Yesterday at Instapundit I was uncharacteristically drawn into a moronic debate, this one about music. I almost never get into online arguments, because they are utterly pointless. At least a decade ago I realized I had never once lost such an argument; but that never once had my opponent realized he had been vanquished. So why waste one's time and energy?
Instead, I try to hone my neurons and keep the synapses in shape by coming up with a pointed gag or zinger or quasi-infallible aphorism a la Dávila. These are not for the edification of their recipient. Rather, just a regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber.
This mirrors a much larger cultural phenomenon having to do with... with everything, right? I don't want to take this post in that direction. Too big a subject. Suffice it to say that
Engaging in dialogue with those who do not share our assumptions is nothing more than a stupid way to kill time (Dávila).
Agreement is eventually possible between intelligent men because intelligence is a conviction they share.
Intelligence is a train from which few do not deboard, one after the other, in successive stations.
Nearly every idea is an overdrawn check that circulates until it is presented for payment.
What does he mean by this? Let's say I'm a naive metaphysical Darwinian. I have written a check to the First Bank of Natural Selection that claims "humanness" is entirely reducible to selfish genes. The check bounces. It comes back to me with a note, "insufficient funds."
What happened? I'm sure I had sufficient funds to cover the check: my portfolio is quite diversified and includes status, tenure, conventional wisdom, conformity to my peers, the climate of opinion, even some junk metaphysics in a hedge fund.
You forgot one thing: the nature of what is, and how we may know it. How is this possible if Darwinism is true? Not only have you been living on credit, you are actually as bankrupt as California would be if it were honest about its literally unpayable debts.
But here is what I don't understand: this post was supposed to be about music.
47 comments:
Speaking of music... Came across this recently. Never realized that Elivs could play the guitar - though it was more of a prop for him:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4mVP8XcF2k
He could play a few chords. But it was mostly a prop.
Nevertheless, he taught everyone how to properly play a guitar.
I read the other day that Keith Jarrett suffered a series of strokes and will likely never perform again. One of the all time greats.
Funny, I always just assumed Elvis could play.
This guitarist spent 15 minutes analyzing his playing in that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMkyIJ0g5sg (and 680K people watched it!)
It just looks to me like he's just playing an open E, a malformed A, and homemade D, i.e., a simple blues progression. Even I can do that.
I mean E-A-B.
I'm watching video now. JOHNNY RAMONE DOWNSTROKES.
The cover of his iconic first album. I'm not sure why it's a mystery that he played guitar.
Of course, you could never teach someone how to look so cool while playing it.
Here he is, giving ideas to Jimmy Page.
When the Beatles met Elvis at his house in 1965, he was sitting on the couch playing a bass guitar most of the night. The bass line to Mohair Sam by Charlie Rich, if I recall correctly.
Much more shocking is the idea of Jerry Lee Lewis playing guitar.
Or Ray Charles blowing sax.
James Brown, the funky drummer.
Not to mention Little Stevie.
I read that Joey Ramone composed on a one-stringed guitar. I count two on this one. For jazz and classical, I guess.
Continuing with yesterday's popular theme, here is Rahsaan Roland Kirk playing several instruments at the same time. He could also play nose flute. (Cousin Dupree just made a vulgar but predictable joke.) Moreover, he could play several melodies at the same time, harmonizing with himself -- or two melodies and one drone.
Okay, what if I told you Joey Ramone started off as the group's drummer before they discovered his.... unique vocal skills?
Roy Orbison actually made a movie called The Fastest Guitar Alive, featuring a guitar-rifle combo. Useful for hecklers.
RRKirk looks like he could give Dizzy Gillespie a run for his money in the cheeks department.
Roy Orbison as a Western hero is... unexpected.
Speaking of keeping the mind limber, I once debated with myself at a blog over the politics and religion of Elvis.
Self “A” promoted the idea that he was a proto-conservative evangelical. Self “B” promoted the idea that he was a pre-libertarian/liberal agnostic. This was easy because in reality, Elvis had been pretty open and vague about what his politics and religion actually were.
After many comments, the owner finally stepped in to tell us that “we” had been wasting our time. I asked if our fighting might be turning off the other readers. He said no. We were wasting our time because we were his only readers.
Years later, I decided that keeping the mind limber enough to take in nuance, as in seeing life as consisting of many interrelated and interdependent groups of simple and complex equations, seems smarter than keeping the mind in a binary state, which means seeing everything in simple left or right, right or wrong terms.
But as I age, I’m realizing that the latter way is a lot less work.
Elvis' spiritual life is actually a quite fascinating subject. I'd love to write a book on it if the family would grant full access to his extensive library. They say he highlighted copiously and left a lot of notes.
Do you think he would share his leftover drugs with you? Asking for a friend.
Dupree, I don't need any drugs, being criminally insane. But when I get caught I'll send you whatever they prescribe.
Speaking of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll, here's a zinger you may heard:
"Things are gettin' clearer
Yeah I feel free
...to bear my skin, yeah that's all me
Nothing and me go hand in hand
Nothing on my skin...
That's my new plan
Nothing is Everything
(instrumental break)
I see nothing in a different way...
And it's my moment so I just gotta say..."
Now that's some good sh*t right there. Anyone know who sings it?
I do not know whether in another world the devil punishes an irreligious society. But I see that here it is soon punished by aesthetics.
I may have already told the tale of my time at the county fair lumberjack show, but it might be worth retelling.
This was last year, before any virus shutdowns. The stands were full as the lumberjacks got ready for their show. There was this guy sitting right behind us, who kept talking trash about “libtards” and “socialists”, loudly enough for others to hear. His wife and 2 kids kept telling him to just calm down and enjoy the day. But he could not, since something had apparently triggered him.
I said to my wife, “Something’s really gotten to him. See any libtards or socialists around?” We looked around. Nope. Just families and couples, no visible tattoos or antifa shirts with nary a negro to be seen. My wife shrugged her shoulders. So I snarkily told her that the manly lumberjacks with their lederhosen and muscles must’ve triggered some latency in the man. She gave me the polite “stop” touch gesture and thankfully the show began.
But the man behind us wouldn’t quit. He kept going on about libtards and socialists. Even worse, I had apparently planted a mental image in the heads of myself and my wife and a horrible case of the giggles ensued. You know, like the kind you got in the 7th grade with your buddy when you were supposed to be acting all serious. It was excruciating. Finally, my wife the extraverted one, turned around to the angry man, pointed at the lumberjacks and said “They’re so gay.” After a group laugh so vicious it almost paused the show, the mans attentions were thankfully diverted. Now it was loud mumbles about “queers” and “fags”.
I’m just passing this along as advice, for those who don’t want any trouble during a lumberjack show. Thanks for you time.
The smile with which the pig hears the one who criticizes the mud!
Let's talk about pop music. Who are you liking these days?
I've been listening to a Christian music radio station and just about every song is awesome sauce. I heard the name Jeremy Camp mentioned, otherwise I don't follow who or what band is playing what. This radio station is bomb. Anyone else listen to this kind of music?
Anybody have a favorite new strain? I picked up a gram of Cookie Face from Essence Dispensary and it is straight fuego. The nugs are frosty with trichomes with orange hairs and purple sugar leaves all over them. Very pretty. The effect is relaxing af. I am looking to try a strain called "King Louie the VIII" next. It is supposed to be as smelly as the its namesake monarch reputedly was. Hopefully it will be sticky and super dank.
Food wise I've been hitting the Habanero Mango Chicken at Vons, $7.99 for eight pieces. What are you guys eating on these days?
Just checking in, howdy y'all. No attitude here.
-Reverse Cowgirl
To mature is to see the increase of the number of things about which it seems grotesque to give an opinion for or against.
-Reverse Cowgirl,
When I was in high school I was into heavy metal. My sister came home from college, saw my black sabbath collection, and was horrified. So she placed an Amy Grant record facing so I would see her very pretty face, hoping to tempt me into that direction. Intrigued, I gave her a whirl. Not the music mind you, but I masturbated to that record cover. To this day, I get a feeling of terrible guilt whenever Christian music is mentioned.
Today having taste is enough to qualify one as a puritan.
In the past my kinfolk helped raise barns. Today we watch Johnny Rotten play a fat pundit on Fox News.
Makes sense. Donny Ramone is our first punk president.
https://youtu.be/1qpM2wSD7BA
Sinatra and Elvis. Does not get any more punk than that.
While clicking around youtube I found this nice clip of Sinatra & Peggy Lee. Notice how their singing is so relaxed and conversational.
That's a fun one. You can tell they genuinely enjoy each other's company.
We came across a recording recently of The Rat Pack: Live at the Sands. It's a hoot; makes you wish you could have been there.
Shifting gears, somehow I got on a Biden mailing list. Got a message this morning that was so tonedeaf, it can't not be shared (a little, anyway - it just keeps going on and on, ending with a plea to vote for Jow). Tagline was "let me mansplain..."
Julie, does this sound familiar?
Woman: "Can I have birth control?"
Republicans: "No."
Woman: “I have been unable to conceive. Can I get In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)”
Republicans: "No."
Woman: "I couldn't get birth control so I got pregnant. Can I have an abortion?"
Republicans: "No."
Woman: “I’m pregnant and need advice on carrying the baby and post-delivery care. Please reopen Planned Parenthood Facilities.
Republicans: "No."
It's increasingly apparent that Dems think the average voter - and average female - is mentally retarded.
*ha - not Jow, Joe. Need coffee.
Democrats treat women & blacks like retarded and excitable children. Of course, there's no reason to be offended by this if you are a retarded and excitable child. Rather, it no doubt feels like a kind of flattery -- they feel my pain!
In order to educate the people, liberalism pampers them until they have been turned into dissolute adults.
Yes, it's there in the way they pose the dialogue. Not as a conversation between adults, but rather as a set of demands such as a child might ask of a parent: "Can I have..." with the implication that it is the responsibility of the parent to provide.
In a sane world, those questions wouldn't even be asked, because adults don't (or shouldn't) need permission from An Authority to go to a doctor, nor do they expect that someone else must pay for their care.
But what if the child is being beaten by the adult?
All the more reason to get out from under mommy state's thumb.
Meanwhile daddy cowers.
Speaking of cowering daddies, I just found out that not only is Kelly Ann Conway slightly taller than John Bolton, she's also slightly taller than her husband George.
No wonder Trump hated them both.
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