Anglican/Catholic

[Mickey]

Les Paul’s are fun, too, but like I said, I’m way more of a Fender dude. Can’t lose with 'em…

Is your Strat and Telly Mexican or American?

 

[Bluegoat]

My problem with Rush is more basic than that - it’s down to I can’t stand the guy’s singing voice. It’s like nails on a chalk-board. Everything else might be amazing, but i don’t know because I have to turn it off.

 

[Mickey]

My problem with Rush is more basic than that - it’s down to I can’t stand the guy’s singing voice. It’s like nails on a chalk-board. Everything else might be amazing, but i don’t know because I have to turn it off.

I new someone in college with the same problem—he could not tolerate Lee’s voice. I suppose some people are allergic to it.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Geddy Lee’s voice is awesome. The guy rocks. Gotta say on this one you lost your Canadian citizenship! Being Canadian and not liking Rush is liking being anti-Beatles when you’re from Liverpool!

How can anyone NOT like “Moving Pictures,” one of the greatest albums in history!?

My problem with Rush is more basic than that - it’s down to I can’t stand the guy’s singing voice. It’s like nails on a chalk-board. Everything else might be amazing, but i don’t know because I have to turn it off.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Then they need to take some Benedryl and listen! The dude’s amazing! His bass-playing is awesome as well!

I new someone in college with the same problem—he could not tolerate Lee’s voice. I suppose some people are allergic to it.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Both Strat and Tele are MIM they call it: made in Mexico. Actually Fender makes all the parts here in the States and ships the parts to Mexico. At the Fender Mexico factory it’s all-American oversight and guided with Mexicans assembling the guitars through strict specs. They are not worth $$$ as much as a MIUSA Strat/Tele but they play 99% the same. The craftsmanship is first rate. Gibson, however, has their Epiphone brand farmed out to China, which has less Gibson involvement. I have had my Strat for a few years now and haven’t seen one glitch. Plays like day one and the fit and finish are identical to the MIUSA ones? Plus they hold their value like crazy, too! I love it. Squier is the brand that is dubious for Fender!

Is your Strat and Telly Mexican or American?

 

[Mickey]

Both Strat and Tele are MIM they call it: made in Mexico. Actually Fender makes all the parts here in the States and ships the parts to Mexico. At the Fender Mexico factory it’s all-American oversight and guided with Mexicans assembling the guitars through strict specs. They are not worth $$$ as much as a MIUSA Strat/Tele but they play 99% the same. The craftsmanship is first rate.

Yes. Although my Strat is MIUSA, I had to pay big $$$ and I have heard that the MIM are nearly identical.

Gibson, however, has their Epiphone brand farmed out to China, which has less Gibson involvement.

Ouch.

Squier is the brand that is dubious for Fender!

Yes, I have heard the same.

 

[Mickey]

How can anyone NOT like “Moving Pictures,” one of the greatest albums in history!?

Awesome! They just toured (are touring) this again!

 

[Mickey]

Then they need to take some Benedryl and listen! The dude’s amazing! His bass-playing is awesome as well!

I’m with you on that one!

 

[Bluegoat]

Geddy Lee’s voice is awesome. The guy rocks. Gotta say on this one you lost your Canadian citizenship! Being Canadian and not liking Rush is liking being anti-Beatles when you’re from Liverpool!

How can anyone NOT like “Moving Pictures,” one of the greatest albums in history!?

I am willing to listen to Stompin’ Tom to make up for it. We Nova Scotians never wanted to be attached to Upper Canada anyway.

