OH MY GOD! ---------- By The artist formerly known as Shihear Kallizad. Here it is, 2:34am, Monday, June the 6th, almost two months to the day that the whole TRiBE shakeup started. I just DL'd the NATPAQ and went thru it. I am flabbergasted, stunned, shocked and amazed. The art? Oh no, I was actually disapointed there. There were alot of people not in NAT that I thought were, and I expected more, even from those actually in NAT. What has me so astounded? Well, reach down and grab hold of your socks, cuz you'll be blown away too. "What an ASS I was.", are the words just outta my own mouth. (I've inserted this pause in the body of this text, after the fact, in order to allow those of you actually readding it to have the time to stop laughing, or making those little grunting sounds that can be heard to say, "WAS?!" As you read on, hopefully, you'll come to understand the usage of the word 'was' in the context to the full body of this document. In fact there is no contention that I wasn't at some point in time prior or that I am actually now an 'ass'. To prove that, I'll now point out that NAT is a very APT abreviation for Maestro Steve's RyTHM NaTiON.) Hindsight being 20/20, I can only now assume that this is how *I* looked and sounded back, oddly enough, a year ago when I left iCE to start up TRiBE. If that is the case, and mind you, I'm not contesting it, then I most definately was not only an ASS, I owe many people a huge apollogy for the whole damned thing. When you're smack 'dab in the deep, dark forest, you can't always see all the trees, if you know what I mean. That's no excuse mind you, frankly at this point in time, I can't imagine there being any. All I'm saying is that I honestly didn't SEE it until just now, and I have Maestro Steve (and his little Mistif Sinister [Imajica refrence noted for the great unread masses.] by association) to thank for this revolation. I could go back, dredge up a bunch of stuff, dig out a tun of text, and compare this to that, and the otherthing to either. I won't, because as of right now, my eyes are on the prise and I've only got tunnel vision, and to be honest, it's not needed. Anyone who's anyone who's been around anywhile can see it, and this is mainly addressed to them, for it was them that I was the ASS to. Besides, dig up the old TRiBE Archives and read the text within. Read all the old articles out of the old magazines on TRiBE. It's all there, read it yourself, and compare it to all the stuff Maestro Steve's saying. Frightening, isn't it? It surely was to me. Today, in the here, in the now, where we are, I have to say that Maestro Steve (and his faithful familar Mistif Sinister never fear) represent everything I don't like about the Group/Scene stuff. Again, this isn't about the how's, why's and wherefore's now. It's about the understanding process, mine. I've seen the enemy, looked directly into the face of evil incarnate himself, and to my dismay, it was me. Whether or not he is aware of it, those were my words writen within the the NAT NFO file. If not verbatum, if not content, then in context, in a very basic, fundamental way. I strongly believe in personal responability, and as this very public document is being writen to prove, am here to show some. Again, avoiding dredging things up limits this somewhat to very broad, very sweeping terms, but I feel it's not warrented, nor wanted. This, NaTiON thing, was me, and if you actually want to believe thier side of the story, was because of me, atleast in part. I cannot, in good faith say, "Gee, this stuff is really steeky shit." without also saying, "And so was I with the old TRiBE." It's either realize that to be an undeniable truth, or to profess that NaTiON is and was created by and for everything I also stand for. That is something I don't think I could say. I'm sure this will cause a very LOUD discussion as to what differences and or simularities the old TRiBE and the NEW "eternity" have to one another. That's well and good, for then and there. For now, give me the benefit of the doubt as you try to follow this. If NaTiON is a "bad thing", and NaTiON is just like TRiBE was, TRiBE must have been too. If Maestro Steve is a "ASS", then I too must have been an ASS. Pretty Shihearth shattering conclusion, don't you think? So, here it is, what you've all been waiting for, the apollogy. I am with all heartsfelt sincerity sorry for the ASS I was regarding that part of my and TRiBE's history we're talking about. The foundation TRiBE was built apon was faulty, and the whole thing came crashing down because of it. Hopefully out of that rubble, something new can be built. I do not doubt that the NaTiON crew will claim that they are it, when in fact all they've done is use the same blueprints on a different site, which isn't any safer. It is my hope that this new TRiBE might be that, but only time can answer that. It is now 3:30am, same day. I've spent alittle more than an hour writing this, which is a considerable deal more than most of the things I write regarding the scene. I fear far too many people who have become far to cynical to it in general and to me specificly will see this as some epic scheme on mypart to undermind NaTiON. I've learned that there is nothing I can do about those people with those thoughts. For those who's minds aren't made up on the validity of this yet, let me just say that I don't feel I have to undermind NaTiON or activly make any strategic move against them anymore. The connection of NaTiON in theme to that of TRiBE is there to be seen to those willing to look. If TRiBE was a mistake in origin, theme, and management, so surely must NaTiON, TRiBE's quasi-clone. Thusly, since TRiBE failed, so too will NaTiON, as long as they continue to walk the same path that TRiBE originally blazed. No longer will I be in such vocal reproach of NaTiON, not out of fear that NaTiON is this TRiBE's better, much less equal. Rather it will be out of embarassment, and not from "them killing us", but of how Maestro's and NaTiON's behavior in both words and deeds so parralles my past, which as of now, I'm not to happy with, almost ashamed of. (Note: It's now 4am, same day. Since NaTiON claims to want compeition throwing it's hat into that arena, an arena TRiBE also finds itself in, this does not exclude any, vocalness, regarding said competition. The party of the second part will always react to any jabs withint the ring from the party of the first part, and will initiate it's own one/two combination whenever deemed necessary, thus the aforementioned clause of 'anti-vocalness' does not pertain to the ordinary conflicts caused by competition. - Legaleese provided for those keeping notes of and on what I say.)SAUCE00DOH! TafkaSk TRiBE 19940830~P