Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
I listen to AM radio everyday on the way to work.
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
First, to be clear, I don't compare Norway to the USA; I'm Canadian
Second, I have spent a lot of time in Norway and, as someone who has, since 2006, spent probably around 25 weeks there covering events (and curating one), I think as a North American who knows many Norwegian musicians, I've got a better perspective than most (North Americans that is).
Comparing Norway to Canada, as is often done, we've got similar aspirations when it comes to social services, but we're a much bigger country, geographically speaking, not unlike the US but with a much smaller population comparatively (around 35 million) - still, spread as it is, delivery of infrastructure as Norway has done would be a challenge for us. We do have some large cities (some, much larger than Norwegian cities) but to put it in perspective, Norway's support of culture has been, until this current government, inspirational. Just because Norway has a lot of money doesn't mean they'd spend it the way they do...but they do. I doubt if Canada came into similar $$ per capita, that we'd make the investments in culture and infrastructure that Norway has.
But for sure, the cultures are very different (though the Norwegians i know tell me they feel more kinship with Canadians than Americans). But you can compare how the country spends its money, and how it supports its people. There are many reasons why this is so, but again, to compare with a country I know (Canada), I can tell you that in the last 40 years or so that I've been old enough to follow politics more closely, there's never been a Canadian political scenario that would make some of the investments Norwegian ones have....even when our economy was stronger.
And there are things about Norway I don't like, just to be clear that this is not idolatry without understanding that every country has its own issues. But overall, it's a lovely place with stunning geography and overall lovely people who have made culture such an admirably important part of the social fabric...and that's something that North America, overall, has increasingly minimized ... and when I say North America, I include Canada, sadly.
What I wrote was not intended to be anti-USA, anti-Canada or anti-anyone else, for the matter; only to focus on why, at least based on my own experiences, Norway is a very different place and why they have taken certain stands that I think are highly admirable. When they had their terrorist attack a few years back that turned out to be an internal affair, I was there soon after; one of the things that struck me immediately was how - even had the problem not been an extremist Norwegian right winger and been Islamic fundamentalists - the people were resolute that, while certain security measures would be put into place to prevent something similar from happening again, they were not going to allow this event to change the overall way the country was/is, or how people would live their lives///they refused to become slaves to it because, in their minds, by doing that, the guy who perpetrated this horrible tragedy would then have won. The royalty refused to be any less visible than they have always been, and the average person, while of course tremendously affected (one thing i learned is that in a country that small, almost everyone either was affected directly or had friends who were affected directly by what went down) by the events, they simply were not going to let it change them. I found that tremendously inspirational; there's a certain fearlessness about many Norwegians that has explained many things, right down to my finding that, while Canadians see problems as obstacles, Norwegians see them as nothing more than problems to be solved. I've tried to adopt a similar mindset myself, and have found it pretty liberating...even as it's still a struggle to do it (hey, I'm still Canadian!).
But I intended no offence to the US, Canada or anywhere else. Literally ever country I have been fortunate enough to visit - and there have been many - has things to admire and things to dislike. That I happen to have been lucky enough to have spent enough time in Norway to be more familiar with it than I ever thought I would has simply been my good fortune. But there's no doubt the Norwegians are a special people, and many of the journalists who have spent similar time there - like BBC's Fiona Talkington, Italy's Luca Vitali, Amsterdam's Henning Bolte and Estonia's Madli Liis-Parts, to name a few - all feel the same. There has to be a reason. And it doesn't mean we'd want to uproot and live there...though it has occasionally been tempting (taxes aside, the long, dark winters - even farther south - would be a killer for me!!).
I visited San Francisco and LA for the first time in my life last year before I became too ill to travel, and loved both. San Francisco was what i expected, but LA was absolutely not. I'd a vision of it that was totally wrong. Before I went I thought "who'd want to live there?" After less than 72 hours there (interviewing an artist for a liner note) I understood why folks do.
^^
I didn't know about your illness, John. I'm very sad to hear that.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
It's easier with AM is easier to provide greater coverage (i.e. the reception distance is greater). On the other hand, FM, if you can receive it, generally provides better sound quality. "No static at all" as the song says. These things probably explain the current mix of services on AM vs FM.
For example, when FM started here in earnest, one of the first things to move was the ABC's classical music station. On the other hand, their main news and talk stations have always been AM, and they have never indicated that that is likely to change.
Sorry about your illness.
I was not implying you were being anti-American or anything of that. I was saying a lot of people point at other nations and say "we should do that", but it is not always in the best interest or even feasible for the USA to do it, just as it would not be for those other nations to do what we do. It is why I try not to be overly opinionated on other countries and what they do.
As much as I love Europeans, despite never living outside of NJ, I am not sure I would like living there. Would love to see it one day.
"Alienated-so alien I go!"
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you might find yourself surprised. My wife and I were seriously considering relocating to Europe (but further south...my pick was Porto, Portugal) until the euro troubles began.
Now, we're pretty much settled on staying in Ottawa for the rest of our lives and trying to get away for a couple weeks each winter...once I can travel again. It makes sense for us financially and when it comes to social services. But I'd feel very comfortable living in Europe, or I could afford it. You never know until,you spend real time somewhere...notes that the occasional vacation, but serious time. Then you'd know if the culture and general way of life would fit.
Last edited by jkelman; 04-26-2015 at 11:41 AM.
Not that I'm qualified to make any kind of a diagnosis but I've got a friend with chronic fatigue syndrome. It took him a LONG time to get a medical diagnosis.I'm getting tired of being tired
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
Plenty of things not right about Norway as well indeed... been there for professional reasons (rig assembly of oil platforms) for a few months, so I know
The price of life, for one ... Even in the summer, a (Dutch-greenhouse-grown >> yuckkkk!!!!!) tomato costs around €1.00/piece. Gas prices is the most expensive on the continent (and isles), etc....
Yeah, long summer days are fun (though finding sleep is another ballgame), but skeeters are there very quickly in the summer... And those endless winter nights are to die for.... Norway (and Scandinavia in general) have a really high suicide rate
having lived on both sides of the pond (Toronto & Montreal mostly, but NY and Mexico city for a few months as well), there are at least five or six European countries I'd rather lived than in North America, just for the art of living (don't ask!! You have to live it to know... can't really be explained in a short answer)you might find yourself surprised. My wife and I we're seriously considering relocating to Europe (but further south...my pick was Porto, Portugal) until the euro troubles began.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
See that's the thing. There are many countries I've been fortunate enough to visit that I loved...but never thought "I could live here." Others, however....
...like Porto, Portugal; Heidelberg, Germany; and Siena, Italy ? If an offer were to come I'd seriously have considered it until the euro zone got into serious financial trouble. Now, my wife and I simply feel more secure here in Canada. And while we love Canada overall and Ottawa in particular, it's truly just a matter of economics that keeps us here. If the euro zone stabilized and the right offer came? Quite possibly we'd move in a heartbeat. I love other places, like London, Oslo, Tallinn, Cape Town, Bergen...the list goes on, but either economics or weather would stop.me. If we were to relocate at this age it would be somewhere ideally without winter...or, as is true in Heidelberg, much milder winters. But Porto, with a range of 10 Celsius in winter to 25C in the summer? Perfection!
yes, true of course; Oslo is, I believe, the most expensive capital in the world...but from an outsider perspective; those who live there and have salaries in Kroners generally make money commensurate with the high costs. And, of course' the reason for the high costs is why they have everything from socialized health care/education to infrastructure and culture....you don't get that for nothing. That's what taxes are for...and they have grea retirement pensions as well.
true and I agree (and a lot of drinking too). That said, I spent a week in Svalbard midwinter when the sun was approaching but not breaching the horizon and when I got there I thought "who in their right mind would live there?" After a week of its surreal beauty, I thought, "if someone offered me a 12-15 month contract there I'd take it, just to experience a place that makes it so clear we don't own it...were just guests."
I've spent enough time in Europe since 2006 (somewhere in the vicinity of 50 weeks total) to know exactly what you mean!
I know...a diagnosis by elimination. Still, there are other things it could be and I'm hoping it's not CFS, to be honest, as that will be a long-term life changer (as if the past year hasn't been enough). I've other secondary symptoms that I hope will lead to another diagnosis.
Last edited by jkelman; 04-28-2015 at 09:22 AM.
if I were asked right now where I would love to live, right now the answer is any place but NJ. Where I live is beautiful-beaches, wineries, farms, lots of trees-but it's just that everything that comes into NJ goes north. The north dictates everything. the beauty and all are in the south-we are what the tourists would love to see. it is our beaches that are famous. we are the ones making all the wine that makes NJ one of the top 8 wine producing states. it's our legends of the Jersey Devil that gave the state a mascot. we are the reason we are called "the garden state"-but the north gets all the money.
"Alienated-so alien I go!"
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
I've got my Albums and I've got my acoustic guitars.... all I need is a good crank handle record player set for 33 1/3 and a pick and I'll survive.
They won't drop bombs on me, right?
Of course, not being of the daily persuasion in this opinion laden public prog bathhouse, my diatribe of recent lucubration is perhaps as welcome as a rats teat. One often is forced to weigh the desire to flash judgment within against the effort required as well as the value this knowledge will be to the greater good of all mankind or whatever inhabits the current spa. At best, its a slippery slope.
Meanwhile, at country radio USA:
Radio is killing the guitar solo — and we’ll lose more than our air-guitar skills when it’s gone
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
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