Pleasure, Pain and Rain

A couple years ago, the Edge asked scientists and intellectuals "What do you believe that you can't prove?" and I really enjoyed the pages and pages of big thinkers theorizing. In fact, half-baked theories are so much fun, I come up with a few of my own from time to time.

I recently sent a friend a bunch of musical links. When I asked him what he thought, he replied, "Man, everything was so mellow. You're gonna put me to sleep if you keep that up." We're roughly the same age, but now I'm left wondering if I've gone mellow and if so, why?

I've read a couple of articles about autoimmune disorders. Some researchers believe these problems are caused by raising children in environments that are too clean. Huh? According to theory, when our bodies aren't exposed to enough nasty stuff, our immune systems are left standing around with too little to do, so (being no slackers) they find something to do and attack us. Thanks, conscientious immune systems!

So what does this have to do with my friend saying my musical tastes are now too mellow? I think the key difference between us is kids. He doesn't have kids. I do. The half-baked theory? Lacking natural sources of screeching, banging and screaming, his subconscious leads him to seek manufactured sources of mayhem. Just like an immune system with not enough work. That's the ticket.

Here's something from the 80s with a little more edge than I usually post. From Love (still an excellent disc), The Cult singing Rain.