[atlantaprog] Re: we have lost folks

Hello all,

This is my first post, though I have been subscribed to this list for many
months. I apologize if that seems rather aloof. I appreciate very much
Alan's invitation to join. It has been extremely hard to resist posting
during the many stimulating discussions I have seen. I have refrained from
posting until now due to the fact that none of the musical projects I have
been involved with lately fit my own perception of what progressive rock is.
Nonetheless, I would not be a musician today were it not for the inspiration
provided by the likes of Yes,ELP,Genesis,GentleGiant,Dixie Dregs, King
Crimson,Focus,Gryphon,Caravan,Finch,Mahavishnu Orchestra,Return to
Forever,Miles Davis,etc. OK, I am already straying from purely prog, as I
have in my musical world today, but these are my roots.

Being a subscriber to three wonderful list serves altogether has exposed me
to similar situations to what has frustrated Veronica. A few years back,
such acrimony was epidemic on a list serve that was similar in size to this
one. A wonderful musician, record producer and friend sent a powerful
response to this then. This year it was magnified exponentially upon the
tragic death of said friend. A post from Baltimore, of all places, brought
it all back home. I hope it might provide insight to share that with you
all. Community is a beautiful thing and no coincidence!

Amazing Lizardo a.k.a. Mitch Lindsey

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chaunkee was one of the best people I have had the pleasure of
knowing... A perfect example of a man and a human being. I am so
sad. 
Here is one of his.....


I don't like sports
I don't even know which season it is, usually
but I don't mind if people dig em

I don't find them stupid or lesser than me

I don't kiss guys
but I don't care who does

lots of stuff I totally don't dig:
boats, hunting, U2 (that echo loop thing gets on my nerves),
jewelry, pain, people who claim to know what the future holds,
that motorcycle thing where the guy jumps in the air and poses like some
kind of air vogue. 
I get it,  I got it,  I'm over it

and the time it takes me to click the remote, when Cleo tries to
read my cards,
or punch the radio, when Tom Shane pitches diamonds,
or delete, when someone says too much,
is quick, once I know who it is, I don't want to listen to.

the only thing one has to complain about is the time already wasted
listening to, or reading someone,
that doesn't say something they are interested in.

that's the past,
you've already used that time to determine you
will waste no more,
so why whine about it?

I don't own a flag, or any Christmas decorations,
I don't kill a tree for the holidays,
but I don't look down on people that have God Bless America
plastered all over their cars because it costs me nothing,
and it obviously means something to them.


I don't look down on people for doing things I find
uninteresting, naive or self absorbed,
but I do have a problem with some one that does.

open mindedness is a necessary trait for me to tolerate anyone.
I am intolerant of intolerance.
and if you think people are stupid, then shut the fuck up about
them and get on with some interesting stuff!

we all babble sometimes but intolerance of goofiness is my enemy.
this is not the general public, these are our brothers and sisters and
respect is appropriate for feelings, and for the love we are about
I don't wanna talk about love, just get in there and love somebody.
better yet, buckle down and love everybody!

unconditional positive regard for the positive
and let the negative vibes die a lonely death of isolation.

I repeat my philosophy of life here for any that made it with me
this far:

Every one of us has the opportunity to be a beacon of love to
everyone we come into contact with.
A prism, turning negative energy into positive.
That's the most we can be.
Period.

and of course my personal slogan:
If you don't have a good time, it's your own damn fault.
let it be what it is and
Let us be,
Who we are.

as always I am
yours,

chaunkee
12-01



 > I just want you all to know there are people who have dropped off this
list
> over the bickering that goes on here.  A friend of mine signed on recently
> and dropped right off after a week because of the most recent posts.  Allen
> says there have been others who have dropped (for whatever reason) as well,
> so, hey guys...  what are we here for?  To build a community of sorts, or
> to build soap boxes for hotheads?
> 
> We started out a year ago as a bunch of (mostly) musicians with some common
> interests and goals of: 1) finding other musicians in bands similar to our
> bands 2) promoting ourselves and cross promoting with these other bands  3)
> mutual support and resource sharing  4) meeting people and forming new
> relationships with musicians and non-musicians alike, where we otherwise
> would not have, and expanding our circle of influence, etc.
> 
> Have we really accomplished this to any meaningful degree?  This e-mail
> list was supposed to be a convenient way to build and maintain
> relationships, or so I thought.  Yes, that has happened somewhat, in spite
> of the insults (see below) and the endless bickering that has sometimes
> appeared here, but how much better off would we all be now - how much of
> the goals would REALLY have been attained by now - if some of us hadn't
> aliented people by abusing this list and using it for their own personal
> agenda??  I am considering dropping off this list because I am really
> disappointed with the way this resource gets wasted again and again, IMO.
> If people are going to take things personally, getting venomously pissed
> off when someone dares to think differently than they do, or maybe because
> they come from a totally different background than they do, then these
> people do have personal agenda altogether different (and opposed) to the
> original community building goals listed above.  If some of you guys just
> need somewhere to vent yourselves and you just have to do it here, then I
> would say you're being an antogonist and you're wasting everybody's time
> and space on their in-box.  I think the hostile comments (see below) are
> totally out of place.  Who benefits from this kind of crap?  No one, not
> even the issuer of the comments.
> 
> There are always a few bad apples who try and spoil the whole bunch, and I
> see that happening here by the people dropping off, myself to soon be
> included. The majority of you have been really cool, intelligent, and
> pleasant to talk to, and I have appreciated most of the exchanges that have
> occured here, but, I've seen more and more hostility creeping into the
> comments. Perhaps it's being tolerated - we're ignoring it, hoping it will
> go away on it's own?  What is really happening is the "nice" people are
> being quieter (or disappearing) and the "mean" people are being louder.
> Nice.  Hope you guys are happy now that you've had your power trip.
> 
>> "> It keeps going largely because of you keep replying!
>> 
>> You're right, it's largely me!  "The earth is flat and pigs can fly."(P.H.)
>> Coming from an elitist bigot, I consider that a compliment.  - Jack"
>> 
> 
> 
> 
>

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