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Hi Matty,
I agree with most of your points, except the part about J’s music being "in the middle". I understand that it was a comment on musical complexity, not skill or appeal, but his music has been too big & important & integral in my life to be categorized that way.
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Quote:Discuss what a "celebrity" is to you, why people are celebrities, and what you think who we chose as celebrities says about us.It’s interesting to see who gets "celebrated" in our society. My thought is that people who achieve fame in either the movie industry or the music industry are people who A) have connections, or B) have proved their marketability (even though they may lack talent). Celebrity is not achieved, it is designated. Big movie houses, big record labels, and big media (owned by big corporations) do the honors.
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Quote:I think people are always looking for an escape, and they get that escape by watching other people’s lives.I think there’s some truth in that. I think that people are basically just afraid to become introspective; to question their tastes and beliefs and values. Americana is a very cushy culture; people often prefer to be ignorant and happy than educated and multi-mooded. If people started to question themselves and their upbringings, and acknowledge their inherent complex nature, you would have anarchy, or at least a little cultural revolution. And no one really wants to be bothered with that.
Unfortunately, our society places a very high value on money. You can see it in the way Dubya has encouraged us to express our patriotism by spending money, as if my identity as an American were defined solely by my ability to earn and spend capital.
As long as people are paying the bills, putting food on the table, and buying Playstation cartridges for the kiddies, they are content. Perhaps not as enriched or happy or well-rounded as they could potentially be, but content. We have our freedom (supposedly), we’re providing for our families, what else do we need? Why do we need independent film, symposiums on race, Fugazi records? Why stir up the shit when it’s not bothering anyone just sitting there stinkin’ on the sidewalk? Give me good clean American fun; fresh faced young white adults making sappy movies with predictable storylines and not-too-complex dialogue or emotion. It’s what I’m used to. Comfort food.
Bland music and bland movies also set a (seemingly) reasonable standard for people, as far as what they should/can aspire to. You just have to look good and play by the rules; how hard can that be? Don’t have to be smart, just crafty enough to get the girl/land the career/kill the bad guy. Not to mention all the "reality tv" crap that teaches people that it’s okay to be manipulative, conniving, dishonest, and cruel if the prize is $1 mil.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but damn if the government doesn’t have a hand in keeping the American public dumb.
more on this later
Rosa(Jaron, I can’t believe you came to California & didn’t tell me. I’ll avenge that…be sure of it… [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] )
Maxini, I’ve been wondering about you lately!
Good to see your name again…missed you!
Take care over there,
RosaSomeone else will have to help Jaron…Rosa is very sick…. [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img]
xo
RosaHi Shade
After the guys had their accident this year, I had this recurring dream where I would go to a Fog show, talk to J at the bar, and ask him if I could see where his back was broken. And he would pull up the back of his shirt and show me this big bruise, as if it were no big deal. The funniest part was when he said, "Try not to touch it".
And as long as we’re talking about weird dreams, I had a dream about Slash last week, and then he was on Conan the following night. COINCIDENCE? I think so.
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RosaYeah, McDonald’s recently got sued by a group of Hindus over the french fry thing. And Taco Bell beans are meat-free, but they do prepare their rice with chicken stock. A lot of fast-food chains post nutritional info on the web or in their restaurants; I also have friends who’ve worked in those places, & they give me the deal on the ingredients.
As far as gelatin, there are a couple of different kinds; it can be derived from animals or from plants. I try to just be as aware as possible.
It’s interesting how, when you don’t eat meat, people always jump at the opportunity to point out gaps or inconsistencies in your reasoning. I try to just be honest with myself, and do what I can to honor my health & my conscience.
Rosa
Indeed, the right-aligned icons are very un-shui. And my board is no longer centered. And actually, I miss the foggy icons. They reminded me of the Billie Jean video; lit up when you touched em.
xo
RosaVery nice, dfk!
I think one of my favorites came from Details magazine (to which I subscribed many, many years ago…back before it sucked). They did this collection of photos of artists in their own homes; I remember the spread included Sir Mix-a-Lot and Kim & Thurston.
Anyway, the picture was of J sitting in a chair in this messy room, surrounded by crates filled with records. I think he had a blue jacket on, and a hat, and he’s kind of leering down at the camera. It’s very cute.
Good to see your name dfk–
take care
RosaI would never push my beliefs on anyone else, but for the sake of the bbs debate format…I shall respond!
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Quote:I would love to try being a vegetarian, It’s just damn near impossible today. Plus vegetarian’s really aren’t that much healthier.No, it’s not impossible; it’s actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. And it can be healthier; part of the reason I cut meat out of my diet was for my health. I have this funky condition where I have to regulate the amount of hormones in my body; part of my regimen is not eating a bunch of animal that has been pumped-up with hormones to make it tastier. In addition to regulating other aspects of my diet (caffeine, for example), cutting out most meats has greatly reduced the frequency & intensity of the attacks I get.
Also, by not eating meat, you consequently eat only a minimal amount of fast food (McD’s, BK, etc.), and therefore you consume less fried crap. Pretty good deal; I’m convinced it helped me get back into shape after college [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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Quote:Vegan’s always are asking "what gives us the right to kill animals for our own gain" I always answer, "the same right that lets a leopord kill a zebra."If humans went out into the wild, hunted down an animal, killed it, and ate it, that would be just fine with me. I don’t believe it’s altogether wrong to eat animals; I just don’t think they have to be tortured while they’re alive (i.e. insemination, breeding, "farming", hormone treatments, redistribution of waste, etc.).
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Quote:Vegetarianism just looks real colorful , a real rainbow of exotic food that I don’t come upon very oftenAnother common misconception. People think that if you’re vegetarian, you have to eat all kinds of weird crap, which isn’t true. 8 or 9 times out of ten you can eat what everybody else eats, just minus the meat. I get burritos from Taco Bell, just with no beef (& no tomatoes…I hate tomatoes).
Becoming vegan would be really difficult for me, if only because it requires so much planning; I don’t want to think about food all the time. But I guess I thought of being vegetarian that way, too, and I got over it. It just becomes natural after your diet has been switched up for a few months. And every time I get a craving for a burger, I just think of the reasons why I don’t eat them, and the craving goes away.
Again, just my opinion; I would never force my views on anyone else. Just doing my part to support the boards [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
Take care
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Quote:by our standards birds nest soup and cooked dog is pretty unpleasant.<blockquote><font>quote
Quote:Over in Beijing , they massacre those cute lil furry things in the open market and I wouldn’t doubt they do it hereI don’t see how ‘cooked dog’ is any more unpleasant than, say, ‘cooked pig’…is it just cuz they’re ‘cute lil furry things’? [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] And why is killing it in an open market any worse than killing it in a private facility?
definitely no saint, but I do what I can,
Rosa
Ahh, so many guitars, so little money. [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img]
I don’t like Ovations; the frets are so tiny. I mean, I have small hands and I find them tricky. And they have that rounded, plastic back that I hate; even if I have the strap nice & snug, a plastic-back will slide out from under itself so it’s basically in my lap. I hate that.
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Quote:I see what yer saying though , rosa , the boob can rest against the guitar adding to the reverberation . Try it , only after you strike a chord press your fist against the body and her the sound change . Press hard enough and get a whammy effect .Not sure exactly what the hell you’re talking about here T….are you saying that my breasts can be used as an effects device?? [img]images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] Never thought of it that way; wonder if Hendrix ever considered adding prosthetics to enhance his sound.
The best thing to do, if you’re a female & you play, is to find a guitar where one boob can rest in the little narrow part of the body. (You’ll have a curved red line on your chest but it’s a painless price to pay.) If a guitar is too big, or just too wide through the middle, you will find yourself unpleasantly crushed. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
take care
RosaHey Tony,
I have no idea what model my Gibson is; I’ve looked it up (via serial number) in several databases, to no avail.
The old guy that gave it to me said that it was either a 1966 or ’67. He’d put these decals on it, by the pegs; one is a dragon and the other is a tiger. When I was home (NY) this summer, we ran into each other at an open mic and he laughed at me for keeping the decals; he said "I thought for sure the first thing you’d do was take em off". But I like them, they add history & character.
The body is pretty small, which fits me just fine. I was having the thick-sound problem, but a friend of mine who owns a guitar shop recommended the phosphor bronze strings– man, what a difference.
I use medium-gauge strings (I tend to break the light ones), and I use Dunlop nylon pics in a variety of widths (depending on what kind of sound I want).
Man, I love my guitar. You should see it; the headstock has been broken & glued back together, and half the tuning pegs were reapplied at an angle. It’s my mutant child.
xo
RosaHey Half,
What school do you attend? And what other speakers will be there?
I minored in Race Relations when I was in college, & am thinking about taking up a couple classes to pursue that some more (if I can scrape together the $$).
The Conference sounds interesting; I’d be interested in hearing a little more about it, if you have time.
Take care,
RosaHey there Sappy,
I’m no expert, but I am with Tony; Takamines are reasonably priced, super-easy to play and they sound shweeeet….can be a little tinny, but thicker strings can usually remedy that. The Takamines also have a really unique shape that I haven’t seen in other makes; really comfortable to hold sitting down or standing. Lots of females that I know prefer them for their shape (but I’m assuming you’re a guy, so you don’t have to worry about the boob factor [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] )
Also keep in mind that the tactile appeal of acoustics can be adjusted by switching the strings. I play a Gibson; they do feel rather thick at first, but I use phosphor bronze strings which makes the sound & action a lot more crisp.
But as with any product, individual taste varies; you really gotta just dedicate an afternoon to going to the store and trying out as many as you can get your hands on. You can find decent guitars for a couple hundred here in the States; shouldn’t be too hard where you are either.
Good luck,
RosaHey boys,
Just a point; "mulatto" is also a derogatory word for a person of mixed race. I’m consistently surprised when people apply it to themselves.
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Quote:I think it’s shame , that I am not allowed to use the N word , yet niggaz can call each other niggaz .Ever hear the expression "nobody picks on my little brother but me"? Yeah, kinda like that, in my humble opinion.
‘nighty-night
Rosa "rhymes with mimosa"
