Sigh, too bad one of the local health food stores don't sell vegan cookies anymore instead they're located at Whole Foods which is expensive as hell. The cookies are the only vegan food I ever liked.
We don't even have a Whole Foods here. But then, it's just as well because we have a Wegmans, which has a gigantic organic section.
Our Organic section is bullshit.
I hate our Organic section because of the way it's handled. It's technically a department, but it has no staff aside from a single manager, so their manager gets to pull people from every other department basically whenever she feels there's something in Nature (that is what's called) needs to be done. This can be legitimate, but it's usually just her and one of my managers continuing their pissing contest to make the other look bad (more her fault than his, honestly).
I was kind of in a weird, tense, physically uncomfortable state at the time, so I didn't really appreciate what I was seeing/hearing/experiencing until afterward, at which point it hit me that I had just seen an absolutely spectacular concert. Also, I think the fact that I was so weirdly, almost unpleasantly alert allowed me to actually take in more details than I normally would have, which in hindsight was a wonderful thing.
As for specifics: All of the songs were wonderful, but "To Be Kind" and "Fun Fun Fun!" (new songs) were especially great and "The Seer" was... godly. The stomping section. Just, the stomping section. Sweet Jesus.
That was really loud. And I was in the front row. Physical waves of sound. The sleeve of my jacket made tiny breezes.
Also, I keep forgetting to point this out for obvious reasons, but A Hawk and a Hacksaw were an absolutely lovely act as well, if not as imposing by powers of ten (I didn't even bother with earplugs for their set). Authentic Eastern European folk music in bizarre additive meters, played by an ex-Neutral Milk Hotel member and a hugely talented and quite pretty young violinist in a very sparkly dress. Better than that sounds. Believe me.
You don't need psychological fortitude. Michael Gira is like the priest of Dionysus with a really loud amplifier setup. You will be enriched by the experience. Possibly by force. Of personality. And volume.
Well, they weren't a loud band. They were playing acoustic instruments at a reasonable volume in a mid-sized venue. Sure, I could have put my earplugs in then instead of after their set—Swans demand ear protection, albeit not to My Bloody Valentine levels (that kind of protection is called "fleeing in terror")—but I didn't feel so inclined, and even the slight spikes in volume when the violin parts got really intense weren't really bothersome. Again, this is me being right next to a wall of PAs...
I dislike loudness when I'm not in control of it. I listen to music at home all the time, because then I can adjust volume or turn it off if I want to. In a live setting, surrounded by a crowd and with big amplifiers pointed in my direction...
I can understand that, but in this case, I am going to strongly recommend that you take the opportunity to see this group regardless of that if you have it. Seriously, even if that one aspect of the experience bothers you, I think that the other aspects will make up for it. Seriously. It was a powerful thing.
Since my field of interest got disparaged by so many people I meet online.
Mathgeeks get respect. Mathgeeks get to know they're working on something that matters, something that's changed the world. Mathgeeks get to have heroes who made progress.
^ Philosophy, you mean? I think that only the Internet (or certain sectors thereof) really hates philosophy nerds, and that's only because all the really nasty/stupid/crazy ones flee to the Internet when they can't get taken seriously in real life. There is the state of modern philosophy too, of course, but that's something else.
Math... eh. I respect serious mathematicians and am fine with the geekery, but I think that the importance is overrated, especially by math geeks. Seriously, what is pure mathematics but mental masturbation that happens to be somewhat mutual?
I don't think that mental masturbation is a bad thing. It's just unproductive and a bit oblivious, which is fine in a hobby but not exactly grounds for the kind of self-congratulatory snobbery that a lot of math people seem to have. My issue is more with the idea of pretending that it's more than it is. The same goes for certain branches of philosophy.
I would like to point out that I don't consider the creation of inaccessible or pretentious art/music/literature "mental masturbation" because it creates a palpable product. If anything, it's more like creating weird pornography or engaging in exceedingly kinky sex: Not everyone is going to be into it, but happily sharing it with others gives it some meaning to others.
(Metaphors. Yay.)
Then again, pure mathematics does have some mutual aspects when shared with a broader community, but unlike the creation of art, there is rarely a sense of personal applicability. I can create my own meaning relative to a recording by The New Blockaders, hence giving it relevance to my everyday life, but what can I do with Graham's number, even in physics? Sure, knowing about it is cool, but what is there to it beyond personal satisfaction?
What I'm saying is that math geeks need to calm down and realise that in the long run, their interests are really only important in a relative sense.
I don't think that mental masturbation is a bad thing. It's just unproductive and a bit oblivious, which is fine in a hobby but not exactly grounds for the kind of self-congratulatory snobbery that a lot of math people seem to have. My issue is more with the idea of pretending that it's more than it is. The same goes for certain branches of philosophy.
I would like to point out that I don't consider the creation of inaccessible or pretentious art/music/literature "mental masturbation" because it creates a palpable product. If anything, it's more like creating weird pornography or engaging in exceedingly kinky sex: Not everyone is going to be into it, but happily sharing it with others gives it some meaning to others.
(Metaphors. Yay.)
Then again, pure mathematics does have some mutual aspects when shared with a broader community, but unlike the creation of art, there is rarely a sense of personal applicability. I can create my own meaning relative to a recording by The New Blockaders, hence giving it relevance to my everyday life, but what can I do with Graham's number, even in physics? Sure, knowing about it is cool, but what is there to it beyond personal satisfaction?
What I'm saying is that math geeks need to calm down and realise that in the long run, their interests are really only important in a relative sense.
I don't think that mental masturbation is a bad thing. It's just unproductive and a bit oblivious, which is fine in a hobby but not exactly grounds for the kind of self-congratulatory snobbery that a lot of math people seem to have. My issue is more with the idea of pretending that it's more than it is. The same goes for certain branches of philosophy.
I would like to point out that I don't consider the creation of inaccessible or pretentious art/music/literature "mental masturbation" because it creates a palpable product. If anything, it's more like creating weird pornography or engaging in exceedingly kinky sex: Not everyone is going to be into it, but happily sharing it with others gives it some meaning to others.
(Metaphors. Yay.)
Then again, pure mathematics does have some mutual aspects when shared with a broader community, but unlike the creation of art, there is rarely a sense of personal applicability. I can create my own meaning relative to a recording by The New Blockaders, hence giving it relevance to my everyday life, but what can I do with Graham's number, even in physics? Sure, knowing about it is cool, but what is there to it beyond personal satisfaction?
What I'm saying is that math geeks need to calm down and realise that in the long run, their interests are really only important in a relative sense.
I think that calling Swans a noise band or a noise-rock band would be a slight mischaracterisation. Describing them as "noisy" is not, however. But generally when I think "noise-rock," I think... Trumans Water? Early stuff by Boredoms? The first Jesus and Mary Chain single before they mellowed out?
I have only heard one album by them but it was enough for me to not want to listen to any more. Noise, Drone and their derivatives are some of the few areas of music I just can't listen to.
Indeed. Much of their '90s output ("Better Than You" being a fine example) is more about minimalistic but tuneful song-craft than drones or sonic head-punching. A few other (slightly later) examples of this period of Swans:
And even when talking about their most recent albums, well...
Swans are a very nuanced, idiosyncratic band with a very broad range of styles and sounds in their repertoire. Even their most uncompromising works always have some quirk to them that keeps them from being pure pummel and grind. That's why I love them.
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
Someone accidentally send a company wide e-mail asking for someone to be added to a security group.
Over a day later and we STILL have people sending e-mails to the entire company asking why they are on the e-mail chain. There are WAY more e-mails about people requesting people stop saying "reply all" than any actually dealing with the issue in question
And I work for a Fortune 500 company, peeps. ^_^;;
So anyway, we finally had the meeting we've been putting off since Monday. My granny's been sick, again, and so my aunt has been running herself ragged keeping up with her care. She hasn't had an uninterrupted workday until today.
I can finally start writing some code (and playing with TinyMCE, since the project I'm working on will finally be able to send email directly to customers like it should have in the first place) instead of just goofing off.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Still awake despite having to get up in <5 hours
Because I slept through most of the night for once... >_<
Comments
Our Organic section is bullshit.
I hate our Organic section because of the way it's handled. It's technically a department, but it has no staff aside from a single manager, so their manager gets to pull people from every other department basically whenever she feels there's something in Nature (that is what's called) needs to be done. This can be legitimate, but it's usually just her and one of my managers continuing their pissing contest to make the other look bad (more her fault than his, honestly).
I rest my case
Mathgeeks get respect.
^since when?
Mathgeeks get respect. Mathgeeks get to know they're working on something that matters, something that's changed the world. Mathgeeks get to have heroes who made progress.
ew, noise bands.
More seriously, Swans were the featured band in the local magazine MetroMix. Which is weird since MM usually goes for slightly more well-known stuff.
Drone then.
I have only heard one album by them but it was enough for me to not want to listen to any more. Noise, Drone and their derivatives are some of the few areas of music I just can't listen to.
Wish me luck.
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
Because I slept through most of the night for once... >_<
Really, though, I need to get a shower and get dressed so I can pick a few things up at the store.