So you may know that recently a pilot has been charged with raping African school kids during a charity event thing.
What is really interesting is a picture of the pilot shows him playing an accordion which promoted an acquaintance to say to me 'You play one of them things don't you?' to which I wanted to explain the difference between an accordion and a melodeon but instead decided to let it go and just say 'yes'.
He then gave me the evilest look ever and walked off. I wasn't really sure what happened but then I remembered another time a few years ago when I was considering paying the banjo. A large number of people I knew begged me not to because they said it was a symbol of being an inbred hick. They are of course referring to Deliverance and the famous Dueling Banjos scene (which is an amazing bit of playing, inbred hick or not). People are judging an entire music instrument based on one film and deciding that anyone who plays that instrument or enjoys the music must be on the same level as the fictional people in the film.
I can only guess that the reaction of my acquaintance over the accordion is a similar thing. In his mind accordion = rapist. I found this insane. Why the accordion? Why not him being a pilot? Both are as equally unconnected to being a sexually assaulting nutcase as the other, yet that assumption was made in his head?
I think I really get how catholic priests feel now.
In other news, another friend asked me why Folk music seems to have different names. At first I thought they meant the way old folk tales often get given different titles as it passes through different groups, but are still essentially the same tune or story.
What was actually is meant is why do many folk sets, particularly dance ones, do this:
Next Stop: Grimsby/ The Three Rascals/ Aunt Crisps
I remembered that when I first got into Folk music I didn't quite get this either, and I suppose it isn't something you see in most musical genres. What this is three different tunes merged into one set. Often folk tunes are actually quite short, often because they get repeated over and over.
So here Next Stop: Grimsby is one short tune, the artists want to make a full track out of it so merge it with Three Rascals and Aunt Crisps to make one set made out of three tunes. This is of course where the real skills of the musicians come in. You can't just throw any three tunes together, they have to fit with each other, be easily transitioned and of course involve the same instruments (for the most part).
It is when you think of this that you realise that musicians don't just sit there and learn some tunes and play them again, they do much more than that.
DFTBA
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Rawcliffe Top 10 Part 2 - Songs
Here is my Top 10 list of the best tracks I have heard so far. I did try to avoid simply picking a song from all of my Top 10 artists but sadly that is just how it worked out!
10. Llama Riding/ Dr Faustu's Tumblers - The Gloworms
9. Rumplestiltskin - Flaming June
8. Ly Ly Ladyboy - Seas of Mirth
7. Superfly Set - The Treacherous Orchestra
6. Stop Your Crying Son - Ange Hardy
5. Kitty Jay - Seth Lakeman
4. Temperely Hornpipe/ Oxford University Voluntary Quickstep - Faustus
3. Captain Ward - Spiers and Boden
2. Hole in the Wall - Hannah James and Sam Sweeney
and now, drum roll please....
1. Lillibulero - Bellowhead
I think I will do these every three or four months as I felt a year was too long but a month was not long enough. Join me tomorrow for the final Top 10, this time featuring album choices!
Please follow me on twitter @PaulRawcliffe
DFTBA
10. Llama Riding/ Dr Faustu's Tumblers - The Gloworms
9. Rumplestiltskin - Flaming June
8. Ly Ly Ladyboy - Seas of Mirth
7. Superfly Set - The Treacherous Orchestra
6. Stop Your Crying Son - Ange Hardy
5. Kitty Jay - Seth Lakeman
4. Temperely Hornpipe/ Oxford University Voluntary Quickstep - Faustus
3. Captain Ward - Spiers and Boden
2. Hole in the Wall - Hannah James and Sam Sweeney
and now, drum roll please....
1. Lillibulero - Bellowhead
I think I will do these every three or four months as I felt a year was too long but a month was not long enough. Join me tomorrow for the final Top 10, this time featuring album choices!
Please follow me on twitter @PaulRawcliffe
DFTBA
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Rawcliffe Top 10 - Acts
Okay so here is the first of my Top 10, we'll start with my Top 10 Acts, now this is for everything I have listened and reviewed since I first started listening to Folk music about 3 or 4 years ago.
10. Whapweasel
A recent discovery although I had heard of them during my initial spread into Folk. From listening to Faustus I discovered Saul Rose, who is now the melodeon player for Whapweasel. So far I have only listened to one album 'Burn' which is before Saul joinned.
I found the album really fun and very very bouncy, typical folk dance music really, which is my favourite branch and probably why it has secured a place in my initial top 10! I have also included them because they have struck an interest, making me want to explore them more, you know music is good when it has this affect on you.
I have Whapweasel down as one of three folk groups I would introduce a new folkie too to try and give them a best of snapshot and encourage them to listen to more.
9. Flaming June
Flaming June had to have a place on my list. The music is catchy even though it is not my usual dance type favourite style. This music is slower, lyric based and I think it is the lyrics that really do it for me. The lead singer, Louise, is very motivated in protecting vulnerable women, a cause which is greatly respectable and (sadly) much needed.
Her passion is very apparent in the music with the song 'Rumplestiltskin' being a very symbolic tale related to these issues.
I think really the fact that Flaming June have been in the Cambridge Charts for the entire duration allowed by the rules is quite an achievement and is certainly a sign of their affect on people.
8. Seas of Mirth
Just hilarious, from twitter and e-mail correspondence to general website you can see these guys don't take themselves seriously in the slightest, and it totally works as a thing! Their pirate theme is taken to ridiculous proportions but it sells and it entertains!
I was horrified to find that a 'hilarious' pun I put at the start of my review of them on Bright Young Folk was later stolen by someone else. This either meant that my review was read or it wasn't as clever as I thought and was actually entirely predictable. We all know which is more likely.
Anyway, their songs are the perfect balance of catchy and funny!
7. Faustus
I first heard of these guys when listening to the Bellowhead collection 'Umbrellowhead' which gathered the other works of many Bellowhead members. They only had one album under their belt at the time (well as 'Faustus' they had two more as a previous incarnation 'Dr Faustus') and it looked pretty ordinary and bog standard with regards to the simple title (Faustus) and basic cover with just the three band members on (on a lovely green background actually, simple but one of my favourite album covers). Inside though was a great delight of tunes with a nice mix of exciting dance tracks such as 'Next Stop: Grimsby/ The Three Rascals/ Aunt Crisps' and 'Temperly Hornpipe/ Oxford University Voluntary Quickstep' and good sung tunes such as 'Ballina Whalers' and 'Acre of Land'. This album even ribbons it all off with a good mix of the two in 'The Green Willow Tree'.
I am also impressed by Faustus when I saw them live at Shrewsbury last year (which I am very sad to not be at this year :'( ). They had a great relationship with the crowd and had a very funny stage presence, not to mention encouraging singing along to Ballina Whalers.
6. Dervish
A proper Irish band here. It must be difficult in many ways for Irish groups that do traditional Irish music, simply because most of the music is not protected by any copyright laws with them being traditional, and so many bands are doing them.
Dervish though do it so well and are extremely popular as a result and I think this is thanks to two aspects, the first is the talented musicians that play the music and the second is the voice of Cathy Jordan. I saw them at Shrewsbury and I couldn't help but notice how warm her accent is, it was very inviting and soothing and this comes through strongly in the music.
They also have good song choices, I think a lot of thought is put into the tunes they decide to play rather than simply throwing out any old tunes randomly.
5. Fleadh
Another Irish band with the same good points as Dervish, but in a way different too (does that make sense?).
I found Fleadh less relaxing than Dervish, but that's because I found them more exciting. There was much more 'Umph!' in their tunes and were much more catchy in some respects with 'The Ballad of John B Whistl'in' being up there at the top.
Good, powerful vocals and a nice varied instrument set up makes this band a must listen.
4. The Treacherous Orcestra
I missed these guys at Shrewsbury due to a tent change and a limited schedule but boy do I regret it. They are a prime example, along with Bellowhead, that you can create some powerful music when you have a huge mix of instruments.
This eleven piece Scottish band used electric guitars and a whole host of folkie instruments to create chaotic tunes such as 'Superfly' and 'Sausages' (These are shorted titles, see them for full tune names). You could see these are the remixers of Folk, merging lots of tunes together to create masterpeices.
3. Ange Hardy
Really been impressed with this one. Ange produced a lovely album called 'Bare Foot Folk' that is frankly beautiful. Her voice, the dynamics, the lyrics, all of them spot on for me. I think with Ange my favourite quality is how sweet she comes across in her music. You defiantly get a strong feeling of her motherly side and it really perks you up!
2. Blackbeard's Tea Party
Another really fun band who don't take themselves too seriously (although they take themselves a little more seriously than Seas of Mirth). They have produced three brilliant albums so far which merge folk and rock really well. They also happen to be an excellent live act.
The variety in this band is a good strong point doing concert style music and Ceilidh style music too (when I get married I SO want these guys to play at the reception)
1. Bellowhead
This just had to be my top. Bellowhead have been a huge influence on me over the past couple of years as they were the first English Folk band I heard and are probably the reason I am here now (in a career sense not life itself sense). Writing this blog, presenting radio shows (well not at the moment) and reviewing for two magazines has all stemmed from how blown away I was from listening to these guys.
Another eleven piece band who use a variety of instruments to make amazing adaptations of tunes. They are considered the best live act according to Chris Moyles and just to make sure this is true I went to see them four times in a year! (well part of this was winning a free ticket and then them finally coming to Liverpool).
One day I was bored and wanted something new and refreshing to listen to. At the time I was experimenting with Irish music (god that makes it sound like a drug), and then a friend sent me 'New York Girls' and that was in then, after listening to the rest of that album and then their previous two I then had to get their individual work compilation and from there my love for Folk music exploded like a virus exploring many different bands!
I'm now even trying to teach myself the melodeon after failing at the fiddle when I was a child and then the banjo more recently. All of this comes from listening to Bellowhead!
10. Whapweasel
A recent discovery although I had heard of them during my initial spread into Folk. From listening to Faustus I discovered Saul Rose, who is now the melodeon player for Whapweasel. So far I have only listened to one album 'Burn' which is before Saul joinned.
I found the album really fun and very very bouncy, typical folk dance music really, which is my favourite branch and probably why it has secured a place in my initial top 10! I have also included them because they have struck an interest, making me want to explore them more, you know music is good when it has this affect on you.
I have Whapweasel down as one of three folk groups I would introduce a new folkie too to try and give them a best of snapshot and encourage them to listen to more.
9. Flaming June
Flaming June had to have a place on my list. The music is catchy even though it is not my usual dance type favourite style. This music is slower, lyric based and I think it is the lyrics that really do it for me. The lead singer, Louise, is very motivated in protecting vulnerable women, a cause which is greatly respectable and (sadly) much needed.
Her passion is very apparent in the music with the song 'Rumplestiltskin' being a very symbolic tale related to these issues.
I think really the fact that Flaming June have been in the Cambridge Charts for the entire duration allowed by the rules is quite an achievement and is certainly a sign of their affect on people.
8. Seas of Mirth
Just hilarious, from twitter and e-mail correspondence to general website you can see these guys don't take themselves seriously in the slightest, and it totally works as a thing! Their pirate theme is taken to ridiculous proportions but it sells and it entertains!
I was horrified to find that a 'hilarious' pun I put at the start of my review of them on Bright Young Folk was later stolen by someone else. This either meant that my review was read or it wasn't as clever as I thought and was actually entirely predictable. We all know which is more likely.
Anyway, their songs are the perfect balance of catchy and funny!
7. Faustus
I first heard of these guys when listening to the Bellowhead collection 'Umbrellowhead' which gathered the other works of many Bellowhead members. They only had one album under their belt at the time (well as 'Faustus' they had two more as a previous incarnation 'Dr Faustus') and it looked pretty ordinary and bog standard with regards to the simple title (Faustus) and basic cover with just the three band members on (on a lovely green background actually, simple but one of my favourite album covers). Inside though was a great delight of tunes with a nice mix of exciting dance tracks such as 'Next Stop: Grimsby/ The Three Rascals/ Aunt Crisps' and 'Temperly Hornpipe/ Oxford University Voluntary Quickstep' and good sung tunes such as 'Ballina Whalers' and 'Acre of Land'. This album even ribbons it all off with a good mix of the two in 'The Green Willow Tree'.
I am also impressed by Faustus when I saw them live at Shrewsbury last year (which I am very sad to not be at this year :'( ). They had a great relationship with the crowd and had a very funny stage presence, not to mention encouraging singing along to Ballina Whalers.
6. Dervish
A proper Irish band here. It must be difficult in many ways for Irish groups that do traditional Irish music, simply because most of the music is not protected by any copyright laws with them being traditional, and so many bands are doing them.
Dervish though do it so well and are extremely popular as a result and I think this is thanks to two aspects, the first is the talented musicians that play the music and the second is the voice of Cathy Jordan. I saw them at Shrewsbury and I couldn't help but notice how warm her accent is, it was very inviting and soothing and this comes through strongly in the music.
They also have good song choices, I think a lot of thought is put into the tunes they decide to play rather than simply throwing out any old tunes randomly.
5. Fleadh
Another Irish band with the same good points as Dervish, but in a way different too (does that make sense?).
I found Fleadh less relaxing than Dervish, but that's because I found them more exciting. There was much more 'Umph!' in their tunes and were much more catchy in some respects with 'The Ballad of John B Whistl'in' being up there at the top.
Good, powerful vocals and a nice varied instrument set up makes this band a must listen.
4. The Treacherous Orcestra
I missed these guys at Shrewsbury due to a tent change and a limited schedule but boy do I regret it. They are a prime example, along with Bellowhead, that you can create some powerful music when you have a huge mix of instruments.
This eleven piece Scottish band used electric guitars and a whole host of folkie instruments to create chaotic tunes such as 'Superfly' and 'Sausages' (These are shorted titles, see them for full tune names). You could see these are the remixers of Folk, merging lots of tunes together to create masterpeices.
3. Ange Hardy
Really been impressed with this one. Ange produced a lovely album called 'Bare Foot Folk' that is frankly beautiful. Her voice, the dynamics, the lyrics, all of them spot on for me. I think with Ange my favourite quality is how sweet she comes across in her music. You defiantly get a strong feeling of her motherly side and it really perks you up!
2. Blackbeard's Tea Party
Another really fun band who don't take themselves too seriously (although they take themselves a little more seriously than Seas of Mirth). They have produced three brilliant albums so far which merge folk and rock really well. They also happen to be an excellent live act.
The variety in this band is a good strong point doing concert style music and Ceilidh style music too (when I get married I SO want these guys to play at the reception)
1. Bellowhead
This just had to be my top. Bellowhead have been a huge influence on me over the past couple of years as they were the first English Folk band I heard and are probably the reason I am here now (in a career sense not life itself sense). Writing this blog, presenting radio shows (well not at the moment) and reviewing for two magazines has all stemmed from how blown away I was from listening to these guys.
Another eleven piece band who use a variety of instruments to make amazing adaptations of tunes. They are considered the best live act according to Chris Moyles and just to make sure this is true I went to see them four times in a year! (well part of this was winning a free ticket and then them finally coming to Liverpool).
One day I was bored and wanted something new and refreshing to listen to. At the time I was experimenting with Irish music (god that makes it sound like a drug), and then a friend sent me 'New York Girls' and that was in then, after listening to the rest of that album and then their previous two I then had to get their individual work compilation and from there my love for Folk music exploded like a virus exploring many different bands!
I'm now even trying to teach myself the melodeon after failing at the fiddle when I was a child and then the banjo more recently. All of this comes from listening to Bellowhead!
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
A change of direction
I have decided, after much thought, that I will only use this blog for career purposes now.
By this I mean folk music related things such as reviews, news and updates. I will not post any more political rants and such things, I want to use this blog more as a tool to get where I want rather than just a voice, after all that is what drunk Facebook posts are for!
Now that I have a stable(ish) income it is the best time for me to focus on making contacts and getting into the exact career path I want so promoting my reviews and trying to find another Radio Slot are my top priorities.
I will still review non-folk music on here if and when it comes up, as you should never fully close other doors, but folk will be my focus!
To start this off I'm going to start a new thing of Rawcliffe's Top 10 where every month, year? (To be decided) I will do a Top 10 of Acts, Albums and individual songs.
I will start tomorrow with my Top 10 Acts but for the first one it will be so far, in my 3 or so years of experience with Folk. On Thursday I will post my Top 10 Songs so far (again of my experience so far) and finally on Friday my top Albums and from then I'll do only the recent ones.
I would ask people help me promote this, especially if you are in Folk music circles, I need all the help I can get!
- Paul
DFTBA
By this I mean folk music related things such as reviews, news and updates. I will not post any more political rants and such things, I want to use this blog more as a tool to get where I want rather than just a voice, after all that is what drunk Facebook posts are for!
Now that I have a stable(ish) income it is the best time for me to focus on making contacts and getting into the exact career path I want so promoting my reviews and trying to find another Radio Slot are my top priorities.
I will still review non-folk music on here if and when it comes up, as you should never fully close other doors, but folk will be my focus!
To start this off I'm going to start a new thing of Rawcliffe's Top 10 where every month, year? (To be decided) I will do a Top 10 of Acts, Albums and individual songs.
I will start tomorrow with my Top 10 Acts but for the first one it will be so far, in my 3 or so years of experience with Folk. On Thursday I will post my Top 10 Songs so far (again of my experience so far) and finally on Friday my top Albums and from then I'll do only the recent ones.
I would ask people help me promote this, especially if you are in Folk music circles, I need all the help I can get!
- Paul
DFTBA
Monday, 12 August 2013
Snowden and Messiah (not linked)
Lets start with all this with Edward Snowden.
Hero or traitor? Clearly neither, possibly both.
This has rapidly become a propaganda war sadly. The US Government are branding him a 'traitor' for two reasons. The first is because depending on how you define it then he probably is, but also because they don't want people to like him and encourage such actions again.
Snowden has brought forward very serious secrets and the US Government doesn't like it (obviously). They want to nip this kind of behavior in the bud so are using a very powerful word 'traitor' to smear him and turn the general public against him. Well as much as the public as they can anyway.
It has clearly worked in the case of Dog the Bounty hunter who apparently is going to try and track Snowden down: http://www.chronicle.su/news/dog-the-bounty-hunter-to-pursue-snowden-bounty/ (amongst other sources).
So apart from the mere label is he actually a traitor?
Well it depends what side he was on in the first place. He is a traitor to the American government because he has spread their secrets and as he worked directly involved in these programs he is a traitor. He may however take the opinion that his chief loyalty has always been to freedom and to the public, in which case he is not a traitor.
I think the public needed to know about the extent of the spying. Although I, personally, agree that that level of security is needed, it would just be nice for it to be in the open. I believe in high security because I am happy to sacrifice some personal freedoms in order to feel safe, and as someone who does not intend any criminal activity, the thought of being spied on does not make me feel like my freedom is risked.
Take a teacher to a young child. The young child is playing and the teacher is watching and will only interfere if the child is going to hurt itself or cause harm to others. I like to see it like that. Having said that this is the most optimistic take, most people will probably think more sinister activities in play.
Now for this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23665106
Uh. This is a difficult one. I can't believe the judge has gotten away with changing the name on grounds that are clearly her personal religious beliefs. That is wrong. It is akin to her saying all Muslims or jews must take Christian names. A judge should be unbiased and this strikes me as not very unbiased at all.
I do however agree with her on two points, one majorly and well less so.
The first is the potential for abuse if in a highly christian area. Christians are unlikely to take the name lightly and may well insult or attack. However, this is a lot of 'ifs' and 'buts' and 'maybes'. Plus the name Jesus is commonly used in America (along with Messiah) and I can find little evidence this has happened before.
So if the move really is to protect the child from the harm of a name he did not choose then that is an understandable decision. But there is nothing to suggest harm is likely.
The second point was the idea that the word 'messiah' is a title. Like Doctor or Judge, or even 'Officer'. Well you don;t see many children called Doctor do you? (put aside any Doctor Who bias or references :p ). BUT is messiah a legally protected term? Doctor is, which is why you probably can't use it. On the other hand even with that, do legally protected titles apply when used as a name?
I'd have to look closer!
DFTBA
Hero or traitor? Clearly neither, possibly both.
This has rapidly become a propaganda war sadly. The US Government are branding him a 'traitor' for two reasons. The first is because depending on how you define it then he probably is, but also because they don't want people to like him and encourage such actions again.
Snowden has brought forward very serious secrets and the US Government doesn't like it (obviously). They want to nip this kind of behavior in the bud so are using a very powerful word 'traitor' to smear him and turn the general public against him. Well as much as the public as they can anyway.
It has clearly worked in the case of Dog the Bounty hunter who apparently is going to try and track Snowden down: http://www.chronicle.su/news/dog-the-bounty-hunter-to-pursue-snowden-bounty/ (amongst other sources).
So apart from the mere label is he actually a traitor?
Well it depends what side he was on in the first place. He is a traitor to the American government because he has spread their secrets and as he worked directly involved in these programs he is a traitor. He may however take the opinion that his chief loyalty has always been to freedom and to the public, in which case he is not a traitor.
I think the public needed to know about the extent of the spying. Although I, personally, agree that that level of security is needed, it would just be nice for it to be in the open. I believe in high security because I am happy to sacrifice some personal freedoms in order to feel safe, and as someone who does not intend any criminal activity, the thought of being spied on does not make me feel like my freedom is risked.
Take a teacher to a young child. The young child is playing and the teacher is watching and will only interfere if the child is going to hurt itself or cause harm to others. I like to see it like that. Having said that this is the most optimistic take, most people will probably think more sinister activities in play.
Now for this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23665106
Uh. This is a difficult one. I can't believe the judge has gotten away with changing the name on grounds that are clearly her personal religious beliefs. That is wrong. It is akin to her saying all Muslims or jews must take Christian names. A judge should be unbiased and this strikes me as not very unbiased at all.
I do however agree with her on two points, one majorly and well less so.
The first is the potential for abuse if in a highly christian area. Christians are unlikely to take the name lightly and may well insult or attack. However, this is a lot of 'ifs' and 'buts' and 'maybes'. Plus the name Jesus is commonly used in America (along with Messiah) and I can find little evidence this has happened before.
So if the move really is to protect the child from the harm of a name he did not choose then that is an understandable decision. But there is nothing to suggest harm is likely.
The second point was the idea that the word 'messiah' is a title. Like Doctor or Judge, or even 'Officer'. Well you don;t see many children called Doctor do you? (put aside any Doctor Who bias or references :p ). BUT is messiah a legally protected term? Doctor is, which is why you probably can't use it. On the other hand even with that, do legally protected titles apply when used as a name?
I'd have to look closer!
DFTBA
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Time Keeping and Politics
Since starting my new job I have no idea where all my time went! I work 30 hours a week 9-3.30 so in theory I should have all the time to do the things I want to do such as keeping up with my music reviews (on www.brightyoungfolk.com and www.fatea-magazine.co.uk, just in case you didn't know...), learning the BC Melodeon, getting fit and watching the vast array of youtube channels I enjoy.
It should be even easier since I can do some of these things at the same time but still I'm finding in the week I'm look if I get a full hours practice on the Melodeon a day. Now part of this is seeing my better half, as she is not in her student house yet she has been spending a lot of time at mine, but even taking this into account I still seem to be hemorrhaging time somewhere, it just vanishes!
Speaking of Melodeon, I am getting so infuriated these days because it is only clicking very slowly. at my current rate I'm learning a small tune every three months. Part of this is the previous mentioned time issues but a big part is I am teaching myself and so I think I am picking up a lot of bad habits. I'm trying to get some tuition but this is proving tricky!
Now, political updates:
Bedroom Tax - clear insanity.
The Government has gone nuts lately, I was shocked by their reaction to the European court saying their current procedure on making jobseekers go on unhelpful unpaid placements. The Government has simply ignored the court and ran through emergency legislation so they can have their own way. All I see in the news (which I see a lot through my job) is more and more 'plans' to improve the economy (yeah, great job thus far.) that ultimately shits down everyone who is not a milionaire or a politician. I come from a middle class background and I know that the middle classes are buckling as much as the working, the divide now between rich and poor is becoming stinking rich and then everyone else.
If more pressure is put then people are going to start snapping. When this happens the Government is going to 'take a stand against violence' and get all 'moral high ground' saying that resorting to violence is unacceptable and not the way to make your voice heard.
On principle I agree. But lets look at this from another angle. I get bombarded with petitions and facebook groups sharing stories of how many people are genuinely suffering and people tell me the Government isn't getting this?
They are ignoring the petitions and the voice of the people because they know the masses are powerless vocally, as soon as bricks start flying they can use a smear campaign to make people fighting for a quality of life look like nothing but thugs.
On the flip side to this of course is a lot of people involved in rioting are thugs and thugs see it is an excuse to join in and start chaos.
So really this is lose lose at the moment. The oppressed will fight, destroying their own 'victim' status in the process. The Government will continue to do whatever it's warped perception of what is right will tell them and ignore the masses, either brushing it as they have to make hard decisions or people are just not prepared to make sacrifices.
Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle.
DFTBA
It should be even easier since I can do some of these things at the same time but still I'm finding in the week I'm look if I get a full hours practice on the Melodeon a day. Now part of this is seeing my better half, as she is not in her student house yet she has been spending a lot of time at mine, but even taking this into account I still seem to be hemorrhaging time somewhere, it just vanishes!
Speaking of Melodeon, I am getting so infuriated these days because it is only clicking very slowly. at my current rate I'm learning a small tune every three months. Part of this is the previous mentioned time issues but a big part is I am teaching myself and so I think I am picking up a lot of bad habits. I'm trying to get some tuition but this is proving tricky!
Now, political updates:
Bedroom Tax - clear insanity.
The Government has gone nuts lately, I was shocked by their reaction to the European court saying their current procedure on making jobseekers go on unhelpful unpaid placements. The Government has simply ignored the court and ran through emergency legislation so they can have their own way. All I see in the news (which I see a lot through my job) is more and more 'plans' to improve the economy (yeah, great job thus far.) that ultimately shits down everyone who is not a milionaire or a politician. I come from a middle class background and I know that the middle classes are buckling as much as the working, the divide now between rich and poor is becoming stinking rich and then everyone else.
If more pressure is put then people are going to start snapping. When this happens the Government is going to 'take a stand against violence' and get all 'moral high ground' saying that resorting to violence is unacceptable and not the way to make your voice heard.
On principle I agree. But lets look at this from another angle. I get bombarded with petitions and facebook groups sharing stories of how many people are genuinely suffering and people tell me the Government isn't getting this?
They are ignoring the petitions and the voice of the people because they know the masses are powerless vocally, as soon as bricks start flying they can use a smear campaign to make people fighting for a quality of life look like nothing but thugs.
On the flip side to this of course is a lot of people involved in rioting are thugs and thugs see it is an excuse to join in and start chaos.
So really this is lose lose at the moment. The oppressed will fight, destroying their own 'victim' status in the process. The Government will continue to do whatever it's warped perception of what is right will tell them and ignore the masses, either brushing it as they have to make hard decisions or people are just not prepared to make sacrifices.
Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle.
DFTBA
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Emotions, Arguing and The Most Common Yet Unhelpful Things Ever
I am cursed this terrible thing called emotions. Now most people suffer a similar disease, but unlike me, other people are better at hiding them. I used to think I was and then one day I released this was simply denial to the fact I actually wear my heart on a piece of rope dangled in front of me with a large 'kick me' sign floating over the top.
This discovery (which has been gradual, not a sudden epiphany) has taken place probably over the last five years or so from around my second year of university until present day. I think scientists call developing this disease 'growing the fuck up'.
Now the comforts I have taken from this discovery are the following: 1) it is good to have emotions 2) it is natural and bloody human to have emotions 3) there are still people who are 10 times worse at expressing their emotions in moderation than me.
So what has this got to do with unhelpful things? Well the majority of my complaints in this post will in some way emotion related (although not exclusively).
Lets start with arguments.
When you have a argument or a disagreement with someone it is common curtsey and a well established practice to rant and rave a slightly adapted, one sided and probably inaccurate version of events to people you are usually fairly sure will take your side.
This isn't a judgement, we've all done it.
and we shouldn't. We screw ourselves over with this. If I'm being a massive dick I want to know. People are naturally wired to not blame themselves where at all possible.
In fairness, arguments themselves are futile. You will never really convince someone to your side, or if you do using actual proof then all you do is build up potentially damaging resentment which will ruin your relationship with that person forever.
I'm not talking about necessary arguments here, like when a couple need to argue about how to raise the kids. or even how best to build the camp so it is zombie proof after the ghoul ridden Apocalypse has happened. (although in both these cases if you are at the point of arguing then this shows extremely poor forward planning and your probably already a failure as a parent or dessert.)
I mean here stupid political theories about the way the world should work or why you don't like celebrities or whatever. These are things that all originate in opinions and nine times out of ten are not qualifiable in a right and wrong style of classifying. The trouble with politics is there is not a right answer. Every system is flawed so arguing is pointless because you will only ever see the strengths of your stance and ignore or at best weakly accept the flaws, and then vice versa only focus on the flaws of your opponents arguments and never really acknowledge the good points.
*breath*
Anyway... so after you rant to this poor sod who knows nothing o the other person's point of view they will likely regal you with some such line as "You know your right so that is all that matters". This is very very bad. First of all, the person may not be right, and now it has been enforced into their mind that they are right. If I am being a knobjockey, the last thing I need is to be utterly convinced that I'm not. I would rather the other person told me I was wrong so I could focus my energy deciding if flowers were too undignified as an apology.
You will only get told the truth like this if a number of criteria are hit and most of the time one of these will be lacking so you get the unhelpful response. The criteria seems to be if the other person is extremely close to you (so are probably the ones your likely to argue with anyway) and know both sides of the argument with no shred of bias. This is very unlikely to happen.
I was tempted to put if the other person was confident enough to tell you that your wrong too, but decided this is probably not true because they may then tell you your wrong simply for the giggles.
The next thing is 'move on'. There are a number of situations that end with these words and they are by far the biggest life cop out ever. Moving on, whether it be from a death or a relationship, to one of the hardest things in the human experience. I get annoyed when people get seemingly annoyed at people who are still mourning the death of a loved one ten years later. Moving on just is not that simple, and I would go as far to say that for many is impossible. Even 'strong' (I have another rant about the term 'strong people' but more about that another time) people are probably putting on a front or pushing their feelings of despair into the darkest regions of their minds.
But why do we say it? Simple. It's the only thing you can say really. Whether it is because you are simply not that interested and you want the whiny git to shut up, you can't just tell them that. As humans we have this habit of not wanting to kick people who are already upset. So we tell them to 'move on' which we spin as "Move on with your life and be happy" (despite knowing that is impossible) but what we really mean is "Move on to another topic that won't make me look at my own life in horror and drink myself to sleep tonight"
I'm sure many out there are genuine in wanting to help a friend or a partner through grief, don't get me wrong. If a friend comes to me with troubles I would bend the world to help them and do whatever I can for them to feel better. Unfortunately most of the time there is just not a damn thing we can do no matter how much our soul bleeds for them. This is why we have the pre-recorded socially acceptable get out clauses.
The other one, which I have done a little digging about, is when people say "Just drink moderately then" or "stop smoking gradually, one step at a time!".
When it comes to addiction people often don't realise that our brains all process certain chemicals differently. Our brain receptors responsible for addiction are all unique and respond to different stimulus differently.
If you find yourself unable to understand why someone can't simply have one or two drinks and happily leave it at that it is because your brain is wired a totally different way to them. It is impossible for them to see drinking or drug taking in the same way you do.
My personal problem is alcohol. I am not an alcohol or anything because the first thing I think in the morning "Oh God I'm so tired I hope I don't fall asleep on the train" rather than "I need a bottle of rum with my coffee". However, I am incapable of moderate drinking. Say having one glass of wine with dinner. That is a very difficult thing for me to do. I can do it, just, but it is very hard. If I drink I need to drink a fairly big amount and get buzzed, at least on the tipsy/drunk border.
I am better not drinking at all than simply having one or two drinks. My brain just works in the way that as soon as I have one drink I get that itch in my mind, that overwhelming craving for more. If I don't drink at all I'm fine. The trouble is even people with similar troubles will never fully understand my individual sensation, and likewise I won't theirs. Once I get to the point of being mildly drunk, that itch actually subsides and it is easier for me to then stop drinking. But of course by then my inhibitions have plumeted from what I've already drunk. So it is a catch 22.
My point here is that it is very unhelpful for someone to tell me just to have one or two drinks. That is very difficult and as a result I can never enjoy the night then.
Anyone else find this?
DFTBA
This discovery (which has been gradual, not a sudden epiphany) has taken place probably over the last five years or so from around my second year of university until present day. I think scientists call developing this disease 'growing the fuck up'.
Now the comforts I have taken from this discovery are the following: 1) it is good to have emotions 2) it is natural and bloody human to have emotions 3) there are still people who are 10 times worse at expressing their emotions in moderation than me.
So what has this got to do with unhelpful things? Well the majority of my complaints in this post will in some way emotion related (although not exclusively).
