I've started posting on a messageboard again: this one. A bit of a change. It's been a while, and when I have been active before on a board it has usually been one about computing or comics But the theme of this one is not really relevant to this blog entry. One more chatty thread is about pet peeves. I have my share.
Oh boy do I have my share.
I try not to go off about them, though. Best not to pour gasoline on a fire, ya know. It's not that I can't do heated discussions. I handle myself well enough but tend to "go for blood". NOT a good way to win hearts and minds. And who needs the aggravation?
The question plays into something I've been thinking about recently. One little phrase. I'm not sure if the nature of the phrase or the fact that it is apparently accepted usage annoys me more. Whatever "zone" I'm in the phrase stops me short and gets me worked up.
That phrase is "confined to a wheelchair".
It would be extraordinarily simple not to use this. I'm not talking some convoluted new terminology. How about "uses"? Instead of "Bob is confined to a wheelchair", "Bob uses a wheelchair"? Did anyone fail to understand that second sentence?
So, simple to make a diffferent usage choice. The natural question is "why bother?". I'm not asking for anyones self esteem to be artificially propped up. This isn't like "differently abled" (which is an abomination in its own right). I have two problems with "confined to a wheelchair".
The first is that it doesn't make a lick of sense. Let's look at our hypothetical Bob again. Bob cannot get from A to B under his own legpower. So he uses a wheelchair to accomplish that. How is this confinement? Seems to me he has more mobility with than without. Most of us cannot get from one town to another 30 miles away without some kind of transport. Are we therefore "confined"? In a way yes, but "confined to a bus" is hardly common, let alone accepted, usage.
As an aside, these are good questions to ask those who rail against "political correctness". If anyone hasn't caught on that PC is a straw man created by the political right (and yes, there are examples of people taking the idea of speaking about/treating each other decently to extremes, but what falsehood is not at least a little grounded in truth?), the ear-deafening silence surrounding this phrase might be instructive.
The second aspect is the one that really gets at why "confined" is problematical. Back to Bob. I tell you that Bob uses a wheelchair. Why is it accepted usage to do so entirely from the standpoint of someone who does not? Again, lets look at travel. Except this time we're going to the UK. Maybe to catch some Premiership matches or something. If we're starting where I am now (north central US), chances are we will be taking an airplane. Could it be said we are confined to an airplane? It could, but should it? Maybe that is true from the point of view of a gull or something, but I don't see why that gull's point of reference should be more important than ours when WE ARE THE ONES BEING TALKED ABOUT. Perhaps the gull thinks requiring a mobility aid for transAtlantic travel is terribly confining. But should that gull's perspective trump the travellers?
I answer no ... but this blog entry is questions. Not answers.
Because the more questions you ask, the more you know. Eventually.
And knowing is half the battle.
Totally gratuitous 80s cartoon reference there. I know.
And knowing ...
I already said that.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Tony Randall II
I forgot something.
In my last post I asserted that two themes I saw in "Tony Randall" by Bikini Kill were complimentary, but I never really supported that assertation. One very important rule of doing this sort of criticism or analysis is "go to the text". Support claims with the work itself rather than just suggesting them. But I wasn't just pulling stuff out of thin air and expecting it to be believed.
As the song ends the line "some things can't be photographed" repeats several times. In neither pop culture artifacts nor the folks (on and off stage) in a strip club are the reality of the thing portrayed. Felix and Oscar do not (indeed can not) represent the entirety of such a friendship. Someone gyrating on stage does not (can not) present a whole image of that person.
Follow that?
Good. We can put away our textbooks and reenter the world where a cigar is just a cigar.
One reason I posted the "Tony Randall" without completing my thought is that I was just so thrilled to actually get to a point where I had something to post. Yeah, I've been sort of neglecting my blog lately. The reason may be surprising. The solution even more so.
That's a cliffhanger there. Intentionally. Tune in next time. Same bat-time, same bat- uh ....
blog?
In my last post I asserted that two themes I saw in "Tony Randall" by Bikini Kill were complimentary, but I never really supported that assertation. One very important rule of doing this sort of criticism or analysis is "go to the text". Support claims with the work itself rather than just suggesting them. But I wasn't just pulling stuff out of thin air and expecting it to be believed.
As the song ends the line "some things can't be photographed" repeats several times. In neither pop culture artifacts nor the folks (on and off stage) in a strip club are the reality of the thing portrayed. Felix and Oscar do not (indeed can not) represent the entirety of such a friendship. Someone gyrating on stage does not (can not) present a whole image of that person.
Follow that?
Good. We can put away our textbooks and reenter the world where a cigar is just a cigar.
One reason I posted the "Tony Randall" without completing my thought is that I was just so thrilled to actually get to a point where I had something to post. Yeah, I've been sort of neglecting my blog lately. The reason may be surprising. The solution even more so.
That's a cliffhanger there. Intentionally. Tune in next time. Same bat-time, same bat- uh ....
blog?
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Tony Randall
Tony Randall is probably best known for playing the role of neat freak Felix Unger on the sitcom The Odd Couple. If I really tried I could probably use that fact as an intro to a discussion of something 'heavy' like theoretical physics or something. Think about it: Felix was ultra-orderly, his roommate Oscar was a slob. Order vs. Chaos, anyone? But that won't happen here. I don't wanna talk about Tony Randall the actor. I'm gonna talk about Tony Randall the song.
Tony Randall is a song by west coast riot grrrl legends Bikini Kill. It is somewhat atypical - more sing-songy than a guitar-driven bombast. Thematically it fits in well with other more aggresive tracks.
I see two major themes running through this song. (Your mileage may vary. Part of the fun of this sort of thing. Don't tell me I'm wrong - PROVE IT. Won't hurt my feelings. Promise:) )
First theme: popular culture often gives a skewed view of the way things are. Or in the words of the lyrics: "false history". Ironically, this skew can be enlightening. The lies we tell often say as much about us as the truths.
Second theme: (and this is totally complimentary to the first) a mismatch betweeen the intention of certain situations and the intentions of some that would take advantage of those situations.
I'm referring to the couplet "this is a punk club/Not a strip bar". We came here for music (cribbing from Comsolidaed there :) ), not to provide eye candy.
And, this being my blog, I have examples from my own life. Examples are good. We like examples.
I'll spare you the example involving Arch Enemy's We Will Rise. I tried writing that but couldn't get it to come out right. So you just get the second, more self-effacing example. Or as I affectionatly think of it, "why Dave is an absolute failure at picking women up at bars/shows/whatever".
This is a long standing phenomenon with me. If I go out to listen to a band (and I rarely go out for any other non-work reason), I'm there to LISTEN TO A BAND. I'm more likely to ask someone to leave me alone than I am to get to know them. Doesn't really do much for my social life.
But at least I always have a REALLY good answer for "how was the show?"
Tony Randall is a song by west coast riot grrrl legends Bikini Kill. It is somewhat atypical - more sing-songy than a guitar-driven bombast. Thematically it fits in well with other more aggresive tracks.
I see two major themes running through this song. (Your mileage may vary. Part of the fun of this sort of thing. Don't tell me I'm wrong - PROVE IT. Won't hurt my feelings. Promise:) )
First theme: popular culture often gives a skewed view of the way things are. Or in the words of the lyrics: "false history". Ironically, this skew can be enlightening. The lies we tell often say as much about us as the truths.
Second theme: (and this is totally complimentary to the first) a mismatch betweeen the intention of certain situations and the intentions of some that would take advantage of those situations.
I'm referring to the couplet "this is a punk club/Not a strip bar". We came here for music (cribbing from Comsolidaed there :) ), not to provide eye candy.
And, this being my blog, I have examples from my own life. Examples are good. We like examples.
I'll spare you the example involving Arch Enemy's We Will Rise. I tried writing that but couldn't get it to come out right. So you just get the second, more self-effacing example. Or as I affectionatly think of it, "why Dave is an absolute failure at picking women up at bars/shows/whatever".
This is a long standing phenomenon with me. If I go out to listen to a band (and I rarely go out for any other non-work reason), I'm there to LISTEN TO A BAND. I'm more likely to ask someone to leave me alone than I am to get to know them. Doesn't really do much for my social life.
But at least I always have a REALLY good answer for "how was the show?"
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Phone fun
I'm actually starting to have fun with my phone.
It was really just a matter of reorienting my expectations. I was getting so frustrated at difficulty doing what I wanted to do a certain way that I was losing track of the bigger goal - using the phone in a way that improves my day-to-day existence. I don't have trouble getting things from my phone to my computer at all, so ...
I've added on an unlimited data plan and mostly worked the kinks out. During downtime at work or whatever I've been keeping up with some mp3 blogs I just don't have time to otherwise. If I hear something I like I save it to a storage card for easy transfer to my desktop. Makes it a lot easier to get a feel for what is out there when the majority of the download happens while I am doing something else.
If anyone still thinks mp3 blogs are evil, don't forget ... I TOOK A DAY OFF WORK to buy the US release of We Are The Pipettes, even though I already had mp3 copies of 13 or 14 of the 16 tracks on it. Make something I want, and it is very likely I'll go to some length to support the artist, even a little bit.
As usual, surfing the net leads to some unexpected places. The other day I ended up reading about various 'flavors' of feminism. Didn't set out to ... was just following links. Helped me make some stuff kicking around my mind more concrete, though. I've been toying with a critical/social theory of disability (it's the sort of thing us over educated liberals think is fun). Why? Why not. Helps me articulate my experiences to put them in a more formal framework.
Speaking of concrete experience, got a little more than I would like this past week. My left leg decided that moving in a useable manner just wasn't something it wanted to do. My legs are usually a bit stiff, but this was that exponentially. The very definition of "stiff as a board". Identified what was possibly going on, dealt with it, but still. Missed 2 days of work. Hard to go to work when you can't walk down the hallway to your desk.
Ah, the stuff I have to put up with sometimes.
It was really just a matter of reorienting my expectations. I was getting so frustrated at difficulty doing what I wanted to do a certain way that I was losing track of the bigger goal - using the phone in a way that improves my day-to-day existence. I don't have trouble getting things from my phone to my computer at all, so ...
I've added on an unlimited data plan and mostly worked the kinks out. During downtime at work or whatever I've been keeping up with some mp3 blogs I just don't have time to otherwise. If I hear something I like I save it to a storage card for easy transfer to my desktop. Makes it a lot easier to get a feel for what is out there when the majority of the download happens while I am doing something else.
If anyone still thinks mp3 blogs are evil, don't forget ... I TOOK A DAY OFF WORK to buy the US release of We Are The Pipettes, even though I already had mp3 copies of 13 or 14 of the 16 tracks on it. Make something I want, and it is very likely I'll go to some length to support the artist, even a little bit.
As usual, surfing the net leads to some unexpected places. The other day I ended up reading about various 'flavors' of feminism. Didn't set out to ... was just following links. Helped me make some stuff kicking around my mind more concrete, though. I've been toying with a critical/social theory of disability (it's the sort of thing us over educated liberals think is fun). Why? Why not. Helps me articulate my experiences to put them in a more formal framework.
Speaking of concrete experience, got a little more than I would like this past week. My left leg decided that moving in a useable manner just wasn't something it wanted to do. My legs are usually a bit stiff, but this was that exponentially. The very definition of "stiff as a board". Identified what was possibly going on, dealt with it, but still. Missed 2 days of work. Hard to go to work when you can't walk down the hallway to your desk.
Ah, the stuff I have to put up with sometimes.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Naughty device
I haven't posted anything in awhile. You may be wondering why. No, I didn't get so busy looking for music that I couldn't do anything else with my computer. I finally got my phone, and now I've been spending most of my computer time dealing with a naughty device.
The plan was simple - transfer files between my computer and my phone with a SD card, a medium both are supposed to be able to read. I say 'supposed to', because my Linux box is having trouble with it. It reads it just fine - I can get stuff from the phone to the computer using my plan. The other way though ... I can't for the life of me get my computer to write on the memory card. Some might point to this sort of thing as a reason to abandon Linux and rejoin the Windows monoculture.
But the problem I am having is not Linux' fault. See, I have a naughty device.
The card reader I have - an essentially unbranded generic device - would be a tremendous value if I could get it to work. It cost me all of 6 bucks for the reader/writer itself.
But with cheap hardware you often get coner-cutting. And here the corner cut was testing the reader on a variety of devices.
My understanding (and it took an awful lot of investigation to even get this scant info) is that many cheaper card readers will broadcast that they support standards that they do not. Thus, when the operating system believes what it is being told by the card reader and tries to communicate in full compliance with the standards the device CLAIMS TO SUPPORT - well, confusion results. And, apparently, eternal write protection.
Here's the kicker: Windows machines do not even try to use these particular communication standards - standards fully specified for the device! If the item is only tested on Windows and is not entirely supporting the standards it claims - well, you would never know.
So, it is the device itself that is naughty. Not (for once) Windows. Not Linux.
My naughty device.
THE MORAL: you should spend more than 6 bucks on pieces of computer hardware.
The plan was simple - transfer files between my computer and my phone with a SD card, a medium both are supposed to be able to read. I say 'supposed to', because my Linux box is having trouble with it. It reads it just fine - I can get stuff from the phone to the computer using my plan. The other way though ... I can't for the life of me get my computer to write on the memory card. Some might point to this sort of thing as a reason to abandon Linux and rejoin the Windows monoculture.
But the problem I am having is not Linux' fault. See, I have a naughty device.
The card reader I have - an essentially unbranded generic device - would be a tremendous value if I could get it to work. It cost me all of 6 bucks for the reader/writer itself.
But with cheap hardware you often get coner-cutting. And here the corner cut was testing the reader on a variety of devices.
My understanding (and it took an awful lot of investigation to even get this scant info) is that many cheaper card readers will broadcast that they support standards that they do not. Thus, when the operating system believes what it is being told by the card reader and tries to communicate in full compliance with the standards the device CLAIMS TO SUPPORT - well, confusion results. And, apparently, eternal write protection.
Here's the kicker: Windows machines do not even try to use these particular communication standards - standards fully specified for the device! If the item is only tested on Windows and is not entirely supporting the standards it claims - well, you would never know.
So, it is the device itself that is naughty. Not (for once) Windows. Not Linux.
My naughty device.
THE MORAL: you should spend more than 6 bucks on pieces of computer hardware.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
One Weekend Under AGroove: The Chalets
And the winner is ...
[drumroll]
You know, this would be a lot more suspenseful if I hadn't put the band's name in the title of the post.
THE CHALETS
Official Site
MySpace
Wikipedia
The Chalets are my favorite of the bands I was introduced to during 'One Weekend Under A Groove'. Although I had heard the name before (and even mentioned them here on the blog!), I hadn't actually heard the band.
Hoo boy was I missing out. This is what happens when the only way to acquire a disc is to pop for a $30 import. Folks generally aren't going to want something they've never heard. Yeah, there's Itunes and stuff, but 'haven't heard it=don't know if I want it' still applies. And some of us want the liner notes and disc artwork you don't get with itunes. Scans just aren't the same as the actual physical object.
I'm thinking $30 might just be worth it here. The Chalets deal with many of the things I like in music.
... and did I mention lots of female vocals?
If you doubt any of what I just said, just watch this video (yes, I've been messing around YouTube again). It's kinda goofy at times, but that just adds to its charm.
Second place in this non-contest went to The Long Blondes, whom I covered the other day. Long term I can see them overtaking the Chalets in my affections, but for now they come in second.
---------------
Other parts of my life didn't stop while I screwed around listening to music. Been building up a backlog of non-music topics to cover here. Also things are in the works that could either be really cool or horribly disappointing. We'll see. And no, this has nothing to do with women.
Well, only sort of ....
[drumroll]
You know, this would be a lot more suspenseful if I hadn't put the band's name in the title of the post.
THE CHALETS
Official Site
MySpace
Wikipedia
The Chalets are my favorite of the bands I was introduced to during 'One Weekend Under A Groove'. Although I had heard the name before (and even mentioned them here on the blog!), I hadn't actually heard the band.
Hoo boy was I missing out. This is what happens when the only way to acquire a disc is to pop for a $30 import. Folks generally aren't going to want something they've never heard. Yeah, there's Itunes and stuff, but 'haven't heard it=don't know if I want it' still applies. And some of us want the liner notes and disc artwork you don't get with itunes. Scans just aren't the same as the actual physical object.
I'm thinking $30 might just be worth it here. The Chalets deal with many of the things I like in music.
- Lots of female vocals. Not exclusively in this case, but lots.
- Harmony. Lots of it. Most of the Chalet songs I've heard are sung by two or more vocalists harmonizing.
- Plenty of guitar. The Chalets don't exactly shred, but often songs are built around a strong, central guitar riff.
- Great pop songwriting. Those guitar riffs back songs which have a great rhythym and flow. There is the occasional misstep (see "Love Punch"), but the writing is usually solid.
- Fun. This is difficult to quantify, but the band seems to really be enjoying itself.
... and did I mention lots of female vocals?
If you doubt any of what I just said, just watch this video (yes, I've been messing around YouTube again). It's kinda goofy at times, but that just adds to its charm.
Second place in this non-contest went to The Long Blondes, whom I covered the other day. Long term I can see them overtaking the Chalets in my affections, but for now they come in second.
---------------
Other parts of my life didn't stop while I screwed around listening to music. Been building up a backlog of non-music topics to cover here. Also things are in the works that could either be really cool or horribly disappointing. We'll see. And no, this has nothing to do with women.
Well, only sort of ....
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