 

[Irish_Polock]

I’m on a Stevie Ray Vaughan trip right now. “Leave my little girl alone” is just the greatest blues tune ever IMO

Stevie Vaughan is a local hero here in Austin, I think almost every music venue, bar, and restaurant in downtown Austin has at least one piece of memorabilia of Stevie’s less then famous years in Austin.
What I have always found fascinating about Stevie, is that the guy could hardly read or write, he had no guitar lessons, and obviously he had no idea of how to read music. He did everything by ear, and I find that pretty remarkable.
His death was a tragedy for everyone who knew him, and for those whom would never get to know of him. Although, I feel his legacy will continue and he’ll be standing tall on Auditorium Shores for hopefully many, many years to come.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

No doubt; the guy was a living legend and a national treasure. The man’s technique alone was totally unique and special. HIs blues voice is almost as cool as his Strat sound. It’s always the good ones that die so early

Stevie Vaughan is a local hero here in Austin, I think almost every music venue, bar, and restaurant in downtown Austin has at least one piece of memorabilia of Stevie’s less then famous years in Austin.
What I have always found fascinating about Stevie, is that the guy could hardly read or write, he had no guitar lessons, and obviously he had no idea of how to read music. He did everything by ear, and I find that pretty remarkable.
His death was a tragedy for everyone who knew him, and for those whom would never get to know of him. Although, I feel his legacy will continue and he’ll be standing tall on Auditorium Shores for hopefully many, many years to come.

 

[Contarini]

I thought the first four were brilliant. I think not only the universe he created was amazing and extensive, I disagree with you that he was pretentious. I also think you’re wrong about his view on religion. Dune is about self-fullfilling prophecies and it explores the concept as to how a religion can manipulate a situation and appear prophetic, put machinery in place to dupe people and use the structures of said religion to gain power over people’s minds and politics.

Yes, I got that idea. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Typical reductionistic atheist nonsense. You’re happy to accept it as long as you can apply it to religions you don’t like, such as Islam. But I can’t think of any major religion that it fits. (I say “major” because I suppose you could make an argument for Scientology.)

I think the way the missionaria protectiva of the Bene Gesserit plants little seeds of false prophecies across the galaxy is fascinating. Just in case they need to exploit the prophecy at a later date and use mythology for their own selfish purposes, the seed is there. It also explores prophecy as a loop. Paul, as Muad’dib, is really being manipulated by Jessica to dupe the populace of the fremen for mere survival purposes but instead, whether he realizes it or not, Paul’s Muad’dib figure becomes a real messianic figure and the spice envelopes his understandings guiding him into a prophetic history he didn’t plan on. That is how prophecy works. It’s static

No, it isn’t.

and we can’t escape our destiny. No matter how hard we try NOT to be pawns of prophecy, if prophecy is true, we are prisoners of fate.

I think it was brilliant.

Clever but shallow, which was my initial judgment.

As for not liking his imagined world, nobody said you have to like it.

No. And all I said is that I didn’t like it

It’s not meant, necessarily to be liked, no? It’s a treatment of a future that is full of intrigue, familial dynastical quarreling, human beings coming out of a history that sold out to technology, and it’s a dystopia to some degree. I think it is more didactic than a “hope you like it!” series. Herbert was a passionate ecologist and the books, the first few at least, are heavily focused on ecosystems and the synergy of how ecosystems work. It’s cynical as to how humanity tries to manipulate the ecology of the planet and ends up shooting itself in the foot.

It’s also metaphorical with the spice representing oil and natural resources on earth. It explores addiction, manipulation of resources, corporate greed, on and on.

I agree that it’s interesting. I think you’re right that it’s dystopian.

I don’t see anything pretentious whatsoever in the series either.

I think it’s all the prophecy stuff. In one book, he didn’t convince me that the messianic/prophetic story was important or interesting–I didn’t suspend disbelief–so I found the continual hints that This is a Grand Messianic Story rather annoying.

I’m willing to believe that the later books are better. I just never felt much desire to read them.

Edwin

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Whatever you say, Edwin…I don’t see the need for your sniping tone in the first paragraph that is the signature of your posts with me. It’s unnecessarily nasty and uncalled-for. You spoke recently of GKC as a good example of how to be a gentleman. Exhibit A here shows the need to bone up on GKC’s posts then.

And regarding application to real-life religions, who cares? Even if it didn’t fit ANY religion on our planet, it’s just sci fi and theoretical. I dont see the “reductionistic nonsense” angle either.

I also don’t see why you think you need to be “convinced” by Dune. It’s not trying to convert you to a new way of seeing life or touch your soul. In the end, it’s hypothetical imaginative sci-fi. As for saying you didn’t suspend disbelief, I wanted to laugh out loud. Why would you? Did you like the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings or Narnia books? How about Shakespeare? None of these suspend my disbelief for a second yet I found value and enjoyment from them.

With all due respect, whatever I said I liked I’m quite certain you’d shoot down or loath no matter what so maybe you and I shouldn’t comment on one another’s favs. As my mom, not a college professor at all, used to say, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say it.” Maybe I should listen to her as well with my own comments about Chesterton! It’s good medicine I think.

Yes, I got that idea. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Typical reductionistic atheist nonsense. You’re happy to accept it as long as you can apply it to religions you don’t like, such as Islam. But I can’t think of any major religion that it fits. (I say “major” because I suppose you could make an argument for Scientology.)

No, it isn’t.

Clever but shallow, which was my initial judgment.

No. And all I said is that I didn’t like it

I agree that it’s interesting. I think you’re right that it’s dystopian.

I think it’s all the prophecy stuff. In one book, he didn’t convince me that the messianic/prophetic story was important or interesting–I didn’t suspend disbelief–so I found the continual hints that This is a Grand Messianic Story rather annoying.

I’m willing to believe that the later books are better. I just never felt much desire to read them.

Edwin

 

[Mickey]

Whatever you say, Edwin…I don’t see the need for your sniping tone in the first paragraph that is the signature of your posts with me. It’s unnecessarily nasty and uncalled-for.

I see that he’s sniping at you too.

 

[Bluegoat]

Yes, I got that idea. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Typical reductionistic atheist nonsense. You’re happy to accept it as long as you can apply it to religions you don’t like, such as Islam. But I can’t think of any major religion that it fits. (I say “major” because I suppose you could make an argument for Scientology.)

No, it isn’t.

Clever but shallow, which was my initial judgment.

No. And all I said is that I didn’t like it

I agree that it’s interesting. I think you’re right that it’s dystopian.

I think it’s all the prophecy stuff. In one book, he didn’t convince me that the messianic/prophetic story was important or interesting–I didn’t suspend disbelief–so I found the continual hints that This is a Grand Messianic Story rather annoying.

I’m willing to believe that the later books are better. I just never felt much desire to read them.

Edwin

I would say he defiantly has an atheist’s view of religion. The goal is to be truly human - in a Nietzchean sense. It is rather awful.

What I think is interesting is that way of looking at religion and society is a strong undercurrent in our society, and he lays out the kind of things that grow out of that quite clearly.

I always hoped that some kind of connection to something more would appear as the series went on. But in the end the only evidence of that are honourable individuals that give up their lives for the greater good - but there is no greater meaning that he draws from that.

I don’t know if that is shallow - it’s inadequate to me. But just to see clearly what that conception of humanity means is unusual - people generally like to soft-peddle it, and Herbert doesn’t do that at all.

 

[Contarini]

Whatever you say, Edwin…I don’t see the need for your sniping tone in the first paragraph that is the signature of your posts with me. It’s unnecessarily nasty and uncalled-for. You spoke recently of GKC as a good example of how to be a gentleman. Exhibit A here shows the need to bone up on GKC’s posts then.

I care about truth. I believe you do as well.

I think that your attitude to Islam is irrational and bad for your soul. I don’t think you are cultivating intellectual virtues, insofar as your post gives evidence.

This matters to me.

If you call that “sniping,” so be it.

If both you and Mickey would get rid of your stereotype of me as a “syncretist pluralist liberal” who wants everyone to be nice and get along, we might communicate better.

Perhaps I should get rid of my stereotype of you two as stalwart lovers of truth, no matter how hard the truth may be. But I don’t think that would be charitable on my part.

Edwin

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I would disagree. Herbert was more than a simple atheist in his approach to speculative religious paths in a sci-fi novel. People have speculated for years about Herbert’s religion. I’ve read that he was raised a Catholic and converted to Zen Buddhism. I’ve read that he was a pragmatic atheist, an agnostic, even religious. Hard telling.

But if you glean atheism from Dune, I would have to say I don’t draw that same conclusion. Dune is about many things–ecology, psychology, politics and intrigue, monarchies, sanity and madness, human potential (look at the Bene Gesserit and Guild, etc) both good and bad roads therein, prophecy themes, language, how humans can develop without technology, system thinking, betrayal, eugenics, drug abuse, destiny, prescience, survival, and a myriad other things. Religion is a piece of the book, not the entire core by a longshot.

But within the novel, Herbert doesn’t have any atheist leanings nor, from my view, does he have a deeply cynical anti-religious tone to it. What I think he is exploring is how myth or prophecy could be manipulated or how the players within prophetic revelations that come true don’t realize that they’re players. It makes me think of how the Assyrians or Babylonians or the Pharaoh or many of the other “bad guys” of the Bible didn’t realize that God was using them. They thought they were free agents in control of their own destinies. Look at Herod and the killing of the innocents and how he still cannot escape destiny. Or look at how Judas is a necessary evil for our salvation in the Passion narrative. Herbert is no different. He is painting a tapestry showing how Paul becomes Muad’dib with narry a thought of it being legit, more of a missionaria protectiva ploy from Jessica, his mother, to survive and thrive and rally for revenge against House Harkonnen. But in the process, Paul becomes the prophecy and the ugly side of him that is a dictator and a Jihad emperor comes out. He has to walk away from the role as he hates what he has become and the necessary evils that came along with it.

I don’t see the goal being truly human. I see Herbert showing the negative potential in human beings when they become TOO fixated with breaking through “mere” humanity into something far greater. Dune shows the negative impacts of trying to go beyond our humanity. I’m suprised, quite frankly, at all these “Dune is atheistic!” folks and how they miss the fact that the human potential narrative is painted as folly and cynical, not hopeful or a good thing. The Bene Gesserits have gone beyond mere humanity and they are miserable, back-biting, cunning, lying, intrigue-driven witches. The Spacing Guild is also mutated into something more than human but they are drug-addicted, sad, pathetic figures who have no soul and they are willing to kill, destroy, and enter unholy alliances to keep their drugs flowing. How is this Nietzhchean? If anything, it pokes fun at or admonishes us not to be excessive humanists.

That’s just my take anyway. I’ve read the book many times for years and admire Frank Herbert as an author and a man a great deal. He had a talent that was out of this world. And I think he presented a dystopian vision that is supposed to be a warning, not a glowing warm-fuzzy for the future…And I think also a lot of it was real ecological and social analysis, not just religion, as I said earlier.

I would say he defiantly has an atheist’s view of religion. The goal is to be truly human - in a Nietzchean sense. It is rather awful.

What I think is interesting is that way of looking at religion and society is a strong undercurrent in our society, and he lays out the kind of things that grow out of that quite clearly.

I always hoped that some kind of connection to something more would appear as the series went on. But in the end the only evidence of that are honourable individuals that give up their lives for the greater good - but there is no greater meaning that he draws from that.

I don’t know if that is shallow - it’s inadequate to me. But just to see clearly what that conception of humanity means is unusual - people generally like to soft-peddle it, and Herbert doesn’t do that at all.

 

[Mickey]

I think that your attitude to Islam is irrational and bad for your soul. I don’t think you are cultivating intellectual virtues,

And I do not think it is your place to discern the cultivation of virtues or the state of one’s soul.

 

[GaryTaylor]

No doubt; the guy was a living legend and a national treasure. The man’s technique alone was totally unique and special. HIs blues voice is almost as cool as his Strat sound. It’s always the good ones that die so early

Live at the Mocambo and LIve at Austin City Limits are worth a watch if you haven’t already viewed them. Especially Austin City Limits first show if your playing a Strat. The cameras on his fretboard all night. Mocambo he just gets nuts with Hendrix covers Third Stone especially, and VooDoo Chile.

Some great players out of Texas though Chris Duartes Strat Magik is good also. Freddie King, Gibbons,all great.