Friday, January 31, 2003
News item: Toronto mayor Mel Lastman blames past inappropriate comments on hepatitis C. Meanwhile, David Ahenakew claims to have hemorrhagic fever, Trent Lott is sticking with hoof and mouth disease, and President Bush has yet to disclose an illness.
posted by media_dystopia @ 07:08 [ link | top | home ]
The capital region's 25th annual Winterlude, "North America's greatest winter festival," begins today. Hurray for frostbite!
posted by media_dystopia @ 05:06 [ link | top | home ]
Planning a trip to the U.S.? On March 1, the Department of Homeland Security replaces the Immigration and Naturalization Service as the bureaucracy responsible for border security and immigration. The new department will have a budget of $36.2 billion -- more than the combined budgets of the agencies rolled into it. Under the motto "serving our visitors, securing our borders," the department aims to make the harassment of Canadians at the border as efficient as possible, including special treatment for people of Middle Eastern descent. (Remember to bring a comb for the mug-shots, and hand-wipes for the fingerprinting.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 02:36 [ link | top | home ]
Thursday, January 30, 2003
On the issue of Iraq: Rex Murphy wants Canada to offer "a statement from our leadership on just where we are in this frightening time; where we agree or disagree with this president; what our readiness is and whether we will or will not participate in the campaign almost certain to come." Meanwhile, the Canadian government continues to emphasize multilateralism through the UN, and denies being "wobbly" on the issue. Don't these people realize how hard it is to tip-toe on top of a fence?
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:58 [ link | top | home ]
I've been thinking about this recently, so I'd thought I'd bump it up: "The Tipping Blog -- How Weblogs Can Turn an Idea into an Epidemic" by John Hiler of Microcontent News. My blog: neither a maven nor a connector be.
posted by media_dystopia @ 20:30 [ link | top | home ]
I've always found the Ottawa Hi-Tech Company Directory very useful. Despite the recent downturn in the industry, including thousands of layoffs, Ottawa is still very much a geek town. Hell, you can't swing a Logitech mouse anywhere in the city without beaning a coder in the noggin.
posted by media_dystopia @ 06:59 [ link | top | home ]
News item: Extra security measures eroding privacy and freedom in Canada. In his Annual Report to Parliament 2001-2002, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada says that several measures implemented following 9-11 do absolutely nothing to increase security. That makes sense given that we have a gun registry which doesn't register guns. Thus far, Canadian authorities have a lousy track record at playing Big Brother so pardon me if I don't rip the cable wire out of the computer, turn off the lights, and hide under the desk just yet. I'll pay attention to the issue, though, and see where it leads.
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:17 [ link | top | home ]
Janeane Garofalo says no to war and paints bull's-eye on her forehead for the media. I've never been a big fan of celebrities -- people who get paid an obscene amount of money to do something they love; who get preferential treatment in society; whose lives are filled with fun, fun, fun -- lecturing me on the evils of armed conflict.
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:44 [ link | top | home ]
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
News item: Canada will wait to see U.S. evidence on Iraq. Let me see if I understand the situation: The U.S. and Britain say, "War with Iraq is good." Germany and France say, "War with Iraq is bad." Canada says, "My, what a lovely fence." Welcome to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle applied to foreign policy; Canadian indeterminism at its best. At least the U.S. is picking on Europe instead of Canada these days.
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:54 [ link | top | home ]
Further to the January 21 post: The spell check wasn't working. I had to fight for a half-hour to make a single change to my template. When I posted the text you're reading it gave me this error: "Oops! There was some sort of problem. Please reload this page. If this problem persists, please try back later. We're probably we're on it. Sorry for the inconvenience." (Don't you just love error messages with grammatical mistakes? They scream "attention to detail.") To top if off, I couldn't publish anything because it kept hanging. In short, I just lost over an hour of my time. Blogger is really pissing me off. Why, you may ask, do I stick with these nimrods? Let me put it this way: Blogger is Iraq, and I'm the international community waiting for it to disarm, always giving it one more chance. Some day, though, this paying customer is going to declare war in a loud and grotesque way.
posted by media_dystopia @ 07:21 [ link | top | home ]
On January 20, the UN Conference on Disarmament opened its 2003 session. The "single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community" has 66 members and a rotating presidency according to the English alphabetical order. In 2003, the rotation will include Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Ireland, and Israel. (Insert pause and scrunched-up face followed by "Huh?" here.) If nothing else, the world of international diplomacy has a keen sense of irony.
posted by media_dystopia @ 06:31 [ link | top | home ]
After a hellish week of sub-zero temperatures, it seems appropriate to mention the Meteorological Service of Canada's Wind Chill Fact Sheet. Let me tell you from experience that there's nothing -- absolutely nothing -- like a frozen scrotum.
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:55 [ link | top | home ]
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
News item: Elsie Wayne "hurt" by John McCallum's glib remark about her sweater. After the deputy Tory leader asked whether vehicles would be given special paint to avoid friendly fire, the minister of defence said, "It has been suggested that if our soldiers were to wear the dress of the honorable member, that they would be very well identified." That was a brave remark given his lack of style, but not surprising given his apparent lack of decorum. He's lucky that she didn't counter with some reference to his former drinking problem: "I use this sweater to identify people who drink too much at lunch." or "You could paint the vehicles the same color as your red nose." Ah, the joys of Canadian politics.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:46 [ link | top | home ]
Are you happy at work? According to Working Today: Exploring Employees’ Emotional Connection to Their Jobs, a study by human resources consulting group Towers Perrin, you're part of a small minority. The study found that "workers have strong emotional connection to their work experience, but it's mostly negative now." Canadians are shocked to hear that their jobs suck.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:34 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Here's a complete transcript of the speech. Enjoy!
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:19 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. I hope the president appreciates the fact that I had some high-fiber cereal earlier today and it kicked-in about 10 minutes into his speech.
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:13 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Speech is over. It's in the hands of the media now. I'll keep it on CNN and see how they interpret it. So far it's being described as "compassionate conservatism."
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:11 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. God is good. God loves us. God bless the United States. God says, "Kick Saddam in the balls!" What happened to Jesus?
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:09 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Someone's cell phone went off in the House chamber. Someone is going to be in a world of pain pretty soon.
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:06 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Finally, the juicy bits: "We will lead a coalition to disarm him." They're going to be presenting evidence to the Security Council soon. Which they kept to themselves until now because...?
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:03 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Saddam uses torture? No way! Really?
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:00 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Saddam and Iraq: hiding weapons, evading inspectors, purchasing components, blocking flights, pissing us off.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:54 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Korea. Nukes. Blackmail. Bad.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:50 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Their direction doesn't depend on others. Huge applause on that one. Unilateralism is popular these days.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:48 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. I wonder how many times he worked on the word "nuclear" with a voice coach. Not enough, it seems.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:46 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Project Bioshield. Sounds like an anti-abortion thing.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:41 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Apparently they're winning the war on terror. Has anyone told the terrorists?
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:39 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. AIDS relief in Africa and the Caribbean. Yes, yes, yes, but what about bombing the bejesus out of Iraq? Get to the juicy bits, Mr. President!
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:36 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. He wants to create a much more "welcoming" country. Except for clones. Clones are bad. Clones and Canadians crossing the border. Even worse, Canadian clones crossing the border.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:30 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Money for hydrogen-powered cars. Isn't Bush an oil man? Daddy's going to be pissed.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:25 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Focusing on the economy thus far. Good plan.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:15 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Way too much applause.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:11 [ link | top | home ]
State of the Union. Not my union, mind you, but it's always interesting to watch and listen to. It's very educational; the height of U.S. government pageantry -- live, on every channel. I think Bush should use it to announce that he has launched his "shock and awe" attack on Iraq. That would make for some exciting television, wouldn't it? Here's hoping that there's no "axis of evil"-type catchphrase this time. He's speaking now; I'll post this.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:03 [ link | top | home ]
News item: The Sopranos inspired dismemberment. Two brothers accused of killing their mother claimed they got the idea to chop off her head and hands from the popular HBO mob drama. Give me a break. This is nothing but an ineffectual "life imitates art" argument by the media. What they're saying is that in the history of the Mafia and of crime in general, no one has ever dismembered a victim to conceal a crime. Yeah, right. When you see something in a crime drama, it's "art imitating life" -- the criminal mind has been around a lot longer than television.
posted by media_dystopia @ 20:38 [ link | top | home ]
Monday, January 27, 2003
Here's a question that pops into my head on a daily basis: If the U.S. attacks Iraq, removes Saddam from power, and takes control of the oil fields, would I be able to fill my car for less than 20 bucks again? (That's my own brand of enlightened self-interest. And people wonder why I'm not a pacifist.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:21 [ link | top | home ]
Said President Bush after giving the launch command: "Blix? I thought you said blitz!" Ha-ha! Sigh. No one appreciates my sense of humor.
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:04 [ link | top | home ]
Further to yesterday's post: If you're in Canada, here's a list of the commercials you missed during Super Bowl XXXVII. You can start sobbing now.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:51 [ link | top | home ]
Further to the previous post: Please note that I'm not some peacenik. You're not going to see me marching against the war with Iraq. I won't be the one waving placards, holding hands, and chanting. I won't be using my blog as an antiwar pulpit (sarcastic, maybe). Removing Saddam and/or disarming Iraq can only be beneficial to the rest of the world. I don't even have a problem with any oil-inspired self-interest the West may have. My objection to this whole thing is how it's being poorly marketed by a president and administration I just can't trust or respect. (I'm not too impressed with that Brit riding their coattails, either.) It just doesn't seem as righteous as it could or should be. It probably would have been had U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell been allowed front the cause. Today, for instance, he stated a clear, concise, diplomatic position following Blix's report to the UN Security Council. For the most part, though, he has been drowned out by hawkish, political posturing. The U.S. just can't sell Gulf War II like Gulf War I. (It probably doesn't help that they have General "Timid" Tommy Franks this time instead of General "Stormin'" Norman Schwartzkopf.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 17:47 [ link | top | home ]
News item: "The Security Council, 27 January 2003: An Update On Inspection" by Dr. Hans Blix, Executive Chairman, UNMOVIC. I don't see the words "smoking gun" in that text. Sorry Bush and Blair; you'll have to hold off on that "shock and awe" thing in Iraq a little while longer.
posted by media_dystopia @ 17:20 [ link | top | home ]
How's this for a segue: I'm addicted to repeats of Saved By The Bell.
posted by media_dystopia @ 07:05 [ link | top | home ]
"Shock and awe" is what the U.S. is planning for Iraq, including 800 cruise missiles in two days, more than were launched in the 40 days of Gulf War I. The plan, also called "rapid dominance," is to destroy the Iraqi forces' will to fight through sheer devastation. Here's a quote from Defense Group Inc.:
Rapid Dominance is a construct and concept for applying force with the principal and overriding objective of affecting, influencing, and controlling the will and perception of a potential adversary through the use -- or threat of use -- of shock and awe. Shock and awe arises from the successful application of Rapid Dominance, a concept that has four characteristics: total knowledge, control of the environment, rapidity, and brilliance in execution.
In 1996, America's National Defense University published Shock and Awe: Achieving Rapid Dominance. In 1998, Britain's Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies published Rapid Dominance: A Force for All Seasons. The concepts described in both were included in a paper called Rapid Dominance: A Strategic Roadmap for Fielding and Testing an Experimental Rapid Dominance Force, which was presented to the Office of the Secretary of Defense in 1999.
Not to sound like a paranoid skeptic, but does anyone else get the impression that the U.S. and Britain want a war with Iraq -- a country they've defeated before -- to field-test a new battle concept? Maybe it's just me.
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:45 [ link | top | home ]
Sunday, January 26, 2003
Buccaneers rout Raiders. Super Bowl XXXVII was very entertaining. That is to say, the football was entertaining; the entertainment was not. Just because I'm Canadian doesn't mean I have to like Shania Twain, and certainly not that hideous creature Céline Dion. As for the commercials: I know I've already addressed this issue -- January 21, 22, and 24 -- but once again I have to thank the CRTC and companies selling products for giving Canada yet another dismally boring experience during the commercial breaks. The former for requiring a Canadian network to override the American broadcast during the commercials, and the latter in turn for not buying the Canadian ad time so that we could see the much-hyped ones. (Most companies -- unlike Pepsi; we did see the Osbournes commercial -- didn't see the point of paying an additional $100,000 or less to reach three million more viewers.) The only bright spot was the inclusion of some decent movie previews, including one for the Matrix sequels. Everything else was pretty much business as usual. Yawn.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:38 [ link | top | home ]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Oakland Raiders. Have a great time watching Super Bowl XXXVII with your friends and family. If you're in the U.S., enjoy the cool commercials. If you're in Canada, get yourself another beer instead. Again, I apologize to my American friends for Céline Dion singing "God Bless America"; maybe Shania Twain will make up for it at half-time.
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:06 [ link | top | home ]
Saturday, January 25, 2003
If I was Ray Romano's character on Everybody Loves Raymond, I would have hung myself in the kitchen a long time ago. Rarely does a sitcom character's home life induce such clinical depression in viewers.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:33 [ link | top | home ]
On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to apologize in advance for Céline Dion's singing of "God Bless America" at the start of tomorrow's Super Bowl XXXVII broadcast. We're so sorry. (Why they would ask a Canadian -- in her case, I use that word in its broadest sense possible -- and that disgusting woman in particular to sing a beautiful American song boggles the mind. Whatever floats their boat. It certainly won't float mine.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:16 [ link | top | home ]
News item: Internet overwhelmed by fast-spreading, virus-like infection. The worm -- SQL Sapphire Worm or W32/SQLSlammer.worm or whatever else the anti-virus geeks are calling it -- has slowed systems around the globe. No wonder last night was a hellish blogging experience. (The worm was most-likely the brainchild of yet another teen punk compensating for his shortcomings. You can only imagine the prison experiences I have envisioned for these virus-creators. Most of them involve forcibly "uploading" another kind of virus.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 16:46 [ link | top | home ]
The popular myth of the news media is that the carnage of war makes them money. In fact, covering a foreign war costs news networks millions of dollars and even drives away ad revenue (advertisers are turned off by grisly coverage, go figure). The only long-term benefit is that news outlets can attract new converts; names can be made in war coverage, like CNN in Gulf War I. However, given today's intense competition, making a name for oneself is far from certain. So next time your favorite all-news network broadcasts from the desert of Kuwait, bow your head in reverence for it too is a victim of war.
posted by media_dystopia @ 01:13 [ link | top | home ]
Friday, January 24, 2003
You know it's Friday when there's another cloned baby from Clonaid. (And yes, we're still waiting on proof for babies one, two, and now three.) Is it just me, or could Clonaid pass itself off as a legitimate scientific organization if it wasn't attached at the hip with those Raelian freaks? And not to sound rude, but in a perfect world, Clonaid CEO Brigitte Boisselier would never, ever be cloned. That's one woman I never want to see or hear again, at any stage of development.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:13 [ link | top | home ]
News item: Canada doesn't want U.S. to attack Iraq without UN mandate. In a telephone call initiated by President Bush, Prime Minister Chrétien made it clear that Canada will only support a war if there is "great evidence" that Saddam Hussein is in violation of UN disarmament resolutions. Well that clarifies things. Or does it? Every time his ministers speak, they seem to say something different. Then again maybe that's part of Chrétien's ploy: he's hedging his bets until something -- whatever it may be -- is inevitable. So we're still in the skeptical camp, but we haven't pulled the fence pole out of our ass like Germany or France...right? I hate to say it, but pinning down Canada's position is harder than catching a fart.
posted by media_dystopia @ 19:00 [ link | top | home ]
Further to the January 22 post: Could it be that the CRTC is not to blame for Canadians not seeing the much-hyped Super Bowl ads? Global TV owns the rights to ABC's Super Bowl XXXVII broadcast and sells its own ad time, but that doesn't mean the big ads get placed. "People complain all the time about not seeing these ads," said Dave Hamilton, vice-president of promotions and publicity for the network. "We don't apologize because we do have the Canadian rights for the game, and it would be great if the Canadian chapters of these companies who are producing them could buy the time and air the creative here, but in most cases that's not the case." In other words, these companies have deemed the expected three million viewers in Canada commercially insignificant and won't invest in the air time for these ads despite vastly reduced rates (less than $100,000 here instead of $2 million or more in the U.S.) If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to blame the CRTC. At least I can feel a sense of righteous indignation without being an insignificant cog in the wheel of commerce. (Please note that Pepsi's Osbournes ad will indeed be shown in Canada. Thank you Pepsi. I'll be sure to drink a can of Coke in your honor.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 08:01 [ link | top | home ]
News item: Malawian radio journalist arrested for broadcasting interview with vampire victim. Police charged the journalist with "broadcasting false information likely to cause public alarm." Why public alarm? Because people in the small African country believe in vampires. Not only that, they believe that the government is in collusion with the creatures of the night to collect blood for international aid agencies. Apparently, their anti-vampire sentiment is so strong that residents in one village stoned a man to death because they believed he was working with them. Not to sound callous, but that whole HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa is starting to make sense. If you can't convince people that there are no immortal, blood-sucking, undead monsters, then you're going to have a hard time convincing them to practice safe sex. I'm sorry to have to say this, but Malawi now scares the hell out of me.
posted by media_dystopia @ 01:37 [ link | top | home ]
Thursday, January 23, 2003
News item: U.S. pilots apologize to families for bombing Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Maybe it wouldn't have seemed contrived if they hadn't waited until the end of the Article 32 hearing to say sorry. See the civilian lawyers tugging on the marionette strings?
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:17 [ link | top | home ]
Here's a classic example of understatement heard on CTV News tonight: describing Canada's position on Iraq as "cautious ambiguity." Is that the same as the government having a fence pole up its ass?
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:14 [ link | top | home ]
I haven't watched Citytv's Breakfast Television in a while, so I was shocked to see co-host Kevin Frankish's new hair style. Talk about messing with my karma! It looks like a badger died on his head. I'm looking at his hair more than co-host Liza Fromer's -- well, more than Liza Fromer, which says a lot. As an expert in bad hair, trust me when I say that Kevin's hair is bad. (TTC Transit Control's Mika Amitovski, on the other hand, has great hair. Great everything for that matter. I doubt I'm the only guy who perks up when her all-too-brief transit segments are on. Yes, I know, I'm a typical male.)
