VOTE FOR SHACK-- or "as your heart leads..."

First to SW: Thanks for posting all of your criticism while you knew that I'd be gone for the weekend and wouldn't even get to read your wisdom for a few days. (see TX-try again)

Secondly, I was trying to wait to let everybody know until they have the voting online enabled.

Thirdly, what the hell do you think this whole NAMA thing is for? It's for all the artists/bands to try to motivate their fans to visit the web-site and vote. Plain and simple. In that respect, is it just kind of a stupid popularity contest? Yes, it sort of is. Does that mean that I shouldn't try to motivate my fans AND FRIENDS to simply go to a web-page and vote for me since I got nominated? How big of an idiot are you to even suggest that I shouldn't try to do just that? Do you think Grammy nominees' record companies don't campaign for the award? Do you think that Acadamy Award nominees' companies don't campaign for that award? Your naivete and/or utter ignorance shows itself to be truly staggering.

I could spend a lot of time trying to explain to you that being a musician, playing gigs and trying to sell CDs comes down to one simple thing: self-promotion. It's something that I've always been uneasy with, but have learned to accept. However, I'm not going to try to explain it to you. I don't think you'd ever grasp the concept or implications anyway.

If you don't want to vote for me: DON'T!!! If you think my music is so horrible, STOP LISTENING TO IT! If you find this blog so cheesy and insincere, STOP READING IT!!!

Friends and/or fans: Sorry you've been caught in the middle of this. If you enjoy my music, if you'd like to help an independent singer/songwriter out, if you have nothing else to do and no strong feelings concerning any of the other candidates, I would gladly accept your vote if you'd surf on over to www.freeweekly.com. You need to provide a valid email address, so don't be tempted to stuff ballots. I'll campaign, but I don't want to cheat. Thanks.

Personally, I plan to vote for Emily Kaitz and Trout Fishing in America as well. (yes, sw: I plan to vote for MYSELF! [GASP!] how creepy...)

SW, it is now becoming clear that you're pissing off a lot more people than just me. I suggest you figure out a way to be constructive or just live up to your alias as Steve suggested: watch silently...