THE MUSIC BLOGGING HIVE MIND
I am
I am
Add To My Trusted Moggers

I Don't Know About You .......

Posted over 2 years ago


I am in a black hole of creativity tonight. I have posts that I need to write, research and publish. But I don't see it happening. Not right now. When I first came to MOG, I saw it as an outlet for my thoughts and tastes in music. Eventually it grew into something more. Instead of launching into a long-winded story about something else entirely, I would like to ask these questions. Why do we MOG? Or more importantly, Why do we stay to MOG another day?I will go where you take me in comments.
0

Comments (46)

  1. darmuzz
    darmuzz says I can't walk into a physical room and make pronouncements about music and know that even one person will relate to what I'm saying. Mog is like having a music fanatic best friend who "gets" what I'm into. Will like what I like, or agree to disagree, or just add more arcane facts to my memory bank. It's kind of like that "a-ha" connection moment, spread out over a 24/7 community that's always accessible. There is always some touchpoint with other people, and music is the jumping off point.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  2. annieander
    annieander says Hummmm...good question...I came to mog, and started mogging, to learn more about music. Around my friends, I am seen as the one who knows all about music, but on mog, I am humbled. I know nothing about music, but I am learning. But why do I stay on mog...that is a bigger question. I don't feel like I have found my place within the mog family. There is Anna, the matriarch. Kevin, the fun older brother. Mike, the uncle that knows everybody and everything in town...just to name a few. Even people who have joined later then me seem to have found their mog "wings" faster than myself. That is why I wonder why I stay. But then you post your amendment stuff, and I am hooked. Or I read the discourse on "don't taze me bro":http://mog.com/dachmo/blog_post/114330 and I realize that there is something bigger out there then just music. I find that music brought me here, but it is passionate people that care enough to love something so strongly in their own way, that has made me stay. I will never be the most profound or prolific, but if I feel strongly about something, I will speak up. Now pass that bottle of Zin...I have work to do.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  3. Doomsayer2001
    Doomsayer2001 says I enjoy the musical posts. I also like throwing down the heavy and strange that people seem to shun often... and I do realize that there are reasons for that. Butt hay... Enjoyed the instrumental!
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  4. I am
    I am says Dar, I get that 3rd eyeball look too. Your right, we came for the music, but we stayed for the commradrie. Annie, give it time. I was posting about music and it's effect on my life almost exclusively before Sept 11th of this year. After that I felt as though I had more to say other than "my fave because" or "I used to listen to ___". I am not putting down those kinds of posts... not at all (I will make these kind of posts now and in the future). Its just that MOG is such a great place to float ideas, rage in debate, and to commiserate. One other reason I stay is because I have made some very real friends.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  5. I am
    I am says Doom, heavy and strange indeed man. You got that in spades:>) How them boys doing?
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  6. Groon
    Groon says I think darmuzz kind of summed up my thoughts. I love getting on MOG and connecting with people who love music as much as I do. I sometimes feel like the odd one out even in MOG, since my tastes tend to the older music and I'm not as into what's current, but even so, just the fact that there are people who share my love of music so much is enough to come back. I've learned much in my 9 months on MOG, been introduced to a lot of great musicians, and even though I'm not always the most prolific poster I also enjoy the feeling I get when a post I make connects with someone else. And, also, there's the fact that many of the MOGgers we meet begin to go beyond just music (I'm thinking of discussions about politics, books, and regional geography here). In a nutshell . . . this is where I like to hang out.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  7. I am
    I am says Groon, your taste in music matters and it doesn't matter. You know what I mean? MOG is a great equalizer in the fact we can appreciate and tolerate differing view points. I like to think it's a grand buffet. Take as much or as little of what you want.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  8. Doomsayer2001
    Doomsayer2001 says They are their usual terrorizers! :D
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  9. Groon
    Groon says I do know what you mean! doom--I have to admit I feel a little shame in the fact that after all this time I didn't know you had kids! (I'm assuming that's what the "boys" refers to)
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  10. Doomsayer2001
    Doomsayer2001 says Yeah. Three is the magic number and two step daughters.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  11. I am
    I am says So Groon, you mind share your "real" name with us? Doom, my 3 are safely tucked away for the night. Now I get to terrorize you.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  12. Groon
    Groon says Wow! So you got 5 running around over there? That's crazier than my life!!
