From the back-cover of Adbusters, a little message for Nike …

JAM ON …

As for those well-intentioned souls who believe that the Amazon’s, eBay’s and Nestle’s even out the WorldCom’s and Enron’s; I have just two words: GROW UP. Enron, with a little help from its accountants, was just stupid enough to get caught. The foundation upon which corporations are built and the basis upon which they thrive, with a little help from the government and military forces, leaves little room for values and decency. Let’s not be delusional …

“In the councils of Government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”
[ Military-Industrial Complex Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961 ]

By no means should this imply that there is no hope or that nothing can be done about the terrifying power that corporations exert. Empires will topple, provided we confront them.

Someone’s been pestering me to switch to MT for days and finally I decide to get round to it … Lo & Behold …
Host name lookup for ‘www.moveabletype.org’ failed …
Sorry Ejaz. Maybe another day …

Can’t fathom why Apple’s Safari, which is such a killer browser (super-fast and cool tabbed windows), cannot handle https:// via a proxy server. Manages fine on dialup so whatthe$%%^!! Why don’t they fix it? Dying for Version 2.0 – Was in such a daze this morning while booking a Chicago-Washington-Chicago ticket online that didn’t think to do this in Internet Explorer. So, went 3/4 of the way through the process and of course, Safari freaked when payment time arrived. This sentence doesn’t sound very coherent but what the hell … Had to start over with IE. Then Southwest’s form did not like the “/” I used in the address field so it growled and sent me back … by this time the Session had expired!!! BONK!!! Hope the Southwest folk who built the site are coming to User Experience 2003. But actually, to be fair, the site’s quite useable.

What else … Our city continues to bleed and we continue to stand by and watch the potholes get deeper and our generals get fatter.

Wondering if I should get Seth Godin’s Purple Cow …

4 guys gang-raped a 10 year old child!
W H A T K I N D O F P E O P L E A R E T H E S E?
This is to be uttered dull, monotone style like Charlotte Corday in Marat/Sade [what a phenomenal film].

Windows XP has a real problem with multimedia projectors and MPEG movies. Windows 98 doesn’t.

Latest inspiration: Anita Roddick. If 1 in 20 business leaders had hearts and minds, the world would be different. Still shattered about losing my military-industrial complex article. Have all the resources but lost the actual text file that I was writing in. BUMMED!

The oil continues to spill …

en�vy
n. pl. en�vies

A feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another.

——————–

There are only two phenomena that arouse this feeling in me.

1. Arundhati Roy’s political writings
2. Mac OS Programmers (the really geeky but eccentric variety)

To recover from the incompetence and mediocrity that surrounded me this morning, spent 1 hour reading Unsanity’s blog. Fun all the way … love your haxies. Stuff that really should’ve been embedded in X but Apple decided to leave out just to shatter our already frayed nerves.

A little more about the Farid Ayazuddin Qavaal Group sans Munshi Raziuddin … watched a video last night that we recorded in February 2003. Realised with startling poignancy, the role of musical conductors. He maintained discipline with subtlety, raised the benchmarks of the performance consistently, wasn’t willing to accept any goofups, and just kept everything together … what an institution. His trademark gestures just made me weep. I wonder if Farid will be able to make the transition gracefully. May just go overboard which would be tragic.

Although spiritual elevation of the desired level did not occur on Saturday night, primarily owing to the absence of Munshi Raziuddin (WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU), it was good fun, in general. Really enjoyed “Naseema Jaanib� Bat-Haa Guzzar Kun” and “Sakhi Kaasay Kahoon”. Was thrilled that Urooj came along and sang a little, he really has a stunningly different voice.

Was a grouch all of yesterday (I love trash) and am not a grouch today. Have been working like a dog all morning and am taking an hour off to sink my teeth into a juicy roast beef burger. Why should this be of any interest or consequence to anyone?

Need to rant about NGOs in Pakistan but promised to be positive so will do so tomorrow. Am ecstatic about finding CD session-burning software for OS X. Don’t have Toast so this is a great discovery.

Suddenly it was possible to say EVERYTHING to EVERYBODY
but …
there was nothing to say!

Bertolt Brecht, speaking about radio (1933).

Herein lies the reason why so much constipated content floats around our country. Our misbegotten programmers, graphic designers, animators, film-makers … have the tools of the trade, a small amount of skill, and zilch to say. Our schools and universities are consumed by tests, (describe the climate of Ukraine!) exams, grades and don’t give a damn about the holistic development of children and young people. In the workplace, one gets lumped with semi-evolved ego-maniacs who can’t see beyond their own noses.

If Farid and Abu Mohammad rock the house on Saturday night, I promise to post at least two “happy” entries. But it all depends on the level of spiritual elevation that is achieved.

What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason,
How infinite in faculties,
In form and moving, how express and admirable,
In action, how like an angel,
In apprehension, how like a god.

Hmmmm …

Feel a bit stricken with too much to say and not enough coherence. However, that sounds terribly like a Gen-X excuse for mindlessness. Aggravated a friend the other day when I said that “Friends” (the TV show) was a complete waste of space and was created to spread the disease of dumbness. But it’s true!!!!!!! Dumb down the masses by feeding them a diet of Friends, Ally McBeal, NBA, and NFL, ensure that they stay stupid and stay in CONTROL. It’s so simple, really.

Today I am truly PISSED OFF and jealous of everyone who’s enjoying a lazy Sunday at home … resentful, cranky, and just plain TIRED. Hit my head on solid wood before coming to work – more joy.

Will be listening to Farid and Abu Mohammad on the 16th, for the first time after Munshi Jee’s passing away. Must be so strange for them, a huge void. Or maybe not – sudden independence may help them move forward into the next phase of their career; no clue really. Stuff I want to hear:

- Naseema Jaanib� Bat-Haa Guzar Kun
- Sakhi Kaa Say Kahoon
- The Only Arabic Qavvali That Rocks – dunno what it’s called but will find out this time
- G�ftam Keh Raushan Az Qamar
- Tori Har Ek Ada
- Khabar� Tahayyur� Ishq S�n

Desperately seeking some variation and will outsource a small prayer that they don’t disappoint this time. It’s perfect timing – would’ve died if it had been this weekend – in the middle of a never-ending stream of insane deadlines.

If I’d work instead of updating this blasted blog, might stand a chance of getting out of here before midnite. Feel like I used to before exams – cognizant of the need to do something but completely lacking the will to MOVE. Have never behaved in this ridiculous fashion as far as work is concerned.

Na junoon raha, na pari rahi …