View Full Version : Critical Mando!
Ranger
Apr-29-2004, 9:33pm
other day after work i was chatting with a friend about Earth Day and local activism. the subject of "Critical Mass"
(large groups of bicyclist gathering and slooooowly riding down the street to eventually tie up traffic at some intersection)came up. after a few minutes he said too bad musicians couldn't do that, and i said "why not?" lol...
so the picture of 75-100 folks with mando's jammin in an intersection tying up evening rush hour traffic just makes my ribs hurt from laughing so hard. actually may be good for commuters, after all..."music soothes the savage beast."
does it not?
Ranger
Ted Eschliman
Apr-30-2004, 5:00am
Whatever you do, John, please don't give this idea to a banjo player!...
<shudder!>
There will be 150 mando pickers at the mandolin symposium. That'll be a sight
to see. I'll have to takes pics.
John Hill
Apr-30-2004, 7:07am
I can see it now:
150 people reeking of hippie soap.
150 pair of birkenstocks.
150 plywood A-styles all strumming "We are the world".
4,000 savage beasts NOT being soothed.
Ugh!...just shoot me.
John
John Zimm
Apr-30-2004, 7:08am
I don't know, if the mandolin players are the ones creating the savage beasts by tying up traffic, their music may not be too soothing. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
I heard that today is Oatmeal Cookie Day. Now, there is a day for everything, I wonder if there is a Mandolin Day? There shoudl be-we all could have mandolin-centric parades through our cities and towns and random mandolin orchestras playing in our parks. Could be a fun event.
-John.
onlyagibsonisgoodenuff
Apr-30-2004, 7:19am
At the Weiser, Idaho national fiddle contest I once was witness to several mandolin players going around breaking up jams by playing "Rawhide". It was not a pretty sight. OK, so I helped a little. I've matured since then.
John Zimm
Apr-30-2004, 7:38am
At the Weiser, Idaho national fiddle contest I once was witness to several mandolin players going around breaking up jams by playing "Rawhide". It was not a pretty sight. OK, so I helped a little. I've matured since then.
Who would have thought mandolin players would be such a disruptive bunch. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Maybe we should start breaking up gatherings of b*njo players (are there such things?) by playing Rawhide, kinda like how anti-globalization protesters seem to show up anytime two or more government officials are gathered in one place. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif
-John.
onlyagibsonisgoodenuff
Apr-30-2004, 7:56am
I know it seems that mandolin players wouldn't be that disruptive, but put 'em at an event where you have several hundred fiddlers and. . .well, you get the picture. Besides, I think there was alcohol involved.
"150 plywood A-styles all strumming "We are the world".
What a hideous mental picture that conjures up........
Michael H Geimer
Apr-30-2004, 9:23am
I took a picture of ex-Mayor Willie Brown. He is smiling and waying at all the cyclist who - according to the police chief's press conference later that night - were arrgressively breaking through the barriers against Police instruction. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif His Willie-ness was telling us all to 'Have a nice ride'! We even had a motorcade travelling with us ... for the first quarter-mile at least, then they quietly veered off.
Of course, that was the day hundreds of 'Mass' participants were arrested here in SF. I managed to avoid jail time - c'mon, anyone who was looking both ways at the intersections ought to have seen the inpending pincher move. But, it was sure a shock to get home and see my own Police Chief blantantly contradicting what I saw with my own eyes! Maybe I'm just naive, but I was - and still am - totally offended.
Now ... in it's higher minded form, Critical Mass is about bicycle visiblilty - not traffic congestion. So, maybe what we need for a Mandolin Mass are opportinites to expose some large volume of people to mandolin music, and mandolin players ... no need to gum up the rush hour, folks. We could all just hang out at the beach and strum "We are the World" http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
... or some other song that won't make us all puke.
duuuude
Apr-30-2004, 11:37am
But, it was sure a shock to get home and see my own Police Chief blantantly contradicting what I saw with my own eyes! Maybe I'm just naive, but I was - and still am - totally offended.
Just doin' his job, Benig, just doin' his job, LOL. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
Good eyes on spotting the pincher move, got caught in that one back in the 60's in Palo Alto.
GaryM
Apr-30-2004, 12:17pm
Let's all wear leather and play [/B]Born to be Wild!![B] http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Michael H Geimer
Apr-30-2004, 12:29pm
" Just doin' his job ... "
Not anymore, Duuuude. He recently got dismissed over bending the rules to protect an off duty officer accused of assault and battery. Schucks!
Ken Sager
Apr-30-2004, 12:42pm
I can see it now:
150 people reeking of hippie soap.
150 pair of birkenstocks.
150 plywood A-styles all strumming "We are the world".
4,000 savage beasts NOT being soothed.
Ugh!...just shoot me.
John
I'll be attending the Mando Symposium and I vow to all here that I will not be wearing birkenstocks, nor will I be reeking of hippie soap. I don't need to mention (but I will) that my mandolin is not plywood and you'll never hear me sing "we are the world".
Savage beasts be damned!
Shoot me first.
Michael H Geimer
Apr-30-2004, 2:20pm
" ... I will not be wearing birkenstocks, nor will I be reeking of hippie soap."
That's what they *all* say, Ken.
I once asked a guy why he decided to go to Berklee. He told me about how he was once offered a standing gig in Santa Cruz that he stayed at for ten years because " ... the living was just too easy! Beaches, Babes, you name it!" LOL!
Of course, he wised up, went to Berklee, and now makes a living at music.
Just be carefull. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
OzArkie
Apr-30-2004, 2:36pm
It won't be long... soon you guys, while in public places, will be required to have your mandos fitted with those fluro orange flags on little white sticks.
[grin]
Michael H Geimer
Apr-30-2004, 2:55pm
... and helmets, too!
Also make sure to use the proper hand signal when going to the IV chord.
Ranger
Apr-30-2004, 9:42pm
hmmmm, let's see.... note to self....
learn "Rawhide", get new helmet.... got it. thanks guys.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Ranger
Billy Mack
May-01-2004, 12:29am
It seems like I come across that 'critical mass' thing about everyday driving through town. I dont know why some cyclists insist on riding in the middle of the lane - below speed limit. If there is a shoulder or sidewalk there - use it.
OF course, if they had sandals and mandos I would be more yielding.
Michael H Geimer
May-01-2004, 9:14am
"...some cyclists insist on riding in the middle of the lane."
Hey Billy,
I definately do not want to present this as a bike vs. cars thing, but as a safety issue there is even public ad campaign going here in SF encouraging riders to 'get out of the door zone'. 'Dooring' as it is called is a very common accident, that involves hitting someone's driver side door when they swing it open into the path of an approaching cylclist. It is as you can imagine, a quite nasty painfull experience for the innocent cyclist, who is likely just trying to stay out of the way of auto traffic. So ... that's why riders will 'take the lane', and are even legally protected doing so ... at least in SF.
- Benig
OdnamNool
May-02-2004, 4:42am
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif His Willie-ness was telling us all to 'Have a nice ride'!
... or some other song............
Willie-ness? #Good word... #Ride on...
Ken Sager
May-03-2004, 11:40am
I once asked a guy why he decided to go to Berklee. He told me about how he was once offered a standing gig in Santa Cruz that he stayed at for ten years because " ... the living was just too easy! Beaches, Babes, you name it!" LOL!
Of course, he wised up, went to Berklee, and now makes a living at music.
Just be carefull. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Beaches, babes, and a living at music? Be carefull??!!!
Where do I sign?
garyblanchard
May-03-2004, 11:43am
Whatever you do, John, please don't give this idea to a banjo player!...
<shudder!>
Too late. I've seen it now. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
garyblanchard
May-03-2004, 11:50am
I can see it now:
150 people reeking of hippie soap.
150 pair of birkenstocks.
150 plywood A-styles all strumming "We are the world".
4,000 savage beasts NOT being soothed.
Ugh!...just shoot me.
John
Gee, I'm really represented here. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
I own 2 pair of Birkenstock sandals, 4 pair of the clogs, 2 pair of Birkenstock sandal shoes, and two pair of Birkenstock dress shoes.
Also have the plywood A-style (plus a plywood F-style).
And worse yet...I have a banjo and I'm not afraid to use it!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif
JGWoods
May-03-2004, 6:22pm
Whatever you do, John, please don't give this idea to a banjo player!...
<shudder!>
He said "musicians", not "banjo players" ...duh
gw
WV Mike
May-03-2004, 7:02pm
Funny stuff..I can't seem to find the tab for We are the World.
What scares me about a MandoMass is it might fuel the environmentalists to push Earth-friendy mandos made out of recycled WalMart bags, plastic pop bottles and sawdust http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
By the way, our biggest non-vehicle traffic problem here in WV are ATVs and dirtbikes not bicycles. #We just finally passed a law to keep them off roads with a divided line and to make them wear helmets. #People drive them everywhere. #I saw a guy and a kid on one at the bank drive-thu last weekend. Jeezze..
Kirby161
May-03-2004, 8:05pm
in montana it gets a wee-bit too cold to wear birks. often too cold to play mando outside. But i suppose all 20 of us in my town could get together and clog up the downtown, um, lunchline.
There should be a mandolin day! lets declare one, asap (but make sure its not already taken, we dont want the fiddlers or the kazzoists or the tambourineists to get offended if we steal their day)
garyblanchard
May-04-2004, 5:32am
What scares me about a MandoMass is it might fuel the environmentalists to push Earth-friendy mandos made out of recycled WalMart bags, plastic pop bottles and sawdust http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Gee, that sounds like a mando I'd buy. Go well with my birks...
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif