I'm tempted to say something like "support the arts," but I'm probably
preaching to the converted in this forum! It may sound simplistic and
clichéd, but I say do what you can to make the lives of those around you
better, especially friends and family. Help out when you can, go out of
your way to do something nice, it can make a HUGE difference. I believe
this is the most concrete way that we as individuals can make the world
as a whole a better place.
- M. Bentley: the foundry
I am rather torn here, for while there are indeed more than a few
issues about which I feel strongly, I prefer to keep silent about
them within the context of music. If my music has earned the ears of
several listeners, it does not follow that my political or other
views are at all of interest to those listeners; rather, those views
must make their own way to those ears on the basis of their own
merits rather than on the coattails of an at best tangentially
related collection of sounds. I tend as well to aim for an emotional
rather than an intellectual experience in the music I make, and my
hope is that in emotional clarity listeners will be able to find
their own truths rather than nod to mine.
And on the other hand I hope not to attire the abstractions of sound in the concrete shoes of
a visible agenda, as even I will tend to be on my guard when I sense
the approach of the latter. Which is not to say that I have any
objection to politicized music or that I wish to retreat into an
idealized aesthetics purified of political content but merely that I
choose - at present - to keep music and politics quite separate in my
own case.
- Joshua Maremont: Thermal / Boxman label
i believe strongly in a lot of things (i'm a vegetarian, i don't
believe in god) but don't like to preach, boast, or push my beliefs
on others...i think i'll pass on this one...
- taylor deupree:12k
The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is an organization that's pretty
close to my heart. You can check out their web site at www.stjude.org.
They are an incredibly well run organization, and are also very efficient
with the donations they receive. In a perfect world, I suppose, a place
like St. Jude's wouldn't be necessary. I'm not that good with words, so
check out their web site. They are a wonderful place.
- Jeff Pearce: ambient guitarist
Maybe I could talk about how everyone should eat a vegetarian diet (for
their own good and that of the planet), or how people should be discouraged
from driving huge SUVs and minivans (due to the effect on both air quality
and global warming), but what really, really REALLY matters to me is
something else....
I wish that our government, our police, or our military (or possibly all
three) would do something about the number of young men out there with
goatees, backward baseball caps, or both. This fashion development is one
that troubles me deeply. Goatees are bad enough (nothing wrong with them,
actually, until 99% of the young male population is wearing them), and so
are backward baseball caps, but the truly alarming thing to me is the
number of young fellas offending in both areas.
- M. Griffin: Hypnos Recordings
Refugees in Britain are currently on a voucher scheme, rather than getting
proper cash money, and being demonised by the press.
as if they've not had enough trouble.
- Nigel Ayers: of Nocturnal Emissions
EQUALITY! Damn if this doesn't get me all frothing-at-the-mouth and insane,
but we've GOT to treat each other better! _Everyone_ and _everything_ has
value, no one is above any other, and the sooner we realize that what we
have in common binds us together more than our petty differences can ever
pull us apart, the better we'll all be prepared to take that next big step.
I'm an anarchist -- not the "destroy, burn and pillage" type the media so
often portrays us as, but the "stop oppressing others, their value is equal
to yours, respect everyone and everything" type. There are creatures
(humans included) living in absolutely dreadful, horrific conditions on this
planet, and we can all do a little bit to help, we just often don't _think_
so. I truly believe that if _everyone_ believed in themselves just a little
bit more, this would make Think Globally, Act Locally _really_ work!
Here are some links:
www.hedweb.org -- I don't agree with everything Mr. Pearce writes,
but it's very interesting, very human, and it's obvious that he cares quite
a lot. I would love to meet him one day.
www.kidspeace.org -- The worst thing one can do to a kid is not care.
www.amnesty.org -- The power of tears ... makes my heart wilt with
despair and well up with hope in 30-second cycles ...
- John Michael Zorko: AdAstra Records
The list of evils is too long. Tell you what, jettison the whole lot into
space and good riddance.
- Andrew Lagowski: noise programmer
See www.noisecontrol.org - I think that there's this whole environment of noise that is getting worse and being reflected in contemporary music. There's this trend of high volume super repetitive beats in music that tend to wear
the listener down rather than inspire. I call it the "beat coma". I think
that fewer and fewer people are conscientous about what's going into there ears,
and you can hear the low grade soundscapes wherever you go. The grind of the
factory, the squeal of cars, buses, and trains, as well as the obnoxious sound
of car horns and car alarms. I especially and most particularily find low booming
car rattling music where you can hear it all the way down a block or two rather
intrusive.
There just seems to be less and less respect and value in silence.
The quieted and gentle air around us needs to be preserved! Noise pollution
is now be considered an environmental issue and has its own department in the
EPA.
- Vir Unis: ambient/electronic artist
I don't like climbing on soapboxes, I'm afraid of heights...
- Dino Pacifici: Music-Language of the Spirit
LIBEARTY - worldwide campaign to protect bears
World Society for the Protection of Animals
- lk: (audiochrom)
As I have recently taken the step and become a strict vegan it seems the
obvious thing to talk about my views and experiences. I would like to point
out that I feel that we each have a right to conduct our lives living our
own truth and do not wish to force feed (pun intended) my opinions - simply
read and see how you feel about my ideas.
I have had many heated discussions over the years with various meat eating
individuals about their choice to eat the flesh of another animal. Their
reasoning and rationale on the whole all seemed to be well thought
through and range from mildly humorous to deeply disturbing. I will give you
a few examples: "we have incisors therefore we must eat meat", "we have made
the land what it is, so we can do what we want to anything on it", "you
can't tell me an animal has the same intelligence as me!!!!, so I can do
what I like to them!!!". To the last comment my reply in hind sight should
have been "yes I can, and not only are they as intelligent as us they also have a similar
nervous system and can feel pain just as we do" and the thought that just
because we have incisors we have to eat meat is absurd, it's like saying
"well I have a fist therefore I must smack you in the mouth" which I must
point out wasn't my reply to this particular individual, as I always prefer
a more pacifistic approach.
Moving swiftly on to nutrition. It is a common misconception that
vegetarians and vegans are malnourished and I feel it is worth pointing out
that there is only one potential nutritional flaw in a vegan diet; vitamin
B12 which I have to say is abundantly available in a variety of non-animal
forms. This combined with a well thought out and other-wise balanced diet
negates the need for any animal products or animal suffering.
We must think very carefully of our position as a race of beings and as
individual contributing to the slaughter industry. We are seemingly the
pinnacle of evolution, yet why do we use and abuse other animals if we are
so civilised? How can we expect peace on Earth to simply happen if we don't
each take a step towards harmony ourselves - what is the first step; to stop
killing each other or to stop killing full stop???
It is of course and individual choice but we must make sure that we feel
100% comfortable with the way in which we conduct our lives.
Surely it is easier to not enslave and abuse other lifeforms and to just
live as one of those lifeforms.
www.veganoutreach.com
www.veganvillage.co.uk
www.nucleus.com/watchman/
- Maitreya: Ambient Artist @ Council of Nine
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