Notes from the cave

As the weather gets more winterish (hardly arctic, but you notice things in subtropical climes), I feel the need to hibernate a little. I would rather be at home with a good book than out and about. Even the books I have piled up are comfort books, essays about music and pop culture. Not contemporary stuff, nostalgic turns from old Rolling Stone editions. I've even been drawn to books about cottages - the idea of a small place nestled among some trees appeals. It is all fantasy, of course. It doesn't reflect my real life at all. Escapism.

I have made a decision to attempt to lose weight. Not that I have any particular obsession with body image or anything quite so radical. A health matter really. So I am guessing comfort food will be going out the window and wine will be off the menu. The swimming pool is calling me - the only excercise I enjoy. My goal is 84 kilos from 90.

It is the school holidays, the university is out and I have a week with my daughter. Thinking of heading north for a few days - so things might get a little quiet around here.

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Go figure

Took my daughter shopping tonight. We had dinner out. Got back home late. She laid her new clothes out in neat rows so she could choose what to wear for tomorrow. She's 5. I see her just every second weekend. How can such incredible errors of judgement (marrying my daughter's mother) result in such a wonderful little human being? Go figure

Mac Air Music

I love the idea of the Mac Air but, call me old fashioned, …no disk drive? How will I watch Ratatouille, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Cars and A Bug's Life on DVD? The music on the MacAir launch commercial is terrific. I tracked the artiste Yael Naim's video for you. What is the name for this genre (Regina Spectre et al)? Apparently Steve Jobs chose the track personally for the TVC. