Jun Mjoon Discusses the Paradigm Shift in the Music Industry

Die Antwoord Knows the New Music Paradigm

I want to talk for a minute about a musical act that has utilized what I believe to be the new paradigm in music distribution in a way that has helped them achieve international success. The musical act I speak of is no other than the totally Zef and completely unique rap-rave group Die Antwoord from South Africa.

Anyone who knows anything about this band knows they speak Afrikaans, curse worse than a drunken sailor, and rap about outrageous and explicit sexual acts, marijuana, gangster activity, and how awesome and Zef they are. What a lot of people don't know is that they also rap about being vegetarian and healthy, that you should be the best person you can, and that you should be wise with your money. In older works known as Max Normal.tv and The Constructus Corporation the lyrics take on topics as wide and varied as the Illuminati, NLP, and philosophical subjects such as the difference between Creators and Parasites as defined in Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead."

Die Antwoord has also brought us a whole new look and style with kids everywhere adopting both Yolandi Visser and Ninja style haircuts and their way of dressing in colorful pajama bottoms and onesies. Currently there is a wave of Zef inspired art spreading throughout the "interwebs" on Instagram and Tumblr.

With all this fame, where did it really come from? Die Antwoord is not played on the radio (they curse too much!), nor on the television, and honestly I've never seen a hard copy CD of any of their albums. The only way anyone has ever heard Die Antwoord's music is through the Internet... And their personal mp3 players. And that's the key.

When I want to introduce new music to someone else, the most likely way is I will do it is via my own personal mp3 player. Laptops and computers are too clunky and immobile to effectively do this. "Hey, Bob, I found this great new song on the Internet. Want to go to my house and look it up on YouTube?" "Naw." Right. And how did everyone end up with Die Antwoord on their personal mp3 players? Well, although the $O$ album can be purchased on the DieAntwoord.com website, it's also easily downloaded as a torrent file on the peer to peer networks. And who put the files on the peer to peer networks? If I had to guess it would be Die Antwoord themselves. And just why would they do that? Because they understand that the Internet has changed the way "consumers" of music want their music content delivered; that means free. As Jun Mhoon puts in his interview, "2.5 billion illegal downloads a month means consumers want their music free."

In the past, before a music consumer devoured a CD they were inundated with it on the radio and MTV, both of which are one way communication channels; unlike the Internet which is two way. One would go buy the CD because One had to if One wanted to listen to the music. Now consumers don't have to because the peer to peer networks make all information available freely. This is because it is a two way communication. As long as the Internet remains a two way communication channel this will be so. This is exactly why, although the Big Record Labels have sued everyone on this planet and the next, the peer to peer networks remain open and running. To shut them down would literally require turning off the Internet. So you see, if the Internet is going to be here, so is free music.

However, not everyone knows how to use a torrent file. Not everyone wants their music for free. And by having their music available as both a purchasable download and a free download, Die Antwoord not only went viral but made a chunk of cash in the process. Maybe they didn't get rich, but I bet they didn't lose out either.

The change in the paradigm isn't about how to find new ways to sell the music, it's how to find new ways to make money from things related to the music. Two things that music consumers have always spent their money on are live performances and merchandise. But besides these are other methods such as re-releasing the same songs in different formats. Each time their is a re-release their will be the usual crowed that downloads it for free and spreads it virally and the usual crowd that pays for it. This allows the musician to reap several rounds of buying from the same album. Die Antwoord brilliantly did exactly this by re-releasing several versions of $O$, each with the songs slightly remixed. In fact, when you trace the evolution of Die Antwoord's music starting with Max Normal you can see the same techniques being used over and over again (in a self-referencing manner) so as to constantly cause the music consumer to have to search out and find the new version of the song and download it again. Another method of revenue could be selling a song for advertising, something that once used to be the hallmark of "selling out" and is now the hallmark of "buying in."

