23 – The Grievance Studies Affair Special Edition

Posted on May 29, 2023 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

Welcome to Monday’s News on the March – The week that was in my digital world.

‘Our goal is to publish as many papers as we can that are unbelievably sophisticated parodies, and we are going to publish these in Tier 1 Journals‘ – Peter Boghossian

‘We are trying to go right to the source and say the whole enterprise is bogus… we’re hoping if we can get to the source and show that the scholarship everything is coming out of, is itself a fraud nobody has to listen to these people anymore‘ – James Lindsay

Joe Rogan – Exposing Social Justice with Peter Boghossian & James Lindsay
Video excerpt at JRE clips

In this video James Lindsay and Peter Boghossian break down what comprised the Grievance Studies hoax.

Pam Baker in the comments of this clip wrote: ‘As a person who relies on scientific, peer-reviewed, published studies to guide my actual practice as a healthcare professional I have to tell you that this is not only astonishing but makes me question every single thing about the world that we currently inhabit’. (View entire video interview extract here)

The Reformers (2023) – Part One
Video documentary at Michael Nayna

The Reformers explores the execution of the Grievance Studies hoax and aftermath for those involved. The hoax, orchestrated by a group of scholars (Peter Boghossian, James Lindsay, Helen Pluckrose) who submitted deliberately absurd and ideologically biased articles to prominent academic journals, made worldwide headlines and sparked intense debate about the influence of ideology and the erosion of critical thinking in academia. Nayna was embedded with the scholars from the hoax’s infancy. (View documentary here).

The Reformers (deleted scene) – Peter Boghossian’s Thought Experiment
Video excerpt at Wisdom for Life

This scene was shot around the time Helen Pluckrose, Peter Boghossian, and James Lindsay had started writing their hoax papers.

The conversation here in Peter Boghossian’s class is about the subject of Phrenology – The process that involves observing and/or feeling the skull to determine an individual’s psychological attributes.

From 2:00 minutes in the video:

Student: ‘Well, I guess the scientific method is pretty universal right? Regardless of what science you study, I mean if you use the scientific method ..’

Peter Boghossian – ‘Said from the dude with the small skull. I mean that’s the kind of argument that people who have warped skulls make’. (Watch video excerpt here)

The Evolution of Postmodern Thought | Helen Pluckrose
Video presentation at New Discourses

Helen Pluckrose develops the definition of “Social Justice” as it is used in the academic literature in this tradition, explains its connections to identity politics and the political correctness movement, and then shows the relevance of the original postmodernists to this Theory in some detail. She does this to elegantly describe the progression of these ideas from Theory to activism to the streets by describing how these ideas originated, evolved, and were built upon by successive generations of Theorists leading up to those who have become famous names even outside of the scholarly world today: for examples, Peggy McIntosh, Barbara Applebaum, and Robin DiAngelo. (Watch video presentation here)

Tagged with: grievance studies, helen pluckrose, james lindsay, Peter Boghossian
Posted in News, politics

Love Buzz (1969) – Shocking Blue

Posted on May 28, 2023 by observationblogger — 19 Comments

I was telling Bernie at his blog article on the (2015) Steve Jobs movie that California Dreamin’ as seen in Dragon ‘The Bruce Lee Story’ is the ants’ pants, because it demonstrates how delicate and fraught the whole notion ‘a dream state’ and opportunity is. What has that got to do with todays’ song or even Bernie’s article? Your guess is better than mine.

Any-hows, today’s song comes from a Dutch group and leads us nicely into the following clip that mentions the Dutch, Netherlands and Holland.

Today’s song has a similar sound and vibe to the psychedelic rock style of the Mamas and Papas. Love Buzz was covered by Nirvana, released as their debut single in 1988. I just read that someone paid 600,000 dollars for a smashed Kurt Cobain guitar. Are you f$%king kidding me?! You would have to pay me that to repair it and keep it in my living space along with my sole plant that I am compelled to spray and water once a week.

