Ya know, I have a lot of venues I could complain about people in where it would make a difference. I have big mailing lists of both snail mail addresses and optin emails and a Yahoo Group. Other people mail their lists with their “side” every time the wind blows. I do not. I could, but I do not.
I write for a lot of magazines and I have been interviewed by a lot of magazines. I don’t use those venues to express who I think is a jerk. I could, but I do not.
People pitch me all the time to write negative stories about folks they do not like. I don’t publish them. I could, but I do not.
I’ve been interviewed about the scene for television on many occasions. I am always asked to include a negative opinion. I refuse to give bad sound bites about the scene. I could, but I do not.
Rumor has it that I have some high traffic web sites too. I don’t post my less pleasant thoughts about other people there. I could, but I do not.
I keep a *personal* journal in order to have a place to vent about some of the things which vex me. I don’t write anything untrue here and I generally don’t even mention names. Yet there are constantly people reading my journal just waiting for something to complain about. If they can figure out any way to be a pain in the ass they will. It makes me feel very constrained.
I need a pressure valve and, if I don’t have a small friendly place to vent, it is going to come out elsewhere.
If some band commits to playing a show and then reneges on their deal, I could complain about it in my journal. Or I could complain about in places where a lot more people would find out my opinion. Or I could take legal action.
If some publisher was supposed to have compensated me more than a year ago and has not, I could complain about it in my journal. Or I could complain about in places where a lot more people would find out my opinion. Or I could take legal action.
If some model has used all of her resources to try to slander me because now she has a site too even if it is a puny one, I could complain about it in my journal. Or I could complain about in places where a lot more people would find out my opinion. Or I could take legal action.
I try to let my distress out in small personal venues, but I could complain a lot louder. I grew up a lawyer’s daughter and I know a lot of people in the scene know I have sued people who have done me wrong in the past. Are people *trying* to get me to go after them? I just want to vent a little and get some advice from my friends online. But, if I can not do that, my frustration is not going to go away. It is going to fester. It is going to cause me more pain and I think that is really unfair. I do not feel like I am too big to be allowed to have a place to be personal. I would rather just murmur about my sorrow, my wish that the world I built my life and dreams around was not filled with ungrateful lazy backstabbers. I’m just sad about it and I don’t want to fight. So, from the point of view of all those who oppose, ARE YOU TRYING TO FORCE ME TO GET YOUR ASSES IN THE RING? Because that is what denying me this outlet is going to get you — bigger noise and lawsuits.
I’m still contemplating my resolutions for 2004 and there have been years I’ve resolved to sue people who deserved it. I take my resolutions seriously too.