Joni casts off Leonard discourteously

[Kush]

Bobbie....I will try to listen to her again soon as I get the new ears that I ordered from Amazon.
But if she is able to connect up with even one person anywhere then she is good and thats all that matters.

[lizzytysh]

Hi Kush ~

The synchronicity between your comment in the previous post and the appearance of this segment of "Wordsmith ~ A Word A Day" in my Inbox today makes posting it here just irresistable :

prospicient (pros-PISH-uhnt) adjective

Having foresight.

[From Latin prospiciens, from prospicere (to look forward), from pro-
(forward) + spicere, from specere (to look). Ultimately from Indo-European root spek- (to observe) which is also the ancestor of such words as suspect, spectrum, bishop (literally, overseer), espionage, despise, telescope, and spectacles.]

"The answer is that an expectant or prospicient idea moves and guides
the ensuing action, being a part-cause of that action."
John Laird; Teleology; 1939.

After I finish reading a bedtime story to my daughter, I sometimes ask her, "So, what do you think of the book?" More often than not, the answer is a simple, "Good."

I tell her that the word "good" is banned. The book could be funny, boring, interesting, scary, lovely, awful, awesome, delightful, ... or a combination of terms. Anything but good. It's time to give the tired "good", and "bad", a well-deserved rest.

I think the same applies for people. People are rarely just good or bad. This week's words show five words to describe them.

-Anu Garg
anu@wordsmith.org

It's relevant to other discussions here, too, of course .

~ Lizzy

[Bobbie]

Hi Kush.. what sorts of ears do they have for sale at Amazon... ? Are they the clip on/slip on type, or... what... ? Very interesting, these mail order ears. :--) When they arrive, and after you've listened to Essence again, let me know what you think. I won't be disappointed if you still don't like it. I'm sure there are as many people who don't like Lucinda as do.... same as with anyone. Meanwhile, if you like blues, she started as mostly a blues singer... perhaps you'd find something on one of her earlier cds that you'd like better.

B

[Kush]

They are the type that is usually sent with Lucinda Williams CDs (to make it easier to hear by)..apparently the electronic circuitry changes the wailing like a banshee bit to something a little more palatable

I do like a lot of music without the tyranny of words. Pure music for its own sake. But we - and Ms. Williams - are specifically talking of songwriting here.

Lizzytysh...methinks "good" and "bad" are rather useful concepts to keep society from spiraling into chaos and anarchy. Surely Leonard Cohen is a better songwriter than Britney Spears - although she may have other attractive qualities that Mr. Cohen cannot compete with.

[lizzytysh]

Hi Kush ~

It's the specificity of the language, rather than the concepts themselves, that's being highlighted.

~ Lizzy

[Bobbie]

Kush... haha.. and do the ears come in different sorts of styles, ie: elephant, mouse, schnauzer... ? .. that sort of thing??

Well, it's possible that you are trying too hard.. that you think you should like her when you know you really don't. For instance, I don't like Bob Dylan very much... (blashphemy, I know) But let us know how you make out after you listen again with your new ears.

B

[davideo]

Joni Mitchell: It’s in my stars to invent I think I was right then- all those years I've spent wondering about how Joni Mitchell could have been so obvious- blantant in her efforts to be different. S---! different yes- but so is a three legged man. And she thought Dylan to be a Woodie Guthrie ripper-offer? Gimme a break! That observation has long since been vanquished! To her credit, she likes to paint... van Gogh's!!

[lizzytysh]

To her credit, she likes to paint... van Gogh's!!

Perhaps, she could use some reminding of that . Amazing .