In all of the methods used to generate revenue from One's music in this new music distribution paradigm, one thing has changed the most; the role and job of the musicians themselves. Musicians are no longer just entertainers and performers. Musicians are no longer recording artists or composers. Musicians must now also be their own manager, promotion company, and CEO of it all. It's no longer enough for a band or musical act to just have an image; One must have a brand, in the complete sense of it's corporate meaning. The big difference here is that the image, music, and everything else associate with the brand is entirely owned and maintained by the artist themselves. Only in this fashion can music that breaks the norms, the mold, the stereotypes, achieve the type of success we've seen in Die Antwoord.

And think about this: Die Antwoord is about to release their newest album, "Donker Mag," sometime in May. I'm not entirely sure how their "world wide synchronized release" will actually work, but I almost guarantee that One will find the album for free as a torrent not too long after it's release. Why do I think that? Although Donker Mag has not come out yet, Die Antwoord has already book and sold out an entire world wide tour for Donker Mag. They've already made their money. In fact, I can think of no other Band that has sold out a show for an album that has not come out yet. Pretty amazing.

Internet Has Changed Music Distribution Forever

Musicians: why not make at least some if not all of your music free to download? In this new Internet-paradigm we live in most information is free. Music is information. It's the live performance that people pay to see. This is why MTV, the radio, and big label music must adapt or die. It's no longer about putting millions of dollars into promoting and distributing the music. It's about getting the music to go viral on the Internet so you can book the live (paying) shows. And your music will only go viral if it's free. Musicians who sign up to Artopium.com can utilize several options for distributing their work. You may sell your CD, Vinyl (you distribute) or Mp3 downloads. All options allow you to include samples of your music that cannot easily be downloaded (the player masks the source of the music but anything being played through One's speakers can be copied. E.g. I can rip music from bandcamp all day long). However, therein lies the paradox. It's unlikely somone is going to buy your music if they can't hear your music. Musicians on Artopium.com can also include free downloads of their music. This is best because someone is more likely to turn on to your sound if they're introduced to it through a friend rather than a website. You make this infinitely easier when it's free. I suggest having your entire album in both purchasable download and free download SIDE BY SIDE when you distribute. Who knows? You might even make MORE $$$$ Just something to think about.

Artopium Roving Festival is BACK!!

I'm excited to announce that after a very long hiatus, Artopium's Roving Festival is BACK and BETTER than ever before! After taking some time to finish Artopium's Guide to Urban Camping, a Youtube video series I did as a way of "branding" the Artopium image. You can watch it all right here: http://www.Youtube.com/StealthCamping. In any case I'm proud to say that not only have I nearly completed the the video series, I have also completely revamped both Artopium.com and RovingFestival.com. They not only have a new, smart look, but are completely mobilized and smartphone ready. So now you can add your art, music, fashion, film or book right from the palm of your hand. Not only have the websites enjoyed a rebirth, but Artopium's Roving Festival is also starting up again and will be at Third Eye Shoppe on Hawthorne Blvd and 39th, Portland, OR on August 23rd, 2014. this is very exciting as it's been a rather long time since the past festival. This festival will be centered and themed around shamanism and I will hopefully have some nice surprises. As usual the artist and music lineup is completely local to Portland and include a wide variety of acts. Check out the event page: http://www.rovingfestival.com/cgi/a.cgi?P=thirdeye.htm

Pros & Cons of Being an Urban Camper

Pros of being an urban camper.
_______

I'm free.
I'm closer to nature.
I meet more people.
I make my own schedule and work when I want to.
I'm less burdened with the responsibilities of material things.
I pay no rent.
I pay no bills. Well, OK, I have bills, for the phone and credit cards, but my debt is much smaller than yours.
I see and experience new and interesting things every day.
I have more time to be creative.
I'm constantly learning new things about the world around me.
I watch no television, but I do watch movies on my laptop.
I have more time to reflect upon things.
I worry less, or not at all.
All the money I make is mine.
I'm more physically active and a bit healthier for it.
I have more time to study the books I really wanted to study but couldn't while I was in college.
I've learned to defend myself against most of the elements (still working on almost freezing rain).
I'm a survivor.
I have amazing stories to tell.
I live "off the grid".
I'm a gypsy, pirate, nomad, and a lot of other words that always fascinated me as a child.
_______ _________
Cons of being an urban camper.
____________________

People look at you differently, sometimes badly (I'm trying to change this).
If you're not mentally prepared, like, you've never been camping before, then it isn't for you.

