In his book The Polysyllabic Spree, which is a collection/extension of literary reviews he did for a magazine called The Believer, Nick Hornby mentions a desire to keep his reviews mostly positive. Far be it for him, he seems to say, to denigrate the artistic works of others.
When I started writing about music for ESPN, I burgled Hornby’s philosophy. My thinking: There’s too much good music available and so, not much reason to dwell on the bad.
Aside from questioning the Beatles’ choke-hold on music fans’ affections, I’ve done a pretty good job in upholding this standard. But, at the end of a ten-night, seven-concert gauntlet, my noble intentions were tested, thanks to a musician in the last band on my schedule.
In mid-March, I noticed that the April concert lineup in Northeast Kansas looked particularly fertile. After some research, I figured out that bands were criss-crossing the country while going to and from the big spring festivals: South By Southwest in Austin, TX, and Coachella, in Indio, CA. Their need to get across the country in rental vans and tour buses was a blessing for those of us who live in the middle of that country.
I noted the following:
April 5 – Passion Pit in one venue, Fanfarlo in another
April 6 – Beach House
April 7 – Camera Obscura
April 8 – Miike Snow
April 9 – Bad Veins
April 10 – The Big Pink/A Place To Bury Strangers OR Julian Casablancas
April 11 – Deer Tick
April 12 – Band Of Skulls
April 13 – Japandroids
And, finally, a band I’ve long enjoyed in recorded form, but one I’ve never seen live:
April 14 – Rogue Wave
In August of 2009, I mentioned Rogue Wave in an ESPN column, writing “These fine gentlemen from Oakland play the sort of music that seems easy to make, until one realizes how rarely it’s made so well.”
Soon after, I received an email from the band’s bassist:
Thanks for the shout out man!
I wrote back that I appreciated the note and their music and told him to let me know when their next album came out.
Cool Paul. Will do.
When, in March, I noticed that Rogue Wave would be near my hometown, I had a column idea. I had given Rogue Wave’s new album, Permalight, a thorough going-over and had decided that I really liked it. I sent the band’s bassist an email, knowing that anything I wrote about the Rogue Wave and their new album would be easy to keep positive – there was almost no chance I wouldn’t like their live show, and I already liked all of their recorded work. Nick Hornby would be proud, I thought.
My note:
Hi [Rogue Wave’s bassist’s name].
Back in late August, you wrote me a much-appreciated note.
Your band will be in Lawrence, KS next Wednesday; I wonder if you
might have 20 minutes that day for a quick conversation/interview.
Thanks.
Paul
While awaiting his response, I got started on my own personal reverse concert tour, the ten days of which happened to dovetail perfectly with a ten-day round of antibiotics intended to remedy the dull ache that had plagued my right testicle for the previous two months.
(It wasn’t cancer. Nor was it an STD. It was epididymitis, or an inflammation of the epididymis, or something I really didn’t want to tell the girlfriend about, but did. And if I could tell her, I figured I could tell you.)
My testicles are hardly worth mentioning here except for one complicator: Because I was really tired of feeling like I’d just taken a Whiffle-ball bat to the privates, I had resolved to be extremely careful about my nutritional habits while my round of Cipro did its bacteria-killing best. Onto the wagon I went; I would be church-mouse sober for every concert I attended.
Because Passion Pit was an early show that coincided with the NCAA Championship and because I’d made a point to watch Butler beat Kansas State at the excellent Blue Seats in New York City, I felt invested in Gordon Hayward’s fate, and decided to forego the sweet-singing Northeasteners (Passion Pit) in favor of Fanfarlo’s late show at Kansas City’s Record Bar.
Fanfarlo was duller than a Gillette Sensor Excel after nine months in Zack Galafanakis’ bathroom drawer.*
Thankfully, there was a comedic moment to serve as the night’s highlight. After the Record Bar’s manager walked to the extra room that was doubling as backstage and, in full view of the audience, asked the band if they’d be coming out for an encore, we were treated to the answer: his sprint to the sound booth to turn on the house music. Because, when you’re an obscure band from Europe given one chance to impress the locals, you should probably do your best to piss them off by not playing an encore.
My second night on “tour” was spent with Beach House. It would be a night marred by my unfamiliarity with the band. And by my sobriety. Beach House plays a mellow style of rock music that is best experienced with something else to do, which made me think of Pinback. (And made most of the people who just read that comparison think, What an awful comparison. He just likened one obscure band to another, even more obscure band.) Beach House was vaguely dull, but I swore at the time to give them a pass until I’ve heard more of their music. So I will.
Next up was Miike Snow, the Swedish/Brooklynish band I’ve been lauding since I saw them at Lollapalooza. I was back at the Record Bar, which was inexplicably packed with Miike Snow fans, many of whom were young and very attractive. As my friend John noted, it was easily the best-looking small-venue concert crowd Kansas City has seen since Guster was last in town. I agreed with him, even in my sobriety. Imagine what I might have said if I’d had four Olympias. (My cheap beer of choice at the Record Bar.)
Neither John nor I could explain how so many people in Northeast Kansas knew about Miike Snow, so we asked around. Unbeknownst to us, the band has had a vaguely mainstream hit, which explained the four college girls in the booth against the wall and their faithful rendition of “Animal”. Only later did I learn that “having a hit” meant their song was played on Gossip Girl, which I can only assume to be the sort of show watched by the girls on the wall.
As expected, Miike Snow was fantastic. Someday, everyone will know that it’s a band and not a person.
After the arrival of the aforementioned girlfriend (which arrival would later rule out Deer Tick and Band Of Skulls) it was time for old friends Bad Veins, who were saddled with not one, but two Paul-related obstacles to overcome. Okay, three. Testicle, sobriety, and a badly burned right thumb, the result of a grilling mishap that consisted of me telling myself, as I did the exact opposite, “Okay, don’t let any of your fingers slip out from behind this hot pad holder as you take the vegetable tray off the grill.”
Despite pain on three fronts (thumb + epididymis + the pain that comes from sobriety at a rock show), Bad Veins performed just as admirably as when I first saw them, back in September. Only this time, instead of 9 people in the audience (seriously), there were 150. Granted, Bad Veins was opening for the epically mediocre band As Tall As Lions**, but I tend to think that most of the crowd was as wowed as I was by Bad Veins’ set.
My girlfriend and I were both feverishly anticipating the next night’s show, a rarity you would understand better if you knew her background. But I’m not going to tell you that. You’ll just have to trust me when I say that she doesn’t get too excited about live music. And no, she’s not a graduate of the Kansas School For The Deaf.
Although, even if she were, she would have enjoyed A Place To Bury Strangers. ‘Twas loud. And visually stimulating. I was impressed by the Brooklyners’ ability to put on an actual rock show, a rare characteristic these days. Most of the bands I saw in my ten-day stay-put tour should have been forced to apprentice under APTBS. As it turns out, we in the audience probably don’t need to see more of the bands we love. Most musicians are short, scruffy, and honestly, probably not all that attractive. (With the exception of Bad Veins. Good-looking dudes, all around.)
Unless you’re Lykke Li, Alison Mosshart, or the lead singer of Queens of the Stone Age, hiding behind smoke and some back-lighting is a very, very good idea.
Three songs into a set by the night’s headliner, The Big Pink, I sent a twitter message that read, “There’s no reason this band couldn’t be the biggest band in the world.”
I was given just such a reason at song number six, which capped off a three-song suite of slow jams that sucked the energy out of the room more effectively than a battalion of cops checking IDs.
After two nights off so my ears could recover, and so my girlfriend and I could build a super-couch with all the furniture in my basement for the purpose of a better vantage point for episodes of House, I bade her farewell and drowned my sorrows in music. (I had no choice. Still not drinking.) This time, with the Japandroids, a two-piece punk/noise rock band from Vancouver.
