a Toast™ to quality

Like many Mac users I burn the odd cd and dvd. In fact I burn heaps. Backups, file supply, audio cd's you name it. So like most Mac users I found that the free software that comes with the Mac blows a tad. As you'd expect. It hardly makes sense for a company like Apple to step on the few developers out there that actually make Mac software. Not straight away at least. That said, you'd think a company that makes the major cd/dvd burning application for the Mac to at least sniff the odour of death at a distance and step up every point of difference and value they have to their current and prospective users. You'd really think that at the very least they'd look at smarter and more efficient ways to spend less whilst achieving more. Ahh, the naivety i must exude at every turn.

Roxio Toast™ is the staple for designers who use Mac's. Everyone I know uses it, yet next to no-one has actually bought it. I finally bought a copy as now I'm apparently self-unemployed I felt it necessary to start with a legal, morally approved clean slate. It probably sounds kinda lame but It's a little exiting to buy all the right stuff. It kind of legitimises the so-called 'business' I'm sole trading. I even went the whole way and Registered it as well as signed up for Roxio info so I keep in the loop. Error. Sadly an error.

While registering the software I had to create a company profile with the usual login password and username. You'd think I could get to the technical help or at the very least email someone there with this legitimate setup. No. In fact the effort it seems they went to to stop people doing just that seems comedic. I login, select help, select the kind of help I want and get a login page. If I login again I end up doing the same dance all over thanks to the use of nested frames. Basically I get the same effect you get when you loop a camera to display on a TV the camera filming the TV screen. An infinite loop. The Mobius of frustration. UberAnger Inc.

The second part to this lesson-in-why-you-should-just-download-a-copied-version-rather-than-fork-out-hard-earned-cash is the html email newsletter's I get. In the four days since registering version 7 of this software I've recieved 4 'deals' to buy 'Version 7 now with a 30% discount'. AWESOME! You mean I can buy the application I just registered for 30% off! Man, you guys rock! Fuckers. Absolute dipshits. I create and send HTML email campaigns for people and it 'aint hard to tailor a mailing list for the correct audience. Too hard for this company though it would seem.

I'm getting more and more frustrated with backwards security of digital media companies. You buy an audio cd and it won't play on your computer, which many people actually use as their entertainment system now, thanks to a non-redbook standard copy-protection system. If you download an illegal version it works perfect straight away. You buy software rather than download an illegal version and you get a mailbox of shite and no support. Geez, if you download an illgal version what don't you get again? Support?! hahaha... man, glad I paid for a nice box and a screenprinted cd. I feel better.

quote for the day:
"There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life."
- Frank Zappa (1940 - 1993)

literary value

I just watched part of a literary tv show on fox this morning. It covered a few authors, but the section I saw concerned itself with Pablo Coelho, the author of The Alchemist, Veronica Decides to Die and many more. He's sold close to 60 million books throughout the World in a massive amount of translations yet critically he cops a pounding?!? The reason - apparently his writing holds little to no literary value. Apparently he writes too simplistically. Too cliche and formulaic. What the fuck?!? I struggle not getting angry about this view. It's not that I'm a fan of the guy's books-I've not yet read any-but the view that an author who is loved by millions worldwide is frowned upon for doing his job-a storyteller-for mass appeal rather than the literary few is just elitist shite. Why are critics not hounding Clive Cussler, Ludlum or King? Shit, if we're going to have a crack at formulaic authors the list would never end. Most people buy the latest book by whoever as they love the writer's approach to material which more often than not is a personal formula.

I read an interview years ago by Steven King who called himself 'the McDonalds of horror writing'. By this he means that he writes for a mass audience, a fact that he's said many times. In no way is this a negative comment. He's pleased millions of people with his stories and become part of our cultural reference. He's made his writing accessible to people of varied educational levels. Geez, what a terrible thing to do huh. Try and get people interested in reading, many who struggle to read at all. Wow, what a devil child.

I really detest this overly intellectualising people force on the species. We are a clever (sort of) species. We did invent digital watches, inflatible sex dolls and The Simpson's but for fuck's sake, get over ourselves. We are a relatively intelligent bipedal shaved monkey. That's it. Yeah we've got TV's but can YOU explain how and why they work? Can YOU rebuild a car engine if the engine block cracks? Probably not. Most people (like myself) couldn't build a crystal radio set yet we turn on the radio everyday and think to ourselves 'aren't we the fuckin' clever species then".

Writing should be about storytelling on many levels. I love reading Palahniuk as much as Eco and Gatsby and Cannery Row are my favourite books but that's my thing. I was taught to a certain level, thanks to my parents affording the schooling, and am able to have spare time to dedicate to more so-called 'literary' works. At the same time I love Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels and there's no way in hell I'd call those literary masterpieces (let's not even mention formula or cliche).

Many critics get stuck up their own self-important arseholes. The movie Wedding Crashers can't be compared to Citizen Kane. Nor should all books be compared to The Illiad or whatever high-brow piece you care to mention.

Just my badly written, cliche driven 2cents worth.

quote for the day:
"I think that God in creating Man somewhat
overestimated his ability."
- Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

i was a teenage bedbug

We'll the yearly news article's about bed bugs and their invasion of all things Australian is doing the rounds again. It seems there's an epidemic, according to some and the usual amount according to others. Either way, I always thought they were microscopic creatures but as usual i'm wrong. After a simple google search I've found more info than you'd ever really want.

News: Hotels feel the bed bugs bite

Info: The Bed Bug

There's a beautiful image down the page showing the tell-tale marks: "The Bedbug leaves black spots behind it; this is from its faeces that are mainly blood." Nice. Personally when I crap blood in bed I usually try and clean it up. That and question my diet.

quote for the day:
"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell."
- Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)