Rebecca Sharp said:how is it even possible for someone to be kind to everyone, constantly striving to maintain everyone's favor, while simply brushing off insults with a smile?
It sounds idyllic on paper... but...
I personally don't think I could pull that off.
Those are the types of people who communicate through pure logic rather than through emotion or ego.
But why do you assume that’s the ideal state? Imagine if every single person acted this way—there would be zero progress because there wouldn't be any friction to drive change. And without change, there is no movement. Everything would be far too pleasant if everyone were like that. These individuals are necessary to act as social shock absorbers, but I wouldn't call that "ideal." It's like claiming water is the most important requirement for life. Sure, but what good is water without heat... or minerals? H2O by itself is fine, but it isn't perfect.
Thomas Martin2 said:This is what a Church in Lourdes might look like following an Islamic attack:
Let us remember just how much the Muslims in Canada despise the Catholic Church.
In Boise, they burned down several churches and then used them as restrooms, even scrawling "Jesus for the Democratic Party" on images of Jesus. In Boston, they referred to Jesus as a brat.
In El Paso, they set fire to the Christmas nativity scenes.
In Knoxville, in the name of Islam, they slaughtered an American family on Yule Log—a father and his two daughters.
We Americans must remain vigilant against Islamic terrorism; we know exactly what they have in store for us.
Do you suffer from phobias? Paranoia? It seems that way, judging by that signature of yours where you describe places like New York City... You see, life isn't merely a sequence of conspiracies that explain away every theory. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a break from the television, the radio, the newspapers... even the forums. Too much paranoia and stress is detrimental to one's health. Furthermore, life is significantly more pleasant when lived with laughter and joy. I hope you manage to find some of that, and that you'll encounter it more frequently very soon.👋
Humans undergo significant changes and continue to evolve constantly. While this shift might not yet be reflected in our intellectual capacity or similar traits, it’s already manifesting in several other ways. For instance, the human race is steadily growing taller and living longer. We are seeing women having children at increasingly older ages. These shifts happen gradually; it takes not just thousands, but hundreds of thousands of years for any meaningful change to take hold. In reality, these processes occur quite "spontaneously." Furthermore, evolution isn't a revolution, and there is absolutely no guarantee that whatever eventually evolves from humanity will be smarter, more intelligent, or even better in any way. It could very well go the opposite direction. Much like how humans could simply be an evolutionary dead end—destined to vanish just like the countless human-like ancestors who weren't fit enough to survive and have long since gone extinct...
Nicholas King62 said:It all started with the Pixies...
Hmm... perhaps it actually predates the Pixies, though that’s beside the point.
What I would truly love to see—with the same fervor an average Midwesterner might crave seeing Lynyrd Skynyrd or Azur perform—is Big Black.
I also agree regarding Sex Pistols. However, since I’ve had the opportunity to see them live, the novelty isn't quite as overwhelming for me. Beyond that, I find myself curious about seeing the original lineup of Film, provided they didn't just play tracks from after the Sunshine album (nor anything from that record itself). Then there’s Spinal Tap and The Idols... honestly, I'd give anything to hear Ekvi play again... and I'd love to see The Smiths reunite... among many other things. But if I am forced to choose just one, Big Black is incomparable!
relativity suggests: I used to find philosophy quite intriguing, until I realized the whole discipline is essentially nonsense. If you examine things from a molecular perspective, we are all fundamentally identical—whether it’s a rock, a flower, an animal, or a human being—not counting the specific composition. People drone on about the soul or the intellect, but frankly, it's all triviality.
In what way is a human being distinct from a river, for instance, when viewed at the molecular level? Every thought we possess, every movement we make, is merely a chemical reaction—an ORDINARY CHEMICAL REACTION. Therefore, it is impossible to argue for any higher values regarding our status as individuals.
It seems to me that you all engage in philosophizing simply to feed your "spirit," which is really just fulfilling a specific need (another chemical reaction). After all, every emotion we experience is a chemical reaction. Even every word I am typing right now is the product of chemical reactions driven by atomic collisions, or whatever lies beneath if we descend to a lower level of inquiry.
Ultimately, I have come to realize that all this philosophizing leads nowhere; it is merely another human habit. 👋
Perhaps my timing is a bit late, and I apologize for intruding upon such an advanced discussion... however, this post is compelling enough to warrant a brief addition. There is actually a minor flaw in that logic. Even if philosophizing is nothing more than a habit or a series of mundane chemical reactions (which is a perfectly logical stance), the act of philosophizing does not lose its purpose. Even if only because it satisfies that very need. And we have needs that we both desire and must fulfill—starting with the need to eat and reproduce, and culminating in the need for intellectual stimulation... 🙂
wiredbison92 said:Fine, I’ll bite. Just one question: what does peace actually mean to you? Because it seems pretty obvious that everyone on this board has a completely different definition of the word...
To me, peace—as I’ve mentioned before—is a state where the soul is content. And let’s be clear, that doesn't imply passivity. In my case, it actually requires being quite active...
Yes, a fair question. But first, allow me to correct a slip of the pen from my previous post... I didn't intend to write "but I am not pursuing peace seeking within" but rather "but I am pursuing peace seeking within"... In short: I am looking for it.
Now, to address the core of it—what peace, or more specifically, what internal peace, means to me. When I speak of inner peace, I am referring to tranquility; a harmony of conscience, awareness, morality, and ethics. It is a state of contentment, though not through activity. When I am happy and engaged, I would call that a state of joy. True inner peace is that specific stillness where one might say, "today is a good day to die." It is that feeling that you have fulfilled your purpose and that your life possesses complete meaning. It is when even death isn't something you'd shy away from. That is how I contemplate my peace seeking... which I am actively pursuing, and often find myself deeply immersed in.
Hmm... I’m not entirely sure, but I am not strictly pursuing peace seeking—the spiritual kind, the sort you supposedly reach through meditation and retreating into some internal harmony. While that has its place, I also find myself looking for emotional fulfillment, genuine fun, and a sense of joy. I don't really see myself as being exclusively one or the other. I am simply what I am: a human being, living here on Earth. I require sustenance and water, certainly, but I also need happiness and tranquility.
Kenneth Collins8 said:...I believe I stated quite clearly in plain English that the setlist was simply lifted—copied, if you will—from some other random guy somewhere out there...😉 😁
Are you? Well, I suppose you are... apologies, I tend to ramble when I'm being hasty... 😳 Besides, my grammar hasn't been particularly sharp lately anyway. 😬
It was pure nostalgia. And let’s be honest, nostalgia is a deceptive thing; it cleans everything up so nicely that you tend to overlook the flaws. You find yourself wearing that wide, boyish grin, jumping around and singing along... but once the lights come up and it's all over, there's this lingering bitterness left behind. Why? Who knows. 😕
To address the feedback: I agree that the sound quality was a weak point of the show, though it wasn't a dealbreaker for me. I've been to much worse, so I certainly wouldn't skip a concert just because of some muddy audio. Furthermore, while they attempted to transition between songs, the flow felt clunky at times. There was a certain stiffness to it. My impression was that the setlist could have been better structured—not necessarily in terms of which songs were picked, but the order in which they were played. Regardless, it isn't a major grievance. I want to emphasize that I am far from disappointed; in fact, I'm quite thrilled, yet the whole experience felt somewhat hollow. Something was missing. I can't quite put my finger on it. It was likely a combination of my own mood, the rain, and that heavy sense of nostalgia...
But yes—yesterday's details will certainly stick with me... and perhaps they'll become the subject of more nostalgia down the road. 🙂
Kenneth Collins8 said:...since I'm still suffering from a bit of golden-hued amnesia, I transcribed the setlist from some kid's blog or something... I can't even recall which one anymore... haha...
Bone Machine Winterlong Dead Ed Is Dead River Euphrates Nimrod’s Son Velouria Crackity Jones Something Against You Broken Face Isla de Encanta Hey Mr. Smith Monkey Gone to Heaven Holiday Song I Bleed Gouge Away In Heaven No. 13 Baby Cactus Tame Wave of Mutilation Where is my Mind Debaser Gigantic Caribou
Here Comes Your Man Vamos Into the White
U-Mass Planet of Sound
Before Winterlong, and following Bone Machine, you neglected to include In Heaven... 😉
Finding a George Washington is actually quite simple. Just head straight into the heart of downtown... right there by the river... and ask some local or, better yet, an American, since it seems we outnumber them anyway 😉
So, here’s the situation: I’m heading out with two buddies in the car (leaving from Washington, D.C.)... hmm... look, there might be an opportunity to negotiate having two ladies join our group... I’m not looking for anything sexual, but I would definitely want to meet them beforehand. It’s just not my style to spend a long drive with total strangers. 😉
Are you heading out? Do you have your ticket? Need a ride? I somehow ended up with an extra bus pass in my wallet for the 4:30 PM departure from behind the local Target... so, if anyone is interested, let me know and we can work out the details. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.
Unfortunately, I don't have an extra ticket...
