Protoculture
29-Nov-04
Monoculture
28-Nov-04
I was reading over some material this weekend regarding the steady dwindling of ownership of the various mass media outlets and a thought occurred to me. Time was, my standard example of the effect of consolidation in mass media was boy-band-ism, the development and marketing of absolute lowest-common denominator pop music. I think I’m going to start tossing off a new example:
Openly biased, political news media
It is no coincidence that even the mainstream media is reporting on corporations and news organizations taking on an openly political bias. As they have less and less to fear from consumers, and need to sate those regulators who would keep them in power, becoming more propagandistic is a given. I’m sure Noam Chomsky has said something similar.
My point being: Less competition, fewer voices, no one to make those voices stop. Of course, the whole system of FCC governed private tv ownership is pretty fucked up anyway…but that is for another post.
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Popularity: 7% [?]
Battlestar Galactica
24-Nov-04
At some point I’d like to write in more detail about the SciFi series Battlestar Galactica, but right now I’ll settle for telling you to find it by any means necessary and watch it. It may be the best show ever. EVER!
[Listening to: Nine Million Rainy Days - Jesus & Mary Chain, The - Darklands (4:28)]
Popularity: 7% [?]
Housekeeeping
16-Nov-04
Did some major cleanup today. Reorganized posts, made some new categories, changed some old ones, and placed a “Categories” and “Recent Comments” section in the sidebar.
That last thing I’d like to do is add this Itunes Now Playing plugin, but I have no idea where to even begin.
Update
Got the Now Playing plugin working! Hopefully some album art will be showing up in the old sidebar.
[Listening to: A Rose For Emily - Zombies, The - Christmas Comp (2:19)]
Popularity: 12% [?]
That Pittsburgh Funk
16-Nov-04
Despite outcries to the contrary, Pittsburgh does indeed smell. Is it possible that my being from another city, an old coal city high up in the mountains of NEPA, that said smell is more apparent to my (large) nose than others? Dawn claims not to notice. In fact almost no one I know seems to notice, but let me tell you something: On the misty, humid evenings this city can’t seem to avoid, a sewer-esque stench descends upon us, and it fills our homes, our streets, our hearts and minds. Initially I figured it was just the rising funk of the college kids in South Oakland, until I moved. That smell is everywhere I have ever been. With almost no industrial production left in the city itself, one wonders why the smell persists. Why the smell Pittsburgh? Why?
Popularity: 6% [?]
Halo Fu
15-Nov-04
I never thought I’d say it, but much to Dawn’s chagrin I am really enjoying Halo 2. The narrative is engrossing enough to keep me interested in continuing, and the enemy ai- even in Normal mode- really feels like I’m fighting against more than cpu controlled bots. There’s just a lot more personality than I’d ever thought I’d see in a bunch of essentially faceless space marines and aliens. I guess it helps so far that this time the marines do in fact have faces (at least for a little while), and some of them have David Cross’ voice.
Having never really touched Halo, I was surprised by the turns the plot takes. One scene has me in some type of Covenant lab with nasty creatures reassembling themselves after lasers cut them apart, over and over and over. As I saw a laser slowly sawing through one of these things while peaking through a doorway I was actually a little horrified. The whole level is really creepy.
Another thing Halo 2 really succeeds in is scope. As you hop in vehicles or jump down into 3 story tall walking tanks, you really feel like you are in the middle of something amazingly huge.
Who knew? (Everyone but me)
Popularity: 8% [?]
Portable. Yes, portable.
09-Nov-04
Despair
04-Nov-04
I am trying very hard not to despair.
I am trying not to think the worst is coming, that the majority of americans actually wish discrimination upon their fellow countrymen.
I am trying not to think that we are going to openly declare our intent on Empire.
I am trying not to think that our environment is going to get worse and that our cost of living will go up.
I am trying not to think that the world, which held its breath until yesterday, is now ready to fight against our country.
I am trying not to think that a majority in our nation believe that there should be no separation of church and state, and all the discrimination and disparity that will entail.
I am trying not to think that we are steadily allowing superstition and fear to rule our lives.
I am trying not to think that the vote was stolen quietly by Diebold, Sequoia and Electronic Systems & Software. By their black boxes that don’t allow for a manual recount.
I am trying not to think about all the voters whose votes, regardless of the outcome, simply did not count. Because they sent in absentee ballots (fearful they would be turned away from the polls, or that electronic voting devices would not properly report their vote). Because 135000 people were challenged in Ohio and had to cast provisional ballots. Ballots that will not be counted.
These are things I’m trying not to think about.
Yet, I can not.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Early Rise
01-Nov-04
I’ve been trying to wake up at 6AM to exercise for almost too years now, with varying degrees of success. This morning I woke up and had a visit with Maya. Successful. Yet, as you can see below, I will now suffer throughout the day because of my attempt at body/schedule restructure.
I am at my most alert when being chased by a bear. Waking up at 6am leaves me at roughly 55% awareness/responsiveness. Running at 55%, I am prone to dropping things, bumping things, forgetting things and general crankiness (or more so than usual anyway).
Please see the attached chart:
Popularity: 6% [?]