Sleaziness = ratings

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

The wall-to-wall JonBenet Ramsey coverage is as baffling as it is disgusting. Yes, it’s tragic that a little girl was killed; it always is. But would the news networks consider it as tragic if she weren’t a tiny white [shudder] “beauty queen”? Or if they hadn’t harangued the parents with insinuations of guilt?

Is this story more important than the cease-fire in Lebanon? Than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Than the looming problems of Iran or North Korea? On CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and CTV (all linked above) these stories were buried underneath such breaking news as a chocolate virgin mary and Justin Timberlake dissing the latest American Idol chum*.

I guess I’m not surprised; the networks are just giving the idiots what they want. I’m just disappointed that they all sink to the bottom of the cesspool, hand in hand with smiles on their faces.

* don’t even get me started on the irony.

.:.

Wired has some details about the Microsoft MP3 player (aka, the Zune). If that thing has 80+ GB of storage, I might be getting me one.

[tags]jonbenet ramsey, network coverage, chocolate virgin mary, justin timberlake vs. taylor hicks, zune[/tags]

(It's A) Departure

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Man, the new Long Winters disc Putting The Days To Bed is a disappointment. When I Pretend To Fall just straddled that line between mainstream and interesting so well…but this new one just sounds so boring. Vanilla. Plain. Easy. It’s too bad.

Also too bad: I think the first song on the new Matthew Friedberger disc just gave me a seizure.

[tags]long winters, matthew friedberger[/tags]

Even harder than globalization

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

You know what’s a hard word to type? “Declaration.” Doesn’t look that tricky, but every time I type it I fumble for a second. And since the Doha declaration on the TRIPS agreement and public health is a major part of my paper I’ve been typing it every few minutes.

Speaking of the topic, it’s ironic that I’ve been far too busy the past few days to catch up on the news of what’s happening at the AIDS conference here in Toronto, where these issues have been front and centre. A few blocks away, what I’m writing about is being discussed by some of the most knowledgeable people in the world…yet here I sit, too busy with academia to notice.

[tags]doha declaration, TRIPS, Toronto AIDS conference[/tags]

One more reason to hate country music "artists"

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I wanted to wait until she posted it herself before recounting the news that my friend MLS is now a mom. Congratulations to she, Ed and Kennedy!

.:.

Man Of The Year looks pretty good.

.:.

Ahem. Troy Lee Gentry, as you are a country singer, I have never heard your music. I know nothing about you, public or private. However, if this report turns out to be true, then I feel safe in saying that you, sir, are a cowardly, pathetic bag of shit. You also appear to have no neck. You fucktard.

[tags]baby kennedy, man of the year, redneck twat allegedly shoots helpless bear to compensate for tiny misshapen penis[/tags]

Snapping out of it

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I am not in a good mood. I’m trying to rectify that situation with music. Specifically, this music:

  • “Quito” by the Mountain Goats
  • “Letter From An Occupant” by the New Pornographers
  • “I Want Another Enema” by the Hidden Cameras (note: I meant to select “Mississauga Goddam”, but missed, and can’t be bothered to fix my mistake. Still, this is a reasonably upbeat song, if not exactly the message I’m looking for…)
  • “Soon Enough” by the Constantines.

Those usually do the trick.

UPDATE: nope, those didn’t do it. Added these:

  • “Neighbourhood #1” by the Arcade Fire
  • “Red Sea” by Asobi Seksu
  • “Mystery and Misery” by Rainer Maria
  • “Dry The Rain” by the Beta Band 

Did I mention that I’m listening to them on high volume? Like, really high.
[tags]bad mood, mountain goats, new pornographers, hidden cameras, constantines[/tags]

4.48 Psychosis

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Damn. It’s already gone by, and I was too busy anyway, but I’d liked to’ve seen this Summerworks play: 4.48 Psychosis. I was attracted to it partly because it got a great review in Now Magazine, but also because a very cool Tindersticks song was based on the original play itself and even the song is haunting. It sounds horribly dark and disturbing; I regret not trying to see it.

[tags]4.48 psyychosis, tindersticks, summerworks[/tags]

Antipathy

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I’m having trouble finding motivation. Work is depressing right now; it’s one roadblock after another, and I’m not famous for my patience. I really believe in what I’m doing, and — as haughty/martyrish as this sounds — I feel like I’m one of the few people who’s more concerned with making the customer’s life better than with playing politics or just punching the clock. I guess everything happens slowly in huge traditional risk-averse companies, and being aware of the fact doesn’t make it any less frustrating. I’m trying to find a way around it, but it feels like every day I go to work, scramble to keep up with all the things coming at me, and when I go home I haven’t made a difference. I keep pushing, and there are good people around me pushing too, but feeling outnumbered at work every day is a hard way to live life.

.:.

Life at home isn’t really a respite these days either. I’m on autopilot right now; between trying to run 5 times a week (2-3 miles at a go) and spending 3 hours a night working on this term paper, I feel like I’m on a schedule from the minute I get home. I see my wife for the few minutes that I eat dinner and when we crawl into bed. Good thing this paper’s due in two weeks; after that we can settle into the happy insanity of the film festival. It’s some of the best quality time I get to spend with her all year, ’cause for those 10 days we’re a) on exactly the same schedule, and b) spending hours in line with nothing to do but talk. I think I look forward to that as much as the films. There’s an inspirational quote in there somewhere: “Lineups are better when you love the person you’re standing next to.” Awwwwwwwwwwww.

[tags]motivation[/tags]