Identity that Defines

So again, in my post, I will start out with the health issues that I have endured and am enduring that have hindered and disabled me from, not only pursuing my dreams to the fullest, but also have taken away a lot of my gifts and the hard work that I had put in. But hopefully that is temporary.  I do my best to try to help others through my experience, but in my heart I know that no other man has went through.  I can not explain the suffering which goes to the point of torture that I deal with on a daily basis.  I have had to have infinite patience, strength that no man should have and grace to endure what no man has or should have to.

With that being said, I've learned a lot about identity.  About character, and dignity.  Before getting extremely ill, I had succeeded in so many different avenues of life as I was not just good, but phenomenal at everything I had attempted.  I had never taken this for granted.  Even when having health, because I was always searching to be a better person. To grow.  I have always been open minded.  There's always the jealous nay sayers who survive on the hatred for others including my own family members that would say and do horrible things, but I always knew who I was and what I was capable of.

I have never doubted that.  And in my time of remission around 34/35 I had truly realized that life is easy. My heart goes out to people with health issues.  It is one of the very few things that takes away control within yourself and power for your own life, simply managing your own life being responsible and dignified. And in this world we prey upon the sick.  We always use this term as we prey upon the weak. You can not poke a wound with a stick and expect it to heal.

After accomplishing so much in athletics and in schooling, but also due to my health, never being able to truly enjoy or reach the goals that I had worked so hard for, when I was finally called to the field of music, athletics had drifted for some time.  I remember playing a gig, with several thousand people.  And there was what we would call a groupie, though she was more of a friend, as I did not get into the world of sex and drugs when doing rock n roll.  In fact, I don't even drink. This young lady would always bring me up a cigarette.  I smoked a lot. My brand at this time was Camel Non-filters, and I had always smoked non-filters.  Anywhere from 4-6 packs a day.  I could not identify playing music without smoking cigarettes.  It's a music thing, but it's more of a blues thing.  And then I had realized how so many other musicians get into music for girls, etc.  I never understood this and still don't.  I got into music because my heart longed for it, my spirit. Needed it to survive. But is this who I am?

I had finally got out of that identity of needing to smoke to be a musician.  I've always loved athletics, and again have excelled at them.  I have loved, and do love the sport of bodybuilding.  It had taken me quite some time as I could not wrap my head around the fact of being both a bodybuilder and a musician.  But this also applied to acting, screen writing.  I have lost the ability to sing.  And it is very difficult to play the guitar, but I do have my moments and I take advantage of them.

Sometimes we get so involved in the way the world views things, we complicate life.  When I went into remission, I was horribly out of shape and had terrible edema.  I started working out slowly until I was working out over 5 and a half hours a day.  I was around 245lbs with a waist size of 40 inches.  In 16 days, I had replaced my fat and water with muscle, now weighing 252lbs with a 34 inch waist.  Two weeks later, I weighed 265lbs with a 33" waist.  All the while, playing music.

During this time, it was not only my goal to get back in shape, but I had been so atrophied that I really needed to build my strength back.  My voice had come back, yet was infinitely better.  Since then very few people have heard my voice except for those at the time when I was in remission.  I had forgotten a lot of the songs that I have taught myself to play.  And it was very difficult to play electric guitar at a high volume.  Acoustic was easy.  It was something about the intensity, the string size, how high they are off the fret board, the volume of my amp.  I was one of those blues players that use to twitch when I played because of the passion inside.  And I still groove when I play, but I had learned how to be an entertainer.

I had learned this from my very famous cousins that were and are musicians.   Not some dance number, or all these special effects, lasers, and video screens, and I would dress professionally.  Years ago I had met Robert Palmer who would wear a three piece suit, many times, onstage, but always a suit.  Many times I was the same.  Though, of course, I would not wear the suit jacket.  I wanted the audience to be a part of me and my music, not just people coming to see a show.

The most people that I had ever played for was 1.4 million.  It is something that only a handful of people can possibly fathom.  The energy that comes from a crowd like that.  I was an open channel to music.  Never having to think.  Never missing a note. Oh, and yes, I miss a lot now.  My brain and body just aren't right.   But going back to when I was in remission, I would get quite ill when playing with the intensity that I do on my electric.  Profusely sweating, gagging, my body would become overwhelmed.

My ear was not quite right. On a personal note, there's some great pedals that I had, that I could not tweak to the sound I wanted, or maybe I just wasn't hearing the sound right, that they do not make anymore and I had sold or given them away.  But because of the need to strengthen my body, so I could not only live and function, look and feel good, I started realizing the importance of my athletic side to my music side.  How much better I felt lifting weights and exercising and how it helped my music.

And I don't know if it was an epiphany, but many times throughout my life I would struggle with the fact that how can I be a bodybuilder and reach that goal at the same time being a musician; reaching the goals that I had set for this.  When I look back it seems so silly.  But we do this many times in life.  I hear people say that it's impossible to multitask, but we do it all the time.  Many times it's just not a conscious effort.

Just using the left hand and right hand while playing the guitar, along with singing with clicking off and on my pedals, paying attention to the crowd, entertaining, I could go on, is all multitasking.  No I can't play my guitar and lift weights at the same time.But in life, we find ourself fixated on one thing, and when we do this we can not look beyond it.  Many times we believe that we are not putting forth the effort needed if we don't focus on just one thing, but this is not the case.  If you have five children, you could in no way focus just on one.

I love bodybuilding and music in different ways.  I found that the two go hand in hand.   That there was more than enough time to do both and how they complimented each other.  The focus on health, obviously lifting and exercising, the nutritional aspect, the focus, which bettered me in music and in life.  Which is ultimately the goal.  A little saying that I had come up with.  The better I feel about myself, the less of a chance I have to feel worse about others.  And that's really what it comes down to.  Balance.

Now I look at things, and I do not identify my personality with music or lifting or anything else for that matter, these are all aspects of my life.  Parts of me.  When you get so ill that all of this is taken from you, past the point where a person could handle, you really understand how precious it is to be able to do multiple things and succeed.  But the world is not your yardstick.  You are your own.  I find it ridiculous the way we measure success.  I have spoken of this before, but I think the segregation that is put upon people by money, clout, simply title, into multimedia, where somehow, a person is better when they have a blue check mark on Facebook or Twitter.  If you're on Twitter and a blue check mark follows you, you don't even take a second to find out who they are before you accept their follow.

I find this quite curious.  Many of the people, we don't even know, but somehow, someone has decided that there is a certain group of people that need to be recognized more and the infantile usage of a blue check mark sets them apart.  Yet, I would be remiss if I did not say that we all want that blue check mark.  How fickle we all are.  Why?  Well the answer to that question is easy.  It solidifies us permanently as someone who has achieved something based upon a committee on Twitter and we feel validated.  We can not feel validation within ourselves anymore, from ourselves.   Our own progress has to be monitored by others and recognized before we have our identity.

Learning to dedicate yourself to a multitude of things is important.  I have spoken of my athletics.  I have taken on just about as much as a person can in their life, wanting to educate myself in everything. A group of what we call an art, that I have also achieved are these: I started several different classes of martial arts, all around the age of 8.  I am a 4th degree blackbelt in Tai Kwon Do, recognized by the world Tai Kwon Do Federation.  I have a black belt in Judo.  I am also a first degree master in the art of Jeet Kune Do.  Which is the bringing together of two martial art forms from Bruce Lee, which are Kung Fu and Kali.  I was a certified instructor in both Tai Kwon Do and Jeet Kune Do, and yes I was a certified instructor in Yoga.  All of these were to better myself in life and in athletics.  Why I started this is another story.  But I can say simply hat I love to learn.

