Hmm, that's interesting.
In the previous post, I was talking about how we, of the 1990 - 2010 generation, will be the ones seeing the maximum change in lifestyle and the way the world operates. I think I am really beginning to believe this. And interestingly enough, my colleague cam up with the same thing, and said the same thing, just a day after I wrote about it.
And we weren't even discussing anything related to the subject.
:-)
****************************
There was once a boy who possessed some determination. He had some qualities of hardwork in him and was capable of it when it was really required. Or even when he was told it was really required. So he did work hard, and used his given talents and intelligence well. And he reaped the sweet fruits of his labour.
However, slowly, the fruits of the hard work made him lazy. And sleepy.
He began to find ways around having to work hard. He was too smart to be able to fool himself into believing anything consciously, so it wasn't too hard to convince himself that he could do this tomorrow, or it wasn't necessary to study this chapter. Or a few marks less wouldn't matter.
Well, yes, a few marks here or there may not matter, unless you're just 2 marks shy of being top of the class. THEN it stings. It stings like a BITCH. Yes, I know bitches don't sting, but just go with it, Shakespeare.
So he had lost it, those qualities, that willpower, the stamina, the diligence. And the silly boy convinced himself it was OK. That there are other things in life that are sweet too. And these must be tasted too. What he didn't know was there's nothing as sweet as success. Nothing that quite matches the inner explosion of joy upon achievement, and the sheer exhilaration of kicking the competition where it really hurts.
Sex doesn't even come close.
As tends to happen, time passed. Boy became man. One day, he sat down and had a good long look at his life. And he thought. Then he thought some more. He thought it was high time he got his priorities straight. He thought maybe it was time to focus on what was really important and shearing off all the other inconseqencies. Like cleaning the fat off meat.
It will take some time, he realised, but then he saw that this was as good a time to start as any.
*************************
I was watching this program on Vh1. It was basically a Pearl Jam concert, but in a very personalised sort of seeting. It was indoors but wasn't acoustic or unplugged or anything; there were people standing quite close to the stage, and people standing in a sort of balcony / gallery area. Quite interesting.
But not near as interesting as listening to Eddie Vedder speak.
The man is fucking mesmerising.
He was basically speaking to the audience almost throughout the show - during songs, in between songs, introducing songs. There was even a section of the show where they all sat down on stools and Vedder started reading out fan mail. I think there must've been some promo for the show where they said send in your letters and we'll read them during the show.
There were, of course, gushing letters, but Vedder chose to read out the most interesting ones. And to his credit, he also read out a few that dissed or ridiculed Pearl Jam. Anyway, he drawled, and stared, and went nuts...damn, he makes it impossible to take your eyes off him.
One of the more interesting things I learned during the show was the story behind "Alive". Before playing the song, Vedder introduced it. He mentioned how it was originally called something else, how it tells the story of a guy who had a really messed up adoloscence (he gave details). And then he revealed that the guy was him.
But it was the manner in which he did that that was so amazing. It was so matter of fact, so by-the-way, that by the time the enormity of this revelation had sunk in and you related your whole life (and his) to the song, he'd already moved on and said something else at least as captivating and said it equally nonchalantly. The whole concert was like one big mindfucking conversation with Eddie Vedder. Obviously, in actuality, it was almost a monologue, but the way he spoke made you feel like you've been friends for ages and that you actually made significant contributions to the conversation. When all you actually did was mostly step around the puddle of your own drool.
Basically the "I'm still Alive" refrain is not a celebration but an expression of his frustration at what he sees as a curse - his life. But Vedder explained how he was so amazed at the way it was received and perceived, that it changed the meaning of the song. Even to him.
Now, that's really saying something.
Naturally, the first thing that came to my mind (after "WOW!, of course) was "I wonder what 'Jeremy' was based on". Like it was with the news of the assasination of Kennedy, or of 9/11, one usually remembers where one was or what one was doing the first time one watched the video of 'Jeremy'.
Where were you?
