Jubble Earth drinks babyarm lake
Also follow me on Twitter, before I abandon it like I was abandoned by a circus family as a child.
Update: Dale ended up confessing HIS love and tried to pull the Lucky jeans off my rohypnoled body.
Their gravitational pull draws friends closer
Joan Rivers Freakout: I think staged
Shakeweight: If I post it will it go away?
What the hell? Bachelor party failure
Blowing hot air
We had a fine, tasty meal at Rosario’s here in San Antonio last night. I even tweeted a pic of Georgio getting drinky at the bar. At the conclusion of our violent consumption, the manager comes over and says our bill has been “taken care of” by a gentleman on the other side of the restaurant. At first, we suspected we were being pranked, but sure enough, a business card was delivered to us. The back was filled with tiny, neat handwriting. Continue reading
Obviously, I am ambivalent about the Web 2.0. The web is so many great things, but I often get soured by loud trolls and preening Twits. I’m not alone. Look at Trent Reznor’s take on Social Media and read the comments that follow. I liked that one chick’s comment so much that I modified it and tweeted it without crediting her- she being the victim of a 140 character limit and a ethically lax retweeter.
Maybe my opinion is jaundiced by the fact that I have a public job and am exposed to an unhealthy level of vitriol, but is the world really a better place now that every ego has a storefront, and every negative part of you can have a screen name ? Weren’t we more civil when our critiques of each other involved eye contact? Maybe my rationality can’t escape the gravity of my experience on this one.
Much has been written about the effect anonymity has on the level of discourse, but one of the funniest examples of the devolution of discourse cause by the anonymous, reflexive, no-barrier-to-publish internet is this brilliant bit of genius. Thanks to the P1 who posted it in the comments section.
Speaking of comments sections.. So far D magazine has not reestablished theirs. I know the editors miss feeling the stage under their feet, but I think they made the right call for now. Look at the DMN comments. Still amazes me what snarling dogs we are under our thin veneers. Sure, you can simply tune them out. But snark (and meanness) is mental porn. It’s fun to make it, and damn hard to look away once you glance at it.
About Facebook and Twitter
Truly, everyone is now able to star in their own reality show. Social Media rests firmly on the twin pillars of narcissism and voyeurism. We conduct our own show and follow the shows of others. That can be initially satisfying, because everyone has some small desire of being famous, admired, listened to, or important. The problem with the current ease of having your own reality show is that everyone else has their own show too, and Other People are just damn annoying. Didn’t Jesus say that? To browse Twitter and Facebook can feel like watching an interminable parade of the self-consciously cute.
BUT… all this Twitter Tweeting and Facebooking has one powerful and dominating ingredient that, in the end, is its redemption. Connection. This is what fills the gaps between narcissism and voyeurism. In a world in which we pray that we always get voicemail, and dread visiting each other without alcohol, connecting in the once-removed world of broadband is perfect. I’ve never been more semi-connected with old friends and falsely intimate with new ones. And I can do it all while poorly dressed. Brilliant.
I have been goofing around with Twitter lately. Follow me if you would like, but I am no good at it. So far, I’m kinda stumbling around in the dark, making peace with annoying jargon, and marveling at the irony that a 140 character limit should force conciseness, not inanity. As I said on the air the other day, Twitter initially seems to be a well-lubricated chute for torrents of brain vomit. To some people, anything and everything is worth publishing. And now here I am, adding to the mess.
Twittilating.
This essay was originally unpublished on Slate.com.
UPDATE: (From Frontburner) Luke Dillier was found this afternoon, Monday July 26th. He is safe and back at home with his family. Luke was identified by a DART Police officer who had just 5 minutes before seen one of the fliers our community has been posting. The family wishes to thank the entire community and the police officers for their support, love and prayers that brought Luke home safely to them. God Bless.
I am glad someone is reporting radio numbers in a straightforward manner.
Awkward painting unrelated
In all honesty, I understand his emotion. He’s got young kids, these are uncertain times, he may have taken a cut in pay, and he loses a position that he worked hard to attain. That really sucks. I feel bad. Every man is going to face it someday and you and I are no exception. I don’t want to see anyone lose a gig or get demoted (except really evil people with no dependents). The good news is that Mike still has a job and he will be hosting the 5pm and 6pm newscasts.
I can’t post the full video of his 10pm farewell because Channel 5 isn’t making it available. They have posted only part of it on their website. UPDATE: Here is a cheap copy.
Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade were let go from 105.3 The Fan yesterday. I like those guys personally and professionally. Once again it sucks to lose a gig, but I know they will be happier now that they are not forced to do a brand of radio that they don’t believe in. B&S were forced into an awkward situation. The caller-driven form of sports radio was something the Ticket tried in the early days and subsequently moved away from under the direction of an old Program Director. The Fan believes that is the way to go. Who knows? Maybe it will work for them in the end, but I know that Ben and Skin were completely hamstrung by it.
I have also tons of media observations about the Ticket’s future and why the Ticket is now such a lightening rod. Wanna hear them?
Belly full
We landed a 40 pound barracuda on our boat this morning. The thing was nasty and had been sniping our king mackerel. You would be fighting the mackerel and when all of a sudden it would get easier. Then, defeatedly, you would haul up half a fish. We were hoping, with our cuda safely on ice, we had eliminated the prime culprit, but the others took up the slack. We still got our limit, and caught a few other beautiful species. Miss you guys.
In this week’s Quick column, I wrote about a crazy picture of Michael Jackson that my sister had on her wall. Here is that picture. It still makes me insane.
Upside down celebrities makes me more insaner.
Some people bled for our freedom, so let’s bleed for them
One of the old standby forms of jack-ass entertainment is fake letter stuff. Ted L. Nancy. The Lazlo Letters, etc. (Sheepish admission: I’ve been known to go to that well myself. Read Quick.) But here is a guy resurrecting it in the digital age. Funny stuff. Enjoy!