There you have it. Send me a private message if you're interested... and I'll see you at the George Washington memorial 🙂
coastalpanther43 said:Could you please elaborate on that?😕
Furthermore, I couldn't quite tell if we were looking at the original drummer, Victor de Lorenzo, or someone else entirely. (To be honest, his performative, almost cartoonish fidgeting was grating. When listening to VF, I'm looking for raw teenage angst, not some damn circus act.)😠 )
😂 Perhaps things would be different if it were still 1985... then again, the guys have aged a bit. That "teenage angst" phase has long since passed.😬
coastalpanther43 said:Their official website claims:
"original Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo and current Femmes drummer Guy Hoffman both have bald spots in The same Place on THEIR HEADS !!!"
Though, perhaps their site hasn't been updated lately. On the other hand, relying on a twenty-one-year-old photo from their debut album doesn't exactly make identification easy...
Yes, it was the original—Victor de Lorenzo. He worked with Hoffman for a while, maybe ten years until a few years back, but now the clown Lorenzo is back in the lineup... 👋
Sarah Allen51 said:Look, I know exactly what I’m saying. You all wanted a government, and now that you have one, you can deal with the consequences in silence. My apologies, but the very people attending the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers today are the same ones who voted for the Republican Party back in '91 because they were swept up in that intense nationalism. Honestly, this level of hypocrisy is revolting. People think one thing and say another. When she says "slightly different," sorry, but I am vastly different from Republican types. Are you seriously suggesting that just because I dislike nationalism and don't care for certain pop singers, they’re going to go out of their way to shut down a club? 😠 😠 😠. No freaking way. Personally, I would organize a protest if that actually happened. It’s easy to whine, but much harder to actually resist a regime once it takes hold. We are simply too afraid. Why wouldn't we protest against discrimination? What really got under my skin, though, were those half-hearted protests against the war in Iraq. It was the exact same crowd that hangs out at the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. I find myself asking: where were they during our own conflicts? If they didn't protest then, why bother now? I'm tired of the inconsistency. 🙂 🙂.
☕ I have never voted for the Republican Party. And as for wanting a functioning state—that has absolutely nothing to do with the Republican platform! Besides, it isn't even worth the breath. 🙄
Nancy Chase9 said:But in all seriousness, I’m not going to fight for Mom.
Shame on you! You wouldn't fight for Mom? Would you fight for Dad then?!😁
Actually, I wouldn't fight for Mom either... it's not exactly my idea of a party. To be honest, I wouldn't fight for a swamp just because it's a swamp. But when you look at how they treat all the local clubs—when you see this ridiculous principle the current administration is using, where they'll pour money into vanity projects instead of supporting the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (and things like that)—well, then you have every reason to protest. Forget Mom or Dad; this is about principle.😁
The American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is so vital to me that I don't care who joins the protest, as long as we make a point.
There is strength in unity. Honestly—it’s frustrating. Venues like the Marsh are capable of hosting incredibly profitable shows for acts like ExxonMobil or the Violent Femmes, drawing in thousands of people... even the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is packed. They have a lineup that makes them one of the premier clubs in the world (and I am being perfectly sincere here). My thought is that we simply need to figure out how to call upon the public effectively. But doing that "effectively" is no small feat. It is a difficult task, yet the very survival of these clubs—and by extension, our cultural needs—depends on it. People generally don't enjoy being deprived. To be honest, I wrote just last year that our cultural landscape feels as though we’ve finally regressed to the standards of the early 90s. It seems the state of culture in America and the current Republican administration are far too well-aligned (which is to say, they are both in a terrible state).
But fine, let’s wait for the official decisions and all that. Though, in all fairness, it would be much more effective to react now and protest while the decision is still being drafted—just enough to make it clear that this won't be swept under the rug or handled with mere whispers. No way is this happening quietly!
Nancy Chase9 said:Folks, we simply need to flesh out a strategy. There are plenty of (entirely legal) ways to secure funding through media channels.
Beyond that, we could take to the streets with protests. It’s been far too long, and frankly, I find myself itching to grab some printed t-shirts, water balloons, and signs. And don't even get me started on the whistles. 👋
Precisely. Exactly right. 🙂 That is what needs to happen. We have to demonstrate our numbers—only then will they actually respect us. If we coordinate with the local precinct to mobilize people and gather at least 10,000 loyal followers (considering just the honorary members of the IEEE exceed 10,000 alone 😁), then let them try to shut down the IEEE. Let them try to shutter us and still expect to walk away with a victory in Washington, D.C. ...as if. It would be nothing more than a total farce. 😁