A word on blogs
Blog Overkill
For any who write blogs, read blogs, or are interested in blogs as a concept, check this out. Many are heralding blogs as the next big thing in digital media. Many are claiming that blogs are undermining and will eventually make obsolete journalism (as we have known it). The author of this article challenges the idea that the media should be threatened by blogs.
My thoughts, in brief, on the topic (not directly on the article itself):
- Blogs CAN be a great source of information, but as with ANYTHING on the internet, this should be done with caution. ANYONE can have a blog and can say what they want. There is no accountability. True, the current media is hardly fair, impartial, or necessarily accurate. However, one would hope that a journalist would have SOME accountability to research and report with integrity. At the very least, one would hope this would be true if he/she were a repeat writer for a particular paper, magazine, or news show. Of course, I'm not an idiot. I'm not claming that there would be no spin. I'm just saying that with blogs, there is spin too, but NO need to even TRY to present something even remotely factually based. So, while I don't believe everything I read, I trust what I read in the NY Times far more than what I read on so-and-so's blog.
- I don't believe that the time will come when there is no paper media. Even with the advances in technology that allow people to access the internet from pocket sized personal planners, cell phones, etc., I still think many people prefer to get the morning paper. Hell, even when I read News online, it's still is from the NY Times, or the Washington Post, or some other predominantly print based medium. And if it were free, I would prefer the hard copy to reading online anyway.
- Not everyone is technologically savvy, not everyone can afford a computer, not everyone has internet access.
- Blogs are a fad. I am curious to see what the status of blogs will be a decade from now, if they even exist. I already know of several people who have given up writing a blog after a year or so due to the pressure they have felt to post often, to be entertaining, whatever. Once the next big fad comes along, blogging will slowly fade into the background again.
- In general, I think the article makes a good point that a new technology or new phenomenon doesn't NECESSARILY make the old obsolete. Case in point, CDs and vinyl, television and radio (though television did ALTER radio), the internet and telephones...
One other thing I learned from reading this article is that 'ghetto' can be a verb, as in 'to ghettoize'. :)
Yahoo searches, take 2
More funny yahoo (and other including msn, google, and more) searches which yielded my blog recently:
- Blockbuster Wow What a Difference
(yes, this song is stuck in my head AGAIN, which is what my original post in regards to this ad was all about in the first place!!!)
- maury povich cross dressers
- "get them while they're skinny"
- authentic Holland attire
- euphemisms crazy
- emergency sistuations on boats
(this one was just because I don't know how to type - what the hell is a sistuation?)
I also continue to get a lot of hits searching for Puff Daddy's Birthday Pictures and Paris Hilton? Did she get naked at his party or something? What the hell is up with this? As I would feel too much shame to look up said pictures myself, I can only wonder (until someone else gets braves, looks it up, and fills me in!!!). :)
Good news for a change!
Here are a couple of articles out today (one from Yahoo News and the other from the NY Times) regarding HIV/AIDS meds and availability of generic brands world wide. For once in regards to this topic, this sounds like good news!
Read on:
A Path to Cheaper AIDS Drugs for Poor Nations
Number of People Using HIV Drugs Improves
Just a reminder, I will be out of town from the 1st through the 5th of February, in St. Louis for a conference.
Brrrrr...
Two days ago, it took me nearly two hours to travel the 2.5 miles from home to work. An hour waiting for the bus, and 45 minutes ON the bus...had I know, I would have just walked, but at what point while waiting for the bus, seeing the bus approach, and watching the bus drive past you because it's packed full does you start to walk? Especially when you have to walk in the OPPOSITE direction of your destination in order to get to the bus stop in the first place? Today, my bad bus karma paid off. I missed the bus by about 20 seconds. Sadly, I couldn't see it coming, so I couldn't see that I had to run to catch it, and had to watch it drive past me. This was especially bad, as I was already running a bit late. HOWEVER, my boss took a different route to work this morning, which had him driving right past freezer-pop-me at the bus stop, so I ended up getting a ride into work. And it's not late if you come in with the boss, right? Actually, I even stopped for a hot beverage and made it into work well within the confines of my "on time" range.
Next weekend marks the end of my Savoyards shows until the Fall. With no more regular rehearsals and performances (well, there will be some more large wind works that a friend is putting together, but that's still in the works), I have decided to take an ASL course at CCAC through their lifelong learning program. SOOO, I won't get credit for the course, but I don't need credit for the course. It starts in mid-February and runs for 12 weeks.
In a week and a half, I make my first venture out into the conference world, when I present a poster at the INS meeting in St. Louis. The poster is finally complete!! I am simultaneously excited and frightened, as I'm quite certain I won't be able to answer all of the questions (or even most of the questions) asked of me. However, I'm quite good at bullshitting, which should come in handy. :) :) :)
Anyway, that's the update. There's no news to post, as everything is about the JaggerBush, and it's a sunny (though cold) day and I would like to stay in the good mood that I'm in as long as I can. :)
In the News
After a long weekend, I returned to work with A LOT to do, so today I just bring you a few news articles that I found to be notable for one reason or another.
The first two are about stupid, prude, easily-offended Americans:
Fox Blurs Cartoon Rear End on FCC Worries
The latest example of TV network self-censorship because of FCC concerns came a few weeks ago during a rerun of a "Family Guy" cartoon. Fox electronically blurred a character's posterior, even though the image was seen five years ago when the episode originally aired.
Rear end? Posterior? Come on, just say ASS!! ASS ASS ASS ASS ASS ASS ASS!!!!!!
Athens chief fumes at US lewdness claims
Male nudity, a woman's breast and simulated sex were the subjects of shrill complaints about the opening ceremony on August 13 which were posted by the FCC on its Web site.
"Far from being indecent, the opening ceremonies were beautiful, enlightening, uplifting and enjoyable," Angelopoulos wrote in a weekend commentary in the Los Angeles Times titled "Since When is Greece's Culture Obscene?"
Amen Angelopoulos!
This final article is just absurd.
Jaywalkers Get the Wet Blanket
Under the new campaign, about 20 trucks patrol the city with wooden poles attached to damp blankets emblazoned with the warning: "No walking or standing in the streets". People who don't step back onto the kerb are in for a rude shock.
Crazy Bear
Strait-Jacketed Teddy Bear Brings Protests
The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. is featuring a 15-inch bear in a straitjacket. The $69.95 stuffed animal is called the "Crazy for You Bear" and comes with its own commitment papers.
Picture of Bear
While I understand why people in the mental health community are upset by this bear, it still baffles me that THIS is what would raise their ire, and yet they leave untouched all of the HORRIBLE movies that come out every year which, I think, are far more damaging to the view of people with mental illnesses (for example (and this is only to name a small few): "Me, Myself, and Irene", "A Beautiful Mind" (I know MANY people who would disagree with me on this one, but I stand by it), "Don't Say a Word" (mostly, this was just a shitty movie), "Crazy Love", and any movie that seems to have no understanding of the difference between Schizophrenia and MPD). Okay, I had a whole slew more and they have left me...
Let me clarify that I don't have a problem with laughing about serious subjects, such as mental illness, if the humor is done in a way that is not mocking or totally misinformed. The problem with many of the movies to which I refer is that they try to be serious, and totally miss the mark, OR they just make fun of something, which isn't the same as making something funny. Let me throw out a couple of movies that I think succeed in dealing with mental illness successfully (either in a serious or comical way): any movie by Wes Anderson, "Igby Goes Down", "As Good As It Gets", and "Shine". I could go on, however, I'm more interested in other people's opinions. SO...
The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with a movie (or movies) or any other marketable good (such as the stupid expensive bear mentioned above) that YOU feel ONLY encourages the stereotypes of those with mental illness OR that handles the subject with finesse.
Pittsburgh is Famous!!
Okay, only in so far as there is an article about it in the NY Times, but still...
Said article,
Pittsburgh: A Big Happy Company Town predominantly talks about the Steelers success this year.
However, there are some fun quotes in it. A sampling:
"There must be 20 of them [songs dedicated to the Steelers], one worse than the other," said Gene Collier, co-author of a play about Art Rooney, the Steelers' founder. "What is it about the Steelers' success that makes people say, 'Where's my kazoo?' "
Hmm, this reminds me of being in the Strip this past weekend and hearing the "Here We Go" song about 50 times!!
Aside from all the stuff about the Steelers, though, the article has some interesting things to say about the city itself. It's worth the read, I think.
