Wacko-Jacko, and the aroma of Old Town
Because I'm not able to live under a rock or on a desert island, I had to endure the endless Michael Jackson coverage. I often have CNN on as background noise as I get ready for work in the morning, and every morning- faithfully- no matter what else was happening, CNN would show Michael Jackson walking under his umbrella, held by what looked like his butler and Michael in his "Sgt. Pepper" inspired outfits, as he walked into the courtroom. Of course, when the verdict came, that was all the news could cover. I have to say, when I've heard Michael Jackson coverage on TV, I'm often filled with a desire to shout at the screen "I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT THIS!" But, since I'm trying to give up any swearing, plus it would be weird and irrational to scream at the TV everytime the news came on (not to mention the fact that it would frighten my daughter and husband) So, I've quietly seethed. Overall, I found the whole Jackson thing creepy and sad- I'll just call it "creepysad"- Okay, creepysad that a parent would let their child sleep in the same bed as a middle aged man, creepysad that a once talented musician's life has turned into a tawdry, sad freak show. And...creepysad, but mostly just sad that Michael Jackson has no one that cares about him enough to pull him aside and say, "Michael please, please for the love of God, cancel your nose job surgery" or "So, what's the deal with white Kabuki style make-up and the girlish hairdo?" Does not Michaels appearance cry out "Help! I'm really screwed up!"?
Well, with the end of the trial I hope against hope that the so-called "news" people might cover something a bit more relevant. Oh, I don't know, like how we are in year 3 of our Iraq war. Or perhaps look into the rumblings that our President might have willfully misled our country into this war--I know, I know not nearly so interesting or titillating as finding out whether or not he was messing around with a plump White House intern...There are folks, even maybe some readers of this blog (Hi Dad!) who think our President is doing the right thing, Iraq is on the road to democracy and will serve as a beacon to the middle east and cause a complete sea change in that region. I hope and pray this is so...truly, I may not be a fan of our President, but the alternative of failure in Iraq, and more Americans losing their lives is definitely something I wish to avoid.
I've thought, why when there is a war on, are we focusing on this Michael Jackson thing?? To me, I think back before television there were travelling carnivals and freak shows. People could pay money to look at people with bizarre physical abnormalities or abilities. Back then, it was a treat, an escape to go to the carnival, and see something bizzare. It wasn't just another day of drudgery and hard work at the factory or farm--a time to escape the hard realities of life. We like to think we are too open minded and too politically correct to have such things as carnival freak shows- but I disagree, we have the freak show but now it comes direct to our living rooms. Maybe the news has become not the funnel of information, but the distraction to the grim reality.
On a completely different topic, I'm thinking about writing a letter to the mayor. I'm convinced I work in the stinkiest part of our entire lovely city. I work in Old Town, which is actually a pretty cool section of town with great architecture and lots of great history. But there are days, especially now that its getting warmer, that it stinks. Not just a whiff of a bad odor--No this is nostril scorching stink! Monday was probably one of the top ten stinkiest days on our street. There was some sort of green ooze coming out of the dumpster storage--and, Old Town is the place where both homeless people hang out and club hopping twenty-somethings come to party at the nightclubs on the weekend. Besides Old Town, I think these two groups have something else in common- urinating on the sides of buildings. Monday, someone had tried overcome the urine smell with an amonia smell--it didn't work, the two just combined into some evil hell-a-smell accented ever so nicely with green, rotten food dumpster ooze.
As the week has worn on and a couple of good rains have come through the smell has thankfully disappeared. I'm so glad- gagging is such a bummer way to begin the day.
Well, with the end of the trial I hope against hope that the so-called "news" people might cover something a bit more relevant. Oh, I don't know, like how we are in year 3 of our Iraq war. Or perhaps look into the rumblings that our President might have willfully misled our country into this war--I know, I know not nearly so interesting or titillating as finding out whether or not he was messing around with a plump White House intern...There are folks, even maybe some readers of this blog (Hi Dad!) who think our President is doing the right thing, Iraq is on the road to democracy and will serve as a beacon to the middle east and cause a complete sea change in that region. I hope and pray this is so...truly, I may not be a fan of our President, but the alternative of failure in Iraq, and more Americans losing their lives is definitely something I wish to avoid.
I've thought, why when there is a war on, are we focusing on this Michael Jackson thing?? To me, I think back before television there were travelling carnivals and freak shows. People could pay money to look at people with bizarre physical abnormalities or abilities. Back then, it was a treat, an escape to go to the carnival, and see something bizzare. It wasn't just another day of drudgery and hard work at the factory or farm--a time to escape the hard realities of life. We like to think we are too open minded and too politically correct to have such things as carnival freak shows- but I disagree, we have the freak show but now it comes direct to our living rooms. Maybe the news has become not the funnel of information, but the distraction to the grim reality.
On a completely different topic, I'm thinking about writing a letter to the mayor. I'm convinced I work in the stinkiest part of our entire lovely city. I work in Old Town, which is actually a pretty cool section of town with great architecture and lots of great history. But there are days, especially now that its getting warmer, that it stinks. Not just a whiff of a bad odor--No this is nostril scorching stink! Monday was probably one of the top ten stinkiest days on our street. There was some sort of green ooze coming out of the dumpster storage--and, Old Town is the place where both homeless people hang out and club hopping twenty-somethings come to party at the nightclubs on the weekend. Besides Old Town, I think these two groups have something else in common- urinating on the sides of buildings. Monday, someone had tried overcome the urine smell with an amonia smell--it didn't work, the two just combined into some evil hell-a-smell accented ever so nicely with green, rotten food dumpster ooze.
As the week has worn on and a couple of good rains have come through the smell has thankfully disappeared. I'm so glad- gagging is such a bummer way to begin the day.
posted by moegirl at
4:39 PM
1 Comments:
Televised freak show. Absolutely. Enough said. Mmmmm... piss and vomit and green sludge. Won't it be especially lovely in August? Funny that someone tried to remove the piss with ammonia. Urine is basically ammonia with a few other things. Maybe you need one of those perfumed handkerchiefs that people used to hold to their noses so they wouldn't have to smell the bad things as they walked through the city.
By
Diana, At
6:28 AM
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