The latest episode of Question Everything is linked at the bottom of this post...
It seems that people are waking up in the world to the idea that things aren't what we are being told they are. They've listened to career politicians and talk show hosts through the years, watched the news and they used to believe what they heard. Now more than ever, they don't believe what they hear. Not everybody knows what to think and they don't talk to their friends about their concerns, but they know something isn't right.
Some voices were out there in the 1990's talking about things and warning people. As the decade closed, they even warned about the terrible things that were coming soon. Some of them were even eliminated. William Cooper comes to mind. Is he a martyr? Many who read this won't even know who he is. If his name comes up on certain "Truth Incorporated" shows, he's mocked, belittled and marginalized by people who know better.
I've heard it said by some in the movement that they won't make a martyr by eliminating that particular host. It would make them look like they were right all along. Okay, but did it work for Cooper, who warned of things that came to pass? Nope. People were indifferent. They killed Kennedy in broad daylight. Did people rise up? MLK? RFK? Even the 2000 elections? If anything, things got worse and nobody cared. So, if a talk show host was striking a nerve, would they have any problem doing what they've done in the past? I don't think so.
But, Truth Incorporated loves to scare people with frantic talk, yelling, waving their arms, getting angry and asking you to buy this and that and fund the operation. Do I think it's wrong for them to make money? Nope. It's the system we live in. Are you getting truth there? Yes. Are they wrong a lot too? Yes. Should you think for yourself with whatever information you learn? Yes. A lot of times, these people don't have all of the facts before they run with a story.
Also, they have been known to spin and twist things for their agenda. Why would they do that? Put it this way, if they are funding a media operation, building new studios, hiring new writers and TV personalities and producing slick TV and radio shows, they must pay the bills. Fear of bad things coming in the future sells. Why do you think the horror movie industry does so well?
Also, some people turn the radio off each day and do nothing. They may even buy subscriptions and various products from the show and think they are making a difference that way. So, they do nothing within their community to change a thing. Put in that context, is Truth Incorporated really making a difference at all other than increasing their bank account?
Change starts at home. You don't cower in fear over news of the world. You begin to effect a change in your own community. The future is unwritten. Even if there are people trying to plot a course to control us all, it doesn't mean that is where we have to end up. When thinking of change, you can get overwhelmed by the global size of it all. Then, you don't know what to do and think you can't help. You aren't really hearing those solutions on those shows.
So, Truth Incorporated isn't going to change a thing. They are just one source to learn some truths from, but there are others. When it comes to change and stopping the bad things from happening, we need to look in the mirror. It starts with each and every one of us at home in our own communities. It can spread from there. We need to be the change we want to see in the world.
Here is the latest episode of Question Everything about Truth Incorporated, martyrs and not giving into the divisive tactics being used to keep us in our own racial groups.
Friday, February 6, 2015
The Case For Kansas In The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
Kansas has a documentary coming out called Miracles Out Of Nowhere that chronicles the band's unlikely success as one of the top Rock & Roll bands of the 1970's. This makes me wonder once again why they are not even considered for a Hall Of Fame induction. This is a band that has had huge hits in their career and has continued to tour almost every year since their first album in 1974...
It's not really a surprise that a band like Kansas or Styx or even REO Speedwagon doesn't get a nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. These bands sold out arena after arena in their heyday, sold millions of records and were actually good musicians. Frankly, it's difficult to figure out how some acts get nominated that are nowhere near the genre of Rock & Roll, while these bands are ignored.
Kansas has been around for over 40 years now, and the band spent a few years honing their craft before they got a record deal. There are several good reasons for this band to be considered worthy of being in the Hall Of Fame. Lets take a look at some of them.
Kansas was pure American Progressive Rock. Some dispute that, but you can't seriously listen to their first five albums and not hear it. They had a distinct sound. They didn't have a breakout star in the six piece band, but together, they made incredible music filled with the guitars of Rich Williams and Kerry Livgren, the keyboards of Steve Walsh and Livgren, the bass of Dave Hope and the drums of Phil Ehart.
Let's not forget the violin of Roby Steinhardt. There weren't a lot of rock bands that featured a violin prominently, and Kansas was at the top of that list. Plus, Robby could sing. Walsh became the voice of the band, but Robby sang lead on some catchy tunes as well. Together, the two had some great harmonies.
The obvious reason is the two major hits. Carry On Wayward Son makes the top ten and even top five of some people's lists of American Rock Anthems. Then, there's Dust In The Wind. A beautiful and philosophical song that has made it into pop culture. Many bands go without even one hit, and this band had two mega hits.
Plus, the band has had staying power. There may be three years since 1974 in which the band did no shows. There have been lineup changes, but they continued on. Even after Walsh left, the band hit the charts with Play The Game Tonight. When only two originals remained, Walsh returned and they hit the charts with All I Wanted. The band endures today.
I know the idea of being popular is somehow frowned upon by the people who make the decisions on who to induct into The Hall. The fact that people still want to hear their songs and the idea that they had five platinum or multi platinum albums seems to be ignored. The fact that their lyrics had meaning beyond what a lot of rock music has is dismissed as self indulgent.
It's just that they are looking to induct disco acts into The Hall and have done so already. Yet, Kansas and so many other bands from the 1970's are dismissed as arena rock and unworthy. Since when was selling millions of records and packing arenas a bad thing? I would rather not belittle bands that I think are unworthy and yet are in The Hall, but I will say Kansas belongs there with them.
It's not really a surprise that a band like Kansas or Styx or even REO Speedwagon doesn't get a nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. These bands sold out arena after arena in their heyday, sold millions of records and were actually good musicians. Frankly, it's difficult to figure out how some acts get nominated that are nowhere near the genre of Rock & Roll, while these bands are ignored.
Kansas has been around for over 40 years now, and the band spent a few years honing their craft before they got a record deal. There are several good reasons for this band to be considered worthy of being in the Hall Of Fame. Lets take a look at some of them.
Kansas was pure American Progressive Rock. Some dispute that, but you can't seriously listen to their first five albums and not hear it. They had a distinct sound. They didn't have a breakout star in the six piece band, but together, they made incredible music filled with the guitars of Rich Williams and Kerry Livgren, the keyboards of Steve Walsh and Livgren, the bass of Dave Hope and the drums of Phil Ehart.
Let's not forget the violin of Roby Steinhardt. There weren't a lot of rock bands that featured a violin prominently, and Kansas was at the top of that list. Plus, Robby could sing. Walsh became the voice of the band, but Robby sang lead on some catchy tunes as well. Together, the two had some great harmonies.
The obvious reason is the two major hits. Carry On Wayward Son makes the top ten and even top five of some people's lists of American Rock Anthems. Then, there's Dust In The Wind. A beautiful and philosophical song that has made it into pop culture. Many bands go without even one hit, and this band had two mega hits.
Plus, the band has had staying power. There may be three years since 1974 in which the band did no shows. There have been lineup changes, but they continued on. Even after Walsh left, the band hit the charts with Play The Game Tonight. When only two originals remained, Walsh returned and they hit the charts with All I Wanted. The band endures today.
I know the idea of being popular is somehow frowned upon by the people who make the decisions on who to induct into The Hall. The fact that people still want to hear their songs and the idea that they had five platinum or multi platinum albums seems to be ignored. The fact that their lyrics had meaning beyond what a lot of rock music has is dismissed as self indulgent.
It's just that they are looking to induct disco acts into The Hall and have done so already. Yet, Kansas and so many other bands from the 1970's are dismissed as arena rock and unworthy. Since when was selling millions of records and packing arenas a bad thing? I would rather not belittle bands that I think are unworthy and yet are in The Hall, but I will say Kansas belongs there with them.
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