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I’ve seen alot of examples of the government overstepping it’s bounds and getting in the way of the people they serve without good reason. The reason they have chosen to act in this story is exactly the reason governement is so vital to the independent movement. You can’t simply ask companies to do the right thing, there are times when they will and times when they won’t. There are times when companies simply have to be told what to do. Although I think there should be alot less of this going on in regards to business (especially in California), I believe this is the right thing.

SF Weekly reported this story:
​It seems the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has accomplished what the Hamburglar never could. They’ve made off with McDonald’s fare.

The supes today passed an ordinance that will require meals to meet nutritional guidelines if restaurants wish to include a toy with the food purchase.

More importantly, the supes passed the so-called “Happy Meal Ban” by an 8-3 vote — meaning it can survive a promised veto from Mayor Gavin Newsom. That’s right: San Francisco done banned the Happy Meal. Robble robble.

It’s hard to know what’s what in this media saturated world. Messages are bought and sold in the same way as stocks and bonds. While it would seem that having things like “freshly bottled” water in your home to enjoy wasn’t a big deal, we’d like to share some information that will help you understand the consequences of this convenience. Check out this video from the people at storyofstuff.org and make up your own mind about what to do.

“Friends and Family,

Nic and I are proud to announce the digital release of ‘City Lights 2: Shibuya‘, available right NOW.

The good news is that the full ‘Shibuya’ album is available for download on Amazon, eMusic, Rhapsody and other digital music retailers.

The bad news is that iTunes has decided to list ‘Shibuya’, as well as ‘Leave It All Behind‘ (?!?!??!?!!) as “partial.” Essentially, what this means is that you (the consumer) will be charged more money for buying the full album from iTunes, and that me and Nic won’t receive credit for the album sales on SoundScan.

We are asking all of you who plan to purchase the full digital album to please do so via Amazon or any other music retailer, and not via iTunes. Not only will you get it for a cheaper price, but me and Nic will also get credit for the sale. In the very near future, Nic and I will be launching our own digital store via www.theforeignexchangemusic.com to ensure that we’re not beholden to any more corporate bullshit that keeps our fans from getting great music at a fair price. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

For those of you who still buy your music the old-fashioned way, ‘Shibuya’ will be in stores nationwide on Sept. 15, and we will have CD’s for sale during our upcoming west coast shows.

Thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoy the record!

Peace,
‘Te and Nic”

If you’re not familiar with the Foreign Exchange this is for you!

The Foreign Exchange feat. Muhsinah – “House Of Cards” from The Foreign Exchange on Vimeo.

Car companies like Tesla and Aptera have made Cali the go to location for car innovation. Look, design, and most of all technology is what’s driving the push. So it’s should be of no surprise that yet another company is throwing their hat into the ring for the first ‘real’ fully electric car for the masses. The President and CEO of Coda automotive had this to say about their sedan due out 2010 “The Coda sedan is an all-electric vehicle for everyone…It’s a practical revolution for real drivers who need reliable transportation.” At $45,000 I’m not sure if the care if for “everyone” but it seems like a great step forward.

Here’s the rundown on the car from the horses mouth. “Scheduled for delivery in the fall of 2010 in California, the four-door, five-passenger, fully-equipped mid-size Coda sedan will be available for $45,000 (mid-$30,000s after including a $7,500 Federal tax credit and additional state incentives). Powered by a 333V lithium-ion battery with a real-world range of 90 to 120 miles depending on individual driving habits, the Coda sedan travels far enough between charges to satisfy 94% of daily driving routines. The onboard charger plugs into any 110 or 220V standard outlet and completes a full charge in less than six hours at a 220V service. Charging the battery for a 40-mile commute can be completed in two hours.”

There was a scene of how Coca-Cola was polluting the scared waters of the Ganges River in India. Another scene highlighted the Swiss multinational, Nestle raping the waters in Michigan.  Making huge profits off the land, without contributing to the community they’re taking the water from. So many dreadful stories of how large, publicly traded corporations are toying with the very survival of other humans to maximize profits.

There are a couple of takeaways I got after seeing this film:

1. I will cease buying bottled water.
2. I will boycott Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestle products.

The selling of bottled water is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. Why not buy bottled water? It’s convenient, it’s disposable, and it’s healthier than tap water, right? Not by a long shot! Going to the tap in your kitchen and sticking a glass underneath the faucet is certainly easier than schelpping down to your local grocer. And most of the time those plastic bottles end up in our landfills for a few centuries, instead of the recyclers.

If you think for a second that bottled water equals healthier water, I’ve got some oceanfront property in Arizona I’d like to sell you. Most of the time, when you drink water labeled as “mountain spring” or “from a pure iceberg in the arctic”, you’re really drinking go ol’ tap water, and paying through the nose for it too!  There are multitudes of government officials that have to regulate public water works.  Compare that number to the “less than one person” who oversees the bottled water industry, and it makes sense that bottled water isn’t necessarily healthier than tap.

If you’re weary of tap water (and how could you not be? The water companies and their marketing campaigns have made sure of that), use a filter and fill up a reusable container like those from Nalgene, Kor One, or my favorite, Sigg.

Boycotting the biggest three soft drink makers, as I’ve found out is going to be one hell of a challenge. I’ll give you an example, walk into your local corner store or grocer. Stand in the middle of that store and look around. Most of the products you’ll see will have something to do with The Coca-Cola Company, Pepsico, or Nestle S.A. This not only means that my soda habit will need to be met from a different source, but it also means giving up other brands as well.

Boycotting Coke will also mean foregoing:

1. Alhambra
2. Odwalla
3. Honest Tea
4. Vitamin Water
5. Rockstar
6. Dasani
7. and more

Saying no to Nestle means no:

1. S. Pellegrino
2. Powerbar
3. Arrowhead
4. Haagen-Dazs
5. Dreyer’s
6. Hot Pockets
7. and more

Giving up Pepsi means giving up:

1. Gatorade
2. Naked Juice
3. Sobe
4. Aquafina
5. Quaker Oats
6. Frito Lay
7. and more

There are other ways to take action as well, though I’m going to start with this. But first, have a view of the film. It’ll open your eyes.

Check out CJ on Twitter, FriendFeed, and Facebook

The funny thing about this message is that I feel like most people are doing this in life. Missing some really great things simply because they aren’t looking for them. The hard part here is to let a group of people knowing that they are missing something and getting them to go back and look again (that dancing bear just pops out at you once you go back and look).

So while your’e shopping this season remember to check for companies that are independent. Thanks

No harm, no foul, they pay for it so it’s theirs. Well what happens when the very inspiration a company was known for with their new product wasn’t actually their own brain child. No one can argue that few other companies (if any) could’ve pulled off the ipod like Apple did. Just never forget that in the end the coporate rules are the coporate rules and people will ALWAYS be slighted when the goal is profits not true integrity. Again, this is a perfect example of a company not looking after ALL the stake holders in a project until they had too.

There you have it folks. The real inspiration for Apple’s game-changing iPod, courtesy of the world’s unluckiest Briton, Kane Kramer, 52 (not including the fifth Beatle). You see, in the dark technological days of 1979, Kramer saw a beacon of light in his IXI. Capable of playing a mind-busting 3.5 minutes of music, the IXI prototype was Kramer’s ticket out of obscurity. Sadly, when he couldn’t raise enough venture funding to renew the IXI patent in 1988, the device became the Zune of its time, and was largely forgotten. Fast forward to the present, when Apple, fresh from making year-over-year record profits with the iPod, needed Kramer something fierce to bail them out of a lawsuit jam with Burst.com.

Apple called Kramer so he could serve as a consultant for the trial, and so his patents and drawings could be used to settle the suit out of court.

“I was up a ladder painting when I got the call from a lady with an American accent from Apple saying she was the head of legal affairs and that they wanted to acknowledge the work that I had done,” Kramer told Daily Mail. “I must admit that at first I thought it was a wind-up by friends. But we spoke for some time, with me still up this ladder slightly bewildered by it all, and she said Apple would like me to come to California to talk to them. Then I had to make a deposition in front of a court stenographer and videographer at a lawyers’ office. The questioning by the Burst legal counsel there was tough, ten hours of it. But I was happy to do it.”

And now he’d be even happier collecting some of that multi-billion dollar iPod business, but so far all he received was compensation for his time at the trial. The struggling furniture salesman, fresh from another failed business, is now negotiating additional compensation, but says he was happy to help whatever the outcome. Well, as long as it isn’t more iPods…

“I can’t even bring myself to buy an iPod for myself,” he said. “Apple did give me one but it broke down after eight months.” Hmm. Apple products seem to be doing that a lot these days.

I was having a talk with kc! about buying independent, feeling independent, and how independent a person is or isn’t. I offer this for all to consider.

That fact that you buy a burger at Mcdonalds or a local burger hut isn’t what makes you independent or not. It’s asking yourself if you bought that burger based on lack of choice, a want of buying the best product, or because you want to support a chain or a local restaurant (insert a multitude of other reasons here). When you have answered these questions and choose to spend your dollar against your convictions, you choose to be more or less independent because you choose to be more or less yourself by choosing.

Fooling yourself by justifying a choice against your own convictions doesn’t assure your independent status. I must say here that because you choose to go against your beliefs of supporting a huge chain like Starbucks or Wal-Mart when you feel the need, isn’t going to bring the indies burning golden arches on your lawn, it’s not that black and white. We are the sum of ALL our choices and not just the bad ones.

I have yet to find a local independent who taste good, uses the same or better quality ingrediants, and is as price concious as Subway. I eat their often, does this make me less independent? I think not. I would argue that the fact I have actually thought about why I shop there is what defines me as being independent.

Don’t be bullied into always buying from Jack in the Box because it’s everywhere and there’s a lack of good choices and don’t shy away from buying at Taco Bell if that is what you’ve decided is best for you.

Be independent and know that when you look at yourself in the mirror you’ve made a choice, not been hoodwinked into thinking you had no other option.

The difference is vast, the choices are always up to you.

I don’t like publishing content that’s not ours and ours alone. In case you’re curious what I’m talking about, most blogs, online mags, etc are just copy cats. No more then signal repeaters. They see editorial some where else and just copy it over and over and over again. You’ll rarely see this on LEGENDmag. But today is an exception. Our friends over at animalnewyork.com hit this one right on the head.

From animal mag:
“It comes as no surprise that this entire obnoxious, art based ‘Green Label’ project, for Mountain Dew was originally hatched by Hawaii Mike, publisher of LTD, a cool guy magazine where advertisers basically buy editorial—think of it as a perpetually outdated Hypebeast in print. And if limited edition Mountain Dew bottles weren’t bad enough the first time around, there’s word of a 2nd series. Although artists certainly need to make a buck and support themselves—who’s gonna refuse $10k a pop—this is just another example of hit and run marketing at its worse, leaving behind a gruesome trail of green sugary water and paint drips to nowhere. What’s next, three years of shitty artist collaborated recycling bins? Doing the Dew was never so painful”

It always sucks when brands/people/companies who have done things of which you don’t approve do other things that cast an opposite light. Or maybe it’s good and you just want to keep not liking them. Well either way, Urban Outfitters and Toyota (Yaris) both (both whom have done things to put make it harder not easier for indie culture) are doing something worth wild.

They have teamed up with Freeyrradio to bring live events at all of their stores. Some of the hottest bands you’ve never heard on those commercial stations will be playing. Here’s the line up and enjoy.

April 15 Chicago, IL KLAXONS
April 24 Lawrence, KS THE PONYS
April 28 Houston, TX VOXTROT
May 1 Seattle, WA LONG WINTERS
May 9 Durham, NC ANNUALS
May 19 Boulder, CO MAN MAN
May 21 Philadelphia, PA THE RAPTURE
May 25 Santa Cruz, CA ROGUE WAVE
June 5 Minneapolis, MN TAPES ‘N TAPES
June 11 Boston, MA DINOSAUR JR.
TBD Los Angeles, CA
TBD Boulder, CO
TBD Cleveland, OH
TBD New Haven, CT