June 11, 2005

• Some things just ain't right, no matter how you slice it.
• Someone's gonna be burning in Hell over this, and it sure ain't the kid.
• So, break the rules. You don't want to be there, how do they expect to enforce these rules?
• Third MonkeyFilter link in a row that has come from Meta... I don't mind one once in a while, but could we be just a LITTLE bit more original? There, that should get the discussion going again.. :)
• So, break the rules. You don't want to be there, how do they expect to enforce these rules? Well, didn't that bit about "Safekeeping" read very much like one of those "you and /or your parents have legally agreed to let us kidnap and imprison you (for your own good, of course)" type things? I think if he winds up punching someone just so he can get out of there, he's probably letting himself in for a whole lot of solitary. Not that any of this matters, because, you know, this came from another website and so the sky is falling.
• [C]ould we be just a LITTLE bit more original? I hate to bring this up, but we're a bunch of losers who dig up random crap on the interwebs, then complain to anyone who'll listen and flame each other about trivial shit. And we don't even do it well. Your request is impossible.
• ACtually, i didnt get this from metafilter at all--i should qoute sources, but i got it from here:http://majikthise.typepad.com/
• Now I'm having flashbacks to my parents' threats to send me to a Baptist boarding school in San Marcos if I didn't straighten up and fly right (A-B student in good private school, no drinking, no drugs, no sex). My inner 16-year-old, who is out in full force, immediately spotted the rules to break to get dismissed from the program. /doesn't read MeFi, so doesn't care if posts are duplicated
• Did you see the part where Bach (one of the greatest church composers of all time) isn't considered Christian music? These people are morons. I feel so badly for this kid... he tells his parents who he really is and they deny it. /also doesn't read the blue
• *glances at "All links posted by HuronBob", snickers* *looks at sole remaining own link, grimaces*
• The General has a typically brilliant take on all of this. Here's his letter to the guy who runs the program.
• The Bach bit is best - according to someone on mefi, it's a little known fact but that "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" was inspired by Hinduism. Personally, I just think they are upset at the end of polyphony and refuse to recognise any religious music made since. When he gets to the camp, it will be all Perotin, all the time. But no Leonin, he's too suspect.
• What I love is that the senior staff appear to be known as Chain Of Command, and to wear an emblem of the same name marking them as such. The acronym is used plentifully throughout the rules screed. "Hey, nice COC you've got there. So, you're in the COC with the other COCs? Are you a big COC?" Way to get thrown out, right there. /slouches in seat, makes disgusting face, turns up Bach, adjusts Calvin Kleins
• I don't think that's it, jb; after all, Bach's music was highly polyphonic. I personally think that they want to take it all the way back to the days of plainchant. Pre-organum.
• This sort of thing makes me very depressed and very angry. I know it's not fashionable and it doesn't fit the stereotype, but I'm an extremely religious liberal. I've made my personal peace with God, and it saddens me that there are hundreds of people in the world who think they're better than everyone else because they follow an unreliably translated, contradictory set of rules. And it makes me even sadder, and madder, that they are causing even more people to lose thier faith because of thier unthinking, irresponsible, cruel actions. Someone in the comments section remarked that this camp is loyal to the Bible at the expense of following God, and it's completely true.
• Did nobody else read the title of this post to mean "A 16-year-old's Space Journal"?
• Did nobody else read the title of this post to mean "A 16-year-old's Space Journal"? Dude! Totally! I was thinking "Gay 16-year-old Astronaut's Diary Survives Re-entry Into Earth's Atmosphere; Posted on Internet!"
• Just reading through the rules... god damn. People who send their kid to a place like this shouldn't be allowed to have kids in the first place. Hell, unless a kid has actually killed or seriously maimed another human being, there's no reason on earth to ship him or her on to a concentration camp for re-education. That's sick, wrong, a failure of parental skills, a failure to actually read, understand and espose the views of the book these people hold so dear. No, Old Testament and the Wrath of God is where it's at for these people. Way to go, folks. Sure, Jesus loves you, but the minute you think your kid might have caught The Gay, you toss out the New Testament and all that feel-good "love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek" along with it. Because of course if it came out of the mouth of a guy usually pictured as a long-hair wearing sandals, it must be hippie bullshit. Good luck to this kid. He's going to need it.
• Sorry bone, I had thought "polyphony" meant that particular late medieval style of interweaving chant. What is the actual definition? Yes, it does make sense that they want to go back to plain song. :)
• Random Thoughts I wonder if it has crossed this couple's mind that in two more years their son won't have to have anything to do with them ever again. Backlash happens. Thanks to the unflagging efforts of a certain Mormon aunt on my behalf, I am today a single, childless, feminist, Pagan Ph.D. with a very uncharitable attitude toward practitioners of patriarchal organized religions. (She never did figure out what she "did wrong".) There are parts of the world that are totally accepting of gays, lesbians, uppity women, intelligent people...even Christians who are accepting of, etc. Finally, a wonderful bumper sticker I saw recently, cruisin' around 'Cruz: "I'm cool with Jesus. It's his fan club I can't stand."
