James' Myspace: What was that like?

NJO: So on the 13th of June 2013, without any warning, the proprietors of the world's most popular social media platform 2005-2008 went and put its entire existing content to the torch. Great job, wankers.*

I managed to recover a fair bit of James' Myspace by copypasting the remaining cached text in the Google search results. Here's what I got:


James on Myspace
www.myspace.com/29306000‎

James's profile on Myspace, the leading social entertainment destination powered by the passion of our fans.

Details. Status: Single; Hometown: Westwood; Orientation: Straight; Religion: Catholic; Zodiac Sign: Cancer; Children: Someday; Education: In college ...

Rutgers University-New Brunswick. New Brunswick,New Jersey; Graduated: N/A;
Clubs: Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Centurion. President, Glee Club. President, Philoclean Society. Rutgers Ski Team, Rutgers Debate, New Jersey Mathematics League.
California State University-Fullerton. Fullerton, CA; Graduated: N/A; Degree: Professional; Major: J.D., Law. 2007 to 2010 ...

...

Sailing, Nautica, Lobster, the Alps, Romance, cabernet Sauvignon, knots, Port Wine, 80s music, Method Acting, Theatre, Maps, Tobacco Pipes, Cuban Cigars, Calculus, Sprinting, espionage, Argyle clothing, Slam poetry, Irish heritage, cocktail parties, Old Books that smell like leather, Wikipedia.com, Dictionary.com, US Constitution, video Activism, Jack FM, politics, camping, breakdancing, public speaking, machine guns, Boys Scouts of America, cobblestone, daydreaming, skipping rocks, New York City, esp Central Park, Alto Saxaphone, skyscrapers, Men's choir, Paintings with Music, National Review, football, climbing trees, sleeping in, stick-shift Sports Cars, Jack Russell Terriers, Airplanes at night, Fans, Brooks Brothers, Bear Mountain, hanging with my best friend and roomate Zach Matusheski, Power Yoga, the Wall Street Journal, Waterfalls, Spanish and Italian languages, Sushu, Strawberry Milkshakes, Artichoke hearts with butter, fake plants, Penny Loafers, being in love.

...

Harvard Classics Series, Dante on Truth, Cicero on Truth, Dosteovsky on Truth, Shakespeare on Love, Sun Tzu on War, Aurelius on courage, Buckley on Sailing, Russell on Mathematics, Aristotle on ethics, Machiavelli on ethics, Nietzche on Morality, Burke on Tradition, McIntyre on Virtue, Chambers on Communism, Weber on Beaurocracy, Shaw on Activism, Hoffer on Mass Movements, Zimmerman on Metaphysics, Ogilvy on Advertising, Bronough on Writing, Harvard on Management, Santorum on Family, Alinsky on tactics, Hyde on Leadership, Ayer on traveling, Plato on Soul, Bloom on Education, Schall on Education, D'Souza on Reagan, Bastiat on Law, Horowitz on Academia, Clancy on Espionage, Chesterton on Othodoxy, Friedman on Contract, Buchanan on immigration, Krakauer on Wilderness, Eliot on Life and Death, Aquinas on God, ... "Flowers for Algernon" and "Grapes of Wrath" are fiction favorites.

...

Anthony Dini. dude, check out my new song! 5 years ago. Ryan Sorba. Anthony Dini. Great song, but how about Juliet? 5 years ago. lila. oh James, you are so cool with your sunglasses, your abstract interests and your brilliant books. why myspace? and when are you coming again? 6 years ago


* Seriously, the destruction of an enormous historical resource like this makes me want to punch something, and when I say "something" I mean that Tom guy or whichever bright-eyed, coke-rictus-sporting billionaire bawbag did the despicable deed.

As of November 2013, the Google search results for "site:myspace.com" were still displaying text from the wiped pages, so I thought I'd experiment with this a bit. (See below)

I would say this gave me a small sense of the amount of stuff that future generations won't be getting to know about now.