__________________
Pros of being a "House-y", that's someone who lives in a walled "House" structure thing, apartments included.
___________________

Get to sit on the couch and watch television.
Easy access to refrigeration.
Easy access to bathroom facilities.
Easier access to potable water.
Less chores and maintenance.
Easier access to entertainment.
Can invite friends over for entertainment in all weather.
Can give friends a place to stay for a while.
__________________
Cons of being a "House-y".
____________________

Rent/Mortgage.
Bills.
Work.
More "things" to worry about, like the security of your "things" (lock the door), how are "things" with the boss, now I must replace this "thing" (light bulbs), etc.
Isolation, cabin fever.
Disconnection from neighbors.
Disconnection from society at large.
More materialistic.
More polluting and damaging to the environment (more chemicals poured down drain, more toilet flushes, more electrical energy consumed, waste lumber and construction materials, more oil consumed, etc.).
You can probably dream up a host of personal reasons from here...

Have Gas Scooter, Will Travel

I am glad to announce that I have finally obtained the gas scooter I have been talking about for so long! I bought it off of Portland's craigslist for $200 (that's half it's value) using the money donated to the Artopium Art Troupe so that we can create the Artopium Art Booth. Having the scooter is going to go a long way in helping to haul the Art Booth equipment from location to location so we are very grateful that we have it and we kindly thank everyone, like people like you, who have helped to make it happen. Look forward to seeing me and my struggle to understand the inner workings of the 33cc engine that propels me toward my Artopium future showcased in the first episode of this next season's Guide to Urban Camping.

New urban camping episodes now playing!

Two more fantastic episodes of Artopium's Guide to Urban Camping have been released! Come check them out. Watch them here or on the official Art Troupe video blog channel at youtube.com/stealthcamping.

Artopium Art Troupe Charter to be released soon!

Where to even begin with this blog. I would like to introduce to you a new face in the Artopium journey, and you may know him as Kami. Kami came to me in the most random series of meetings and encounters and ended with He and I sharing a common idea: to put forth all art/music and to travel the world doing it. We have both collaborated to write up an official charter to lay down the rules of initiation and duties to the Artopium Art Troupe. Once the charter is written we will only need one more of the three founders necessary to set the charter into effect. We hope to find that person soon.

Episode II is now playing!

I just released the second episode of Artopium's "Guide to Guerrilla Urban Camping" and it's now playing on my YouTube channel.

Artopium's Guide to Urban Camping Episode I

I finally managed to put a full episode together, thanks to the new laptop I was able to aquire by working my ass off selling my handcrafted jewelry on Hawthorne. You can buy my jewelry online at artopium.com/mikesjewelry so check it out. The only money I use to aquire the equipment needed comes from my jewelry sales, and this will be used to help other artists sell their works, so it all goes to a good place.

This and the following episodes were all taken using nothing more than the camera built into my cell phone. It has a limit of 15 seconds per take and the resolution is less then that of a television, let alone a computer monitor.

In this episode I show you how I go in to the urban jungle, that which is known as Washington Park, and show you how to set up the perfect, long-term, guerrilla urban camp. From my semi-permanent shelter in the city park, I venture back into the city to sell jewelry and to network and meet the people who are going to help me throw the next festival.

Eventually I will find partners in both the business and in the Artopium Art Troupe. I've already received a lot of attention from my friends, family and Internet public, but I'm still waiting for the point of critical mass. Does no one have the guts to join me? This is a question I have to battle with daily. But I go on looking for other troupe members...


Artopium's Guide to Urban Camping Episode I (full version)

Artopium's Roving Festival | MySpace Video

Also be sure to check out my YouTube page. It has a lot more videos and playlists to check out! YouTube.com/StealthCamping

A new laptop

I'm very happy to announce tat my Internet hiatus is over! I got a rather small, meek and humble Eee PC, with the least amount of features, but it does the job and will even help me to the video editing for my upcoming series: "Artopium's Guide to Guerrilla Urban Camping". Look forward to some great improvements to the website as well.

It's been a while

I know I haven't been faithful to blogging as much as I promised, but who reads this anyway? I mean, if I really had readers there would be comments. Well, I guess I did get one comment for the boycott roco's pizza post, but that was a bit unrelated to the true intentions of this blog.

I have been taking a little bit of a hiatus, but that isn't to say that I haven't been planning the next move for Artopium. Although the festivals have taken a back burner, I have been diligently working on a somewhat smaller project; but one that potentially packs a more powerful punch.

Since my laptop was hacked and is no longer functional I've been relegated to using the library facilities, which have also made it difficult to post blogs, work on the site, or do much of anything else for that matter. Artopium.com is still up and running, however, and sales continue. There have actually been many new artist sign ups lately, which is very surprising.

Anyway, I will soon be a solitary festival in my own right as I am currently working on becoming a roving art booth, participating in the many festivals Portland, OR has to offer. From my booth I will sell my personal handmade jewelry as well as any other art, music, fashion, film or book from any other artist(s) that wish to join me.

I am still living a guerilla urban camping lifestyle and I am still working to put this on film, but I have one hurdle left to overcome: I need a camera man. I almost found one until he drunkenly admitted to me that he hates all electronic music (my personal preference) and while that wouldn't normally be enough for me to let someone go, he insisted that he could not be a part of any project that endorsed this type of music. Since Artopium endorsed ALL types of music, well, you get the picture.

I am enrolling into PCM, which stands for Portland Community Media and is the cable television public access channel which allows the public to use camera and editing equipment to produce shows to be aired on TV. The required classes don't start until June, but once I'm a member I hope to find more diligent crew members, or I may attempt to do the entire project on my own.

So, look forward to seeing more from me in the future, and if there are any readers out there, thanks for waiting so long for this post. Hope you all are doing well! Loving you brothers and sisters!

Rainbow Gathering 2009

I never thought I would say this, but this year's Rainbow Gathering, held near Cuba New Mexico, was truly a sorry state of affairs. This year I decided to go early for seed camp and to help set up. A friend drove me to Redding California where I met up with a very cool girl named Jess Blue who owns a ranch for wayward animals. There I fell in love with a Pit / Lab mix puppy that I adopted and named Siris (myspace.com/doggyhoudini) and Jess drove me the rest of the way to the Gathering. Once I arrived I immediately plugged in to my favorite kitchen; Milliways. Setting up and building the kitchen was a lot of fun and for the most part seed camp was great. It was when the gathering went into full swing, around 2 or 3 days before the 1st of July, that all the madness started to happen. Normally money and alcohol are highly discouraged as they represent the "Babylon" that everyone is trying to get away from when One goes to a gathering. However alcohol was very prevalent at this year's gathering, and some girl actually tried to write me a check for Siris at "Trade Circle." Someone got stabbed and died this year due to alcohol (I heard the fight ensued over a nearly finished bottle of vodka). There was a war of the kitchens in which several kitchens slashed and hacked main supply tent (where all the food is stored) due to internal political conflict. On the 4th it rained all day so there was no Ohm for peace and instead there was a mad dance in the mud (still pretty fun). And at the end, there were numerous fist fights almost all of them related to alcohol (a very good reason it's usually discouraged). Some random guy actually tried to punch me while drunk and when I left that scene for quieter ground I came across two other guys in a fist fight at a kitchen called "Peace Village." One thing that did maintain my faith was the numerous "triple" rainbows that appeared after rainstorms in the main meadow. So beautiful. Maybe the Universe was trying to tell everyone something. After this I decided it was time to leave Rainbow and as I got all my belongings to the parking lot I came across a group of about 15 or so gutter punk kids drinking vodka and cheap beer. That night I awoke to someone screaming at the top of their lungs "Who stole my vodka? Who stole my vodka?" What a mess. So much for the Rainbow of peace and living light. The "Vision Council" decided that the gathering would be best held in Tennessee next year. I don't think I'll be going. Really, if I had to make a guess, I would say that the reason that so much alcohol and violence were present is mostly because main meadow was rather close to the parking lot. It was rather easy for people to leave the Gathering and go back into town for more alcohol. Last year in Wyoming, it was literally a 4 or 5 mile hike to get from the parking lot to the main meadow and once you were in you were staying until you left. Hopefully the "elders" learn something about planning water, food and main meadow setup from this years mistakes. Hopefully. Then again we are talking about the largest "un-organization" in the world.