Would you believe me when I tell you
You are the king of my dreams?
Please don’t deceive me when I hurt you
It just ain’t the way it seems

Can’t you hear my love buzz?
Can’t you hear my love buzz?
Can’t you hear my love buzz?

I need you like a desert needs rain
I would rather like to die
Darling, oh when I don’t see you
So spread your wings and fly

Max mentioned at his blog PowerPop about the group Shocking Blue – The band was founded in 1967 and after recruiting vocalist Mariska Veres they soon became huge. With their single “Venus” they became the first Dutch band ever to reach the first spot on the American Billboard Hot 100.

The group were formed in Hague who are Dutch from the Netherlands and Holland. They were part of the Nederbeat movement in the Netherlands. I had little interest to look up Nederbeat, but for the story I thought I should go and look it up.
It says, ‘it is a genre of rock music that began with the Dutch rock boom in the mid-1960s influenced by British beat groups and rock bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.’ Gee whiz, I would never have guessed that!

Reference:
1. Love Buzz – Shocking Blue

Tagged with: love buzz, Nirvana, seinfeld, shocking blue
Posted in Music

Love and Mercy (1988) – Brian Wilson

Posted on May 27, 2023 by observationblogger — 21 Comments

The biographical Brian Wilson – Beach Boys movie by the same name brought me to this song. The original 80’s drenched synth recording of Love and Mercy left me cold, but his later renditions such as the one below I like a lot. It has been his closing number at his solo live concerts. The song was released as a single on July 1, 1988, but failed to chart. Brian Wilson is no stranger to this blog as his music has featured here prominently in the form of the Beach Boys.

I was sittin’ in a crummy movie
With my hands on my chin
All the violence that occurs
Seems like we never win

Love and mercy, that’s what you need tonight
So love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

I was lying in my room
And the news came on TV
A lotta people out there hurtin’
And it really scares me

Love and mercy, that’s what you need tonight
Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

I respect and understand how this song is a recession in complexity for him. Sometimes in life you just need to go back to basics. Wilson noted the song as “probably the most spiritual song I’ve ever written“.

Brian Wilson is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and significant songwriters of the 20th century. His best-known work is distinguished for its high production values, complex harmonies and orchestrations, layered vocals, and introspective or ingenuous themes. Wilson is also known for his formerly high-ranged singing and for his lifelong struggles with mental illness.

“I would think love is a gentle thing and mercy would be more desperate, ultimately more desperately needed, thing in life. Mercy–a little break here and there for somebody who’s having trouble….I was going for a spiritual, semi-Beach Boy kind of background sound, but more of a Brian Wilson lead vocal thing”.

References:
1. Love and Mercy – Wikipedia

Tagged with: Beach boys, Brian Wilson, lovee and mercy
Posted in Music

Lost Without You (2003) – Delta Goodrum (Darren Hayes Cover)

Posted on May 26, 2023 by observationblogger — 3 Comments

The Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrum made her mark with Lost Without You, but the version I want to focus on today is from Darren Hayes. Delta was the Pop Diva of Australian music in the early 2000’s…then she was diagnosed with cancer and her plight came somewhat of a national concern. Too sick to perform at the 2003 ARIA awards, fellow Australian artist Darren Hayes from Savage Garden flew out from Los Angeles to deliver his version.
What will forever be etched in my memory (apart from Hayes killing it from 3:15) is Delta’s reaction to her own song.

[Verse 1]
I know I can be a little stubborn sometimes
You might say a little righteous and too proud
I just want to find a way to compromise
‘Cause I believe that we can work things out

[Pre-Chorus]
I thought I had all the answers
Never giving in
But baby, since you’ve gone
I admit that I was wrong

[Chorus]
All I know is I’m lost without you
I’m not gonna lie
How am I gonna be strong without you?
I need you by my side
If we ever say we’d never be together
And we ended with goodbye
Don’t know what I’d do
I’m lost without you
I keep trying to find my way
But all I know is I’m lost without you
I keep trying to face the day
Lost without you

Lost Without You was released on her debut album Innocent Eyes as the album’s second single in 2003. The song became Goodrem’s second number-one single in Australia and also peaked within the top 10 in New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. You can find her official video release below Darren Hayes version. Lost Without You was released to Australian radio in early February 2003 and was the most added song to radio for that week.