Lets start with arguments.
When you have a argument or a disagreement with someone it is common curtsey and a well established practice to rant and rave a slightly adapted, one sided and probably inaccurate version of events to people you are usually fairly sure will take your side.
This isn't a judgement, we've all done it.
and we shouldn't. We screw ourselves over with this. If I'm being a massive dick I want to know. People are naturally wired to not blame themselves where at all possible.
In fairness, arguments themselves are futile. You will never really convince someone to your side, or if you do using actual proof then all you do is build up potentially damaging resentment which will ruin your relationship with that person forever.
I'm not talking about necessary arguments here, like when a couple need to argue about how to raise the kids. or even how best to build the camp so it is zombie proof after the ghoul ridden Apocalypse has happened. (although in both these cases if you are at the point of arguing then this shows extremely poor forward planning and your probably already a failure as a parent or dessert.)
I mean here stupid political theories about the way the world should work or why you don't like celebrities or whatever. These are things that all originate in opinions and nine times out of ten are not qualifiable in a right and wrong style of classifying. The trouble with politics is there is not a right answer. Every system is flawed so arguing is pointless because you will only ever see the strengths of your stance and ignore or at best weakly accept the flaws, and then vice versa only focus on the flaws of your opponents arguments and never really acknowledge the good points.
*breath*
Anyway... so after you rant to this poor sod who knows nothing o the other person's point of view they will likely regal you with some such line as "You know your right so that is all that matters". This is very very bad. First of all, the person may not be right, and now it has been enforced into their mind that they are right. If I am being a knobjockey, the last thing I need is to be utterly convinced that I'm not. I would rather the other person told me I was wrong so I could focus my energy deciding if flowers were too undignified as an apology.
You will only get told the truth like this if a number of criteria are hit and most of the time one of these will be lacking so you get the unhelpful response. The criteria seems to be if the other person is extremely close to you (so are probably the ones your likely to argue with anyway) and know both sides of the argument with no shred of bias. This is very unlikely to happen.
I was tempted to put if the other person was confident enough to tell you that your wrong too, but decided this is probably not true because they may then tell you your wrong simply for the giggles.
The next thing is 'move on'. There are a number of situations that end with these words and they are by far the biggest life cop out ever. Moving on, whether it be from a death or a relationship, to one of the hardest things in the human experience. I get annoyed when people get seemingly annoyed at people who are still mourning the death of a loved one ten years later. Moving on just is not that simple, and I would go as far to say that for many is impossible. Even 'strong' (I have another rant about the term 'strong people' but more about that another time) people are probably putting on a front or pushing their feelings of despair into the darkest regions of their minds.
But why do we say it? Simple. It's the only thing you can say really. Whether it is because you are simply not that interested and you want the whiny git to shut up, you can't just tell them that. As humans we have this habit of not wanting to kick people who are already upset. So we tell them to 'move on' which we spin as "Move on with your life and be happy" (despite knowing that is impossible) but what we really mean is "Move on to another topic that won't make me look at my own life in horror and drink myself to sleep tonight"
I'm sure many out there are genuine in wanting to help a friend or a partner through grief, don't get me wrong. If a friend comes to me with troubles I would bend the world to help them and do whatever I can for them to feel better. Unfortunately most of the time there is just not a damn thing we can do no matter how much our soul bleeds for them. This is why we have the pre-recorded socially acceptable get out clauses.
The other one, which I have done a little digging about, is when people say "Just drink moderately then" or "stop smoking gradually, one step at a time!".
When it comes to addiction people often don't realise that our brains all process certain chemicals differently. Our brain receptors responsible for addiction are all unique and respond to different stimulus differently.
If you find yourself unable to understand why someone can't simply have one or two drinks and happily leave it at that it is because your brain is wired a totally different way to them. It is impossible for them to see drinking or drug taking in the same way you do.
My personal problem is alcohol. I am not an alcohol or anything because the first thing I think in the morning "Oh God I'm so tired I hope I don't fall asleep on the train" rather than "I need a bottle of rum with my coffee". However, I am incapable of moderate drinking. Say having one glass of wine with dinner. That is a very difficult thing for me to do. I can do it, just, but it is very hard. If I drink I need to drink a fairly big amount and get buzzed, at least on the tipsy/drunk border.
I am better not drinking at all than simply having one or two drinks. My brain just works in the way that as soon as I have one drink I get that itch in my mind, that overwhelming craving for more. If I don't drink at all I'm fine. The trouble is even people with similar troubles will never fully understand my individual sensation, and likewise I won't theirs. Once I get to the point of being mildly drunk, that itch actually subsides and it is easier for me to then stop drinking. But of course by then my inhibitions have plumeted from what I've already drunk. So it is a catch 22.
My point here is that it is very unhelpful for someone to tell me just to have one or two drinks. That is very difficult and as a result I can never enjoy the night then.
Anyone else find this?
DFTBA
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