thecages

whoo-boy - crazy week.
The weather has been absolutely insane - freezing, wet and sunny. It's been good.

Ah'm feeling so low
Like the clouds that bring the snow
From the Northern side of town
.

I'm off to Austin, TX soon for a three-week tour of duty to implement the first pilot site of the four month-old product that we've been working on.
It works, but it'll have to do a major amount of maturing in a hurry.



The Good


I've recently become obsessed with Pink Floyd's Animals[1]. It's a mean concept delivered with stabbing clarity.

-- Dogs (17:06)
And when you loose control, you'll reap the harvest you have sown.
And as the fear grows, the bad blood slows and turns to stone.
And it's too late to lose the weight you used to need to throw around.
So have a good drown, as you go down, all alone,
Dragged down by the stone.


-- Pigs (11:26)
Bus stop rat bag, ha ha charade you are.
You fucked up old hag, ha ha charade you are.
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass.
You're nearly a good laugh,
Almost worth a quick grin.
You like the feel of steel,
You're hot stuff with a hatpin,
And good fun with a hand gun.
You're nearly a laugh,
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry.

-- Sheep (10:19)
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me down to lie
Through pastures green He leadeth me the silent waters by.
With bright knives He releaseth my soul.
He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places.
He converteth me to lamb cutlets,
For lo, He hath great power, and great hunger.
When cometh the day we lowly ones,
Through quiet reflection, and great dedication
Master the art of karate,
Lo, we shall rise up,
And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water.

The Bad

More fuel to 'Big' Dick Cheney's fire[2]




The Ugly

A recent article in the Daily Mail about a couple of 12 year-olds who had their privacy visciously invaded by DNA-swab bearing cops.
The privacy issues are well known and really not that shocking anymore.
What's really ugly about this article is not the topic or the nasty truth about the digital and organic trail that is being collected with increasing resolution from all of us.

The ugly thing is the picture of the kids in this article.


Look at them - they've been styled.
He's had a haircut and they've been fitted out in their Mall-day best.
They've all been posed for the shoot - a little pensive, but composed, sincere, mature.
What the fuck?
Their rights are violated and the outcome is inevitable - a media event ('Quick mom, we're going to be on the news!'), instant celebrity - the time of your life!
yuck.



[1] The only one of their albums that I've really gotten into - it's more stripped down than the other which all just seem too elaborate.

[2] "I had other priorities in the sixties than military service." –on his five draft deferments, April 5, 1989