I was the youngest American to ever receive a blackbelt in Tai Kwon Do and to become a master in the art of Jeet Kune Do.  For my age, in my youth, I have several world records for the fastest punch and kick.  Many people say, BullShit.  How could you do so much?  Not only is it true, but it makes my point more relevant.  I had done all of these things throughout my life until the disease of sickness had come upon me.  Doing all of these things now, as of this time, are virtually impossible.  But again, I look back and say, how could I not, in my adult life, continue to do these things altogether?

Just like in college, we always major and minor for our degree.  We take many different classes.  Listening to people.  To where we become the teacher.  Trying to create a well rounded person within ourself.  I can identify with all of this.  All of my accomplishments, but they are not my identity.  When I get better, the world will see the greatest musician that has ever lived.  Amongst the greatest of many other things.  While being this ill and suffering for many years, as my life has been put on hold, I deserve this.  I deserve for people to know who I am, but more importantly what I do and can do through and from my heart.  But this is just part of me.  My identity is Joshua Jet Vaughan.  My identity is the love that I have in my heart for my wife.

Everything that I do, or that I will be able to do, hopefully soon, brings joy to my life.  I don't feel the same emotions that I used to.  I am battling everyday.  I don't have the excitement for many things as I used to.  The laughter.  The happiness, the joy.  But how could I? It is so easy to see people, to hear their reactions through multimedia.  I have become jaded in many ways.  But I also believe and have realized that I am a man.  That the way many people act over things is ridiculous.  We are all individuals and if we can find joy with something, more power to you.

I was watching America's Got Talent. To me, it's ridiculous.  You have several people Judging you and please focus on the word Judge.  And many of the contestants have talents that these judges know nothing about.  I see the contestants' reaction when they are validated by the judges.  Even before I got ill and jaded, I could care less what someone thought about me.  Good or bad.  It's childlike.   When are we going to be enough for ourself, which is the only way that we will ever be in the position to be enough for someone else in their time of need. And this is the time when you should be recognized by the world for who you are.  I am capable of doing all of these things that I have listed in my health and so much more.  And if I have the time to do this, I certainly have the time to reach out and help others.

Every little thing in today's world says a lot about somebody.  Being in the music and acting world, I know a lot of what we call celebrities.  I have seen how their lives have changed for the better, yet, their personalities have changed for the worse.  On Twitter, people who don't follow anyone.  Saying, listen to me, go fuck yourself, I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Me, me, me, me. I, I, I, I.  Yet, the sheep follow them no matter what, as if their little tweets are so special that all 40 million followers must cling on to the words of this one person.

On Facebook it is the same thing.  Pictures of celebs with their shirts off.  In bikinis. Are you serious? This is what you're offering the world?  Yourself.  And the way that people act is represented by multimedia and celebrities.  Somehow, their level of success is the only way that you could be successful today.  We all want the world to know who we are. We want to leave our mark.  But is what is happening today truly leaving your mark?  What happened to just being a great basketball player, or a great mechanic?  An actor or musician?  When did it become rockstar, celebrity, aficionado?  When you look back in the bowels of history, you're going to be recognized for the fact that you did not have time in your busy schedule to give back to anyone else.  And in multimedia you have the simplest and easiest way to do so.


Our hearts need to shine through.  When I sit back and I think how I finally realized how silly and foolish I was that I thought I couldn't do a multitude of different things and be successful in all of them, and then I get sick; you really start to see how taking people for granted is not an option.  However, the fact is that I was and am successful in these different things.  Even myself had gotten to the point of the ignorance that I needed to be recognized by the entire world to deem myself successful. Though we long for it, which is natural, we can not expect it from others or accept it until we do so within ourselves.  But in today's world, you can be whomever you want to be.  We create images through multimedia, publicists, photoshop.  As I'm slightly getting off my point, it's how my mind works so please bear with me.

