So xanga is about to become that friend who you only go to in order to vent....

I think John Cage is a moron.  You're right, that was an incredible ridiculous opening statement.  I mean, he's such an accomplished composer.  Everyone knows his most famous work 4'33."  And what a grand piece it is!  It took him till the ripe age of 40, after studying from the great composer Arnold Schoenberg, to write.....silence.  Honestly people, Beethoven was def, but he still wrote the music he heard in his head.  John Cage has his hearing and both of his hands, and with both those fantastic human tools, he decides to put them to good use "writing" nothingness.  If John Cage were to approach me today, my obvious first question would be "why in gods name did you piss on the grave of music by writing a piece like 4'33?"  And if he told me that he was just making a joke, I would have a hearty laugh, call him a genius, and be on my way.  But something tells me....he was being serious folks.  So since I can't laugh with him, I must weep for the egotistical moron he is.  To put 4'33" in perspective, imagine going to an art gallery and seeing a blank canvas and someone telling you that this blank canvas you are staring at is the most famous work of a great modern painter.  Furthermore, imagine going into Borders and picking a book off the New York Times Best Sellers table and having it be completely blank and someone telling you that it is the author’s most famous novel.  All of those scenarios are ridiculous and, until 1952, unthinkable.  But then John Cage had to come along and copyright four and a half minutes of silence.  What is he trying to prove? That music no longer requires....anything?  Sure, when I hear the sounds of nature, the rustling of the wind, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life, they have a certain appeal to me...one might even say that they are "music to my ears."  But if I attend a concert to have release from my everyday hustle and bustle, I don't want to be given 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence to remind myself of it.  Let me hear music!  Let’s hear something that you have poured effort and love into and let me embrace it for all that it is worth.  So let it be know that if John Cage want's 4'33" to be received as musical composition, then I will subject it to the standards that I hold all compositions too; how well the composer has connected with the audience through the music he wrote....and if we ask 4'33"  to answer that question, our answer would be "Not Applicable"...because it is simple not music and if you will look at Webster's dictionary from the 1950's to the present day, you will see that they have not changed there definition of music to accommodate the bullshit that John Cage calls 4'33". 

Long ago, when sailing ships ruled the oceans, a sea captain and his crew were in danger of being boarded by pirates. As the crew prepared for battle, the captain bellowed to his First Mate, "Bring me my red shirt!" The First Mate quickly retrieved the captain's red shirt, which the captain wore and led the crew to battle the boarding party. The pirates were repelled.

Later that day, the lookout screamed that there were two pirate vessels sending boarding parties. The crew again prepared for battle, but the captain again calmly bellowed, "Bring me my red shirt!" And once again the pirates were repelled, though this time the crew sustained more casualties.

Weary from the battles, the men sat around on deck that night recounting the day's occurrences when an ensign looked to the Captain and asked, "Sir, why do you call for your red shirt before battle?" The Captain, giving the ensign a look that only a captain can give, exhorted, "If I am wounded in battle, the red shirt will not show the wound and thus, you men will continue to fight unafraid." The men sat in silence marveling at the courage of such a man.

At dawn the next morning, the lookout screamed that there were pirate ships, 10 of them, all with boarding parties on their way. The men became silent and looked to the Captain for his usual command. The Captain, calm as ever, bellowed, "First Mate, Bring me my brown pants!"

my mood is -   

Currently Listening Time Well Wasted By Brad Paisley The World see related

Happy Valentine's Day to the world!......or, at least, to my world

AND NOW, FOR LAST YEARS VALENTINE'S DAY POST...

It seems to be the general consensus is that Valentine’s Day sucks and I can’t say that I totally agree with this.  It doesn’t seem to be as bad as people make it out to be.  Yes, it’s a day where couples show how much they care about each other and where many single people sit with their head on there fist as people make out till the cows come home.  But it doesn’t have to be like that.  Think of Valentine’s Day as a day that celebrates happiness, not just between two people who are going out, but between people in general.  It's a time to turn to the person you are walking next to in the hall and tell them how much their friendship means to you and how you wouldn’t know what to do without them in your life.  I was in Sam Goody today and I was looking at the CD’s and there was this girl there.  We just started chatting and when I was done paying for the CD I was getting, I wished her a happy Valentine’s Day.  She smiled very big, thanked me and said same to you.  See, Valentine’s Day isn’t all about romance; it’s about being friendly.  Actually, you should always be friendly, but on days like this, you should be extra nice and be aware when people are being nice to you.  In conclusion, don’t spend the day moping around!  Go enjoy it with friends and family….and if you’re still unhappy…I don’t know what to tell you.

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What is it about today that makes it so special?  Love should be something to live for.  We all hope to find it someday.  To find that special someone who makes our heart beat faster and our breath to suddenly stop for that brief moment when we first fall in love with them. But do you realize that most people are already in love?  We're surrounded by it.  Get your mom or dad, your best friend, your dog, and tell them how much you love them.  What's so special about today?  It's the one day of the year that makes us realize how much we love and are loved.  But you see, we don't need just this one day to appreciate that.  Each new day is a new chance to let others know that you care. So go ahead.  Fall in love.  "But studies show that, despite what the movies say, there isn't just one person in the world for each of us..."   (Think of it...out of context) --