WorkingAllTheTime

Not that I am counting, but 25 days until meaningful baseball.... 26 for most clubs....

Yeah, I realize my team is going to very likely be an also ran this year.... Loss of a couple of key players (to the arch rival, no less!)... Molina's health is an issue. Peralta now on the shelf for a few months... Lots and lots of unproven young talent. Sure, the Cardinals could surprise me, but I am not holding my breath. It's going to be a bit of a frustrating summer, I think.... but still a beautiful summer because..... *baseball*.

I've already eyed a number of AA and AAA series in San Antonio, Corpus, and Round Rock, as well as a MLB games over in Houston. If I really feel like punishing myself, I might make a trip or two up to Arlington to deal with Rangerfan and cook myself in that rotisserie oven they call a ballpark up there.

Anyway.... hooray for baseball. Hooray for the NL Central. Hooray for the Cubs/Cardinals game having meaning again.

My first show was the the p/g tour and it was there. I have a few friends who attended St. Louis shows on the Signals tour (10.12.1982 and 10.15.1982 - the apparently played a show at the University of Illinois in between those dates) who say they remember it - but they were perpetually stoned back then, so who knows. I asked a few folks in Texas who likely attended Signals shows in Texas (March, 1983) and they think it was there, but they were likely also perpetually stoned, so who knows. The boots I have suggest it did not show up until around Signals, but it could have been earlier I guess.

As for the love it or hate it notion. I tend to love it. Corny? Sure. Cheesy? Yep. Fun? I will go with yes. My kids loved it (as well as the hand claps for TSOR) when they were old enough to go to shows, so that brings back warm memories.

My son in later years, though, pointed out the "heys" are an odd sort of message of collective obedience, which is interesting in the context of 2112. That is probably not the message the band was going for with it, but it is an interesting thought.

What's the difference between the best team at the end of the year and the best team in the league?

It really depends on how you define it. I will use a baseball example (with the understanding baseball is different given the length of the season).

In 2004, the St. Louis Cardinals were clearly the class of the sport throughout the regular season.... 105 wins... +25 at home, +23 on the road, +8 vs NL East, +12 vs NL West, +18 vs NL Central, +10 vs the AL (lost only 1 game against an AL team that regular season, in fact). Put simply, they owned baseball that year. And yet they lost, quite badly, the World Series to a very good Boston Wild Card club that got incredibly hot in the post season.

In 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals were basically a mediocre team throughout the regular season.... the barely won the division with 83 wins... +18 at home, -13 on the road, +1 vs NL East, +12 vs NL West, -3 vs NL Central, -5 vs the AL. The club should have sent thank you care packages to the entire NL West because the weakness of that division gave the Cardinals life in the post season and they got hot at the right time to win the World Series (along with some help from the fact the Detroit pitching staff apparently forgot how to field balls hit to them).

Conventional wisdom says the Cardinals were the best team in 2004, but did not win the title, while they were a middle of the pack team in 2006, but won the title. But does that really matter? Does that mean the Red Sox' title in 2004 is somehow less valuable? Does that mean the Cardinals get an asterisk on their 2006 title? No and no.

Again, football is a harder measure because of the limited number of games, but the logic is the same.... the best team in terms of overall play does not always win the title. Getting hot at the right time is still important, as is game preparation in the playoffs. Denver clearly had a better game plan against a Carolina team that, for all intents and purposes, was the class of the league in the regular season. But, in the end, we measure teams in championships. Putting at any other banner is the equivalent of "that's nice". Carolina hanging their hat on a 15-1 regular season is the equivalent of "bless your heart". The notion Carolina is poised to be good again in 2016 is the equivalent of "here's your participation trophy".

So, yeah, regular season be damned.... Peyton Manning not being his young self be damned.... Denver nearly giving up the division to KC be damned... Denver won the Super Bowl. All the regular season stuff does not matter.

Unless something incredibly earth shaking happens in the post-Rush era, talking about Geddy and Alex as individual musicians outside Rush is basically folly. Musically, they are known, almost entirely, for their work in Rush. Their fantastic musicianship is understood in the context of Rush... just Rush. Sure, they play in other things (Victor, MFH, etc.) from time-to-time, but they will always be known as two-thirds of Rush.... and let's be honest, no one ever thinks that final 1/3 was Rutsey.

The band has released 19 studio albums (20 if you count Feedback). 1 of those albums was with Rutsey and not Peart. 18 of 19 (or 94.7%) of their studio work has been with Neil. Sure, Working Man gets a lot of love, and deservedly so. But is Working Man the quintessential Rush song? Is the debut the quintessential Rush album? Hardly.

Nearly 95% percent of Geddy and Alex' most known work was 2/3 them and 1/3 Neil. That speaks for itself.

Whether or not they would have been known as fantastic musicians outside of Rush is a pointless question.... that never happened. The lead line in their obituaries will not be anything other than their time in Rush. Rush are Geddy, Alex, and Neil. Geddy, Alex, and Neil are Rush. It doesn't matter how much people want to hate on Neil.... he is a key part of the Rush story... all of it.... proclaimed musicianship included. End of Story.

As much as I dislike this cocky little f***er, I can emphathize with his parents who have said they are worried he's self-destructing. I concur.

 

I have a son who's just a few years younger. He had his destructive moments in high school but has gotten beyond that. The best thing for this kid is to sit out a year. Get his head together. No press. No bimbo girlfriends. Simple life.

 

He's been on the high visibility fast track since high school and it's time for a long timeout. My son was in the local high school sports limelight a bit and didn't have the maturity to deal with it. Once he stopped playing and removed that part of his life, he came down to earth and realized what life was really about. Manziel will continue to fail miserably if he tries to immediately hookup with another team.

The unfortunate reality is that, in my opinion, Johnny's parents enabled a bunch of this. He has a problem with alcohol. It is pretty well documented the parents did more than turn a blind eye to it. He has been treated as an icon (high profile quarterback in Texas) since his high middle school days. It is pretty well documented his parents were a big part of that.

Do I get and understand and appreciate the fact his parents are concerned for his well being? Hell and Yes. They made their mistakes, but they are still parents and they still love their son. I feel for them and their worry.

That said, while Johnny needs a good amount of therapy, his parents need to be part of that process, as well. From where I am sitting (in Texas, not far from where he played both high school and college football, and knowing a good bit more about his background than the average football fan), his parents need to reconcile with the reality they are a part of this story and created some, if not a lot, of it.

Here's to hoping he figures it out. Here's to hoping he ever again strikes a person in likely alcohol fueled anger. Here's to hoping he makes a comeback on a personal level.... football maybe.... but personally is more important. And here's to hoping his parents do the same.

 

That's my overall reaction to this thread.

 

My take: Leave the R40 set lists (all of them) alone. They were, in fact, perfect. Was there a song X, Y, or Z fan could have done without? Yes, of course. Over the course of 40+ years the band has built a variety of fans with a variety of preferences. But there were also plenty of songs that made X, Y, or Z fan grin ear-to-ear. For my money, the band did a remarkable job of A) touching on the vast canon of their career, and B) putting a little something in there for everyone... including themselves. That's hard to do. They could have mailed it in as a "best of" setlist. They could have played Dreamline... again. They could have done a lot, lot worse.

 

Sure, Ged sounded great on some songs and terrible on others. I saw some back-to-back shows where he was inconsistent on the same songs. But that's life and touring and a life of touring for 4 decades. Indeed, it was painful at moments, but I am just thankful they gave us one more spin.

 

Quit complaining about people actually having an opinion rather than just blind and deaf gushing over every release.

 

Thank you, Eagle. I had a post in response, but I decided: why bother?

 

You said it nicer than I would have anyway.

 

I just get tired of people getting criticized for having a brain in their heads and actually using it.

 

Dumbing down of the world.

Obviously, I am coming back to this a bit late.

But, yeah, really...

My suggesting the band did a good job of trying to balance the various fan demands in created the set list is dumbing things down? Its not acknowledging there is a lot of complexity and diversity to the history of the band? It's not simply saying I appreciated the fact they put some thought into the list and did not, as I mentioned, just do a "Greatest Hits" thing? Or are you suggesting maybe should I should just join the AARP TRF crowd and fall into one of the "Rush sucks after 'X' album" camps that permeate the forum?

My admitting there were times where Ged's voice was a bit painful to listen to, but I was still thankful to have the opportunity to hear them again, was blind and deaf gushing? I wasn't acknowledging that there were times were Ged was not having his best night?

Your comment of "I just get tired of people getting criticized for having a brain in their heads and actually using it" literally made me laugh out loud. First of all, I was indeed knocking the overall tone of the thread, but I was not knocking any one person. I was knocking the fact people come back to the same tired arguments over and over and over again when reality has not changed.... these guys are old and can't play the same way they did decades ago. Apparently understanding *that* requires more brainpower than some people have. Secondly, you seemed to have badly missed the two key messages in my post. For someone apparently claiming to have the higher intellectual ground here, it seems pretty obvious you do not.

Here's the thing.... I can pretty clearly demonstrate that I do have a brain and I do use it. I generally think you are equally one of the people on the forum who do those things, as well. I just have to wonder if you misplaced those things for a while.

PS For the record, I actually think the R40 release is not their best live work by a long shot. What I am able to partition in my mind, though, is the fact it is representative of where the band was at that stage of their lives and careers. Maybe I was foolish to expect something more than that... or maybe I am a realist.

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/blogs/USATSI_mabry.jpg

In the poll asking which NFL franchise has the biggest douche bags fans, the Eagles squeak by for the win because of dudes like this. At least Raider fans dress up in cool costumes. Eagles fans are assholes in sweatpants.

Oh, I don't think Raiderfan is a douchebag. I think Raiderfan is crazy!

The funniest part about this whole thing is now Mark Davis is further in limbo now than he was a few days ago.

Vegas, baby!

 

As much as I know it won't happen.... goodness do I want it to happen. Imagine Raiderfan in all his garb walking around Vegas. Of course, seeing this guy in Vegas is generally known as "Tuesday night", especially around Fremont.

 

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/blogs/USATSI_mabry.jpg

 

Godell said it was cool if the owners approve.

The equivalent of your mother saying ask your father, when she damn well knows dad is going to say "no". He'd probably say the same if the Raiders were talking to Yellowknife, NT.

The funniest part about this whole thing is now Mark Davis is further in limbo now than he was a few days ago.

Vegas, baby!

As much as I know it won't happen.... goodness do I want it to happen. Imagine Raiderfan in all his garb walking around Vegas. Of course, seeing this guy in Vegas is generally known as "Tuesday night", especially around Fremont.

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/blogs/USATSI_mabry.jpg

The funniest part about this whole thing is now Mark Davis is further in limbo now than he was a few days ago.

I know. Seriously. It's almost as if the league holds a vendetta against Mark for his father's behavior..... oh..... wait....

I am still going with Jerry Jones. Dude has a history of making bad personnel decisions. Exhibit A:

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/9065941e142eb769bb76794c742e08d1e14ee558/r=300/http/www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/9065941e142eb769bb76794c742e08d1e14ee558/r=300/http/www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ff7cf3a6a05bdffece98d9a4dfa71ead5a07cd9b/c=107-52-1175-1120/local/-/media/2015/11/06/USATODAY/USATODAY/635824197838809191-USP-NFL-Seattle-Seahawks-at-Dallas-Cowboys.jpg

Oh, and then there is this....

http://www.inquisitr.com/2760938/dallas-cowboys-rumors-johnny-manziel-heading-to-big-d-after-release-from-browns/

Not exactly a reputable article, I know, but the die has been cast.

Multiple reports (ESPN story below) have the Browns basically letting everyone know they will set Johnny Football free as soon as they can open up the cap room when the league new year begins March 9.

Helluva pick there, Cleveland. You should have taken Vontae Mack!

But, yeah, this begs the question.... who is crazy enough to bring in Manziel?

My money is on this guy...

http://espn.go.com/n...ent-source-says

Oh how I wish this were true.

Hanks' son could play the younger Peart.... Hanks as the older Peart.

But who would play Alex and Geddy?

My cast for Ray Daniels is Paul Giamatti.... I realize he looks nothing like Ray, but I think he could basically reach back to his character in Sideways and capture the ethos of Ray quite well.

So now we have the Chargers saying they have an agreement with the Rams in LA for 2017, but will stay in San Diego for 2016 to give San Diego time to fund a new stadium. Very interesting message from Spanos. I take it as "Please, really, do not make me get in bed with this guy, Kroenke." If I were city officials in San Diego, I would tell Spanos to move north. Those guys deserve each other.

 

And, really, this nonsense of the Raiders to Las Vegas..... as if the league will ever sign off on that. Now, truth be told, I do believe a franchise can do quite well in Vegas in terms of filling a stadium. The reality is they could partner with the local tourism industry and put together Weekend in Vegas packages that include the game. The packages could be targeted at both the Raiders and the visiting team. That would not address the fact that Raiders would be trying to build a fan base in a largely migrated city where folks often have their own team they root for because they "grew up in...." And, really, if there were ever an image built for Vegas.... it is Raiderfan.

