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Update: COME TOGETHER MUSIC FEST Labour Day....


shainhouse

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Bah! Luke, I appreciate your efforts to engage people here, yet again, in an honest analysis of the effects of our collective binge partying on our aesthetic bullshit meter. Although, I'd encourage you to just give up at this point because it's just not going to happen. But be assured, your concerns and observations are shared by others who read these threads but can't bear to get engaged in them. I know that for sure. You gotta stop using such a huge brush to generalize, though. It’s clearly upsetting people more than the content of your argument.

I had a great time at the CTMFs I went to, will happily support it again, hopefully in September, but certainly have not had any genuine musical epiphanies apart from The Slip last year. It's a Social Festival for me, not a Music Festival. And if "Social" = Massive Consumption Of Drugs, then so be it. But any discussion about this always devolves into a "pot calling the kettle black, brah" bitchfest, and it's been that way for years now.

I participate in and value these things in our scene, but also I am often woried about the state of health of the music and the people listening to it. You may even say these concerns are rooted in real love and affection for you all. And if you don't believe that, well, eat me, brah. ;)

And, have fun! ::

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Luke, I am engaged by your response... first, though, I don't think you are being fair in your bashing of the artists involved. That's not cool, especially if you are not familiar with them.

Second, you bring up the word "potential."

and I am sitting here, and pondering what the hell potential is. Is potential the place on the social food change that we are to inspire too? Is that what living up to our potential is? Does it involve a career?? How much money we make? What kind of car we drive? What do we measure our potential in? The number of children we have? Our investments? Our reputation in all circles? Is that "potential?"

Or maybe is it how we define ourselves in the community we choose to participate in. Could it be measured in what kind of person we choose to be--how we treat those around us? Is our potential measured in love? Could our potential be measured by the respect we earn from individuals in a variety of environments? Does getting high, and smiling and dancing and sharing and loving really reflect not-living up to our potential? I would agree with you that most people would say yes. But we aren't most people. Potential is a personal matter, it should not be based on social constructs, because at the end of the day, you only have to answer to yourself or those you want to answer to.

So, whether or not you choose to go to CTMF--its a personal choice, we are all adults here, whether it be 22 or 32 or 42---we all have a conscience.

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Whoa what's with all the thinking brah. I just want to giv'er.

All of your definitions of potential seem apt. Here's the dictionary definition:

po·ten·tial

adj.

Capable of being but not yet in existence; latent: a potential problem.

Having possibility, capability, or power.

n.

The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being.

Something possessing the capacity for growth or development.

Physics. The work required to move a unit of positive charge, a magnetic pole, or an amount of mass from a reference point to a designated point in a static electric, magnetic, or gravitational field; potential energy.

See potential difference.

[Middle English potencial, from Old French potenciel, from Late Latin potentilis, powerful, from Latin potentia, power, from potns, potent- present participle of posse, to be able. See potent.]

I find the physics definition engaging but am likely referring simply to the 'inherent ability or capacity for growth'. The problem here is that because of the halcyon days we are used to experiencing at shows it seems counter intuitive to anyone to say that we aren't growing- of course we are. If somebody leans to the person next to them and says 'that last guitar solo made me cry' of course they are growing, or it is their awareness of their growing out of something or into something, the possibility and impossibility of change is what is breaking our heart. I'm suggesting that what we experience as bliss is oftentimes something like self-hypnosis, that true growth and mere vegetation are different things. If you're unacustomed to being critical of yourself or thinking in these terms this whole dialogue is suspect and hence best dispensed with.

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Interesting, I was going to look up the definition as well. However, I still think measure of potential is something that requires personal reflection rather than outside influence. I can understand the concerns one can have with the practices that are involved in our scene, however, life is as much about happiness as it is about responsibility, and to judge another's actions is very difficult to do based on one's biases attached to their perceptions. To say one is not living up to their potential is indeed ignorant if they are unaware of all of the circumstances that lead one to that place.

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or it is their awareness of their growing out of something or into something

I think of awareness a lot. Sometimes I am aware of changing (morals/what does life mean to me?/Who do I want to be?). For me personally, if i'm consciously aware about it i'm not "there". It's when I'm no longer aware about it that I "am".

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my biggest desire for all of humanity is for people to feel free to live the lives they have in any manner they like as long as they are not hurting anyone else and not imposing their values on anyone unless said imposition is solicited.

basically, i wish that everyone lived by the credo from some annoying song i remember from childhood that goes

"you run your body so let me run mine"

except i would have another verse where the word "body" is changed to the word "mind". zero, when i read this thread it makes me think of jehovah's witnesses trying to tell me to come in to "the truth" and "the way". maybe that is your truth and your way and your definition of how to live a righteous life but i see it differently for myself. i fully support you in your choices as they are not hurting me or anyone else, but please try to stop preaching at me and everyone else. we might be wasting our potential in your eyes but it is ours to waste as we please. personally i am out to have the most fun possible in one lifetime. i would rather be broke and happy than rich and miserable.

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Not trying to start a whole new thing just that I saw this remark about why the Disco Biscuits never really blew up and it seemed on point:

reality catches up with everyone eventually, that being that tDB were going nowhere. as more and more kids cease taking drugs and growing up, and realizing that listening to even the sounds of traffic can be amusing while rolling, this becomes more obvious.
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Yeah, but the Disco Biscuits generally do suck... That's why they never really blew up. And if this is the case, then what explains bands like the Dead and Pink Floyd, where acid was a way of life for their fans for years... Are you going to say the Dead and Floyd weren't great bands? I'll be the first to say that this final CTMF lacks something, but there are still some good bands playing - GTB, Smokestack, Tala and Diesel Dog, for example. I don't need to be as messed up as you were at the last CTMF to enjoy these bands, and many people would agree with me as well. It's not that I don't see what you're trying to get at kung, it's just that you've made your point and that should be it. People who preach tend not to be heard in this scene. Just look at your valiant attempts to get me into Ween. The more you pushed, the less I listened... I think a similiar vibe is happening with your "message" here. Let it drop, and let people find out for themselves. That way, you can be sitting here in the coming months saying "I told you so...".

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No I'm with you brah but I think it's safe to say this has been an engaging dialogue with a lot of well reasoned and passionately held points being made- if I didn't stick my neck out the whole thing wouldn't have taken place. You know I respect what you and a handful of others have to say and you're all adept at putting me in my place. I think others that don't know me as well presume I'm like that %100 of the time or don't get the irony or culture jamming or whatever. Fin.

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my biggest desire for all of humanity is for people to feel free to live the lives they have in any manner they like as long as they are not hurting anyone else and not imposing their values on anyone unless said imposition is solicited.

basically, i wish that everyone lived by the credo from some annoying song i remember from childhood that goes

"you run your body so let me run mine"

except i would have another verse where the word "body" is changed to the word "mind". zero, when i read this thread it makes me think of jehovah's witnesses trying to tell me to come in to "the truth" and "the way". maybe that is your truth and your way and your definition of how to live a righteous life but i see it differently for myself. i fully support you in your choices as they are not hurting me or anyone else, but please try to stop preaching at me and everyone else. we might be wasting our potential in your eyes but it is ours to waste as we please. personally i am out to have the most fun possible in one lifetime. i would rather be broke and happy than rich and miserable.

you go girl. is mom coming this time?

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