Merged Whitney Houston dead

[Athyrio]

Funny sometimes that one learns more about people when they die than when they were alive.

Sorry, but Whitney was just not within my orbit. I can't name a single song she ever sung but I am surprised to find out tonight how many she sold. Hailing from the Greater Atlanta area, all I know about her is when she and Bobby were throwing the kitchen crockery at each other and obviously I was not interested enough to clue into the details on that.

Now if Robert Zimmerman or my avatar face should "choke on the ham sandwich" as they say, then I will set aside a brief moment of reflection.

Everybody's river leads to the same Waterfall into Nothing. For some, their tributary, while maybe more scenic and spectacular, is a shorter trip than others.

 

[applecorped]

It imbues mine:

Lester Bangs, Mike Bloomfield, Lenny Bruce, Jimi Hendrix, Tim Buckley, Richard Burton, Paul Butterfield, Truman Capote, Daniel Webster, Dinah Washington, Ike Turner, Johnny Thunders, Rory Storm, Hillel Slovak, Ronnie Scott, David Ruffin, Sid Vicious, River Phoenix, Bradley Nowell, Jim Morrison, Jimmy McCulloch, Phil Lynott, Bruce Lee, Heath Ledger, Phil Katz, Janis Joplin, Howard Hughes, Abbie Hoffman, Lowell George, Judy Garland, Chris Farley, John Entwistle, Tommy Dorsey, Ted Demme, Jesse Ed Davis, Dee Dee Ramone, John Cassavettes, etc.

Brian Epstein.

 

[Cain]

Fark headline: Whitney Houston beats Bobby Brown to death.

Love these kinds of jokes. Too bad people only die once.

 

[ConspiRaider]

Wow. Sad news. Whitney Houston had one helluva damned fine voice - truly talented. That in itself is refreshing, amidst so many others who get the great fame on little, perhaps no talent. Houston could bring it. I remember "How Will I Know" on the radio the first time or two, and being floored at how well the song was constructed - and how effortlessly this new singer named Whitney Houston belted it. She had a long enough career and enough big hits to put her into the music superstar category.

Briefly, I went with a girl who looked almost exactly like Whitney Houston. She didn't want me to mention it - because EVERYbody told her that.

So many go this route - proving that there are serious flaws in our practice of talent worship. People aren't built to handle constant, unending worship and it breaks some of us.

RIP, Whitney. You touched many with your talent.

 

[Mudcat]

She burned out early. She toured last year (I think) and it was apparently dreadful.

I heard that Jackson toured the year before his death and it was apparently dreadful as well. Apparently the light does shine brightest before they burn out, like the saying goes.

And about earlier? Don't take it the wrong way. I feel for these people but in a different way. They could have been normal, everyday people. But because of the idolatrous (and I can't believe I'm even using that word) practices of their audiences they were treated like gods almost. That would be enough to mess with anyone's mind.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Briefly, I went with a girl who looked almost exactly like Whitney Houston. She didn't want me to mention it - because EVERYbody told her that.

This makes no sense. You're white, right?

 

[Mudcat]

This makes no sense. You're white, right?

Even if they are what difference would that make?

PS, this post I'm quoting? It is what trolling really looks like.

 

[crimresearch]

They had the looks, and knew how to use them. Their singing abilities weren't particularly good or unique, so if they didn't have those previously mentioned looks or an inordinate amount of luck no one would have ever given them the time of day.

I think you should look up the term trolling.

Now, can singing save a life? Build a bridge? Deliver people to their family safely? Put a man on the moon? Build better knowledge to give to future generations? Rebuild buildings destroyed by natural disasters or the malicious intent of human beings? Anything apart from this wooish "It motivates people and gives me something better than silence to listen to"?

I don't know, have any singers done anything worthwhile with their undeserved fortune?

Otherwise my respect goes something like this:

1. Pond scum
2. Actors
3. Singers
4. Sports players

Note, that at least singers rate higher than sports players.

And what is so great about saving lives? Is there a critical population shortage somewhere?

Or do you just have a sentimental attachment to one of the myriad biological species infesting this planet?

From a purely skeptical perspective, none of your claims have any rational basis to them, they are merely a product of you falling for notions that other people have told you are valuable.

 

[ConspiRaider]

This makes no sense. You're white, right?

Yeahp. Whiter'n a movie screen in a blizzard. It's why I washed out of Navy SEALs - they didn't have camouflage paint opaque enough to dull my Great Whiteliness...

 

[ConspiRaider]

Even if they are what difference would that make?

PS, this post I'm quoting? It is what trolling really looks like.

Mudcat, stick around. You've almost been a JREForumite long enough to suss out Scrut.

 

[332nd]

Woo.

Art.

True. But the main difference here is that Einstein, Dawkins and Hitchens can, have and will do something useful, beneficial and practical with their talents even as Jr High Science teachers. Whereas Whitney, Elvis and Jackson probably would not have contributed anything useful, beneficial or practical with their 'talents'.

Prove it.

Michael Jackson didn't die that long ago (and that on my birthday) and even if I were to bring up a name like maybe Frank Sinatra I figured that the people in the discussion could at least use Wikipedia.

This assumes that they wouldn't recognize the name. What proof do you have that they wouldn't?


Now then show how Houston, Elvis, MJ, etc do not have talent.
Meh, why bother? You know its just your opinion.

 

[Matthew Best]

I heard that Jackson toured the year before his death and it was apparently dreadful as well.

You heard wrong. Again.

 

[Mudcat]

And what is so great about saving lives? Is there a critical population shortage somewhere?

No, but does that mean we should let lives be lost that might otherwise be saved?

Or do you just have a sentimental attachment to one of the myriad biological species infesting this planet?

We aren't gods, it's all we can do just to save what's easily within reach. To think we can do any more than that is unrealistic.

From a purely skeptical perspective, none of your claims have any rational basis to them, they are merely a product of you falling for notions that other people have told you are valuable.

Oh? And 'they make people feel good' is?

 

[Gazpacho]

Scientifically speaking, your favorite music artist sucks. Just thought you might like to know that.</jref>

 

[Matthew Best]

Scientifically speaking, your favorite music artist sucks. Just thought you might like to know that.</jref>

In fact, all music is completely pointless and so is art in general. I'm not in the slightest bit interested in any of it and I want everyone to know that.

I hope you're all paying attention: I'M NOT INTERESTED!!!

 

[crimresearch]

No, but does that mean we should let lives be lost that might otherwise be saved?

We aren't gods, it's all we can do just to save what's easily within reach. To think we can do any more than that is unrealistic.

Oh? And 'they make people feel good' is?

I never posted or even commented on 'they make people feel good', so now you are just defending *your* irrational beliefs with strawmen...

About as unoriginal as pond scum.

 

[Mudcat]

Art.

Art is art, music is noise.

Prove it.

Not as readily familiar with the works of Hitchens or Dawkins, but thanks to Einsteins works with have a little thing called modern technology, without him we'd probably still be living in an era of radio tubes and such. Can you say the same about those 'artists'?

This assumes that they wouldn't recognize the name. What proof do you have that they wouldn't?

It was you who said this:

Let's think about this for a sec... You threw Elvis & Michael Jackson into the mix. Most likely because you figured people would know who they are. One's been dead for what 30
years now?

Or was that someone else?

You heard wrong.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least. I didn't have an interest in the guy and still don't. All I know about him are two things. We share the first two names, and he died on my birthday (June 25).

 

[Mudcat]

I never posted or even commented on 'they make people feel good', so now you are just defending *your* irrational beliefs with strawmen...

Okay then, wow me. How is my position irrational? What was your intended 'rational' comment?

 

[lionking]

Art is art, music is noise.

I shouldn't respond to trolls I know, but Mozart wasn't an artist?

What is your definition of art? Apart from not music that is.

 

[Mudcat]

I shouldn't respond to trolls I know.

I don't usually respond to twits who doesn't know what the definition of troll is, but maybe at some point you'll come to realize that some people think modern music isn't fit to be listened to. And they are right.

Mozart wasn't an artist?

I really should have quantified with "Modern Music is noise", there is little of redeeming value about it. As for Mozart, he was decent but an artist.

What is your definition of art? Apart from not modern music that is.

Anywhere were you can see that the artist really cares about what he or she is doing. In modern music you don't really see that. You don't see that a lot in older music either, when it comes to it.