PEACHCAKE?!

Another ‘lil anecdote about something important…(to me, at least!)

Hello lovers and lovettes, I recently encountered a strange, perplexing situation with an employee at a local juice bar. She was very kind, and we had a rather engaging conversation, but it left me with a bleak and glum feeling, to say the least. Please read on of my encounter…as the tea is beginning to boil over!

The essence of my staying up late is exemplary of the characteristic of my need to think. Recently I met a young woman who seemed to be under the guise of the impression that the majority of the external problems happening in her universe pertained to encounters with those of Hispanic/Mexican decent. This really bummed me out. I tried reasoning with her, urging her to take the IAT test described by Malcolm Gladwell in the book Blink, which would hopefully uncover, and thus have her realize her unconscious bias and tendencies, and allow her to recognize the truth of her thoughts, and her true, earnest tensions of racial preference. I thought by doing this, she could then learn to resolve her qualms and issues through not the eyes of a judgmental approach, but rather the element of deference, respect, and understanding, by involving herself in the communities she seems to have a slight, unconscious grudge toward. She worked at a Smoothie/Juice shop. The smoothie she made was really good, minus the racism and the slight overtones of excess orange sorbet. As I departed fro the convocation of our discussion, I began to wonder of why we place greater emphasis on anything. I mean, aside from the obvious factors of culture, and customary experience/heritage/teaching/configuration, why would there be this inherent need to externalize blame or fear unto others because of our conscious or unconscious bias and attitude? My response to her mini-diatribe and argument was somewhat along the lines of the aforementioned; I told her that I find life to be much easier, and problems to be less consistent and frequent when I approach the world through non-judgmental eyes…this seemed (emphasis on seemed, on the topic of emphasis), to strike chord with her, but, I left in wonderment of how much. I often think of myself as an idealist, as do many who know me, and the long-standing issue found with myself has often been that I want what I say and do to make an impact…not in a righteous, self-serving manner, but in such a way that it brings light to a scenario, life, a situation…illuminating in such a manner that someone actually takes away a true lesson in earnest, and applies it to their life.

I walked away with smoothie in hand, wondering of the corporate monotony, and if maybe the boredom of it, was getting to her, and enabling her to just be on autopilot. Then I thought…well, she’ll turn it off when she’s ready, and hopefully ready won’t mean or be too late…

-Stefan 6/2/09

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our song contest now, on Myspace! Visit our CONTEST BLOG to enter your vote for which new song will be posted! :)

We all have stuff we want to say sometimes…

Here’s what I’ve got: 

I don’t like it when people use the term “gay,” under any derogatory pretense of description or as to insult someone or something. I find it to be ill conducive, rather offensive, and incredibly degrading when uttered outside of its direct necessity of use or for its true denotation. (Although I’m perturbed, I will be lenient and feature giving all of you reading this the benefit of the doubt in knowing that the original denotative meaning of the word is happiness, elation, brightness, exuberance, and goes along with describing a rather positive feeling and theme, ironically - for an even more accurate description, check out what Dictionary.com has to say about it). This goes to be said for whether used in nonchalant passing or a jocular fashion – it is still harmful and insulting and incredibly inconsiderate to reduce a lifestyle and way of living, of your own same kind and kindred down to fearful terminology brought on by antiquated associations that have somehow seeped into modern-day notions, and still find themselves thriving in misunderstanding.

 It bothers me that to this day, after all we have been through as one species, one world, one nation, one country, one county, one force of the same life inhabiting the same habitat and living very similarly in our pursuit to attain the glory of happiness (in whatever that may be for each individual quest or endeavor - and don’t even get me started on the arrogance of that), that there still is a civil rights and liberties issue plaguing us in the way we see, perceive, and thusly treat those of which are no different and less-deserving collectively, in any way. For this, we are the bearers of one nation under misunderstanding, one nation under confusion, one nation under an unjust huff, until we can look out in compassion and stop the comparative devaluation of all of those who are our sisters, our brothers, and tolerate with love.

I urge you to end your habitual inclinations or urges to use this word out of context or under false pretense, and replace it with something more positive and deferential, like, “cookies,” or “misunderstood,” “strange,” “confusing,” bizarre,” “odd,” “unusual,”
(because that’s what is really being said or spouted) or even something more non-sequitur like, “cupcakes/lollipops/sunshine/desirable/exciting/great/fathomable/wonderful/awesome,”

and if all else evades you and the confusion is waring thick, there’s always the all-encompassing, “whack.”

Cheers, and today is a fantastical day if you make it that way!

-Stefan 

Addendum: Summer Festival Fun!

Hi everyone, 

So, despite the ambiguity and vagueness, I come bearing news of excellence…

We will be heading out on a short summer tour stint through the Southwest/midwestern region on our way out to Cleveland, OH for this year’s Ingenuity Festival. 

But wait, there’s more!

After coming off very successful festival endeavors such as, Canadian Music Week, Bamboozle Left (Where Dinosaur managed the most arrogant vanity-shot fathomable - see above), & The McDowell Mountain Music Festival, We are gearing up for a summer full of festival fun. 

These are the Summer Festivals we will be partaking in: 

Ingenuity Festival - Cleveland, OH (July 10-12)

Slottsfjell Festival - Tonsberg, Norway (July 16-18) 

Warped Tour (Dates TBA)

And who knows what else!

Keep your thinkin’ caps on, as we’ll be announcing tour dates and possibly more festivals soon! 

Greatness Abound, 

-Stefan