This is A Test- Antifolk

Antifolk

Bible Gun

Bible Gun I like them. Check out their myspace as well for some other stuff. I hear them occasionally at the Sidewalk Open Stage on Mondays, as I did last night. I hadn't heard them in a while. They are getting better and better. Follow these folk. I have no idea what their music means. But I like it.

Do We Need Civility?

Probably. I personally like civility. But what we really need is a willingness to change our minds. Random thoughts here, but hear me out.  I have seen it written that although we have passionately held beliefs, which includes the belief that those who disagree are wrong, we need to be civil etc. But who are these people who have such strong beliefs and are espousing them in public, other than people who want to convince others, or to supply rallying cries and arguments to others of the same persuasion? Where are the people are actually trying to have a conversation to learn or modify their own beliefs?  Seriously why if one has a passionately held position would one want to talk about it, unless one wants to convince others? But that is not an orientation toward the truth-- it is the opposite of seeking the truth-- it is a prideful search for a way to have others views of the world coincide with your own, or to attain a particular end.  Given the complexity of the world and the issues surrounding us any one claiming to have the truth is claiming either omniscience, or hewing to simplistic ideologies that make the world easier to handle. They may call them principles, or values, but if we are to be oriented toward truth the first value we should seem to have is a willingness and desire to test our own beliefs, to be critical of our own notions as well as others and to always hold them as provisional.

So calls for civility and the toning down of the rhetoric are good, I guess, but they merely mean that we will continue to avoid the search for truth but we will do it politely.

First Month of Every Sunday--Lance Romance

Please forgive any harsh tone in the previous posting. All negativity has been washed away by attending the Lance Romance with Federal Roosters show. It was their last show ever.. They have their last show ever, the first month of every Sunday at the Sidewalk. Or so I gathered.  Apparently next month their last show ever will be the second Sunday. What with the Super Bowl and all. You should go. There have been some memorable moments at these shows. Tonight it was Andrew Hoepfner improvising lyrics with some classic Creaky Boards vocal and piano stylings on "Sleeping Booby".  It was deranged. It was nuts. It was wonderful. This is the way to welcome people to the world.

I Need to To Go Scream of Life

Radio station playing song after song about new babies. They're all in this mournful minor  folky mode, musically, though the words are supposed to be  (joyful?) These are reflections, these are meditations. I want to shout at the DJ "Will you stop mourning life?" These songs are  supposed to touch us.  Oh the DJ informs us these are "heartfelt" welcomes to the world. This is like welcoming people and saying "It's so good to see you-- sorry you will eventually die in despair...."

Come on guys, why bring our issues to the new generation right off the bat? Let's meet the kids on their own terms...

How's about a scream of life?