I dig both Dylan and Scorsese, so I'll be very interested to see this when it's finished in 2005.
Indeed it does. Those of us unfortunate enough to have been landed with this characterless currency now have no other choice, no coin to pull out of a drawer and entertain a child with, musing about how you got it as well as the old geezer who threw it at you. Another example of the way in which our society is being standardised in order to make us all wear the school uniform. And that’s not all. The responsibility of retailers all over Europe to refrain from taking the piss was also flouted, and has been ignored by virtually every European government. So why aren’t the public so arsed that they are being taken for a ride?
It seems a lot of them have hit the comfort zone anyway. The apathy that has ensued is staggering. People are now just prepared to have it thrown at them and bite the bullet when they feel the pinch. The idea that a lot of them are fearful of change is perhaps true, but if the change means standardisation to something ‘safe’ which they can all feel secure with, then they will jump at the chance. But somebody somewhere has to be doing very well out of all this, and I think I know who this somebody is. A banal theory perhaps, but European governments and European retailers would surely benefit from a little mutual back rubbing, wouldn’t they? Retailers do well, the economy does well. The economy does well, the government does well. The government offers favourable improvement grants to shop owners to appease them. But remember, this is all allegedly and a theory in my fecund mind, a mind which is able to tell the difference between two Euros sixty cents and three Euros ten cents. It isn’t that hard, even for somebody like me who is not the most observant at times and who basically lives in a fog. They even tried to simplify matters by stating the price in old currency next to the price in new in January of 2002, a month after introducing significant price rises. Shite though it is, the supermarket was the last place I thought I’d be stiffed, given that we need food to survive. I’m sure the powers that be in the business world are also feeling it though, bless.
So the idea of standardisation seems to appeal to the public, which doesn’t bode well for the future. And all the governments of Europe now know this. I did try and see the benefits of the new school uniform, collecting all foreign Euro coins and saving them. But because they look the same as the shite I have in my pocket every day, they soon lost their appeal. So even that small pleasure was quickly dispensed with once I discovered that a loaf of bread was now costing me the equivalent of various limbs. My local baker may well be wondering where all the Greek and Finnish Euro coins came from. Hmmm, could that be the same pocket that paid for his new shop front?
Fuck standardisation.
The news that we get here in these United States is often vastly different than what is reported elsewhere in the world. (Not that Europa doesn't have it's fair share of distractions...)
And so in an effort to put the 'World' back in www, glossolalia would like to introduce [echoplex]"Views From Around the World"[/echoplex]
Our man in Europe, mickstar, brought this little bit of tech-ish dirt to my attention. A UK spin on a US story, true, but isn't it nice to know that open Bill Gates distain is universal?
[16:46] mick: i have a gag, but maybe it;s the wrong time
[16:47] sockmonkey: oh what?
[16:47] mick: you sure? you are at work you know
[16:47] sockmonkey: are you getting sensible on me now?
[16:47] mick: fair enough
[16:47] sockmonkey: you????
[16:47] sockmonkey: who is this????
[16:47] mick: here goes...
[16:47] sockmonkey: ...
[16:47] mick: egg and bacon in the pan...
[16:47] mick: the egg says "cor, hot in here innit?"
[16:48] mick: the bacon says "fuk me! a talking egg!"
[16:48] mick: bum bum
[16:48] sockmonkey: ...
Masked Politician Arrives for Work
May 6, 10:02 AM (ET)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Defying critics who called it "indecent," a Japanese wrestler-turned-politician turned up for his first day at work on Tuesday sporting a vividly patterned mask.
Formerly a wrestler known as "The Great Sasuke," Masanori Murakawa won fame -- and a seat in a local assembly in northern Japan -- wearing a similar mask.
"I have absolutely no intention of taking it off, no matter how much opposition there is," the otherwise conservatively dressed Murakawa told journalists before taking his place in the council chamber in Iwate, 290 miles north of Tokyo.
He had attempted to defuse criticism by choosing a mask that revealed more of his face than before -- and which featured the emblem of the region picked out in gold on the side.
Not all local voters were impressed.
"Before you know it prefectural civil servants will all be wearing masks too," one Iwate council employee grumbled.
You may have noticed a lack of entries during the past month, dear readers. This was due to many things but there were two prevailing reasons.
One: During the recent military action in Iraq it only seemed fitting that commentary be directed towards that. And to be honest there were many many many other blogs that addressed the subject far better than we ever could've hoped to. We really felt we had nothing of importance to add. And while we considered the fact that during these sober times perhaps we could help lift spirits by continuing to highlight this wacky www, frankly we just weren't feeling it.
Two: Concurrent with the world upheaval, lovedoll was feeling her way through what might (in hindsight) now be descibed as a wartime romance. And much like the war, while initially it was shocking and (extremely) awesome, ultimately it ended up being nothing but a momentary yet devestating distraction. And such things can make a girl - whether made of latex or of fabric - bitter.
...more journalism than journal... is how we've liked to think of this blog. Up until now we've prefered to comment on the web that surrounds us rather than our personal lives. But now it seems that the door between these worlds has been kicked down.
So what does this mean to you our loyal readers? Well in the coming month glossolalia will be re-tooled. Miz sockmonkey will be doing the bulk of the commentary going forward as lovedoll tries (yet again) to work out just what the fuck it is she wants to do. Lovedoll entries will still pop up from time to time, but we imagine a journal of her adventures will be showing up on a separate site in the near future. Please stay tuned.
In the meantime, the monkey will carry forward the blog torch, there will be design changes here and there (just had a look at the site in IE6 and the damn stylesheets look terrible - sorry IE6 users!), but never fear, the changes shouldn't be too drastic and as always we still love to hear from YOU, our darling public, via email and IM.
I still miss him, you know.
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May 2, 6:45 AM (ET)
Asteroid Is Named in Mister Rogers' Honor
By The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Mister Rogers now has an asteroid named in his honor.
"Misterrogers," formerly known as No. 26858, honors Fred Rogers, creator and host of public television's "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Rogers died Feb. 27 at age 74.
"I doubt that there are many who have not been touched in some way by the life and work of Fred Rogers," said John G. Radzilowicz, director of the Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium & Observatory at the Carnegie Science Center, which made the announcement Thursday.
The science center worked with Family Communications Inc., the production company Rogers founded, to produce a planetarium show for preschoolers called "The Sky Above Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." The show now plays at 15 planetariums across the country.
"Misterrogers" can be found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and is about 218 million miles from the sun, which it takes about 3 1/2 years to orbit. It was discovered in 1993 by E.F. Helin at the Palomar Observatory in California.
The International Astronomical Union names comets, asteroids and surface features such as moon craters after individuals. The honors cannot be bought, and they are based on merits judged by the astronomers.
