My local newspaper and The Associated Press are nothing more than a tabloid.

[Twitch]

The Associated Press through my local newspaper.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/7c8faafc2409415da923ec61052a51fd/IN--Indiana-Fair-Sugarland-Contract/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150282538862098_18501100_10150282568147098&ref=notif&notif_t=open_graph_comment#f240fdd704

RacerX beat me to it.



My local newspaper.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/local_story/D_F_grades_sting_county_school_1314677502/

Personally, if the teachers would actually teach instead of just brushing over something(talking) and then sending the work home for the parents to teach, then maybe the grades would be higher. I'm sorry, but I did my 13 years of primary school, AND am going to college. I shouldn't be doing elementary school homework, but I do it anyhow. I wouldn't blame other parents for not doing it though. Its the teachers job to teach, not ours. That's what we pay them for. You know, I wish I could stand around and talk about my job for six hours then pawn the actual work off on someone else, but I cant. We need to stand up to this, its ridiculous.
Furthermore, don't give me any of that "we don't have enough time in the day to teach it all". If that's the case, then 1. Youre not an effective enough teacher. 2. If youre a good teacher, then its a problem with a too complicated of a curriculum. Its not rocket science guys, its primary school.


If theyve deleted my comments to these articles, let me know, Ive got screen shots of them Id be more than happy to share.

[MOSHWITZ]

Sup?
I can't see any comments to either story at all.
MOSHON
DAVE

[RacerX]

I can see:

"Umm, yeah, musicians don't work for free. Kudos to them for courteously not asking for the money after what happened, but they WOULD have had the right to if they had so chosen.
Ill fail to see the point of this article beyond trying to make their contract look ridiculous. Since there are no thanks to the band for being overly cool and kind in this situation, Ill do it. Thank you Sugarland, for being compassionate human beings. While I don't like country music, Id admire your compassion and humility. To whomever wrote this article, if you would like to have contracts that entail money of this nature as well, you can start by writing something worth reading and not trying cast undeserving ill shadows on what is already a terrible thing. People make more money than you, get over it."

[Twitch]

The focus isnt really so much on my comments as it is on the article, but Ill edit my OP to include my take on them.

I also felt the need, artist to artist, to let Sugarland know that I think The AP is out of line and posted this:

I would like to say Im sorry for how the press is treating you in this, namely, The Associated Press. While Im not a fan of country music, I find your decision to not hold the Indiana State Fair council to their end of your contract beyond humble and admirable. For that particular writer for that particular news agency (more of a tabloid if you ask me) to portray you in the way that article did is despicable.

Youre an artist, and a business, not a charity, and your decision to forego your RIGHTFUL payment under the implicitly understood and legally binding contract and its conditions therein, that you and the fair council both found to be reasonable upon signing, is ABSOLUTELY an admirable and compassionate thing to do. Kudos to you, and God speed in your emotional healing and well being.

Sincerely,
Daniel Emerson
Heavy Metal guitarist from central Indiana

[RacerX]

It's more the "Public Relations" thing to do.

[TKEblue]

To me it seemed more like the article was about how the state fair people may have not canceled the show because of how much it would have cost. And not about sugerland at all.

And how the state fair made poor decisions in not canceling due to the cost, but instead several bystanders payed with their lives and the state fair didn't have to pay shit.

[Twitch]

To me its portraying Sugarland in a bad way. By throwing the numbers around and stating that the contract said they were to be paid even if weather caused the cancellation of the show, like they were greedy. How could they expect to be paid that much even if they didnt play? Thats what its about. The fact that the state fair agreed to those terms has nothing to do with what happened. If it would have been a band that would have done it cheaper, the weather would still have been bad and that stage would have collapsed. Why would the fair cancel due to cost? See thats my point here. Being a popular touring national act is not cheap. You want a popular touring national act to play your venue, you pay for it. You put a clause for inclement weather in because as the touring act, you cant get there for free, you have to pay your crew and expenses whether you strum a single chord or not, then theres the supply and demand thing. They may have had other offers for that weekend, the state fair wanted them bad enough to sign the contract.

The writer was trying to spin that big number as "oh my god, how can you possibly expect to get paid that much money even if you dont perform". Its a bullshit article, plain and simple. Written by a rich get richer personality and has absolutely no concept of how show business works.

Why should the state fair have to pay anything period, other than Sugarland, who graciously released them of the obligation? Its not the fairs fault that stage fell.

I like you blue, but when you start playing live shows, you learn real quick, that shit isnt cheap.

I dont understand why people think that just because you have money and are popular that you no longer need money and can do show for free or cheap and just let any old soul steal your music because "theyve got plenty of money, they can survive if I download this song and not pay for it".

You think Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel for free? Do you think Picasso wouldnt mind if someone started making prints of his art and giving them away resulting in no one buying his originals (yes, I know this does indeed happen now, and if he was alive, I truly believe hed be pissed)? Hell no!!

[TKEblue]

I took it the opposite way. And after reading that I think that the state fair didn't cancel due to the cost. If they had canceled, that would be less people at the fair, which would mean less money, and they would have to pay the band regardless so they were like fuck it let's make what money we can.

[Endrik]

This is nothing. Better check out the two most popular newspapers in England, "The Sun" and "Daily Mail". One page you have shots of tits of some talentless celebrity the other page has punch of fascist rhetoric, next page gossip about celebs, next page fascist scaremongering etc.

And don't blame the journalists who have the literary skills of a nine year old kid with a down syndrome. It's the fault of those who read all this shit.

[Snoogans]

It's the fault of those who read all this shit.

The mouth-breathers who buy The Sun don't read. They look at the pictures.
Sadly, they are the smarter ones - at least they are pretending to read...

[TKEblue]

I wish we had boobs in american newspapers. land of the free my ass, set them free!. xD

[VitaminG]

And don't blame the journalists who have the literary skills of a nine year old kid with a down syndrome. It's the fault of those who read all this shit.

I don't know how many times I've made this very argument.

Oh, boohoo, those nasty paparazzi chased Lady Di to her death. Well, if you fuckers would stop buying these shitty rags that purchase those photos to satisfy your voyeuristic need to see public people going about their private business, it wouldn't happen. The very people complaining about what happened continue to feed the beast.

And the need to fill the pages of these rags (and the 24 hour cable channels) has created this massive cult of celebrity where people are famous not for anything remarkable that they've done, but just for being famous. Now most kids don't aspire to be great at something, they just want to be famous. I don't want to be a painter, author, playwright, actor, pro athlete, scientist, vet, doctor, fireman when I grow up - I want my own reality show.