They Just Don't Play Like That Anymore
Topic: Music
I really get disillusioned listening to music nowadays. I don't mean to sound like an old fart or anything, ("these kids nowadays..."), but I just don't hear good music. C'mon!
Pop music is created so the featured entertainer can bump and grind in synchronization with background dancers, all the while lip-synching to a song that was overproduced in the studio anyway. Does anyone remember Ashley Simpson? No talent involved in the song writing what-so-ever. No talent in the performers either, just doing what their “handlers” tell them to.
Rap music? What I hear is mostly glorified sex, violence and race baiting. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a little sex and violence to spice things up when used properly, but mindless sex and violence just for it’s own sake is pointless. Why is it that rappers can call each other “Nigga” all day long, but it’s offensive if anyone else says it? Either it’s offensive or it isn’t, you don’t get to make up one set of rules for one group of people and another set for a different group!
Country? I’ll take Hank Williams any day, thank you. Modern Country music is nothing more than pop-music with a cowboy hat. There are a few exceptions, and some good musicians, but there are too many Kenney Chesney’s and Faith Hill’s screwing it all up. You get what I’m saying? It’s all about being posers.
How about modern rock music? Hey, does anyone know how to play a good guitar solo anymore? I’ve seen so many bands that just use an open tuning playing one finger chords I’m about to get sick!! At least that growling bullshit that they tried to pass for singing isn’t as prevalent as it was a few years back. And cool it with posing for pictures as if you’re about to kick someone’s ass. You weigh 130 lbs. and probably sleep once a week. You ain’t gonna kick no-one’s ass.
Remember “Tommy”, by The Who? An album that took some brain power to create, and to appreciate. “Sympathy For The Devil” by The Stones? How about the back and forth between Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar and Jon Lord’s keyboards when Deep Purple was tearing it up? Leslie West could barely reach his guitar over his belly, but man he could damn sure play it!! There are way too many brilliant musicians to list here. Looking back I realize that I don’t agree with a lot of the opinions and viewpoints that they were presenting, but they all had one thing in common. They played with passion and conviction and were more worried about creating lasting quality music than anything else. That’s something that musicians today could stand to emulate.
James West
Widefield CO
Posted by thejameswest
at 4:03 PM MDT
Updated: Monday, 28 December 2009 2:20 PM MST
The left's assault on Conservative voices
Topic: Politics
Lately, even more so than usual, there has been an onslaught of "outrage" and ridicule against Conservative voices that are alarmed at the direction our country is headed. This onslaught comes from the left, and it is obvious that it is coming down from the highest levels.
You can try to ridicule FOX news, Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh all you want, after all they are only "entertainers" right? You could even place yourself among the "more dignified conservatives", however the "dignified" part may be debatable, and you would definitely be no conservative. People with views similar to Rush and Glen Beck, (i.e. the hardworking members of productive segments of society), have been proven right too many times to be dismissed. These opinions are often lost among the more "elite" segments of society. Members of the "media" for example, both news and entertainment, who do nothing to promote productivity and economic well being, yet who still love to tell the rest of us how we need to live. Words like Marxist, and Socialist may just be hot button issues to you, but they are all too real. Many times throughout the history of the world egotistical, dangerous leaders have brought hardship and ruin onto their nations, all while people scoffed and ridiculed with a "don't be ridiculous" and a "can't happen here in this day and age" mentality. It was only 233 years ago that we broke away from British tyranny to form this unique nation. A mere 64 years ago that the Nazi scourge was defeated. Do you think that human nature has changed since then? Look around the world today and there are too many examples of tyranny to count.
Merriam-Webster defines fascism as:
"a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition"
and communism as:
a : a theory advocating elimination of private property
b : a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
Take a mix of these two philosophies, and can you honestly and with a straight face deny that this is how Obama is trying to shape our nation? He has already taken control of a large portion of the American auto industry, and the Financial institutions. He and his allies look to further take control through fabricated environmental issues. As far as suppression of opposition, he has set in place plans to shut down conservative voices. If you look at the ties he has it is not inconceivable that he played a role in the entire Rush Limbaugh NFL flap. He has undeniably expressed his desire for a "single payer system" for health care. Do you think that single payer would be anything other than the federal government?
You can write your condescending columns all you want, for now, because of the freedoms of speech and the press that the Constitution acknowledges you have, (many people mistakenly think the Constitution gives them rights, but in reality it only acknowledges rights that are inherently ours). But those rights are steadily being chipped away due to the complacency of ignorant individuals who prefer to live inside their bubble rather than to see what is happening every day.
James West
Widefield CO
Posted by thejameswest
at 2:53 PM MDT
Updated: Monday, 28 December 2009 2:20 PM MST
Two albums up for sale
Topic: Music
"Foretold" and "Sublime Vulgarity" now available for purchase.