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  13. Doomsayer2001
    Doomsayer2001 says Terrorize away! And I only have four with me, my oldest lives with her dad and step mom.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  14. Marigold
    Marigold says "I get that 3rd eyeball look too. Your right, we came for the music, but we stayed for the commradrie." Ditto. That really sums up how I got here and why I stay. I have some friends that are into music and we share some common interests but they still really do not like all the stuff I like. Here at MOG I have found people that enjoy some of my more obscure tastes and it has been some great interaction. However, now I am totally addicted to all of you great people with different views and interests and passions. I love this awesome community that is MOG. You all are some great people that are just a stich to hang out with in cyberland. I don't plan on going anywhere and look forward to my first MOG meet up session. The only sucky MOG thing, is I wish I had more time to interact with everyone here. But I do need to maintain some balance with my personal life and I am sure everyone understands. So until further notice. I will just go with the MOG flow and see where it leads me. So far, so good. I am sure there are no hard feelings and people understand I cant respond and listen and comment and and and and and and and....you know what I am talking about.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  15. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says I'll read everyone's comments tomorrow - but I can say one thing is for sure... When I was really feeling the stress of my Da's operation - the MOG community showered good thoughts, vibes, love, wishes & prayers & I felt it as did my family... if that's not a reason to be a part of this community - don't know what is... OH - and the sharing of this music obsession - like that too :)
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  16. I am
    I am says Anything for a friend, babe. Of course you know that already. Lizz brings up a good point. In a way we are are already kind of tied to one another.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  17. Groon
    Groon says I just wish some of you lived closer . . . unless that sounds like a stalker thing to say. I know some of you in the bigger cities have been able to meet up, but I'm so rone-ry down here!
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  18. Dale
    Dale says OK, Groon freaked me out for a sec ... just kidding! When I first got here, I had no real expectations, I just figured I'd poke around and grow bored with it after a while, like I did with MySpace. After a while, though, I went from reading the posts to actually _connecting_ with people that had the same passion for music I did, that wouldn't think me nuts for using the words Joy and Division next to each other. Truth be told, once that happened, it became less about the music (although I still get lots of that as well) and more about the people. So, essentially what Darla and Annie said.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  19. fistula spume
    fistula spume says DISCLAIMER: These are the ramblings of a madman in the throes of pink eye. I hear you I am. Sometimes I have to wonder does anybody give two shits about the artists that I'm writing about or the albums I'm reviewing. But you know someone will. I used to have thoughts about why people didn't like something. I used to assume that everyone knew what I was talking about. Why wouldn't they? What creds do I have? On another level I have always learned about something from someone else in regards to music (among other things). That person wasn't there when the album was made, they didn't know, and they learned about it from someone else. I have to feel that even if some people are all "ho hum", that somehow someone is making a connection in the same way that maybe I made a connection from someone else. Confusing I know. Like you could post a Ween song and have some sort of authority to think that everyone knows who that is, but it happens every once in a while that someone doesn't know who that is and you actually made a meaningful connection even though you're working under that guise that everyone gets it. It happens. People miss artists all the time. We all go in different directions and even though your tired and feel that everyone knows this band someone might actually not know. I was going to write a post about this and I wrote some notes last Friday. I think it was because of my "What is Music?" post. How did you find music? Was it because your parents or friends told you about it? You had to have heard something and liked it, but even with all of your kid knowledge you wouldn't have known who it was unless someone told you. We still work on that only it's more complex now. There are several bands everyday on Mog that I have no knowledge of that some people know about, that I wouldn't have known about, unless someone posted about it. Sometimes people don't know what they like unless there are conditions that are met for them to accept it. You could have a friend that would tell you to like something (or parent/relative) but you might not like it until someone gives it to you under a different set of circumstances that you find acceptable. It's happened to me several times. I would have to say with my wife it would be 10,000 Maniacs (among many). There are others with other people but I hope you get my drift. Sometimes you have to have something presented to you within a certain context to like it. It might be because someone wrote it on Mog, how they wrote it on Mog, or who they are on Mog that you chose to like something. All of these scenarios can seem petty or shallow but I find it's how people operate when it comes to music. To wind down (lie) the worlds longest comment I have to say a bit about the vessel itself. Mog thrives on us contributing all of the content to fill up all of the holes so that itself creates something whole. Maybe eventually the social scene will dictate in some amorphous way how people listen and understand music. I think maybe that might be one goal for the beast but I don't think it will work that way. Mostly because unstable concepts like opinion or taste are always in flux. On the other side of the coin it seems to me that we're here to interact and talk about music. It's difficult though, because sometimes we think that it's hard to post because we assume that everyone knows what we're talking about (this could be my demon). I doubt it though. It could be that there is a certain level of connection that we constantly get on our posts (albeit randomly) that makes us feel like we have something (nothing) to say. I remember when lemontwist was high on the hog and feeling frustrated because people wouldn't comment when she wrote about the albums she liked, but would comment when she had posted social commentary. With the social posts it's easier for people to relate because there is something that is more commonly identifiable that people can relate with. When someone posts a 1932 New Guinean tribal album you get less comments and likes but you either get someone who already knows wtf you're talking about or you get a convert and maybe a trusted (friend). Even still... not everyone knows how to relate with what you post. It's such an emotionless and arbitrary way that we are trying to convince someone to like something. If you give enough details someone might like what you posted but it's no guaranty. I get touched when I realize that I've connected with someone and maybe even convinced them to check an artist out. That rarely happens in reality. It happens all the time here. I like to know that I'm not alone and that's part of the reason I'm on Mog. The other reason is to bring those who don't know along for the ride. To summarize... people keep posting music I don't know about and I love getting schooled. It's how I found out about different music in the first place.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  20. I am
    I am says Sam, I gotta print out a hard copy to digest. But if you allow me a sec..... *I remember when lemontwist was high on the hog and feeling frustrated because people wouldn’t comment when she wrote about the albums she liked, but would comment when she had posted social commentary. With the social posts it’s easier for people to relate because there is something that is more commonly identifiable that people can relate with.* This is the tack, I was making for. I found this to be true 100%. "What Is Music?" Great title, lousy forum. I personally would be afraid to comment on that one. Sam, I mean no disrespect here only respect, you must feel like a voice in the dark some times. Great track BTW. Smooth like top of a Guinness pint.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  21. dachmo
    dachmo says **I am** I love it, you're like the Oprah of the MOG world, a MOGerator if you will. I MOG because it's a place I felt at home at the moment I stepped in. If Mog was a bar it would be the best bar in the world. It's social, it's fun, it removes me from the bullshit of the day. I get to talk to some great people & hear some great music. If I had the money I'd open a bar with a small stage in the back and web cams all around, I would strike a deal with David H. to let the bar be a physical entity of the website. The music would be a playlist provided by other MOGgers, we could book bands and provide live coverage via the MOG site and podcasts. We could choose a mogger to act as dj for an hour or two once a week. MOG could totally be an interactive presence at the bar. It would also be the best meeting point for all moggers, they would make it a point to stop by the MOG bar at some point. We could even feature on site interviews with them as they came through, it would be a feature you could access at the website... I freakin' love this idea... The only question is where whould it be? Mr. Hyman, how deep are your pockets?
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  22. fistula spume
    fistula spume says Well the medium was the message for the "What is Music?" post. Titles can be misleading and oft times what they are supposed to be. Whether or not blandly. No disrespect taken. You just gave me an epiphany and I had to get it out before the weight of my thoughts crushed my brain. I think about this stuff all the time. I do feel like I'm in the dark mostly but a little bit more light peers through every day.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  23. I am
    I am says Dave, it would have to NYC of course. Sorry Philly. Oprah? More like a Mike Douglas maybe:>) You have a good idea there. I used to game on Kingdom of Loathing. Quite a bit really. The community there was great until a tipping point swung round and we started to get "better than you"''s. Anyway, KoL has a volunteer radio station tied to the game itself. I wish we could find server space to boadcast like they do. They have their dj's all across the nation. That would be MOG radio for real. Sam and I had this discuss a while back. Sam, All I can say is, Solid. Maybe you should change your name to "I am too".
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  24. dachmo
    dachmo says That's it, I want to run this bar. Maybe more like a Tom Snyder (Mke Douglas is funny though) Mike makes my day!
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  25. dachmo
    dachmo says I didn't realize how awesome the video clip of Tom Waits and MD was, love the guy!
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  26. I am
    I am says Awesome clip yo! Too effin cool.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  27. I am
    I am says Dave you gotta write in. You may be a child of Tom Waits. That is a killer document. I have just seen a side of Tom I had never seen before. And I call myself a fan. MOG magic at work. Case closed, we can all go home now. Being an accidental discovery makes it all the better. Mike Douglas, definitely.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  28. dachmo
    dachmo says Lights out.
    Permalink posted 10/09/2007
  29. soulrocket
    soulrocket says i came to mog to teach you your own oldies. im in a holy mission.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  30. ivylander
    ivylander says I would submit to everyone that this thread offers the perfect illustration of why we MOG. You are a fine man, Chris.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  31. Anna
    Anna says I MOG 'cause my therapy sessions don't seem to work anymore. OK, I really MOG 'cause I love music, people, knowledge, humour and mental high. It's all here and of the highest quality. More than I could ever hope for. Simple as that. MOG group hug! dachmo, I'm requesting a teleport pad. Annie, haha I hope I'm a really young one at least ;)
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  32. dachmo
    dachmo says Anna if your talking about teleporting to the bar, you'd have to because I already picture you being the cool bartender.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  33. Anna
    Anna says I have to work?! Figures! No fair! ;P
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  34. dondeluxe
    dondeluxe says I mog to find out about artist that I had forgotten, overlooked, or never heard before. Also to expose some folks to some of the shit I dig. I've always appreciated people who turn me on and I like to turn them on as well. later, don
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  35. dachmo
    dachmo says Daytime bartender/ assistant manager/ alcohol buyer/ head bartender. Monday to Friday 10am -6pm bar doors don't open til 1pm you'd have to move to New York though! it would be a sweet job, if only it really existed.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  36. The Serenity Vortex
    The Serenity Vortex says MOG is turning out to be essential to keeping my finger on the musical pulse of the world. Sounds like a cheesy catch line and maybe it is, but it is still true! It's also an essential place for me to air and try out new music I have written. MOG is where I will be pre-releasing my new stuff to see how it goes down before the official release. But what makes MOG really special is the people. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the MOG community is the friendliest bunch I have found in any area of the net. I'm bloody glad it's a music site. Perfect :)
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  37. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says *annie:* that's it in a nutshell. I was almost overwhelmed when I first came to MOG - My first trip round these parts & I thought...I am a NOVICE, but I am HOME - these people get IT - they get why MUSIC IS LIFE for me & I can't be in a moment without music being there - if not physically - certainly in thought. But I get here & EVERYONE knows so much more than I ever thought imaginable - I love every type of music, so I can relate to my friends outside the MOGOSPHERE on the levels of the music they love - but not on every level..._(I even have friends who may not belong - but meander through the posts & comment back to me)_ I've found so many more levels of music from being here in MOGLAND. So that certainly was the frist draw for me. Tons more music than I knew what to do with & great thoughts shared by my brothers & sisters in musical obsession :) Then as I got more involved, these obsessed MOG oddballs just as obsessed as me - the _ODDEST_ball of all, became my friends, wise elder sisters, sweet younger sisters, protective older brothers, the younger brothers you give a noogie to & then hug, adult supervisors that I respect & *ALL OF THEM I ADMIRE & ...* h1. LOVE :) That's right - I said it - you all mean the world to me - I'd be there in a heartbeat if any of you needed me & KNOW from personal experience you'd do the same for me - if that's not love... I hear you both *Chris & Sam* & I can see where there can be a sense of frustration when you feel the community doesn't get your posts... but one of the things I love most bout the both of you *+IS+* that obscurity. Sure, _I am_ (heh) not always going to get/dig the tuneage - happens to all of us - but you two MUST keep it up - how else am I going to be reminded of Pizzicato 5 (think of how sad you would be Sam if you didn't have Tay Zonday's Chocolate Rain on your rain post); or get the cells in my brain all fired up & using all cylinders to discuss thoughts on the ammendments or Sept 11 & war & politics & LIFE. Chris - you've given me more strength to discuss the "taboo" issues - TRUST ME WHEN I SAY - there is no way I would be talking bout any of those issues had it not been for you/MOG/these posts where everyone hopefully feels as comfortable as I do to speak my thoughts without thinking I will be shunned. I've heard that countless times, from countless MOGGERS, *"even if someone doesn't like what I'm playing/doesn't agree with my views, I know I am safe playing/saying anything & confident I can put down my guard & those who dislike/dissagree, if they say anything - will do so in a way that doesn't shun or hurt. It's an open forum here & everyone should feel free to be."