Unbelievable

I find the most unbelievable part of the abuse of the Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers to be that the American soldiers apparently did not know about the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners at war. I just have so much trouble understanding how that can be the case.

To the point

Yesterday, I had to do my summary-lecture for the Mediebruk, makt og samfunn course without my prepared powerpoint-slides (because of techical difficulties). No problem, I did fine. I do not particularly love chalk and blackboard (although kind of retro cool). I sense that there is a (growing) group of people who are not too fond of the apparently compulsory ppt-slides following all kinds of talks and presentations. However, I still believe Powerpoint and Keynote are rather good and pedagogical devices. I'll probably stick to them when there's a need for them. I'm not very fond of the whooshing sound of bulleted keywords flying in from one side of the slide though. People behave.

singalong

I might go out and see some friends at the karaoke bar down the street. I joined them last Friday, and it was so much fun. It's a rather shabby and unpretentious place, where really everyone can sing. I have just spent the last couple of hours browsing the web for online karaokes. There are quite a few free services, all of them with the cheesy cheap synthesizer sound. See Get Lyrics karaoke featuring among others Supergrass that I love, Ronan's online karaoke with a rather nice design and with Nena's 99 Luftballons in German and Pulp's Disco 2000 (and 193 other songs), and finally The Karaoke Machine. With Karaoke, even songs I don't like are favourites.

happy hen?

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has just released a report on animal welfare in Norway. Their conclusions show that Norwegians should not necessarily believe that Norwegian domestic animals experience a much more pleasant ride to death than in other countries. Of some reason, Norwegians tend to believe that our food is cleaner and that our chickens are happier than anywhere else. I remember people being shocked by a documentary shown on TV early in the 90's about the transporation and slaughter of domestic animals in Belgium (?). However, few seemed to believe that anything could be wrong in Norway. Anyway, ESA documents that the EU legislation are often violated both during transportation and in the slaughterhouses.

evil TV

Another newletter I've never (consciously) subscribed to. This time from adbusters: "The media's [read TV] role in this cultural vaudeville? To feed the spectacle with one-way stories, infotainment and mind-numbing hype. To keep us amused, but rarely informed or inspired. How can we move past this malaise, beyond the hollow din of reality shows and celebrity news, and back to a life that matters?

Call it ironic, call it poetic, but people tell of strange things happening when they tune out their screens; they tune back into life. "I rediscovered Vivaldi and Vonnegut and found I have a lot less spare time," says one. "I've been doing so many more things." Another says, "I learned that my wife hums in the shower, which is so cute. I guess I never could hear it over the TV."

Hey, I like my TV! It doesn't mean I don't love music, literature or appreciate my boy-friend's oddities. April 19-25 is the official TV turnoff week. I would probably tape a few of my favourite programs. That would be cheating I guess.

anagrams? psychophysical?

I've learnt from Erik Veland's show to search for dictionary definitons of terms and concepts directly in google. Just type define:[the word] and you usually get different definitions of the concept from various sources. With the integrated google-field in safari this is indeed very convinient. As a result I now look up all the words I usually would skip to look up as I sort-of-know their meaning (which quite often means I really do not have a clue). It has almost become an addiction actually. I look up words all the time.

Mary had a little lamb

I've just started to read Friedrich Kittler's Gramophone, Film, Typewriter. (...)"the mechanic Kruesi was given the assignment to build an apparatus that would etch acoustic vibrations onto a rotating cylinder covered with tinfoil. While he or Kruesi was turning the handle, Edison once again screamed into the mouthpiece [in his first experiment Edison had screamed 'Hullo'] - this time the nursery rhyme "Mary had a little lamb". Edison had to scream as the phonograph had no amplifier, but also because he was half-deaf.

I can quite vividly see and hear Thomas Alva Edison screams into the mouthpiece. My imaginary movie of this happening is rather amusing. About 20 years later, The Edison Standard was available for home entertainment use. Hear the Standard play "Mother, Dixie, and You"

tattoed vegetarian mac users

Via Bob's near daily readings: Tattooed Vegetarian Mac Users Unite! definitely caught my attention. Obviously, as I am tattoed (I had my dragon tattoed as soon as I turned 18), vegetarian and a mac user (I love my Powerbook 15"). I don't know whether I believe they are all vegetarian though. I found this recipe on Todd Heasley's web-site. However his entry 1st of April about biking home and being knocked over by a car (or perhaps rather by the driver of the car), is funny. Not that it's funny to be hit by cars, but I so identify with his anger. I rely on pedal power throughout the year, and I don't think anything can actually make me as angry as having to cope with all kinds of idiots driving cars. I've had so many near-accidents, and they have not, I swear, been my fault. I don't always obey the law, but traffic rules are better followed.

video-games

I am thinking about finally buying PS2. But is it a good idea? Will I spend all my spare-time playing games? Should I not rather throw out my TV? Read books instead. This weekend I am visiting my family in Tønsberg. When I'm here, I always play on Ina's (my niese) PS2. I want my own, I want my own, I want my own.

God

I finally saw City of God yesterday. How come I never 'had time' to see it earlier? There are too many must-see-movies that I do not go and see. Anyway I did find City of God interesting. Towards the end of the film, I wondered how this would influence my view of Brasil (at least Brasil 60's till 80's), and whether it really captured part of what the favellas were like. Although I now know the movie is based on a true story, I still wonder. It is just so far from my world.