Follow-up: Another one bites the marriage dust in 2003: Mika Amitovski has become Mika Midolo. Sigh.
posted by media_dystopia @ 06:42 [ link | top | home ]
News item: Serena versus Venus in final of Australian Open. Tennis fans die of boredom. Again.
posted by media_dystopia @ 05:20 [ link | top | home ]
The nominees for the Third Annual Weblog Awards are out. Maybe someday I'll be nominated for a Bloggie. I can dream can't I?
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:05 [ link | top | home ]
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
Further to yesterday's post: Apparently Pepsi will be airing a Super Bowl ad starring Ozzy Osbourne, in which he dreams that his kids Jack and Kelly turn into Donnie and Marie Osmond. This will be the big test: I will look for this ad during Super Bowl XXXVII. If it's not shown in Canada, I'll whine about the CRTC some more, and then direct some anger towards CTV Newsnet for mentioning the ad in the first place.
posted by media_dystopia @ 05:53 [ link | top | home ]
The ads for The Bourne Identity DVD have been boasting an alternate ending. For the record, it's actually the same ending but shot slightly differently. Talk about misleading advertising. When I hear the phrase "alternate ending," I expect at the very least something like Terminator 2 which presents a whole new version of the future -- not some lame bit of film proving that the camera was moved 30 feet.
posted by media_dystopia @ 02:12 [ link | top | home ]
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Super Bowl XXXVII is next Sunday. Is it too early for me to bitch about the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and its asinine Canadian content rules which prevent the entire population from viewing 2.1 million-dollar ads during the big game? As I've said before, NFL games are cultural events for me, and an important part of that is the commercial content. The most expensive, star-studded ads are aired during the Super Bowl, and millions of people, myself included, tune in just to watch them. We don't leave our seats during the commercial breaks because we know that some of the most effective ad campaigns in history have been launched during the game. (Remember Ridley Scott's 1984-style ad for a new computer called the Macintosh?) We go to work the next day armed with the knowledge that these ads will be discussed and deconstructed at the watercooler. But if you're in Canada, you're screwed! We get lame, generic Canadian ads instead, as if four hours of high-priced American one are going to warp us permanently. We get previews and promotions from the Canadian channel given the privilege of overriding the American broadcast. Thank you, CRTC, for protecting us from the ravages of American commercialism. Thank you for allowing Global TV or CTV or whoever else is in control of my viewing to show me a preview for a repeat of Everybody Loves Raymond instead of an evil, American commercial. And to any Americans who have moved to Canada in the last year I say this: for the love of god, get in your car on Sunday, drive across the border, and find the nearest bar showing the game. Don't subject yourself to the idiocy of Canadian content rules which have no room for exceptions -- like, say, a once-a-year sports event where all the coolest ads are shown.
posted by media_dystopia @ 17:53 [ link | top | home ]
News item: Super Bowl windfall for avocado growers. Over 40 million pounds of avocados will be consumed in the form of guacamole during Super Bowl XXXVII festivities. NFL considers name change to Great Avocado Slaughter XXXVII.
posted by media_dystopia @ 17:28 [ link | top | home ]
Further to the previous post: My template is back. Should I try editing it or will everything blow up?
posted by media_dystopia @ 16:39 [ link | top | home ]
Further to the January 18 post: Blogger, where's my template? I would like to edit it, but you've lost it. I'll give you three guesses what you're going to lose next. Here's a hint: MY BUSINESS YOU PRICKS. (I think I know what Circadian Shift was talking about a few days ago.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:10 [ link | top | home ]
I've been watching Daytime on Ottawa's Rogers Television. It's a little rough around the edges, but hosts Jeff Mauler -- one of 101.1 XFM's morning hosts -- and Jennifer Austin do a good job. It's a nice, cozy talk show. (I'll expect my standard fee for that review. Please send cash.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 00:57 [ link | top | home ]
Monday, January 20, 2003
I realize that Shania Twain is hosting the 2003 Juno Awards on April 6, but since when do the CTV previews have to be a commercial for her new album? Only a few seconds is about the show; the rest is devoted to her singing in a video. They must be paying her a fortune.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:19 [ link | top | home ]
Since when is spraying Lysol all over children's toys a really swell idea? Damn those commercials are getting silly.
posted by media_dystopia @ 21:12 [ link | top | home ]
This will tear your heart out. My condolences to fellow blogger devoid of interest.
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:03 [ link | top | home ]
I wonder if FilmAid International ever shows war movies to the children of war. How's about a nice evening of The Killing Fields in the killing fields? Surely the irony alone would cheer them up. Sometimes Hollywood's philanthropy is just too bizarre for me to understand. "Screw sustainable development, I want to watch Moulin Rouge!"
posted by media_dystopia @ 02:28 [ link | top | home ]
Sunday, January 19, 2003
Today's entertainment: the NFC and AFC championships -- two excellent football games; two excellent cultural events -- and the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Here's a collection of thoughts about the latter: Glitz and glamour. Dick Clark is losing his mind. Flowed well. No fluff. Didn't run long. Lots of ass-kissing. Thanking people is an art. Harvey Weinstein makes almost every movie on the planet. Venue gave a sense of coziness. Lara Flynn Boyle looked like a drunk ballerina. To win you have to release a movie two weeks before the awards ceremony. Jennifer Aniston didn't thank Brad Pitt. Humorous. Entertaining.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:33 [ link | top | home ]
Further to the January 14 post: Many in the U.S. military believe that the two American pilots who bombed and killed Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan are scapegoats who are being prosecuted to appease Canada. Huh? Since when has the U.S. ever attempted to appease Canada? Is that the kind of rhetoric we're going to have to put up with if the Article 32 hearing recommends court martial? "They're not guilty, they're being sacrificed for those damn Canucks!"
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:37 [ link | top | home ]
Guinness wants you to vote to make St. Patrick's Day a national holiday. I'll only vote yes if they allow me to drink Molson Canadian that day instead of that thick Irish shit.