The Japandroids were great, walking the line between accessible music and noise perfectly. Their set was marred by their opener, the horrendous Avi Buffalo (hey, they’re young, and they can play instruments…let’s put them on tour)*** and the overwhelming number of Y chromosomes in the audience. It’s true that my girlfriend had just left and I was firmly in the “wistfully missing her” stage, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be surrounded by males. At last tally, the count was 57 to 9.
Then again, nine is plenty if your band is the Japandroids and only has two members.
And then it was time for the finale, a band I’ve rooted for since their debut, Out Of The Shadow, came out in 2004.
Rogue Wave makes music seem simple. When I listen to their albums, I usually think, Why don’t more people do this? More people – or bands – don’t do what Rogue Wave does because what Rogue Wave does is difficult. It’s hard to make music sound easy. Their secret lies, I think, with all the little things – a hooky keyboard part at just the right moment, or the extra lilt that lead singer Zach Schwartz (aka Zach Rogue) throws into a melody.
In addition, the band has done its share of overcoming obstacles. Drummer Pat Spurgeon is on the wait list for a new kidney, and Schwartz himself overcame a 2008 illness that left him partially paralyzed.
There are plenty of reasons to like Rogue Wave. Or, there were plenty of reasons to like Rogue Wave, until I read the response to my interview request:
Hey man,
Thanks for the thought. Unfortunately, your stance on Haiti’s relief efforts is something a bleeding heart bay area [band] like us would have a difficulty being associated with…[]…Good luck.
[Rogue Wave’s bassist]
As I read the note, my shoulders slumped, and my respect for Rogue Wave immediately plummeted.
I considered not going to the band’s show, but thought better of it.
I went alone, staying through the last song of their pre-encore set, sipping on a concoction of orange juice and club soda, at war with my own brain. Would I write about this? Could I stay objective? Should I lambast them out of spite?
As a writer, I’ve had published something like 300,000 words. If a man who would normally speak to me refuses to do so because of a 2,000 word essay I wrote questioning the US relief effort in Haiti, claiming that to be associated with me would be difficult for his band, I become disappointed in that man. To refuse a conversation with me because of an article I wrote is as childish as bed-wetting and Boys-Only tree forts.
What’s next?
I’m sorry, Paul. You once wrote a column about Guns ‘n Roses. I don’t like Guns ‘n Roses, so I’m not going to talk to you.
When I walked out of Lawrence’s Bottleneck after the Rogue Wave show, a sense of relief washed over me. I’d survived my ten-day gauntlet of Cipro, live music, and sobriety. But with my contentment came a nagging disappointment: One of the musicians I had held in such high esteem for so long had drawn back the curtain and proved himself to be just as petty and short-sighted as the Tea Party activists he likely despises.
I wondered if I could separate my feelings. I resolved to give it a try:
As live performers, the members of Rogue Wave interpret their songs even better than they do in recorded form. Which, really, is all anyone can ask out of a band. Their live show was fantastic.
But Rogue Wave could take a lesson from A Place To Bury Strangers. Stay in the shadows. Keep me guessing.
I liked you more when you did.
*Fanfarlo, you can thank Rogue Wave’s bassist for the uncharacteristic negativity.
**You too, As Tall As Lions.
***As for you, Avi Buffalo – you probably would have caught my rage even at my most Zen. You should find something else to do with your time.
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Very jealous of your concert series (but not your testicle issue!). I wonder how many people that have a problem with your Haiti article have actually read the whole thing …
This Rogue Wave news is rather disheartening.
That sucks about Rogue Wave. I think it’s funny/sad that a lot of liberals are intolerant of viewpoints and perspectives that disagree with their own. Celebrate diversity…as long as you agree/think with us.
For the record, I consider myself a liberal.
Thanks for the article, Paul.
Hey Paul,enjoyed this column as I do all your work. Bill Simmons turned me on to you. At any rate,it is a shame that R
hahahahaha, your respect for bands is conditioned upon whether they agree with your “I GOT MINE FUCK YOU” historically fact-free view of the world? you wrote that crap. man up and live with the consequences. playing the victim is not a good look for anyone.
Rogue Wave apparently can pick and choose its publicity. I wonder if those Oakland bleeding hearts would turn down an interview or jam session with Mike Huckabee.
