Hot Takes - Come at me bro!

[Pabst]

In between bouts of not being able to sleep and killing time between meetings, I've had a selection of random thoughts that I'd like to share. These are relatively non-political and varying degrees of controversial, but I just thought I'd toss some of this shit out there to see what people think and whether/not it sparks any discussion. Without further adieu, and it no particular order....


1. Music sucks today because there are no rebels in music today. Much of what tries to pass as "edgy" these days is just a re-hash of shit that's been done multiple times over. Oh, you're a musician going after Conservatives and Organized Religion? Wow...haven't heard that shit ad nauseam over the last 30+ years. Find some new sacred cows to slaughter.


2. Monopoly is a great board game and anyone who complains they don't like it doesn't play the game correctly.


3. The decline in birthrates across the Western world is a symptom of life being TOO EASY. People complaining about the difficulty in raising kids in 2024 get the problem exactly backward – raising a child is easier than ever. The problem is that young people don’t want to sacrifice careers/cushy lifestyles to raise kids.


4. Cryptocurrency is a fad that will eventually go the way of baseball cards and beanie babies.


5. We as a society have overcorrected on mental health. I'm not downplaying actual mental health problems, but I am suggesting that we're over-diagnosing mental illness. As a result of being too accommodating to this, we've created a perverse incentive structure that's led to people wearing diagnoses as a badge of honor (look at a Gen Z social media profile, they list mental issues like I list favorite sports teams), or even worse using their disorder as a built in excuse for anything.



OK, those are my takes. Tell me where I'm wrong.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

1. Music sucks today because there are no rebels in music today. Much of what tries to pass as "edgy" these days is just a re-hash of shit that's been done multiple times over. Oh, you're a musician going after Conservatives and Organized Religion? Wow...haven't heard that shit ad nauseam over the last 30+ years. Find some new sacred cows to slaughter.

Music sucks because the pool of geniuses that made it in the 60s-70s are now programming video games and creating startups. What would a young Edgar Winter being doing fifty years later?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8f-Qb-bwlU

The best new music to discover is old music you've ignored. Try a deep dive into progressive bluegrass from the 1990s.

2. Monopoly is a great board game and anyone who complains they don't like it doesn't play the game correctly.

Catan (esp Knights and Cities) is better and Monopoly is too dependent on getting Park Place and Boardwalk.

3. The decline in birthrates across the Western world is a symptom of life being TOO EASY. People complaining about the difficulty in raising kids in 2024 get the problem exactly backward – raising a child is easier than ever. The problem is that young people don’t want to sacrifice careers/cushy lifestyles to raise kids.

Correct. Hard to go out to dinner with five kids but it would be easy if they were taught to behave. On the positive side, poor countries becoming middle class means lower birthrates and less starvation.

4. Cryptocurrency is a fad that will eventually go the way of baseball cards and beanie babies.

Correct. Buy gold silver and uranium.

5. We as a society have overcorrected on mental health. I'm not downplaying actual mental health problems, but I am suggesting that we're over-diagnosing mental illness. As a result of being too accommodating to this, we've created a perverse incentive structure that's led to people wearing diagnoses as a badge of honor (look at a Gen Z social media profile, they list mental issues like I list favorite sports teams), or even worse using their disorder as a built in excuse for anything.

Correct. Problems of everyday living and not major mental illnesses. PTSD is battle fatigue, not having an dispute with a supervisor.

[Professor Half Wit]

Uhhhhhh, there is a TON of great music. You guys probably just have a life and so haven't found it. There is also a great deal of music that is not just recycling old shit, but is quite innovative, quite impressive. Much of what I listen to does not have lyrics. And it sure as hell isn't popular music. In fact, this is probably the best music has ever been. You guys need to start hitting the local underground music shop. And if you don't have one to hit, that's part of your problem.

