Welcome, one and all, to my new web site, my private little acre in the country that is Cyberspace.  Well, perhaps "private" isn't the right word.  After all, why would I put a web site if I wanted to remain private?  No, I want visitors, and I want lots of them.  You should think of mattybonz.com as more of a public park…with some private attractions.  Now, why would any of you out there cruising on Al Gore’s Information Superhighway want to pop in and take a look-see?  You wont find any cybersweepstakes entitling the one-millionth visitor to win a free car.  You wont find pictures of scantily-clad super models (although if any scantily clad super models feel like sending me pictures, I will most certainly enjoy them).  You wont find secret government documents from Area 51, or magic portals into the realm of virtual space, or any other treasures of that kind.  What you will find, however, is a lot about me.  And hopefully, you'll find me intriguing enough to stay for a while.
 

So first things first.  As the great warrior-poet James Stockdale asked in the 1992 Vice Presidential debate, "Who am I?  What am I doing here?"  I'm a 31-year old citizen of Planet Earth, a New Yorker born and raised (with a two-year hiatus as an Army Brat in Columbus, Georgia), a conservative Democrat or liberal Republican, depending on the day of the week, a jack-of-all-trades, and master of a few.  I have a large family, which is expanding by leaps and bounds.  Alas, I am still single, although my love dwells in a Story Book City.   I've never been arrested (or caught), I don't have any kids (at least none that I know about, ha ha), and I don't drink, smoke or ingest illegal chemicals ( I want my lungs to be pink when they fry me).  I do some pretty vicious impersonations, ranging from Richard Nixon to Bert & Ernie to Mike Tyson and so forth.  Love dogs, don't trust cats.  I think Bill Clinton is the second greatest President of the 20th Century,  after Harry Truman (didn't see that. one coming, did you?), I think that  sunsets are proof that God exists, and that he's a pretty decent guy.  My favorite color is blue... no, yellow!!! I loved high school, far more than college.  I root for all New York sports teams, with the exception of the Yankees (because quite frankly, they win too much- LET'S GO METS!).  My favorite food is sandwiches.  I think that O.J. Simpson is guilty as sin, but that the verdict in the criminal trial was correct( just try untwisting that Gordian Knot). Ill take Monet over Manet, Ralph Ellison over Harlan Ellison, Paul McCartney over John Lennon, Larry Bird over Michael Jordan, Beavis and Butthead over Ren and Stimpy, Captain Picard over Captain Kirk, The Godfather II over The Godfather I, James Joyce over Ernest Hemingway, Charlize Theron over Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bill Gates over Janet Reno, and Mozart over any musician that has ever lived.  Got the picture? No? Good.
 

I am a musician. Well, actually lm an attorney, but while on the Internet, we will ignore that sad part of reality, and concentrate on things that might actually interest people. I sing, play piano (since age 3), guitar, bass guitar (my great love), write and perform original works ... and in in my not-so-humble opinion, I do all of this pretty well. So, I'm providing a sample of my abilities here on mattybonz.com, in the form of short snippets from my song catalogue, as well as 3-4 full-length titles, which will be rotated on a semi-regular basis. My style? It's hate to pinpoint. I go all over the place, from rock, to jazz, to folk, to wherever my mood takes me. But given music's current state of affairs (a slow, painful devolution into an oozing slime of  saccharine teenie-pop, offensive hate-rap, impenetrable electronic babble, etc.), one thing that is a certainty about my music is that it is MUSIC: it has structure, identifiable melody, lyrics that at least try to be poetic, hooks wherever possible, and talent on display at all times. So far, MY music has only been enjoyed by a select few, but it is my desire to create a heightened awareness of its existence. And what better place to do that than on the Internet? lf you're a musician and you want to contact me, compare notes, jam, or whatever... that's all good, if I'm out on the road, making any live appearances, I'll post a bulletin with the where, when and how much.  And if you've got money to spend, I've got CD's and tapes to sell.
 

I am also a writer.  Again, the style isn't easy to pigeon-hole, but I tent to concentrate my energies in two arenas: opinion pieces and short stories .  As regards the first, my editorial commentary had been published in such national media outlets as New York Newsday, The New York Post, and USA Today; those articles will be posted here for your reference. If you've got an issue, I've got an opinion…and it usually wont coincide with yours.  I would love to eventually become a part of Newsday’s editorial staff, but they are currently in a hiring freeze.  So, for the moment, I will continue to express myself without compensation.  Only now, I do so not at the mercy of the newspapers, but whenever the hell I feel like it.  At least once per week, I will post an editorial on a topical issue.  It could be about anything- world affairs, movies, music, domestic politics, sports, the virtues of "Iron Chef" (the best show on TV). It doesn't really matter.  But one thing is for sure- you will have no doubt about my feelings on that issue once I'm finished with it.
 

As an extra added bonus, you, my web audience, will have the right to respond. I strongly encourage such responses- as long as the tone and language conform to acceptable parameters. No cussing, please. Although vulgarity has become such an integral part of everyday speech that Webster's Dictionary has legitimized some choice phrases, a good writer should not have to stoop to the language of the vulgate to make a point. Also, stay focused on the topic at hand- wandering off on a tangent will get you nowhere here. Finally, try to keep your responses brief (100 words or less)- this is not a rule that I will ever follow, but hey, it's good to be the king. The ones I deem to be the best will be posted for all to see (although possibly in edited form)- so it is conceivable that many of you will end up with a national audience. Further, if you want to know my opinions on any particular topic, e-mail me , and I might just let loose with a full-blown tirade, just for you.
 

As I said earlier, I also write short stories . I've only started doing this relatively recently, so my catalogue is small- but I definitely like it, and I will definitely be writing more of them. My stories tend towards the fantastic- distorted pictures of everyday reality, science-fiction and extrapolation (although never set in a future that's too distant). They're certainly readable, and hopefully enjoyable- again, you be the judge, and let me know. I've also been working for the past year on my first novel. It's approximately 65% complete, and the rest is in my head, ready to be put on the page. If you like the short stories, the novel will blow your mind, It will be for sale as soon as it's edited. I'm also posting some photographs, general biographical information, links to some of my favorite sites (and people), and so on.
 

Since this section is headed "Statement of Purpose", I suppose I should end by telling you why I'm doing all this. I'm doing this because our society, as it is currently structured, favors the old over the new and resists change. I'm doing this because style seems to be far more important to those in control of the world's creative processes than substance or talent. I'm doing this because I like seeing my  name in lights. I'm doing this so that old friends that I haven't spoken to in years might stumble upon my web site and contact me out of the blue. I'm doing this because I'm a great believer in capitalism- there's opportunity to be had, and money to be made. I'm doing this so that lm never again misquoted. I'm doing this to network with other creative and opinionated people from all over the world. I'm doing this because, a rolling stone gathers no moss, And most importantly, I'm doing this... because I want to.
 

Special thanks to Web Genius and all-around technical wizard, Brian Turner , creator and designer of mattybonz.com. Brian sees the world in ways no one else can see, to the benefit of everyone around him. His hard work, creative instincts and loyal friendship over such great distance are appreciated more than can be expressed in words.
 

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