"All we did was collect information that was already out there though."

"All we did," Spikey? ALL you did (yourself, Marina, and José Carlos), was and is a lot. You make it sound like it took you a half hour, when I know far better from being in this business, myself. Besides, you have to manage it, update it.....a zillion things.

Stand up—take a bow, all three of you! And please take the compliments that you all so deserve. Now you've given me more things to think about—as if my mind doesn't spin enough by itself!

Much love a perfect trio—
Catherine

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"If we don't change the direction we are headed,
we will end up where we are going."

—Chinese Proverb

Spikey,

let me remind you that "collecting information that's already out there" is what Google and Yahoo! do... and look at them!

Yuval =8-)

Amen, Catherine. It's a wonderful, kind work.

Ara

I thought so, too, Ara, they're just being humble—but it's a beautiful site, isn't it?

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"If we don't change the direction we are headed,
we will end up where we are going."

—Chinese Proverb

Oh, really, thank you for all this kindness. Really what I'm needing at 1:20 in the morning and being depressed. Cheers me up .

Spikes

Go to bed Spikey, do you know what ime is it over there? ;)

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http://www.vega.net
http://setlists.vega.net
http://rustedpipe.vega.net

It's now almost 3:00 AM. Don't worry. I'm good, and still insomniac.

Spikey

Cool discussion, everyone. First post here, so I'm probably way out of my depth . . .

I agree with Cat that the first thing that came to my mind when I focused on the lyrics was molestation, rather than pregnancy or AIDS.

The problem seems physical, since there's the reference to the doctor, and to the speaker's body containing certain "information." But it's effects are more than physical, since it imparts "wisdom," even if wisdom of the "bad" kind.

Whatever the problem is doesn't seem immediately obvious on the outside, like a pregnancy or a serious disease. The doctor seems to miss it because he doesn't ask the "right questions", whereas if the narrator were pregnant, he wouldn't really have to ask. And at the end of the song, the speaker says that there's no one to tell her "sad story" to, but again, if she were pregnant or had AIDS, the "story" would be obvious, indeed impossible to hide.

So while what happened to the narrator did leave some physical traces, the primary imprint seems to be emotional. The narrator feels separated from her friends and their childish games. She also feels separated from her mother, who looks at her coldly, perhaps after hearing what had happened.

I guess the narrator COULD be talking about pregnancy here, but the mother's reaction strikes me as somehow wrong for that (would a mothers' primary reaction to a daughter's pregnancy be coldness? Maybe . . .). Perhaps the narrator is dealing with a pregnancy that's already over, through an abortion or miscarriage?

I can't really make much sense of the reference to the "election." That's sort of an odd political grace note to bring in to the song, which is otherwise pretty intensely personal.

Overarching the whole song, whatever happened to the narrator, is the "wisdom" that event imparted. It's "bad" wisdom, wisdom the narrator almost wishes she didn't have, but can't get rid of. That sort of echoes the Adam/Eve story of self-knowledge as a bad thing that gets them kicked out of paradise. That kinda resonates for me. I recall how I felt when I knew that Santa Claus wasn't real -- almost as though the world was a little colder and less happy, and I envied my little sister, who still believed.

I would think that a sexual awakening, at least when it happens too early (while your friends are playing "childish games") might feel the same way. You're pushed into an adult world, with knowledge of your own body, the body of another, the fallability of adults, while all of your peers are still in another, more carefree place.

This post will be a little personal so feel free to skip it but today in the middle of all things I found myself singing "Bad Wisdom" in my mind and identified with the song more than ever.

2005 was a very difficult year for my family. First my father's heart condition, then the death of my grandfather and then the serious operation that my mother had in December.
2006 began very well with a lot of happiness but today my grandmother had a stroke. When she woke up this morning she was paralyzed while everything was normal a day before.
We instantly took her to the hospital but the doctors say everything is critical right now.
I was at the hospital today for 8 hours and every time I sat down the lyrics of "Bad Wisdom" filled my head.

What price to pay for Bad Wisdom?
Too young to know
Too much too soon
Bad Wisdom

In the emergency room next to the bed of my grandmother a boy at the age of 9 was sleeping. He was hit by a car.

Here's my bad wisdom:
Don't take anyone or anything for granted, love each other and enjoy every second you breathe, move your finger or even blink your eyes.

best;

Zeynep

Don't take anyone or anything for granted. Love each other and enjoy every second you breathe, move your finger or even blink your eyes.

Good advice, Zeynap.

Hoping that your grandmother's health improves, and that the rest of 2006 is better for you than 2005 was.

Chris

Best for you and yours, Zeynap.

Much love,
Ara
Blue Thing

zeynep,

hope your grandmother will be better quite soon!

best wishes, philipp

Thanks a lot for your good wishes guys. It means a lot to me.

Waiting is all me and my family can do right now. I hope the following days will bring good news.

much love;

Zeynep

Zeynep, I hope everything will turn for better for your grandmother, and she will recover!!!
also,wishing the best for all your family members!!
love,
Zoli

Zeynep,

Try to be as close as possible to your relatives, in this moment. They need your support and confort.
And I really hope things will get better soon.

Gianluca

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“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward