Home Music Photos Movies Ask RayAsk Ray You can e-mail your questions to Ray at raymondstolp@raymondstolp.com 74. Ray, would you ever travel to a small town in southern Indiana for a 3 day music fest? Linton, the town of which I have been born and raised will have its 4th annual LINTON MUSIC FEST Sept 2009. I have recently discovered your music and find it like no other and truly fantastic! Would you ever consider coming to my town to perform? Just curious and truthfully, hoping you might say YES!! Very truly yours, Erika Sullivan, Indiana, United States I'm glad you discovered my music and honored that it prompted this invitation, Erika! I'm going to be playing live in 2009 to support my upcoming album Exit Inferno, so if the wonderful people of Linton are willing to take the risk of having a bunch of crazy Dutch motherfuckers over to their lovely town, and the festival is willing to pay enough for us to cover travel expenses and stuff - then we're cooking with gas! Have you got a place to sleep for me? 73. Another quick question. When is the world ending now that the Big Bang experiment has started? Red Grave, Verona, Italy The Big Bang experiment can create tiny black holes, but their lifespan will be very short, so the notion that one of them could expand in a couple of years to suck in our planet, is sci-fi jive. The only thing that's going to suck in the earth and vaporize it, is the sun when it grows into a red giant cremating all earthly life in a few billion years. Also, although the Big Bang experiment may shed some light on the evolution of the universe, it won't make us fathom the crown jewel of that evolution, the human brain. It has been calculated that the amount of mental states a human can be in, is much bigger than the amount of elemental particles in the universe. In other words, what happens in our brain is the most complicated process that exists in the universe. You can prove from logic that a system can't understand a system that's just as complicated as itself. Therefore it's impossible for the human brain to understand itself. To do that, you would need to have a super-brain looking at a more simple brain, which can't be done because all of our brains are pretty much the same. So no matter how much we figure out about the universe, in the end we've got to face that, as Cicero put it, 'The spirit itself does not know what the spirit is.' 72. Dear Ray, I'm quite the worst guitar player of the continent, but it ain't a true problem for me (I listen to worse stuff on the radio). I just wanted to ask you this: My instrument is a DeArmond M75T and all I wish is a Fender amplifier. I know you are quite experienced with Fender equipment, so I would like to ask you which model you suggest... with a budget of about 500 US dollars (obviously I'd buy it on the web)! I suppose you already know my musical tastes. Thanks again for your help! Red Grave, Verona, Italy Hey man, the gear is just part of the equation when it comes to how you ultimately sound. For instance, compare the footage of me playing a Gibson Les Paul through a Fender Twin Reverb at the Paradiso in '97, to your memory of how Vincent Gallo sounded using the same set-up at the same venue eight years later; even though the lo-fi recording alters the sound, and memory is fallible, it's still clear that despite the use of the same tools, our sounds are different because we're different. A musician's physical and mental being leaves such an imprint on the sound, that even a gearhead like John Frusciante once told me that it therefore ultimately doesn't really matter what guitar (or amp) you use. However, some gear does fit some personal voices better. But the last thing I want to be is some sort of authority on that (or any) subject, as believing in authority figures is stifling for personal growth. Just because I'm a somewhat experienced musician doesn't mean I have more insight than you do into what gear fits your personal voice best. Lots of gearheads have tried to get me hooked on their favored amps that had no mojo to me whatsoever, and I always end up going back to using my favorite '54 Fender Champ amp. If you happen to like things to sound filthy and broken like I do, it might be worth it to try out the current Fender Champion 600, which is well within your price range. 71. Have you in your life ever done something of which you always said that you would never do it? And did you feel guilty or relieved afterwards? Anne Brown, Hoofddorp, Netherlands Yeah, I spit someone in the face once, which is something I thought I'd never do. I definitely felt relieved afterwards. I guess I'm a nice guy until you try to fuck with me. 70. Okay, Mr. Egomaniac: Is there an underlying theme interwoven in all of your music? What sorts of experiences do you think of when you write your lyrics? Curiously yours, Grisel, Tampa, Florida, United States of America Egomaniac, who, me? I'm innocent... I know that I'm groovy but to demonstrate how humble I am, I burst out laughing at the notion of how pretentious it would be to discuss 'my work' here in any other way than with a big fat wink. Anyway, I sort of pick my theme per album: generally speaking, Simulacra was about love, Fatal Finality was about death, and Into The Heart Of Conflict was about conflict, surprisingly. For the new album Exit Inferno I started writing the songs without any preconceived notion of having them ultimately fit into a prevalent theme that would tie the whole thing together; ironically it's turned out to be my most thematically homogeneous album yet. It's about betrayal. When I write my lyrics, I tend to think of my relationships with people who are or have been in my immediate circle, in situations that provoke a strong emotional response from me. To be any more specific would be detrimental to the room my songs give to dream up your own meaning to them. I'm not sure if there's a main theme underlying all my music, it's more like I'm using various themes to express myself without wanting to change anything or anyone or impose my ideas onto others. My only message is for you to find your own way. There you go, if there's any underlying theme interwoven in all of my music, it's probably that. 69. If you thought you only had a few weeks to live and a couple thousand dollars to do something with, what would you do? xoxo, Gaia, United States Minor Outlying Islands I'd continue living exactly the way I'm living my life right now. See, this question sort of suggests I'm putting off doing certain things I want to do in my life, and that such a scenario would make me get to the point and do them. But I always have it in the back of my mind that it could all be over in a second. And I don't believe that when I die, some immaterial residue of me goes on a hunt for a new body or retirement in heaven. I believe that when you're dead, you're gone and smelly. So instead of wasting my precious time on negative bullshit, I rather surround myself with positive energy and things and people that make me feel good about my life and myself. So in my last few weeks I'd be having a good time with my compadres, spending the dough on another Gibson Les Paul, and if I had some change left I'd go buy an ice cream. And anyone who's got a problem with that can kiss my ass. 68. Is Arlo single? Dajana Barbarousis' cat Purple, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Oh yeah, my cat Arlo is single and I'm sure he'd be very romantically interested in such a special cat as yourself, Purple. When he's not slipping into strangers' cars, jumping out the windows of neighbors' bedrooms, or eating unattended croissants, I'm sure we can find a hole in the little rascal's schedule to go on a date with you. Meanwhile I shall tend to your owner, of course. 67. Should I stop stealing sunglasses? Dajana Barbarousis' cat Purple, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Nah, you can steal my shades any day, love. 66. If you were American (and thank God you aren't and too bad you're not lucky enough to be one of us), which of these hookers would you vote for: Obama or McCain? I'm sure I know the answer but since you're such a horny hooker, you might just go with McCain since his VP choice, Sarah Palin, is such a hot piece of ass. Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Let me preface this answer by saying there are things I'm not knowledgeable about - who would've thought? - with politics being one of 'em. I can usually see the merits of both the Republican and Democrat viewpoint, and wonder why there can't be a context-based politics, where you pick the viewpoint that offers the best solution to a particular problem without having to stay loyal to one ideological team. I guess when you're stuck in a set of absolutes, you don't have much tolerance for anything that doesn't fit into them. I think to be a good president, you'd have to be a bit of a bitch. That's why I thought Hillary Clinton would've been good for the job. I'm not sure if Obama has enough balls to be a bitch when it comes down to it. You know me well, you little fucker, I'm indeed very impressed with Sarah Palin. I'd vote for McCain, hell, I'd even play at his inauguration party, if that would mean I could share some chips and dips with Sarah Palin backstage. Man, all this talk about politics has gotten me in the mood for sex. 65. Hello, I am a young American girl, so I don't know anything about you or your level of celebrity in the Netherlands, so forgive me for that. But during some googling, I came across the article you wrote about Buffalo '66. It is a very insightful and intelligent article, it is also very clearly written and well organized. You articulated perfectly a lot of what is so magical, unique, and brilliant about that film, and that it exists on multiple levels, something which I think most people don't pick up on in VG's work. Are you a big fan of Vincent Gallo? I think he is wonderful. Victoria Ortiz, United States August 21th, 2005, Amsterdam, Holland. Vincent Gallo is in the middle of playing a legendary show to a sold-out crowd at the Paradiso, when between songs, he all of a sudden calls out my name... 'Raymond, Ray, did you make it? Good!' It's funny how worlds can merge sometimes. Seven years before that I first saw Buffalo '66. To this day, I've rarely encountered a movie that so totally overlaps with my idea of what is beautiful. It's unfortunate that a lot of Vincent's work goes over the heads of a lot of people, which says more about the lack of humor, intelligence and love in today's society, than it says about the quality of the work of this visionary multi-talent. But long after all the hate-filled nonsense blogs about him have gone away, Vincent's work will have proven to absolutely stand the test of time. Thank you for the kind words about my article Spanning Time And Taking Responsibility In The Simulacrum Of Buffalo '66, it's one of two articles I wrote (the other one being Camus On A Motorcycle At The Border-Line Of The Ocean) that everybody can read exclusively on Mickey Rourke's official web site uniquelyrourke. 64. You were seen at the hospital, you were walking with difficulty. What's going on? Louise, Castricum, Netherlands My ankles started swelling like Popeye's forearms during my evening dinner about a week ago, so I had to be rushed to the hospital. The rest of my body had swelling and redness too, but it had been like that for two weeks (I thought it would all go away by itself, because some parts were getting better, and I thought it was from the sitting in the sun for too long). At the hospital, I warned the female doctor I wasn't wearing any underwear when I pulled down my pants. She had not ever seen a case like me before, and got in another female doctor to have a second opinion. She had never seen anything like it either. They tested if I was in a state of shock, and found my relaxed attitude hilarious. I was cracking jokes the whole time. Because I was walking around shirtless like Iggy Pop, one of the women asked if I didn't have a shirt somewhere. I pointed at it and said, 'What did ya think, that I like to walk around nude outside with all this skin hanging off my body to be all flamboyant?' One of the docs could barely talk and was fluttering with her eyes the whole time - I think she must've fallen in love with me. Or at least fancied me. Or maybe had a fetish for never-before-seen skin spectacles. She said I made her feel like she was in some movie and admitted she almost