So again, part of me has become jaded as I long for the days to be excited over simple things and of course, big things.  As no one but myself and my wife, on this earth, have any idea, what has been taken away from me.  Most people can not bear with dealing with the flu for a week, before they start getting a little crazy and getting cabin fever, and to enter back into the world becomes odd.   Imagine having that for over ten years and never knowing when it's going to end.

It is hard for me to appreciate certain people when in reality there is no way they can appreciate others because of the lack of appreciation for themselves.  Without the identity or rather false identity that they have created, or in many ways, we have created for them and they just go with it.  Every celeb has to have a charity, but do they follow through?  Do they get their hands dirty? Most of the time they give up.  But when it comes to their so called identity, whether it be a comedian, a musician or an actor, that can't be let go.

Money is not the issue, it's being in the spotlight.  The so called everyday man does not have the option to take a day off or a month, or a year.  And their identity is not formed around their job title.  It's the multitude of things they do on a daily basis throughout their entire life.  Maybe not getting the recognition that we all desire.  And please stop self-promoting. We see you everywhere. Can we see some of your human side? Before I go on, I do want to say that I have developed incredible relationships with many different people that are considered celebrities.  So I do not want to generalize, or even be specific towards one person or another. But everyone knows who I am talking about.  Including the person/ people I am talking about.

I miss living.  There are so many things I want for my wife and myself.  I am tired of suffering, and I am tired of not knowing when I will get better and to be honest, I have put my hands in the Lord my entire life and been completely fucked over.  Many days are surreal.  But not in a good way.  So when I look back, I truly appreciate the gifts and the hard work.  Everything that has brought me to who I am.  And I understand that in my health, again, how easy life really is.  It is not juggling many different things.  It is simply taking the time for each of them, and intertwining them like a legato in music, meaning to string together all the different aspects of who we are and what we choose to do in this life.

On a funny note: getting back to America's Got Talent.  Garry Shandling, when addressing this tv show said something very amusing.  He said to me 'I can't stand the show.  I've got talent, so go fuck yourself.'  Basically, what he was saying, besides the obvious, is that who are you to judge me?  I already know who I am.  So who are you?

We are here to support each other.  Not to judge.  There is enough room for everyone at the top, as we call it.  And there is no helping hand to pull you up to the top of the hill anymore, there is a kick in the face.  The nerve of people today.  The old saying, with great power comes great responsibility, does not apply anymore.  This saying was not just referring to a great responsibility to yourself, but to and for others.

I don't subscribe to luck.  I subscribe to We are our brother's keeper.  And in one example, go back and look up to the years from the start of music in the US all the way up until around the 80's.  Very few of the great musicians made it without another one helping them. And they all made it together and they changed music and this world for the better.  Their lives intertwined because of the choices they made to help others. Especially to succeed.

Which brings me to this.  If you are confident enough in yourself.  You should have no problem allowing someone to stand next to you on the podium. Specifically as far as music, in today's world, I can not even attend concerts anymore.  It's like a damn carnival.  Your music should speak for itself, and that stems from your character.  The next thing you know they'll be having carnival rides at concerts.  People have been thrown into the spotlight (and the abundance of the morons who throw them into it.)  and not paid their dues and not learned anything from life because they have not worked to achieve the rewards that they are receiving.

So I promise you this, and I always keep my word, when my health and youth is restored, my wife and I will set the way and show through perfect example of what people are supposed to be like.

One last note: I have spoken often of being a Christian, but my confusion within my suffering has made this difficult for me to shout it out like I used to.  I doubt I will ever set foot in a church again.  Identity is one of my reasons.  Christians use God as their identity.  So often spouting out 'I am a Christian', believing that people will think better about them, as far as their virtues and morality. And it is amazing that people with power and responsibility somehow are deemed infallible to the same flaws and problems that the rest of us are subjected to and live with.

My piece of advice: if you have not experienced something, educated yourself within something, practiced something, until you do this, keep your mouth shut as you should have no valid opinion.  I would not ask a 4 year old to come fix the engine in my car when it broke down.  And I would not ask a shitty mechanic to do so either.

What's interesting and why I am using a mechanic as an example is the only way for you to determine if they are a good mechanic is through their work and their work alone.  It is not up to a committee, or a team of judges, it is up to how hard they work, up to their performance.  And simply, if your car runs well.  And that is the way we need to look at all aspects of life, all fields of work, as we are celebrity obsessed: Use your own opinion.  A good song's a good song, whether it wins a Grammy or not.  A good actor is a good actor, whether they win an Oscar or not.  And for a group of people who celebrates themselves more than anyone else on this planet, they need to start spending more time celebrating the people who support them.

They need to find their identity outside of celebrity.  We all need to find that we can do anything we want.  We can achieve great success in many different things.  And we must know that we are led to follow a multitude of different things, because the more we know and the more we do with the gifts and talents that we have been given, we  go from follower and student to leader and teacher.  And we are sorely lacking in great leaders and teachers today.

So identify yourself with who you are in your heart, and I give you my word, the world will see and feel it.  Do everything and find that there's nothing you can't do.


~Joshua Jet Vaughan~





Post Script- I am going to rant for a few.  I might even use some vulgarity. And I'm going to use names which is something I rarely do, but I believe it is necessary. First: My wife and I have started several charities to help others. A few months ago I had almost died, I was in the hospital for quite some time.  We had been helping several families.  Obviously, I had not been on any multimedia site.  I received several horrible messages and emails basically telling me that I had thrown these people away, how dare I.  I replied kindly with what had taken place.  I had gotten a reply stating Nothing about I hope you are doing better, but please can you continue to help us now, and as far as your life God will take care of you.  I wanted to say, don't come to me, God will take care of YOU. Well, enough of that.

So let's start with the idiocy of celebrity.  Reese Witherspoon in an award show said that the hardest decision she has ever had to make in her life was choosing to play a specific character in a movie.  FUCK YOU.

Next. Rose McGowan. We all know the controversy with the fact that she had a problem with the audition process when the letter that Adam Sandler, though I doubt it was directly from him, but was his movie, that was given to everyone who auditioned was Please dress a certain way including wearing a push up bra.  Rose went apeshit crazy.  My opinion, and my opinion is valid because I know this world and these people, is that she needed to create controversy for her fledgling career.  And in no other normal everyday career, could you do this.  No one would give a shit and you would not even be listened to.  You'd just be fired.  On an added note, Google Rose McGowan images. 99.9% of them are pornographic.  Her having sex in a still photo. If you're easily offended, turn away.  As a man's penis was inserted in her and a picture was taken.  I had seen Rose McGowan personally at an award show wearing a dress that almost looked like chainlink armor, with no bra, and a thong.  Yes, at an award show.  Attending with Marilyn Manson.  And she's up in arms over a push up bra?

 First of all it is part of your job.  Why don't you quit acting and go work at McDonald's when they force you to wear silly hats and ugly uniforms, and you will not make in one year what Rose makes in one week.  Or how about taking a group of construction workers and one of them throws a fit because they are required to wear a hard hat.  It's like having an extremely overweight person work at GNC.  This is a woman, and I use that term lightly, that has flaunted her breasts since she was a child actor.  And the fact that I actually heard people stating, even on TMZ, that she was right in her complaint.  First, it's a push up bra, women wear this every day in their daily lives.  You're underclothing is a uniform.  Every job requires this.  We all work for somebody.  Even if we don't know it.  And after 20+ years of acting, this is something that is a prerequisite, just as they will not use a dwarf to play Shaquille O'Neal in a life story.  And let's get down to it. You are acting. So to Miss Rose I am going to put every disgusting photo on Google and then complain about wearing a push up bra for a movie that required no nudity just cleavage, and make millions off from it McGowan, stop your complaining or get another job.

Which gets me into sex tapes.  Are we that naive to believe that the people who are doing the tapes are not putting them out there themselves.  When someone like Kim Kardashian has made multimillions and an entire career from one sex tape, of course people are going to do it.  It's hard for me to believe that someone is sitting around on the computer, just waiting, while using all their time hacking into specific celebrities and these are the people we celebrate?  My God, can people stop complaining?

 Life is what life is. And this is my example of a person who has identified herself with sex and debauchery and now opposes a push up bra.  And lastly, if you get the chance, I want you to take the time to watch two documentaries.  The first one is called That Guy in That Thing.  The second one is called That Gal In That Thing.  This is based upon character actors that have achieved a mediocre level of success in their field of acting.  Where many of them are recognizable by face, but not by name.  This is in no way sexist or chauvinist, this is on how individuals deal with the hardships in their field of work.  Though in acting, they will never be called hardships from me.  The men's answers to the questions, and their reactions are so different from the ladies, it is remarkable.  I will not give much of it away, but we all know there is type casting.  This is addressed in both documentaries.  But the women can not stop talking about age and weight.  And sometimes even sexual assault.  And there is one woman specifically, as you will see, that is so arrogant based upon her insecurity.  Women complaining that they have to lose weight for a role, or change their hair color, or wear something that they consider to be sexist.  They talk about their age being an issue.  And that men have it easier when they get older. Easier to get jobs in acting.  Roles.

Well if it came down to that, then we might as well throw away the Meryl Streeps, Susan Sarandons, even now with age, Julia Roberts, maybe they just have more talent, work harder, and don't complain.  And though there is some truth that when men get older they get more dignified in their look, well, here's how I look at it, it's simply coming back around. In a boy's youth, the opportunity to get great movie roles is few and far between.  And if they grow up ugly, hence Macauley Culkin.  They're screwed.  Girls in their youth, get far more roles.  So yes, there may be more roles for men when they get older out there, but I believe it comes down to your talent, work ethic, but especially your attitude.  Though Macauley Culkin is a poor example, what I am saying is that many young men are goofy looking and then they grow into their own. Women in their youth are found to be very attractive, when they grow older, well let's just say that there's more body parts for things to go wrong, but if we respect ourselves, and take care of ourselves, which is proven with the people that I have named, this should not be a problem.  the same applies to music, and in fact to all fields of work.  Certain men might get a job because they are stronger than another man.  And this applies to women as well.

And back to creating an identity that should not be created.  I was simply amazed, and so was my wife when we saw these two documentaries, at the difference between the men and women actors.  A woman claiming that she had to lose weight for a movie, and hated that, that they would do it to her, hence casting directors, but also at the same time says she feels better when she loses the weight because she's overweight.  But if a man needs to put on weight to play in a movie, as far as muscle or fat, many will do so.  Because they know they need to to get the role.  If a man has to lose weight, getting cut/ripped for a role (Hollywood's idea of cut/ripped is not the rest of the world's hence airbrushing), playing a boxer, or a track runner, they will do so.  Even when coming down to the irresponsibility that people like Christian Bale show, when losing weight to the point where they could die.  For example there is a new movie called sex tape with Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel and the director straight out told Jason Segel he had to lose weight so that it would be believable that Cameron Diaz would be married to him in the movie.  Yet, no offense was taken as this is part of the job curriculum.  When Hollywood magazines add sparkles to the eyes of actors in pics and shave off inches from their waistline in a bikini photo, well, let's just say you can't have it both ways you fucking whiners.