 

But that partnership with Vegas tourism? Yeah, the league will build Donald's wall around Vegas, but without the big door. That actually makes me laugh. The Raiders are so bad at trying to bait a stadium out of Oakland they try to hand Vegas out there? Really? Use San Antonio. Use OKC. Use Portland. Use St. Louis. Use Hobbs, New Mexico, for goodness sake, because that town has a better team of getting a team (Timmy Smith bobble head night y'all!) than Vegas.

Come on, let us enjoy thinking of the Raiders to Vegas at least for a little while! Elvis and Al Davis...the white jumpsuit connection...the Raiders and Vegas were made for each other. The phrase "Tuck rule" would take on a whole new meaning with the Raiders in Vegas...

Oh, like I said, the Raiders and Vegas are a perfect marriage... the ceremony being performed in a short, 1970s Elvis themed routine at a 24-hour drive thru chapel that also serves as a liquor store/chicken and waffles restaurant/bail bonds outfit. Which is why it ain't happening. The NFL is tacky, but it ain't that tacky.

Proof... imagine the Super Bowl half time show if the game was played in Las Vegas. That Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction was just the nip tip of the iceberg. I can see it now...... Elton John is the main act.... he is singing "Tiny Dancer", surrounded by topless tiny people.... because.... Vegas.

So now we have the Chargers saying they have an agreement with the Rams in LA for 2017, but will stay in San Diego for 2016 to give San Diego time to fund a new stadium. Very interesting message from Spanos. I take it as "Please, really, do not make me get in bed with this guy, Kroenke." If I were city officials in San Diego, I would tell Spanos to move north. Those guys deserve each other.

And, really, this nonsense of the Raiders to Las Vegas..... as if the league will ever sign off on that. Now, truth be told, I do believe a franchise can do quite well in Vegas in terms of filling a stadium. The reality is they could partner with the local tourism industry and put together Weekend in Vegas packages that include the game. The packages could be targeted at both the Raiders and the visiting team. That would not address the fact that Raiders would be trying to build a fan base in a largely migrated city where folks often have their own team they root for because they "grew up in...." And, really, if there were ever an image built for Vegas.... it is Raiderfan.

But that partnership with Vegas tourism? Yeah, the league will build Donald's wall around Vegas, but without the big door. That actually makes me laugh. The Raiders are so bad at trying to bait a stadium out of Oakland they try to hand Vegas out there? Really? Use San Antonio. Use OKC. Use Portland. Use St. Louis. Use Hobbs, New Mexico, for goodness sake, because that town has a better team of getting a team (Timmy Smith bobble head night y'all!) than Vegas.

You can label me a fanboipeart. I don't give a shit! I experienced a Neil blow off in person! As I was disappointed I was blessed with my memory anyway.

I totally get Neil. I used to think he was an egotistical prick but man no way.

 

His interviews are so genuine. He is a nerd like most of us. He is an introvert. He is witty, intellectual and he hates flattery and compliments.

Neil is labeled the greatest drummer of all time and even he doesn't think that is true and I agree with him.

Why do you think Neil loves Buddy and Moon so much?

 

His peers.

 

Neil could never match his own mentors or influences.

 

Did you Neil Haters ever see Neil perform at the Buddy Rich Memorial Concerts? He stunk it up! Go watch Neil do "Cottontail." Horrible choke job.

 

Why did you think he seeked out Freddie?

 

Jesus Christ.

 

I really don't give a fuckk what people think. Believe me I used to care a lot. Perhaps being on here for almost ten years and getting divorced has hmmmm opened up my mind to a wider reality.

 

I love what I know and I know what I love.

 

I don't give a shit that Neil blew me off. I knew he would. a given.

 

I am blessed man.

 

I love Neil.

 

He is my mentor. He is my influence.

 

I played my drums to HYF and GUP tonight. I breezed through the records.

 

I am playing more and I am getting better every day thanks to Neil.

 

This is my deal this is my happiness.

 

Everyone had the right to believe what they want to believe.

 

Why do you think it makes me so mad to see Neil in the shape he is in.

 

That son of gun used to bicycle from Sacramento to Oakland during tours.

He was in amazing shape.

 

What the fuckk happened?

 

Oh well.

 

Life goes on..............

 

 

Roll The Bones......

 

Not gonna lie.... if I remember your interaction with him, you were outside his tour bus? That might have creeped anyone out. knowwhatimean? I am certain you did not mean to be that guy, but I get why he thought you may have been that guy. You meant no disrespect at all, but he did not know that.

