Comments on: The Joshua Bell busking, or, pearls before bureaucrats http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/ Protect yourself from government gaffes, bureaucratic blunders and incumbent incompetence Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andrew http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14922 Andrew Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:33:36 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14922 The good people of Washington were hell bent on getting to work that morning. They were also displaying their musical taste! Of course they would have heard the music as they walked by, but having heard the music they walked by. There are many students here in London who busk Bach in the same strident slightly rushed harsh tomes of Bell, here. One thinks that, yes, they are good and they will make a living out of it, but it just doesn't float my boat. I mean, am I being the little boy looking at the emperor here? Joshua Bell sounds harsh and rushed and like hundreds of other students who have not a thought that the violin has a heart and should be played with warmth. Itzak Perman would be a hit, I am sure with his warm tone and wonderful expressive face. The problem with the involvement of Bell in this experiment is that he just isn't sublime enough.Yes he plays the notes and maybe he does get to Carnegie Hall as well, but the result of the experiment that is missed is that without the billing and venue, he just doesn't hack it. The good people of Washington were hell bent on getting to work that morning. They were also displaying their musical taste! Of course they would have heard the music as they walked by, but having heard the music they walked by. There are many students here in London who busk Bach in the same strident slightly rushed harsh tomes of Bell, here. One thinks that, yes, they are good and they will make a living out of it, but it just doesn’t float my boat. I mean, am I being the little boy looking at the emperor here? Joshua Bell sounds harsh and rushed and like hundreds of other students who have not a thought that the violin has a heart and should be played with warmth. Itzak Perman would be a hit, I am sure with his warm tone and wonderful expressive face. The problem with the involvement of Bell in this experiment is that he just isn’t sublime enough.Yes he plays the notes and maybe he does get to Carnegie Hall as well, but the result of the experiment that is missed is that without the billing and venue, he just doesn’t hack it.

]]> By: geri http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14921 geri Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:38:05 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14921 A sad but true point, Ray. I do know this also. And, with the fact that...at least here in NC...so many 'government funded' psych hospitals are going under and turning people out onto the streets daily it's not going to get better. There are those that want help. There are those who expect help and there are those who don't know how to get help. There are also those that are mentally incapable of doing anything but moving through their days one day at a time trying to survive. I work in the field now as an administrative assistant and it's hard to see people who simply won't help themselves or who don't feel that they are worth helping anymore. Or don't believe it CAN get any better. Society has a big part in that as well in the way of working wages, etc. I also see that there are many that embrace the help and go on to better lives. Even for a few, society should lift their heads out of the sand and at least try. There may not be a thousand thank yous in this job but the one you do get is worth all the time and effort you put into it. A sad but true point, Ray. I do know this also. And, with the fact that…at least here in NC…so many ‘government funded’ psych hospitals are going under and turning people out onto the streets daily it’s not going to get better.

There are those that want help. There are those who expect help and there are those who don’t know how to get help. There are also those that are mentally incapable of doing anything but moving through their days one day at a time trying to survive.

I work in the field now as an administrative assistant and it’s hard to see people who simply won’t help themselves or who don’t feel that they are worth helping anymore. Or don’t believe it CAN get any better. Society has a big part in that as well in the way of working wages, etc.

I also see that there are many that embrace the help and go on to better lives. Even for a few, society should lift their heads out of the sand and at least try. There may not be a thousand thank yous in this job but the one you do get is worth all the time and effort you put into it.

]]> By: Ray http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14920 Ray Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:07:35 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14920 Sorry to hear about your life Geri. I am glad to hear things are better. But from having worked for several organizations which work with the homeless, I am say that most of tghe homeless don't really want help. All they want is a hand out, and pretty much demand it, and demand that this be without strings like trying to get your life going again. People like you who actually want to do the things that get them off the street are a very small minority. Most organizations dedicated to helping the homeless are organized around this reality. Organizations which try and help mostly try to keep the homeless alive until this very few show themselves and then to acutally provide real help to these. Sorry to hear about your life Geri. I am glad to hear things are better. But from having worked for several organizations which work with the homeless, I am say that most of tghe homeless don’t really want help. All they want is a hand out, and pretty much demand it, and demand that this be without strings like trying to get your life going again. People like you who actually want to do the things that get them off the street are a very small minority. Most organizations dedicated to helping the homeless are organized around this reality.

Organizations which try and help mostly try to keep the homeless alive until this very few show themselves and then to acutally provide real help to these.

]]> By: Jeff Hoyt http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14919 Jeff Hoyt Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:22:10 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14919 Good point, geri, and well spoken. Good point, geri, and well spoken.

]]> By: geri http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14918 geri Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:34:23 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14918 There is another side to this as well. Most people assume that those standing on street corners or even in places like the Metro and expecting money are...well, bums...homeless and looking for a handout. No matter how sweetly they play the music. It's a natural inclinition and the most obvious response is to block them out and pretend they aren't there because it would be horrible to admit that, one day, you could be there too. How do I know? Because I've been there. Yup, done the homeless thing...with kids in tow...and it is dehumanizing and not many places take the time to welcome you into humanity once you've fallen that far. Thank goodness I found a place that did and that gave me some training so that I could get a good job and get on my feet again. They helped the whole person, not just the one that needed shelter and food like most shelters do. It's sad that we try to ignore realities like that...but we do and, let me tell you, it doesn't make them better. There is another side to this as well. Most people assume that those standing on street corners or even in places like the Metro and expecting money are…well, bums…homeless and looking for a handout. No matter how sweetly they play the music.

It’s a natural inclinition and the most obvious response is to block them out and pretend they aren’t there because it would be horrible to admit that, one day, you could be there too.

How do I know? Because I’ve been there. Yup, done the homeless thing…with kids in tow…and it is dehumanizing and not many places take the time to welcome you into humanity once you’ve fallen that far.

Thank goodness I found a place that did and that gave me some training so that I could get a good job and get on my feet again. They helped the whole person, not just the one that needed shelter and food like most shelters do.

It’s sad that we try to ignore realities like that…but we do and, let me tell you, it doesn’t make them better.

]]> By: Ray http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14916 Ray Sat, 14 Apr 2007 13:58:44 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14916 Then again we seem to have an example of 7 people who are dumb enough to actually like classical music an 27 who recognize someone who needs help to actually learn what real music is ;-) and we have 1,070 people who are smart enough to keep walking until some real music shows up. Then again we seem to have an example of 7 people who are dumb enough to actually like classical music an 27 who recognize someone who needs help to actually learn what real music is ;-)

and we have 1,070 people who are smart enough to keep walking until some real music shows up.

]]> By: Michelle http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14915 Michelle Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:10:49 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14915 There is a great response to the Joshua Bell article by a NYC subway musician in her <a href="http://www.subwaymusicblog.com/" rel="nofollow">blog</a>. She interprets the situation differently from the Washington Post reporters... I thought you might find it interesting. There is a great response to the Joshua Bell article by a NYC subway musician in her blog.
She interprets the situation differently from the Washington Post reporters… I thought you might find it interesting.

]]> By: James O'Donnell http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14914 James O'Donnell Fri, 13 Apr 2007 19:46:19 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14914 Great piece Mike, and yet another ringing endorsement for the DC and northern Virginia area, which is conformist, vanilla, boring, non-creative, and marches in step and en masse to all things government. The only thing that surprises me is some badged, maniacal government employee didn't call in the great musician as some sort of terrorist threat to conformity and civil order. Whilst DC police would have ignored it due to malaise, I'm sure the Feds would have swooped in backed up by volunteer police officers from Fairfax and Loudon counties, as they have little to do, little mental ability, and lots of time and money. Great piece Mike, and yet another ringing endorsement for the DC and northern Virginia area, which is conformist, vanilla, boring, non-creative, and marches in step and en masse to all things government. The only thing that surprises me is some badged, maniacal government employee didn’t call in the great musician as some sort of terrorist threat to conformity and civil order. Whilst DC police would have ignored it due to malaise, I’m sure the Feds would have swooped in backed up by volunteer police officers from Fairfax and Loudon counties, as they have little to do, little mental ability, and lots of time and money.

]]> By: Jeff Hoyt http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14913 Jeff Hoyt Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:03:54 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/04/13/the-joshua-bell-busking-or-pearls-before-bureaucrats/#comment-14913 The best piece yet, Michael. Outstanding! The best piece yet, Michael. Outstanding!

]]>