Seeking Artist Guerilla Urban Campers

Want to join the Artopium Art Troupe? Want to travel around the world, throwing art and music festivals? Tired of your usual, boring life and want to do something exciting and different? Do you enjoy camping; ever want to do long distance and long term camping? Do you have an artistic craft that you would like to sell? Want to become a gypsy? Want to do something so unorthodox that your Mom will worry about you, your friends will think you've lost your mind (but secredtly admire you), and ultimately feel the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile? Contact me. Let's talk.

Visit RovingFestival.com for more info!

Back in Portland

Well, I've arrived back in portland about a week ago and already an amazing plethora of excitment has already unfolded before me. After being greeted by my friends at the train station, I was whisked away for pizza and beer at rocco's (somewhat of a tradition now) then lead on an adventure to the zoo and then to karaoke at a bar called "Gypsy" (how appropriate).

I've made a new guerilla urban camp in Washington Park, and it's definitely one of my better camps. There is plenty of head room, and the hammock keeps me off the wet ground. It's been raining a lot here in Portland, but I've actually found myself wishing it would rain harder so I can see my camp taken to its limits. There's no better feeling of satisfaction then to build your own temporary home then kick back inside it and watch it protect you from the elements.

I've also made quite a bit of head-way getting the Artopium Art Troupe up and running. I now have keen brochures that explain the function of the Troupe and I will be setting up meetings for the Troupe soon. There are already a few contenders for troupe positions, and it looks like I may be able to have a decent groupe together, at least for booth vending around the city, within a few weeks.

New Festival in the Works

OK Folks, the next festival you've all been waiting for is now in the beginning stages. I've definitely decided that it will be in Portland (bet you didn't see that one coming). I have a few ideas about the location, but I won't say exactly where at this stage in the planning. Let's just say I'm shooting for downtown somewhere.

And this one's going to be big! No joke. I've got a great theme in mind and I hope to bring in a lot of different, very cool organizations to help put on something truly grand. If space and funding are available there will be two stages, and a very large area for booths. I'm currently writing up the budget for all of this, so if you, or anyone you know, can give me good estimates for stage, sound and lighting, as well as promotional ad space, it would be appreciated.

It would be nice to think that I can put together the festival I see in my mind by the end of this summer, but for the next Artopium Roving Festival to really be on the next level I'm thinking I may go ahead and set the date for 2010. I know this is really far ahead for most artists to book, so I'm going to wait a little while longer before opening the festival sign up.

As always, the festival is for Artopium.com Artist Members, so if you want to participate in the next festival be sure to sign up and create your Artopium profile page. It's free to join and it's easy to use! To get booked just add your Artopium profie URL to your message when you contact us.

In any case, I'll be heading back to Portland within a month or so and once there I'll begin talking with the city council and various departments to wee what is possible. Once I get the green light We'll all have a lot of work to do, but it's going to be fun! If you are interested in volunteering to help or even to join the Artopium Art Troupe, we are always looking to increase our forces. Just check out RovingFestival.com for more info.

I'm in Glenwood Springs, Colorado!

Hey folks, I've gone home for the holidays.

My last few weeks in Portland were wet and a bit dreary, but I managed to stay dry by squatting in what I must say is the finest and most pristine squat I have ever had the privilege to squat in. About 8 of us were sleeping in a 5 bedroom, 4 story (including basement) mini-mansion that someone found as an abandoned foreclosure right near the PSU campus. Besides, my tent is on it's way out.