On 16 August 2020, Goodrem released a six-minute video detailing the back story behind her song Paralyzed. In the video, she revealed that after having her salivary gland removed, she faced serious complications that led to the paralysis of a nerve in her tongue, which left her having to re-learn to speak.
In 2022, Goodrem was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2022 Australia Day Honours for “significant service to the not-for-profit sector, and to the performing arts“. She was also honoured with a wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

References:
1. Lost Without You (Delta Goodrum Song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: cancer, darren hayes, Delta Goodrum, lost without you
Posted in Music

Lost in the Dream (2014) – The War on Drugs

Posted on May 25, 2023 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

Lost in the Dream is the 5th song to appear here from the American band The War on Drugs. This song was the first which hooked me and is the title track from their third studio album released in 2014. The album recording took over 2 years to get right, and you can hear just how methodical they must have been.

In my article I Don’t Live Here Anymore, I posted a video of their ‘Tiny Desk‘ Concert and its very apparent how each band member are masters of their craft and play their instruments with delicate care to achieve the highest quality sound. I consider The War on Drugs the most impressive Americana folk – rock band I have heard in the last decade.

[Verse 1]
Lost in the dream
Or just the silence of a moment?
It’s always hard to tell
Down in the way
They cut it open and they sold it
It’s always hard to tell

[Verse 2]
I saw a soldier man
And he locked his eyes like they were rings
Ooh, but it’s hard, I can’t resist
You may risk it all
You’d risk it all for the memory
But it’s livin’ under your skin
Love’s the key to the things that we see
And don’t mind chasin’
Leave the light on in the yard for me, oh

There aren’t many songs which open with a more breathtaking guitar instrumental than this. Those two years were well – invested even to achieve these first 30 seconds of sound! You know you are listening to the best when you can’t fathom how they accomplished it.

When I was listening to their monumental ‘Pain‘ track I couldn’t help but think that the ‘Americana music’ torch had been passed on from Springsteen to The War on Drugs. They seem to represent the voices and concerns of a Springsteen middle ‘hometown‘ audience. Springsteen was cited as influencers for this album as well as Tom Petty and Bob Dylan.

The recording session of Lost in a Dream (album) was characterised by numerous rewrites. The album’s lyrical themes were influenced by the loneliness and depression (lead singer – songwriter) Adam Granduciel faced after he finished touring. The album cover (image above) features an image of Adam Granduciel standing in front of a window in his home.

Based on 139 year-end top ten lists compiled by Metacritic, Lost in the Dream was the most critically acclaimed album of 2014, appearing on 54 lists and being named first on 13 of them. Paste named Lost in the Dream as their album of the year, writing “from all the muck and malaise that midlife produces, something beautiful and permanent has been revealed—an enduring contribution to the canon.”

Reference:
1. Lost in the Dream – Wikipedia

Tagged with: Bruce Springsteen, Lost in the dream, the war on drugs
Posted in Music

Losing Your Way in the Rain (1979) – Mike Batt (Ft. Colin Blunstone)

Posted on May 24, 2023 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

I was writing just a few days ago the post about Christina Perri’s Bluebird and how underrated she is as a singer – songwriter. I had the same battle in the 80’s about Dylan.
Now we come to the undisputed western-world champion of ‘underappreciated’ music. Mike Batt’s 1979 album Tarot Suite (with the London Symphony Orchestra) is one of, if not my most beloved album, but is scarcely known. You might be more familiar with Mike Batt’s popular hit ‘Bright Eyes‘ performed by Art Garfunkel.

Today’s featured track Losing Your Way in the Rain is the sixth song on Tarot Suite as seen above on the back cover of this monumental album. ‘Losing Your Way in the Rain‘ tells you there is an easy path to falling into the abyss. I know it only too well. To find yourself in a ditch you just can’t get out of. And then you prefer the ditch because that’s the routine which makes you feel some semblance of being human or for just getting up in the morning and crawling out from.

When the colours of mourning have faded away
And you don’t know where the road is leading
The edge of the sky turns from blue into grey
And there’s nothing to ease the pain
When you’re losing your way in the rain

Oh, sometimes I’m right
Oh, and sometimes I’m wrong
But I’aching now and sinking slowly
And I know in my mind that we have to keep on

But it just doesn’t seem the same
When you’re losing your way in the rain
Don’t want to go back there again
When you see how far you’ve come

The music which opens Losing Your Way in the Rain is representative of the whole album’s mystical ‘tarot’ feel and fantastical journey. I know it’s widely expressed, but I have to reiterate ‘they don’t make music like this anymore‘. It’s a respectfulness for the listener. It’s not telling you how and what to think, instead letting you go along for the journey. Everything is just smooth, and it lets you inculcate the meaning even with a mystical padded ending that gives you time.

It’s hard to believe that Tarot Suite is now 40+ years old. No other album was played as often in our house during my youth than this one. Tarot Suite was inspired by the 22 major arcana trump cards of the tarot deck.

Tagged with: losing your way in the rain, Mike Batt, Tarot suite
Posted in Music

Lord, I Hope This Day is Good (1981) – Don Williams

Posted on May 23, 2023 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

Lord, I Hope This Day is Good is the second song to appear here in the space of a month from my favourite classic-country music artist Don Williams. His previous entry Listen to the Radio was the first song that got me hooked as a youngster and todays featured track I came to appreciate much later in my musical journey of Don. These are great lyrics sung by a great voice.

I just find Don Williams voice so soothing. If you have an hour free you could put on a ‘Greatest Hits‘ video from Don and feel calmer for the experience in the middle of all the discontent and strife in the world. I still consider myself in the infancy of my appreciation of Don’s music since his music catalogue is so vast.

Lord, I hope this day is good
I’m feelin’ empty and misunderstood
I should be thankful, Lord, I know I should
But Lord I hope this day is good

Lord, have you forgotten me
I’ve been prayin’ to you faithfully
I’m not sayin’ I’m a righteous man
But Lord I hope you understand

I don’t need fortune and I don’t need fame
Send down the thunder, Lord, send down the rain
But when you’re plannin’ just how it will be
Plan a good day for me

Lord, I Hope This Day is Good is a country-gospel ballad written by Dave Hanner and interpreted and released by Don Williams as the third single from his eleventh studio album Especially for You. The song was Williams’ twelfth number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for one week and spent a total of twenty weeks on the country music charts.

Anne Murray also recorded a version of the song on her 1999 inspirational album. Anne was a personal favourite of my Mother. I remember her crying in my youth listening to Anne’s – You Needed Me, or it might be because I just got home from school.

I hope this song sets you on a good path forward today. Thank you for reading.

References:
1. Lord, I Hope This Day is Good – Wikipedia

Tagged with: don williams, lord i hope this day is good
Posted in Music

Loose Change (1998) – Bruce Springsteen

Posted on May 20, 2023 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

To me today’s featured song Loose Change will always be the sister song to another Bruce song from the same record called Happy. These two songs are an awesome couplet from Bruce’s collection that I treasure. I could listen to them both all day long and not distill one from the other. They are a match made in Heaven.

When I recollected Happy, I wrote how it wooshed me back to living in Northcote, Melbourne cerca 2005. When I hear Loose Change, it’s just the same…. I had a girlfriend called Claire who was a clairvoyant (at that time and place)….I don’t think we ever had chit-chat, rather a fully transcendental conversation about the big questions in life.

I was smitten…Us two lost souls hang out a lot in her big yellow family-house beside the train-tracks and we shared moments in time that just clicked.

[Verse 1]
Met her at a friendly little bar down along the coast
She said it was her birthday so we had us a nice little toast
Drove around for a while, smoked a few cigarettes
Took her back to my place, she slipped off her party dress
She sat for a while on the edge of the bed just talkin’

[Chorus]
Loose change in my pocket
Loose change in my pocket

[Verse 2]
Pint of gin in my boot cuff, I’m drivin’ for a drink and a dance
Sittin’ on the next stool, Miss a little time on her hands
Yeah, I knew she was trouble, but trouble sure was lookin’ fine
When I pulled her close, what I knew kinda slipped my mind
We lay in bed and watched the moon come up crawling

Loose Change always reminded me of a slow – tempo arrangement of a Bob Seeger song like Against the Wind. Loose Change comes from Tracks, a four-disc box set by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released in 1998 containing 66 songs. This box set mostly consists of never-before-released songs recorded during the sessions for his many albums. I wrote about this set recently on the Lonsesome Day article as it seemed to provide a welcomed relief after a lengthy drought of Bruce output since his Human Touch and Lucky Town records.

Loose Change is an internal story, not an external one.The lack of a melodic instrumental accompaniment helps to create the sense of isolation and alienation that pervades the song, a bit like Happy.

Springsteen toured Dublin, Ireland this May: his Irish ancestral roots. Bruce Springsteen just casually singing “My Hometown” in a local Ireland bar…nothing to see here lol. Can you imagine being there?

Tagged with: Bruce Springsteen, loose change, tracks
Posted in Music

Mr. Plinkett’s Cop Dog Review – Friday’s Finest

Posted on May 18, 2023 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

There was this one guy Mr Plinkett who did these movie reviews. I’m not going to add anything more. Below is Mr Plinkett reviewing Cop Dog.

Tagged with: cop dog, Mr Plinkett
Posted in Movies and TV

Bluebird (2011) – Christina Perri

Posted on May 18, 2023 by observationblogger — 1 Comment

Bluebird is another song from my favourite female contemporary music artist Christina Perri. She is in my opinion the most underrated singer – songwriter of modern times. For example, I sent the lyrics from the song People Like You to a friend whose opinion I regard highly, and I asked them, ‘Who do you think wrote this song‘? They responded – ‘Leonard Cohen‘.

No… this 30 something year-old American Christina Perri wrote that song. Or listen to Perri sing The Lonely which has Cohen talent all over it and feels for the experience a Classical musical number. Her last album ‘Lighter Shade of Blue‘ is one of the greatest ballad albums I’ve ever heard and no one listens to it. Today’s featured track ‘Bluebird‘ is from Perri’s debut studio album Lovestrong and it seems a precursor of themes she would explore on Lighter Shade of Blue. The lyrics of Bluebird are exemplary.

Bluebird

[Chorus]
How the hell does a broken heart
Get back together when it’s torn apart
Teach itself to start
Beating again ba-ba-ba-ba

[Verse 1]
This little blue bird
Came looking for you
I said that I hadn’t seen you
In quite some time
This little blue bird
She came looking again
I said we weren’t even friends
She could have you

[Pre-Chorus]
Don’t you think it was hard?
I didn’t even say that you died
But it wouldn’t have been such a lie
Cause then I started to cry

Perri recorded the album Lovestrong in 33 days in two studios located on the same property, both running at the same time. She described the process as “the best 33 days of my life and it was the worst 33 days of my life…I was running from studio one to studio three and I was running back and forth doing the vocals, the piano, the guitar, the harmonies, and the doubles.”

Perri stated that she was “ripping [her] stitches” to ensure that a certain song was sung with the right emotions, later adding that it took such an emotional toll on her that she would be driving home later that night crying at two in the morning, forcing herself to pull over and drink a milkshake…. Perri chose the songs on the album from a list of songs she had written since she was fifteen years old.

Reference:
1. Lovestrong – Wikipedia

Tagged with: bluebird, Christina perri, lovestrong
Posted in Music

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