xpaddy01

I'm going out on a limb here, but if I don't do this I'll "think" about it too much and end up doing nothing. I'm still new to both the OL community and The Ludwig von Mises Institute. I've also been trying to make sense of the doings in Washington both at the end of the Bush Administration and the beginning of the Obama Administration. In reading article on either the Mises Institute or Reuters one gets the sense things may be getting dire. Some have suggested what's being done may be irreversible. I don't know -- yet. I'm more the eternal optimist: it's how I'm wired. I keep thinking somehow what's been done can yet be "undone". But where to begin? How do we (I'm being presumptuous that I'm good enough as a beginning Objectivist to be a part of this) affect real change? How do we do it at a personal level? How do it at the local, state and national level? (I suddenly hear Sting's lyric "... men go crazy in congregations, they only get better one by one....").

Hopefully that made sense... I'm fighting a cold and need take some NyQuil head off to bed, but I can't stay on the sidelines anymore. Of course I've probably stepped into the litter box nicely! I'll be back tomorrow night!

Welcome, Mark!

Oooh! Another guitar player! Acoustic and electronica... Does that mean you like both kinds of music (country, AND western ?

How long have you been playing? I've been playing for 32 years, still do rock bands, record, write.

You will surely enjoy your time here. There are so many versatile, talented folk to meet. And they're nice, too.

Just avoid conversations about air conducting. Well, no...go ahead, that's good too.

Best,

Rich

Thank you, Rich!

Country AND Western, along with a little bit of Eastern work just fine in my world! I'm primarily a rock guitarist who's been playing for over 40 years, but just recently back on electric (since Sep. 2004) with my beloved Strat. I'm still trying to get back in the game.

Nice is good! I think we've had about 30 years of nasty to last us a couple of life times!!

Well, we have to include "air conducting" as it's what we guitarists, do! Unless you're referring to the air guitarist version for conductors.. wanna see my Leonard Bernstein!! I also do a great Michael Tillson-Thomas for only being 5'7-1/2"!!

Chat as chat can!

Mark

Yep, You'd better believe that Michael had kitty litter in his grape nuts the next morning! meow.

Kat

LOL!! Why does that not surprise me, Kat? Ahh, but, Michael, she still loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah! ;)

Grammy 2009

I'm sitting here listening to the Grammy on TV and I think I'm getting old. This stuff is awful.

Maybe I have been spoiled by shows like Rock in Rio and other similar down in Brazil. They know how to do live sound down there.

Is there some kind of union issue with sound engineers here in the USA? There is just nothing but horrible horrible sound blaring at me. Every musician worth his salt knows live sound on TV is problematic, so I can make a discount for that. But what I am hearing right now is bullshit.

Even the artists. Keriiipes! Nobody sings. What the hell is going on? Even the rap artists sound more like Dr. Seuss than cool rappers. When there was a more traditional melodic artist like Neil Diamond, he talked and honked his way through "Sweet Caroline."

Alison Krauss was the only one who did any actual singing from what I heard, but they put her stuff together all messed up and managed to make her tiresome. You have to work hard to make Alison Krauss tiresome.

I think the worst moment wasn't musical, though. Some joker got up and said Obama had received 2 Grammies in the past and called on our glorious comrade Commander in Chief to create a cabinet post of Secretary of the Arts.

I'm going to go listen to a train wreck (I think I can find a recording somewhere) to see if I can clear my ears out.

Sorry to sound bitter, but I shrugged years ago and it still bothers me. Shit like this Grammy hurts...

Michael

EDIT: Kitten just reminded me that I missed listening to Paul McCartney. So I don't know how he did. But in my present humor, it's probably better that way. I missed some others as well, thank God...

I passed on the Grammys, which, for a musician seems odd. There wasn't anything of interest for me. In 2007 it was the return (briefly I'm afraid) of the Police. Prior to that the opening of the 2006 Grammy's had a musical "mash-up" of several bands which seemed to work.

I understand the producers of the show were trying to revise the format to bring more viewers in. Apparently they didn't succeed.

And, Michael, how are you NOT in the doghouse (or litter box, maybe? ) with Kat for missing Sir Paul!

Her music is amazing...very unique.

~ Shane

Unique aptly describes her I think. I first discovered her after buying Jeff Beck's "You Had It Coming" album. From there I bought Frou Frou, but haven't found a copy of her first album. Her recent appearance with Jeff Beck on “Performing This Week… Live At Ronnie Scott’s” on her song "Blanket" was, for me, one of the highlights. First because I was taken by her voice and her words, and second how gracious Jeff was in becoming merely "one of the band" for this number. Speaks well of both artists!

Mark,

Good to have you on board. Welcome to the Objectivist community. If you have any questions or the like, feel free to ask them. This community is in my experience the most friendly and tolerant Objectivist community on the web, so don't worry about embarassing yourself and getting excommunicated.

The guitarist tunes up? Are you a musician?

Sorry for not answering this sooner. It was rude of me! Yes, I am a guitarist, which covers a lot of ground electrically and acoustically!

This lyrics on this one are by Neil Peart and the Rand influence is pretty evident in phrases like, "if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." and of course, they tell you they are choosing free will over determinism.

When I listened to Rush back in high school, I had no clue about Rand. It's fun to revisit this as an Objectivist and see the philosophy behind their music.

You can choose a ready guide

In some celestial voice

If you choose not to decide

You still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears

And kindness that can kill

I will choose a path that's clear

I will choose free will

Good Canadian boys, eh? I recently revisited Ayn Rand because of Neil Pert. I'm not sure how deeply Neil has delved into her works. Anthem was the basis for 2112, if I recall (I'm recently revisiting Rush in general). I would highly recommend anyone to visit Neil's site if for nothing else to read his diary and assorted writings. He is indeed a wonderful write. And, finally, I think Neil would fit in quite nicely at Galt's Gulch. I think he lives an objectivist life through his drums, his music, and his whole life.

And, really, isn't that what we all want?

(sorry for being gone so long.... )

Welcome aboard, Mark.

That first leap is a problem, isn't it?

I had the same problem just a few short years ago when I started posting for the first time.

You'll be fine. There are many really good smart people around here and I am pretty sure you will make more than a few friends.

btw - ANYBODY who likes "The Virtue of Silliness" is already my friend, sight unseen.

Michael

Thanks very much, Michael! I'll probably spend a lot of time initially just reading. There's a lot here to cover! And TVOS was wonderful because a) I'm a cat person, B) the cat references and puns were brilliant, and c) I'm the "other" romantic (different, I think, from the definition of "romantic" Ayn Rand uses to describe her work and philosophy) who loves a good tale of two souls finally finding one another.

Mark

To All:

I've decided to take a deep breath and dive in amongst the Objectivist, my self a converted lifetime "bleeding heart liberal" (although recently I tried to actually figure out what that was and if it really applied to me... Bad time to do so after reading "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead"). I'm still working (or re-working... I read "AS" and "TF" along with much of Ms. Rand's work in the 80s... this time I've added the Branden's works, too) on trying to absorb Objectivism and try to apply it in my own life. I found this site though the wikipedia entry on Barbara Branden and definitely decided to join after reading "The Virtue of Silliness". How could I not?? ;)

Anyway, I'm doing this off the top of my head and on impulse because if I don't a week will go by, which probably tells y'all more about me right off the bat! I do have the feeling I'll be quite comfortable here. ;)

Chat as chat can!

Mark