For Thanksgiving I traveled to Seattle with a very good friend, then left Portland via Amtrak to Glenwood. I'll be in Glenwood for a while, then Denver, then hopefully to Austin, Texas for a bit. I'll then be heading back towards Glenwood, then to Portland by sometime near March. Anyway, that's the plan.

It's been snowing a lot here since I've arrived. A good friend told me it snowed in Portland just recently, but I'll bet it's not much compared to the consistent flow of the white fluffy stuff here in Glenwood.

Halloween

Well, I'm still here in Portland. Things have slowed down a bit in the jewelry department. I attribute this to the change in the season as the plentiful North Western rain not only drives out a lot of the tourists but creates a different, and possibly macabre mindset in the locals. That isn't to say I haven't been having fun. Some of those whom I've met that have lived in Portland for a while have told me that you're not a real Portlander unless you get wet. I personally love the rain, so it isn't getting me down.

For Halloween I had the distinct pleasure of partying with a group of some brilliant musicians and beautiful gypsies that form three of Portland's finer bands; NIAYH (Stands for: Now Is All You Have, check out their music video), Def Kids, and Shelter Kids. They performed at Reed College which is supposedly known for "rich hippies", whatever that means.

Also, in the time since my last entry, I've been hard at work building a more permanent urban camping shelter as packing up all of my gear every morning has become a nuisance. It would be nice to have a place where I could store my belongings instead of carrying them around with me all day. So I've moved out of Washington Park and into the much larger Forest Park. After doing several survey trips through Forest Park, each trip taking two or more days, I found a nice secluded place at the very top of the hill. To give you an idea of what this means, you really need to visit Forest Park as it is almost entirely comprised of hills that would make San Fransico jealous. My entire effort to survey the park was to merely find a flat spot that could hold several people through the night, away from the mainstream trails. Since everything to either side of any trail through the park is at a 45 degree incline or more, the only spot I could find was at the very top. This, however, means a 6 mile hike up one of Portlands highest and steepest hills to find it, with 100 foot drops-to-your-death along most of the trail. You can also get there by car and about a 1 mile hike, so getting supplies and people to the camp isn't necessarily hard. Only if you are coming by bus or streetcar. I hope to get more people up there soon. It's very peaceful and a bit exciting at the same time. It isn't completely city noise free as I can still hear the freight boats loading an unloading cargo along the Willamete River, and a few nights ago a pack of coyote came near my camp and began howling!

Back in the City of Roses

Hello all! I just returned from the Oregon regional rainbow gathering held this year in the Ochoco National Forest just outside of Prineville. I got there near the end of the gathering and there were maybe 60 or 70 brothers and sisters present. It was nice, as it created a real sense of intimacy and closeness. I have to admit that there were no elders there and that there was a bit more drinking than you would normally see at a rainbow gathering, but it was made up for by the mad pirate "space bag" play on the last day, and the family vibe that was felt by everyone.

At the end of the gathering, we spent a day cleaning up the campgrounds, then 19 of us carrying our own packs packed up on to a blue bus (also referred to as the blue pirate bus) and headed back into Portland. When we arrived, there were many brothers who had never been to Portland before and I offered to give them a tour of the city and show them a kosher place to sleep. After terrorizing Old Town / Chinatown with our crazy hippie ways and meandering through Pioneer Square, we rode the MAX to Washington Park and slept in the bushes. It was great having family with me in Wash. Park, sharing food and good times.

The next morning was Saturday, so naturally we went to Saturday Market at the Skidmore Fountain MAX stop. Our group split up as a brother and myself stayed in the market to sell jewelry on the sidewalk and the rest went to go check out the city. We agreed to meet back at Pioneer Square at 5 PM. However, it wasn't long before this brother and I found ourselves on another journey entirely, say, through the looking glass, as a very kind brother in the market traded some l for one of my pendants. I packed up my jewelry and decided to see the City of Roses in a new light. I have been here a while. Why not follow this new brother through the city and see it through his eyes? So I did. And we both wandered through downtown, a bit aimlessly, as I was following him, you see? And our trip through downtown led us right to Pioneer Square, and just as we arrive, there's everyone else from camp, standing at the MAX stop, yelling at us to hurry over to them. As we dash up to the stop, MAX tickets are thrust into our hands, a MAX train arrives, and we tossed onto the train, almost all in one motion.