^
In the previous post, I was talking about how we, of the 1990 - 2010 generation, will be the ones seeing the maximum change in lifestyle and the way the world operates. I think I am really beginning to believe this. And interestingly enough, my colleague cam up with the same thing, and said the same thing, just a day after I wrote about it.
And we weren't even discussing anything related to the subject.
:-)
****************************
There was once a boy who possessed some determination. He had some qualities of hardwork in him and was capable of it when it was really required. Or even when he was told it was really required. So he did work hard, and used his given talents and intelligence well. And he reaped the sweet fruits of his labour.
However, slowly, the fruits of the hard work made him lazy. And sleepy.
He began to find ways around having to work hard. He was too smart to be able to fool himself into believing anything consciously, so it wasn't too hard to convince himself that he could do this tomorrow, or it wasn't necessary to study this chapter. Or a few marks less wouldn't matter.
Well, yes, a few marks here or there may not matter, unless you're just 2 marks shy of being top of the class. THEN it stings. It stings like a BITCH. Yes, I know bitches don't sting, but just go with it, Shakespeare.
So he had lost it, those qualities, that willpower, the stamina, the diligence. And the silly boy convinced himself it was OK. That there are other things in life that are sweet too. And these must be tasted too. What he didn't know was there's nothing as sweet as success. Nothing that quite matches the inner explosion of joy upon achievement, and the sheer exhilaration of kicking the competition where it really hurts.
Sex doesn't even come close.
As tends to happen, time passed. Boy became man. One day, he sat down and had a good long look at his life. And he thought. Then he thought some more. He thought it was high time he got his priorities straight. He thought maybe it was time to focus on what was really important and shearing off all the other inconseqencies. Like cleaning the fat off meat.
It will take some time, he realised, but then he saw that this was as good a time to start as any.
*************************
I was watching this program on Vh1. It was basically a Pearl Jam concert, but in a very personalised sort of seeting. It was indoors but wasn't acoustic or unplugged or anything; there were people standing quite close to the stage, and people standing in a sort of balcony / gallery area. Quite interesting.
But not near as interesting as listening to Eddie Vedder speak.
The man is fucking mesmerising.
He was basically speaking to the audience almost throughout the show - during songs, in between songs, introducing songs. There was even a section of the show where they all sat down on stools and Vedder started reading out fan mail. I think there must've been some promo for the show where they said send in your letters and we'll read them during the show.
There were, of course, gushing letters, but Vedder chose to read out the most interesting ones. And to his credit, he also read out a few that dissed or ridiculed Pearl Jam. Anyway, he drawled, and stared, and went nuts...damn, he makes it impossible to take your eyes off him.
One of the more interesting things I learned during the show was the story behind "Alive". Before playing the song, Vedder introduced it. He mentioned how it was originally called something else, how it tells the story of a guy who had a really messed up adoloscence (he gave details). And then he revealed that the guy was him.
But it was the manner in which he did that that was so amazing. It was so matter of fact, so by-the-way, that by the time the enormity of this revelation had sunk in and you related your whole life (and his) to the song, he'd already moved on and said something else at least as captivating and said it equally nonchalantly. The whole concert was like one big mindfucking conversation with Eddie Vedder. Obviously, in actuality, it was almost a monologue, but the way he spoke made you feel like you've been friends for ages and that you actually made significant contributions to the conversation. When all you actually did was mostly step around the puddle of your own drool.
Basically the "I'm still Alive" refrain is not a celebration but an expression of his frustration at what he sees as a curse - his life. But Vedder explained how he was so amazed at the way it was received and perceived, that it changed the meaning of the song. Even to him.
Now, that's really saying something.
Naturally, the first thing that came to my mind (after "WOW!, of course) was "I wonder what 'Jeremy' was based on". Like it was with the news of the assasination of Kennedy, or of 9/11, one usually remembers where one was or what one was doing the first time one watched the video of 'Jeremy'.
Where were you?
^
spouted by Non-Sensei at 9/26/2006 09:10:00 AM
9 comments