 

I have had two chance encounters with Neil. Oddly, they were truly by chance. In both situations, he eventually realized, yes, I knew who he was, but, no, I was not going to freak out, take a picture, ask for an autograph, or treat him as a celebrity. Granted, neither of those encounters were "in the sphere" in that they occurred while he was traveling and not in a situation (on a tour bus, etc.) where he would expect some sort of potentially crazy fan near him.

 

The first encounter was more just in passing. Passing conversation was exchanged and it was pleasant. The second was actually more in depth and we talked about a lot of things other than Rush. The second encounter was quite pleasant.

 

Now, here's the thing, I once held a fairly high profile, public position. While it is on a much smaller scale, I have dealt with the reality of people coming up and talking to you about work while you are out to eat with your family. I have dealt with people intruding on some of the more basic moments of your life (shopping for groceries, filling up at the gas station, taking a piss at a baseball game - seriously..... just trying to take a piss, man), I have dealt with the uneasy reality of people interacting with you in a way that they think they know you as a person (because they know who you are and your title - but not who you are as a person), but you have no idea who they are, let alone their intention. I have dealt with people, in a very public way, talking about you and your work on TV or the internet (sometimes good, sometimes bad). I have dealt with people who somehow think they own you because "they pay your salary". Most people mean well, but not all of them. I am not joking in that I have received the occasional threat on not only my safety, but my family's. Celebrity, on any scale, sucks. Even those who seek it, I am convinced, eventually realize all that glitters is not gold.

 

And when your default setting is introvert, that is even more challenging.

 

The whole "Neil is a dick" thing cracks me up. Neil is human. All humans are dicks at some point.

 

I want your autograph.

 

Seriously, don`t make me come looking for you in a restroom....

 

 

:P

LOL. What makes it worse is that it wasn't for an autograph. It was to talk to me about some things related to the job.

This is a spoof.

 

That's not Geddy.

 

It's Geddy Lee and he's saying politely "f**k Neil!"

 

I can't see Geddy admitting this in an interview:

 

but I found the end of the tour to be a very sad time. I was melancholy for quite a while because I felt it was… truncated. I’m not saying that my partners weren’t justified in their decision – I’m not criticising their decision in any way. I’m just describing my feeling. And I wasn’t ready to end the tour. And the thought that it might have been our last one really hit me pretty hard.

 

It's not that I wouldn't believe it because I've watched Working Man from LA countless times and he does look affected and emotional. His throat looked really tight, but I wasn't sure if that was from singing or because he was choked up.

 

It just that he sounds vulnerable in this interview, and I can remember only one other thing I read Geddy say in the eighties that showed any vulnerability. He's always seemed contained and in control in any interview I've watched or read.

If that second quote is indeed from Ged, it is very real and very human. Assuming it is legit, I get his point of view, but I also think it is important to note that he clearly is not leveling blame at anyone in that quote.

It reminds me of a time in my first career when I had to make a very difficult and public decision. It was not easy and it was, frankly, a very difficult time in my life. One young woman involved in the situation later came up to me and said, "I get it. I don't like it. But, I get it."

I find it curious that most Rush fans get it, but don't like it, and move on, but some just don't get it.

You can label me a fanboipeart. I don't give a shit! I experienced a Neil blow off in person! As I was disappointed I was blessed with my memory anyway.

I totally get Neil. I used to think he was an egotistical prick but man no way.

 

His interviews are so genuine. He is a nerd like most of us. He is an introvert. He is witty, intellectual and he hates flattery and compliments.

Neil is labeled the greatest drummer of all time and even he doesn't think that is true and I agree with him.

Why do you think Neil loves Buddy and Moon so much?

 

His peers.

 

Neil could never match his own mentors or influences.

 

Did you Neil Haters ever see Neil perform at the Buddy Rich Memorial Concerts? He stunk it up! Go watch Neil do "Cottontail." Horrible choke job.

 

Why did you think he seeked out Freddie?

 

Jesus Christ.

 

I really don't give a fuckk what people think. Believe me I used to care a lot. Perhaps being on here for almost ten years and getting divorced has hmmmm opened up my mind to a wider reality.

 

I love what I know and I know what I love.

 

I don't give a shit that Neil blew me off. I knew he would. a given.

 

I am blessed man.

 

I love Neil.

 

He is my mentor. He is my influence.

 

I played my drums to HYF and GUP tonight. I breezed through the records.

 

I am playing more and I am getting better every day thanks to Neil.

 

This is my deal this is my happiness.

 

Everyone had the right to believe what they want to believe.

 

Why do you think it makes me so mad to see Neil in the shape he is in.

 

That son of gun used to bicycle from Sacramento to Oakland during tours.

He was in amazing shape.

 

What the fuckk happened?

 

Oh well.

 

Life goes on..............

 

 

Roll The Bones......

Not gonna lie.... if I remember your interaction with him, you were outside his tour bus? That might have creeped anyone out. knowwhatimean? I am certain you did not mean to be that guy, but I get why he thought you may have been that guy. You meant no disrespect at all, but he did not know that.

I have had two chance encounters with Neil. Oddly, they were truly by chance. In both situations, he eventually realized, yes, I knew who he was, but, no, I was not going to freak out, take a picture, ask for an autograph, or treat him as a celebrity. Granted, neither of those encounters were "in the sphere" in that they occurred while he was traveling and not in a situation (on a tour bus, etc.) where he would expect some sort of potentially crazy fan near him.

The first encounter was more just in passing. Passing conversation was exchanged and it was pleasant. The second was actually more in depth and we talked about a lot of things other than Rush. The second encounter was quite pleasant.

Now, here's the thing, I once held a fairly high profile, public position. While it is on a much smaller scale, I have dealt with the reality of people coming up and talking to you about work while you are out to eat with your family. I have dealt with people intruding on some of the more basic moments of your life (shopping for groceries, filling up at the gas station, taking a piss at a baseball game - seriously..... just trying to take a piss, man), I have dealt with the uneasy reality of people interacting with you in a way that they think they know you as a person (because they know who you are and your title - but not who you are as a person), but you have no idea who they are, let alone their intention. I have dealt with people, in a very public way, talking about you and your work on TV or the internet (sometimes good, sometimes bad). I have dealt with people who somehow think they own you because "they pay your salary". Most people mean well, but not all of them. I am not joking in that I have received the occasional threat on not only my safety, but my family's. Celebrity, on any scale, sucks. Even those who seek it, I am convinced, eventually realize all that glitters is not gold.

And when your default setting is introvert, that is even more challenging.

The whole "Neil is a dick" thing cracks me up. Neil is human. All humans are dicks at some point.

How do you get Neil on board with a new album? How does that conversation go? Is it just a case of saying to him: “Get your arse down here!”?

It’s more diplomatic than that. I’d say: “How do you feel about writing? Would you like to write something?” That simple.

 

So what would it take to get the three of you in the studio together?

I think it would just take a couple of phone calls, really. Forget all this nonsense about touring, I need to write some songs. [Pauses] I’m going to do it anyway. Alex and I have already talked about it. The only thing we haven’t talked about is whether Neil’s going to come along for that ride.

 

Have you had that conversation with him separately? Have you broached the subject of a new Rush album?

No.

 

But you’re saying that you and Alex could do an album together, not as Rush?

Yeah.

 

Are you considering it?

It’s an option.

 

And what would it sound like?

[Laughs] Probably like Rush without Neil.

 

Does it feel like you’re in limbo at the moment?

No, I don’t think ‘limbo’ is the right way to describe it. I can’t speak for them – in fact, I’m certainly not speaking for them, just for me – but I found the end of the tour to be a very sad time. I was melancholy for quite a while because I felt it was… truncated. I’m not saying that my partners weren’t justified in their decision – I’m not criticising their decision in any way. I’m just describing my feeling. And I wasn’t ready to end the tour. And the thought that it might have been our last one really hit me pretty hard. So it took me a while to get past that point. And I am past that point, and now I’m trying to think about what the future might bring for me. I’m trying to be more optimistic about it. And I have gotten drunk with Al a couple of times, and Al is… well, he’s Al. If I call him, he’s there.

 

You say you’re trying to be optimistic. Is it easy or hard to be optimistic right now?

[Laughs] It’s my nature, so it’s easy.

 

So do we talk about Rush in the past tense or the present tense?

The present tense. Very much in the present tense. Y

Since they only profit from tours and not albums, what's the point of just doing an album that doesn't make money? Oh yeah, creative expression...well that doesn't go far these days. Then if they make the album it will be non stop hounding about touring. R40 was a nice clean break and I'm fine with that.

Pretty sure Ray Daniels is the only one worried about bank accounts....

Somehow, after 40+ years, I am confident that Geddy, Alex, and Neil have more than enough coin to retire securely. Given what I shelled out for R40, I am certain of it. I probably fronted a semester of Olivia's college experience!

And yet another cycle of Neil bashing shall commence...

Yes, we get it.... Neil is done. Both Geddy and Alex have said there is no Rush without all three. Thus, no Neil, no Rush. For those who have not, please, get over it, people. If anything, Geddy actually seems resolved to it, as well (assuming this interview quote is legit).

But, really, Neil is obligated to continue doing something he is not interested in doing? To who? For what? Why?

A slightly related note... I once left a job and career path that I was both good at and successful in.... but my heart was no longer in it. It was my time to move on. A good number of the people who worked with and for me were sad. They told me as much. They told me they wished I would stay. It was touching, and yet my mind and heart were not swayed.

But, unlike this situation, not one of them found fault in me for making a decision that was best and right for me. Therein lies the difference. None of them thought they somehow owned me.

@ Lucas and @ Toymaker....

 

I love this exchange. Love it. Really, I do.

 

I will hold that I do not think Neil was being intentionally racist. I think, rather, he was being insensitive and foolish.

 

I also think that is a basic function of the human condition.

 

I have an employee who speaks six languages beautifully. English is not necessarily the best of his six. He is actually quite fluent in English in that he functions well, but the diversity of his language background makes it so that he is often confused by basic sentence structure in English (because it actually often makes no sense when compared to other languages) and pronunciation.

 

Initially, a number of other employees poked a little fun at him because of it, but I pushed back on their thinking. Yes, I am the boss, so they take my opinion and thinking with a higher level of influence, but I shared some of my own history as an educator and my understanding of language as mode for creating some common understanding. As much as I wanted to call them a bunch of uneducated hillbillies, I decided I would use it as a teaching moment and I was pleasantly surprised on how things turned.

 

In some ways, I subtly called out the average employees' foolishness, but in other ways I encouraged them to A) help the other employee learn a little more about the absurdity of English (because it often is absurd) and B) understand why he structures some sentences in certain ways and why he pronounces some words in some ways.

 

What has emerged is something I am proud of. The employee can now openly question how to say a word or structure a thought and the other employees both help him and seek to understand what he is trying to say. For the most part, they no longer make fun of him, but instead take ownership in his improving English. Just the other day, in fact, one of my most hardened hillbilly types told me he really enjoys talking to the employee and that he likes his accents and thinks he says some basic words in a way that is more pleasing than common English (!). I asked him, very bluntly, if he learned anything from the other employee and he said, "Yeah, he speaks six languages. I speak one. [He] is a whole lot smarter than we gave him credit."

 

:goodone: And a good outcome, to boot!

 

(Personally, I find it quite charming when people speak slightly broken English.)

The same hillbilly once heard me have an exchange with the employee in question. He speaks French beautifully. I studied French for many years. I lost a lot of my studies, but I can generally read it and I get the basic point of what is being said when I hear it (which is also the case for Spanish as they languages are quite similar, although I sometimes struggle with vocabulary when I hear Spanish).

Anyway, the employee and I developed a relationship in which, when he becomes most confused by English, he speaks to me in French and I respond in English. It works pretty well and only every now and then we need some translation software. A while back the hillbilly heard one of these exchanges and asked me what language the employee was speaking. I told him French. He asked "You speak French?" I said, "No. I used to, but I still understand French. There's a big difference there, but it lets us communicate more clearly" I could see the wheels spinning in his head and I think that was the moment of clarity for him.

PS I probably should not use the term "hillbilly" to describe this other employee. He is actually very intelligent. If anything, he is under educated and that explains the way he has viewed the world up until this point. Capacity and formal learning are two completely different things.

@ Lucas and @ Toymaker....

I love this exchange. Love it. Really, I do.

I will hold that I do not think Neil was being intentionally racist. I think, rather, he was being insensitive and foolish.

I also think that is a basic function of the human condition.

I have an employee who speaks six languages beautifully. English is not necessarily the best of his six. He is actually quite fluent in English in that he functions well, but the diversity of his language background makes it so that he is often confused by basic sentence structure in English (because it actually often makes no sense when compared to other languages) and pronunciation.

Initially, a number of other employees poked a little fun at him because of it, but I pushed back on their thinking. Yes, I am the boss, so they take my opinion and thinking with a higher level of influence, but I shared some of my own history as an educator and my understanding of language as mode for creating some common understanding. As much as I wanted to call them a bunch of uneducated hillbillies, I decided I would use it as a teaching moment and I was pleasantly surprised on how things turned.

In some ways, I subtly called out the average employees' foolishness, but in other ways I encouraged them to A) help the other employee learn a little more about the absurdity of English (because it often is absurd) and B) understand why he structures some sentences in certain ways and why he pronounces some words in some ways.

What has emerged is something I am proud of. The employee can now openly question how to say a word or structure a thought and the other employees both help him and seek to understand what he is trying to say. For the most part, they no longer make fun of him, but instead take ownership in his improving English. Just the other day, in fact, one of my most hardened hillbilly types told me he really enjoys talking to the employee and that he likes his accents and thinks he says some basic words in a way that is more pleasing than common English (!). I asked him, very bluntly, if he learned anything from the other employee and he said, "Yeah, he speaks six languages. I speak one. [He] is a whole lot smarter than we gave him credit."

Despite telling us he had studied English (yes, he pronounced it “Ingrish”) at a school in Japan for three months, he struggled

 

The mighty whitey speaks

 

So gracious of you to step down from your pedestal and give the illiterate a picture

 

.

 

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Yeah, that's pretty much what i was alluding to in my earlier post...just not as flavorful as you put it here. ;)

 

All Superconductor jokes aside, after reading Neil's latest entry, this is the first time I have ever been ashamed to say that I am a Rush fan

 

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Seriously? Poor you.

 

Not "poor Lucas" at all as I am very proud of myself

 

Just embarrassed by the elitist, racist comment by Neil

 

all this proves is that even when neil is being nice, he's still kind of a dick

 

Why is that elitist or racist? Commenting on someone's accent is racist?

 

It's an interesting question, because just about everyone does it. Is imitating an accent racist? Are the Simpson's voice actors racist? If I as an educator report that certain students mix up V and W sounds, am I doing it to belittle those students? I would say no, because it's just a fact that has to do with lack of facility with articulating certain sounds, which happens when you are learning a language. I never got pissed at my French teacher for telling me that I still wasn't pronouncing "vu" correctly. I'm sure that my lack of facility with pronouncing certain sounds in other languages is also subject to scrutiny and perhaps comment. When I try to pronounce my Asian students' names, they often giggle at me. I've learned a lot about how to pronounce names like "He" and "Qi" but I'm still not quite there yet. I certainly don't mind if people point it out or try to help me articulate the sound.

 

I talk to students about the issue of accented speech, and my usual thing is to say "don't worry about it: everybody has an accent, even if they think they don't" In some extreme cases, the listener may not understand. I do question why Peart even mentions it. If it was stated in the context of "we had a bit of trouble understanding each other," that would be one thing. If it's done for a cheap laugh, then it seems a bit pointless, I suppose. Is it insensitive? Peart strikes me as someone who is endlessly curious about cultures and traditions, and I've never really heard him write about those things with anything but respect. However, a lot of our humor comes from caricature - look at Robin Williams' bit on Scottish golfers, or Russell Peters on the accented speech of Asians. I think a lot of that stuff is funny, but I don't really care for it when it is then associated with stereotypes. The George Lucas' alien voices controversy has much to do with the association of voices that "sound like" Japanese speakers or Yiddish speakers with racist stereotypes.

 

This thing that Neil wrote just seems out of place - he could have made it purposeful, but it just seems carelessly tossed in. Too bad. At the end of the day, I prefer to think his thoughtful lyrics and other writings come from a good place. He suffers occasionally from speaking-before-thinking-things-through. So do I, unfortunately.

Great post toymaker. I don't even know where to begin. I'll say this though: Peart's traveled so much it's really odd that he'd even comment on that "Ingrish". I wonder what he'd think at a typical Blaze family gathering where he'd hear Filipino, Thai, Hong Kong, and deep American south accents. The only non-discernible (American) accents heard would be from my bros & I and ONE longtime family friend...and we're usually imitating some tv or movie character's voice.

I can imagine MommaBlaze addressing Peart in her usual friendly and commanding way [insert heavy Filipino accent and spelling at own risk], "Neil, you must be tired from riding your motorcycle. And why are you sitting all the way over there in the corner by yourself?! You don't have to be shy! And go help yourself to some more food!" ;)

I found the inclusion of "Ingrish" perplexing. Perhaps he was just trying to point out there was a bit of a language barrier to overcome, but that point is clearly made if you do not include that one comment.

That said, do I think it was fundamentally racist? No. Do I think it was ill advised? Yes. Do I think it was in poor taste? Of course.

All *that* said, really, it is not as if he is running for President and calling basically every Mexican entering the country a murderer or rapist. *That* kind of language is far more worrisome than an ill advised, off color (pardon the pun) comment from a retired rock star who included this on a blog.