Papa Lazaroo's Circus of Words

Procrastination...

2005-04-28T15:25:00.000+01:00

Once again it seems as though I am last to 'pull my socks up' and get with it, so please, feel free to leave comments that point the finger and remind me how disorganised and laid back I am. You may even throw the odd rotten tomato; I need the protein. The main reason for this latest dellay is procrastination (procrastination means to dellay, I know) and interestingly enough, I've recently realised that this reluctance to record things stems from my ability to absorb and mentally store information by extracting the goodness and simply discarding the useless part. I don't seem to have any sense of urgency when it comes to actually recording my passive findings. Perhaps this blog thingy is 'a step in the right direction'. We can only hope...

(WHITE TEXT TO BE MARKED)

..and a bottle of your finest Chardonnay... innit!?

2005-04-28T15:22:00.000+01:00

-__- "seen anything good on the telly recently?"

^__^ "no but I did see a stencil graffiti of two coppers kissing!"

O__O *Gasp!*

For my attempt at an anti environment me and a friend (who wishes to remain anonymous) decided to have an ill-mannered meal in the posh restaurant Quod on the Oxford high street dressed like chavs. It soon got the attention of fellow dinners who cast us dirty looks and raised noses. Spiffing good show old chap!

The activity was designed to draw the attention of the middle/upper class ariostocrats of Oxford. In this respect is seemed to achieve the desired effect because the restaurant was full of buisinessmen reading newspapers and Camilla Parker Bowels look-alikes so the desired contrast was established, and the result was predictable and satisfying. We succesfully rattled the cages of the fine etablished folk of Oxford to whom honour is simply a public facade which is only retained so long as one is not caught commiting a dishonourable act. Roaring good laugh!

Although the experience was a fun one, there is a serious point. Anti-environtment are a necessary expressional form of a slap to the face of society telling it to wake up. Those people in the restaurant were existing like fish in water, totally oblivious of the social structure they have become caged within. Falsehood in terms of character is rampant amongst British culture and the media plays a big role in maintaining the kind of conformity that strangles peoples innate creativity. We're slowly becoming a nation of consumerist puppets so i think anti-environments are a key tool in shaking up the structure and preventing the autonomy which is making us more and more passive to society's ills. My opinions have changed little as a result of this activity. The activity has simply re-inforced them.

Why not check out the scene of the crime yourself!? 'Quad Oxford'

Discar-nation...

2005-04-28T13:20:00.000+01:00

So, you want to leave your physical body and can't get hold of any LSD? Try Astral Projection

or if that's beyond you why not set up a blog or wander around active worlds for a while!

As a reflection of the 'discarnate man' aspect of the module I have set up the blog you see before you using blogger. This utility streamlines the process of creating a website making it quick and user friendly. Anyone with access may set up a blog and publish away for the world to see. Also as a requisite I have been posting on the module forum. This envloves replying to other posts and generally aregueing constructively. We also payed a swift visit to Active Worlds:

"Active Worlds, the web's most powerful Virtual Reality experience, lets you visit and chat in incredible 3D worlds that are built by other users. Think you have what it takes to build your own world or Virtual Reality game? Active Worlds is the place for you, where in minutes you can create fascinating 3D worlds that others can visit and chat in" (www.activeworlds.com)

Mcluhan's spoke of the car as becoming "the protective and aggressive shell, of urban and suburban man". This ties in with his concept of 'discarnate man' and is further exemplified by the online 'shell' of anonymity and distance. Online, people are less able to pass judgement on appearance and immediate consequences of actions are no longer a threat. McLuhan was right to speculate that such a shift in methods of communication would simultaneously bring about a shift in the portrayal of people's identities and attitudes. Chandler backs up such a notion by suggesting that discarnation leads to empowerment. You need only look to internet viruses to realise that spotty teenagers who outwardly pose little physical threat are suddenly empowered by the technologies and the anonymity to bring entire corporations to their knees. Cyberspace has provided a new battle ground and its soldiers are virtual discarnate beings.

A prime example of 'discarnation' is the module forum. I found that using a handle (made up name) I was able to openly state my opinions and even pose doubt to the opinions of others and then attend seminars safe in the knowledge that people would not know I posted those comments but at the same time not knowing if the person i was criticising was sat opposite me. I think there are dangers in this ability to create an online virtual identity. Active Worlds is an innovative and exciting facility but it seemed to me that it simply provided an alternative reality to those who cannot handle real life. I can see such sites harbouring those who are reluctant to discover their true identity, and in serious cases this could lead to all sorts of psychological disorders.

So Cruise finds a new bird. Who gives a fcuk?

2005-04-28T12:06:00.000+01:00

Now, boys and girls its finally time to delve deep into the life of the celebrity to see what juicy bits of gossip we can wrench from its fat sweaty carcass to make us all feel better about ourselves! Yey! So gather round and when you're comfortable, i'll begin.

Reluctantly, I accessed the Sky Showbiz website via the nifty little link provided on the module site and for a few minutes visually gorged upon, or rather tortured my poor eyes with celebrity news that already I can barely recall. Something about Tom Cruise hooking up with 'a Dawsons Creek babe' who's 16 years his junior. Gasp! And apparently Charlotte Church drinks alcohol and smokes! that must mean she's 'the new Liam Galagher'.

Joke Hermes notion that celebrity gossip causes people to consider them as extended family cannot be denied. In this case women in hairdressers up and down the country will be discussing Charlotte Church's antics as if she were their troublesome niece from round the corner. The notion of 'extended family' seems to be implemented by the readers themselves but it is instigated by the melodrama used by the publisher to sensationalise a piece and inlfame public interest in what is usually, beneath all the spin and scandal, something quite ordinary and bland. Who cares if Vanessa Feltz has cellulite!?

I doubt my viewpoint on this matter will ever change. Call me a cynic, but I don't feel the need to restore any lost self esteem by nosing around in the business of celebrities. At the end of the day these magazines are just exploiting common human nature and leeching profits from these people that society has elevated to the ranks of Gods. A vast chunk of celebrity couples function more as a business partnership rather than a genuinely romantic engagement. It cannot be denied that people gain some voyeuristic pleasure from devouring celebrity gossip, but that says a lot about people's insecuties and the way in which society breeds social resentment. I understand how and why people derive these pleasures but I'm not inclined to follow suit.

Click the links for the latest on Tom Cruise and Charlotte Church!

Rage Against The Wikipedia...

2005-04-27T16:58:00.000+01:00

"Dude check this out! You can like, change the content of this online encyclopedia"

"Thats awesome man. But surely anyone can like, write a whole bunch of crap!"

Wikepedia: a breeding ground for literary terrorists? Or a wordsmiths well of wisdom?

I accessed the 'wikipedia' site and got straight to work. On the search bar I typed 'Rage Against The Machine' and waited in awe of what may appear. When it finally did, I clicked the 'Edit this page' tab and set about making my mark with the following:

"One of Rage Against The Machines most influential moments on the world stage was their recording of 'Sleep now in the Fire' on January 26th,2000' Orchestrated by Michael Moore, the video was shot outside the New York Stock Exchange on Wall street. As a result Wall street was forced to close down an hour early with dramatic financial implications."

I was recently in South America. Just off the Caribbean coast there lays the island of Baru. With a mere 2000 people its not densely populated and even in this remote corner of our wonderful world there exists Bill Gates wondrous 'Windows'. With the online community reaching what used to be the unreachable it is obvious that Mcluhan was correct in suggesting that the electronic technologies would provide an extension of our senses. Wikipedia as part of the global village provides a visual extension to anyone literate and brings a wealth of learning resources to the eyes of anybody with the means to access it. Mcluhan can certainly be regarded as a modern prophet. His conclusion that space and time would be overthrown was right, and wikipedia proves this. Travel is no longer necessary for discovery.

My opinion of Wikipedia prior to this activity was one of intrigue and I was unaware of the depth of participation possible. I don't think any harm can come from Wikipedia's editing facility as long as the content is correctly monitored and kept accurate. It’s an inviting function that I think certainly brings people together. Its translation into so many languages can only act as a form of unity. Yes, there's an element of voyeurism but its a constructive form of it. You're observing someone else's creative contribution and you're free to contribute yourself.

Click the link for an eyeful: My Wikipedia article edit . The edit is just over half way down the page in the 'History' section.

Jungle is Massive...

2005-04-25T12:51:00.000+01:00

Read a book, play a game, watch a film.... then head to the jungle and document your experience
for all to see! who knows what you'll find lurking in the undergrowth.

I found the process of reviewing an Amazonian item reasonably straight forward. You simply search for the item using the aptly named 'search bar' and with any luck, hey presto. Once I found the book (The Gringo Trail, Mark Mann) I simply clicked on its title and then under 'product details' and clicked on the 'write a review' link. After awarding the book a well-deserved four stars I tapped out the review in the apparently word-limitless box, confirmed that I am over 13 years of age, previewed it, created a pen-name and submitted it. Jolly good fun.

Mcluhan suggests that Xerox makes everyone a publisher and to some extent this is true of Amazon and other such sites. The ease with which anybody can review anything is exemplary of the internets tendency toward slightly liberal attitude toward qualitative gate keeping. With regards to quantitative gate keeping, Amazon certainly alleviates some of the physical hindrances posed by book or music stores. Cyber-space offers an infinite amount of storage for virtual products and the information that goes with them. I doubt, though, that the review process is a good substitute for a process of filtration because regardless of what the reviews state, people are still free to buy the product.

The problem with online gate keeping is that enforcing it too strongly will only remove the freedom to experiment that the online community has established. Amazon provides budding journalists with a quick and easy way to hone their skills where others can witness it. It's a highly productive facility that is not as easily accessed offline. It is often the case that people with such ambitions feel unmotivated when faced with the daunting task of establishing themselves in the physical world not really knowing where to start. There is the danger however, that such potential talent may go to waste in cases where people simply fail to transform their online publishing efforts into something tangible. Having said all this, my view remains that gate keeping is a vital tool for restricting certain online materials because the wrong information in the wrong hands can do a great deal of harm, and considering the internet provides access to an ever increasing catalogue of data, gate keeping must remain an element of online control.

Click to behold 'The Gringo Trail' review in all its gringoey glory.

(it's the one by 'lord_of_drunken_misrule')