Stupid Bullshit. Sorry folks, I dont post in those threads. Don't read most of it either. Let me repeat. Stupid Bullshit!!
Last Edited by Barley Nectar on Jun 16, 2015 11:12 PM
I said my piece. The intellects at work in these threads are bigger than mine and more well read. But to me it boils down to how do you feel and how do you express that? I can see a title of a thread and know I'm not going there. If you guys leave please do come back as you are vital parts of this great place. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
stupid is... ---------- I like the little padlocks, too. Makes me want to unlock them just to see what was soooo stupid... There should have been one on this thread right from the get go. Why tell everyone?...just go! Apparently, you will be missed. ....but come back someday, please. Don't make me beg!
Incidentally, as anyone who read my thread will know, its title had noting to do with its subject matter. Correction: even some who did read it didn't seem to get that.
As SuperBee rightly pointed out, it was a 'device' - or a trick; my word, not his - to discuss something completely unrelated to the original thread; that's why I chose to give it a thread of its own.
As for folks staying away, I've never understood that kind of thing where ever and whenever it happens. Furthermore, it's not anyone's place to dictate what should and should not be discussed - including off-topic topics.
When I used to post on this forum under my old username that I loathed - mickil - long before most of you were posting, there were always OT threads and massive near-nuclear rows - remember the late Buddha? - that I chose to ignore.
For want of a better word - I know this isn't quite the right one - it seems a little churlish to do otherwise. I suppose 'live and let live' would be a better way of putting it.
Last Edited by HarmonicaMick on Jun 18, 2015 9:14 AM
How the hell does he play it with two fingers on the top cover plate? Most harp methods suggest leaving room for your lips, which sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Are those methods wrong, or am I missing something: mouth very relaxed, or fingers a bit floppy or something?
Speaking of method, is he playing with his nose at 1:55? I experimented with that briefly in my early teens and quickly realized that I would never get a date if I continued that pursuit. Somehow, Sonny Boy even makes THAT seem kind of cool.
you can say "well just don't read those threads" but if the board is full of threads you don't want to read then why bother? once signal to noise gets too high people bail out..
I'm still here though :D
---------- 4' 4+ 3' 2~~~ -Mike Ziemba Harmonica is Life!
Last Edited by slaphappy on Jun 18, 2015 3:34 PM
Finger over the lip I think HarmonicaMick. I want to shorten your username. People shorten me to bee or supe. I want to shorten yours to Mick, but maybe you wouldn't like that given your comment about detesting your previous name?
Mick is perfectly fine. It's what my friends call me. Real name is Michael, but Mick seemed more cool to me when I was young and silly. Now I'm just older and silly.
Oh yeah, I almost forget. Finger over the lip. Almost as soon as I posted, I picked up a Marine Band, and realised that it's barely possible to do what I thought I saw on the video. That was a dumb-ass question, if ever I asked one.
@ slaphappy:
"When I used to post on this forum under my old username that I loathed - mickil - long before most of you were posting, there were always OT threads and massive near-nuclear rows - remember the late Buddha? - that I chose to ignore."
There really were some f*ck*** huge rows. Sometimes, they would rage for days, but it never finished the forum, never would.
Around them, there were always more on-topic threads that other folks preferred to engage in, and there were always some peeps who got pissed off about the uptight threads. It was like that then, and it's like that now.
I suspect that because of the virtually inestimable effect of our host's priceless YouTube videos that it would take nothing much short of a thermonuclear war to stop this forum or damage it in any way.
Last Edited by HarmonicaMick on Jun 18, 2015 4:37 PM
These people that you mention are not known to me, nor did my thread - which was actually about Political Correctness and nothing else - have anything to do with impugning them in any way.
I can't speak for the other thread - which I didn't take part in - so I infer, possibly incorrectly, that that is what you're referring to. Nor can I agree or disagree with what you're saying, for the same reason, which is that I didn't take part in it, and only read a little of its content.
I'm sorry to see you go for awhile, but I must say this. And please forgive the vernacular.
I don't want to be part of a blog that is a huge circle jerk. Camaraderie is fine, respect is also fine. But wholesale and fake fawning over someone is worse than the honest truth. Honest opinions should be valued, and if they are civil, there should be no hurt feelings.
Joe L stated the following:
"It sucks when you feel like you have to defend your friends in a public forum, because someone is running them down based on a very limited amount of information."
-- That's the whole point. I, for one, didn't have a lot of information to go on for Martin Lang. If you say that someone is a great player, I'd like some examples. If you truly believe that when someone asks why a certain harp player stands out among others, and when the person asking doesn't receive a good representative sample of said music, but balks at just taking someone's word for it, and that therefore the player who is the subject of the query is, in your opinion, being "run down", well that is unfortunate. I don't always agree with everyone here. But I saw nothing in what was posted by others, or even what I wrote about Mr. Lang that was trashing him. But, to each his own. I value your comments here, and hope you come back at some point.
Last Edited by atty1chgo on Jun 18, 2015 5:08 PM
Wish I had never posted that Corey Harris piece in some ways. Joe L man, I like your little snippets of info about the west coast scene and folk you know and I do understand and respect your point of view in regards to your friends I'm very loyal also but we all take our own stands I guess. I don't mind when things get a bit nasty that's life I work in a very tough industry and if I'm honest I'm as tough and thick skinned as old steel capped work boots but everyone has their own levels of stepping away and cooling off etc.
Also, I should add I step away from the PC (if anyone has noticed) ALWAYS for 2,3 or 4 day's a week due to work reasons,some others and also to woodshed I have always been like that just block it out and do my other shit! ----------
"Those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do"
Last Edited by marine1896 on Jun 19, 2015 6:40 AM
Scott Dirks does indeed seem like a true champion of blues music, and his forum is an outstanding source of excellent music. Can't see why there'd be any problem with that.
schaef60, that comment is both sexist and aimed at insulting forum members. You are 9 posts into your tenure here. If you want to make it much past ten I suggest you read the forum creed a few times.
Schaef, I've had a rough week. Do not poke the bear. I looked up your membership and you are registered at least 3 times, which in of itself could warrant a ban. I'm inclined to think it's an honest mistake and let you decide which registration to keep, but that inclination is on a downward incline and rolling pretty fast, so,...
Which registration, if any, would you like to keep?
and
Do you think you can behave?
I love sarcasm and snark as much as the next guy when I don't have my admin hat on, but when I'm acting as admin, and feeling like s*** I don't appreciate it. So, shape up or ship out. It's your choice.
So what have I done to get banned?i have seen far worse with no threats of being banned, your going to ban me for registering three times,did I try to hide something when I registered?i think I joined the forum when it first started. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has register more then once.also I'm sorry if your having a bad week, but that has nothing to do with the forum,does it?
Last Edited by schaef60 on Jun 20, 2015 12:36 PM
It's a funny ol' place on here, but I think there's a lot of frustrated and bored folk on here. I'm sure face to face in the real world they would be pretty different....or not there! ----------
"Those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do"
schaef, the first problem was your sexist and offensive post, which I calmly called you out for. If you've been around as long as you have you should know the forum rules by now. Your second was your response. Most people, when they are called out for violating the forum rules reread the rules and try to behave- you responded with snark. As far as I see it, we have three issues now- one, a minor one, is your multiple registration. I separate that one out because I don't think you were trying to deceive, but the rules say one membership per, so I have to delete two.
The second issue is sexism and insulting forum members. We take both of those seriously, which is why I issued the warning. I would have issued the warning even if I'd spent the whole week surrounded by fluffy stuffed animals and prozac. You were over the line.
The third issue is your response. On a good day, I chalk that up to you having a bad day and let it slide, but that still leaves the issue of your sexist remark and going after other members. You say you've seen far worse. Maybe. I miss posts here and there, but if I read a post like that I'm definitely going to say something about it. Sometimes I do it with messages to email, but in your case I wanted to let people know that type of remark wasn't appropriate. I thought I did so fairly politely. I could have made a much bigger deal of it and issued an official warning, but I figured a reminder would work. (At the time looking at your post count I figured you were a newb who just didn't know better.) Had I known you were a more regular member I would have probably made a bigger deal out of it.
So, let me clarify, I didn't treat you differently because I was having a bad week. I mentioned I was having a bad week because I thought maybe that would encourage you to behave better- you'd figure hey, that guy who hates to lock threads has locked a half a dozen threads this week maybe I should pick a different time to show everyone what a cool wiseass I am.
Which brings us back to this- we don't tolerate insulting other members, particularly out of the blue attacks on whole groups of members, and we don't tolerate sexist remarks like that. Maybe you meant it as light hearted poking fun, but based on all the stuff going on this week it did not land that way. If you want to continue to be a member that won't fly, and when we call you out on it don't give us a hassle. It's been a rough week on the forum and I'm just trying to keep the peace.
As for the multiple registrations, we have to fix that. Tell me which two to delete. That's an administrative issue, not a disciplinary one. Thems the rules. I've referred the rest for review. I'll get back to you if there is more than a warning.
I don't wish to stir the pot, but I truly don't get the sexism bit. Perhaps I'm being obtuse.
I had a quick rummage on Google for 'manpon' and found that - admittedly, from the listings only, without any detailed read - that it appeared to refer to what I thought it did: a comparative state in men that might correspond emotionally to that which a lady might have when ovulating.
Is any reference to gender now being gradually forbidden? Are there other proscriptions to follow that I should be aware of?
Anyone care to enlighten me so that I can better navigate this strange new world of semantics I find myself in?
No one has a right to not get offended. Unless, that is, we all end up with our mouths completely shut tight. And, if not that, then who ends up making all the extremely narrow and ever narrowing rules?
It's all getting a bit silly, don't you think?
In any case, I get offended almost every time I hear some cowardly, PC, carbon-copy, identikit so-called commentator on the BBC or Sky News saying exactly what they think they're meant to say, instead of what they think.
The other day, I got offended when I came across an Annie Raines video, and - Christ on a crutch, I'm not making this shit up - she referred to the 'I'm A Person' riff.
I get offended every time I hear and see some crackpot feminist like Germaine Greer spouting her sick, poisonous bile on TV, as if that cancerous crap were normal. Read The Femail Eunuch and see where some of the turd that influences the mainstream media comes from.
I get offended every time I see someone being told not to use a word in case someone else doesn't like it.
If you're under the age of 30-ish, this may seem strange. If you're not, then you've seen the change, and, if you're not a complete left-leaning bigot, you'll know that there is at least some truth in what I'm saying.
Last Edited by HarmonicaMick on Jun 20, 2015 5:09 PM
I understand - I turned 49 the other day. I do remember a much, much less PC time.
But I think being on a forum like this is like being in someone's house. Out THERE in the world is total freedom of speech; on a site like this we are in Adam's house. And all that bold font text above the board points out a few "house rules".
I'm a Christian, so I'm not fond of "Christ on a crutch" as a phrase overly much, but I'm also part Samoan, and they are a laid back people for the most part, so I can let stuff slide. But ... I'm neither the owner or appointed moderator of this site.
It's probably best that we look at adhering to the site guidelines as behaving in a way the owner of the house would prefer (for the reasons listed out there on the page) than bending our wills to some dictator.
^ My tone in all of this is friendly.
---------- My YouTube Channel - Any Likes or Comments appreciated. :)
Oh HarmonicaMick!!!! You hit the nail square on the head. I fully agree with what you said. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
The trouble is that it is not just Adam's site. It is everywhere. Another harmonica forum - I forget which, but will come back to you with details if you ask - actually quotes US Federal Law, as they relate to speech, in its terms of use.
At this rate, your children, or theirs, will have much less to say than those living under Stalin or Pol Pot had to say. These things creep up on people; they always have, and they always will.
Good night, and kind thoughts to you.
EDIT:
Sarge, I'm glad I'm not the only one on here who thinks that. Good night.
FURTHER EDIT:
So much for 'Je suis Charlie' and to hell with Voltaire.
Last Edited by HarmonicaMick on Jun 20, 2015 5:44 PM
I think stuff like "manpon" and shit it bullshit. Can't you see that? It's implying women and their qualities are inferior. It's happening everywhere all the time and it's fucked up. "Me man - me superior". Grow up and take responsibility for your actions. It might not seem like a big thing, but it's about norms in general and either make them stronger or make them weaker. IT*S RACISM. And the stupidest argument for keeping this behavior up is the "everybody does it" bullshit. Be a fucking stand up person and don't bash on women to make you feel superior.
Think about it. Is this something you want to support? Do you want your daughter to feel inferior? Do you want lesser qualities and behavior to be associated with women? Don't bash on women and come up with excuses for doing so it's just the mark of a weak person.
Last Edited by Dragonbreath on Jun 20, 2015 6:44 PM
Okay, since there is some confusion, here is the issue- in the context it was used, it was obviously meant as a putdown. No one ever says 'you throw like a girl' as a compliment. When you imply that women behave irrationally and that a group of men are acting like those same women you are saying a) that women act irrationally. Some do, some don't, but it's the same as saying Mexicans are lazy or British people have lousy teeth. It's a negative stereotype. b) you are at least trying to say that men who are acting emotionally (or that is I assume what you are saying) are less of men.
You are right that there is no right in the U.N Charter on Human Rights saying that people have the right to never be exposed to something that offends them. If you said something like that to me on the street corner and asked what I thought I'd call it sexist and that would be that... but we are not on a street corner. This forum has a set of rules. I know it offends some of you that those rules don't comport with your ideals, but you don't have the right to not be offended, and when it comes down to it, it's not your site (or mine, I just work here and try to enforce the rules as they've been described to me). Free speech is not without consequence. It seems pretty silly that you get offended that something you said was seen as offensive. Do you see the circular logic going on there? You've given yourself permission to offend other people but not the responsibility to have your feelings hurt when they call you out on it.
As for the Stalin or Pol Pot reference, there is a principle that the longer an internet dispute rages the greater the chance someone will cite Hitler. You dodged the bullet called Godwin's Law, but only by a hair's width.
It's easy to look at the world as changing to be more restrictive, but I'll give you a whole slew of examples of how that's objectively not true. Imagine, if you will, the year is 1950 and you are a black man and you say, 'Hey there sexy' to a white woman. What exactly do you think would happen to you? How about if it was 1950 and you said, 'Hey there sexy' to another guy? How do you think that would go over? Or, hi, I think the government should give more money to the poor, comrade?
You are right, there is no law that says that people have the right to not be offended. Some of you were offended by the idea that maybe we white guys don't own the blues. We allowed a discussion to proceed until it started getting nasty. Think of a forum as someone's living room, and each time you show up as the host inviting you in. How long do you think you'd keep getting invited if you kept being nasty and comparing your host to Pol Pot?
These things do creep up. Sometimes it's from the left and sometimes it's from the right. I called someone out for saying something, but the response has been to call me out and say I don't have the right to call you out. That's circular. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. If you find me censoring you when you are making a polite argument, by all means call me out, but I'm calling some of you out on this one. HarmonicaMick, if you'll excuse the violation of Godwin's Law I'm about to commit- if you insist on comparing it to censorship (again, I don't think expressing a counter view when someone offends you is censorship, but I'll accept your premise for a moment) the next step is to compare it to Hitler. *From this point on, I am speaking entirely on my own, not as a representative of this site.
The left supports equal rights for women and homosexuals. The right, not so much. The left supports aid for the poor. The right calls that buying votes. (That offends me because while there are certainly cynics on the left who see it that way there are also many people, like myself, who see it as the decent thing to do.) I support the right of hate groups to speak their mind, but I'll speak my mind back to them. You'll notice your comments, when I disagree with them, still stay there. I do not follow you off this site and try to knock the megaphone out of your hands. (And I'm not equating you to Hitler or a hate group.)
Here is the thing though. I believe in the power of language. I gather, because you believe so strongly in free speech, that you think it's powerful too. There is no sense in protecting free speech just so Joe Shmoe can tell fart jokes. We believe in free speech because it can be used to defend people. You're comparing the PC movement to Stalin and Pol Pot and trying to defend the right of people to, say, offend women. I'm saying, well, first off, this is a harmonica forum, second, it's not a town square where free speech is absolute, and third, despite all the complaining we white guys can muster, we aren't, at least in most of the places this forum is viewed from, a disenfranchised minority, making 70-90 cents on the dollar or with an unemployment rate several times the national average. If that changes, I'll be happy to cut you a little more slack.
But the point of this is not to debate who has it worst, it's to point out that we had to lock half a dozen threads and that a few refugees from that thread decided to continue that gripe in another thread only tangentally related. My easiest rule for spotting threads that are going to cause a problem is to see if, if they are off topic, they are spilling over into other threads. I should have locked your follow-up thread and told you to take it back to the original thread right away. That's a simple, no judgement, no politics way to handle it. There aren't enough hours in the day to keep an eye on every thread if half the threads are mired in crap battles.
When I go click accept on the new applications every day I see the handle people want to use, their email, and their real name, then, someone called us out for letting some fairly sexist threads hang around. We looked, and we agreed. As guys, we hadn't given it much thought. We realized that threads like, 'Check out this harp player in a Bikini' didn't have much to do with a site that is mostly about teaching harmonica, so we posted a notice and updated the creed a bit, and guess what, I started, for the first time in a long time, to occasionally see females registering.
I also noticed a marked downtick in the number of applications while all the fighting was going on, so my takeaway is that it's good for this site to not have a locker room feel to it.
It's funny, we almost all of us, censor ourselves all the time. We don't tell our mothers about our sex lives and we don't tell the parish priest we think his daughter looks hot in a catholic school dress. 99% of the time, people get that, and understand that this site is not a locker room, and can self-censor themselves. Occasionally though, they can't, or they forget they are in mixed company, or they decide that they want to pick that moment to confuse free speech and saying whatever is on your mind. (Trust me, I self-censor all the time).
So, let's wind this thread down. It was a legitimate complaint by some people who didn't like all the arguing, that promptly got taken over by the arguers, who, ironically, said, well, if you don't like the arguing, stay out of those threads. In the thread the people who didn't like the arguing started. Let the irony of that sink in. Be better people, people. If this wasn't my job I would have walked away long ago, but it is, so I'm here, telling you, please, for the love of whatever you hold holy, walk away.
as long as this thread has veered in this direction, and to avoid starting another thread -
"this forum isn't a men's locker room"
what's THAT supposed to mean?
I've never been in a women's locker room, but I've been to restaurants and clubs where groups of women are having bachelorette parties or whatever, and lemme tellya ...
heck, all you have to do is spend some time strolling around the streets of any large city. you'll notice pretty quick that women are not averse to expressing themselves in ways that (one would hope) this forum would not tolerate. I'm guessing this applies to women's locker rooms as well.
