Pop Music

[Placid Dingo]

I listened to Beyonce today. It was on my music list, and I felt in the mood for it, so I put it on, and it made me happy.
A few years ago I'd never consider listening to Beyonce, even privately. And a bit before that I'd tear people apart if they said they did. Music had to MEAN sometihng. Had to be SPECIAL, SACRED. But now I listen to Beyonce, and get a kick from it. I listen to the Black Eyes Peas sometimes. Kate Bush is on my music list. So on.

There seems to be a feeling amongst some that to be wise to the bullshit that goes on in the world is to be consistantly overwhelmed by anger or misery or other unpleasent feelings. And I've had my share of those feelings. I've written angry rants and peoms and drawn up cartoons oozing misery. I kept a Livejournal and tore my eyes out publically with anger about the state of the world. Bush was in charge: Australia had Honest John on the top of the heap. My school was being taken over by religios imperialists. It was a dirty kind of mental environment to be in, and everything felt infected.

I worked some stuff out along the way. That everything doesn't have to be OK at once. Things are cyclical anyway, so it'll go better worse better etc. I worked out that it's better to be effective than outraged. I got prety over-revved about what's still going on in Dafur (and Palestine etc). Now, I'm still aware, but I dedicate more rational time to these things. I donated to a Palestinian guy on Kiva, and I imagine that it probably was mopre efficent than any three hour discussion about why some bogan's politics were wrong.

Maily though I worked out that I had to make the concious choice to be happy. Then I had to stick to it, and work on it. I made the concious choice during high school that i was NOT having the best years of my life, and would be having best years on every subsequent year of my existance. I worked out that death really shoudln't take up anywhetre near the mental time that it was taking up. And I learned to LISTEN to people, like REALLY listen to people. And I learned that it's ok for an argurement to be a negotiation, not a bloodsport.

The point I'm sort of kind of not really getting to is that there very much are shit things in the world. Ausralia's being run by 'I can't belive it's not Howard', who's being a jackass about refugees, with election challenges from Abbot who wants to show he's twice as tough on these scary brown boogeymen from other countries. And apparently we're not talknig about global warming anymore? And my scary scary cohabitant that I'm housesharing with, and my administration problems, no career certainty... but I have no interest in bitching about it any more. I don't get angry anymore. I get frustrated, but I don't have the time or the energy to.

Anyway. I was getting to the point.

The point is that Discordia, along with a general mass of 'stuff' has helped me be a bit happier, a bit less serious, a bit more open, a bit more practical, a bit less angry and angsty. I lost my wallet a while ago, and I kicked myself until I was in a reasonable mood, feeling a bit better. I then found my wallet hours later. I was glad I hadn't wasted those hours moping. Once upon a time I would have.

Anyway, in a nutshell; I think there's an illusion that 'the world sucks' and 'there are so many limits' seems to be what is regarded as 'getting it' or being enlightened, when really, these are just ideas that you reach and confront entering into your journey into 'enlightenment'... and then keep pushing.

I'm never sure if i'm expressing things with the intended clarity but I've been told I do, so I hope this makes the intended point also.

[BadBeast]

Interesting and very positive slant on life. (Assuming I got the point) Like, on the long list of things that are really fucked up and wrong with the World,  Beyonce isn't one of the big movers and shakers. And she's easy enough on the eyes and ears, not what you might call challenging, or provocative, but since when has that been a pre-requisite of success? Especially in the Music business. And Kate Bush has been making me happy ever since I first saw that video of "Them Heavy People".

And you can tell Beyonce still enjoys what she is doing, (which makes a difference) and has some proficiency
in making herself marketable, without being a totally unsufferable Diva.
Now, if you'd used Mariah Carey, or *gulps, whispers* Celine Dion as an example, I might have thought you'd really lost the plot, but once you get past the Media haters, who try to shape our opinions into favouring the next generation of grizzling witches, Beyonce is at worst, occaisionally a bit bland, and at best, eminently listenable to.           

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Like like like like.

[Rococo Modem Basilisk]

 

[BADGE OF HONOR]

This is awesome!

And I learned to LISTEN to people, like REALLY listen to people. And I learned that it's ok for an argurement to be a negotiation, not a bloodsport.

Especially this. 

[Placid Dingo]

Cheers.
Wasn't sure how this would be received but glad.

[Hoser McRhizzy]

This is awesome!

And I learned to LISTEN to people, like REALLY listen to people. And I learned that it's ok for an argurement to be a negotiation, not a bloodsport.

Especially this. 

Double ^this^

More un-sacred happy music for you, Dingo.   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6TuMhYg89E

[Placid Dingo]

Yessss I love this guy.

[President Television]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPiGWqc1Kp8