i don't know what i can do to help this situation, but it's a rough one. it deals with the adoption of a youth named Alex, and trying to get him out of his terrible life as a street child in Ethiopia. this has been on my friend Brittany's blog for a while...check it out.
http://intothedeep.wordpress.com/2007/05/19/emergency-appeal-for-alex-do-something-people/
peace and God bless,
Nick
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Can Music "Shine" Through Evil?
I'm writing from my dorm at 4 AM, a bit tipsy from the last weekend before the last finals of the year at ONU. I don't want to leave, and I've been avoiding thinking about the end of the year.
Anyway, I was on Youtube watching a live video of Collective Soul playing "Shine", and, reading the comments, I was informed of the following: Cho Seng-Hui, the psycho who committed the Virginia Tech shooting, listened to "Shine" on repeat incessantly.
Wow. This is really crushing and disturbing. This haunting, beautiful song and I go way back. I moved heaven and earth trying to get an MP3 in 2001, and when I finally got the album that year, the spring before eighth grade graduation, Ross Childress' ripping solo helped drive me to wanting to learn guitar.
How could someone like Cho draw affirmation for their evil self from such a beautiful song and/or be utterly unaffected by the song's overall message and music: "Heaven let your light shine down"? How the FUCK can someone have the idea that it's okay to cut 32 lives short and yet still want to hear "Shine" over and over? These kind of things sure challenge my core belief that music (and all art) can permeate the soul, drive out evil, and bring love.
This article in the Village Voice offers an excellent commentary on the whole situation.
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/music/archives/2007/04/collective_soul.php. Their conclusion is thus: like the innocence of a town or a "pre-tragedy" attitude, a song can be yet one more abstract "innocent casualty" of an overwhelming, horrifying event. This makes sense. Imagine: If I hit someone with my car while Van Halen's "Jump" were playing, that song would be over for me through no fault of Eddie and Diamond Dave.
I don't know how I'll regard "Shine" from now on, but I can say with fair confidence that for me, and that for 99.999% of people (ordinary citizens, spiritual warriors, and rock stars alike), a beautiful song is a little incongruous with murdering 32 innocent people.
I guess some .001% people are so twisted that their evil shell cannot be cracked, not by a song, not by anything in this earthly realm. But that still doesn't explain why Cho would want to hear this song.
P.S.
Speaking of the VT situation, it goes without saying to keep praying. And EVERYONE needs to see this memorial to the late students.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18143312/
Read the names and see the pictures. Make time to do this. Each and every one of these people deserves respect and a proper memory.
God bless,
Nick
Anyway, I was on Youtube watching a live video of Collective Soul playing "Shine", and, reading the comments, I was informed of the following: Cho Seng-Hui, the psycho who committed the Virginia Tech shooting, listened to "Shine" on repeat incessantly.
Wow. This is really crushing and disturbing. This haunting, beautiful song and I go way back. I moved heaven and earth trying to get an MP3 in 2001, and when I finally got the album that year, the spring before eighth grade graduation, Ross Childress' ripping solo helped drive me to wanting to learn guitar.
How could someone like Cho draw affirmation for their evil self from such a beautiful song and/or be utterly unaffected by the song's overall message and music: "Heaven let your light shine down"? How the FUCK can someone have the idea that it's okay to cut 32 lives short and yet still want to hear "Shine" over and over? These kind of things sure challenge my core belief that music (and all art) can permeate the soul, drive out evil, and bring love.
This article in the Village Voice offers an excellent commentary on the whole situation.
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/music/archives/2007/04/collective_soul.php. Their conclusion is thus: like the innocence of a town or a "pre-tragedy" attitude, a song can be yet one more abstract "innocent casualty" of an overwhelming, horrifying event. This makes sense. Imagine: If I hit someone with my car while Van Halen's "Jump" were playing, that song would be over for me through no fault of Eddie and Diamond Dave.
I don't know how I'll regard "Shine" from now on, but I can say with fair confidence that for me, and that for 99.999% of people (ordinary citizens, spiritual warriors, and rock stars alike), a beautiful song is a little incongruous with murdering 32 innocent people.
I guess some .001% people are so twisted that their evil shell cannot be cracked, not by a song, not by anything in this earthly realm. But that still doesn't explain why Cho would want to hear this song.
P.S.
Speaking of the VT situation, it goes without saying to keep praying. And EVERYONE needs to see this memorial to the late students.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18143312/
Read the names and see the pictures. Make time to do this. Each and every one of these people deserves respect and a proper memory.
God bless,
Nick
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Profound Revelation: Part 1
This idea came to me as I was trying to nap, and I had to get up and write it down.
In terms of the most exaggerated, cookie cutter, lame junior high stereotypes, you have the "jocks" and the "nerds". The attractive, socially adept, cool kids vs. the less-adept kids who are fucking geniuses in creativity or thought. I was a nerd. I'm still learning to accept that. But that's not the point.
Let's think about how (male) members of these two groups might insult each other in stirring up a fight. In this corner, we have the jock with the sexy girlfriend, good slang, and cool status. What would someone stereotype him for lacking and tease him about? They'd call the jock a dumbass, leaping to the foolish conclusion that they must be totally stupid.
In this corner, we have the nerd who may or may not be up to par socially, but who lacks the clout of his jock-y counterpart in spite of brilliant mental capacity and a very deep way of seeing the world. How do you insult the nerd? Call him on his nerdiness; point out that he lacks a hot girl, a social life and mad hoop skillz.
The nerds insult the jocks by saying the jocks lack smart cred, which the nerds have and the jocks want. The jocks insult the nerds by saying the nerds lack social cred, which the jocks have and the nerd wants.
In conclusion, each person wants what the other person has, and not what they already possess.
In terms of the most exaggerated, cookie cutter, lame junior high stereotypes, you have the "jocks" and the "nerds". The attractive, socially adept, cool kids vs. the less-adept kids who are fucking geniuses in creativity or thought. I was a nerd. I'm still learning to accept that. But that's not the point.
Let's think about how (male) members of these two groups might insult each other in stirring up a fight. In this corner, we have the jock with the sexy girlfriend, good slang, and cool status. What would someone stereotype him for lacking and tease him about? They'd call the jock a dumbass, leaping to the foolish conclusion that they must be totally stupid.
In this corner, we have the nerd who may or may not be up to par socially, but who lacks the clout of his jock-y counterpart in spite of brilliant mental capacity and a very deep way of seeing the world. How do you insult the nerd? Call him on his nerdiness; point out that he lacks a hot girl, a social life and mad hoop skillz.
The nerds insult the jocks by saying the jocks lack smart cred, which the nerds have and the jocks want. The jocks insult the nerds by saying the nerds lack social cred, which the jocks have and the nerd wants.
In conclusion, each person wants what the other person has, and not what they already possess.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Critique of Fall Out Boy's Single Based On One Full Listen in My Car
...in one paragraph.
I've heard bits of the song, "This Ain't A Scene, It's an Arms Race" at miscellaneous parties (meaning I just heard muffled noise and maybe a little bass) but I finally was "priveleged" with a full listen on my car radio. When I first heard the danceable verse beat, and the shallow-yet-catchy lyrics about words and weapons, I was engaged. Even the yelled title section, with its snarky wit and its unnecessary use of the Lord's name in vain, gets in your head and makes you want to yell along. Then it all was ruined. The chorus hit me. That stupid BOOM BOOM CHA double beat which I hate (except in the context of At the Drive In or me drumming it myself as a joke) came up. Why, oh why? That thumping bass drum, like the heart beat of a whining emo kid....it's so CLICHE! It makes me want to jump into a mosh pit, not to feel the energy of the song, but to instead beat the ass of whoever supports the idea for that damn beat.
Final Grade of Song : B minus
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
I've heard bits of the song, "This Ain't A Scene, It's an Arms Race" at miscellaneous parties (meaning I just heard muffled noise and maybe a little bass) but I finally was "priveleged" with a full listen on my car radio. When I first heard the danceable verse beat, and the shallow-yet-catchy lyrics about words and weapons, I was engaged. Even the yelled title section, with its snarky wit and its unnecessary use of the Lord's name in vain, gets in your head and makes you want to yell along. Then it all was ruined. The chorus hit me. That stupid BOOM BOOM CHA double beat which I hate (except in the context of At the Drive In or me drumming it myself as a joke) came up. Why, oh why? That thumping bass drum, like the heart beat of a whining emo kid....it's so CLICHE! It makes me want to jump into a mosh pit, not to feel the energy of the song, but to instead beat the ass of whoever supports the idea for that damn beat.
Final Grade of Song : B minus
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
rock and roll
I can't stand when I still occasionally hear relgious fundies talk about rock as "the devil's music" or "fleshy music" or "the empty music of the world". I see rock as a very spiritual and positive thing. When I listen to "When the Levee Breaks" or "Us and Them" or "Jump", I don't think, "Gee, this song makes me want to disregard the people around me and live arrogantly for myself with selfish actions!" A good song makes me want to strive upwards, appreciate the beauty of life, and get more in touch with the love of God and the universe. And isn't that a good thing?
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Why Myspace bulletins are stupid
I logged into my myspace to check bulletins and I noticed one of my friends posted a bulletin with their name done obituary style. For example, "BOB SCHMITT* 1986-2007".
* Bob Schmitt is the best pseudonym ever.
Here's what the bulletin read:
Ooookay. First of all, these kind of "if you don't ___, you will ___" things are annoying anyway, but to make a threat towards someone's FAMILY??? Not only is this disrespectful to my friends who have actually lost one of their parents or someone close, but how dare a fucking text bulletin on the Internet make a threat towards my family?!! Who the fuck would make such a thing? And for those of you who would repost such a thing- I guess it's good that you demonstrate care for your family even through superstition- but the God of the universe Who loves us is not going to let harm befall you or your family because of a fucking Internet bulletin. Shit happens in this world, but it definitely isn't caused as a result of you not posting a bulletin.
In conclusion, Myspace is annoying and if Myspace could be incarnated into a single human entity (probably a whining emo guy), I would beat its ass.
Peace,
Nick Fed
* Bob Schmitt is the best pseudonym ever.
Here's what the bulletin read:
You opened it which means u really care....!!!!! Because you opened it now
you have to repost this saying R.I.P. with your name, the year you were born,
and the year now. If you don't your mother will die in 12 days w/a horrible
sickness but if you do the one person you truly love will show you their true
feelings for you...........!!!!!!
Ooookay. First of all, these kind of "if you don't ___, you will ___" things are annoying anyway, but to make a threat towards someone's FAMILY??? Not only is this disrespectful to my friends who have actually lost one of their parents or someone close, but how dare a fucking text bulletin on the Internet make a threat towards my family?!! Who the fuck would make such a thing? And for those of you who would repost such a thing- I guess it's good that you demonstrate care for your family even through superstition- but the God of the universe Who loves us is not going to let harm befall you or your family because of a fucking Internet bulletin. Shit happens in this world, but it definitely isn't caused as a result of you not posting a bulletin.
In conclusion, Myspace is annoying and if Myspace could be incarnated into a single human entity (probably a whining emo guy), I would beat its ass.
Peace,
Nick Fed
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
