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Raise your hand if you watch American Idol. Okay, fair enough. Now, raise your hand if you have been watching one of their latest spinoffs, The Next Great American Band. You know, I was sort of excited for this show, to be perfectly honest. The problem I have with AI is it’s little more than a diva singing competition. I’m not a big solo performing artist fan anyway, except in cases where people I already respect from established groups expand their repertoire through solo stuff. Except Scott Strapp. DIAF Scott Strapp. You suck.

If you can’t tell from my tone yet, the only reason it’s on right now is because there’s nothing else on worth watching. I have an antenna and get a total of four channels. And crap like this is the reason I don’t even bother paying for cable. First off, the title for this show is all wrong. It should be: The Next Great American Cover Band. How the hell can you really tell how good the groups are if you never get to hear any original stuff? And if you know anything about music, you know you can’t throw a dozen bands together and ask them all to perform a single artist next week. Come on, asking a metal band to do Elton John? They’re doing it wrong.

So I want to just do a quick once over on this week to show you what you are “missing” out on. Don’t expect this to be a weekly occurrence, I don’t think I have the stomach for it.

The Host/Judges

Dominic Bowden: Well, he’s from New Zealand. He hosted New Zealand Idol. Apart from that, if he has any musical background, it’s not really a top career note for him. But he’s a host, so no big deal.

Sheila E.: She’s a 50 year old drummer. She’s never been in a notable band (unless you count Prince’s backup band). She’s worked with the likes of Prince and Ringo Starr, but a lot of performers have worked with lots of famous people. Doesn’t give them instant credibility. When you hear about great drummers, you will never see her name along with the likes of Neil Peart, John Bonham, Shinya. But by Buddha, she’s helping find the next great American band.

Ian Dickson: He’s a producer and essentially a counterpart to Simon Cowell. Because that’s how the formula has to work. He’s not as much of an ass, but he does have an accent (English or Australian, depending on the night, but in all fairness he is an English born Australian citizen. Double points!) .

John “How Emo is My Hair Now” Rzeznik: How can I put this delicately? If I had to choose a top 25 of band frontmen to judge on this show, I would lay down $20 that he wouldn’t make my list. The Goo Goo Dolls are okay. I know their singles alright. I have several of their albums. But seriously, they haven’t had a good one since 1998. The only reason Rzeznik still has a career in the first place is because people like spelling his name on stuff. He’s an average vocalist and an okay guitarist, and little more. He’s right at home next to Sheila E. anyway, because neither one is fit to pick from talent that should, in theory, be leagues beyond them. Then again…theory….

The Bands

Dot Dot Dot: Jesus Christ…this band is the Sunjaya of TNGAB (that’s my clever way of shortening The Next Great American Band, because I don’t want to write it over and over). They refuse to die, despite all apparent logic.  Their “frontman” is so androgynous that he gives David Bowie a hard on. Not to mention he’s a terrible singer, and their bassist looks like a used up 40 year old hooker. They’re like the special ed. version of My Chemical Romance. And I hate My Chemical Romance too. Every week I wait for them to go down in flames, and they keep coming back because every 12 year old idiot with a cell phone votes for them.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra: I actually kinda like these guys. I like the big band quality to their music, and respect the work that goes into coordinating that much instrumentation. But the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones have been there, done that, and kicked these guys’ asses. Not edgy enough and too plain. Probably #2 in the show at this point though, however probably too unique of an arrangement to carry votes that far.

Sixwire: After week one (yes, I watched more than just this week’s episode, but I swear to Buddha that I don’t do it regularly), I said these guys would win. With who’s in the top 5, it’s a certainty now. The problem? Too country-rock. Big and Rich have already done it. But the fact that they are actually country doesn’t really come through, since 80% of the show performances are covers. They are a very tight, well rehearsed, generic band. They cover well, and play well together. I predict two albums before fading into obscurity.

The Clark Brothers: An acoustic three piece. Except…no. In fact, hell no. Sheila E. was speechless after their crappy rendition of You’re in My Heart. I can understand I suppose, I was pretty surprised by how awful it was too. Let’s name some famous three pieces, shall we? Rush. Green Day. ZZ Top. The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble. Cream. See, a three piece is pretty hard to screw up. Bass, guitar, drums. That’s sorta the essence of a trio. When you don’t have drums, and you don’t have bass, that pretty much makes you a novelty. They are pretty boys. They play their instruments fine, but there is no way that an acoustic three piece is the next great American band. I would stop listening to music if they were to win. If it weren’t for the musical poison that is Dot Dot Dot, these guys are at the bottom of my list.

Light of Doom: Okay, I am pulling for these kids. They are like Hanson, if Hanson was fueled by Satan. But seriously, this is a metal band comprised of 12 and 13 year olds that rock harder and play better than people I’ve seen twice their age. The down side, there’s a lot of growing up to do there. They can’t win, I don’t think, no matter how hard they try. In fact, I could see them dropping at any point. They didn’t even know who Elton John and Bernie Taupin were, not that I’d expect them too, but it was certainly funny when they had to say Bernie’s name. But you gotta admit, it’d be cool to be doing something like that at that age. But in the words of Denis Leary: “There’s a giant rehab festival just waiting to happen. Those kids are going to crash and burn, and it’s gonna be great. That drummer, what is he, six? They’re gonna find him in a hotel with an eight-ball and a hooker.”

Special Mention

Franklin Bridge: These guys got dropped three weeks ago. I only mention them, because they were my original #2. And in all fairness, I think they were the “surprise elimination.” They were probably the best band on the show, and the only reason I pegged them at #2 was because of Sixwire’s broader, generic appeal.  Look them up, because they were very underrated, and sure as hell deserved to be on longer than Dot Dot Dot, Très Bien, and Cliff Wagner and the Old #7.  They had a rocky-rap, funk rock, Lenny Kravitz kind of thing going on that worked really well for me.

So that’s that.  I hope I didn’t spoil the fun for you.  But really, there aren’t many reality shows that bug me like this one.  Maybe because I enjoy music, and the fact that they think one of these bands deserves the break they’ll be getting is a mockery.  In fact, none of the top 12 could really hold a candle against the likes of Aerosmith, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, or any other of the dozens of bands who’s music will live on longer than any of their members.

Now that I am moved (unpacking…well, that’s another story), I am able to start devoting more time and concentration back on the important stuff. Which feels good, and is well timed, as I need to put a chill on the stress levels going on in my head. I need to regain some focus and concentration. I slept well last night, which certainly helped.

 

The Three Poisons of Greed, Anger, and Delusion are the source of all illusions and desires. These poisons keep us one step away from happiness, always moving us away from reality. What is the common root of all three poisons, and how can we transform them into happiness?

“Transforming Poison into Happiness” ~ The Middle Way

I have other things to discuss as well that have been on my mind of late, but that article above gives me some groundwork, so I’ll get to the other stuff some other time. Besides, I like the Middle Way blog and hope you take some time to read some of their stuff.

I will paraphrase some of what they talk about as an introduction, and by paraphrase, I mean be lazy and hope that my brevity is understandable in some form. See, there are these three things, which we can call poisons, which work to stop a person from achieving happiness. Another way to look at it is that these would be three components of dukkha (suffering). They may exist alone, or in combinations with each other. As quoted, they are anger, greed, and delusion. They are a basic barrier to being happy in your life.

Anger is a good one. You can’t turn a corner without running in to it. People get angry when they identify influences as negatively impacting their life, from there they decide that something must take the blame, and anger occurs from the resulting frustration with the situation. I had a good run in with this one yesterday, when I got my car back and noticed it driving funny around 55mph. But rather than get angry at it, I have found understanding. The car has a problem, probably not major, and my anger towards it would not change the matter. Nor is the car trying to dish out some punishment on me. It is what it is, and it will be fixed, or not. Anger would not solve the problem though. The car (or situation, or personal conflict, etc) cannot attack what we know as the Self. It is our perception that what we commonly consider the “I” is under attack, and we respond with anger. But the truth is that there is no I to be attacked. Therefore there is no reason to get angry. To put it in more personal terms, if someone were to start a conflict with you, they are trying to attack a person that actually does not exist. They are angry at “you,” when “you” cannot exist if there is no “I.” Therefore we should respond to their anger with compassion, because they are angry at an idea, not at our Self.

Greed comes in all forms, and might be one of the harder poisons to break. It may be for money and possessions, for love and emotions, for less or more of situation, for an event, and on, and on. Greed is the root source of some of the worst dukkha. Wars have been started by one person coveting what others had. Greed drives good people to do bad things. Worst of all, greed is self perpetuating. It can sustain itself longer, the deeper into it a person falls. This is selfish greed. The alternative is selfless greed. It is natural to want the best for ourselves, but really, we should focus on the best for everyone else. What we get from that will occur naturally and will sustain us exactly as much as we need. It is a hard thing to sit down and flip a switch from selfish to selfless greed, but much easier to strive towards it over time. Change a little more each day. Spend meditation time on others and their needs. Find ways to help them get what they need. Find happiness not in getting the best for you, but rather finding the best for others. I think many of us can identify with people in our lives that think they never have enough, and can never get ahead. They have combined greed and anger, which powers their suffering. They believe they never have enough, and get frustrated when this impedes their path.

The third poison, Delusion, I saved for last. Delusion is more commonly a result of one of the first two. Delusion is a poison that distracts people from truly seeing the solution to their suffering. They might be angry at their friends, and frustrated with not being able to buy what they want, or have the relationships they want, so they believe moving will solve everything. Or perhaps they fall into a relationship that they think will tie up all their loose ends. These are common delusions. They fail to identify the source of their dukkha, and in turn do not transform their other poisons into Pillars to stand on, so their cycle of unhappiness follows them and repeats. The counterpoint to delusion is right view, where instead you see through delusions, and are present only in the Truth. This opens the door to the Four Noble Truths, where you can begin work on the other two poisons.

So, while Delusion occurs as a result of Greed and Anger, it is the first one you need to solve to overcome the latter two. Without Right View, you cannot begin work transforming the other two poisons into pillars for cultivating good mindfulness. From there, once you have transformed those poisons, we can come to the final Noble Truth of practicing the Noble Eightfold Path, which will prevent them from returning and prepare you to help others do the same.

Okay, to satisfy the requests I’ve gotten, here is a little video of the inside of the new house. Nothing special, and really…the video sorta sucks, but all I had access to was my digital camera, which luckily had a video function. I need a larger memory card. Santa take note.

On a side note, my camera saves videos as .mov files…boo.

Well, the move is 80% done. We are now living in the new house, all the furniture is there, and almost all the plain old crap. Still a lot of cleaning to do at the old house. But the real story is the cat. My precious little Isis. Little Isis managed to drop me. A frickin’ house cat rolled me to the floor and kicked my ass. See, my parents have my pet carrier right now, which forced me to move Isis without one. We got her into the truck with only a little effort. She didn’t like that one bit, but she managed. The problem came when trying to get her into the house.

Naturally, I forgot the advice my grandmother had given me a few months ago when trying to get a cat to do something that it doesn’t want to: wrap it in a towel from the neck down. Instead, I tried to carry her (away from my body at least). She got one foot on the doorframe and it was off to the races. I have never seen a domesticated cat go into a fight or flight response like this in person. Needless to say, she’s inside now by the sheer grace of Buddha. While I was writhing and fending off her attack on the floor, I was able to kick the door shut. I am nothing but bruises and cat scratches head to toe. And not little playful scratches. She caught my wrist about a half inch from the artery. She cut me on the arms and under the armpit. My back was waylayed. And she managed to carve out two puncture holes in my shoulder in a last ditch effort to launch herself away.

She had forgiven me enough by the end of the night to come out from under the bed for some pets. I’m certainly still paying for my judgment today though. Live and learn kids.

One of the tougher concepts of Buddhism for me to get a hold of (and one I’m still really working on) is what the Noble Eightfold Path is and how to incorporate that into day to day life. This is the 4th of the Four Noble Truths: that the Path leads to the end of dukkha. To simplify down, by practicing the Path, you can lead a life that no longer causes you suffering, and helps others to find the same happiness. It is one thing to read the eight different ideas. I can read them. I know what the words mean. But to truly understand the meaning of the concept, to translate that into a lifestyle, now that is another matter all together.

One of my more favorite Buddhist blogs these days is The Middle Way. They had a brief post on this subject a few days ago, and it has spurred me to explore deeper into this matter to try and better my own understanding. It is this that I would like to share with you. In all actuality, I must also acknowledge that of late, I have not been mindful of studies into these matters due to my own stresses, and that is the time when they are most important. Sometimes the greatest feeling is that brief moment of clarity you can achieve when you are having a trouble, and you are able, if for just a moment, to see ever grain of the issue. You understand how they go together, and how they are not meant as a hurdle to your development. It simply is what it is, nature keeping balance. You address it, and move along. Like jumping into a river, if you jump in and fail to swim, you drown. But if you work with the river, learn to use it and float with it, then it will carry you from the start to the finish with little assistance or interference from you. The water might be cold or turbulent at times, but fighting it or giving up is a quick path to failure.

Okay, before I get to far off into a philosophical discussion I’m not prepared to handle, let me get back on the course. I do not intend to go into an academic discussion of each fine point of the Noble Eightfold Path. There are plenty of resources that Google can turn up for that. Rather, I’d like to just sit and consider, and breakdown some parts that make me think. There are three main groups of principles: Wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline. Together they weave a fine net of control over how you react to your environment. Each group has components: Right speech, right intention, right mindfulness, and the like. These are not “right” in the sense that there is something that is “wrong.” Generally no such polar opposites exist. The whole point of the Middle Way is that it is in between. “Right” is to imply something more neutral or balanced. To say all is right with the world does not mean that everything is perfect and Utopian, it means everything is in equilibrium, and behaving as it should. In that same vein we should interpret the “right” concepts of the Path.

I would like to look at Right Speech as a good example. It is one of the easier areas to affect, in my opinion. However, as most of my friends will attest (those dirty bastards, I mean…loyal, caring people), I can be rather crude when the time doesn’t call for it. I never say mean things, or bad things, with any level of seriousness. Always in jest. However, the principle of Right Speech would dictate that even in jest, I should not engage in it. Old habits die hard, and too often I hear the words “Michael, you are a bad Buddhist.” That is equally as much a joke usually, at my expense, but in reality it is very true. I must consider how a bystander might take something that I consider to be a joke. My friends know when to call my bluff, a stranger does not. Following the Path means being present in every moment, and that means considering everything around you, strangers and friends alike. I also lie a lot. Not to mislead people for the purpose of furthering an agenda, just to be an ass mostly. I’m always leading people astray with crazy stories of high school football glory and sisters locked in suitcases in the attic. I can be very convincing.

I have friends who have problems in their lives. This is probably not unlike many of you. We all know people that feel as if the world is against them. I wish to help them, but that can be hard when a person will not help themselves. You cannot be their sole support, and even with a good supporting cast it is often not enough without them understanding their role in helping themselves. To those of you that feel like things are against you, and that you can never get ahead, I direct you towards the principle of Right View. Right View is a wisdom discipline, one of the first you learn that teaches you the Four Noble Truths. I won’t go into those in detail now, but in Right View, you learn these Truths, which deal with suffering, why we have it, and how to end it. The idea of “view” can be looked at to also mean perspective, vision, or understanding. By having Right View, you can learn to understand your suffering, its source, and how to get past it. You see influences and the world around you, and you learn what it means to see things clearly. The key being that anyone is capable of this. We have that power, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. It takes patience, and work, and acceptance that there are hard answers from time to time. But at its core, a hard answer is still just one more response in a sea of responses that you will find and use over a lifetime. After time, you learn that answers and solutions no longer require modifiers like “hard” or “easy.” It simply is what it is.

I could go on a lot longer, but I’ll save that for later. I hope that this helps you out. Questions and comments are 100% welcome.