wanted to photograph me for educational purposes - 'You may snap some nude pics of me if you want,' I offered. For the first time in their careers, the chick docs had to call in a skin specialist away from his evening dinner for an emergency. To the specialist I said, 'Well, at least you got your money's worth for coming all the way down here, if I had had just one tiny red spot, you'd feel cheated.' It was the first time in his career he'd seen such a severe case too. I told them they made me feel really special. I'm on heavy drugs and doing better now, it's good shit that has me in high spirits. But walking is still difficult, I move very slow but the upside is that women let me lean on them everywhere. When I walk I leave a trail of skin like some magic snowman, so I'm easily found, just follow the path. Especially my ankles and feet look really big. Hope to be more normal-looking next week! My face and penis remain unaffected by the whole thing, luckily. It was a reaction to some virus I got somewhere that they can no longer identify because it's already left my body. 63. Ray, how do you mend a shattered heart? Angelica Quintana, Los Angeles, United States Stay away from the person who broke it; to cure the addiction you've got to stop feeding it. If the heartbeaker was emotionally or physically abusive during the relationship - no, you can't 'still be friends', a real friend respects you enough to not hurt you. Put the spotlight on yourself again in the show of your life. Find someone Dutch, blonde, and adorable, to help lick your wounds. 62. Why are you so fucking amazing? Devon Wilson's Mini Me, New York, United States This question has prompted me to make immediate arrangements for our wedding. 61. Are you circumcised or not? Heather Leather, United States I'm not circumcised, so I have a bit of extra flesh for you to work that freaky tongue on. 60. If not, how many times a day do you have to wash your willy so you don't get from-unda-cheese? Heather Leather, United States Babe, the whole circumcision-for-cleanliness thing is a myth, any pecker will collect dirt there if not cleaned regularly. I sport a fresh pecker because I usually take a shower every day and soap it in pure coconut oil! 59. How long is your schlong flaccid and how long is it erect? Heather Leather, United States Flaccid, it's 3,5 inches and right now, erect it's 7,3 inches. 58. Is your ass crack hairy? If so do you suffer from dingle berries? Heather Leather, United States These phenomena don't take place on my perfect butt. 57. Decribe your testicles while you look in the mirror. Heather Leather, United States At the risk of sounding too poetic, it looks like two balls hanging next to my cock. One ball to each side. Obviously. 56. Write an ode to your schlong for us. Heather Leather, United States I love my pecker. It brings so much joy into my life, and other lives too. The sights we've seen... 55. Do you shave your balls? Heather Leather, United States Never have but I would for you! 54. Went to an art expo last week of Prints & The Revolution. Couldn't concentrate myself on the paintings because in the center of the hall the famous Dutch actress Katja Schuurman was very slowly drinking a lot of cocktails. She wore just a small white summer dress so you can imagine how my cocktail in my pants started to behave... Do you think it's possible for an old crook like me to seduce such an amazing celebrity? Is there any chance to take her to my home so she will kneel for me and start lickin' my magic cream over and over from her juicy lips? Hendrik von Mecklenburg, 's-Gravenhage, Netherlands A few years ago I was having a drink at the American Hotel in Amsterdam. In walks a gorgeous girl, high heels, low-cut skinny jeans, tight shirt, and a cell phone glued to what is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful faces ever to come out of Holland. It's Katja Schuurman. I borrow a magic marker at the counter and walk over to Katja's table. 'I read an interview with you where you were expounding on Sartre by saying that a proliferation of choices can actually be quite confining because then you don't know what to choose.' Flashing her a big smile, I add, 'When I read that, I became a bit of a fan of you. So would you put your autograph on this fan's shirt?' Katja jumps out of her chair and takes my brown leather jacket off a little and jokes, 'It's a sleeveless shirt, how sexy!' At my encouragement, she writes her name as obnoxiously big as possible on my shirt, and adds a drawing of a flower. 'That's so great you liked what I said in that interview,' she smiles. 'It appealed to me because I study philosophy. But actually I want to go into show business like you,' I say. 'Oh, that's funny because for a long time I've wanted to study philosophy. Tell me more about it!' 'Maybe we should trade places for a day, Katja! Well...' What followed was a really fun evening with one of the nicest girls I've ever met - someone who's interesting and interested. Being the biggest sex symbol of a country, she's probably used to a specific type of reaction. If you're just being yourself and treat her as an equal person as opposed to how some would approach a celebrity, it's quite easy to set yourself apart in a positive way and charm the pants off her (figuratively speaking, of course). 