But, for those who are lazy, I'll throw in a few more excerpts:
Even though Pittsburgh has diversified, and the Steelers reflect this resourcefulness, in many ways the city represents America in a rear-view mirror. The region lost 158,000 manufacturing jobs and 289,000 residents between 1970 and 1990, according to Carnegie Mellon University.
Currently, the city faces a deep financial crisis, the N.H.L. players are locked out and the Pirates struggle to maintain relevance against teams in bigger markets, with deeper pockets.
A few words on rapid Steelers fans:
Mrvos, the medical supplies distributor, has the Steelers' logo on his cellular phone and a likeness of goal posts inlaid in the wall of his entertainment room. On game days, he decorates the goal posts with yellow ribbon. He knows of a guy with a black-and-gold car, and of another guy with the names of Steelers greats tattooed on his back.
Several weeks ago, a patient arrived for an appointment wearing a Steelers jacket, a Steelers necklace, a Steelers pinkie ring and a Steelers watch.
"I had to tell him he had lung cancer, but all he worried about was whether the Steelers would win the next week," Landreneau said.
And one more quote from a Pittsburgh native about the Steelers and the city:
"They are the team for all the ones who like the old things," he said. "For all of us who don't want fast food, who don't want to live in a new bedroom community and pay association fees, who don't want progress forced upon us. Pittsburgh is an old place. It feels just right."
Ha ha and other such things
Ashley Simpson Booed at the Orange Bowl
Now, if only the masses would see the light and start booing her sister too, the world would be a happier place.
This is hilarious (and you gotta admit it's pretty freakin' cute as well):
Tortoise Adopts Stray Hippo at Sanctuary
NAIROBI (Reuters) - A 120-year-old giant tortoise living in a Kenyan sanctuary has become inseparable from a baby hippo rescued by game wardens, officials said on Thursday.
My favorite Cubs player when I was young (though I could argue that he was one of two favorites, the other being Mark Grace) is being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Read one of MANY stories
here. Go Ryno!!!!
"Ryne Sandberg earned nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and the 1984 NL MVP. (Michael Conroy/AP)"
In other baseball news, the future of Carlos Beltran is still up in the air. I would be ecstatic if the Cubs were able to acquire him, and only moderately disheartened of the Astros kept him or the Mets got him. However, if the Yankees get Beltran (after snagging Tony Womack and Randy Johnson - two players I like a lot, damn them!!!), I would be very, VERY unhappy. Very very very very!!!
Very.
Yahoo searches
Here are all the things that people searched for on Yahoo that which yielded my blog as a result (just since December 21st, 2004):
- Puff Daddy birthday pictures Paris Hilton
- Maury Povich dressers
- Jorkie dogs
- low rise jeans and thongs and yahoo groups
- office sex euphemisms
- bush- negotiate with myself
- PARIS HILTON Puff Daddy's birthday party (this seems to be a popular one - I think the only thing I ever posted about Paris Hilton was how she started the trend of those stupid skirts!)
- negotiate with myself
I'm sort of curious what a Jorkie dog is? Who knew it was a real word?
After a long hiatus...
I have returned from my travels and survived our New Year's Eve Party (perhaps you will be lucky and I will post pictures in the future).
Much has occurred, but I have not the time to tell all tales now. So, I leave you with a few brief highlights and promise more soon:
*** My Mom got engaged on New Year's Eve (actually, I suppose it was technically New Year's Day). Woo Hoo, go Mom!!
*** Gunther and the Sunshine Girls rocked the house on New Year's Eve. Costume prep was a good time - we raided GoodWill. I got my sunshine girl skirt for $4! Go me!
*** It took me two full days to recover from the bottle and a half of champagne (on top of a Pete-White-Russian, which lasted me two hours - small, small sips).
*** Work today sucked. Normally, it would have been a not-so-bad day, but it was my first day back after a week and a half off, and it sucked!
*** Weather on the way to Illinois was good. Despite the highway closing snow storms that we narrowly missed, the roads were clear and even dry in many places, and we made it there without incident. The leading UP to that trip though is another story. More on that later.
Okay, that's it for now. (Jon just saved me from making a fool of myself because I can't spell...anyone guess what word I had spelled wrong??? I'll give you a hint - Illinois (and Illinois is NOT the word!! that's just the hint!). 'night!
