I've had it. I've completely had it. I've had it with beards! I've had it with acoustic guitars! I've had it with singer/songwriters who've never lived off campus or held a job. I've had it with waifish, warbling vocals. I've had it with the fact that the word "I" is the most popular word in music these days.
I've had it with the entire indie music scene. I've had it with the well intentioned incredibly talented musicians who spawned what has come after: a horrific, hellish, musical mash-up of mediocrity (I'M LOOKING AT YOU THOM YORKE, DECEMBERISTS, I'VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU).
The entire world is going to hell in a hand basket!
Unemployment is rampant, corporations are people, Political parties have abandoned any notion that they are representing the people, and the only crap I hear is acoustic, saccharine, England Dan and John Ford Coley late 70's beard music.
I hate to drop this bomb, but we are reliving 1972.
Here's the proof:
Lady Gaga = David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust.
Every other waifish acoustic crap band = Gilbert O'Sullivan and Nillson (chart toppers of 1972 with "Alone Again" and "Without You" dis-respectively).
The entire hip-hop community = Studio 54 disco baloney.
It's horribly self indulgent, post-ironic, new-millenial, emo, clap trap.
Finally, Katy Perry = Abba (I gave this analogy papal dispensation, so sue me).
Where's the rage ladies/gentlemen? Can you all just for a moment stop whining about your feelings and turn it up... Where's this generations "Career Opportunities" Where's "London's Burning?", where's "God Save the Queen?" Where's "Blitzkrieg Bop?" Where's "Lust for Life?"
I may be dating myself but there was a time when music, just for a moment, made the bastards scared. When something as powerful as the marriage of melody and words was not completely controlled by the same corporate/government entities who are denying the parents of hungry children an extension of unemployment benefits. Once, music had the power to win hearts and minds. Now it all sounds like a hallmark card.
Music reflects the time, and times are tough. Why isn't music?
This about sums it up for me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCEeAn6_QJo
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Whew, I was wondering where I put that (today's must read)
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/05/24/Student-finds-universes-missing-mass/UPI-36851306283405/
Student finds universe's 'missing' mass
Student finds universe's 'missing' mass
Friday, May 20, 2011
Are we poisoning our own people?
Why Journalism matters
How Fuzzy Math really works.
http://www.slate.com/id/2291942/
So illuminating. And yet, so depressing.
http://www.slate.com/id/2291942/
So illuminating. And yet, so depressing.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Loving... no wait, hating... Washington
Anyone who lives and works in D.C. who keeps a clear head about things will soon develop a certain love/hate relationship with the city. I suspect it's like that for anyone who makes a large metropolitan area their home. On one hand there are the wonderful opportunities a big city provides, and DC has them in spades. Museums! The Zoo! Art! You can literally spend a lifetime trying to take advantage of all the free stuff the nation's capitol has to offer.
And then there's the downside, and that almost always involves all the other folks who insist on living here.
Here's the latest, my son has just lost his training wheels. He's a great kid, but a bit tentative and learning to ride on a two-wheeler has proven a bit problematic for him. But to his credit he's game to practice every afternoon when I get home from work.
One of the problems of course is working to find a suitably safe area to practice in a big city. And so yesterday I stumbled upon what I thought was a great idea: to use a small stretch of the GW Parkway bike trail. It's flat, straight and bordered by tall, soft grass in case we need to bail out.
As I said, it seemed like a great idea, but after trying it for 30 short minutes, I can tell you that putting a tentative kid on the GW Bike trail felt like trying to merge onto 95 riding a moped. People were whizzing down that path at breakneck speeds. For those of us who frequent the trail that's normal, and okay, until it's not, then the unwritten rules suggest we slow down, announce and pass.
Silly me. If I had a nickel for all the frustration that was vented at my boy when these guys were forced to slow down for us, we'd have a fair amount of nickels. After repeated passive-aggressive shakes of the head, or insane helmeted mutterings we decided it wasn't worth it. So we played soccer, got a Slurpee and went to the park.
So here's the question: was it unreasonable for me to ask that people make room for a dad using one lane of the bike trail to teach his kid how to ride his bike? Should I have more respect for the super-commuters who use (I'm being generous) their ride home to blow off steam from a rough day? I honestly don't know. My wife says I was brave to even try.
In any case, for those fellas who grumbled at us, there's no chance I'll ever do this again. It's simply not worth it to try and 'take back the trail' from the type A'ers who make it their own personal Indianapolis 500. You scared my kid.
And then there's the downside, and that almost always involves all the other folks who insist on living here.
Here's the latest, my son has just lost his training wheels. He's a great kid, but a bit tentative and learning to ride on a two-wheeler has proven a bit problematic for him. But to his credit he's game to practice every afternoon when I get home from work.
One of the problems of course is working to find a suitably safe area to practice in a big city. And so yesterday I stumbled upon what I thought was a great idea: to use a small stretch of the GW Parkway bike trail. It's flat, straight and bordered by tall, soft grass in case we need to bail out.
As I said, it seemed like a great idea, but after trying it for 30 short minutes, I can tell you that putting a tentative kid on the GW Bike trail felt like trying to merge onto 95 riding a moped. People were whizzing down that path at breakneck speeds. For those of us who frequent the trail that's normal, and okay, until it's not, then the unwritten rules suggest we slow down, announce and pass.
Silly me. If I had a nickel for all the frustration that was vented at my boy when these guys were forced to slow down for us, we'd have a fair amount of nickels. After repeated passive-aggressive shakes of the head, or insane helmeted mutterings we decided it wasn't worth it. So we played soccer, got a Slurpee and went to the park.
So here's the question: was it unreasonable for me to ask that people make room for a dad using one lane of the bike trail to teach his kid how to ride his bike? Should I have more respect for the super-commuters who use (I'm being generous) their ride home to blow off steam from a rough day? I honestly don't know. My wife says I was brave to even try.
In any case, for those fellas who grumbled at us, there's no chance I'll ever do this again. It's simply not worth it to try and 'take back the trail' from the type A'ers who make it their own personal Indianapolis 500. You scared my kid.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Why Journalism Matters
Journalism matters because the only video we've seen out of Syria has been taken by individuals on camera phones.
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