Saturday, October 13, 2012

That's just how it is sometimes.

 Some more random gibberish to keep my hand in. I recommend you read a good book instead.



 I had intended to write some actual thoughts I'd had percolating around. Then I took a big ol' hit off the vaporizer and took the dog for a pleasant if rushed stroll around the neighborhood. Now, I'll be damned if I can remember any of those thoughts. Still, a writer writes, and I need to do something to justify myself.

 Truth is, I've sort of been mush minded lately. I've been reading a lot of philosophy lately, and that always makes me feel dumb as a bucket of shit. I enjoy reading philosophy, though, because it is challenging and it does make me think about not only how I think and why I think, but how I live my life and how I view the world. I admit, I mostly read books about philosophy, but I have made my way through a couple of original texts. I ain't going to lie, Kant's a mother.

 I've also been listening to an excellent podcast called The Partially Examined Life. It's run by a couple of ex-philosophy students, and they basically bullshit about some philosophical idea or particular philosopher's important work. The conversation does drag from time to time, and I have not cared for any of the podcast's closing tunes, but that's just me. Beyond that, it's elucidating, educating and entertaining. Check it out, it's given me much to ponder.

 Beyond that, though, I got nothing. I would write on philosophy but to be quite frank, I don't feel I have a solid enough grasp on, well, any of it, at least not enough to be useful about it. I might could explain, say, John Stuart Mill's basic philosophical outlook or why David Hume was so important to a reasonably intelligent individual with at least a passing grasp of the concept of "philosophy" in conversation. However, I don't think I could write an entire piece on those subjects - or even tie it into a concept for public consumption, like say country music or Smokey & The Bandit - at least not one I'd want another living soul to read. And I definitely don't think I could defend against a rigorous refutation.

 I do have this weird fear of one day writing a cod philosophy book that combines country music and Wittgenstein, though. I think part of the reason I've never seriously tried to write a book is I know how full of shit it would be. Hoo boy, as poorly as I understand Wittgenstein - and probably country music, if I was honest - that would be one ridiculous book.

 Other stuff, something I thought of earlier.

 There are a number of things I'm loathe to admit. I'm not unusual in that, it's a particularly human trait. For now, however, I wish to concentrate on beliefs once strongly held on American pop music. I once held severe views on American pop music and I shared those views with anyone who asked. In fact, I made a near-career out of put those views out in the noosphere.

 I still have fairly severe views on American pop music but, for the most part, I keep them to myself. There are reasons for this, but the main one is I really don't care anymore. I don't really value anyone else's views and somewhere along the line I've somehow slipped out of the zeitgeist. Current pop music does not move me, with rare exception, and there are only a handful of bands/artists I keep up with. Regardless of genre and regardless of where it fits in the "mainstream versus independent" spectrum.

 I've got a lot of music at my disposal, but most of it I don't care to peruse. As much as I hate to admit it, I can no longer listen to some of my once-favorite bands - particularly ones from my teens and twenties - due to a personal dislike I've developed towards one of the key members. Don't get me wrong, I don't know anyone from said bands, so my personal dislike is really a waste of time.

 Still, there are some things I can't abide in people I know - repeated spousal abuse, for example, and on the other end of the scale, rampant delusions of superiority and cultural importance - and on occasion, examples of such things from key members sour my enjoyment of their art.

Worse still, I'm inconsistent about it and can't explain the difference. Ah, well. Something to work on. And it should be noted there are plenty of bands and artists I have no personal or philosophical beef with, yet I still don't listen to them near as much as I once did. I've not named names for reasons I won't go into right now, but I will say I can happily go the rest of my life and never hear Creedence Clearwater Revival again. Nothing personal, I'm just done, thanks.

 That's all I got and the dog's ready to go to bed. Like I said, mush brained, and that's just how it is.

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