We're told "You're going to a party," although I'm still reeling from the fact that if we hadn't arrived precisely when we did we would not have seen anyone this evening, so it was meant to be that we should be going. An hour and a half MAX-plus-bus ride later we arrived in Forrest Grove to find ourselves at the McMenamins Grand Lodge. This has to be the grandest, largest, manor of an estate-mansion I have ever seen. It's three stories tall and hundreds of rooms big with an east and west wing, and sits on a many acre garden. As we begin to walk through we quickly notice the tent areas for the stage and band and all of the incredibly rich looking white folk everywhere. Then someone points out to me the compass the square and the G symbol over the main entrance and I quickly realize this is a Freemasonic lodge, a Freemasonic party. And here we are, standing on the outskirts of this very rich place and very rich party looking very dire, tired, dirty, worn down and very hippie. I mean, we just cam back from the regional, slept in the park, wandered downtown, and now we're here.

However, when the blue bus finally arrived, it was explained to me that the lodge used to be a Freemasonic "old people's home", but is now leased by the McMenamins as a hotel of sorts, with a spa, hot-tub area, and a bar called "The Doctors Office" in the basement hall.
Also in the basement were a series of restrooms with showers in them, so some of us naturally jumped in and got clean, and although our garb didn't fit in with the slacks and collard shirts of most of the others at the party, we quickly fixed that by stripping to our undies and sitting in the hot tub singing gypsy songs. We danced and rocked out to the band playing, and although I was a bit apprehensive about the type of people at the party, I found everyone to be accepting and kind.

Speaking of Freemasonic buildings, the Mcmenamins Grand Lodge isn't the only Freemasonic building near Portland no longer used by the Freemasons. A few blocks away from the Central Public Library is the largest Masonic Temple in Portland, built in 1921 as a recreation of King Soloman's Temple and for the purposed of housing all the branches of Freemasonry, including the Eastern Star, Kinghts Templer, et. al. it is now called the Mark Building and is used as the Portland Art Museum administrative offices. Noticing that Portland has many curiously no-longer-used freemasonic buildings, and that the predominant symbol of the city is the rose, I began to think of another secret society I know of that uses the rose as it's symbol: the Rosicrucians. Hmmmm.

Hempfest in Seattle

I just spent the last week in Seattle, Washington. The first weekend of which I spent at Hempfest, an amazingly huge festival of music, art and products for the purpose of marijuana anti-prohibition, and pro-legalization. I would have to say at least 30 to 40 thousand people attended throughout the day and witnessed the 3 stages of great, live bands, and the many booth vendors along the Seattle beach a few blocks down from Pike's Market.

To get to Seattle, my friends and I caught a ride using Craig's List ride-share category. We arrived at 2am and caught up with some friends who were dancing at a club party in Pioneer Square. Yes, both Seattle and Portland have a Pioneer Square, but they are quite different places to visit. We followed our friends directions, but alas we couldn't tell if anyone was home, so after crashing on the sidewalk in front of a "friend of a friend's" place, with a mild hangover the lot of us made our way to the festival.

Synchronistically, at the festival, I ran into several rainbow brothers and sisters whom I worked with at Milliways Kitchen during the Rainbow National, one of which let me stay in her backyard. Expecting to only stay for the weekend of the festival I missed my rideshare back to Portland and ended up staying an entire week. Luckily my friend Paul was there on business and let me stay in his hotel room. I'm lucky because Seattle is not as comfortable of a place to do urban camping as Portland. There aren't convenient parks to camp in, and even if there were the police don't seem as friendly about the idea.

One very cool place to go if you're ever in Seattle is Ballard. If there is anywhere I would try to urban camp in Seattle it would be the Ballard district, although I never did have to urban camp in Ballard as I met many people who were willing to let me stay at their place on their couch. You can meet lots of cool people at the Bergen Triangle Plaza at the center of Ballard, or at Mr. Spot's Chai House right next to the Triangle.