I like the music posts. Sometimes they turn me on to music I like, much like Glenn Reynolds pointed me toward SF authors I like. Not 100% all the time but still good.
Heartily endorse the Dinner in America movie. For me, it echoes Raising Arizona. I like the music posts too. Most reviewers are so filled to the nostrils with self-esteem that whatever they say about the artist or song gets lost in the freighted prose they favor. If I want word salad, I’ll enroll in Gender Studies.
Word salad is the tell for all pseudo intellectual pursuits. Find me one unreadable sentence in Thomas Sowell’s work. Really looking forward to Clifton Duncan’s Sowell tribute.
I spent a whole lot of time when teaching trying to get students to write "plainly" so their expected reader can more easily get their message. It never ceased to amaze me that college students, even grad students, needed to be taught that.
I had one student who was actually making a living as a free-lance writer who challenged me a lot about that. So I convinced her, as a test, to write a couple of pieces using my "rules". She agreed. Then she told me she got more positive feedback on those two than usual. She adapted her style a bit, but she plainly preferred a more word salad approach.
That seems to get instilled in them around 5th grade, when they have to write more than a paragraph and just hate writing. So sad.
And I can barely read reviews of anything anymore because so many of them are author-oriented rather than reader-oriented.
I'm afraid that the music posts have pushed me over the edge. I'm an active performer, arranger, and conductor but I just can't get into your frame of reference. Everyone is entitled to their own taste and preferences, so no disrespect intended, but you may want to look at some other idioms in addition to Retread Rock.
I rather like them as a break, but wouldn't I think, as a full-time thing. I don't usually find many of the songs interesting enough to seek out more. But that's undoubtedly because my musical tastes were captured decades ago, and my favorite music was recorded before I was born.
But keep them coming. I think of it as a favor to your readers. I check out all the songs because, who knows? Maybe I'll discover something I do want to add to my list, and it isn't like you're pushing that atonal stuff.
Thanks for the mention of Kim Deal. I was only vaguely aware of the Pixies and completely missed the Breeders at the time, but have been following up a lot on these lately. She and her sister are great musicians.
The Phasing cut was my favorite here, but liked a few of the others as well. Good stuff.
Keep up the music and movie/TV show posts plus any random thoughts you may want to throw our way. I also get exhausted by everything political and need a brain break now and then.
I like the music posts. Sometimes they turn me on to music I like, much like Glenn Reynolds pointed me toward SF authors I like. Not 100% all the time but still good.
Heartily endorse the Dinner in America movie. For me, it echoes Raising Arizona. I like the music posts too. Most reviewers are so filled to the nostrils with self-esteem that whatever they say about the artist or song gets lost in the freighted prose they favor. If I want word salad, I’ll enroll in Gender Studies.
I've had the same thought the last couple of days, trying to read album reviews...
Word salad is the tell for all pseudo intellectual pursuits. Find me one unreadable sentence in Thomas Sowell’s work. Really looking forward to Clifton Duncan’s Sowell tribute.
I spent a whole lot of time when teaching trying to get students to write "plainly" so their expected reader can more easily get their message. It never ceased to amaze me that college students, even grad students, needed to be taught that.
I had one student who was actually making a living as a free-lance writer who challenged me a lot about that. So I convinced her, as a test, to write a couple of pieces using my "rules". She agreed. Then she told me she got more positive feedback on those two than usual. She adapted her style a bit, but she plainly preferred a more word salad approach.
That seems to get instilled in them around 5th grade, when they have to write more than a paragraph and just hate writing. So sad.
And I can barely read reviews of anything anymore because so many of them are author-oriented rather than reader-oriented.
Enjoying the first song of Waxahatchee's upcoming album. Mellow, to use a 70s word.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL3iHhERWJw&ab_channel=Waxahatchee
I'm afraid that the music posts have pushed me over the edge. I'm an active performer, arranger, and conductor but I just can't get into your frame of reference. Everyone is entitled to their own taste and preferences, so no disrespect intended, but you may want to look at some other idioms in addition to Retread Rock.
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I rather like them as a break, but wouldn't I think, as a full-time thing. I don't usually find many of the songs interesting enough to seek out more. But that's undoubtedly because my musical tastes were captured decades ago, and my favorite music was recorded before I was born.
But keep them coming. I think of it as a favor to your readers. I check out all the songs because, who knows? Maybe I'll discover something I do want to add to my list, and it isn't like you're pushing that atonal stuff.
Thanks for the mention of Kim Deal. I was only vaguely aware of the Pixies and completely missed the Breeders at the time, but have been following up a lot on these lately. She and her sister are great musicians.
The Phasing cut was my favorite here, but liked a few of the others as well. Good stuff.
Keep up the music and movie/TV show posts plus any random thoughts you may want to throw our way. I also get exhausted by everything political and need a brain break now and then.
Welp, I'm crazy about that Lauran Hibberd song, so thanks for the discovery!
This one's my favorite of hers so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSv1OM-ZD5U