<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title><![CDATA[Comments for entry "That Genius Feeling" at Dilbert.com Blog]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/156]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Regular thoughts and updates from Dilbert.com]]></description>
<language><![CDATA[en-us]]></language>
<generator><![CDATA[VPI.Net MyBlogAbout]]></generator>
<managingEditor><![CDATA[]]></managingEditor>
<webMaster><![CDATA[]]></webMaster>
<ttl><![CDATA[5]]></ttl>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from TheNeverMind]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/37565]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13333634 (since I don't trust them to keep it around forever, the headline was &quot;Kanye West apologizes for Swift outburst at VMAs&quot;).  IMHO, he's pretty much blown it as a &quot;person&quot; (if not that then &quot;In a standard all-capital letters message, West said...&quot;).  His only hope now of being recognized as a musical genius will be some 100 years in the future - ya never know :-).]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonPMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/37565]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Rochey93]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/37558]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[kanye is not so popular at the moment though!]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonPMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/37558]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from TheNeverMind]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/25069]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Bummer... I brushed Kanye off as just something that floated to the top of the hippity-hoppity pond (actually, I was thinking of a different body of water) of popularity... but it appears that, even without the test of time, I might have been wrong.  The folks over at South Park have decided that Kanye was worthy of a good ripping.  Whatever we may think of his music (or even if it's remembered), this guy is now a classic.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/25069]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from jwk4946]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/16140]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[http://gawker.com/5109627/kanye-west-disastrously-sings-without-digital-enhancement
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[SunPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/16140]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from jwk4946]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/16126]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Scott - you're not the first comedian to say Kanye is a genius - but the first with a straight face. That's a straight face right?]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[SunAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/16126]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Rand]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/15699]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Hey Scott,

When you first posted this entry, I thought &quot;I like Kanye, but I haven't heard this song. I'll have to give it a try.&quot; Then, I gave the song a listen (and the benefit of the doubt) and ultimately decided that you were just taking us all for a ride.

Nevertheless, here I am a month later, discovering a different song by Kanye, and I can't help but think all of the same things about that song that you first mentioned about this one. Everything I didn't see in &quot;Love Lockdown&quot; I see in &quot;Flashing Lights&quot;: the words themselves, their flow, their meaning - you name it. It all screams &quot;Genius!&quot;

Give it a look and a listen: http://www.mtvmusic.com/west_kanye/videos/209370/flashing_lights.jhtml

And while we're on the subject of posts embarrassingly old to be commenting on, I should point out to you an ad by Samsung in this week's Economist. It advertises tongue-in-cheek a product &quot;available in the near future&quot; - a product that looks exactly like the PDA-with-a-readable-pull-out-flex-screen that you described and drew for us several months back. Maybe someone over at Samsung R&amp;D is among the faithful?

All the best.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/15699]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from efchen]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/15120]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[What I find really irritating about the song is the random clapping in the chorus. What's that about??]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[SatPMPSTE_Rndnd]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/15120]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from starsturncold]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14749]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Catchy tune from Kanye alright but if you're looking for real genius then point your thing in this direction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4h7mo2RRCo
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[SunPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14749]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from thatnerd]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14626]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I assigned personality to numbers when I was in grade school.


1 is male, simple, stands straight.  Not very subtle, and easily manipulated.

2 is female, curvy in a sophisticated way, and very cooperative.  She can be added or multiplied with ease; dividing is a little trickier, as she doesn't like to be pulling large number families apart.  

3 is young (a child), and misbehaves a lot.  She's kind of a jerk.  She makes fun of you for being stupid when you try to involve her in any math, but especially multiplication.  When you learn her tricks, she's easier to manipulate.

4 is male, in his '20's, friendly and cooperative.  

5 is of male, of ambiguous gender role, but he quite cooperative at both multiplying and dividing, because of his special relationship with 10 and 2 (10 basically has the same personality as 1).

6 is female, and a mother (doesn't she look pregnant?).  As a matter of fact, she's 3's mother.  She's helpful in her way, and tries to make it easier to deal with 3.

7 is male, and VERY uncooperative.  I think he's like a spy: hard to figure out, hard to manipulate, and of uncertain loyalties.

8 is female, hot, and hard to handle.  She doesn't see the need to cooperate because she's so good looking.  I like her a lot, but wish sometimes she were a little easier to deal with.

9 is male, always staring at you with that big eye of his.  He's very intimidating, but his poor social skills are because he's misunderstood, rather than evil (as he first seems to be).  After you get to know him, he's a rewarding friend.  

0 is, even in my head, just a place holder.

I went into physics, by the way....
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[FriAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14626]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from vishalrix]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14592]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[@Bolt

The reason I couldn't hear the song was cause I was at office and didn't want my colleagues to get jiggy, you know .... 

For a complete understanding of the point Scott was making I should have listened to the son but I wasn't off the mark by a huge extent. He uses the word genius for words only. &quot;But the words: genius&quot;. 

Anyway after commenting I got to read Chenlambec's comment and then Icediadem's after which I am convinced as much as I can be ( I am never 100% convinced) that this is an example of dance monkey dance. 

Thanks, Chenlambec and Icediadem. 

]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14592]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from dk123]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14589]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[wow there is a lot of hatred towards kanye west in these comments. For the record Scott I do like this song and although I don't know if I see the genius in the lyrics, I appreciate what you see in it.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14589]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Bolt]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14516]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[@vishalrix:
First thing you need to do, before telling someone they are wrong, is to follow the steps that they followed to come to that conclusion. You just looked at the lyrics, when Scott clearly asked you to listen to the music first, then read the lyrics. Unless you have done that, you have no right to tell him he is wrong.

Keeping that in mind, I did follow those steps, and I really do not see the &quot;genius&quot; in this song or its creator. The beat had no feeling to it, the lyrics were repetitive, and the voice was mostly monotone. Unless the genius wanted to hypnotize his listeners, this is far from what you are saying it is.

However, Genius is defined differently for different people. Maybe he is a genius to you, but not to me.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14516]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from rd]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14444]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[i bet you missed me :)
me too, but i read the blog from time to time, just dropped reading comments and comment
i wonder where's patti, d. mented, the crazy grandma her handle i forgot and many other guys
but i'm glad that mokkery and jakesdad are still around
congratulations with your voice recovery!]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[WedAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14444]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from vishalrix]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14429]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[This song is a terrible example of &quot;genius&quot;.

I have only read the lyrics and find them so simplistic that there is nothing worth commenting; except this is the best example of manufactured lyrics. If i were to be mean and disgruntled I'd say this is Obamatime and time for you to discover the inner brother, right :) ha ha 

I guess you want to discover some new genius before others do. So I won't mention Eminem, Chuck Berry, &quot;Where have all the cowboys gone&quot;, but do check out lyrics of song &quot;All I want is you&quot; By Barry Louis Polisar ( featured in &quot;Juno&quot;). Link -&gt;  http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/juno/alliwantisyou.htm     



]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TuePMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14429]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from cartmancakes]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14425]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[When I was a child, I use to &quot;smell&quot; colors.  I still remember what they smelled like to this day, but I don't smell them anymore, and I still don't know what those smells were.  I also see days and weeks and months and years  and decades, etc... in a strange flow.  I've tried to describe it, but I can't.  I'm a bit obsessed with time, actually.  I'm always comparing hours and minutes and seconds to other things in life, and using that as a springboard to adjust how my mind views the passage of time.  It can make a long time go by so quickly.  

Some people would call that genius, some would call that freak.  I'll let you choose...  :)]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TuePMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14425]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from wyrdup]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14364]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Scott.

You wondered how physical sensation is intricately interwoven with our intellectual experience: please allow me to open the flood-gate for a minute.  

I had been neglecting your blog for the past few weeks, and I need to elucidate how alarmed I was when I happened to choose this moment to catch up.  Moments ago, I closed the last chapter of a book about learning methods of the F. M. Alexander Technique -- &quot;Body Learning&quot; by Michael J. Gelb.  

I am a musician, studying for my Masters in percussion....I've been playing piano since I was five years old, so naturally, music is one of the most deeply-ingrained activities through which I approach the world.  I can't think of very many things (besides walking, reading, and peeing) that have been with me longer than that.  I'll tie that in in a moment.

(Let me interject that I have also begun taking private lessons in the Alexander technique, as well as a class at my school....this has been a buildup of thought that didn't just originate from a single book.)

Alexander Technique, briefly, focuses on how we use ourselves, and how our whole body carries the negative neurological imprint of habits we have developed over time and misuse.  This ranges from things as simple as standing up from a chair to performing a concerto in front of a thousand people.  There are a few great books on the subject, and many incredible teachers -- the important thing to note is that this practice has been increasingly supported by experts in science, philosophy, medicine, neurology and education for more than half a century: it's not some crazy mystic fad.  

F.M. Alexander was an actor who found that his ability to perform was affected by habits that had been ingrained into him by subtle misuse of his body -- he would lose his voice when he performed, and through persistent observation of himself in a mirror, he discovered that it had to do with the unconscious physical preparation that the act of speaking triggered in him.  Ultimately, through years of work, he discovered that carrying out activities effortlessly requires a release of unnecessary tension in the neck, allowing the head to float freely and the spine to decompress and lengthen.  To understand that fully, you might have to take a few lessons -- I definitely had to...it's difficult to describe.  

