On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:38:51 -0700, John Larkin
wrote:

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:23:10 -0500, John Fields
wrote:

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:42:04 -0700, John Larkin
wrote:

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:16:04 -0500, John Fields
wrote:


Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

How much money did John Lennon make writing and singing stuff like
this? How much of it did he give away?

---
Dunno, don't care.
---

Reminds me of other noble egalitarians, like Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan
and Barbara Streisand.

They sing this stuff because they make a huge amount of money doing
it.

---
I don't imagine it could be because they're artists pursuing their
passion and money happens to be part of the territory?

Hardly ever.

---
How would _you_ know?

Are you so connected that you've got the pulse of showbiz sussed and can
report on who's doing what and why?

I don't think so.

What I see is the green-eyed monster forcing you to eat sour grapes.
---

You claim to be an artist, yet I don't see you turning down work because
you think you're getting too rich, yet you begrudge them their fortunes.


I don't begrudge any Hollywood fathead the money they make.

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Then you begrudge them their fame.

"Hollywood fathead?"

That derision, alone, speaks volumes since you profess to profess
tolerance, and yet, when you think the gains of others are greater than
yours, and gained at less expense, you rail against them.

How many "Hollywood fatheads" have you met and interacted with?

Did you ever meet John Lennon?

or Cat Stevens?

or Bob Dylan?

or Barbra Streisand?

or anyone who you decry as being a "Hollywood fathead"

and hold a conversation with them which led you to believe they weren't
egalitarian?

I think not.
---

I wouldn't
live their lives for a gigabuck.

---
From your end It's all about money, huh?
---

Why do they keep sticking needles in
their arms, and beating up/shooting their families, and becoming
alcoholics/suicides/dead at phenomenal rates if they are such pure
artists?

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It's about what one learns at the edge, John.

Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear.

Does that make his art less vivid?
---

We do turn down work if we think it's harmful or immoral. Like
manufacturing cigarettes, or helping certain countries improve their
Bombs.

---
Bull****.

You'll sell your crap to anyone, but you're restrained by DoD as to what
weapons systems you can sell offshore.

Cigarettes?

If you're any good why don't you come up with an antiviral/antibiotic
system which can be delivered through a smoke?

JF