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:06 [ link | top | home ]
Saturday, January 18, 2003
An evening of TLC, including the Trading Spaces live reveal from Las Vegas, and the sneak preview of What Not to Wear. The latter seems like a good show, except that it's painful to watch a fellow fashion victim getting her self esteem bruised by two style gurus. Frankly, the show's first victim, Morna O'Keefe, is a beautiful woman no matter what she wears. So leave her alone! Fashion victims of the world unite against the tyranny of style!
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:31 [ link | top | home ]
Here's the latest issue I reported to Blogger support (a follow-up to the January 13, 14, and 15 posts):
Subject: Are you guys alive?
Description: Are you going out of business? Has the entire staff been fired? Are you under quarantine? Has Silicon Valley sunk into the ocean? If not, then how's about some news or repairs or activity of any sort so that we the users -- including many paying customers -- don't have to spend our time worrying about losing all our hard work and/or looking for a new publisher and host. Judging from the mood of bloggers (myself included), you're about to lose a lot of business unless you clean up your act. If you can't handle the one million users, then show some corporate backbone and tell the people who rely on you.
(Insert random grumbling noises here.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 20:56 [ link | top | home ]
You know the spam is getting out-of-hand when someone named Ting-Pong Fong e-mails you regarding an "amazing penis development program."
posted by media_dystopia @ 16:34 [ link | top | home ]
Further to yesterday's post: In The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush, David Frum addresses the controversy surrounding the president's speech to Congress soon after 9-11 in which he thanked other nations, except Canada, for their support. Frum said that it was a "terrible mistake" when the section about the Americas was dropped at the last minute, and that Canada would have been remembered had Jean Chrétien gone to Washington like Tony Blair. In other words, Canada wasn't snubbed; it was deemed insignificant. Gee, I'd rather be snubbed.
Follow-up: Pardon my foreshadowing. Sigh.
posted by media_dystopia @ 14:55 [ link | top | home ]
Just in case you get the wrong idea from my recent posts, I want to make it clear that I'm a big fan of the U.S. and of Americans -- just not the current president, his conservative administration, and all the right-wing dingbats finding their voices now that the Republicans are in power. Given the option to travel anywhere in the world, I would like to explore the U.S. Unfortunately, 9-11 has made foreigners, including Canadians, feel unwelcome at the border. Canuck-bashing comments from the likes of Robert "Wienies" Novak, Pat "Soviet Canuckistan" Buchanan, and Jonah "Bomb Canada" Goldberg -- the aforementioned dingbats -- have made matters worse. It's a truly sad state of affairs.
posted by media_dystopia @ 14:55 [ link | top | home ]
Friday, January 17, 2003
Happy anniversary! Gulf War I was launched 12 years ago today. (I remember my friend opening the door and telling me that they had started bombing Iraq. I was busy dozing at my desk, drooling on a university textbook. I shook my head a few times and ran downstairs to watch CNN. Bernard Shaw was giving a play-by-play from under a desk in his Baghdad hotel room.) To commemorate, Ipsos-Reid has released a poll saying that, "One-third (36%) of Canadians believe that its southern neighbour, the United States of America, is currently the biggest threat to world peace." The U.S. beats out al-Qaeda (21%), Iraq (17%), and North Korea (14%). What this means is that Dubya is hell-bent on having a war, but can't sell it like daddy. Gulf War I's propaganda was a stroke of genius. (It did help that Saddam Hussein was the initial aggressor, mind you.) In Gulf War II, and in the war on terror, the U.S. has failed miserably to market its aims and actions. They end up coming across as rabid warmongers, right or wrong. I, for one, will not be sad to see Saddam Hussein replaced. I certainly wouldn't have any problem with the West appropriating Iraq's oil. I just wish that the U.S. would make both goals look legitimate. Sending an armada before building a solid case for war -- nuclear weapons hidden under Saddam's bed would help -- only reinforces the perception that the president has let slip the dogs of war in the corridors of the White House for less than legitimate reasons. To prove himself by finishing daddy's war, perhaps? Maybe to line the pockets of his oil industry friends who helped pay for his presidency? (Insert your own cynical reason here.) Whatever its perceived aims, the U.S. is refusing to pay any heed to allies like Canada. Frankly, no one in the U.S. should be surprised by the poll.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:31 [ link | top | home ]
I read somewhere (although I'm having problems finding Internet articles to back this up) that conservative National Post columnist David Frum, former Bush economic speech writer and son of late CBC broadcaster Barbara Frum, is considering renouncing his Canadian citizenship to become a full-fledged American (right now he has dual citizenship). Whether or not this is correct, I think the fact that he helped coin the Bushism "axis of evil" -- to be discussed on tonight's edition of Crossfire on CNN -- and the fact that he is now a contributing editor at the right-wing National Review, home of Jonah "Bomb Canada" Goldberg, basically invalidates his Canadian citizenship. Oh, and he wants you to buy his new book, The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush. (That plug makes up for the fact that I couldn't confirm my initial statement.)
Follow-up: I am positive that I read this in some magazine in a waiting room. Problem is, I didn't write any notes at the time, and the magazine vanished before my next appointment. I searched high and low for it, but it was long gone. Do you have any idea how many issues of Chatelaine I went through? (No offense to that fine Canadian publication.)
Follow-up: Given the National Review's continued Canada-bashing, I would go so far as to say that David Frum's association with that jingoistic American rag, as a Canadian, earns him the distinction of being one of the first up against the wall -- figuratively speaking, of course -- when the revolution comes. To save himself from that fate, perhaps he should renounce his citizenship. (Oh, and don't let the door hit you on the way out, Dave.)
Follow-up: It looks like David Frum has something else in common with his former boss (as if being a Republican ideologue wasn't enough): whenever I see or hear him on television, I change the channel. (Just call me a closed-minded liberal.) Given that he's currently promoting his latest opus, An End to Evil: How to Win the War on Terror, I'm using the remote control a whole lot. Speaking of haughtiness, the fact that he co-wrote the book with one of the scariest Republicans alive, Richard Perle, makes my previous follow-up all the more applicable; in fact, I think the right-leaning Perle should join the like-minded Frum in leaning right against the metaphorical bricks.
posted by media_dystopia @ 05:35 [ link | top | home ]
News item: President Bush declares January 19 to be National Sanctity of Human Life Day. "No foreign civilians or Canadian soldiers will be incinerated by U.S. 'smart' bombs on that day," said a spokesman. "We will, of course, resume indiscriminate bombing on January 20." Yes, that was a fake quote. (Sorry, I have to say that for the sarcasm-impaired.) If you're going to butcher the English language with a euphemism, could you at least pick one that doesn't contradict your own unilateral militarism? To quote George Carlin: "When they say 'right-to-life' they're talking about their right to decide who lives or dies."
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:43 [ link | top | home ]
Many thanks to Manifesto Multilinko's post about Clipland, the short form media database. It will help me to identify those commercial actresses I seem to like so much. No, I am not a stalker.
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:09 [ link | top | home ]
Thursday, January 16, 2003
A thought occurred to me during's today's visit to the mailbox: imagine how many natural resources would be saved if we could stop unsolicited junk mail. I don't know how these people can get away with squandering that many trees on mail the recipients end up throwing out without even looking at. Idiocy at its finest.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:34 [ link | top | home ]
I stopped writing fiction -- specifically, science fiction -- several years ago when I realized that I was either writing utter trash or subconsciously copying William Gibson (very poorly mind you). My work had all the depth of a wading pool, and eventually I couldn't stand reading it. Blogging has reminded me that short, journalistic-style non-fiction is where I belong.
posted by media_dystopia @ 17:46 [ link | top | home ]
John le Carré: "The United States of America has gone mad." Interesting.
posted by media_dystopia @ 06:07 [ link | top | home ]
Here's a Flash game projecting the outcome of Gulf War II. Hilarious!
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:12 [ link | top | home ]
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Here's a reason to watch Entertainment Tonight: a preview for Fox's Man Vs. Beast -- where, among other things, 44 little people compete against an elephant to pull a plane -- followed minutes later by Joe Millionaire, from the show of the same name, denying he was a gay escort. Personally, I don't watch Entertainment Tonight, Joe Millionaire, or Man Vs. Beast, but sometimes it's good to be reminded that someone -- most likely someone with a history of drug abuse or mental illness -- has actually come up with these shows, and that someone else thinks it's really important to report on them.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:55 [ link | top | home ]
News item: Queen wears pants. I didn't realize that today was a slow news day.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:53 [ link | top | home ]
I can't believe TVO fired Patty Sullivan because of a conflict of interest. Sacking the long-time host of its children's programs is going to upset, nay, devastate kids across the province. Hell, I'm an adult and even I tune in to watch her. (Okay, yes, she's beautiful, but that's beside the point.) Parents are going to have to answer questions like, "Mommy, what's 'conflictofinterest'? Is that where Grandma went?" I hope there's a backlash as a result.
Follow-up: Luckily, she was snatched up by Kids' CBC. Whew. Hey, a babe -- I mean, professional, like that needs to be on the air.
Follow-up: As host of W Network's Animal Magnetism, she's positively magnetic.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:38 [ link | top | home ]
Further to the September 27 post: I've been listening to that abomination Rhona on the radio when driving after 11 p.m. Why? Because bad call-in shows are better than bad music. The other two rock stations in town have been coordinating the bottom-end of their playlists at that hour, so I end up listening to her for a few minutes at a time. Sex and relationship advice on the radio is a good thing. Getting advice from a host who is frequently condescending, and even obnoxious, is not a good thing. The only bright spot is that her show disgusts me enough to get me writing about it. I suspect her new TV show will do the same.
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:32 [ link | top | home ]
News item: Users claim China blocking access to blogs. Here's a direct quote from today's Reuters story, filed from Beijing at 1:43 a.m. ET:
China has blocked an Internet site used by more than one million people worldwide to post on-line diaries, known as blogs, users and its developer said Wednesday. The U.S.-based "blogspot" Web site, where people write about their daily lives up to several times a day, has been inaccessible through Chinese networks for a week, they said. "This is not due to a technical problem," Jason Shellen, business development director at Silicon Valley-based Pyra Laboratories which runs the site blogspot.com, told Reuters. He said users received no explanation, leaving the young Internet startup's staff of six to field queries from frustrated "bloggers'' in China who could update but not read diverse musings ranging from dating to pop music to teenage angst....
A draconian, autocratic, communist government blocking people's access to any or all media is not news. We should expect nothing less from a nation with no concept of free speech. That's not the part of this which bothers me. Let me repeat the part which does: "...the young Internet startup's staff of six...." Six? Six?!?! No wonder there's no user support or site updates! Those six -- oh my god, six -- people are responding to the issue of the Chinese government blocking access to their free blog host instead of addressing the concerns of paying customers in North America who are having issues with their software. I am now reaching for my bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol.
posted by media_dystopia @ 16:23 [ link | top | home ]
Congratulations to Discovery Channel Canada for adding Daily Planet to its lineup. The one-hour science magazine show is an excellent example of lively and entertaining science journalism. Hosts Jay Ingram and Natasha Stillwell combine wit and intelligence in their interviews and presentation. Regular segments and special features are topical, informative, and anything but dry. Even the theme music is appealing. I never really got into its predecessor, @discovery.ca, but Daily Planet hits all the right notes for me. (I'll expect my standard fee for that review. Please send cash.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:30 [ link | top | home ]
Is anyone else watching those Dell intern commercials just to analyze the cute blonde's facial expressions? Maybe it's just me.
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:16 [ link | top | home ]
"Talk Like a Gamer" by Greg Costikyan (originally published in Verbatim: The Language Quarterly). Maybe now my parents and non-geek friends will know what the hell I'm talking about when the conversation turns to EverQuest.
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:40 [ link | top | home ]
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
You know the two American pilots have civilian lawyers in their Article 32 hearing when they argue that the Canadian soldiers were to blame for the friendly fire incident. You can blame the amphetamines, poor communications, you can even throw up your arms and say, "shit happens in war" -- that I agree with -- but blaming the victims is pretty insulting, especially when Canada was one of the few countries to come to America's aid in the war on terror. I'm really starting to get a "this won't have honor and justice like on JAG" vibe from this hearing.
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:21 [ link | top | home ]
Further to yesterday's post: Blogger entropy is bothering other people as well. Or more specifically, it's been blogged about by at least two others who I have blogrolled and who have been kind enough to link to me. (Isn't that a good enough statistical sampling?) I'm holding off on any further upgrades until Blogger gets off the picket line. I would really like to focus on writing boring diatribes about media-related issues instead having to whine about the publishing tool I use.
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:40 [ link | top | home ]
With Robert Pickton now being tried in court, accused of being the worst serial killer in Canadian history, there is going to be much debate over the court-imposed publication ban. I have always believed that the interests of justice come before the public's right or need to know. I find the concept of television cameras in criminal trials repugnant. The thought of lawyers playing to the camera sends chills down my spine. Unfortunately, publication bans are easily subverted by the U.S. news media -- they're very interested in the Pickton case -- which are readily available to Canadians over the airwaves and Internet. In that regard it's easy to wonder why the Canadian news media has to be gagged while others are left unfettered. Why deny legally what people have access to technologically?
posted by media_dystopia @ 02:34 [ link | top | home ]
Monday, January 13, 2003
I started the awards season by watching the 30th Annual American Music Awards. ABC made a good choice selecting the Osbournes as hosts. There was nothing predictable about their introductions or their oft-bleeped language. (The censors must be drinking themselves silly by now.) As for the show itself, what a colossal waste of time. After the first 20 minutes everything became monumentally confusing. I began clawing at my face trying to make sense of the categories, the nomination process, the thank-you speeches -- lame white people such as myself need to be provided with subtitles for ebonics (no offense to the hip-hop and rap artists so well versed in that vernacular) -- the editing, and everything else going on. Tack on an inordinate number of commercials and you have the making of one hell of a lame three-hour program. (Oh, and someone needs to tell Sharon Osbourne that her daughter Kelly isn't as talented as she thinks she is.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:46 [ link | top | home ]
Hey Blogger, anyone home? Apparently Blogger has become the Mary Celeste of the online publishing world: the ship is still sailing but no one is on board. For the last month, entropy has taken over. There have been an increasing number of technical issues and functionality problems which have yet to be resolved by the support staff -- assuming they even have one. I am a paying customer of Blogger Pro and have been staring at a list of unreviewed issues in BloggerControl for weeks. Problem after problem after problem, and it's as if no one's home. Site re-design, promised Pro features, existing archive issues, Status.Blogger.Com -- all left untouched. If they're on an extended holiday, then they should let their paying customers know that support will be delayed. If the company is going out of business, then they have an obligation to inform all users so that we can protect our hard work. I'm one of those people who eats the rare steak in silence after asking for well-done, so for me to say something is an indication of how pissed off I am. I'm sorry to have to say this but Blogger is very close to losing my business, and I doubt the rest of their one million users will stick around once word gets out.
posted by media_dystopia @ 05:27 [ link | top | home ]
Congratulations to the Canadian team, The Snow Diggers and their vehicle Steel Survivor, for winning silver on TLC's Full Metal Challenge. Anyone who doubts the effectiveness of tracked vehicles on the battlefield should watch the FMC finale. Seeing Steel Survivor in action reminded me why tanks have made it to the 21st century. It's best not to get in the way of one of these beasts.
posted by media_dystopia @ 01:22 [ link | top | home ]
Further to the October 26 post: The marketing team for Axe deodorant spray has gone completely mad. Apparently the "Axe Effect" now includes women humping mannequins and female police officers fondling men. Is that what the Axe Web page means by, "sometimes a girl feels kind of tingly"? Is "tingly" a euphemism for "embarrassingly stupid"? There's nothing like the sight of a woman spraying a mannequin with deodorant spray, taking a whiff, and fingering the spot where one of its nipples should be -- this wasn't an anatomically correct male mannequin -- to really make me gag.
posted by media_dystopia @ 01:09 [ link | top | home ]
Sunday, January 12, 2003
Today I'm going to watch some NFL playoff games. I'm not a big sports fan, but I do enjoy championship hockey, football, curling, and tennis. I like the excitement of the crowd and the energy of the players during the finals. (The rest of the season is boring.) I enjoy watching NFL football because each game is an American cultural event; a microcosm of Americana filled with metaphor -- U.S. militarism perhaps? -- and corporate synergy, nicely packaged for the masses. To me, the game is the message, not the football. Most of the time I don't know even who's playing or who to root for. Frankly, I couldn't identify players to save my soul. (See, this is what happens when you get a D in gym.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:25 [ link | top | home ]
Saturday, January 11, 2003
Further to the previous post: It doesn't help that North Korea is thumbing its nose at the world by withdrawing from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and rebuilding its arsenal. It kind of makes that whole Iraq thing look pretty lame, especially when the UN inspectors can't find any notable violations. Then again, it's always safer to stick with an opponent whose ass you have a history of kicking. (Those North Koreans might hurt!)
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:08 [ link | top | home ]
Here's a book I hope to see on Amazon.com: How to Manufacture a War, by George W. Bush. With every passing day, the war with Iraq -- notice how everyone uses the present tense when they say that? -- seems less and less legitimate. It looks, feels, and smells like a completely manufactured and marketed conflict. Part of me keeps wishing that the UN inspectors would find something, anything, over there what would justify a war (beyond the obvious fact that Saddam Hussein is a psychotic despot). At least then it would have the appearance of propriety. I'd probably go along with it if the Americans came out and said, "He's a dangerous freak, and we want his oil. Who's with us?" I'd support a war with some honest marketing. Until then it just looks like junior "going all the way" in daddy's war.
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:52 [ link | top | home ]
Friday, January 10, 2003
Just so I'm three for three in making comments about attractive women: I despise the concept of ABC's The Bachelorette -- I believe I called its male predecessor a "demeaning, insulting pile of bovine excrement" -- but I think Trista Rehn is beautiful. It's almost worth watching the show just for her. Almost. Good taste prevails.
posted by media_dystopia @ 00:57 [ link | top | home ]
Kimothy madness! Does anyone else in eastern Ontario think that CJOH's Kimothy Walker is the most attractive -- and let's face it, best-named -- female news anchor in the region? I don't mean to suggest that the others are unattractive per se, just that they lack her certain je ne sais quoi -- and the beautiful red hair. I'm not equating looks to talent; God knows I'm the first to get my back up when attractive men and women get ahead in journalism school and "make it" in the profession based on their looks. In this case, I'm assuming that all the CJOH anchors are of equal talent and that the viewers, myself included, prefer watching the station's news shows when someone like Kimothy Walker is behind the desk. For that reason, I don't think she should be relegated to the weekend news. She needs to have a much more visible anchor job. Who do I need to contact to make that happen?
posted by media_dystopia @ 00:10 [ link | top | home ]
Thursday, January 09, 2003
Further to the September 6 post: The Home Depot commercial featuring my favorite tiling woman is back in heavy rotation. I'm filled with glee!
posted by media_dystopia @ 23:34 [ link | top | home ]
Wednesday, January 08, 2003
Hockey dissonance (noun): when you are having your best season ever, the city is behind you all the way, and you still have to file for bankruptcy. See Ottawa Senators.
posted by media_dystopia @ 19:35 [ link | top | home ]
There's a mole in the White House photocopying President Bush's secret "jernal."
posted by media_dystopia @ 17:06 [ link | top | home ]
The Office of National Drug Control Policy deserves the award for most machiavellian public service ads. Under President Bush's motto, "If you quit drugs, you join the fight against terror in America," its "The Anti-Drug" campaign now links drug profits to terrorist funding. There's nothing like inducing post-9-11 guilt to fight a war on drugs. What's next? "Child pornographers use drug money to rape young children. Sex with your kids: the anti-drug." "The more pot you smoke, the more abortions you have. Killing the unborn: the anti-drug."
posted by media_dystopia @ 14:05 [ link | top | home ]
Tuesday, January 07, 2003
News item: FBI manhunt for five border-crashers based on hoax. It's unsettling knowing that the world's most powerful investigatory agency can be run in circles by one lying informant. No wonder the FBI and INS can't catch terrorists -- they're too busy listening to "sources" and then blaming Canada and its liberal immigration policies when they can't find the bogeymen they're chasing. That and paying too much attention to Senator Hillary Clinton and her negative comments about the Canadian border. Perhaps someone should explain to her that when people sneak into the U.S. from Canada that means there is a security problem on their side of the border, not ours.
posted by media_dystopia @ 12:02 [ link | top | home ]
What the hell is it with oxygen in cleaning products these days?
posted by media_dystopia @ 01:05 [ link | top | home ]
Monday, January 06, 2003
News item: Journalist-scientist suspends independent review of alleged Raelian/Clonaid clone birth fearing elaborate, publicity-driven hoax. Looks like that man has just been struck by a blinding glimpse of the obvious.
posted by media_dystopia @ 20:30 [ link | top | home ]
William Gibson has started posting his blog. Hallelujah!
posted by media_dystopia @ 16:22 [ link | top | home ]
You know it's January when every other movie proclaims itself "movie of the year" and "Oscar contender."
posted by media_dystopia @ 15:18 [ link | top | home ]
The American Dialect Society has voted "weapons of mass destruction" 2002's word of the year. I wonder why they would do that. It's not like we hear it 237 times a day or anything.
posted by media_dystopia @ 14:45 [ link | top | home ]
Do you blog in the five boroughs? Then you need to join nyc bloggers. Why? Because you're a New Yorker, that's why. You got a problem with that?
posted by media_dystopia @ 01:43 [ link | top | home ]
Sunday, January 05, 2003
Score one for the cyberpunks: William Gibson's blog is coming soon.
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:58 [ link | top | home ]
Here's another scary aspect of human cloning: vain parents picking beautiful babies. Why run the risk of raising an ugly child when you can buy some model or actor's DNA and have a beautiful baby, guaranteed? Instead, peruse a catalog of cute little tykes, put some DNA on American Express, and save yourself the embarrassment. "This is what our baby will look like at 18 -- won't she be beautiful? We're going to be so proud of her!"
posted by media_dystopia @ 04:50 [ link | top | home ]
Sony synergistically bundles the base version of EverQuest with its VAIO computers. That's like putting heroin in children's lunch boxes. (There's nothing like hooking them early!)
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:53 [ link | top | home ]
Friday, January 03, 2003
Further to the previous post: I was really annoyed with ads in the CBS Marketwatch news article I linked to. Don't these people realize that animations are distracting enough having a narrator and soundtrack? I'm trying to read the article and all I can hear is some disembodied voice telling me why the 2003 Lexus is so spiffy.
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:32 [ link | top | home ]
Once those AOL Johnny-come-latelies start supporting blogs, will they mention it in their silly television commercials? It's bad enough watching a fake "real" person -- pardon the oxymoron -- describing instant messaging; can you imagine some Internet newbie all aglow about blogging? I'm starting to gag already.
posted by media_dystopia @ 03:08 [ link | top | home ]
Wednesday, January 01, 2003
Lake Superior State University has issued its 2003 List of Banished Words, aka the 28th annual "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness." (The other 27 years are listed in the Banishment Word List Archive.) The phrases "weapons of mass destruction" and "homeland security" are certainly being rammed down our throats these days.
posted by media_dystopia @ 22:35 [ link | top | home ]
Here are the best inventions of 2002. (Read it fast before AOL Time Warner makes Time's content exclusive to AOL subscribers.)
posted by media_dystopia @ 11:47 [ link | top | home ]
Disney is threatening to send the Beauty and the Beast DVD to the Disney Vault for 10 years unless we buy it now, now, now. I hope "Disney Vault" is a euphemism for "the corporation's ass" because that's where consumers are going to start shoving their products unless they lay off the gun-to-the-head marketing. I'm convinced that the bigger they are, the more Borg-like they become in their advertising. (That wasn't a compliment.) By the way, if I see anything even remotely Beauty and the Beast-related in the next decade I'm going to sue the bastards for false advertising. Well, not really. Chances are I'll just flip to ABC and give the Disney subsidiary the finger instead.
posted by media_dystopia @ 11:46 [ link | top | home ]
Happy New Year! My first post of 2003 is to remind people about Tripping the Rift.
posted by media_dystopia @ 08:23 [ link | top | home ]