(Updated 2nd January 2014. The way the textual data have faded away on Google makes me think of the data ghosts from the Doctor Who story "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead".)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation soldier"
About 2,400 results
About 1,070 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation airman"
About 45 results
4 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation sailor"
About 269 results
About 116 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation musician"
About 15,000 results
About 6,050 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation prostitute"
About 563 results
About 311 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation banker"
About 1,510 results
About 836 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation office worker"
About 1,080 results
About 278 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation acorn"
About 1,990 results
No results found for site:www.myspace.com "occupation acorn". (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "hometown kuala"
About 1,440 results
About 874 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "dob * 1920"
About 9,910 results
About 2,200 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation ngo"
2 results (2nd January 2014)

site:www.myspace.com "occupation teacher"
About 9,670 results (2nd January 2014)

(UPDATE: Okay, haha, so it later transpired that it wasn't quite the total historica-bonfire I imagined. If an original-iteration Myspace user wishes to recover their old content, they apparently can do that now. Still far from ideal for future historians *cough* and nosey people like me *cough*. Also still a total dick move to just leave your users hanging like that for, what was it, a year? until letting them know their pictures, journals etc. could be recovered. When the site went down I remember reading a post by one guy, devastated, claiming he'd used Myspace for keeping a detailed journal of his medical school career and travelogues which were understandably very dear to him. You've got to imagine there are a lot of people like that who had something important to them stored on Myspace, but who for whatever reason (disenfranchisement; the shortness of life) will never happen to see the memo about the recoverability of said stuff. So, yeah. Definitely could've been handled better.)

Cutting vocals with @AnthonyDini for next video

jamesokeefeiii
Cutting vocals with @AnthonyDini for next video

NJO: Source: Instagram.

Landrieu Dance

Uploaded on Apr 18, 2011

Get Landrieu Dance on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/land...

Check out VICTICRAT featuring James O'keefe :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhPqmJ...

Directed by Christian Hartsock. Produced by Eric Elder. Performed by James O'Keefe and Anthony Dini. Starring: Dori Russell, Amy Bissonnette, Stacy Fratelli, Jacqueline Gage, Renee Reres, Vanessa Ross, Jessica Lynne Smith, Nick Gust, Shaughn Adeleye, Brian Lloyd, Eric Johnson, Ethan Czahor, Tara Ketterer, Ryan Sorba. Associate Producer: Alvaro Day. First Assistant Director: Adam Weinberg. Director of Photography: Andrew Hrera. Lightly Edited by: Victor Shklyar. Production Designer: Rae Deslich. Costume Designer: Jacquelynn Nicolle Remery. Set Photographers: Andrew Kim, Brandon Williams. EPK/DIT: Robert Deltour. Steadicam Operator: Aaron Smith. First Assistant Camera: Casey Todd. Sound Mixer: Phillip Bladh. Gaffer: Brody Culbertson. Best Boy: Ronnie Gotch. Set Dressers: Vinny Chance, Caroline Louis. Caterer: Chris Holm. Production Assistants: Alexander Haberbush, Gabriella Hoffman, Kelly Steele. Special Thanks: Daniel Smith, The City of Pasadena. POV PICTURES. DIONYSUS PRODUCTIONS. THE PROJECT VERITAS.

Contact:
EricElder@povpictures.net Christian@DionysusProductions.net.

NJO: Video and blurb from Christian Hartsock's YouTube channel. The song is a reworked version of an earlier O'Keefe and Dini jobby called "Hot Action" which was used in James' "UCLA Condoms" video. Here's my transcription of the lyrics:

Take, take, take your time

Hope that you can find
A way to make it right

To get your sleep at night

Listen to my basics
Open your mouth and taste it
Don't be afraid to face it
Give up your comfortable
Hundred K solution
Kickback contribution
For the truer use than

What you come to know

We need a bit of action
That will give this the traction
That's a matter of faction
Why don't you bring, we kick the door (?)
To give some satisfaction
When you take civil action
We'll go out and attack them
Investigate and hit the ground

Corruption all around

Hard to pin it down

Blinded by your lie

Truth is my disguise

Try to call us racists

Makin' up stupid space lists
All them haters faceless
Well they ain't in the know
Gonna interrupt 'em
Fraud and waste and corruption
Find you, make you famous
So let's start the show

(Chorus x2)


Familiar minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Christian Hartsock
Eric Kaiser Johnson
Shaughn Adeleye
Ryan Jeffrey Sorba
Lila Rose

Undercover Census Fraud Investigation - Louisiana

Uploaded on Jun 2, 2010

2010 Census supervisors in Lousiana systematically encourage employees to commit payroll fraud in the 2010 Census and shine light on hiring practices Song "That Day" Used with Permission Copyright 2009 Anthony Dini Music http://bit.ly/GBrHh

Produced by James O'Keefe and co-produced by Christian Hartsock.

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Shaughn Adeleye

Shaughn Adeleye

Undercover Census Fraud Investigation - New Jersey

Uploaded on May 31, 2010

2010 Census supervisors in NJ systematically encourage employees to commit payroll fraud in the 2010 Census. Song "That Day" Used with Permission Copyright 2009 Anthony Dini Music http://bit.ly/GBrHh

Produced by James O'Keefe and co-produced by Christian Hartsock.

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Shaughn Adeleye

Shaughn Adeleye

ACORN Philadelphia Prostitution Investigation Part I

Uploaded on Oct 21, 2009

Undercover investigation of Prostitution assistance at Philadelphia ACORN office. Song 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles

ACORN San Diego Child Prostitution Smuggling Part II

Uploaded on Sep 17, 2009

Undercover investigation featuring smuggling and Child Prostitution at ACORN in San Diego. Song 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles 

ACORN San Diego Child Prostitution Smuggling Part I

Uploaded on Sep 17, 2009

Undercover investigation featuring smuggling and Child Prostitution at ACORN in San Diego. Song 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles

ACORN San Bernadino Child Prostitution Investigation Part III

Uploaded on Sep 16, 2009

Undercover investigation featuring corruption and murder at ACORN in San Bernadino. 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

California B-Roll Produced By Christian Hartsock
Trailer for Sycophant: http://vimeo.com/1776433

Column archive: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/h...

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles
Ryan J. Sorba

ACORN San Bernadino Child Prostitution Investigation Part II

Uploaded on Sep 16, 2009

Undercover investigation featuring corruption and murder at ACORN in San Bernadino. 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

California B-Roll Produced By Christian Hartsock
Trailer for Sycophant: http://vimeo.com/1776433

Column archive: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/h...

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles
Ryan J. Sorba

ACORN San Bernadino Child Prostitution Investigation Part I

Uploaded on Sep 15, 2009

Undercover investigation featuring corruption and murder at ACORN in San Bernadino. 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles
Ryan J. Sorba

ACORN NYC Child Prostitution Investigation Part II

Uploaded on Sep 13, 2009

Undercover investigation at ACORN in New York. 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved: 

Hannah Giles 

ACORN NYC Child Prostitution Investigation Part I

Uploaded on Sep 13, 2009

Undercover investigation at ACORN in New York. 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles 

ACORN DC Prostitution Investigation Part II

Uploaded on Sep 11, 2009

Undercover investigation at ACORN in Washington, DC. Song 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles 

ACORN DC Prostitution Investigation Part I

Uploaded on Sep 11, 2009

Undercover investigation at ACORN in Washington, DC. Song 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles

ACORN Baltimore Prostitution Investigation Part II

Uploaded on Sep 9, 2009

Undercover investigation featuring prostitution, sex trafficking, tax evasion, and money laundering.
Song 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission.
http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic

NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals.