• "A 16-year-old's Space Journal"? I thought they had launched a 16-year old gay kid into orbit, and I thought, "about damn time!"
• Last time I looked, polyphony was a variety of different musical lines, as in just about anything after, say 1400. But don't quote me.
• I very much feel for that kid. A good friend of mine was sent to a similar program for not respecting Jesus. The program was not as hardcore Christian as this one, and actually took place in the woods. He spent his days praying with rapist, drug dealers, thugs, and thieves while marching around the Utah mountains. One kid almost died as he tumbled down a steep rockface. Worst of all was that his mom denied that people came in the middle of the night and took him. She said he just went camping with family. It took us almost three months to find out that she forcefully sent him away. Not even his Brother or Sister (who was later sent forcibly to a Christian school for wayward girls) knew where he was. I'm rambling at this point, because this brings up a few bitter memories, but I did get a carved wooden spoon out of his ordeal.
• No Beethoven. Fucking heathens.
• random thoughts--besides the obvious outrage and hypocrisy of the parents & "straight farm." from the time he was 5 or 6,we would routinely threaten js with military school. knowing us better than that, he tended to reject any parental advice that did not make apparent sense. especially of the "because i say so" variety. does this straight camp sound like "but i'm a cheerleader"? j.s. bach had 23 children because his organ had no stops.
• This place isn't just for kids. My gay husband (ok, we've never really been married, but he is the Will to my Grace) lives in Memphis and dated a guy who went through this exact program. They dated after he had gone through "Love in Action". And while it didn't fix teh gay, it did ensure that he was riddled with guilt to a crippling degree (which is why my GH didn't date him for vey long). On top of everything, this guy entered the program after his marriage (to a woman) ended. He has a four year old son. Why would someone willingly put themselves through this? Well, there are lots of gay Southern Baptist men and women who are struggling with their relationship with God. And rather that walk away from their faith, they look for other answers. This just happens to be a particulary bad one. Happily, there is are more liberal baptist churches springing up that are welcoming gays without judgement
• In case there are any interested monkeys re: polyphony: a quickie overview, and a quiz (RealAudio). Here's the dirtiest, quickest review of music history I can find.
• Hey, kimdog, I had a "gay husband" too. We lived together for 9 years. I guess you could say he was my first husband. He grew up in Virginia and had a fundamentalist Christian grandfather, who fortunately never caught on to the fact that my GH was gay. Dodged a bullet there, he did. Another gay friend of mine is very Christian and has a wonderful relationship with God. Then again, he grew up in California. And his relationship to God may be a result of a twelve step program. Where was I going with this? Gay space boy in the what now?
• all Perotin, all the time I used to have two cats named Leonin and Perotin. No lie. JSB is entirely too sensuous, too decadent for a worship service.
• As to why someone would go into a program like this of their own free will: not everyone who is gay or bisexual is happy with it. Either because of the cultural/religious values they grew up in or because of the messy nature of relationships in ANY sexuality, some people see their desires towards people of the same sex as something to be quashed, and a life lived in lonely, unfulfilled denial as an acceptable price to pay for that. It's those feelings that twist-head charlatans like those who run the "Refuge" program prey upon. Goetter, you think Bach is decadent?? To a singer (or an instrumentalist, I'd imagine), he shows absolutely no mercy, and no space for self-indulgence. To me his music sounds like God's own geometry, inexorable as fate. But that's probably just me.
• (to a reggae riddim) I troped the Credo But I didn't trope no Kyrie Oh, no, oh
• Pallas -- no no, I agree with you on Bach. I used to love playing him on the french horn and the piano (both modified, I guess, for the more modern instruments) because of the way it made me think in a very orderly, precise way. Also, there was no room for self-indulgence, as you say. I was far too busy keeping up with the Bach-ness of Bach :)
• I got a funny impression others may or may not corroborate. It notes that you're allowed to listen to christian music, but that Bach wasn't. There must be some music, then, that they do like, and I figure it's "christian pop" of the Happy Happy Joy Joy I Like God variety. Presumably they want music that couldn't possibly be enjoyed except as self-indoctrination-- too many longhairs listen to the Bach shit, don't ya know.