Click the button below
to purchase
"Foretold"
on iTunes
Also available on
Click the button below
to purchase
"Sublime Vulgarity"
on iTunes
Also available on
Posted by thejameswest
at 12:01 AM MDT
Updated: Monday, 28 December 2009 5:38 PM MST
An open letter to all politicians
Topic: Politics
Knowing full well that this letter may be totally ignored, we author and send it anyway. We are an intelligent married couple of 24 years who quite a few years ago abandoned any party affiliation because we realized that both parties are only two sides of the same coin. Both are corrupt and self-serving, only in it for the sole purpose of gaining as much power as possible. As a by-product, the American people, our envied way of life, and our very country itself are in danger. As of late we hope you have noticed that the American people are literally fed up, and we are no exception. Apparently the idea of being a “public servant” is now perceived as an outdated, perhaps even quaint concept not to be taken seriously. Well we would like to inform you that you had better start taking it seriously. You are not part of an elite ruling class, you are elected officials elected to represent and serve your constituents, not your own personal gain, nor your ideological gain.
The issues that trouble America today are not the smoke-screen issues that are being forced down our throats. Our medical care is the best available in the world. Government intervention is the cause of the problems, not the solution. Our economy is quite capable of thriving when not bogged down by excessive government taxation and regulation. Capitalism is how we created the world’s strongest economy. We feel very strongly that we should keep our environment as clean as possible, but if we look at the unaltered facts, and as we near the end of perhaps the coolest summer season in memory, it is all too clear the “climate change” catastrophe is an inconvenient hoax. The fact that these and other crises are being made the political focal point only exemplify the fact that they are being used as a vehicle to put the public in a state of panic that necessitates government intervention. The fact that we are being told “we must act now, there is no time to waste” is merely an example of a hard sell designed to discourage real thought and discourse. At the risk of being labeled nut-jobs or fanatics we feel we must point out that these conditions are very similar to what Europe was faced with in the 1930’s.
No, the aforementioned problems are not a reason to overhaul our very system of government, which the founders very wisely created as a representative republic. What needs to be overhauled is the corruption that has permeated into every aspect of it. Every active member of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of our government, as well as the uncounted bureaucracies are guilty, if not explicitly, than definitely implicitly. Even if you have never taken a bribe, or voted in the interest of “special interest”, or even appointed far-left radicals to unaccounted “czar” positions, you are still guilty. You actively participate in a perverted machine knowing full well the corruption that it is steeped in. If you do nothing to stop it, you are guilty. You have only to look no farther than the mirror.
Now we not only beseech upon you, but we insist and demand that you listen to the voices of real American people. You know, the ones who pay your salaries, and who quite frankly are your bosses. We can and will fire you. Do not think to pass one more bit of legislation that will hang around the necks of generations to come like an albatross, until you have cleaned house and addressed the real problems with our country. If you need help, or guidelines try reading “The Constitution of The United States of America". It was crafted by people with much better insight than yourselves. Of particular interest may be amendments 1,2 and 10.
It is particularly insulting to be subject to disdain and arrogance when exercising our right to voice our opinion. When politicians demean hard working productive Americans with name calling such as “Brownshirts, racists and hate-mongers” you do not ingratiate yourselves to your voters. When politicians’ true feelings come to the surface with statements like “this is my town-hall meeting” and “I’m not going to let you tell me how to run my congressional office”, the American people have good reason to distrust our elected officials. Rest assured that we, and people like us, will pay much closer attention from now on, and you will be held to account.
James and Tina West
Colorado Springs CO
Posted by thejameswest
at 10:01 PM MDT
Updated: Monday, 28 December 2009 2:33 PM MST
Class Envy
Topic: Politics
A recent editorial by David Sirota was a despicable case of class envy. He seems to think that he, and/or those of his same sociological mindset, can determine who is making "too much money", and by extension what the rightful use of said money is. I guess the logical conclusion from this line of reasoning is that wealth and assets really only belong to the society, i.e. government, and not to individuals at all.
He starts his argument by stating many "1-percenters" will profit through bonuses from possible bailouts. This basically untrue, and even if somewhat true, it merely highlights the folly of unqualified politicians getting involved in the nation’s economy, and should throw up a red flag concerning their involvement in health care. Then he goes for the horror story that "22,000" Americans die each year due to lack of health insurance. This is an outright lie, and I know this from personal experience. You are not denied treatment if you do not have insurance. You are treated, billed, and hounded by the hospital and, if necessary, a collection agency until that bill is paid.
It is easy to look at a group, such as the "1-percenters" and demonize them with a "c’mon everybody, these guys are the cause of our troubles" attitude. It is however very dangerous to be lured into this trap. It can be very comfortable when you are on the right side of that confrontation, but since those few people do not have enough wealth to possibly bear the cost of proposed "health care reform", what happens when the criteria change and you inevitably wind up on the wrong side? Mr. Sirota implies that only people with a stake in preserving their wealth would deign to disagree with him. I work in the landscape industry and would bet that editorial columnists earn more than I do. Do I have a right to some of David Sirota’s money? If a person "can afford to do a little bit more so that a whole bunch of families out there have a little bit of security…" and he chooses to do so, that is fine, and noble as well. But that decision is rightfully made by the individual, not forced upon him by government.
James West
Widefield CO
Posted by thejameswest
at 3:03 PM MDT
Updated: Monday, 28 December 2009 2:33 PM MST
