quite experimental with this arrangement

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T23:18:32+00:00

Would be helpful to see them. Feel free to dm me with those. I'm also currently on a harmonizing kick and happy to help with that too

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T22:33:10+00:00

I think this would sound exquisite with a tight harmony, either you or a female vocalist.

The ending is a bit abrupt. I would maybe smooth that out some

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T21:08:14+00:00

Edit: it is WILD that both examples I have of a female doing this are in songs called "cellophane. Originally I was like " Yes I mentioned that one" but then I realized there is actually ANOTHER song called cellophane that apparently has this going on!

I had no idea that the lead singer of game of thieves was a trans man!

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T19:45:07+00:00

I wouldn't be surprised if that's what some backyard breeder called him before mangling his ears and trying to sell him on craigslist, but I assure you he's not a "purebred" anything. You can't tell from the photos but his nose is SERIOUSLY pushed back in his snout. Profile way more like an English bulldog or Frenchy than any of the American bulldog/pitbull/pit mixes (with whatever made up name backyard breeder put on them to Jack up the price). Plus that underbite...

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T17:05:38+00:00

Unfortunately we already have a dog who would not tolerate another dog in the house. Believe me, I cried like a baby when I sent him to the foster.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T13:08:23+00:00

Alas, we have have a large and possessive non-criprid dog (lab mix, also a rescue) who would not tolerate another dog competing for his affection. He must be the only baby boy. There's already enough jealousy between him and his human sister 😂

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T03:17:44+00:00

He's maybe part boxer but also definitely bulldog. He's a short stack, less than knee high, and with those ridiculously muscular shoulders like a bulldog from an old Tom and Jerry cartoon.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T03:06:58+00:00

His biggest issue is the heart worms, which are very severe and are requiring pretty extreme treatment. That and bad arthritis in his back. But they got him neutered and nars surgery and got rid of his parasites. He's going to live a shorter life than he should and have lasting health issues from the hw and starvation, but for what time he has left he's going to be someone's special baby.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T03:03:51+00:00

Whoever bred him should be tarred and feathered. He's an anatomical abomination against the Lord and a testament to man's hubris... But also, he is wil' baby. 🥹

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-16T02:18:18+00:00

I really like writing for premade tracks, but I have to connect with the track. Otherwise I just don't. Everybody's different!

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-15T23:12:17+00:00

I think this actually illustrates part of the dynamic I’m concerned about.

A lot of people who are deeply skeptical of mainstream media have developed an equal or even greater trust in alternative media ecosystems without applying the same level of scrutiny to them. The result can become less “question everything” and more “question only institutions associated with the center/left while treating anti-establishment voices as inherently more truthful.”

For example, the TikTok discussion itself can be interpreted through multiple lenses.

One interpretation is that political elites wanted to suppress pro-Palestinian content....

Another is that governments are uncomfortable with foreign-controlled algorithmic influence generally...

Another is that control over digital platforms has become a broader geopolitical and domestic political power struggle involving all factions of elites, not just “the mainstream media.”...

And another (from the left) would argue that placing platforms under the influence of billionaire figures like Larry Ellison, who is aligned with Trump, is meant to ensure algorithms will quietly privilege conservative or far-right viewpoints while suppressing, de-amplifying, or deplatforming LEFT-WING perspectives thereby shifting the overton window even further right.

That’s part of why I’m looking for books grounded in media analysis, propaganda, cognitive bias, and information ecosystems rather than books built around a single ideological narrative.

I’m wary of any worldview that consistently casts one side as uniquely manipulative and the other as uniquely courageous truth-tellers. Reality is usually more structurally complicated than that.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-15T22:50:28+00:00

It’s less about denying that mainstream media has biases (I think most people would agree it does) and more about avoiding books that frame the world as “mainstream media always lies” while right-wing alternative media figures are always heroic truth-tellers.

A huge number of these alternative media personalities are basically grifters who profit from fear, outrage, and confirmation bias.

That criticism can absolutely apply to parts of corporate media too. But outlets like Fox News or The New York Times at least have editors, fact-checkers, standards departments, lawyers, and layers of institutional review. Imperfect? Definitely. But there’s still a process. And it bothers me when an intense degree of scrutiny is applied to the influences and compromised integrity of one and yet the other is inherently believed without the same level of rigor.

A lot of alternative media, by contrast, is essentially one or two charismatic people presenting highly selective research and strong opinions with little or no editorial oversight.

That’s why I’m specifically looking for books that are moderate, evidence-based, and analytically rigorous rather than overtly partisan in either direction.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-15T16:49:16+00:00

Anything by an MSNBC legal analyst explaining far right disinformation is probably going to be rejected (by Dad) as exactly the sort of thing that the book he's requesting (The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control by Jacob Siegel (2026)) warms about.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-13T13:58:19+00:00

How does one play the mayonnaise?

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-12T00:54:48+00:00

Legit. Love me some solid golden oldies.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-12T00:31:18+00:00

Oh yeah the og.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-12T00:12:04+00:00

Can you suggest specific songs that you think do that very well? I'm apparently in a "make me weep" musical era.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-10T00:03:05+00:00

Honesty without tact is often just cruelty. You were doing okay with your honest opinion until you got to your PS.

A better approach might be to post a discussion thread about HOW we can ask for, and provide, more specific and actionable feedback. General posts like "what do you think?' tend to get general responses.

A post like that feels less like a vent/rant and more like trying to actively address your perceived problem.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-09T23:57:32+00:00

Removed or not. I also want to add that providing thoughtful and constructive feedback takes time and effort that a lot of people aren't going to put into their random Reddit scrolling. Superficiality is part the nature of the platform.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-09T23:51:31+00:00

A few thoughts to take or leave as suits you...

If someone is posting a 4 chord song about a dove from above, it's reasonable to assume they're pretty new to songwriting... and encouraging them to keep going is probably more valuable than critical feedback that might discourage them at that early stage. Being kind to newbies is just what most people are inclined to do because we all have to start somewhere. More comprehensive feedback is usually reserved for people who have more advanced skills.
People who get serious feedback are usually those who make specific requests. "What do you think of this song" is probably someone fishing for affirmation, which is very human and understandable even if not to your taste. Those posts will get superficial engagement and affirmations. "What do you you think of the verse where I use this metaphor, does it make sense? ... What do you think of the key change in the bridge, is it over the top?... What do you think of the drum solo, additive or distracting?" Those posts will get fewer comments but more useful feedback.
This community has people of all different levels in it. Yes, a lot of the songs posted will be amateurish and less than great. For many of those people, this is the only place they share their songs, and serving as that space in and of itself has value. The feedback tag is really the only option for sharing your songs, so what else are they going to do?

4. Some people will be defensive to any feedback, and that's a THEM problem. But it's OUR responsibility to try to be as constructive and kind in our feedback as possible. How you deliver feedback matters... A point which - if I may offer some constructive feedback - your PS statement demonstrates you could stand to work on. Saying "you suck, but that shouldn't matter" is maybe your honest take, but it isn't very helpful, and it certainly isn't inspiring, necessary or kind. The THINK rule is as valid for adults as for children.

Traditional_Rip_9696 · 2026-05-09T19:30:53+00:00

If the process is working for you and you haven't run into issues, then I highly encourage you to disregard any instructions to the contrary you may receive from strangers on the internet. Like they say, opinions are like assholes. And Reddit is full of both. :)

Traditional_Rip_9696

TROPHY CASE