A moment of silence for great flame wars past

[fearfaoin]

I have a sudden desire to quote WB Yeats: "...those dying generations at their song..."

Odd, I had a sudden desire to quote Pete Tonwshend.
But I won't.

[Anomylous]

Would it help if I confess to secretly owning THE Davy Spillane whistle?

Ha! If only there were a celebrity-endorsed whistle like that to distract the army of beginners from the master makers that it's now largely impossible to get a decent instrument from.

I'm college-age, thinking of going pro eventually, and this really annoys me. I've run into more than one middle-aged person, who I can play circles around, but who has a whistle that probably cost ten times what mine did... On the other hand, demographics may be working in my favor. Eventually, all these baby-boomers won't be around anymore... but their whistles will outlive them, and so will I.

[s1m0n]

The Davy Spillane low whistle was more of a unicorn than, say, a vintage Gibson or Gretsch guitar.

Luckily, in whistles the price:quality correlation ratio is low. The term "high-end pennywhistle" is oxymoronic.

[Nanohedron]

Eventually, all these baby-boomers won't be around anymore... but their whistles will outlive them, and so will I.

Not as if you have an eternity of years ahead of you. Your strategy of acquisition by picking at roadkill is repugnant, nor will the proceeds be the windfall you seem to predict. In any case, should it happen that your vulturous patience pays off, you'll probably be of an age or close enough to it where you need ED meds yourself, so don't congratulate yourself too much. The music is what counts - remember that, and be at peace.

[s1m0n]

You boomers have no idea of the intensity of the resentment focussed upon you by younger generations.

[Nanohedron]

You boomers have no idea of the intensity of the resentment focussed upon you by younger generations.

Sure I do. I've been there myself in my own day. It was a very popular state of mind.

[Anomylous]

You boomers have no idea of the intensity of the resentment focussed upon you by younger generations.

Sure I do. I've been there myself in my own day. It was a very popular state of mind.

(Flamewars ho! En garde!)

No, seriously, baby boomers are the worst. I mean, maybe you personally are the exception. But as a whole, you and your peers are the ones who got the US into the mess it's in right now. We weren't the ones who trashed the economy with sub-prime mortgages and stupid debt. We're not the ones turning the oceans into a lifeless toxic waste dump and the atmosphere into a sewer, just to make a few bucks. We're not the ones gridlocking the political system with partisan hatred, so that any attempt to actually fix anything gets knocked down for petty political reasons. But who's eating the consequences of all this? And who's going to have to clean it up eventually?

(ETA: rant mostly stolen from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4IjTUxZORE)

Alright, now on a less intentionally-inflammatory note:

Your strategy of acquisition by picking at roadkill is repugnant, nor will the proceeds be the windfall you seem to predict. In any case, should it happen that your vulturous patience pays off, you'll probably be of an age or close enough to it where you need ED meds yourself, so don't congratulate yourself too much. The music is what counts - remember that, and be at peace.

This summer I moved into a dorm room that has a kitchen, and I needed to equip it. So I hit up an estate sale. Got some nice dishes and other kitchen stuff for very little money. Yes, it felt like picking the bones of somebody's grandma. But the dishes were for sale, I bought them for the asking price, and everybody was either happy or dead (and the dead party was dead anyway). I don't see how this is any different.

And call me *ahem* cocky, but I highly doubt I'll ever need ED meds. But when I get to that kind of age, I'll probably be just about as able to enjoy good music and good whistles as I am now. You're right, the music is what counts. So, whether that windfall happens or not, I don't mind waiting, because in the meantime, like the quote from Genghis Khan or whoever it was, my favorite whistle is the one in my hand. I just like having options.

[mutepointe]

You should really invest in one of these. You're going to need it.

[Nanohedron]

No, seriously, baby boomers are the worst. I mean, maybe you personally are the exception. But as a whole, you and your peers are the ones who got the US into the mess it's in right now.

You could think a little harder about this, and about what you consider an exception to be. People OF my generation did the things you mention, but I, and the majority of my generation who were and still are struggling to just get by, did not; by our economic means and demographics we weren't even able to have a say, much less have a hand, in any of it, so to justify demonising an entire generation by citing the crimes of a relative few (not my peers, thank you) is wildly illogical. And your concession that I might be "the" exception is a facile overstatement that ignores these realities. It may be inconvenient for you to hear this, but I assure you that I too am among the disenfranchised, and among my generation I am by no means alone in taking that hit. So if you must blame someone, blame the Boomer money barons. I do. But don't lay them at my doorstep and expect me to shoulder their sins. It doesn't work that way.

Your strategy of acquisition by picking at roadkill is repugnant, nor will the proceeds be the windfall you seem to predict. In any case, should it happen that your vulturous patience pays off, you'll probably be of an age or close enough to it where you need ED meds yourself, so don't congratulate yourself too much. The music is what counts - remember that, and be at peace.

This summer I moved into a dorm room that has a kitchen, and I needed to equip it. So I hit up an estate sale. Got some nice dishes and other kitchen stuff for very little money. Yes, it felt like picking the bones of somebody's grandma. But the dishes were for sale, I bought them for the asking price, and everybody was either happy or dead (and the dead party was dead anyway). I don't see how this is any different.

You're right. It's not. It's not the idea of picking over remains that bothers me - most of my stuff is hand-me-downs, gifts, others' discards, or from thrift stores, so I'm there too - so much as that you came out and publicly mentioned looking forward to people's deaths for such purposes; that is just plain bad taste, and that put the burr under my saddle.

[Anomylous]

No, seriously, baby boomers are the worst. I mean, maybe you personally are the exception. But as a whole, you and your peers are the ones who got the US into the mess it's in right now.

<snip> It doesn't work that way.

It's not the idea of picking over remains that bothers me - most of my stuff is hand-me-downs, gifts, others' discards, or from thrift stores, so I'm there too - so much as that you came out and publicly mentioned looking forward to people's deaths for such purposes; that is just plain bad taste, and that put the burr under my saddle.

It's a thread about flame wars. I was laying out some bait, just to see if I could light a spark. Turns out, I could. Then I remembered my usual policy of not trying to offend people... please accept my humble apologies.

You should really invest in one of these. You're going to need it.

I don't get it. Invest in what - a butler? A tux? One of those silver thingies?
(Incidentally, it does turn out to be very cost-effective to own your own tux, if you're playing in classical-music type settings on a regular basis.)

[Nanohedron]

I was laying out some bait, just to see if I could light a spark. Turns out, I could.

Nice to know I'm more fun than I thought.

[mutepointe]

You should really invest in one of these. You're going to need it.

I don't get it. Invest in what - a butler? A tux? One of those silver thingies?
(Incidentally, it does turn out to be very cost-effective to own your own tux, if you're playing in classical-music type settings on a regular basis.)

If you expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter you'll need a butler and a silver platter.

[Brus]

If you expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter you'll need a butler and a silver platter.

I tried googling for an Irish traditional butler with silver platter and came up empty.

And some people say you can find anything on the internet ...

[mutepointe]

It's a two part transaction.

Hire an Irish butler.
http://www.privatewaiter.com/hire%20a%20butler.htm

amazon.com should get you a functional platter.

You will probably need a nanny too.

[Nanohedron]

Is everyone safely bundled up in their fireproof suits now? If not, we highly recommend it.

Meanwhile, hipsters, have a look into the future: