Category Uncategorized

Apr 21 2010

Professional foreigners

Let me start by telling you that while I live in America, and am a citizen, I was born in England.  As a foreigner myself, I tend to notice the behavior of other foreigners, and frequently I’m embarrassed to be in this group.

Some people are what I call “professional foreigners”.  They are so inordinately proud of their roots, that they feel they have to constantly pay tribute to the country of their birth.   This includes bumper stickers, waving flags, and refusing to learn the local language.  So I always wonder, if their mother country is really so wonderful, why are they not living there?  I never thought of myself of that much of a Patriot, but I find it rude when people come to America, then start extolling the virtues of some place else.  I don’t go around waving the Union Jack, and wearing my nationality on my sleeve.  Why do they?

This behavior extends to some religious types as well.  Do I really need to have their heritage or beliefs thrust into my face?  I don’t do that to others.  The same courtesy in return would be much appreciated.

Apr 15 2010

Immune System Research

Here’s a very interesting (and short) article I ran across:

GatorAIDS: Why Isn’t It in You? | Discoblog | Discover Magazine

This isn’t the first I have heard of this, but it’s a nice short summary.  In essence, Alligators have the most amazing immune systems.  They are tolerant to all kinds of filthy bacteria-filled water, and they rarely get infections due to cuts, scrapes, or even limbs ripped off in a fight.  This is pretty powerful stuff, and we should be researching this in earnest.  Apparently, the problem is how to “dilute” these anti-bacterial agents so that they won’t kill a less sturdy host (like us).  If we can figure out how to do that, we’d have a whole new range of antibiotics.  Or, as some have said, even better would be to figure out how to amp up our protection systems to that level.  This would probably be very helpful for AIDS and other immune-deficient human problems.  Why do we not hear more about this?  Are drug companies scared of eroding their profits?

Apr 14 2010

Low riding pants – time for something else?

Fashions come and go.  In the ’70s, the bell bottom pants and polyester saturday-night-fever suits were king.  Fortunately, that fad has passed.  I’m wondering when the ultra-baggy low-riding pants with underwear sticking out all around the top will go away.  Isn’t it time?  Isn’t it just plain laughable anyway?  I mean, this is popular with young adults who think the whole gangsta thing is wonderful (don’t get me started).  But really, if that is your chosen path, wouldn’t you want to streamline your wardrobe so that you can easily run from the cops, or fight rival gangs without tripping or having to use only one hand while the other holds up your pants?  Wouldn’t it be preferable to strike terror into your victims and opponents, or is the goal to have them disabled by laughing fits?

Skinheads wearing properly fitting jeans and t-shirts are much more intimidating.  Bikers with their custom-tailored leathers are functional, recognizable, and intimidating also.  Dorks with their underwear sticking out just aren’t, no matter how many contorted gang signs they do with their fingers, or how well-rehearsed their scowl is.

I think we could assist this absurd fashion trend into obscurity by laughing and pointing whenever a Dork is present.  If everybody did this, the peer pressure would be phenomenal.  But no, of course we couldn’t do that.  We’re all trying way to hard to be Politically Correct … sigh

Apr 8 2010

Renaissance Faire starts this weekend

Renaissance Pleasure Faire starts this weekend in sunny California!  Hot tip: They have discounts on their website, with 2-for-one tickets for this Saturday’s opening-day fun.  Faire is in operation every weekend until May 23.  Be sure to bring sunscreen!

If you haven’t ever attended one of these events, you really should.  It’s a lot of fun, although frequently cheesy and campy, and you do have to endure the horrible British accents the actors try to do.

Apr 2 2010

Sex Sells

In the immortal words of Joe Jackson (singer/songwriter):

“God, if you’re up there, listen to my prayer.  In future man should have a different design.  Give him a switch so he can turn off his libido now, give him a tranquilizer built into his mind”

I always thought that was a great lyric, and it ties in so well with today’s musings.

It’s a common truism that “sex sells”, whether to men or women (though I tend to believe that it’s possibly more effective on men).  We see ads all the time with some scantily clad person cleverly juxtaposed with the product being sold.  Frequently, the person has absolutely nothing to do with the product.  Are we really that easily swayed by these advertising agencies?  One would hope not.  I actually find it irritating when this tact is so blatantly taken, and will click away, or turn the page, or whatever, intentionally not reading the ad copy.  Pttttthhhht! So THERE! :-p

Mar 31 2010

Mattress doubles in weight in 8 years?

There are a bunch of ads floating around trying to scare consumers into buying vacuum cleaners, mattress treatment products, and new mattresses.  The claim is that your mattress will double in weight in 8 or 10 years, presumably due to skin flakes, bedbugs, dust, and other debris.  Well, that not only sounds disgusting, but … yes! Inane!

Here’s a great article I ran across on it:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2545/does-a-mattress-double-its-weight-due-to-dust-mites-and-their-debris

Be sure to read all the way to the bottom – good advice for scientists there.  But, if you don’t feel like linking over there, the bottom line is: Not true.

Mar 30 2010

Music marketing / acceptance in America

I love music.  Those of you who checked out my Slacker station probably have some idea of my eclectic taste.  I play drums and sing, and have been making music since the late ’70s.  It’s a wonderful hobby!  As a musician myself, I am probably a bit more sympathetic than most in regards to other musicians and their ability or inability to “make it”.

I find it unfortunate that many times, artists are not able to succeed in the American market.  I’m not sure whether this is due to US record labels and their modus operandi, or whether it is the American consumers not liking “the product”.  Frequently, artists who struggle here are able to find much better acceptance and sales overseas; specifically in England, Germany and Japan.  I wonder why?  From a selfish point of view, this means that some really great music is not readily available in this country, and neither are concerts by those artists.

Of course, I have a couple of examples for your edification:

Tony Carey – This very versatile artist was born in Turlock, California, in 1953.  He currently has released over 30 albums, but is still not well known in the USA.  He has done very well in the German marketplace, and as a result, he has moved to Germany.  In the ’70s, he was releasing albums under both his name, and “Planet P Project” in order to circumvent record label restrictions on putting out too many albums per year (they didn’t want to confuse the buying public).  He plays multiple instruments and has a very expressive voice.  His style is difficult to quantify; The Planet P material is more sci-fi in concept, but his other material ranges from country, to pop, rock, and just about everything in between.  It’s marvelous to see an artist who doesn’t feel they have to keep grinding out the same old stuff, in the same old style all the time.

Joe Baiza – He is a punk/funk/jazz guitarist from California.  His style is jazz-rock, but more free-form than the structured rock usually heard.  Joe is usually part of the LA scene, but hasn’t been able to have as much success here as he has in Germany.  He has been part of several talented bands; Universal Congress Of, Mecolodiacs, Saccharine Trust to name a few.  Granted, his high-energy improv driven music isn’t for everybody, but why do more people in Europe know him than in the US?

Kevin Gilbert – One of the many struggling, incredibly talented artists who was unable to really “make it big” in the American music scene.  Sadly, he died at a young age.  One has to wonder if he would have found the audience he needed overseas, but as far as I know he did not have an opportunity to explore in that direction.

Here is an interesting article on the music scene in Japan.  Apparently, credit cards are not trusted there, and so on-line ordering is not popular.  People pay cash for physical CDs, usually around $22 each.  You’d think that with lower cost in the US, people would take more chances on artists than in Japan, but that is opposite from reality.

Mar 26 2010

One Rule for a Flat Stomach!

You know those really annoying ads you see all the time on the web “One Rule for a Flat Stomach”, or “Teeth whitening for free discovered by a Mom”?  It’s incredible that something so simple, and in the latter case free, is showing up in paid ads all over the place.  The budget for this advertising must be impressive.  Have you ever wondered what these are all about?

I did, but refused to click on the silly things just on principle.  Crabby McSlacker did some great research for us all on the Flat Stomach ads – check out her post!

As you might guess, these ads are just amazingly well-funded scams.  Read the comments below her post too, some are very funny.  I like the “Bender Ball” one by NeverSayDiet, and “Dr J’s” comment on “dropped 50 pounds this week”.  However, “Tom Rooney” did the best one – search for “bat guano”.

So what about the Teeth Whitening one?  Well, yours truly did the research on that one for your edification and enjoyment.  The scam is that some Mom somewhere tried two free sample products (they give you the link to both – the actual products vary depending on which ad you click), and found that the combination of these whitened her teeth as good as expensive treatments from a dentist (which she couldn’t afford because she’s a single mom, unemployed, has only one leg, etc.)  The empathy factor goes off the scale on this one folks.  I guess they are hoping that nobody will remember that every so often, some Mom-chemist like this gets the bright idea to combine Ammonia and Bleach for a really extra-clean punch, produces Chlorine gas (whoa – who knew?), and ends up dead or in the hospital.

Anyhow, ranting aside, the scam is to get you to try free samples from two companies and presumably you’ll buy more, and at the very least will get on their mailing list.

This reminds me of the old commercials from the ’70s: “4 out of 5 Dentists agree”.  The funny thing is, half the time, the product they were selling had nothing to do with teeth.  I frequently use this same technique to add qualification to an opinion I have, so that people will believe me more easily.  I use “4 out of 5 Dentists agree”, and “Proctologist and wife both agree”.  I get mixed results – go figure.

Mar 25 2010

CNN: Good old Rick

As you probably know by my previous postings, I don't watch the news.  Where I work, however, they have CNN on the TV in the lunchroom.  Rick Sanchez has a show on at that time, and occasionally I watch a little (though with the very poor subtitles as there is no audio).  Rick seems to be a pretty good guy, and is reasonably even-handed when doing interviews and so forth, so I don't fault him personally.  However, I just don't get the point of the whole dang show.  They like to say "it's YOUR newscast!" and that it is interactive news which is "audience driven".  It seems to me that this takes newscasting's already shaky credibility and drops what little was left right down the toilet.  Why on earth does anybody care what "Joe from Pacoima" thinks… about anything?  I sure don't.  I don't know Joe, and since I've noticed that people who call in to talk shows and so forth usually are idiots, I inherently don't trust Joe's opinion.  I can get the same unqualified drivel from the myriad of blogs on the web.  Um, like this one.  I guess.  Anyhow, my point is that it's not "news" if it's stories which seem more appropriate for Jerry Springer, focusing on the hype and trivialities, and supported by commentary from Joe Q. Public.  Where's the credibility?

Oh yea, and the show is really into Tweets.  BZZZZZZTTTT! Ring up no sale.  Say no more, Squire!

Update: Apparently CNN felt the same way – Rick's show is no more.