My favorite "pop" band is the very awesome CS + Kreme, a couple of mid-40s dudes from down under. I don't even know how to describe their music. Trip-hop seance music? Slug probably my fave track on this album:

https://csandkreme.bandcamp.com/album/snoopy

Jazz is also having one helluva moment. A lot jazz coming out now is seriously A+ shit and people who refuse to listen to any jazz past the 70s is a music ostrich. The International Anthem (Chicago) and Gondwana Records (Manchester, UK) labels are references here. The former puts out avant-garde head nodding albums while the latter is like ECM reborn but with a serious nod to spiritual jazz. Try:

https://phi-psonics.bandcamp.com/album/ ... xe-edition

What about where Eno left off with ambient music? There's so much goodness here over the last 15 years I don't know where to begin. A landmark comp was Bblisss:

https://bblisss.bandcamp.com/album/bblisss

Now, for honest to goodness pop music (ok, what passes for pop music for me), the Psychic Mirrors are incredible. The hooks are so addictive. Every track is an earworm of the first order. One of my top 5 albums of the past 5 years. I honestly don't understand how these guys are not radio constants and superstars.

https://psychicmirrors.bandcamp.com/album/ophilia

You guys are NUTS if you think music sucks today. This is the golden age for middle age music obsessive weirdos.

[Pabst]

Catan (esp Knights and Cities) is better and Monopoly is too dependent on getting Park Place and Boardwalk.

Dark Blues are some of the worst properties on the board, fyi. Park Place is the 2nd least landed on property in the game.

Best properties by a wide margin are Orange and Red. Sneaky good one is light blue (dirt cheap to develop, best ROI in the game). Railroads are a cash cow.

Uhhhhhh, there is a TON of great music

Perhaps I should clarify - Music being made by people >30. Also, I think this might be the better summary of the point I was trying to make:

I honestly don't understand how these guys are not radio constants and superstars.

The shit we're hearing on the radio/spotify/etc is just record execs trying to recreate shit that's been popular over the last 50 years, not do anything new. Rock music has, ironically, become a victim of it's own conformity.

[fractalsteel]

My biggest musical complaint is the cost of concerts today. A young kid that works with me just shelled out $900 dollars for three shows(2 artists I didn't know shit about).

I saw Led Zeppelin back in 1975 for $9. That was an expensive show back then.

Saw Al Dimeola(acoustic) back in the early 90's for $22. Ditto for Chick Corea and Stanley Clark.

Metallica today, about $200 for upper seats. I remember seeing them for $25 back in the day. Last time I saw them was on a big bill about 13 years ago and it was topped out at about $100. Great bill made the cost worth it.

I can't ever see me shelling out $400 dollars for a contemporary artist today.

[Professor Half Wit]

Catan (esp Knights and Cities) is better and Monopoly is too dependent on getting Park Place and Boardwalk.

Dark Blues are some of the worst properties on the board, fyi. Park Place is the 2nd least landed on property in the game.

Best properties by a wide margin are Orange and Red. Sneaky good one is light blue (dirt cheap to develop, best ROI in the game). Railroads are a cash cow.

Uhhhhhh, there is a TON of great music

Perhaps I should clarify - Music being made by people >30. Also, I think this might be the better summary of the point I was trying to make:

I honestly don't understand how these guys are not radio constants and superstars.

The shit we're hearing on the radio/spotify/etc is just record execs trying to recreate shit that's been popular over the last 50 years, not do anything new. Rock music has, ironically, become a victim of it's own conformity.

If we're talking about rock music, I mostly agree. Plenty of young people making outstanding music in other genre's, especially jazz prodigy types.

An example. Nala Sinephro put out this spiritual jazz masterpiece in 2021 at age 25 or 26. Alice Coltrane would have given it a 5/5.

https://nalasinephro.bandcamp.com/album/space-18

As for "rock" ever listen to Battles? The drummer from Helmet and the guitar player from Don Caballero are the main writers? Cyborg rock of the first order and def not conforming to anything.

https://battles.bandcamp.com/album/mirrored

https://battles.bandcamp.com/track/the-yabba

But not from dudes under 30, either.

[Professor Half Wit]

My biggest musical complaint is the cost of concerts today. A young kid that works with me just shelled out $900 dollars for three shows(2 artists I didn't know shit about).

I saw Led Zeppelin back in 1975 for $9. That was an expensive show back then.

Saw Al Dimeola(acoustic) back in the early 90's for $22. Ditto for Chick Corea and Stanley Clark.

Metallica today, about $200 for upper seats. I remember seeing them for $25 back in the day. Last time I saw them was on a big bill about 13 years ago and it was topped out at about $100. Great bill made the cost worth it.

I can't ever see me shelling out $400 dollars for a contemporary artist today.

I don't know. My favorite rock band is Tortoise. Those dudes are all in their 50s, but their tickets are usually about $30. I think it depends on how "big" the aritist/s is.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

Ticket prices for concerts and sports events are insane. I don't see how most people under 30 can afford it.

[Pabst]

If we're talking about rock music, I mostly agree. Plenty of young people making outstanding music in other genre's, especially jazz prodigy types.

An example. Nala Sinephro put out this spiritual jazz masterpiece in 2021 at age 25 or 26. Alice Coltrane would have given it a 5/5.

https://nalasinephro.bandcamp.com/album/space-18

As for "rock" ever listen to Battles? The drummer from Helmet and the guitar player from Don Caballero are the main writers? Cyborg rock of the first order and def not conforming to anything.

https://battles.bandcamp.com/album/mirrored

https://battles.bandcamp.com/track/the-yabba

But not from dudes under 30, either.

Off the wall niche music has always been a thing. I'm sure Nala Sinephro is great, but I'd bet 99.9% of people have no idea who she is.

Not familiar with Battles, but seeing that the drummer from Helmet is a part of it I'd have to guess they're on the wrong side of 50.



I guess there is stuff like Jack Harlow and Post Malone that's popular with the younger set

[Professor Half Wit]

If we're talking about rock music, I mostly agree. Plenty of young people making outstanding music in other genre's, especially jazz prodigy types.

An example. Nala Sinephro put out this spiritual jazz masterpiece in 2021 at age 25 or 26. Alice Coltrane would have given it a 5/5.

https://nalasinephro.bandcamp.com/album/space-18

As for "rock" ever listen to Battles? The drummer from Helmet and the guitar player from Don Caballero are the main writers? Cyborg rock of the first order and def not conforming to anything.

https://battles.bandcamp.com/album/mirrored

https://battles.bandcamp.com/track/the-yabba

But not from dudes under 30, either.

Off the wall niche music has always been a thing. I'm sure Nala Sinephro is great, but I'd bet 99.9% of people have no idea who she is.

Not familiar with Battles, but seeing that the drummer from Helmet is a part of it I'd have to guess they're on the wrong side of 50.



I guess there is stuff like Jack Harlow and Post Malone that's popular with the younger set

John Steimer (Helmet) was 33 when the first Battles LP came out.

Re: Nala Sinephro, that's bc 99.9% of people don't listen to jazz. But jazz people def know who she is. Her album was all over the end of year best of jazz lists among the critics.

I guess my question/ comment to you is: the masses tend to listen to lowest common denominator garbage that is designed to offend no one and appeal to as many as possible. I have always had a low opinion of popular music bc it tends to be popular for a bad reason.

But that is, admittedly, very much just me. I was the kid in high school blasting Primus instead of Nirvana and who also thought Tool sucked and was boring. And I was the kid who liked the Velvet Underground and couldn't stand the Beatles (have to be the most overrated band EVER; I cannot for the life of me hear what others hear).

[Dan Smith--BYU]

It's been all downhill since the Schmenge Bros. played the Last Polka in 1985. Who today is coming up with anything at the level of "Cabbage Rolls and Coffee"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbJIlEd6jA

And what can be said about Linsk Minyak that hasn't already been said?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O0hM7PRe4E

And you could catch them both on a double bill at the Waffle House for five bucks.

[Pabst]

If we're talking about rock music, I mostly agree. Plenty of young people making outstanding music in other genre's, especially jazz prodigy types.

An example. Nala Sinephro put out this spiritual jazz masterpiece in 2021 at age 25 or 26. Alice Coltrane would have given it a 5/5.

https://nalasinephro.bandcamp.com/album/space-18

As for "rock" ever listen to Battles? The drummer from Helmet and the guitar player from Don Caballero are the main writers? Cyborg rock of the first order and def not conforming to anything.

https://battles.bandcamp.com/album/mirrored

https://battles.bandcamp.com/track/the-yabba

But not from dudes under 30, either.

