From: ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman)
Subject: Re: Top 40 CCM albums of 1992
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 19:02:52 GMT

In article <C0Hv0I.EG5@cs.mcgill.ca> snowdog@cs.mcgill.ca (Rodney CHANG) writes:
>In article <1993Jan6.171338.874@uoft02.utoledo.edu> jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu (jason 'Think!' steiner) writes:
>>ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman) writes:
>>> Rush fans tend to be computer scientists.  
>>
>>dunno, but i think that's a slam to my profession...
>
>I think it's a compliment.  Thank you very much.

You're welcome.  And Jason's welcome too.  Everybody's welcome.  

Actually, it's just an observation.  I know a lot of Bell Labs type folks
who like Rush.  I wouldn't make too much of that, though.  The same 
people form Teams To Define The Process That Will Be Used To Plan The
Process Definition Of A Quality Process and take metrics on how
often people smile or say "Thank You" in the workplace so that we 
can improve the Corporate Morale.  Maybe listening to songs with titles 
like "By-Tor and the Snowdog" has something to do with it; I don't know.

For some reason, Rush seems to attract a particularly virulent and 
aggressive sort of fandom.  I think the band is okay.  I've heard 
most of their music, and it's usually well-played and the lyrics
are more thoughtful than the usual fodder.  But the band seems to
be followed by a fairly vocal contingent that believes that Neil
Peart is the world's best drummer and the reigning Philosopher King
and Poet, and that Geddy Lee is the world's best bass player, and
that Alex Lifeson is the world's most innovative guitarist and
that his Amps go up to 11.  Actually, I find Rushfans to be a lot
more fun than Rush.  Any number of statements will set them off -
"Geddy should stop inhaling helium," for instance, or "Ayn Rand
doesn't deserve to be called a philosopher," or "How does it 
feel to be one of 20,000 Individualists packed into a hockey arena?"
Then the lower lips start to tremble, the fire emerges in the 
sincere eyes, and the Rushfans will set you straight with 
devasting repartee like, "You're an *hole."  Then they go home 
and work on their Pascal homework.

Not everyone who likes Rush is a Rushfan, of course.  Some of the
owners of "2112" and "Hemispheres" have actually managed to live
fairly normal, productive lives and have written some pretty good
C++ programs.  But others have been caught in the downward spiral
and have ended up watching "Star Trek:  The Next Generation" and 
reading "Byte" and playing with their calculators for hours on
end.  I'm not saying that people shouldn't listen to Rush. 
That's between the indivual(ist), God, and Ayn Rand.  But I'm
saying watch out.  Be careful.  If you're writing poetry about 
robots and space battles you're probably already too far gone.
Healing *can* occur.  But it takes much prayer, fasting, and 
exposure to The Ramones.

>>jason (most definitely -not- a Rush fan) steiner
>>
>>--
>>`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`
>>`,`   "Renaissance Now! Think Universally, Act Selfishly" - Tim Starr   `,`
>>`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,` jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu ,`,`,`
>
>Rodney (most definitely the ultimate Rush fan) Chang
>
>Rodney Chang	      | "Dohhh!!" - Homer Simpson, Springfield Nuclear Sup.
>snowdog@cs.mcgill.ca  | "Dohhh??" - Richard Holden, a nobody.
>b7jd@musicb.mcgill.ca | ** Les Expos & Nordiques in '93, '94, '95, '96  ... ***

Andy Whitman (most definitely a Rushfan fan)
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
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