Where have all the Cowboys gone?

Don’t let the topic confuse you with an earlier posting of mine where I likened South Africa to the Wild West. In that post I suggested that Wild West law and order would be the solution to south Africa’s crime problems.

Where have all the Cowboys gone refers to a call out to the pioneers of an industry. Usually when an industry evolves to the extent that it is neigh unrecognisable then the call for the Cowboys goes out.

One such industry that is in dire need for its Cowboys is the music industry. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some banging tunes out there, but if we look to the state of some of the genres now and where they came from, the industry is somewhat unrecognisable.

One such genre is Rap. Yank comedian Chris Rock argues that in the past you could defend Rap music on an intellectual level, and he has a point. The “John Wayne” of Rap must have been Tupac Shakur. If you look at his song changes, he actually addresses issues of relevance.

“Cops give a damn about a Negro? Pull the trigger, kill the Nigger his a hero!”

I mean there is so much that one can read into that. Now if we take Ludacris’ song move bitch, how can you possibly defend that on an intellectual level?

“Move bitch get out the way, get out the way bitch get out the way!”



The next genre is Rock music. WTF is going on here?

Before Rock music meant something, it moved people, from time to time it was a social commentary to relevant political events. America was pissed of that they were going to fight the Vietcong, Bruce Springsteen wrote and sang: Born in the USA, Iran when completely psycho and tried to ban all rock music, The Clash wrote and recorded: Rock the Kasbah.

I mean once again you can defend all of this on an intellectual level.

I was listening to Bob Seger’s: Hollywood Nights the other day and was really and truly moved by song. A friend that works with me sent me a modern rock song and it made me want to slit my wrists then sends me this song. I mean, why are these people so angry? Music is supposed to be relaxing and about escape.



And then there is Hip Hop and R&B. Seems like the older American population really have a problem with this genre. I suppose its because it because they were around when the genre was pioneered in the 70’s. Anyway, Steve Harvey says that he cant understand why every group cant be like the temptations, with the temptations there was five singers and one microphone, and their whole performance was centered around that one mic. Now every damn singer on the stage has a mic.

My biggest problem about R&B is the material that they choose to sing about. I grew up in the tine of Boyz II Men, who had a hit single with End of the Road and Ill make love to you. Both beautiful songs that took you on a musical journey. Nowdays, all the bastards can sing about is hoes and cheese, and it aint the stuff rats eat.

Fortunately the genre looks like it is going back to its roots, and its thanks to da sistas that are carrying the torch.

The only music genre that had survived, because Reggae is also in a shambles at the moment, is country. But I suppose that can be put down to nobody making a world wide country hit anymore.

Ah man and the Cowboys are still alive and kicking here. Willie Nelson looks like a piece of shit that has been left out in the sun to long but he still makes music.

Without a doubt. Best Country singer of all time: Kenny Rogers.

Not only did he make a hit with: “The Gambler” but he also created that masterpiece “Islands in the Stream”

Me and my girlfriend were looking for “Our Song” as most couples do, and I suggested Islands because it is a great song that is very relevant to our relationship. She was very happy to accept it and proclaimed that it was her mom and dads song as well. Now I’m sorry, if you can make a song that means so much to two generations, you are the man.

Dont rock the boat, its a long swim to shore

There are many things in the world that are unexplained. Like why is there no cure for the common cold, why the tides are governed by lunar forces and not earths rotational axis, or why Michael Jackson ever turned white where he would have made a killing if he stayed black.

But when one looks at the situation objectively, one can see that no matter how much we bitch and moan about the situation nothing will change. So then why rock the boat, it’s a long swim to the shore.

Just as there are things that are explainable and things that are unexplainable, there are some things you can accept and there things you just cant accept, these concepts work hand in hand.

I got onto this bandwagon after going to church on Sunday where the 10 am mass was empty at 9:55, but then full to the brim by 10 am. Granted mass starts at 10 am and the people have to only be in by 10 am. But getting 800 people into a church in five minutes can be a bit of a mission particularly when you have every second Leb swearing each other.

For many years it has been asked but why don’t they come earlier if they know mass starts at a certain time, simple, because some Lebs are thick, that’s explainable. It is also explainable why they are think if you consider that Lebanese children are still being taken out of school in Standard Six.

Now that to me is unexplainable. How do you, as a parent validate taking your child out of school at the age of 14? And many people will ask: but does this practice still happen? Yes it does. I know of at least two families who took their children out of school at 14 years old. These children just become a burden to society and use their street smarts to fall with their ass in the butter and marry a rich husband, because this practice is very prevalent with woman, based purely on their looks. Surely this is unacceptable.

American comic Chris Rock explores the topic of unacceptability from a very American point of view, but it is very relevant and has international ramifications. He asked how the US government can find Saddam Hussain hiding in an underground bunker in the middle of the Iraqi desert, but they cant find Tupac Shakur’s killer, especially since Shakur was shot in Las Vegas, on The Strip, in front of Circus Circus Casino. And its so true if you think of it.

And this is only one of the unexplainabllities of America. The other one was the race to the moon.

At the end of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US and the Soviets were embroiled in a race against time to see who could get to the moon first. When a top American major was taken to task over this his response was: ”F the Russians, we are doing this because we can.”

F the Russians, we are doing this because we can WOW. If that is not an unacceptable excuse then I don’t know what is.

Unacceptability is not limited to the US. If fact, South Africa doesn’t do badly in the unacceptability department either.

We go into the world that is South African politics where it is really a ‘pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey’ situation to see who becomes the Minster of a department.

And it all started with Ngconde ‘who ate all the pies’ Balfour. Who, in Thabo Mbeki’s first term as president, was the Minister of Sport and Recreation, and then Minister of Correctional Services in Mbeki’s second term.

I mean WTF? Where is the link there? Is this not unacceptable.

Now we have a new pres. Pres JZ. BAYEDE NKOSI! Sorry, I got a bit carried away there. Anyway, we all know that JZ and unacceptability go together like coffee and sugar. So there is no surprise that last years Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe is now the new Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.

What is probably the most unacceptable thing in the world is how the hottest woman in the world end up with the biggest pricks alive. Guaranteed that if you have a woman, with curves and bumps in the right places with a sharp mind and a great personality, she’s dating a doos! Fortunately I have broken that cycle. I love you my angel.