About

Cultural Exchange Advocate? … What the?!?!

I was born in Hoboken, NJ on September 9, 1966. I began to hand cut, paste and publish underground paper fanzines in the late 1980s. I moved to the realm of the internet in 1999. And that brings us to now.

So, why Cultural Exchange Advocate?
I believe that we all deserve to have a title that describes who we really are. We already have titles that describe what we do. Since I so enjoy the exchanging of cultural tendencies, my obvious choice was “Cultural Exchange Advocate”.

It’s a way of saying that, when I discover new things that I like, I do my best to tell others about it. Music, art, books, beer, food, gadgets, girls … whatever.

Give it a try. Look into yourself. What is it that makes you tick? What inspires you to get out of bed, to breath, to live? Once you find it, validate it with a title.

So, why do I do this?
The only way to answer that question is to ask another question. Why do humans create? Humans have always been blessed—in some cases cursed—with the need to express themselves. They can’t just sit quietly and float on until death comes calling. They whistle, they hum, they paint, they write, they dance, they make shiny things and so on. But why?

As I walk thru life, I’m constantly searching for reasons to live (no, not in a morbid sense). Sometime I go diving into the deep end of myself to fish for some personal justification. More often however, I’m wandering the world around me.

There are many opinions that try to explain what makes a piece of work good or bad. But there is no doubt about what makes the true art of creative expression magical. The inherent honesty embedded within. And this is what I search for.

My goal is not to judge the work or criticize the creator. We have enough of that negative muck oozing thru the media daily and it is a waste of energy. Instead, I get a great deal of satisfaction in recommending new discoveries with others.

I truly believe that we’d all would benefit from this philosophy of encouragement. That by casting off the slime of unnecessary criticism and meanness, we can all get to know and like each other a little better.

Cheers,
Stephen

Now go read my stuff!