* Our own little Eutopia ;) *ALL THAT SAID.....* In my 32 years of existence, I've had two friends & one Mum who +*even remotely*+ get why music is *+my blood & breath & the connective tissue+* that comprise such a grand part of who _I am_ (heh). I don't think there is a single person here at MOG that doesn't get me in that respect - sure our tastes differ, our thoughts won't always mesh - but the tie that binds the strongest for any junkie is a shared drug - for us the drug of choice is music. & music is such a grand jumping off point for other topics, both in and out of the artistic world. I love that aspect too - I never know what kind of post _I am_ (heh) going to find when I open Chris's or Sam's posts... but I know that _I am_ going to learn something & that is so grand. & I hope that when they come over to my side of the posting world they will get a laugh or two... h1. WARNING - Hallmark (C) card moment ahead ;) Still, grandest thing bout all this here MOGITATIONS would be the friendships I've been gifted - the people who were meant to touch my life. That's why I stay & that's why I get calls from MOGGERS after midnight to talk about some posts & the crazy things we've seen/heard. That's why I make *_MIX TAPES_* for friends or folks in need & treasure the ones I receive, that's why I know when I am feeling weak & scared, I can turn to all you kiddies & come away faster than a speeding bullet & way more powerful than a locomotive ;) That's why I help plan MOGgetogethers & look forward to the coming ones... because of the people who inhabit MOG - because of you !!!
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  38. meko
    meko says I been listining to tom four years, Tells it like it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  39. Shud33
    Shud33 says Well..well..another good topic. I stumbled upon MOG, and it actually even took me awhile to actually understand it. But when I figured it out, I couldn't get enough. It was hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that there are people out there that love music as much as me. This is where I go when I want to be introduced to new music or when I want to dicuss it without having anyone look at me crazy ..my other friends just don't understand.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  40. cpetersonart3
    cpetersonart3 says I've been seeing, listening and buying music now for 40+ years and in that time I never met anyone who was into music as I was until MOG. I have enjoyed this site since I first logged on, and in November it will be a full year. I love the fact that you can be as involved as much as you want to be and do how as much as you feel like and never feel slighted. I try to read the posts every day and usually start with the no comments ones first. I really think this one of a kind site and hope it doesn't change. It reminds me of the FM radio in the early 70's where all your friends listened to the same station and disc jockeys played what they liked and not some programmed list.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  41. Rawkkiddoh
    Rawkkiddoh says not sure why I mog, but I know reading what others have written is why I come back. Its an escape, and a way to find out about music that otherwise I would have never heard of
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  42. meko
    meko says Same here RAWKKIDDO, and lovin every BIT.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  43. fistula spume
    fistula spume says I Mog. Therefore I am!
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  44. I am
    I am says That's it Sam, I am going to have to slap you with a copyright infringement suit. I can't have every John, Dirk and Hiram using the phrase "I am" out or for that matter in context.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2007
  45. Cody B
    Cody B says I am here to represent the old school, for one. To practice writing for 2. And to groove on the vibe people throw off when they talk about what moves them. In some ways the advent of the MP3 is cool, but I really like the words people use to describe the undescribable; the power of music.
    Permalink posted 10/16/2007
  46. deg5000
    deg5000 says

    aw good topic. 

    Like everyone already said, I came for the music, but I stayed for the people.  You guys are great. And yea, I've sometimes been disappointed by the (lack of) reaction to my posts, but overall I've always felt welcome here.

    Sometimes I worry that I won't last here, now that I'm busy with real life for the first time since joining MOG.  And right now I am considering joining the Peace Corps when I graduate which probably means leaving MOG completely for 2 years.  I can't help but think that even if I came back after 2 years, it just wouldn't be the same. 

    damn, now I'm sad.

    Permalink posted 09/18/2008

Comment on this Post

Login using email and password below.

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account?
Join MOG. It's Free!

Top Artists

Our Daily Picks

RSS

Top Artists From A to Z

© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved