Post a controversial opinion

I can't vibe with the wrong Homer voice or heart warming character development

Bojack Horseman >>> The Simpsons

Seriously? Isn’t it like Archer with a horse head?

no not at all!

Yeah it’s much much worse than Archer.

> first two seasons of The Simpsons are dogshit

was this prompted by channel 4 yesterday afternoon? i watched the dead putting society episode and enjoyed it, even if the tone was a bit odd.

did enjoy him mixing up jack niklaus / nicholson. i feel later episodes someone would've drawn more attention to that rather than it being a single line.

S1 Simpsons, I'd always filed it away as "unwatchable" (I think I had a hate-on for those episodes when they aired as re-runs and it was prior to me having any concept of "seasons of the Simpsons"), but on re-watch they are much better than I remember (except the babysitter episode)

S2 Simpsons is great because the characters are still in their expositions and some of well-worn tropes are absent or in their nascent stages

when i did a rewatch 10 years ago i was surprised at how many episodes that I assumed were from golden years seasons were actually from season 1

1. What marching bands play is technically music. As in, systematic arrangements of sounds that are played by people who are musically inclined. They are often very skilled at playing their instruments.

But pretty much no one spontaneously likes this music except people who are currently in a marching band or once were in a marching band. Or, I guess, people who are really into American high school and college football? I mean, seriously, does anyone go home at the end of the day and put on a record by the Moosefield High School Marching Band (Home of the Fightin' Meeses)? No they do not.

2. Drum corps drumming is even more of a niche taste - those very high thin snare drums on which people play extremely rapid-fire thingymadiddles and flamaborps, using traditional grip and expertly reading notation. Good for you, I guess. You win at, um, a type of music (again, _technically_) that looks suspiciously like a cross between abstruse mathematics and an obscure Olympic sport. You could be the best in the entire universe and I would still never willingly listen to your fucking tippity tappity whapadoodles at 197 BPM.

(And I say this as a working musician, indeed, a regularly gigging drummer! I respect the dedication that goes into "chops" but there is no way in hell I am going to listen to more than three minutes of purely demonstrative "chops" on any instrument yet devised.)

3. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museums (yes, plural) are frequently cited as among the most popular museums in the US if not the world. And they are Boring. As. Fuck.

Wow, a plane. Let's walk 700 feet further so we can see... another plane. Wow. Oh look here's an obsolete rocket from the Cold War. Wow. This really inspires me to walk another 900 feet in order to see... a slightly different obsolete rocket from the Cold War.

"Keep moving, kids! In another twelve to seventeen minutes we might be able to look at a replica of an obsolete hot-air balloon! Isn't this fun?"

Modern museums have things you can DO. Stuff you can TOUCH. Interactive exhibits. Museum design has evolved since 1976. But judging from the approximately kabillion times I've been dragged through them, the various Air & Space museums have mostly not gotten the memo on interactivity. With a few bright exceptions they have all been places to go Look At Stuff. Zzzzzz. These Cold War-era exhibits often have the faded and sad look of 1970s kitchen appliances.

4. The reason they call it "space" is that there is pretty much nothing there. The Cold-War era quasi-religious reverence for NASA and astronauts and spaceflight has always felt weird to me. Like, sure, yay science, yay achievement, yay technology. But don't confuse instrumental value with intrinsic value; don't make a golden idol out of a dude in a helmet going someplace where he can't breathe.

5. There is also a heapin' helpin' of thinly disguised jingoism in all that NASA worship - it was only partly about the triumph of the human spirit and giant leaps for mankind; much of it was (and is) motivated by being better than the godless commies, which is, again, a kinda tired relic of a time that just makes me sad.

The Air and Space Museum in DC is just starting a multi year renovation so maybe exhibits will be updated?

https://airandspace.si.edu/about-transformation

As the son of an astronomer, I just want to point out that while the space program was definitely sold to the public with jingoism, there were plenty of people involved who just wanted to do basic science and learn more about our place in the universe.

I've really enjoyed the Air and Space Museums, but mostly because I like cool, big planes and satellites as opposed to studying astrophysics and spectroscopy. It's been a few years since I've been, but if I remember correctly, when you compare them to other science centers, they lack a lot of hands-on activities. The recent renovation of the National Museum of Natural History still didn't bring very much in the way of interactive exhibits, I don't think. I mean, there were some things, but not as immersive as say, the Maryland Science Center. More of a modernization of the look of the displays. Here's hoping that there will be more than just cosmetic improvements at the new Air & Space.

The reason they call it "space" is that there is pretty much nothing there.

Also, this is bonkers. There's so much in space. It's just all very, very, very far away.

And lastly, just re marching band music. I doubt that very many people listen to this stuff now, but weren't there lots of marching band 78s and stuff? A hundred years ago, were there people who just went home and listened to stuff like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL8MWCsD_gA

Seems pretty intense to me!

I'm definitely having trouble getting into that headspace. Or were these records mainly played at public events?

My friend used to live across the street from where the university of michigan band practiced and I remember leaving his house once super high and they were like 100 feet away playing the Darth Vader march and it was amazing.

I'd never choose to listen to one as music but hearing 300 people playing together at close range is a crazy visceral experience; I can hear another giant one practicing daily almost a mile away.

I sometimes feel like this is a foreign concept for ilxors but listening to recordings at home is not the only way in which music can be enjoyed, not is it how music has been enjoyed for most of human history, and is not a definitive measure of musical value.

*nor is it

the Lake Nona High Varsity Marching Band new maxi single is out and it is fire. there's a ten minute version of Saints Go Marching In on it!

xpost (Sund4r otm)

Sund4r 100% OTM

marching brass bands of the Sousa variety were the dominant genre for the first two decades of recorded music, and were a vital step in the development of jazz

I mean I sure af don't spend most of my days listening to men's TTBB choirs on my headphones, but I enjoy the hell out of listening to them in person where possible.

I mean I guess I do have John Rutter's "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" on my Amazon playlist lol but if that piece don't move u then u can't move

I spent something like 10 years putting excerpts from the Martin Mass for Double Chorus into every playlist I made for myself, especially the Agnus Dei

But mainly my takeaway is that Ye Mad Puffin understood the assignment

controversial only to neckbeards I guess but Zakk Wylde is the most boring guitarist alive

Sorry, you'll have to take that one over to the "pure statements of fact" thread.

When I expressed an interest in classical music as a fourth grader, my father gave me a “Sousa's Greatest Hits" CD.

Peace, man

but if I remember correctly, when you compare them to other science centers, they lack a lot of hands-on activities. The recent renovation of the National Museum of Natural History still didn't bring very much in the way of interactive exhibits, I don't think. I mean, there were some things, but not as immersive as say, the Maryland Science Center.

Exactly. Here in DC we are completely spoiled by having a gazillion free museums. But we have never had anything as fun as the Maryland Science Center.

Baltimore is an an hour away and has at least four museums that are more interesting than Air & Space. St. Louis has two (Magic House and City Museum). Richmond's science museum is terrific as well. It's just something that Washington hasn't reliably been able to do. Baffling.

i have an old demo/idea thing put together by dj food.
it's a marching band edit of 'the 900 number', and despite that kev has never officially finished it off, i love it.

In the week that GCSE results come out in the UK, I've got one.

Abolish grades and give everyone their percentage mark as their exam result.

Even better, abolish GCSEs (and A levels) (I know this is controversial as the Tony Blair Institute agree with me)

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/aug/23/replace-gcses-and-a-levels-with-regular-assessments-says-tony-blair-institute

abolishing all grading and exams would be far less controversial if kids and their thoughts and feelings were considered at all important or relevant but our society seems to get off on making them suffer

no one should have to go to school

I assume the TBI's preferred policy would be even more relentless and more finely tuned micropolicing of children's thoughts and behavior

would have hated having continual assessment at school. liked exams in that you could take it easy for 2 years then cram, which was my preferred method of surviving education.

xp yes i would certainly part ways with the TBI on the need to teach children to 'thrive in a work environment'.

using a laser pointer to play with a cat is such a cruel prank.

they seem to enjoy it quite a bit

It’s a fine line between this is fun and this is torture.

an active cat is a happy cat, i don’t know if they grieve not having tangible prey

I mean, sure they might enjoy the thrill of the hunt, but they will never get the satisfaction of catching that red dot. They just running after it and get increasingly frustrated. At least when they chase after a fly they have a small chance of catching it.

all I can say is that my cats are extremely enthusiastic about this, and they don't hide it when they are unhappy about something

they do not show any signs of frustration, in fact, the thing they seem to like the most about it is endlessly running back and forth at top speed, they will specifically bring a toy to me for the sake of getting to run around a bunch chasing it

I don't know, the total confusion in my cat's eyes when the dot just suddenly disappears (because he jumped on it and it's on now on his back or whatever) was just too much for me.

When he plays with a tangible toy that I dangle in front of him for a while but which he eventually catches he just seems so happy when he finally has it.

the funniest is when I put on live birdwatching cams on YouTube for my cat, she gets so absorbed it’s like she’s watching a prestige drama or a sports game

i love putting on cat tv

I thought windows were cat TV.

Why must I be like that
Why must i

communicating with non-humans is hard but i reckon it's good to try