Paul,
Did you run over Pragmatism’s dog? I can’t help but notice a negative comment from them in every one of your posts.
sit tight josh. the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahmbulance is coming for you and shirley.
I’m sorry, Paul. You once wrote about your aching testicle. I don’t like aching testicles, so I’m not going to post anything meaningful.
this article is utterly hilarious. your anti-hatian screed was in part highlighting haiti’s lack of personal responsibility. here you externalize your own personal responsibility because the people who disagree must be wrong and oh so very mean. fucking outstanding work. at least there is some testicle karma.
Ummm… surprised no one has made this connection yet. How about a quick paraphrase?
One of the [writers] I had held in such high esteem for so long had drawn back the curtain and proved himself to be just as [choose your disappointing adjective] as the [admittedly naive, yet good-intentioned Haiti] activists he likely despises.
I don’t think it’s simplifying to say now you know how [we] felt w/r/t that same “disappointment”. I’m still a fan. I still read your stuff. But like you, I wish that [writer/bassist] had shown better judgment. (It’s fine that you disagree with me, that’s the point)
Way to take the high road as usual, pragmatism.
Paul, I agreed with your sentiment on Haiti, if not necessarily the way it was written. I can also understand your disappointment with Rogue Wave because obviously you were really looking forward to it. Yet I can’t help but feel your take on his/their view as being somewhat hypocritical.
Part of the awesomeness of being American is being allowed to express your opinion. You wish to be allowed to express yours without being ostracized, yet don’t allow Rogue Wave to do the same? It’s hard to tell if his response was more geared towards a fear of being lumped in with you and experiencing a backlash because of it, or if they genuinely do not agree with you. If the former, I agree it is lame. If the latter, however, you have to respect it.
stop with the pearl clutching scotty. wrongfully condemning the entirety of a nation places the road very very low. or if you don’t like that, i could trot out the canard that your hero uses to justify himself, “i was just trying to make you think”. so trite. so douchetastic.
On Rogue Wave: If they weren’t willing to do the interview because of genuine opposition to Paul’s stance on relief efforts in Haiti, then I commend them for their integrity. If they refrained from the interview because they were worried about alienating their fans (which could very well have happened), then that too is a legitimate reason. They may have had more to lose than gain from doing such an interview. Nevertheless, Rogue Wave make great music.
Or should that be: Rogue Wave “makes” great music…? Collective nouns can be tricky.
“Opinions are like assholes, everybody has em.” If I refused to speak to everyone I disagreed with I wouldn’t say much. In fact from one philosophy it seems more worthwhile to talk to people with a different opinion. The Rogue Wave guy should grow up.
Miike Snow was awesome, as was The Flaming Lips show. Well for me I guess it was actually The Dead Weather show because while in the front row, against the fence guarding the stage, I had the worst bout of bubble guts ever. With all of the thousand other people blocking me in and the band I was there to see on stage I opted to fight it and remain, which means I was making some crazy faces at Alison Mossheart and Jack White.
Eventually when I realized I might be facing a worse scenario than missing a concert, I bolted and pushed my way through the crowd, waited for the only stall and found a pee covered seat as well as no toilet paper. I’ll spare the rest of the gory details but suffice to say that after The Dead Weather and another rumbling in my tummy I opted to leave. Therefore entirely missing The Flaming Lips.
Once home I felt a little guilty for walking out so i did a little research to see what I had missed. Come to find out, TFL have one of the most amazing live shows around. So I came out of a depressing weekend with a new resolve to see the Flaming Lips live.
Hey Paul,
Great music article as always i first stumbled across you when you wrote a weekly music column for ESPN. It was always nice to hear a second opinion about music i would deem good but not many of people in my social circle would listen to. I was so impressed in fact that i went out and bought your book it too was a very enjoyable read. Keep up the good work
I did disagree with your thesis on the Haiti deal…but I’m hanging in there with you Paul. Hey- thoughts are thoughts, they’re meant to be expressed and debated. you can’t think for yourself if you don’t hear others’ thoughts.
This article was very refreshing, keep writing about the music. Your columns are best when geared around going through all the indie stuff, I usually have lala open and listen to what you write about, because usually its new to me. That’s what keeps me coming back, not that you necessarily give a shit about that. Nice article.
Oh, stop, Paul. You wrote more than an essay “questioning the US relief effort in Haiti.” You act like you’re some brave lone dissident – other people vigorously questioned the relief efforts in Haiti – David Brooks of the New York Times comes to mind (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/opinion/15brooks.html). No one is refusing Brooks’ interviews. I wonder why?
What you did though, was gleefully argue that the Haitians deserved to die. That they were less than fully human. You danced on their graves while they were still being dug.
You don’t seem to grasp how repulsive you are. Your views are disgusting enough that no one wants to give them any sort of implicit endorsement by even speaking with you. If the Roots refused to be interviewed by someone who was vocally a virulent racist, would that be “as childish as bed-wetting and Boys-Only tree forts.”
You don’t want to be held accountable for your repugnant views. You don’t want to deal with the real world consequences of your actions.
You’re the guy who wrote a disturbing screed mocking the suffering of thousands of people. You weren’t smart enough to recant it. ESPN will not work with you. Most decent people will not work with you. Rogue Wave was obviously the only one to google you after your interview request. The fact that you think this represents some sort of injustice or unfairness drips with irony. Your lack of any vague glimmer of self-awareness continues to surprise even me.
This is the identity you’ve forged for yourself. Swish it around in your glass. Get used to it. To quote Marlo Stanfield from The Wire, “You want it to be one way. But it’s the other way.”
Or, to sum all of this up, the good book says it best in Galatians:
“For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
jesus christ it’s a music article not another fucking haiti hate fest.
thank you paul for throwing down some new bands i may not have heard of or listened to yet. going to check out some of these groups. hey, you check out the low anthem yet? very tom waits…if you’re into that…
haiti, shmaiti…next month it’ll be another cause for everyone to bandwagon around and disagree with anyone who expresses a contrary opinion.
you know, i remember a country who espoused their own opinions and decried others. even locked people up for differing opinions and even for their own beliefs. yeah, nazi germany…what a time….
and adelsig proves godwin’s law. lovely.
I find it funny that the “bleed hearted” Rogue Wave, who will no doubt label themselves “open-minded” as well, are unable to actually be open-minded. Rather that allow for discussion, they behave in the same way many “close-minded” conservatives do. I swear, sometimes liberals are the worst.
@ Paul:
It can be disheartening to find an artist/entertainer you liked, based on what they put out for the public, to be nothing but a hypocrisy. Preaching one life style, practicing another: freedom of speech but only if you agree with me.
I’d gather this band, being so open minded, as people like these usually are – their hearts bleeding for those, who they would never have anywhere near their white fences and gated communities – fully support, say, the mayhem of raping going on in their favorite country. I’d dare one of them to send their mothers, daughters, wives to help over there.
But yeah, Paul. If you didn’t speak the truth, and spoke it out loud, it wouldn’t still bite hard the bleeding hearts of liberals 3 months later.
Now you know why your testicles hurt: while you got hit down there many many times for speaking the truth, at least the world knows you HAVE testicles, as opposed to those, who refuse to give you an interview based on their programmed, brainwashed kick, called ”I would eat Haitian’s shit to prove I’m not racist, but I wouldn’t let my daughter marry one”.
@adelsig
you know, i remember a country who espoused their own opinions and decried others. even locked people up for differing opinions and even for their own beliefs. yeah, nazi germany…what a time….
Eh, nothing much had changed. People nowadays lose jobs, get sued, and are thrown in jail for speaking their minds if the spoken is not according to propaganda.
In USA… in Europe… Same puppet masters everywhere.
@fazerski:
What you did though, was gleefully argue that the Haitians deserved to die. That they were less than fully human. You danced on their graves while they were still being dug.
If nowadays, being human consists and is defined as someone, who tho unable to feed himself, is fucking and making 10 per litter babies, which he fully expects to be fed by others, and stand there while, again, others, are digging up people, and if he’s going from tent to tent raping women from ages ”few months” to 90 – then, please, do NOT ever address me as human.
But, we shall not talk about THESE deeds, shall we? Should we, it would be not be politically correct, and we wouldn’t wanna be labeled as vicious racists by ball – less bleeding hearts liberals.
I said I won’t comment the shithole that is Haiti on Paul’s blog anymore, but dammit, my patience for stupidity and hypocrisy is as existent as one potato to feed a litter of 10 in Haiti.
love it when glibertarians play the victim. so funny.
“and if he’s going from tent to tent raping women from ages ”few months” to 90 – then, please, do NOT ever address me as human.”
Who in the world are you talking about?
he’s just moving the goalposts fazerski. a luntzian pivot to take the focus off of his beloved author. transparently pathetic.
“I’d gather this band [Rogue Wave], being so open minded, as people like these usually are . . . fully support, say, the mayhem of raping going on in their favorite country.
Yes, I’m sure Rogue Wave secretly has a strong pro-rape agenda that fully explains their opposition to Paul.
Second, if women are being victimized because of the collapse of traditional law enforcement after the earthquake, it makes complete sense to try and aid them while they try and rebuild their society.
To anyone other than a hateful half-wit like yourself this would be obvious. But, no, somehow your answer women being brutalized by predators in a society broken by natural disaster, namely, to abandon them completely, equates to being “anti-rape” and, even more amazingly, “having balls.”
Paul, seriously, you don’t want fans like this.
My last point for RainDrop:
“Preaching one life style, practicing another: freedom of speech but only if you agree with me.”
If you’d bother to learn anything about it, Freedom of Speech entitles you to say virtually whatever you want free from Governmental interference. The Government can’t throw you in jail just because you advocate some unpopular belief.
I’ve never claimed or argued that Paul should be thrown in jail or suffer any negative consequences at the hand of the Government because of his views on Haiti. To the contrary, I would argue vociferously that Paul is free to voice his views on Haiti without any sort of Governmental interference.
However, I (and everyone else) certainly have the same rights to free speech. As members of society, we’re completely free to call Paul a dipshit if we want to. We’re free to boycott ESPN or whoever if we want to.
It’s the refuge of the weak (you) to start whining about “free speech” as soon as someone stands up and challenges you. Simply because have a First Amendment right to free speech without infringement by the Government does obligate all of society to accept your moronic worldview without exercising our own free speech and call you what you are – an idiot.
“love it when glibertarians play the victim. so funny.”
love it when curmudgeons make up words to argue about things they consistently know nothing about.
something about trolls and going away…
you forgot to bring up hitler or the nazis adelsig. such a powerful rhetorical device.
glibertarian is in the lexicon. i didn’t make it up. you need a tissue or something?
You’ve been patting yourself on the back these last months for standing behind that article. Then a band that you like does the same thing and it pisses you off. The difference, which may be hard for you to understand is that they seem to have some moral standards. The fact that they turned you down for an interview based on the fact that you have proven to be a jerk makes me a bigger fan of theirs. Sorry if their rejection felt like a kick to the testicles.
@fazerski:
Who in the world are you talking about?
Well, I know this is not splattered on first pages of every (any) Rothschild mainstream media, but at the same time, in information era is not really a secret: I am talking about Haitian ”males”.
If it was THAT really hard to ”guess”.
Yes, I’m sure Rogue Wave secretly has a strong pro-rape agenda that fully explains their opposition to Paul.
I’m sure they do. After all, they are only interested in the aspect of ‘poor Haitians” and how it’s politically incorrect to bring up facts WHY the situation is the way it is there. In typical cognitive dissonance, or just plain stupidity and being uninformed, they would not dare to tackle the facts of rampant rape that is going there. If they do not know or if they do but do not dare to shake the cores of their liberal propaganda, they do nothing about it. They say nothing about it.
Second, if women are being victimized because of the collapse of traditional law enforcement after the earthquake, it makes complete sense to try and aid them while they try and rebuild their society.
Hilarious. Collapse of the traditional law enforcement AFTER the earthquake?! Please, tell me you’re kidding. There was NO law enforcement before the earthquake. The rampant rapes had been going on LONG before the earthquake – no one said anything about it before, and few that mention it now, are attacked for being insensitive and even immoral for daring to speak such lies about poor Haitians, whose lives are what they are not due to their own doing, but the doing of whites.
Let me try again: earthquake just brought an even bigger opportunity for Haitians to do what they have been doing all along. Now they just move from one tent to another to rape, as opposed to going from one mud hut to another. Earthquake has little to do with it.
And of course, everyone else has to try and help them understand that raping a 6 month old baby is not ”cool”. Because, if you tell the bird to not fly anymore, it won’t.
To anyone other than a hateful half-wit like yourself this would be obvious. But, no, somehow your answer women being brutalized by predators in a society broken by natural disaster, namely, to abandon them completely, equates to being “anti-rape” and, even more amazingly, “having balls.”
Ah, it was bound to happen. Point the facts of brutalization that Haitians are doing, and you are a dumbass who is a hater.
This society has been broken LONG before the earthquake, but YOU cannot comprehend this. The brutalization had been going on LONG before the earthquake. The slavery, including child sex slavery had been going on before the earthquake. Seriously, what exactly is SO hard to understand about this?!
I wouldn’t say that USA is as broken society as Haiti is, but that doesn’t stop, for example, blacks to rape 40,000 white women a year.
Oh, let me guess? I’m a half – wit hater for pointing out this fact, too?
How exactly do you insert abandoning them into all this?! Is it MY responsibility to not abandon them?! Should I go there to Haiti and reason with these ”men” not to rape women, when I won’t even be able to finish one sentence before I am impaled myself?!
Let me guess? We should send some more billions to them, and then they won’t be raping 6 month babies anymore, because as per liberal propaganda, people rape because they don’t have a billion dollars in their bank account and somehow it is MY responsibility not to abandon them in their rape quest?!
If you’d bother to learn anything about it, Freedom of Speech entitles you to say virtually whatever you want free from Governmental interference. The Government can’t throw you in jail just because you advocate some unpopular belief.
Ah, you obedient brainwashed goy.
I’ve never claimed or argued that Paul should be thrown in jail or suffer any negative consequences at the hand of the Government because of his views on Haiti. To the contrary, I would argue vociferously that Paul is free to voice his views on Haiti without any sort of Governmental interference.
Just because there’s no official and visible ”government” stamp to throw someone in jail (or punish them in some other way) for voicing a view, it does not mean it doesn’t happen.
However, I (and everyone else) certainly have the same rights to free speech. As members of society, we’re completely free to call Paul a dipshit if we want to. We’re free to boycott ESPN or whoever if we want to.
When government brainwashes its sheep to do the work for them…
It’s the refuge of the weak (you) to start whining about “free speech” as soon as someone stands up and challenges you.
If a liberal screams about free speech when he is speaking, but immediately puts restrictions on said free speech when something is said that doesn’t agree with him, and *I* point this out, you illogically and diametrically opposite place it on ME being the one who’s whining about free speech when someone doesn’t agree with me?!
How does this brainy acrobatics of flipping the facts happen?!
*I* have been constantly saying how it’s the liberals always bitching and whining about restrictions of free speech when something is said they don’t like! And then you go and claim I’m the one whining about free speech when someone says something I don’t like?! Wow!
I have NEVER said this band does not have the right to free speech! What I did comment is how THEY whined about something someone else SAID. Oh, and about their lack of info about the topic.
Simply because have a First Amendment right to free speech without infringement by the Government does obligate all of society to accept your moronic worldview without exercising our own free speech and call you what you are – an idiot.
Which of my views is exactly moronic?! See, I am all for free speech – in fact, so much so, I demand fully explanation of certain subject as opposed to ”you’re an idiot”. Any – ANY idiot can delude himself to not be an idiot by calling another an idiot without ANY argument, explanation and fact provided for calling someone an idiot.
Let me give you an example:
You are an idiot for not knowing how the same people who own, govern and control USA, force the law against free speech in other countries – even by throwing you in jail. Now, since you’re one of those ignorant Americans that doesn’t know what’s going outside your hood, especially if MSNBC doesn’t tell you (what they think you should know, that is) – if saying something that goes against forced propaganda belief, say, somewhere in Europe, will land you in jail, what makes you, an ignorant American, think it will not (even though it already is happening) happen in USA?!
What is my moronic world view? The fact that it is WORLD view, as opposed to your view which is closeted, ignorant?! The fact is that Haitians breed like rats and don’t have even one potato to feed themselves. This is not a world view. This is a fact. A world view is that in such case, it would be civilized and evolved to put a damn condom on, since you can’t feed your litter without outside help. It’s your right to call THIS view of mine as moronic. Just as it is my right to call your view as de-evolved. To use just one adjective, which pretty much covers it all.
It’s your right to call anyone whatever you want to. My thing is – do it with facts, knowledge and info – otherwise I WILL exercise MY right to call you an uneducated, ignorant, politically correct, brainwashed, programmed imbecile tool.
However, THE point is the following: ONES call call others whatever they want to, the others can not. It all boils down to dishonest egalitarianism of ”yes we can, no they cannot”.
Moronic is NOT pointing out the fact that uncivilized Haitians are raping left and right – moronic is calling the one that dares to point out this fact as the one that is moronic.
Your refuge is calling me half-wit, moronic idiot, because you either do not have the knowledge to counter me, or you are aware of the facts I speak of, but it makes your politically correct propaganda too uncomfortable to be intellectually honest for once in your life and admit that.
Holy fuck ^
Fazerski: While I disagree with the majority of the comments you’ve posted on the Flip, I must admit that your commentary is usually insightful and contributes greatly to the dialogue. With that said, it’s surprising and comical that you’d engage with this dimwit.
pragmatism: “Glibertarian” is meaningless jargon…And is it that difficult to mix in a capital letter or two?
adelsig: a)”jesus christ it’s a music article not another fucking haiti hate fest.” …If it were strictly a music article, Paul wouldn’t have made mention of Haiti at all. But he did, he knew what he was getting into…b) I agree that pragmatism’s a codpiece, but you played right into their hands with the Nazi Germany reference; that was completely unnecessary…c) If you haven’t yet, definitely give Rogue Wave a listen; they’re really terrific.
someone chuck raindrop a shovel. he’s digging a hole. of course he’s playing calvinball and when you make up the rules its easy to claim “victory”.
jordy: like i said, i didn’t make the word up. here is a hint, it is glib and libertarian mashed together. i thought it was evident from the word itself but i’m happy to help. if we are getting down to “you used a made up word” or “use the shift key” we’re getting pretty far away from the substance of the posts, right? but if its what you and raindrop have to do to feel better, go for it. but you’re not fooling anyone.
jordy…points well taken. downloading from itunes as i type. thanks!
wow. these guys REALLY sound like nada surf covering death cab for cutie.
eh….it’s ok. might warm up to it. i’ll give the album a fair three or four run throughs…
Which album are you listening to? If it’s “Permalight,” I’d suggest listening to another, for instance “Asleep at Heaven’s Gate” or “Descended like Vultures.” Paul’s touted “Permalight,” but I think it’s their weakest yet.
well that’s what i started with you are correct.
i’ll start with asleep and go from there.
thanks again…
Descended Like Vultures is their best for my money, and it’s not even close. RIP Evan Farrell.
Man, was my post deleted? I thought that actually would have been one of the most non-controversial posts here.
Hey Paul!
You’re still a racist douchebag.
;)
Sorry that wasn’t fair, your disdain for poor people is obviously not limited by race. Douchebag.
Paul you appear to be a direct product of Ayn Rand’s objectivist philosophy. For that, I applaud you and respect you. Maintaining one’s integrity is much more important than pleasing the masses. Keep up the good work soldier.