I was present at the Raleigh stop of the Warped Tour today. I must say that despite the rain, I had a good time. I was a little miffed by a couple of the bands though. First, I was checking out The Casualties, a sort of gutter punk band, ie dayglow mohawks and liberties and yelling over melodic three chord riffs. You get the idea. At any rate, towards the end of their set, they pointed over to the other main stage, where Underoath (a Christian screamo band) was preparing to go on next and said something to the affect of, "When you leave here, let's go give those Christians hell." Then, an hour after Underoath finished, NOFX played. I wasn't there for the beginning of the set, but, according to my roommate, they said all the Christians could leave when they started. I was there later on when Fat Mike, the lead singer, said the following (again, it's a paraphrase):
"You know North Carolina is the best state in the country, right? Haha. I'm just saying that to get you to buy our cd's...actually, dont' buy our cd's. Buy the Underoath cd because you get to go to Heaven. Our cd's won't get you anything."
He was joking obviously and I laughed. But the fact that two bands took shots at their tourmates just for being Christian bothered me. I don't know a lot about the Casualties, but I'm assuming they're at least somewhat political. And I know the guys in NOFX are political. Fat Mike founded punkvoter.org and released two anti-bush compliation albums on his label, Fat Wreck Chords. So here's my question: aren't liberals supposed to be all about tolerance and diversity? I mean, I understand that most of them hate Bush and feel like he's brought his faith into the job too much. That's fine. I'm not a Bush fan either and I have no desire to live in a theocracy. And I realize that the majority of practicing Christians are conservatives also. I'm not saying I don't understand why they're at odds sometimes. But how does juvenile humor and unprovoked attacks solve anything? Every other band I saw today had nothing but nice things to say about the other bands on the tour. They spent their limited time complimenting the other bands and encouraging the crowd to check out their friends and heroes. And NOFX did some of that too. But for some reason they felt the need to take shots at the Christians in attendance while they were at it. That's okay though. They/we can take it. I just think it's silly and immature and I wish I could expect better from men in their thirties with a bunch of impressionable kids listening to them. Most of all, I just think it's another symptom of the fact that, while no one's allowed to make fun of any other political, social, or racial group in the country, Christians are fair game. I'm usually up for any time of humor and I rarely get offended. I just hate that there's such a double-standard. I'll stop ranting now though.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Monday, June 19, 2006
it's theoretical, not personal
I wanted to clarify my last blog entry since the elder Miss Crosswhite seems to have been upset by it.
I didn't mean to say that I think girls are evil. I didn't mean that I don't believe in love or happiness. The entry wasn't even about me at all really. I just think that instead of one special person and only one person that you are destined for, there could be multiple people out there that you're compatible with and that you'd be equally happy dating or married to. I don't see that as a negative thing.
While we're on the subject though, it bothers me when people tell me that they know I'm going to find someone. I realize they're just trying to be encouraging, but I don't agree. After years of watching movies and reading fairytales, Americans have developed this nothing that everyone has someone out there waiting for them. The Christian community has co-opted that idea, turning it into a faith issue. "Don't worry. God has someone special for you." I guess that's a nice thought, but I don't remember the passage of the Bible where God promises everyone a mate. Lots of wonderful people, both Christian and nonChristian, go their whole lives without ever finding someone. I'm not saying that I'll neccessarily be one of those people, but I don't think you or anyone else has any evidence to the contrary. I may meet some amazing girl and fall in love tomorrow. And I may die at eighty-five without ever having been married. I don't think there's anything pessimistic about considering both possibilities.
I didn't mean to say that I think girls are evil. I didn't mean that I don't believe in love or happiness. The entry wasn't even about me at all really. I just think that instead of one special person and only one person that you are destined for, there could be multiple people out there that you're compatible with and that you'd be equally happy dating or married to. I don't see that as a negative thing.
While we're on the subject though, it bothers me when people tell me that they know I'm going to find someone. I realize they're just trying to be encouraging, but I don't agree. After years of watching movies and reading fairytales, Americans have developed this nothing that everyone has someone out there waiting for them. The Christian community has co-opted that idea, turning it into a faith issue. "Don't worry. God has someone special for you." I guess that's a nice thought, but I don't remember the passage of the Bible where God promises everyone a mate. Lots of wonderful people, both Christian and nonChristian, go their whole lives without ever finding someone. I'm not saying that I'll neccessarily be one of those people, but I don't think you or anyone else has any evidence to the contrary. I may meet some amazing girl and fall in love tomorrow. And I may die at eighty-five without ever having been married. I don't think there's anything pessimistic about considering both possibilities.
there is no Neo, said the spoon
I don't believe in "the one." I didn't before my last relationship and I certainly don't now. I guess I've never been a big believer in fate or determinism or predestination or whatever you want to call it. Our lives are, without a doubt, influenced by outside forces, but we're still logical creatures that make decisions and choices. You can certainly find a one, but the? That one person you were meant to be with from birth? The only person you could ever truly be happy with? I don't think that exists.
That's not to say you shouldn't believe the one you're with is "the one," if that makes you happy. But I'm against the concept for a few major reasons:
1) It gives to much credit to fate. So many girls think they can just sit back and wait for their prince to come, for some guy to fall into their lap. They don't want any guy who doesn't come out swinging, who doesn't attempt to woo them. And too many of them won't give a guy a chance if he doesn't fit that ideal in their head.
2) If someone's "perfect for you," then you expect things to be perfect. Successful relationships take a lot of work and a lot of right choices and it's easy to forget that when you're caught up in emotion. It's easy to rest on your laurels, confident that you've finally found that special someone and let things fall apart right in front of your eyes. And when things aren't perfect, when there are problems and work that has to be done, too many people cut and run, secure in the knowledge that it must have not been "meant to be" if things were so hard.
3) On the other side of things, people sometimes cling to a relationship that's obviously not working because they had some feeling, some premonition that this one was going to last and they don't want to let that go. We've all seen it, that friend who puts up with constant abuse, who soldiers on through fight after fight, through numerous metaphorical or literal slaps in the face because their emotions tell them that they have to. Because, from the beginning, they knew. They "just knew."
So call me a cynic if you want to. Tell me I don't have enough experience to make statements like that. Tell me that I'll find her someday and then understand. That's fine. I know I can't change anyone's mind about something they've probably believed their whole life. Just promise me you'll be careful.
That's not to say you shouldn't believe the one you're with is "the one," if that makes you happy. But I'm against the concept for a few major reasons:
1) It gives to much credit to fate. So many girls think they can just sit back and wait for their prince to come, for some guy to fall into their lap. They don't want any guy who doesn't come out swinging, who doesn't attempt to woo them. And too many of them won't give a guy a chance if he doesn't fit that ideal in their head.
2) If someone's "perfect for you," then you expect things to be perfect. Successful relationships take a lot of work and a lot of right choices and it's easy to forget that when you're caught up in emotion. It's easy to rest on your laurels, confident that you've finally found that special someone and let things fall apart right in front of your eyes. And when things aren't perfect, when there are problems and work that has to be done, too many people cut and run, secure in the knowledge that it must have not been "meant to be" if things were so hard.
3) On the other side of things, people sometimes cling to a relationship that's obviously not working because they had some feeling, some premonition that this one was going to last and they don't want to let that go. We've all seen it, that friend who puts up with constant abuse, who soldiers on through fight after fight, through numerous metaphorical or literal slaps in the face because their emotions tell them that they have to. Because, from the beginning, they knew. They "just knew."
So call me a cynic if you want to. Tell me I don't have enough experience to make statements like that. Tell me that I'll find her someday and then understand. That's fine. I know I can't change anyone's mind about something they've probably believed their whole life. Just promise me you'll be careful.
there goes the sun
For those of you that don't know, I work part time at Toys [backwards]R Us. It doesn't pay hardly anything and it gets insane around Christmas and boring the rest of the year, but it's not a horrible job to have, all things considered.
When I first started working there, I immediately hated the music. It was Christmas time, so, of course all the songs were Christmas songs. I hate most Christmas songs anyway and the fact that all of them were Disneyfied didn't help. There was even (horror of horrors) a Macarena Christmas mix. I wanted to shoot myself.
Things got better after Christmas ended though. The songs were still mostly really bad, but they would rotate every day, so it was bearable. Then, after I'd been there a while, the satellite music system we used broke somehow. The first day, there was weird static coming through the speakers periodically and we couldn't use the intercom at all. Then, it stopped working completely and we went without music for a while. It was peaceful and I have to say I enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, we all knew it couldn't last. The music would return. Instead of getting the satellite system fixed, the managers simply switched back to the old system, a tape player that only plays special tapes we get from corporate. So now, instead of the music rotating and being different every day, the same songs play day after day until we get a new tape. The tapes are longer than normal tapes, but short enough that you can hear the same songs at least five or six times, if not more, in an average shift. It doesn't take long to get sick of songs when you hear them that often and it doesn't help when they're stuff like the "Tail Spin" theme or a Kids Bop version of a Hillary Duff song.
I provided all this back story just to say that we got a new tape yesterday. Along with the usual annoying crap (much of it repeats from earlier tapes that I already loathe), there's a couple of decent songs on there. Only I never know how to feel about good songs being on the tapes. On the one hand, it's better than the tape being full of all kids songs, but, on the other hand, I know I'm going to wind up hating songs that I previously enjoyed. I've already gotten sick of such classics as Modern English's "I Melt With You," The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville," and Lisa Loeb's, "I Do." Now, "Here Comes the Sun," which is an excellent Beatles song is doomed to follow the same path. After a two or three months of hearing it fifteen to twenty times per week, I'll never be able to hear it again without thinking of Bratz Dolls and The Nintendo DS. Sad.
When I first started working there, I immediately hated the music. It was Christmas time, so, of course all the songs were Christmas songs. I hate most Christmas songs anyway and the fact that all of them were Disneyfied didn't help. There was even (horror of horrors) a Macarena Christmas mix. I wanted to shoot myself.
Things got better after Christmas ended though. The songs were still mostly really bad, but they would rotate every day, so it was bearable. Then, after I'd been there a while, the satellite music system we used broke somehow. The first day, there was weird static coming through the speakers periodically and we couldn't use the intercom at all. Then, it stopped working completely and we went without music for a while. It was peaceful and I have to say I enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, we all knew it couldn't last. The music would return. Instead of getting the satellite system fixed, the managers simply switched back to the old system, a tape player that only plays special tapes we get from corporate. So now, instead of the music rotating and being different every day, the same songs play day after day until we get a new tape. The tapes are longer than normal tapes, but short enough that you can hear the same songs at least five or six times, if not more, in an average shift. It doesn't take long to get sick of songs when you hear them that often and it doesn't help when they're stuff like the "Tail Spin" theme or a Kids Bop version of a Hillary Duff song.
I provided all this back story just to say that we got a new tape yesterday. Along with the usual annoying crap (much of it repeats from earlier tapes that I already loathe), there's a couple of decent songs on there. Only I never know how to feel about good songs being on the tapes. On the one hand, it's better than the tape being full of all kids songs, but, on the other hand, I know I'm going to wind up hating songs that I previously enjoyed. I've already gotten sick of such classics as Modern English's "I Melt With You," The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville," and Lisa Loeb's, "I Do." Now, "Here Comes the Sun," which is an excellent Beatles song is doomed to follow the same path. After a two or three months of hearing it fifteen to twenty times per week, I'll never be able to hear it again without thinking of Bratz Dolls and The Nintendo DS. Sad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)