all add up to a life? In the end it doesn’t matter. Things will play itself out in the end anyway. You can be smarter and faster than those you grew up with, but that didn’t make your life better than theirs. In fact it was harder and more unfair. This is the cruel reality of “real life”. This is your life and not some movie or TV show.



You are getting older and time is running out - time is not on my side. In fact, time is running out on humanity in general! Anyway, this was running through my mind today.



I ran some errands with the family and gave the Enclave a torture test of sorts. No check engine light so I hope that is the end of that! I am
practicing on my guitars again - time for that now…..




Goodnight…..





https://youtu.be/3deAVcufliI

[Maurice Ali]

Here is what’s happening.



I renegotiated distribution terms for our artists for the next year at the record label.



Renewed hosting for one of our servers on the west coast. I don’t have everything in Toronto apart from office computers after a major power blackout lasting days many, many, years ago. Sometimes it’s a pain as there is a three hour time difference, but more reliable this way.







Still no word on the court case. Still no word on the parking ticket. Still no word on the music festival. The car still groans in turns and nobody knows why. I have to pock around a bit more to start seeing all events at the UN.




Vanishing Point


Things are on vacation as sure as we are in summer. Apart from me, nobody cares about the urgency in my life. And why would they? I’m a nobody, maybe with an idea or two, but as I age I see we are just dust in the wind. Everyday people I know die. Lately Barry Newman - Kowalski from Vanishing Point - died at 93. If you stop taking in new media you find your sphere of known people shrink and shrink around you.




Vanishing Point



However, if you keep up with things - as I have to because we have media companies - you find yourself becoming the “old man”. Newman was thirty years older than me so when he and his contemporaries are still a round, in that realm you don’t feel old. You do feel old in the current fashion - so you can’t avoid your life or pretend you are young…..




Goodnight…..





https://youtu.be/mysVWG9vO1U

[Maurice Ali]

Things should finally start picking up from today going forward.



Sadly, reporting is going south big time as a full-time occupation. Two of the biggest news agencies/papers now want to merge to stay alive. The organizations that support them must be feeling the pressure - that of declining membership and funds.



This is not only a local or regional thing, but worldwide. Apart from state owned media - independent media is under attack and that would just leave state owned media with the reach and full-time journalists. That - is a bad situation. IAIJ is now established and my goal before a handoff is to keep to growing and function as an alternative to state owned or financed news media. Seriously, journalism is in a bad way and at least we are in a position to do something about it still!







So this all was the impact of the internet. Moving past journalism, the internet has mostly killed small independent film making and television production. Amazon was the last bastion for indie video and with the Bezos retirement indie really now has no way to making money to even payoff a movie budget much less make a profit. Amazon also killed CDs, DVDs and Blurays forcing music to streaming (we all know there is no avenue for video anymore). I suppose the next step is to drop all non-performing songs from platforms or have them - the artists - pay dearly to keep them on. In many ways the internet is killing most of the arts - and - AI will possibly be the final nail in the coffin…..




Goodnight…..





https://youtu.be/iO60geLqyX0