I was interviewed by Liana Voia yesterday

Your interview was one of many that I have seen over the years where enthusiasm for the theremin far surpassed any knowledge of the subject or skill on the instrument.

I don't really understand why it is people make videos of themselves either talking about, or playing, the theremin when they are unable to do either, and then proudly post them to YouTube right next to videos of Bob Moog, and Clara Rockmore! I do understand why kids do it - they just want to validate themselves, have fun, and collect "friends". That's O.K., and it's "age appropriate" but presumably intelligent adults are another kettle o' fish.

Videos are sometimes accompanied by explanations in the information box like, "I know this video is really bad LOL and I haven't been playing the theremin for very long so please be kind when you listen to this. Also I don't have a very good camera, so the sound is really bad. Oh yeah...sorry about the accompaniment. Anyway, please ENJOY and feel free to comment."

If someone has no idea how bad he or she is, then a really stinko theremin video with an invitation to enjoy it is understandable (and there are hundreds of them) but when the person KNOWS the video is bad, and actually says so, what on earth motivates them to post it? 

Sorry "thereminfan9", these remarks are not really about you. They are about a phenomenon I have observed for years that has never ceased to mystify me.

Kris [Kringle]

P.S. You've still got Pamelia's name wrong. It's Kurstin (not "Kursten").

Oh wow, I guess I've really embarrassed myself horribly and for the whole world to see. It was an interview I clearly shouldn't have done and so all I can do now is apologize for it. Hindsight being 20 20

There's nothing I can say to justify it and since I didn't post it I can't remove it but I have removed the link

It won't happen again

Oh hell - there are worse things in life thereminfan ! ;-)

Mr Kringle is IMO one of the greatest theremin players ever, and passionately critical.. Yeah, ok - I chose not to comment on your submission, following the "if you cant say anything nice.." philosophy - If you had done the video yourself, and posted it yourself, well - perhaps real "shame" would be more justified (IMO, shame is never justified - your "choice" to do this was not a "choice" at all - it was predetermined and you did it - thats all.. But this is a philosophical discussion I wont get into now ;-) - But you were caught unprepared, and did what you did.

Forget it! ;-)

Fred.

ps .. "it wont happen again" is tempting fate IMO, and also possibly self-limiting.. You may one day be "good enough" to do a better performance, but hold yourself back because of this expierience.. Or you may not be "good enough" but think you are, it which case "it" could happen again..

Relax, do it or dont do it - it aint going to make any difference !

Fred: "Relax, do it or don't do it - it aint going to make any difference !"

Fred, I have always suspected you are a true advaitist!

"Slay or do not slay. It is of no consequence. By me they are already slain." The BHAGAVAD GITA

This line was spoken to Prince Arjuna on the field of battle when he was having second thoughts about killing his relatives in a rather nasty civil war. The person who said them was his charioteer who turns out to be none other than Lord Krishna himself (aka God). 

.............thereminfan9 has exchanged the hoodie for a banana.

"Fred, I have always suspected you are a true advaitist!" - Coldpork

;-) LOL .. Ere we go again .. but you know what ? well - I really never liked the film "the matrix" - thought the underlying idea of an android / computer super-race keeping humans alive in a delusional state so as to harvest their thermal energy - well - ;-)

But there was a moment when one thing from the film just struck me - this looking for anomolies - changes in the matrix.. Right now the words I am typing on the screen are strange - bits of letters are showing up bold - but everyting else looks normal.. Perhaps I should be on my gaurd!

Peter, I really dont know what I am, or even if I am - A bit of a song just popped into my head right now after my last "I am".. Dont know where its from (will look it up) can hear the tune but unusually only a few of the words - "I am lost and I cant even say why, leaving me lonely still.."

Wherever its from, thats probably the best description of what I am right now, Advaitist or not.

Fred. 

".............thereminfan9 has exchanged the hoodie for a banana."

Well at least they have their peels on! ;-)

What I liked about THE MATRIX was the deeply Buddhist/Hindu concept that the world, as we see it and understand it, is an illusion and that we are all "asleep". 

Watch out for words and letters that pop off the computer screen as you type (presumably forming parts of a message which may be interpreted as coming from anything from angels and demons to government officials). These are early signs of paranoid schizophrenia. 

"Watch out for words and letters that pop off the computer screen as you type (presumably forming parts of a message which may be interpreted as coming from anything from angels and demons to government officials). These are early signs of paranoid schizophrenia." - Coalport

Fortunately, they are also early signs of a problem with ones display card or monitor .. In this case, not too serious - the VGA plug was not fully inserted!

"the deeply Buddhist/Hindu concept that the world, as we see it and understand it, is an illusion and that we are all "asleep". "

Yeah, this is true - and for a lot of people watching this film caused a paradigm shift.. I know a few whose life was changed by watching this movie.. But not "constructively". Realising the possibility that the world, as we see it and understand it, is [to some extent at least] an illusion requires (IMO) careful evaluation of the implications.. Alas, most people arent able / willing to do this, and use the "illusion" notion to concoct other illusions - and (as one lad I knew) become paranoid and delusional, and live in fear of stepping on the cracks on a pavement..

Fred.

If someone interviewed me, I wouldn't even know exactly what to expect. so I assume that the "unknown" questions can be a bit terrifying and make you hesitant in how to answer them... (I don't think I have to worry about being interviewed about the theremin anyway haha).

Fred: Alas, most people arent able / willing to..... use the "illusion" notion to concoct other illusions ....

The notion that the universe, as we perceive it, is as illusory as a dream is not supposed to inspire one to create more illusions - dreams within dreams. It's supposed to make you want to wake up! 

(At least it is according to Hindu/Buddhist teachings as well as those of a variety of other heathen doctrines.)

"The notion that the universe, as we perceive it, is as illusory as a dream is not supposed to inspire one to create more illusions - dreams within dreams. It's supposed to make you want to wake up!" - Coalport

As much as I agree about anything, I agree with the above! - Perhaps my words were ambiguous this may make them clearer..

"Alas, most people arent able / willing to do this, and [they] use the "illusion" notion to concoct other illusions"

But the above also introduces another question (which is probably a meaningless question in as much as its all hypothetical eye-wash anyway) - If we are in an illusion / delusion, and if, in this illusion we create other illusions (we do!) .. How many layers of illusion are we allready at? How detatched have we become from our "source" or "the one" ? ..

Also, if we ever were "illusion free", why did we then choose to create illusions and enter into them? What were we trying to get away from? [I say this because this seems to be the primary motivation for creating fantasy or entering willingly into delusions]  And should we really be trying to "get back" or "wake up" ? ;-)

All really good questions to ponder if you have loads of time, and no good books, puzzles to solve, or musical instruments to play! .. But can these questions actually lead you anywhere ? I think they can lead you to realising that you have no basis for belief in anything, that you have no basis for pride or arrogance, or self-esteem - no "rights" to anything, no justification for passing any judgement on others or yourself.. which, taken to its logical conclusion, causes one to cease to be an "I am"... Or at least exposes the fact that "I am" is, and always was, an illusion.

Fred.