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I went out the other night to a Dundalk bar. Dundalk bars suck. I walked in and the first thing I asked for is a guinness. They don't serve it. They don't even have a draught. So it was budweiser for me. Now, I hate budweiser. I don't mean to sound like a snob or anything, but I can't stand mass market American beer. Some local microbreweries are awesome, like the beer at the Brewer's Art. But when it comes to Budweiser, Coors, Etc., the Europeans are right. It tastes like piss. Face it, they know what they're talking about because they perfected the stuff.
So anyway. Kristi and I were there to see a band that some of her friends are in called Quarter Til. The people were very nice and I liked them, but they were a cover band. There is no species of animal that I take more pity on in the music world than the cover band.
It can be really great when a good band covers a song and puts their own spin on it. It adds a sense of familiarity to the set, and gets people listening. Plus, every musician wants to pay tribute to their influences, it's only natural. That's fine. But cover bands have traded in originality for approval. Their entire existence is based on familiarity. They are the sum of their influences, and can not aspire to be anything more. What's more is that cover bands tend to be talented in the actual skills of their instruments. The other night I saw some displays a musical prowess that were kind of impressive. But they appear to be lacking the knack or the desire to write original songs. So what we have is a band who has sold out before they had anything to sell. They've gained popularity at the price of their talent.
Rant over.
Now, there are some things I want you to take a look at. Fist of all, is Child's Play. I'm sure a lot of you know about this, but I do have some people on my friends list who aren't gamers so I'll need to explain for them. Child's Play is run by Penny Arcade. For the last few years they have donated toys and cash to children's hospitals. Why toys and not pay for treatment? Well, there are already charities who help with children's treatment. They're very, very important, and support should be given to them. But children's hospitals are lacking in toys for the children to occupy them during their long hospital visits. Happiness can help encourage health a lot better than boredom can, so Child's Play is donating toys to children's hospitals in the US, Canada, and the UK. Check it out, and if you want to give, then by all means please do.
Second, is Bureaucrash. They're a political group with heavy Libertarian/Anarcho-capitalist/Objectivist leanings. I don't care what your political leanings are. Democrat, Republican, Moderate, whatever, if you're interested in politics, it's important to learn about other people's views in order to understand them better. What American politics seems to be lacking is the understanding it once had, if only for a very brief time. I know the Civil War kind of killed it, but its spirit seemed to live on after until recently. All sides of the political spectrum are throwing tantrums over this and that, and nobody seems willing to work together. I think it's up to our generation to stop that. If we can start understanding each other a little better, we can start working together. This is me extending out to you. I'm a part of Bureaucrash. I'm a Libertarian. I want you to know what I think and I want to know what you think. I've read Karl Marx and Ayn Rand, and prefer Rand, but that doesn't mean I hate Marxists.
So anyway. Kristi and I were there to see a band that some of her friends are in called Quarter Til. The people were very nice and I liked them, but they were a cover band. There is no species of animal that I take more pity on in the music world than the cover band.
It can be really great when a good band covers a song and puts their own spin on it. It adds a sense of familiarity to the set, and gets people listening. Plus, every musician wants to pay tribute to their influences, it's only natural. That's fine. But cover bands have traded in originality for approval. Their entire existence is based on familiarity. They are the sum of their influences, and can not aspire to be anything more. What's more is that cover bands tend to be talented in the actual skills of their instruments. The other night I saw some displays a musical prowess that were kind of impressive. But they appear to be lacking the knack or the desire to write original songs. So what we have is a band who has sold out before they had anything to sell. They've gained popularity at the price of their talent.
Rant over.
Now, there are some things I want you to take a look at. Fist of all, is Child's Play. I'm sure a lot of you know about this, but I do have some people on my friends list who aren't gamers so I'll need to explain for them. Child's Play is run by Penny Arcade. For the last few years they have donated toys and cash to children's hospitals. Why toys and not pay for treatment? Well, there are already charities who help with children's treatment. They're very, very important, and support should be given to them. But children's hospitals are lacking in toys for the children to occupy them during their long hospital visits. Happiness can help encourage health a lot better than boredom can, so Child's Play is donating toys to children's hospitals in the US, Canada, and the UK. Check it out, and if you want to give, then by all means please do.
Second, is Bureaucrash. They're a political group with heavy Libertarian/Anarcho-capitalist/Objectivist leanings. I don't care what your political leanings are. Democrat, Republican, Moderate, whatever, if you're interested in politics, it's important to learn about other people's views in order to understand them better. What American politics seems to be lacking is the understanding it once had, if only for a very brief time. I know the Civil War kind of killed it, but its spirit seemed to live on after until recently. All sides of the political spectrum are throwing tantrums over this and that, and nobody seems willing to work together. I think it's up to our generation to stop that. If we can start understanding each other a little better, we can start working together. This is me extending out to you. I'm a part of Bureaucrash. I'm a Libertarian. I want you to know what I think and I want to know what you think. I've read Karl Marx and Ayn Rand, and prefer Rand, but that doesn't mean I hate Marxists.