Faster Than The Speed Of Thought

We Are Pavlov's Dog

Ivan Pavlov is most famous for something known as conditioned reflex and the term Pavlov's Dog. The story has it that Pavlov rang a bell just before feeding his dogs causing them to eventually associate the bell with food and to begin salivating at the bell in anticipation of receiving food. The truth is Pavlov probably seldom, if ever, used a bell. He used other things though, metronomes, tuning forks and electric shock. He was a Russian monster posing as a psychologist and physiologist who abandoned a religious career and decided to pursue a career in the sciences performing bizarre and groundbreaking experiments on dogs' digestive tracts by shuffling and re-dealing their organs and observing the results. He also made some uncomfortable modifications so that he could collect saliva. It's thought that he also performed some of these Frankensteinian experiments on children. Lovely guy. He won the 1904 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.



One of Pavlov's modified dogs, preserved at The Pavlov Museum, Ryazan, Russia
Not creepy at all

We are Pavlov's Dog. We, as a society, have become so conditioned to reacting a certain way to certain stimuli that we have stopped thinking for ourselves. We are led around by our noses and told what to think, how to act, how to vote, how to dress, how to talk...we are Pavlov's Dog. Where do conservatives come from? Where do liberals come from? Why do they all act and think so similarly? You can go from one area of the country to another and engage in conversation with different people and have the same conversations with them almost verbatim. It's like a hive mentality, group-think. Mention capitalism, ending social programs, lowering taxes or gun owner's rights and conservatives will fall into lock-step and start a pep-rally. Mention social programs, green planets, women's rights, gay rights, more gun control and liberals swoon. It's not even really the issues that get the ball rolling, it's the catch-phrases: Legitimate rape, illegal aliens, assault weapons, sequester, 2^nd Amendment, Constitutional rights, Fiscal Cliff, False Flag, Military Industrial Complex, Red State, Blue State, and so on. Mention one of those or any of the dozens of others and you are lighting a fuse.

Where do these notions come from? I would say 20% from news media and 80% from word of mouth via conversations but mostly from social media like Facebook or Twitter. These avenues are rife with disinformation and barely formed ideas that get snapped up by rabid sycophants and shared and copied and pasted. They do this without fact checking or, apparently, giving it much thought at all as long as the blog, meme or article is one that agrees with their ideologies. They feed each others fears and paranoia through cloak-and-dagger conspiracy theories and they join in the boorish bullying and stereotyping of the other guys using terms like ignorant southerners, commie liberals, gun-nuts, Muslim sympathizers, they display the worst of human nature.

Cranial Friction Burns

Information, news, entertainment, gossip, weather, global crises, all day every day. How fast can you process information? How fast can you discern what is relevant? Do you still have the ability? According to Mitchell Stephens' book A History of News, in 1481 a letter reporting the death of a Turkish sultan took two years to reach England and in 1841 it took three months and twenty days for Los Angeles to learn of President William Henry Harrison's death in the east. Now, we can get instant updates on the Kardashians and Lindsay Lohan in real time, split-screen, crawler along the bottom of the screen telling us about the middle-east, stock ticker in place, the latest from Capitol Hill, C-Span, Weather Channel. No time to think. How...fast...can...you...process? We are being conditioned to respond to hyper fast information with knee-jerk reactions. Anything less and we're dealing with yesterday's news. No one has the time to digest what is being fed to them any more. By the time you hear of such-and-such law being passed or this scandal or that crisis it is already beginning to go stale. The so-called news media is in such a rush to be the first to get stories out they fail to fact-check or verify. They are all obsessed with live on-the-spot news coverage that they put out pictures and stories sometimes so full of mistakes and disinformation that the record is forever muddied and never corrected. Ron Nessen, President Gerald Ford's Press Secretary, said, “Some stories, you don't want to spend too much time checking because you don't want to find out you're wrong.” That is how so much false bullshit gets so much mileage. People don't want to learn facts that may weaken their position. They'd rather trot out some half-assed report or chart that bolsters their opinions than learn something that may contradict what they believe.

Then, there are the conspiracies. Sometimes, when the news media tries to do damage control and update information as it comes to them and try to correct things after the fact, it gets picked up and becomes part of the big conspiracy, the cover-ups, the black-ops that are being perpetrated on America by its government. It's out there, right or wrong, it's out there. Once it is seen it cannot be unseen. If they show a video or a picture of someone who happens to be near the scene of a “happening” they can become part of it. Later, when they edit them out or issue a retraction, it is conspiracy. Who was the umbrella man at Dealy Plaza the day Kennedy was shot? Who was the man wearing camouflage running through the woods at Sandy Hook? Who was the naked man arrested in the days after the Boston Marathon bombing? Was Trayvon an innocent, smiling kid or a dangerous thug? Is Zimmerman a racist child-murderer or a citizen who's only guilty of killing a person in self-defense? Does the gun kill the people or does it just facilitate the means? We may never know any truth any more because of the way things are presented to us and how skewed it is.

I get my news unfiltered from CNN

Our 24-hour-a-day news channels are not news, that's right, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC are not news. They are news entertainment, the same way that wrestling is not sports, it's sports entertainment. The programming on these networks is geared toward further polarizing people. Ram-feeding propaganda to a starving fan-base, they pander to the hot-button issues that feed the suspicions and emotions of already biased people pushing the left further left and the right further right, obliterating the middle, the place where, in my mind, rational discourse lives. They ring the bell, we salivate. We are Pavlov's dog.

Vast eye candy

Southern Baptist Convention and Mayor Fletcher of Vero Beach

Well folks, here I go again, making noise about the separation of church and state. It seems that some people just can't get enough of that tasty mélange that is religious political power. It is an irresistible temptation to get out there and schmooze your way into having a little stroke down at city hall and then using it to try to force everyone else to bow to your belief system, no matter how unlikely or fantastic it may be. Take, for example, the latest news on the Southern Baptist Convention. It appears to have come as some sort of epiphany to them that they don't have the political clout that they had ten years ago under President Bush.

"[The Southern Baptist Convention] has less influence in government and a growing diversity that may be diminishing its role as a partisan political player. And some Southern Baptists are beginning to cry foul at what they see as discrimination by gays and liberals that violates their religious liberty."

Now, that's rich, “discrimination by gays and liberals”. Please tell me I'm not the only one to see the irony in this statement. How some people can be so myopic baffles the hell out of me. Here's a group of people whose history is rife with injustice to groups who don't meet their lofty standards crying because they feel set upon, not because they have lost any of their liberties but because they have lost the ability to legislate, by proxy, their doctrine.



Religious intolerance


"For 100 years the Southern Baptists have been the dominating religious entity of the South," said David W. Key Sr., director of Baptist Studies at Emory University's Candler School of Theology and a Southern Baptist. "Now they are starting to feel religious victimhood. ... In many ways, Baptists introduced pluralism to America. Now they are feeling like victims of that pluralism."

The above excerpts are from an AP news story found here.

In a spasm of progressive thinking, the SBC have even elected a person of color as their president and found themselves in the uncomfortable position of not knowing how he voted in the last United States presidential election. Apparently, he didn't subscribe to the time-honored tradition of religious leaders by telling them how he was going to vote and, by rote, how they should vote as well. Now there are gays in the military, gays in the Boy Scouts, states are legalizing gay marriage, where will it end? The following is from the same article.

[Russell Moore, the incoming president of the Nashville-based SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission said,] "The government is overstepping its bounds in breathtaking ways," Moore said in an interview. "The audacity of state challenges to religious freedom would have been unbelievable just a few years ago. A warning about some of these threats would have been dismissed as slippery-slope scare tactics."

Yes, indeed, and who would be better qualified to recognize “slippery-slope scare tactics than those who threaten everlasting torment in hell to those who don't believe as they do? They are getting their knickers in a twist because the loss of this power feels, to them, like persecution. What? We're not allowed to tell other people what to do anymore? Why, that's outright religious persecution!

 

 

 

More religious intolerance
 

Meanwhile, in Vero Beach, FL last week, the mayor tried to squash a request by The Humanists of the Treasure Coast who were asking them to proclaim June 16-23, 2013 as “Humanist Recognition Week.” They were calling for “compassion guided by reason” and other inflammatory and dangerous activities like the Hug An Atheist movement. From his statements you'd have thought they were asking for permission to sacrifice goats on the village green. Mayor Craig Fletcher said that he wanted to remove the item about the proclamation entirely. When asked why, Fletcher said, “I refuse to support an organization that does not believe in Jesus Christ. I’ll have nothing to do with it. If you want to outvote me, that’s fine.” He was outvoted but the situation turned nasty anyway. Vice Mayor Tracy Carroll had to look up Humanist on Wikipedia to find out that one of the definitions had something to do with atheism. Once she found this out, she backed Mayor Fletcher. Council members Jay Kramer, Pilar Turner and Dick Winger all voted to approve the proclamation passing it by the narrow margin of 3-2. Jay Kramer read the proclamation because Fletcher decided not to.