The point of this is that his principle can be applied to the very act of thinking -- to the very approach to everything we do.  Since I began studying it, I have applied it to the physical act of playing my instruments, dealing with a bad breakup and subsequently trying to approach girls at bars, as well as writing, speaking, standing, juggling, and teaching class.  In the book I mentioned above, Gelb has a couple of chapters about how he applied it to running, swimming, juggling, teaching, public speaking, and becoming a black belt in aikido.  It's simple, but often incredibly difficult to put into practice.  We get in our own way most of the time, whenever we do anything, and most of the time we have no idea that it is happening and we attribute it to some god-given lack of talent.  When we stop (&quot;inhibit&quot;) our programmed reactions to things that occur, and give ourselves a moment to consciously choose to perform our activities from this state of poise, balance and relaxation, we can achieve true spontaneity and a deep awareness of what we are ACTUALLY doing.  

I applied it to sight-reading music, something that I've been TERRIBLE at, and something that I haven't been able to correct despite 15 years of studying music.  Now, when I don't get in my own way (this being the operative criterion), I have found that I can sight-read music previously far too complicated to even attempt, and I can do it without making 'mistakes'.  I simply thought I was bad at it -- but when I stopped focusing on the end result and relaxed enough to begin to understand the PROCESS of doing it, I actually frightened myself with how quickly it came to me.  How?  When I read new music, I focus on the effortless feeling of standing upright with a lengthened spine, a floating head, and feeling no unnecessary tension in any of my body.  Then my mind can't be startled by the act of plowing through something unfamiliar, and my fingers, sticks or mallets.  When I improvise from this same space, the music is sublime -- a few weeks ago, in our improvisation seminar, I was part of an ensemble that made such beautiful music that the rest of the class was crying when we were done (in the good way).  

This takes a lot of work with an Alexander teacher, and a lot of focus and self-observation.....and I'm trying to summarize months of understanding in a single run-on blog comment, so forgive me if this is all a little obtuse.

Also, I don't claim to be a teacher -- I'm merely trying to describe the kinaesthetic sensation that I am now beginning to attach to what I thought was previously unattainable.

I'm not claiming to be a genius -- I am merely trying to say that I believe you hit the nail dead-on, perhaps without even realizing it:  I think that genius itself is merely a feeling....perhaps even a kinaesthetic one!  And it is something that any of us can achieve.  

That feeling of genius is the feeling of performing something effortlessly, without the sensation of &quot;trying&quot;, and without the learned psycho-physical compression of our bodies and minds that more often than not stifles our results.  The woman you spoke of simply lacks the unconscious tension in her mind that most of us carry when we are dealing with words -- in fact, it is so effortless to her that she is connected with them on a deeper emotional level than many of us are (habitually) capable of imagining.  I know artists of all kinds that speak or hint of similar sensations.  Just read Cummings, or any of the Romantic poets.

I apologize for the long post....but your post intrigued me to the point where I felt like I would be remiss if I didn't organize my thoughts and try to share them somehow....thank you!]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14364]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from DiscomBob]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14342]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Looking through the comments, no one seems to associate this with your song project from a while back. Perhaps the genius you're referring to is the somewhat random nature of the lyrics that communicate a feeling without actually saying anything? I didn't look at the video (not a good idea at work) but heard the song and read the lyrics and, while interesting, not going on my playlist.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14342]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from BenisinHR]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14341]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Your comic today (Nov 10th) tickled my funny bone more than usual.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14341]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Nydhogg]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14340]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Dear Scott,

Are you insane?

Thanks,

Rocky, who considered a longer response but decided this was &quot;genius&quot;.

]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14340]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from WATYF]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14339]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
I'm not disagreeing just to disagree... I'm disagreeing because the song is crap.  :oP

As a musician, songwriter, and recording engineer, I can tell you that &quot;genius&quot; is the most inappropriate word I could possibly think of to describe this song. First, the mix sucks... the nauseating over-use of Autotune (that thing that makes his voice sound all warbly) is the musical equivalent of a knock-knock joke... sure... it can be entertaining in very small doses once in a long while, but after 30 seconds or so, it's just annoying. Second, the musical composition was lacking anything unique or inspiring. I just found myself wanting to turn it off as soon as possible. And finally, the lyrics were juvenile and repetitive. There wasn't a single line in there that I found to be &quot;creative&quot;. Just the same old crap.

For the record, I don't say this because I hate &quot;rap&quot; or &quot;r&amp;b&quot;. I have recorded songs for rap and R&amp;B artists before and found plenty of music that I could appreciate (even if that isn't really &quot;my&quot; genre).

And as for the &quot;songwriting&quot; credit... chances are, he probably just wrote most (meaning at least half) or the lyrics. The rest (meaning, the entire beat, backing tracks, and melody) could have been written by a producer. That doesn't mean I'm assuming it was. Considering how lame the melody is on this one, I doubt that a producer worth his salt came up with it.

WATYF]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/14339]]></guid>
</item>
<pubDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rstst]]></pubDate>
<lastBuildDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rstst]]></lastBuildDate></channel></rss>