Off the wall niche music has always been a thing. I'm sure Nala Sinephro is great, but I'd bet 99.9% of people have no idea who she is.

Not familiar with Battles, but seeing that the drummer from Helmet is a part of it I'd have to guess they're on the wrong side of 50.



I guess there is stuff like Jack Harlow and Post Malone that's popular with the younger set

John Steimer (Helmet) was 33 when the first Battles LP came out.

Re: Nala Sinephro, that's bc 99.9% of people don't listen to jazz. But jazz people def know who she is. Her album was all over the end of year best of jazz lists among the critics.

I guess my question/ comment to you is: the masses tend to listen to lowest common denominator garbage that is designed to offend no one and appeal to as many as possible. I have always had a low opinion of popular music bc it tends to be popular for a bad reason.

But that is, admittedly, very much just me. I was the kid in high school blasting Primus instead of Nirvana and who also thought Tool sucked and was boring. And I was the kid who liked the Velvet Underground and couldn't stand the Beatles (have to be the most overrated band EVER; I cannot for the life of me hear what others hear).

John Stanier is 55 years old and the first Battles EP came out over 20 years ago, and no one has really listened to jazz in like 100 years.

This is sort of my point - I say that music sucks nowadays and you're pointing to stuff that came out while i was in high school (I'm pushing 40) or and artist from an obscure genre.

Primus is a great example of what I'm looking for...A weird/different band that's *ALSO* very popular. They have multiple platinum albums. That is by definition popular music.

[Pabst]

I'll be honest, I didn't think the 'music sucks' comment would be the one getting me backlash

[Dan Smith--BYU]

Wit is basically right, we are bitching about the smog not the best parts of the city that we can't see.

There's always good art, but we are really feeling the weight of popular tastes and bad criticism.

I used to say I hated Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, but I didn't really HATE them I hated that they sucked all the air out of the room and hey give Bowie and Elvis Costello a chance. Not to mention The Dolls.

I don't hate Taylor Swift, but like, enough already.

Can critics and media make it a little easier to sift through the bins?

See Alexander Pope on criticism.

Silver lining is that it's cheaper to see the highest quality in action.

[Professor Half Wit]

Off the wall niche music has always been a thing. I'm sure Nala Sinephro is great, but I'd bet 99.9% of people have no idea who she is.

Not familiar with Battles, but seeing that the drummer from Helmet is a part of it I'd have to guess they're on the wrong side of 50.



I guess there is stuff like Jack Harlow and Post Malone that's popular with the younger set

John Steimer (Helmet) was 33 when the first Battles LP came out.

Re: Nala Sinephro, that's bc 99.9% of people don't listen to jazz. But jazz people def know who she is. Her album was all over the end of year best of jazz lists among the critics.

I guess my question/ comment to you is: the masses tend to listen to lowest common denominator garbage that is designed to offend no one and appeal to as many as possible. I have always had a low opinion of popular music bc it tends to be popular for a bad reason.

But that is, admittedly, very much just me. I was the kid in high school blasting Primus instead of Nirvana and who also thought Tool sucked and was boring. And I was the kid who liked the Velvet Underground and couldn't stand the Beatles (have to be the most overrated band EVER; I cannot for the life of me hear what others hear).

John Stanier is 55 years old and the first Battles EP came out over 20 years ago, and no one has really listened to jazz in like 100 years.

This is sort of my point - I say that music sucks nowadays and you're pointing to stuff that came out while i was in high school (I'm pushing 40) or and artist from an obscure genre.

Primus is a great example of what I'm looking for...A weird/different band that's *ALSO* very popular. They have multiple platinum albums. That is by definition popular music.

Rock isn't my thing. If it was, I'd be able to point to plenty of stuff by people under 30. I gave Nala Sinephro, Psychic Mirrors, The Bblisss comp. All put out by folks under 30 and recently. The premise that there's no good "popular" music is an oxymoron to me. 98% of popular music is going to be kinda shitty. It's the auditory version of Marvel Movies.

There is plenty of good rock out there: you just don't know about it.

[Professor Half Wit]

Wit is basically right, we are bitching about the smog not the best parts of the city that we can't see.

There's always good art, but we are really feeling the weight of popular tastes and bad criticism.

I used to say I hated Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, but I didn't really HATE them I hated that they sucked all the air out of the room and hey give Bowie and Elvis Costello a chance. Not to mention The Dolls.

I don't hate Taylor Swift, but like, enough already.

Can critics and media make it a little easier to sift through the bins?

See Alexander Pope on criticism.

Silver lining is that it's cheaper to see the highest quality in action.

THIS

[Pabst]

Rock isn't my thing.

Perhaps our difference is perspective. I was too young to really get into the grunge/post-grunge movement.

My teenage and college years were split between the punk and heavy metal scenes (largely a product of the music scene in Cleveland at the time).

[Professor Half Wit]

Rock isn't my thing.

Perhaps our difference is perspective. I was too young to really get into the grunge/post-grunge movement.

My teenage and college years were split between the punk and heavy metal scenes (largely a product of the music scene in Cleveland at the time).

I bet Cleveland had a nice punk scene. Must have done!

I was in a metal band in high school. But then the drummer and I started listening to a shit ton of James Brown and decided we needed to start playing funk for panty purposes. Caused major friction in the band.

[955876]

Music sucks today

Huh? Not a fan of Taylor Swift?

[Dan Smith--BYU]

I thought the blowback would be on crypto

[SteelerDayTrader]

This thread


Lolololz


Right wingers SHOULD NEVER BE VALUED for their dumbass opinions about almost everything but especially not art

Lolololz

Maybe how to pick out the best exterior paint at Home Depot or how to keep a gay affair on the down low

But art ??? Hell no

Lolololz

[Dan Smith--BYU]

Anyone who constantly uses lolololz in prose and laughs at it alone should be given a helmet, chocolate pudding and a TV with Teletubbies on a continuous loop.

[SteelerDayTrader]

Anyone who constantly uses lolololz in prose and laughs at it alone should be given a helmet, chocolate pudding and a TV with Teletubbies on a continuous loop.

Lolololz

What great writing

[Pabst]

Music sucks today

Huh? Not a fan of Taylor Swift?

Don't mind Taylor Swift, tbh. Honestly I think she's as popular as she is because there's a whole lot of nothing out there otherwise.

[Pabst]

I thought the blowback would be on crypto

Probably because we're an older crowd here and we've all been through the real estate bubble, tech bubble, etc.

And I actually thought the declining birth rate one was my hottest take.

[955876]

Music sucks today

Huh? Not a fan of Taylor Swift?

Don't mind Taylor Swift, tbh. Honestly I think she's as popular as she is because there's a whole lot of nothing out there otherwise.

I don’t mind her either.

Wasn’t pleased with what I had to pay for two tix to her concert though. Highway robbery.

They were for my daughter though and that’s all she wanted for Christmas.

Yes, kids are spoiled.

[955876]

And I actually thought the declining birth rate one was my hottest take.

One of the Imans involved in the Muslim Brotherhood stated that they don’t need to beat the western countries militarily.

They simply need to out-birth them.

Said Europe will be predominantly Muslim in about 30 years.

Said it will take a 100 for the U.S.

[955876]

This thread


Lolololz


Right wingers SHOULD NEVER BE VALUED for their dumbass opinions about almost everything but especially not art

Lolololz

Maybe how to pick out the best exterior paint at Home Depot or how to keep a gay affair on the down low

But art ??? Hell no

Lolololz

You know whose opinions should be valued even less??

Progressive liberals who only want to take while spending other people’s money.

Be a producer rather than a taker. You’ll live a much more enriched life.

[zeke5123]

In between bouts of not being able to sleep and killing time between meetings, I've had a selection of random thoughts that I'd like to share. These are relatively non-political and varying degrees of controversial, but I just thought I'd toss some of this shit out there to see what people think and whether/not it sparks any discussion. Without further adieu, and it no particular order....


1. Music sucks today because there are no rebels in music today. Much of what tries to pass as "edgy" these days is just a re-hash of shit that's been done multiple times over. Oh, you're a musician going after Conservatives and Organized Religion? Wow...haven't heard that shit ad nauseam over the last 30+ years. Find some new sacred cows to slaughter.


2. Monopoly is a great board game and anyone who complains they don't like it doesn't play the game correctly.


3. The decline in birthrates across the Western world is a symptom of life being TOO EASY. People complaining about the difficulty in raising kids in 2024 get the problem exactly backward – raising a child is easier than ever. The problem is that young people don’t want to sacrifice careers/cushy lifestyles to raise kids.


4. Cryptocurrency is a fad that will eventually go the way of baseball cards and beanie babies.


5. We as a society have overcorrected on mental health. I'm not downplaying actual mental health problems, but I am suggesting that we're over-diagnosing mental illness. As a result of being too accommodating to this, we've created a perverse incentive structure that's led to people wearing diagnoses as a badge of honor (look at a Gen Z social media profile, they list mental issues like I list favorite sports teams), or even worse using their disorder as a built in excuse for anything.



OK, those are my takes. Tell me where I'm wrong.

1. I think popular music sucks in part because like TV there is a large ROI on cheap music / reality TV compared to great music. Sure, great TV gets higher ratings compared to reality TV but reality TV costs a fraction of what great TV meaning the ROI can be greater even if reality tv produces less revenue (ie margin v revenue).

2. Monopoly is great. It is basically managing cash flow, understanding ROI, basic probability, and some degree of how to negotiate with people.

3. Birthrate may be self correcting if you believe behavior is heavily genetic (ie everyone had kids when it was economically necessary, but when that is no longer necessary only those who desire kids will primarily have them leading to a population that skews pro natalist). However, there will be many challenges transitioning from here to there.

4. The value in the blockchain has a lot of value independent of crypto. With that said, crypto has value for eliminating middle men but doesn’t mean crypto itself has value qua investment.

5. Therapy culture causes way more problems than it solves. There is a strong positive correlation to increase therapy and adverse mental health at a societal level. And honestly, it makes sense. Fixating on problems / medicalizing everything seems like a really bad idea. Stoicism seems much more in keeping with a healthy life.

[Professor Half Wit]

5. Therapy culture causes way more problems than it solves. There is a strong positive correlation to increase therapy and adverse mental health at a societal level. And honestly, it makes sense. Fixating on problems / medicalizing everything seems like a really bad idea. Stoicism seems much more in keeping with a healthy life.

Ancient and hellenistic schools are not nosological, which is where a lot of therapy probably does as much or more harm than good. The DSM is RIDDLED with ontological problems of all sorts; how much of its "pathologies" are normative, objective natural kinds and how many are just vague, subjective clusters of observable behavior?

Ancient stoicism is therapy (not my judgment, it sees itself this way), but it's not medicalized as we understand this. Greek and Hellenistic philosophy saw itself as psychiatros: medicine for the soul. Analogies between philosophy and medicine all over Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic schools.

The difference is largely that ancient and hellenistic philosophy is committed to a rationally defensible inquiry into the chief human good and then an attempt (program) to organize life around this. Mental health therapy has no such commitment and mental health therapists largely are not trained to help clients with ethical and meaning of life issues. But certain philosophers may be:

https://appa.edu/

https://npcassoc.org/

Stoicism = CBT

Aristotelian eudaemonism = positive psychology

DBT = watered down Buddhism

I have a theory about why Stoicism is so popular among young men. It's because men in Western culture think needing help is weakness. But Stoicism is philosophy, not therapy, so you're not a weakling for turning to it. But of course CBT / REBT is derived from Stoicism. Those who developed it openly acknowledge it, especially Albert Ellis.

Also, Socratic elenchus in Platonic dialogues is a kind of moral education or therapy. But it's talk therapy. No talking to Socrates. No improvement.

Also, I bet Jazz albums cost nothing to make compared to shitty pop music.