Minions / fellow culture warriors involved:

Hannah Giles

ACORN Baltimore Prostitution Investigation Part I

Uploaded on Sep 9, 2009

Undercover investigation featuring prostitution, sex trafficking, tax evasion, and money laundering. Song 'Ridiculous' copyright ©2009 Anthony Dini. Used with permission. http://www.myspace.com/anthonydinimusic NJO: Title, video and blurb from James O'Keefe's YouTube channel VeritasVisuals. Minions / fellow culture warriors involved: Hannah Giles

Lower Chesapeake Sailing Adventure

NJO: Video and blurb from James O'Keefe's personal YouTube account at http://www.youtube.com/user/featherofsteel‎.

Uploaded on May 26, 2009

Memorial Day 2009. Patuxent River across the bay to the Honga river -- and back.

On Writing Good Song Lyrics



This was an email I wrote to a friend of mine who produces music


We all want to be like the Beatles and Stevie Wonder, myself included, by using abstraction in song and poetry lyrics, where every human on earth can relate to our stoic themes like "Let it be..." "Until the ocean covers every mountain high---I'll love you always." but that's a slippery slope to climb, and I'm beginning to understand I can not pull it off - in the same way NOBODY but Ronald Reagan can stand up in front of the entire world and shout "Mr. Gorbachev Tear down this wall." If any other President had said those brave words at the height of the cold war to the entire Soviet Union, he would have been laughed off the stage. Artists, politicians and others who emulate those sages which preceed them; can't even come close. Examples include Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and other black reverends whose rhetoric and passion, though practically identical, doesn't compare to the firey brimstone of Martin Luther Kings Jr's - who will make you cry if you just listen to him speak.

Artists like Stevie Wonder are revered because they were pioneers in their genre, and we may by some miracle receive that standing, but it will be by using different methods, different music, and different lyrics. I think we have so far. You say the melody I hummed was too close to Lenny Kravtiz "It ain't over 'til it's over", but this was a fact I disclosed and I realized after I was done conjuring it up. On the contrary, there are common progressions in music; many famous rock and roul / blue artists virtually copied the Bach Conciertos in the 1950s. The first ten notes of "Another old Lang Syn" are identical to the 1812 Overture. However, a vague similarity was not my intention. Neither is yours. Inspiration is a beautiful thing that can create entirely different things altogether.

Most of these lyrics in the video I sent you, like all initial melodic experiments, were improvd, but even if I sat down to think of them, I realize that my lyrical abilities need dramatic impovement. This is frustrating because I know in my writing my skill is in description and anology. But when you're describing a feeling of love, which is usually, in harmony, restricted by ryhme, the lyrics become redudant and sappy - and takes away from the power. I got to thinking about this more...

I think lyrics can be fixed with a little practice and discipline. First, I think songs; all our songs should tell a story. "Juliet" was half way there, but it fell into the same trap - my fault - since I took it away from where I originally thought it would go - it was originally a confrontation and it turned into a longing, bad move on my part. The story needs to be literal. And we are the best writers when we describe our exact surroundings because we instinctually are paranoid on describing them the way they appear to us in the best way possible - we speak in similies and use spatial and time references - which is great. But unless your shakespeare, poetry isn't intuitive nor immediate. We want to put words together and do what first comes to us, because we think that will sound the best - be the easiest and most natural. We value abstraction, because well, something vague can a) be applied to everyone and then they'll relate to it to themselves (Like that Dan Fogulberg song "Another Old Lang Syne" which touched everyone's heart because they also dream of reuinting with their high school sweetheart) and b) because "If it aint' broke don't fix it." But I'm beginning to understand that words do matter and can always be editing and fixed in music (Fogulberg's song, btw, was literally a story about a specific encounter at a grocery store) and the best composition is one that is edited and re-thought and restructured, and I think we can engineer great meaning into those resonant slots, and make them rhyme with time and patience the same way a manuscript is produced.

At this point, If I were to ryhme about that group of 3rd graders playing soccer over there it would sound more powerful that my song about love - because the words wouldn't be so abstract.

NJO: Originally posted on the blog Feathers of Steel at liberabit.blogspot.com.