53. Is it possible to kill our conscience? I mean that bad conscience that starts to speak to the self as soon as we plan or do things that are positioned in the dark side of humanity. I really hate that inner voice that always puts me back on the path of morally accepted behavior as soon as I try to turn dark fantasies into reality. Last week I went to Boekarest in Romania for a business trip. Drunk a lot of wodka and decided to find me a kinky hooker for a few hours. Met two gypsy pimps who showed me a bunch of girls they kept prison in a declined house. They offered me an amazing babe for 2500 euro. Could buy her, take her with me and do what I want with her. Didn't hesitate, handed them the money and took my new livin' property with me. Had cruel horny plans with that sweet sixteen. Bought her first a pair of them long black leather boots. Licked her swollen lips in the hotel room, stared in those anxious eyes and then that goddamn conscience whispered in my head that I shouldn't do this. What an anticlimax... Talked with her about what happened to her and brought her back to her family. Saw a lot of happy people there but I wasn't because my dark desire was still alive. Had to drink a lot together with some benzos to keep the monsterlibido tranquilo. Do you think all men are puzzled like this? Is it time to seek some professional help? And last but not least: is wanking bad for my health? Hendrik von Mecklenburg, 's-Gravenhage, Netherlands I usually masturbate every day and sometimes multiple times a day, and I've never felt better, along with going to the gym all the time, I'm on a permanent endorphin high. So celebrating your pecker in that way is healthy! And so is celebrating your pecker with another human being, but you have to take context into consideration, and the context you described was unhealthy and it was a moral priority to get the Romanian youngster back with her family. But you were left with conflicted feelings because it seems like your needs weren't met. You're not alone in this, there can be a discrepancy between what a man wants on a primitive level, and what his conscience wants. Although I'm not drawn to buying really young prostitutes for subversive sexual purposes, if I were, and were in the same kind of situation that you described, my conscience would've also intervened, and I hope I would've acted on it as well as you have. Even though a conscience can sometimes provide a temporary inconvenience, in the bigger picture you have to look into the mirror for the rest of your life, and it's a lot more pleasant to be able to do that with a clear conscience, because if you're cruel to others, it will come back to haunt you. The answer is not to want to kill our conscience, the answer is to see the conscience's possible inconveniences to the ego/libido as a small sacrifice for the greater good it does (when followed upon) for the universe (and that includes you). As far as needing to seek professional help goes... you're here, aren't ya? I'm a professional, you know. 52. Willem de Kooning or Vincent van Gogh? Sunny Suits, New York, United States I like them both, but I'm more familiar with Van Gogh's work because I like to take foreign girls to the Van Gogh museum. 51. Chez Nelly or Studio 54? Sunny Suits, New York, United States Definitely Chez Nelly. Chez Nelly is a legendary late night café in Amsterdam. It was frequented by gangsters, Hells Angels, cultural icons like Herman Brood and Raymond Stolp, and the groovy bartender Jan Lenferink would later become a popular talk show host in Holland. 50. Kelly van der Veer or Kelly LeBrock? Sunny Suits, New York, United States They both look really good, but if I was one of those teenage nerds in Weird Science designing the perfect woman on the computer, it would be you emerging from the red fog in the bathroom, Sunny. 49. Herman Brood or Herman Munster? Sunny Suits, New York, United States Herman Brood - the greatest rock 'n' roll star Holland has ever known! As you might know, he starred with Nina Hagen in the 1979 cult classic Cha Cha. Fast forward to 1999, Herman Brood is sitting outside Café 't Spui-tje (which basically translates into 'Cafe Needle', very apt as he liked to shoot up speed) in Amsterdam. He's not the only one sitting there, as it's a sunny (pun unintended) afternoon, and lots of Dutchies have fled from the workplace to chill outside. Nevertheless, Herman effortlessly stands out in the crowd, the Dutch Elvis in shades and a black suit. So I immediately recognize him from a distance as I happen to walk into a nearby place to get something to eat. As if God intended it, the people at the eating place happen to sell a chocolate bar with 'Cha Cha' written large on the wrapping. As I walk towards Herman, heads are turning everywhere. What's this guy doing walking towards the great Herman Brood, and more specifically, what is that he appears to be pulling out of his jacket to point at him? 'I've got a little gift for you.' Herman adopts a sudden Tom Waits-esque pose of surprise. With comic timing, he then grabs the Cha Cha chocolate bar out of my hand, pulls it out and pushes the entire bar into his mouth. As he falls out of character, he looks at me and gets the hugest smile from ear to ear, the kind of smile you wouldn't even expect him to have from his media images. 'Cool,' he says. 48. Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons? Sunny Suits, New York, United States Saturday nights. The Sunday afternoons usually suffer because of the Saturday nights. 47. Are you a hundred percent Dutch (aka a hundred percent retarded)? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Yep, a hundred percent Dutch and a hundred percent dingbat. But interesting enough for you to read this! 46. If you could be any height (within reason), how tall would you be? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Five foot eleven. Which is how tall I am. 45. How many voices do you have going in your head at any one time (ha!)? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Just my own, but you keep interrupting it. 44. Would you bone Paris Hilton if you had the opportunity? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States What do you mean, I have the opportunity! 43. What is your single all-time favorite song, ever? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States David Bowie's 'Ashes To Ashes' always strikes me as being a perfect song on all levels. Even the video is perfect. 42. What's your favorite YouTube clip? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States It's funny people refer to 'YouTube clips', when a lot of the content their users are uploading, consists of unauthorized material. Having said that, YouTube is kinda what I always thought as a kid TV would become if it died and went to heaven. I'd have fantasies of having that kind of instant access to whatever you want to watch. Of course, now that it's there, I'm nostalgic for the mystery that the lack of that kind of access brings. I don't really have a favorite clip on YouTube because there's so much cool stuff on there! At the moment, I'm sort of following Stone Temple Pilots' current reunion tour on there through shaky handheld footage with crappy audio. Groovy! 41. I believe you're right handed - is there anything you do lefty (keep it clean!)? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Sometimes the question gives the answer. 40. Will the US ever get back to where we were before president coo-coo bananas fucked us, royally? And if so, how long will it take before we're kicking ass and rocking and rolling, pre-Bush, again? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States I disagree with some of the decisions that were made under the Bush Jr. administration, but it's so easy to turn him into a big bad wolf, when he's just a spokesperson for a larger political organ whose policy isn't under his complete supervision. Humans function best under a small group of people who run things with a minimum amount of rules. Maybe an anarchy will get you guys back on your feet again. Raymond For President! I'll sort you folks out. 39. Tits or ass guy? I know the answer but maybe you can expound with an anecdote, like playing piano on your aunt's boobs in the shower at age eight! Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States When we were kids, my cousin and me used to take showers with our aunt. The highlight of these life-altering experiences, was when we got to 'play piano' on her double D cup-sized boobs. We were never the same. But I've been completely in lust with girls with tits and asses in all shapes and sizes. 38. Boxers, briefs or boxer briefs... or 'cowboy style'? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States They're all too small for me... I usually end up wearing no underwear. 37. Nike, Puma, Reebok or Adidas? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States I'm really into vintage Adidas, I love the way that old skool logo looks, and the whole aesthetic vibe to it makes it my premium choice of clothing for workout purposes. 36. If you were to be executed, what would your 'last supper' be? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States It would involve legs around my neck. 35. Are you a good cook and if so, what's your specialty? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Yes, I bake a mean egg. 34. If you could have a different name besides Ray/Raymond, what would you choose (and if you say 'Prince', I'm kicking your ass)? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States How about 'King', then? 33. If you could kick a famous person in the balls and/or cunt, who would it be? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States The only people I'd be potentially violent with are people that hurt my family, my friends, and/or myself, and there are no famous people doing that at the moment! I usually get along great with famous people, it's more often the not quite famous people, or the people that have associations with famous people, that have the bouts of misguided arrogance - a quality I'm allergic to. Maybe sometimes it takes being famous to really understand that it's bullshit. 32. How can I prevent myself of getting an ejaculation after twenty seconds as soon as I see a pair of good boobs and smell a sweet pussy? Prins Hendrik, 's-Gravenhage, Netherlands Just think of me, it'll do the trick. 31. Is it normal that I get an enormous painful erection as the radio plays a song of the amazing Anouk? Prins Hendrik, 's-Gravenhage, Netherlands It's funny you mention that about Anouk, because I was watching her in concert on TV last night, and got an erection too. I'm not even joking! So yeah, must be a normal phenomenon. 30. Why is it so hard to be tender to a woman as soon as she has undressed herself? Prins Hendrik, 's-Gravenhage, Netherlands Because you're a wild beast! That's right. 29. As a sex&cola-obsessed being I've experienced things beyond the borders of human imagination. Been in heaven on earth too many times. I've seen the darkest lust, waiting to suffocate a man in the abyss she's digging behind our back. Planned so many times to drop the bad habit. In vain. Every time the great orgastic hunger defeated me again. Read somewhere that problem children like me unconsciously set themselves to experience an unbearable desire to jump in warm snow over and over. My humble question to you is: Is it possible to become aware of this unconscious mechanism, to trace it and put it on a conscious level while at the same time the unconscious forces go on with their war to destabilize reason (Vernunft) so the horny frog in the eldest evolutionairy part of the brain will take over reality? And if that's possible, is it a good idea to ask God for help? Yours sincerely, Tony Montana You asking me this question is already proof that you are aware that you unconsciously create the strong desire that underlies your entwined sex and coke addiction. I can explain to you the inner workings of this unconscious mechanism so you can grasp it on a conscious level, but having that knowledge indeed doesn't necessarily mean you can break the pattern. So bearing that in mind, I shall proceed. The neural chassis (the oldest evolutionairy part of the brain that controls addiction and orgasm, among other things) is geared towards getting satisfaction in the short term. The neocortex (the most recent, typically human part of the brain that deals with reason) is more geared towards the long term effects of behavior. When it comes to being the determining factor in decision making, it's usually the neural chassis's short term longings that win out from the neocortex's long term interests. This is why people continue with their addictions in spite of their neocortex telling them it's bad for their health in the long run - their neural chassis tells them taking the drugs will give instant gratification. So it's possible to kind of be a helpless spectator in your own life, unable to conquer these old forces in you that are stronger than what the reasonable part of your brain wants. What to do? Ask God for help? He might listen but that doesn't change the way He allegedly wired us. So I'll meet you at the abyss and we'll have a good time regardless, knowing that although it might be difficult to overcome these human tendencies, it's not impossible. 28. Why is Bono such a phony?
Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Is he? Don't judge, just judge judgement. A phony is someone who hides their real motives behind a facade. Bono will be the first to tell you there's a lot of ego involved in his activism, so there's nothing hidden underneath what I believe to be a genuine sense of justice and humanism. U2's Achtung Baby is one of the best albums I've ever heard, and one of the best rock 'n' roll shows I've ever seen was the opening show of their Zooropa tour, at the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam, May 9, 1993. So I have much respect for those Irish dudes. 27. What's the deal with Dutchies and their wooden shoes? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Where I grew up they have a wooden shoe museum, I visited it not too long ago. Really odd that people would wear that shit. And still about a million people over here are wearing them! I guess they're real sturdy. 26. How much do those red light Dutch girls in the window charge? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States About fifty euros, depending on what you want to do. Visiting prostitutes in Holland will generally cost you less than anywhere else in the world. The Red Light District is quite an interesting place, I've been there a lot, especially because the university I attended is right next to it. Some of the nicest, prettiest, and smartest women you'll ever meet are prostitutes. But having sex with a girl who's just had sex with a bunch of guys before you, doesn't really appeal to my romantic sensibilities. 25. As a doctor of philosophy, using both your acquired arsenal and your personal opinions, at what point do you believe trying to aspire to higher levels of development become unhealthy, given basic human nature and programming? Take, for instance, the Buddhist principle of eliminating desire from one's thought process. For things, for people, for experience, for novelty. It seems to be hard-wired into our DNA (as are many of the ways Eastern philosophies would have us delete), and so transcending such things seems to actually create more problems than it solves, completely steering a seeker away from the ultimate goal. Thoughts from the good doctor? Trish Reed, Tuscon, Arizona, United States I dabbled in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism recently, went to a couple of Buddhist meetings out of curiosity and because I'm always open to new things. This type of Buddhism doesn't put so much emphasis on eliminating desire. Not only is it foolish to want to transcend such a thing for the very reasons you mention, it's also impossible, because such an undertaking would be in contradiction with the laws that govern human behavior. It would be an exercise in delusion. What I got from my Buddhist experience is that there are elements to it that I think are okay - especially the emphasis on compassion. But sometimes instead of chanting 'Nam-myoho-renge-kyo' for someone's happiness, it's better to just put an arm around them and say something kind. To be honest, the elements of Buddhism that rang true to me, were already a part of my personal ideological bricolage, these are things you just know if you listen to your conscience and think about the world. But Buddhism is definitely a lot more appealing to me than other religions, so I respect it in that way. To answer your question, I think when one attempts to create any sort of development that isn't in correspondence with the way human nature is wired, is the point where it gets unhealthy, not to mention a waste of time, because it won't work. By the way, thank you for sharing your photos with me, as well as being very bright as evidenced by your question, you're also an extraordinarily attractive lady. 24. Why are we so worried? About who we are... what we look like... Kimberlie Sheldon It's perfectly normal to be worried about who you are and what you look like, because humans are incredibly vain. Part of when that gets out of hand, has to do with modern day living where we can afford to waste our time with these luxury problems. A caveman couldn't afford to ponder the state of his being and hairdo when he was busy trying to get some lunch without being eaten by a bear. Also, in our society people attach so much value to social status, so people become preoccupied with wanting to be seen as 'being somebody' through acquiring wealth, a beautiful partner, etc. Then we also have the proliferation of unrealistic body images through the media, that people want to conform to. I'm certainly interested in who I am and how I look, but only towards myself, not towards some temporary take of society on what one should be. I'm not drawn to conforming to those standards, but neither to rebelling against them. I simply don't give a fuck. I just want to be me. And I encourage you to be who you want to be, even if that means doing things that are in complete contradiction with the way I like to live my life. You are perfect being you. It's in this way of being authentic that I'd like to inspire people to not worry so much and feel more pleasant about their lives. 23. What's your favorite perfect pop song at this moment? Don't say one of your own you egocentric bastard ;-) (My favorite pop song of the moment is 'Cry' by Godley & Creme, pure genius). Dick Fennema, Amsterdam, Netherlands My favorite perfect pop song at the moment is 'Rabbit' by Ellen ten Damme, it's from her latest album Impossible girl. The way it's structured, the lyrics, her voice, it's just beautiful beyond words. Ellen has said my music sounds good, so I hereby return the compliment. 22. Is (pop) music high or low culture? Dick Fennema, Amsterdam, Netherlands There are people who'd argue that classical music is serious and precious, and rock 'n' roll is frivolous and throwaway. Even if such a broad generalization were the case - which it isn't - who's to say which set of characteristics has more cultural worth than the other? Music is something I need to express myself and an integral part of my happiness, whether others consider it to be high or low culture - I don't give a fuck. 21. Do you believe in the difference between high and low culture? Dick Fennema, Amsterdam, Netherlands I personally don't even think in terms of those kind of dichotomies, but then again I've always had a postmodernist edge, I don't believe in hierarchies. The whole high and low culture debate is a bit of a smoke screen, because what they're really debating is the intellectual versus the carnal. It's a modern-day equivalent of the church telling you that fleshly desires are bad, and cerebral aspects are good, with some people saying it's the other way around. I say both my pecker and my philosophy are good. 20. If you could cover a Steely Dan song and a Terence Trent D'Arby song (I refuse to use the goofy name he came up with), what would they be? And why the hell haven't you already covered Steely Dan? You sound a hell of a lot like their singer, Donald Fagan. Do it different, maybe acoustic, without piano or something. 'Hey Nineteen' might be my personal fave of theirs. Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Any alleged resemblance between the way I and Donald Fagan sound is purely coincidental, etc. I don't really feel inspired to cover any of their songs. I was once in love with this girl... and I used to think about her while listening to a song by Terence Trent D'Arby called 'What Shall I Do?' (it's on a later edition of his Wildcard! album). I still can't listen to it without crying my eyes out. I'd do a cover of that. Ladies in the front row better get your hankies out. 19. If we don't have 'free will', what else is there? Ellen, Limburg, Belgium The answer to that would be: accepting that life is driven by forces you have no control over. The upside to that is, that all the mistakes you make, are not your fault. The downside is that you can't take any credit for any of the good things happening in your life. And humans love taking credit for the good things (and blaming the bad things to forces beyond their control). When you're not the director of the movie of your life, is there still any fulfillment? Can fulfillment only arise when we can take credit for (some of) the things that happen in our lives? I guess your capacity to enjoy things that have nothing to do with you creating them, depends on how big your ego is. I personally think there is free will, but much less than people like to think; a lot in life is contingent. People can take comfort in that there are some moments where you'll be able to steer things in a certain direction of your preference, but the idea of having total control is an illusion. I mean, think about it, if life is a total product of your will, and two 'strong-willed' guys want the same girl, who is going to get her? The one who has the strongest will? No, the girl is going to go for the guy she likes best, and beyond their best, there's nothing either guy can do about it. The problem is that everybody wants different things out of life. I might want each country to be at war with each other, my neighbor might want peace on earth. If my neighbor and me both have mastered the skill of making reality a total product of one's will, you can't have both those realities coexisting, so there will (pun unintended) at least always be one of us not creating our preferred reality. Hence the whole argument of people being in total charge of their lives, collapses. Conflicting realities would make it a logical impossibility. But I don't believe in the other extreme, a world without free will, either. I believe in free will limited by a strongly contingent reality. 18. Would you agree with me that humanity is the only factor on this planet that is disbalancing it? Humans are the only living beings on this planet with an ego and a sense of time. A plant or an animal doesn't worry about his/her problems (a product of the ego) nor do they get stuck in the past or are they hoping that things will get better in the future... only humans do that. Because humans have an ego, we made country boundaries, invented money and politics. Now the world evolves around it and we are destroying the planet because of it. Making money is more important than stopping pollution. Nature is warning us bigtime... melting ice caps, changing climates... the hunger in Africa wouldn't exist if it wasn't for money... Because humans have an ego, we created religions and we continue to fight wars in the name of God/Allah, however you may call him. 9/11 is no coincidence... Everything is brought to us in a very extreme way now, because we all NEED to become more conscious! The extreme way is the only way to wake us up. If we don't make a jump in our evolution as human beings, humanity will no longer exist. We will either kill out everyone on the planet in wars, or nature will do it for us and make it impossible for us to survive on earth. I really believe that we are becoming more conscious! A lot of books tell us this too. The Mayas predicted 2012 to be a turning point... I'm curious what your ideas about this are Ray! Diana, Haarlem, Netherlands The problem with humans is that they're a very aggressive animal. Nature has made us that aggressive because naturally, we can afford to be that, our bodies by themselves can't really do much harm, just like another aggressive animal like the pigeon, for instance. Pigeons and humans without weapons are relatively harmless. But the moment humans figured out how to pick up a stick, they were bashing their fellow humans' heads in with it. About 50.000 to 100.000 years ago the human brain evolved into incorporating the neocortex, the typical human part of our brain that integrates our experiences into an ego, and we started making weapons. So now we're like an aggressive pigeon with access to modern toys that can destroy the world. Which is exactly what's happening. So that's one reason why we excel at fucking the planet up. About the other typically human trait you mentioned, our sense of time... Well, Aristotle said that time is like a meriston. What the old Greek meant by that, is that we humans divide time into the past, the now, and the future, but because we spend most of our time either pondering the past, or worrying about the future, the now eludes us. Other living beings on this planet live from the now to the now to the now, which must be a state of bliss, because a lot of the problems we create for ourselves and our environment, stem from our burden of the past or ego-based demands for the future to be a certain way. Add to that the illusion of belonging to different groups, fraudulent believe systems, and wars with Gods for excuses, and the result is a dying planet. Will the planet destroy us before we destroy it? I've always felt a kinship with the Mayas and I feel that before it gets to that point, humans will have reached a higher state of consciousness. 17. Do the songs/lyrics just come to you, or do you have to be in a special environment, or have things that trigger the songs you write? Brynn Gibson, Georgia, United States Songs and lyrics can come to me at any time or place. The methods in how they come about are boundless, and it's like the song itself chooses the best process to be brought to fruition. But generally, I do feel it's best to not force them out, and just to wait for them to come out naturally, like pooping. Lately I've been getting songs as I wake up in the morning, really good ideas come to me from the subconscious or dream state, and it's just a matter of picking up a guitar and humming along to find what I'm hearing in my head. Anything I've ever experienced can trigger the songs I write, from moments of great tenderness to moments that make you want to spit in the very face of life. 16. How do you, being such a big rock star and all, have time to talk with all the 'little people'? Brynn Gibson, Georgia, United States First of all, I'm not such a big rock star by any stretch of the imagination, and even if I were, I'd never divide people into the little ones and the more important ones; no one is more important than me, and I'm no more important than anyone else. I'm a bit of a motormouth and love talking to people of all kinds of backgrounds. 15. Will you ever, or have you been on tour? Brynn Gibson, Georgia, United States I've done a lot of shows in my life but always viewed them as one-off events. I do intend to do a little tour in support of my upcoming album. 14. Do you have groupies? Brynn Gibson, Georgia, United States If a girl is only interested in me because of who I am in terms of status, and not because of who I am as a person, then I'm just not interested. But not all groupies are like that. 13. Can you differentiate sex and love? Brynn Gibson, Georgia, United States When you're having sex with someone and it's not about the person inside, you might as well just masturbate or buy a blow up doll. I prefer moving beyond that with a girl, and that's what happens when sex becomes an expression of love between two people. 12. If you knew that you had magical special powers within you, and I helped you access them... what would be the first magical manifestation you would work towards generating? May all your wet dreams cum true, Hope, Massachusetts, United States I'd work towards being able to travel out of my body. Those kind of transcendental experiences where the ego sort of dissolves have happened to me while playing guitar. But I'd want this out-of-body incarnation of myself to have all my physical attributes, and to be able to travel to any time or space instantly. Then the first thing I'd do is to travel to you this evening to make a little Stolpy with you - as a token of my appreciation for you helping me access these magical powers. Being able to travel through time and space would broaden my possibilities to create more love and beauty in the world. This has always been the goal for me. 11. If you could 'crack hips' with any current movie star, who would it be? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States I'd give Virginia Madsen unlimited access to my beautiful, uncircumcised pecker any day. 10. How much can you bench press (in pounds, not that gaylord kilos shit or whatever you Europeans use)? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States About a hundred pounds, depending on how pissed off I am at something or someone. 9. What new music are you listening to? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States A lot of self-appointed 'hip' people would take this as an opportunity to show off how 'open-minded' they are by giving you a long list of trendy bands, only to abandon them when the next flavor of the month comes along. I'm always seeking out new music and I like a plethora of genres but there's not that much stuff out there that truly touches me. When it does, I'm loyal to it and one can listen to it again and again and gain a new insight each time. I'm allergic to pretentious musical elitism whether it's attached to the underground or the mainstream; there's music I love in both, and whether it's good is subjective anyway. At this very moment I'm listening to the song 'aTONn' by a band called AmniOn, which I think is an extraordinary piece of music but that doesn't mean you should like it. 8. When are you going to get your filthy, diseased pecker circumcised, like the rest of Western civilization? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Why change perfection? 7. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States I'd be blue because I've got the blues. 6. What's your fave number? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States I like certain numbers more than others because of how they sound or look aesthetically, I like the number seven, for instance. But I'm allergic to favoring numbers on a numerological basis, superstitious bullshit like that doesn't interest me. 5. If you could be another
rock star for a day, who would you be (and if you say Bowie, I'm going
to kick you in your Dutch balls)? There is no one I'd rather be than Raymond Stolp. I wouldn't mind being Scott Weiland for a day though, have you seen his wife? 4. If you HAD to kiss another man on the mouth, who would it be (and if you say Rourke, I'm going to kick you in your Dutch ass)? Thwipp, Planet Lovetron, United States Are you coming on to me? 3. What one thing would
you change about yourself physically and
personality-wise (one
answer
for each)? I like myself just the way I am, there isn't anything I'd like to change about myself physically or personality-wise. However, I've grown significantly both physically and personally over the last year. I work out at the gym regularly these days, so I've become more muscular. And I've become more aware of when I'm being too kind to people who take advantage of that by walking all over you.
My house was
burglarized a couple of years ago, and one of the things they took was
my PlayStation. This is a good example of how positive things come out
of bad experiences. I never got a replacement, and felt all the better
for it, because it was too addictive for me and ate up too much of my
time. Having said that, one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of my
life is where level seven is at on the Nintendo game The Legend Of
Zelda.
Because they understand irony, don't take themselves too seriously and - as a consequence - enjoy a remark like that. By the way, how come American people are so smart, yet, still so unlikable? |