• It's because of you selfish musicians and your MERETRICIOUS POLYPHONY that MILLIONS of unfortunate souls are even now BURNING IN HELL, doing FINgertip push-ups in BOILING PITCH while cherry-red DEEE-MONS read aloud to them from the works of L. RON HUBBARD. All because those unfortunate souls were distracted by the WHORISH WRITHING of the multiple LINES OF POLYPHONY from sacred matters. Or so I presume. Bizarre. I went crawling all over their site, but couldn't find any confirmation of the un-Christian nature of JSB.
• Just saw this post's link on the sidebar: "How to Cure Fags." Like ham? Do they taste good?
• Monkeyfilter: the Bach-ness of Bach. (just as an awed listener, I know what you mean :)
• Goetter, I think I'm going to name my next band Meretricious Polyphony. meredithea, I envy you the ability to play Bach on the piano! The 48 Preludes and Fugues are just about my favourite thing ever. And exxppii, yeah-- I get the feeling that the icky people who run this program would ban gospel music too, for being too enjoyable. Hope the protesters are blasting Bach at them even now.
• To me his music sounds like God's own geometry That's about as perfect a description of Bach as I've ever come across. With some of his pieces, you can almost see the polyhedrons taking shape, watch the proofs unfolding line by line. Some of it's as complicated and difficult to fully comprehend as a Riemann landscape.
• ))), Goetter :) mct, are you perchance familiar with the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue? Blew my mind when I first heard it, it's really forced me to hear Bach as more than math. The Fantasy sounds uncannily unlike what one would expect of a baroque keyboard piece...
• Pallas -- I certainly don't play Bach well, but I love to try :)
• Well, keep in mind that a lot of Bach's music was written for the organ. Organ music is now known to be the stuff of vampires and phantoms of the opera and such. (Personally I've found playing Bach on the piano is good fun, but playing him on the organ is a truly incredible experience.) (Room for innuendo kindly provided for those inclined.)
• Hehe...."organ"...
• So, if anyone is around, can they protest there with a big sign promoting Bach?
• And the camp itself, of course. But it would show up their stupidity well to be protesting against the banning of Bach.
• "Bring back Bach! Bring back Bach!"
• Suggested banners for said protest: BACH FOR GOOD! I'LL BE BACH DON'T LOOK BACH IN ANGER I'VE GOT YOUR BACH BACKSTREET'S BACH, ALRIGHT!
• BRING BACK BACH & BISEXUALITY POST-POLYPHONY POLYSEXUAL & PROUD
• BEETHOVEN IS MY HOMEBOY
• I ♥ COFFEE
• J.S. LOVES YOU
• I found a Christian fundie radio station on the radio t'other day. Imagine English hymns set in dull, insipid instrumental and choral arrangements. Imagine someone writing music for a small orchestra and choir with absolutely no concept of classical music of the last several hundred years, music which makes no effort to develop itself or challenge its listeners whatsoever. (Hymn theme with melody and accompaniment, major key, common time, even dynamics and a moderate tempo; repeat; repeat; repeat; end.) Follow this with a sermon on why evolutionary theory is a "silly, outdated fable" and you might come close to experiencing the tour through hell that was my Tuesday commute. Arrrgh. And this is in bloody Maryland.
• HONK IF YOU LOVE J.S. Though I have to wonder if the kid didn't add the entire "No Bach" clause just to rile folks up. And a late-night highway transit through Maryland twenty-plus years ago introduced me to the old-skool rap wonder that was Whodini. So I can't hate on Maryland radio too much.
• Here's somebody else hatin' on Beethoven. It's particularly funny if you keep the Lexicon of Musical Invective in mind as you read it.
• and a late-night highway transit through Maryland twenty-plus years ago introduced me to the old-skool rap wonder that was Whodini I guess the freaks really do come out at night.
• BACH IN BLACH /Angus
• For those who are keeping up with Zach's plight and LIA/R, his father has spoken to the Christian Broadcasting Network about the protests. (I'm now not sure if I feel sorry for Zach for having to put up with ignorant buttmunches who think Bach turns you gay or for becoming a poster child held up by both sides to say, "neener, you were wrong.") Also, the state of Tennessee is investigating LIA/R for claiming to offer addiction recovery therapy without having any trained, licensed therapists of any kind on staff...
• LIA/R Heh. crataegus, I like your acronym. Very fitting.
• goetter, just saw your link on Beethoven. If you follow the link to the author's website, you find a nice collection of weird little essays railing against common wisdom, such as this one against science as the "'monstrous worship of facts'". Hmm...
• And from the Christian Broadcasting Network interview: "Knowing that your son... statistics say that by the age of 30 he could either have AIDS or be dead.” Well, he's got his statistics right, anyway.
• I can't take credit for LIA/R, Alnedra. I believe that I first saw E.J. use it on the original QAC website.
• Well, well, well.
• MonkeyFilter: "This does nothing to settle the exegetical questions fiercely debated at the moment"