None of these things cause question to your integrity.  It is what you have signed up for.  This is the world I live in, so this is the world I am speaking of.  The hypocrisy that knows no bounds.  But I suggest if you don't like it that you give away all your possessions, empty your bank account, move over to Burma, and live over there for a month and if you survive, I'm sure when you come back you will not be complaining about having to wear a push up bra and making millions of dollars for doing it.  And it's not as if she's walking around , Ms. Rose McGowan, the whole movie with just a push up bra on. And so what if she did.  I can think of many movies where men had to get in shape and had their shirt off for more than 90% of the movie. And let's not forget BayWatch or female modelling.  It's job requirement. No one put a gun to your head to audition for this movie.  If you don't like the terms, keep your mouth shut and audition for another one.  That's the way it works.  And have no misconception that these people don't know what they are getting into.  Publicists, agents and management make them very aware.  And as far as music, someone like Justin Bieber who has no talent and is a punk ass kid, has recently spoken out that he was thrown into this industry.  What does that mean? You made a choice.  Personally, how he is successful I have no idea.  I don't want to hear children sing. Because they can't.  And it's not that all their music is bad, just as many adults who play music are not very good, it's the fact that they use their age to get away with acting like morons.  We all know what's right and wrong.  And Justin knows that he can egg a multi-million dollar house and get away with it.  Just Because.  And let's not get started on Taylor Swift.  I have heard her write songs about all her ex-boyfriends.  First of all, a tween or teen writing about love is like Donald Trump writing about the hardships of being black and poor. And as far as Taylor is concerned, get over it.  I don't want to hear what you have to say, again, surprised that she has a fan base.I am finding that adults are now acting more like children.  And though children are more aware with more opportunity and access to technology and what should be adult careers, they are the most selfish, excuse making, daddy issue, generation that we have ever seen. And it's now not youth that allows you to get away with murder, it's fame and money.  I suppose it always has been, but just is more relevant now.  If an everyday man of 35 years of age egged the same house, he'd be sitting in jail right now.  So again, I say, Stop complaining. And when actors are so inclined to take their clothes off, doing full frontal, which ultimately is the actor's choice, which personally I find disgusting and never needed in a film, what is everyone complaining about.    If someone told me Joshua, if you wear a push up bra, and no I don't need one, my point is, is if I was told this and they said you would be healed of all your health problems, it wouldn't even take a second for me to say, "Where's that damn bra?" I'm using celebrity again, because it's what we celebrate.  Which word came first is the question now... Celebrity, or celebrate, celebrate or celebrity? The chicken or the egg.

Everyday I see and hear the irresponsibility and ignorance of these people that are representing the entire world, because they are the only ones that have a voice. They use every form of media to self promote.  And it is becoming extremely annoying.  What happened to listening and learning to talking and experiencing another person?  No matter what they do for a living. Fame and celebrity fades, but your character, your heart never will.  And I would simply spend more time learning about the people that support me, that support these extremely famous and wealthy people, that have made their living by lying and playing house, than constantly telling me about their new upcoming fucking movie.  Fame is quite a thing.  Money is too. It allows you to be the true assholes that nature intended you to be.  Some people are very responsible with this.  Acting is a job.  They have a life.  Some famous people choose not to be on Twitter.  Some do interact.  And on this rare occasion, I am going to mention a few names:  First, no we don't have to follow or pay attention to these people.  But human nature lies in the fact that we can't stop, like a car crash.  We have to look.  A couple of the people I am mentioning, I used to be really good friends with.  Until they decided  that friendship is not as important as money and fame. Some of Dwayne Johnson's movies I really like.  But every thing on multimedia is about him.  Or the fact that he still name drops.  Vin Diesel.  Well, that's all I have to say about him. Mischa Collins. Zachary Quinto. These people and Mischa and Zachary follow zero. Yes, zero fucking people on Twitter.  Are you kidding me?  Do you realize that that means there is no feed coming into their page?  It is simply, I wake up, say what I have to say, now go fuck yourself.  Dwayne Johnson has never favorited or retweeted anyone since he started his Twitter page.  I know Anna Kendrick.  She specifically spoke of how she had respect for Dwayne.  And she tried to tweet him hoping for a response.  After several months she had gotten nothing in return.  When she further checked his page out, she had spent hours seeing that there was absolutely no favoriting or retweeting.  And lastly, certain people who only favorite.  I like being able to connect with people, to share what they have to say.  Twitter's mantra is Sharing and Caring.  I am saying what everybody else wants to say, but won't do it.  I'm already established in music and movies, I'm not worried about burning bridges.  And I have spoken about people and then had seen them.  They were too cowardice to even bring it up to me, as you  could tell in their body language that it had certainly pissed them off because they knew what I was saying was relevant and true.  And some of them even pointed out to me that they were glad I had spoken up as they had felt quite shameful for their actions or lack there of.  I'm not saying this to pick on individuals to pick on them or offend them, but do we ever get old enough to where somebody can't speak about us or teach us or put us in our place? It happens all throughout our youth.  It's called constructive criticism.  We all need it.  And we should all want it.  Are we getting too big for our own britches? You have to go through a lot of bad in this life to be humble enough to still want to learn.  And we need to reassess our lives and be appreciative for the blessings we have been given.  And if our hardest choice is to choose whether we should be in a movie or not, as opposed to do I pay for my medication or for groceries this month, those people that have the easy choices need to realize that they were given a responsibility from God himself to help those who have to make the difficult choices.  And the first thing we must do is stop complaining and start reaching out and the simplest way to do that is through conversation using multimedia which is something that we have never had before and we can use it to change the world.  Use it the change the world for the better.  Not for the butter.  And if you don't understand what I'm saying, the old term buttering someone up? Don't do it because you're afraid that a big time celebrity  might think less of you.  Do it because you have freedom and the right to speak and you have a voice that could be more powerful based upon your conviction as opposed to your obsession.

