03.03.07
Yeah, not happening…
Though the visual aspect of it looks pretty cool, Microsoft’s plans for Wallop, something that’s supposed to rival Myspace and Facebook, has one big problem.
That is, the “self-expression flash widgets” that will be available for one to purchase.
First is the inherent oxymoron in such a phrase. It is a consistently false American idea, I am sad to say, that “buying” something is the equivalent to “self-expression.” The thing I like about Myspace is that though the coding is limited, I can make it my own, for free. I don’t have to pay some stupid Microsoft designer to do for me what I could do for myself. If that is the whole basis behind Wallop, count me out. If I can’t make things look pretty by myself, do things by myself, without having to pay some designer, count me out.
This just smells to me of Microsoft jumping on the bandwagon, not because they have any particularlly good ideas to offer to the market, but just because they can’t stand some other enterprise having a niche in the technology market.
I wish I had software for this type of thing
This is quite cool, for us news-junkies. I wish I had software, where I could make visual maps like this in terms of the documents and data on my computer, news stories on all sites, even more this blog. It would make my life all the more interesting and productive.
Well, at least it’s available somewhere. Until then, I’ll just hope for software that mirrors this!
I wonder what the military applications are…
First of all, this is both really cool, and really weird:
But I do wonder what the Navy could do with something like this. Would it lead to more sophisticated anti-submarine warfare and listening devices? What about secret communications (having fiber optic attached to the end that goes down, so it would snake to the ocean floor after the ‘flip’?
I would be curious to know. I wonder if the folks over at DoD have even THOUGHT about it.
Shameful
I am absolutely floored and disgusted by this ad by Dolce and Gabbana. It looks like rape, and gang rape first of all, second of all, it makes it look fashionable and trendy for a woman to be at the mercy of a host of other men. Fashionable to be controlled by men, fashionable to look like some sexpot to get their attention and then be used and manipulated sexually/for sexual reasons.
Get a grip, Dolce and Gabbana. I will officially stop purchasing your products as of now. You will not see one red cent from me.
I’m tempted to take a picture of myself burning this ad and then pay for that photo to be a two-page spread in the next issue of Vogue.
This is just another instance of the American media/fashion conglomerates taking sexiness and trendiness to extremes. Women are not sex objects. If Western women are so “liberated” then why do we have a media that portrays us like this? A media that values youth and beauty over integrity and intelligence. Where women spend billions of dollars anually to look younger and prettier, instead of sending that money to charity, or using it to buy books.
Let me just say something to Dolce and Gabbana, to the fashion world, to Hollywood, and to the media:
Grow up!!!
Bellynesian?
One of the reasons I think I was so attracted to bellydance, and found it so fun, was that I lived in Hawaii, and I had learned hula as a little girl. So to see this fusion, and this new interest in taking hula dance as an art form rather than just a tourist attraction in Hawaii, means so much to me. Polynesian dance deserves some more recognition! I am so happy to see this video from the Bellydance Superstars.
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