Here We Go Again

Thank God for the inside voice...

It’s awards season again, the first of the bunch kicked off last night. I’m happy to say I didn’t watch. Instead the Mr. and I chose to watch the new version of Ben Hur. Which despite reviews from the critics, we loved. I’m not surprised though, since the producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett are out as Christians (a group critics seem to love to marginalize and criticize).

I made a decision long ago to simply “unplug” from the things in entertainment that go against my morals, values and beliefs. All too often instead of celebrating good art (which unfortunately these days is so few and far between), it winds up turning into a half-baked political pontification session.

Well apparently last night was no exception. The Hollywood mucktey mucks did not disappoint this year, and their brave leader was none other than Meryl Streep. After the movie was over, I picked up my phone and there it was, all over social media and the news. So of course I had to go find a clip and see for myself what all of the hullabaloo was about. My inside voice was going “watchu talkin bout willis” while I almost spilled what was left of my dunkins decaf all over my lap.

Now I’m not going to pick it apart because I do believe we are all entitled to our own opinions. To think for ourselves, to be what we want and to not let others do our thinking for us. I will say this though… her entire argument and character assassination of Donald Trump was based on a total lie.

I wonder though... where pray tell were all of the Hollywood "defenders of the disabled" last week when a disabled boy was held hostage and tortured for up to forty eight hours on Facebook live by four african american teenagers while they screamed obscenities? What was that? Crickets... that's what I thought.

Lies, misrepresentations, things taken totally and utterly out of context, are exactly what almost the entire news media or her precious “profession of journalism” did throughout the entire election season. All in a planned correlated effort not to get to the truth (that she said in her speech she is worried about protecting), but to hide the truth from the American public. In order to elect or shall I say coronate their hero none other than Hillary Rodham Clinton.

To their shock and horror it did not work. The American people chose instead to unplug just as I have from the media propaganda. Donald Trump brilliantly decided to go around the media and take his message straight to the American people. Thank God it worked because I honestly do not believe America could have survived a Hillary presidency. It would have been the nail in the coffin for our country after eight years of the Obama nightmare.

Am I being hypocritical for lambasting Meryl for having an opinion when I clearly have my own? Noway hosay. Meryl is entitled to have all the opinions she wants. The problem is when she goes on national television and broadcasts that opinion on a show that is not about politics; that further perpetuates a story that is based on a total lie. Sorry, but that is just plain ignorant in my opinion.

Hollywood is so mortified by the thought of a Donald Trump presidency that they have taken to making these pathetic PSA videos being shared all over social media. The funniest thing about them is these actors are all going on and on about the Constitution and our founding fathers, when 99.9% of them would not know the constitution if it bit them in the butts. Really can you imagine some of them passing a simple quiz about our nations actual founding history?

When uninformed people with a worldwide platform insist on pontificating publicly and perpetuating lies it is dangerous. Have an opinion, yes be involved, disagree even, but for the love of God please, please, please get your information from somewhere other than the mainstream media (and if I have to explain what the mainstream media is then I rest my case).

These Hollywood celebrities whine that the “majority” of the American people voted for Hillary, blah blah blah… they are having temper tantrums because they say the American people did not get who they voted for.

Newsflash to all the Hollyweird crybabies: the American people got exactly who we voted for. We the American people (you know the people in flyover country, the Christians, the silent majority) got exactly what our founders so brilliantly and uniquely created. They set up a system to prevent mob rule and tyranny. Since the Electoral College didn’t go their way now they want to abolish it. Had Hillary won though, they would all be praising the brilliance of it all, hypocrites.  

So please stop whining, stop making PSA’s. Trump is President. Get over it, just like we all had to for the last eight years. Go back to making movies, art and hopefully one day you will wake up to your stupidity. If not, you’ll most assuredly find yourself four years from now, and God willing eight years from now in an America that is greater and stronger than ever before (no thanks to you).

Blessings, Love & Music,
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Love to Hate

Something has been bugging me for a while now. I try to ignore it, but the more I ignore the worse it seems to get. So like any good creative person, I decided to write about it.  

I've noticed a disturbing trend in the past few years. It started slowly and has grown to the point that it makes me want to pull the plug. Pull the plug... What in the heck in the world are you talking about Greek girl? We all know the Internet can be a powerful tool. However these days it seems more and more like a weapon. 

For people like me (an independent recording artist) the Internet is a powerful tool that has opened up an entire world of opportunities (literally). Opportunities to share my music and brand with people in parts of the world I never would be able to without it. Artists, businesses, non-profits, the list of people who benefit from the freedom and connection of the Internet are endless.

For some it's a powerful tool to share ideas and products. For others it a hideaway to hurl hate. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe everyone is entitled to have their owns opinions and feelings about everything in life. We don't all have to live the same and think the same like robots in a Stepford Wives episode. I mean we do after-all live in the greatest country on the face of the earth. Something has happened though, something that truly scares me. Never in my life have I witnessed so many who seemly love to hate. People united in posting, sharing, creating and devoting oodles of precious time spreading pure venom. Hatred, jealousy, envy, sorry but those are just not American values.

A little term I came up with called "derangement syndrome" seems to be everywhere anymore. Insert name or organization before the term and there you have the description of an entire group of people united in sharing and spreading each and every negative thing they can find about said person or organization. People who go bonkers, I mean literally off the rails at the mere mention of derangement objects name. What do I mean? Well, lets see... we have a few examples in no particular order:

Patriots Derangement Syndrome
Tom Brady Derangement Syndrome
Trump Derangement Syndrome
Bush Derangement Syndrome
Joel Osteen Derangement Syndrome

The list goes on. I post these examples not to judge or praise any of them, rather only to illustrate a few of the particularly common derangement syndromes permeating our society today. The thing I find most troubling about this condition are the people who come down with the syndrome, many of whom are Christians.

Of course it's not just Christians getting it that bothers me, it's anyone who comes down with the syndrome. When Christians get it though, I find it especially disturbing. You see Jesus said they will know us by our love. Now I'm not saying we need to lie down and let everyone walk all over us because Jesus stood up when it was necessary. Like the time when he flipped over the money tables in the temple. Standing up though doesn't mean devoting ones self to the sharing of and spreading of hate.

We have a word in the Greek language for this kind of behavior, it's called hypocrisy. Better known as do as I say, not as I do. It's almost as if they are saying: "Yeah I'm a Christian I love God, I love people, I'm good, but I devote my entire Facebook page, blog, website (or whatever the case may be) to sharing articles I do not one hundred percent personally know to be true, but that's OK because I got my opinion out there." 

Everyone knows the media has an agenda and often times are biased. However the rise of the "new media" movement has bred a multitude of websites, blogs, videos and more devoted to spreading utter vitriol. Oftentimes I am shocked even more by the personal words written by people in the comments section when they share these things. The people I see this bitterness coming from, and the level to which they go, this for me is what cuts the most. There have been times I almost dump my dunkins on my laptop it's so disturbing. 

America was built on hard work. Used to be a someone saw a successful person as an inspiration. If they can do it, so can I kind of thing. Americans used to celebrate others success. Instead today we have media propping people up then far to willing, ready, and waiting for the chance to tear them down. When a successful person rises to incredible heights in their field or career, the haters come out in full force. They hide behind a computer screen and cut, paste, twist, splice, dice, and concoct articles and videos that are used like bullets to wound those they view as needing to be taken down.   

Not sure how or when it happened, but jealousy and entitlement for many have replaced aspiration. Take Tom Brady for example: he's talented, good looking, has a beautiful wife, makes boatloads of money doing what he loves. He can't possibly just be gifted though, he must have cheated. Another example, what did the founding fathers want in a President? Successful businessmen to leave their vocation to go and "serve" the people for a time, then leave. So when someone steps up to do it, they are labeled an egomaniac or Hitler. I'm just sayin... think about it.

There are always two sides to every story and there will always be stories until the end of time. I just know I would not want to stand before God at the end of my time and have the answer to what I did with my time to be "sharing hate". So I for one will continue to use the internet as a tool to share the good. To share my music and message. To make a positive impact, to encourage, inspire and do my best to lift people up, not tear them down. My hope is that more will catch this syndrome and do the same.

Blessings, Love & Music,
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Stand Up

Three words... Happy Greek Girl.

It's no secret that Greek Girl rolls to the right. So I'm sure you can imagine when I learned I was invited to an event where Senator Ted Cruz would be speaking I was excited to say the least. In fact I was so excited I almost spilled my hot cup of Dunkin's all over my lap as I was reading the email announcing the event. No it wasn't a "thrill up my leg" but I'll leave that to Chris Matthews for when he's watching Obama.

Thanks to some good friends who arrived a smidge early we were able to get a table in the front and what an evening. First I have to say how down to earth he was. No entourage, no handlers, just him and a small staff. I'm not sure many people know this but he is actually very funny. Not only was he giving a rousing passionate talk about the madness that has taken over our great nation, but the entire time he was doing it with a smile and making everyone laugh. If ever there were a person who embodies the phrase "The Happy Warrior" it is Senator Ted Cruz.

Not only was he gracious enough to be there, and to stay for a log time, but he also took question after question after question. As I sat there listening I have to say something was happening. No it wasn't a thrill up my leg, but I began to see something very special. I'm not sure if other people watching him on TV can see it. I've caught glimpses of it before watching on TV myself, but as I sat there it began to grow in my noggin from a whisper to a scream... this guy is so much like Reagan.

Right there in midst of all the chaos, confusion and madness that has taken over Washington there is someone there who is speaking the truth, understands and respects the constitution and founding documents, but also most importantly has the backbone to stand up for his convictions. As the world saw when he did the filibuster against Obamacare regardless if the left wing media demonized and labeled him a loon for doing so. Why?... because he gets it. He gets a fundamentally simple thing that almost all of Washington has either forgotten or has been ignoring for years. The United States is a Constitutional Republic, the Congress and Senate are elected officials who are elected to do what? To vote the "will of their constituents". Too many elected officials get elected and then it's almost as if they get sucked into some sort of vortex where they do not vote the will of the people who elected them, but rather vote down party lines or whomever is lining their pockets.

So as I sat there listening, I began to have hope again. There has been so much fighting and tearing down in politics for the last several years, I like many have wondered will America survive? In that event listening to him speak I saw hope that not all politicians are bad and not everyone is a slick talker just trying to win votes. There right in front of me was a man who spoke so honestly and passionately about common sense solutions and ideals. I began to see that there is really something very special about Ted Cruz, and if the people in this nation get a glimpse of what we all saw at that event last night, there may very well be another revolution coming. No it won't be a Reagan Revolution like we had in the 1980's, I think it will be bigger, much bigger.

Back then we didn't have the internet, (Thank you Al Gore) bloggers, alternative news, and there were only three news channels. Now we have cable news and a plethra of technology to get information out in the blink of an eye. When the people in this country see what we all saw it may not be a revolution that is coming, it may look more like a Tidal Wave.

By the way my husband ran out to put his suit jacket in the car that was parked on the street out front later in the evening. The Senator had just left with his staff, and they were standing in front of the venue on the street just waiting. My husband said "hi" and asked them if they needed a ride jokingly. They said "no were all set." Were they waiting for a town car, limo, a driver?... Nope they were waiting on a cab. Senator Ted Cruz with his staff of three hailed a cab and were all going together in a cab to their hotel. So when he talks about living within your means, and common sense principals know that he doesn't just talk the talk, he has the courage to stand up and walk the walk.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xo
www.avaaston.com

Oh No Not Again

So I was getting ready the other day to head Upstate NY where I would be working on my new music video for, "I Don't Even Care" when I was shocked to read the latest news blurb.  It turns out, yet again in an unfortunate scenario a young and aspiring artist jumped to her death off the George Washington Bridge.  What's so awful about this is that she did it out of being "bullied" in the workplace.  She apparently also had a history of being bullied early on in both high school and while working as a model.

Now you might be wondering why Greek Girl is blogging about such a sad story.  Well, it's simple: I HATE BULLIES!

Here's my point:  Unless you have heard the song you wouldn't know, "I Don't Even Care" is written about this very issue.  In my own life I have faced bullies for as far back as I can remember.  It wasn't because I came from a lower income family or that I was the little "fat-kid", it was with my music.  Even now I face it with the know-it-all so-called "experts" and critics who say I am too old to have a music career, or that my political views are wrong and even that I am a Christian.  I mean what is this world coming too?

Take this girl who killed herself for instance.  Here she is trying to build a life in the Fashion Industry.  Meanwhile her colleagues are tearing at her and beating her up verbally so much that out of some twisted sense of revenge and self-pity she ended her life.  Why?  What is going on in our world that we are so obsessed with having to make other people feel bad about themselves in order to puff our own selves up?  What is it that we must despise people and treat them so poorly that they would do something such as kill themselves?

I know all too well what it's like to face these giants in life.   I am often faced with being unaccepted, mocked or ridiculed and I am not even in any major spot-light like the typical "celebrity".  It's for this reason I wrote this song and am now working with my husband to develop the music video.  It's with a passion I want the world to know it's not okay to bully people and for those who are being bullied they can stand up and they are not alone.

For whatever reason we as a society have gone in the wrong direction. On one hand we celebrate people because they can sing or dance, hit a ball or run the fastest and even have lists for the "100 Hottest" of whatever.  Meanwhile the media is out there doing everything they can to destroy the very people they are putting on a pedestal.  So it's a twisted web people have been indoctrinated into.  We praise those for superficial greatness then can't wait to tear them down.  Everyone is vying for the most attention and greatness.  Everywhere we turn there is another reality show promising to make "stars" out of anyone and everyone and that it doesn't take hard work to succeed.  Then we glamorize the demise and destruction of these same "stars" and like cannibals we feed off of and relish in the idea of watching someone fall and fail.

My question to you is, "when are we going to start turning the tables?"  When are we as a society ever going to wake up and realize we need to celebrate hard work and intelligence.  We are becoming a self-obsessed society that is focused on stardom and pick on and beat up on the "nerd" who will most-likely one day be your boss and write your paycheck.

God made us all with unique talents and unique abilities and unique looks.  Each of us is made special for our own purpose that God has for us to fulfill.  But because we live in a society full of celebrating the wrong kind of success most forget or lose track of what great things they can become and never know why God put them here in the first place.  We need more Doctors and Rocket Scientists not more Justin Bieber's or Kim Kardashian's.  On top of that the last thing we need is more Michael Vick's and cheaters like Lance Armstrong.

Now some of you may say "What about you Greek Girl? Aren't you chasing the same stardom?!?" But it's not the same thing.  I have been working as a singer and actor for many years.  It's not a pipe-dream or something I want to just "try out".  This is who I am and what I know God put me on this Earth to do.  To sing and perform as a positive role model, to be salt and light in this crazy messed up world.  This is why I am working tirelessly to win in the VeeWall Original Song Contest.  Winning will give me the chance to connect with more people and organizations in an effort to share my message.  It's the same message found in my song, "I Don't Even Care".  You can Click Here to read the entire story about me and what I want to do with my music career.  So, if you want to help me in making a difference and help me start a change in our society,  I would very much appreciate it.  Winning is far more than the prize money.  It is a tool I need to put my message out there and help maybe stop the next bullied person from taking their own life and making a positive difference in a world so full of hate.

Click Here To Vote For ava

Blessings, Love & Music~

Ava xo :)
www.avaaaston.com

Click here to vote for Ava

Superbowl XLVII

Like they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Oh to only hear the Greek Girl's "inside voice" on this one.

Being that the Patriots didn't get in the Superbowl this year Greek Girl decided straight away that she was watching the Superbowl for the commercials, music and the eats prepared by Mr. Aston (today was our wedding anniversary after all). ;D I admit I expected some pushing of the envelope, but I wasn't quite prepared for what I was about to see.

Well... where shall I begin?  Was it the sudden burning of my eyeballs - or the piercing in my ears that was worse?  Listen I'll be first to admit I've never been much of a Beyonce fan, I just think she is way over rated.  But being an artist I am always fair to give credit for talent where credit is due, even if I don't agree with the message.

In this case there is just so little to offer.  First I realize that "Sex Sells", however someone needs to give the memo to Miss Thang that she is idolized and looked up to by millions of little girls.  So when you're doing a show with millions of these little kids (and adults I might add) watching, it might be a good idea to do the show with a bit more clothing on your body than just your skivvies.

I'm not sure why anyone with a functioning organ in their coconut would think it is appropriate or cool to perform in a getup fit for a stripper.  Call me crazy, or maybe I should have just been born in the 1940's to grow up in the 1950'd because the line is being pushed so far, heck as I see it - it's on the verge of being erased.

As for the "singing" what little their was of it, the best part was when she was singing with Destiny's Child.  Still even then the content was beyond trashy.  And what was the point of the little publicity stunt the other day at the Superbowl press conference with the Acapella National Anthem anyway...?  In case you missed it: She comes out and sings it (the most on key I've ever heard her sing in my life btw) then gets done and asks "Any Questions".   Well um yeah I do have a question?  Why is it acceptable to lip synch at a Presidential Inauguration? Ever...?  Because "There was not time to rehearse with the Orchestra?..."  She said.  Well um it's called - You make time.  When you're combined net worth with your husband JayZ is over 775 Million Dollars...  and you're best buddies with Obama, I'm pretty sure you can figure out how to facilitate rehearsing with the the Orchestra "ahead of time".  She did have "time" though to schedule the recording of the National Anthem and arrange for it to be played ahead of time.  Ironic dontcha think? Or was it just that she couldn't be bothered?

People, I might not be at Beyonce status yet... but I have performed our National Anthem everywhere from high school football games, to college games, to AAA Baseball Games, to Professional Sports Teams across the country - and even on Greatest Day in Mets History Day at Shea Stadium for The NY Mets.  I have performed with the flu, strep throat and even food poisoning...  It's called suck it up - you just do it.  You do not lip synch the National Anthem at an Inauguration, I'm sorry.  What kind of message does that send?  Oh whatever we feel like doing, or whatever is easiest.  Great lets just keep rewarding and encouraging mediocrity.

While I'm at it lets discuss writing the words on your hands so you don't forget them Kelly Clarkson... not cool either.  If you don't know the words to our National Anthem (which as a professional singer should qualify for A Stupidity Award in the first place) then how about - don't accept a gig singing it on national television with billions of people watching.

I'm sick and tired of seeing celebrities being rewarded for acting like crazy people.  Newsflash to Media & Law Makers: Guns are not the problem in this country, the decline of Morality is.  The everyone gets a trophy way of doing things, the Decline of the family unit, celebrating and promoting alternative lifestyles and families, giving TV shows to the most outrageous immoral people so they can in turn influence the culture - that is the problem.  Kardashians in Miami getting drunk, breaking dishes, partying acting like ho's.  Well... why is that bad, I mean our favorite music artists give concerts in their undies - even Ga Ga donned a Gun Bra a few weeks ago.  These people can not even demonstrate the intelligence to dress themselves to get out of the house properly without looking like they belong in a brothel, yet they somehow feel qualified to speak out about politics.

Yup these are exactly the kind of people we need to keep rewarding.  So you know, the next time you turn on the Superbowl, or sit down to watch TV with your kids or family, open a magazine or movie and are bothered by the trash you see in front of you... Greek Girl has a very simple suggestion.  Change the channel.  If you want to stop seeing trash, then stop buying, rewarding and participating in trash.  When people stop buying it, then trust me, they will stop selling it.

Blessings.
Ava :D
www.avaaston.com