I believe that there is hope in this world and for this world. Why am I ranting about celebrities?  Because they have the biggest voice and the most opportunity to change this world for the better.  I have talked about police officers, doctors, sometimes politicians, but that is hopeless and pointless.  So in ending, if we're going to celebrate celebrity, let's not celebrate them for the entertainment they provide, which is all it is, but is wonderful, let's celebrate the ones who understand the blessings that they have and who use it to better each and every person's life.  And if we do this ourself, eventually our voice and united voices will become larger and larger til the whole world can hear.  Will hear. And will stand up in joy as we now celebrate the fact that we appreciate all men. All life.  And this beautiful world that we have taken for granted, with the people that we have shot down that have never taken it for granted.   And if you're saying, Joshua, you always speak of love and forgiveness.  Well, that's what this is. Love and forgiveness stems from the truth.  We must point out the truth and accept it.  We have to accept it in others and within ourselves.  Whether the truth is good or bad, it must be revealed.  We all have different ways of speaking at different times, different ways of expressing ourselves.  If we are our brother's keeper, then we must hold ourself responsible for speaking up for what is right and recognizing what is wrong.  Just as we do with our own family, friends and children, this is the only way to reach the truth and through this the only way through recognition of the truth to have the ability to change the world, again, for the better. Now I am done.

Joshua's Joys ~Studio Warm UP SRV Style Fast/Slow Jam

Joshua's wife, Anna Bella, recorded Joshua's Warm up while in the studio yesterday on her phone. She sent us the link so we can post it here, so everyone can hear the amazing talent of this man.  He doesn't know that it's posted yet.  Surprise recording.

 

Speaking through your heart to make the world a little lighter.

I have started this blog for many reasons. There is much I have to say, yet more I would love to hear. I believe everyone has a story to tell. Good and Bad. We all have a voice and we all need to be heard. Here is your chance to share and care. With and for the people of this world. Whether it's funny, sad, happy, joyful, whether you're hurt, angry. If you're need is to share your dreams, to share your heart, simply to be heard. This is the place that you can call home. We are all ordinary; it is what we do that makes us extraordinary. Whether you are famous, rich, poor, lonely: through this we will all become a family. What we must learn is simple. Our words and our actions are only as good as the heart behind them. To lead we must follow. To follow we must lead. To realize that we know everything by understanding that we know nothing. And to realize that you are perfect by understanding that we will never reach perfection. Everyone has a story to tell. Here is your chance. We are here to learn and love through the grace of God.