 

 

 

Fun with religious intolerance

 

Now, a week later after conferring with his wife and pastor (and a PR shit-storm), Mayor Fletcher has issued an apology. In the apology he says that his previous statements were “way out of line”. Now, before any of you faithful out there start climbing up on soapboxes remember that it's not just atheists who were shut down here, it was anyone not affiliated with Christian beliefs. Temple Beth Shalom’s Rabbi Michael Birnholz said he and much of his congregation are upset and hurt by the mayor’s statement. Yeah, Jewish folks were included in that off-the-cuff statement and anyone else who doesn't believe what Fletcher believes. So, yeah, if you're going to run for political office and represent the people in your community, county, state, country, whatever, you need to be able to leave your religion out of it. Everyone does not follow the same religion and some don't follow any religion at all and the numbers are growing and they are beginning to be heard.

So, yes, the religious lobbyists are witnessing the loss of their power in political circles for the same reason the Republican Party found itself on the outside looking in. They have failed to grow with the more youthful and enlightened culture that is the prevalent moving power at the moment. This is the kind of thing that set the late Barry Goldwater off. In a speech to the Senate on September 16, 1981 he said, “I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in “A,” “B,” “C” and “D.” Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?” I guess Mr. Goldwater was just ahead of his time. People who have grown into voting age in the past decade are more sympathetic to human rights than the old guard, religion-based, ultraconservatives and the newbies are making themselves heard...at the polls. The only thing they need to watch out for is the conservative backlash from the highly unpopular programs that President Obama has hatched and the coming-to-light of the IRS misdeeds and the fact that the NSA is data-mining our phones and internet activity in the interest of National Security. That could be a mighty big pendulum swing if it gains the momentum and weight that some media outlets want to give it. That's not saying that it doesn't deserve a fair amount of weight. What the IRS and NSA are up to is wrong. Non-partisan, across party lines, I don't give a damn who did it, wrong...but that is for another blog post.

For more of my opinion about the separation of church and state go here.

The Wall of Separation and The Politicians Who Don’t Understand It
 

For the articles about Vero Beach go here.

Humanists of the Treasure Coast: Mayor Craig Fletcher denounces non-religious group in Vero Beach

Mayor issues apology in wake of Vero Beach Council dispute over Humanist proclamation

High Road Out - Vicksburg Debut

High Road Out

High Road Out played their highly anticipated debut performance Friday night, June 9, at The Beechwood Lounge in Vicksburg. It was a very impressive start to what should be a long and successful run. High Road Out was launched in May 2012 and it's no secret to the, already existing fan-base, that the band is made up of most of the members of Crossin Dixon. Brandon Hyde (vocals and guitar), Charlie Grantham (vocals and guitar), Garret Parris (vocals, keys and acoustic guitar), Brian Shilling (drums and percussion) and Lane Curtis (bass) are all there. They showcased seventeen new original songs Friday night and it is obvious that the songwriting is just as solid as ever. The lyrics are great and the hooks are engaging. They have picked up a few new cover songs that expanded their range a little deeper into classic rock, adding more diversity and rounding out their show. The vocal harmonies that opened the show were dead-on and continued to impress throughout the night. Vocals, songwriting and musicianship are the strength of this band. They are a tight group who know how to entertain and put on a show.

They have two upcoming shows this week. They will be playing Thursday - Ladies night at Club 43 in Canton, MS and Saturday night at the Tiki Bar in Grenada. If High Road Out is playing anywhere near you, don't miss the opportunity to see them, you won't be disappointed.

HRO performing Simple As Dirt at The Beedhwood in Vicksburg, MS

 

Update:  After clearing up some legal issues High Road Out reverted back to Crossin Dixon.

High Road Out Facebook page

Club 43 Facebook page

The Tiki Bar Facebook page

The Beechwood Lounge Facebook page

US - the roadshow goes on forever

U.S., for those who don’t already know, is a rock band whose main mission seems to be keeping rock music alive and well in the southeast. A good bit of their set is rock from the 80’s but don’t let that fool you, just when you think you’ve got them pegged they’ll kick off with a country standard like “Calling Baton Rouge” or "Save A Horse" and then turn it all around with their “Summer Love/Greased Lightning” medley from Grease. They entertain and interact with the crowds constantly and keep them involved. These fellows know how to show a crowd a good time.

U.S. turning it up at the Beechwood Feb. 4, 2012

They brought their road show to the Beechwood Saturday night and cranked it out with characteristic excitement; they deliver every show like its the first one they've ever done or the last one they'll ever do. U.S. has been burning up the highways for a long time and when you talk to Kelly (Nagy), the vocalist, you get the feeling that he hasn't lost an ounce of enthusiasm since they started. You can tell they enjoy what they do. Kelly, Jeff Manns (guitar), Richie Wright (drums) and Joey Vendetta (bass) always spend a lot of time visiting with people and taking pictures between sets. They are very friendly and appreciative of all their fans and their fans seem to feel the same way. Some people travel long distances to see this band. Their elaborate stage setup is something that has to be experienced, there are giant video monitors, fog and more lights than the mothership in Close Encounters, and that's just the backdrop for what happens onstage. Jäger shots, anyone?
February 11, 2012

Visit the U.S. website here.

An interview with Hillbilly Delux's Chris Stamphill



“Some country tastes like bubblegum...ours tastes like GASOLINE!”

~ Hillbilly Delux~

Hillbilly Delux is a hard rocking country band from Muscle Shoals, AL. They are playing at The Icehouse in McComb, MS Friday night and at Whiskey River Saloon in Jackson Saturday night. The following is from an interview with bassist Chris Stanphill on February 9, 2012.

How long has Hillbilly Delux been together?

The three of us have been together since 2006. The original 4 piece was myself and 3 others that wanted to start a heavy, hard-rocking country band. Kind of a cross between a Garth Brooks live show with a Waylon Jennings attitude and a Metallica/Skynyrd sound. I'm the only one left from that core group. Terry (Harvey) came in when we went to 2 guitars and Craig took over the front-man duties not long after that. I've been doing this since the late 80's, and this is the first ensemble I've been with that has that kind of stability. That's a rare thing in this business.

You're listed as living in Golden, MS. Is everyone else from the Muscle Shoals area?

Terry is from Leesville, LA and currently resides in Hinsville, LA., it makes rehearsals interesting. I actually live an hour from the Shoals, and have spent most of my life in the area. The rest are from the surrounding area.

You’ve done some benefit shows for Wounded Warrior Project in Leesville, LA, how did you get involved with WWP?

The guy that put on the concert for WWP in Leesville was a former band-mate of Terry's. He called, we went. We support our troops every chance we get, and always give them a shout out at every show. We also try to shake the hand of every vet that comes to a show. We're pretty passionate about those guys and gals. We haven't done the WWP since 2008, but we do events closer to home. We try to do at least 4 benefits per year for various vet organizations, Cancer Awareness, The American Heart Association, and local folks that are in need of help regarding medical costs.

Do you prefer clubs or larger crowds like festivals and the WWP benefits?

We've played for 5 people, 500 people, and up to 20,000 people at various clubs and festivals. They all get the same show. Clubs give us the chance to hang out with the fans personally. Sometimes we've gotten to meet their kids. The festivals and larger events are not as personal, but just as fun. We also play Broadway in Nashville at least twice per year at the Cadillac Ranch. The most fun was playing the Riverwalk Stage in Nashville during the inaugural Music City BBQ Festival in 2009, 20,000 people and a 50’x 100' barge stage. We rode the kiddie train down to the stage, and left on it when we were done. We're just a bunch of guys that get along well, love to put on a show, and have a ball doing it. We've gotten to meet thousands of people, and make many new friendships that still last to this day. We've been lucky that we get to do what we love for a living. It doesn't get much better than that.

Dirty Country

Visit Hillbilly Delux’s website here

Hillbilly Delux's Facebook page here,

Hillbilly Delux's reverbnation page here.

Their 10 song CD, “Dirty Country” is available

at cdbaby.com and and they have a 5 song EP that

is currently being shopped around Nashville.

Chris Stanphill is also the band’s booking agent.

Chris can be contacted at (662)279-3830
email: hillbillydeluxband@yahoo.com

Road Gear - Survival Kit

Crossin Dixon delivers the goods at The Beechwood

Crossin Dixon at the Beechwood Feb. 4, 2012

Crossin Dixon managed to bring an over-capacity crowd to Vicksburg's Beechwood Lounge Saturday night in spite of a frog-strangling downpour earlier in the day. The rain finally let up by mid-afternoon and the fans turned out en masse. By Wednesday afternoon every available table at the Beechwood had been reserved, by 12:00 Saturday night the room was at capacity with people lined up waiting to get in. Crossin Dixon played a high-energy show ranging from classic country to rock that kept the crowd partying until nearly 3 am.

Crossin Dixon came together after the three founding members, Jason Miller, Charlie Grantham and Brandon Hyde, repeatedly crossed paths while playing in two different bands. After the two bands experienced some personnel changes, the three musicians decided to put something together on their own, that partnership turned out to be advantageous because it resulted in a self-titled debut release that spawned two charting hits. They are scheduled to be back at the Beechwood April 21^st, so mark your calenders and call ahead for a reservation.

February 4, 2012

Visit Crossin Dixon's website here.

Archival material coming

I am going to be adding some of my older blogs to this site, mainly for archival purposes. They will be dealing mostly with bar-life and bands. I hope everyone enjoys them even though they are older and the ones dealing with band dates and bios may be out of date. Thanks.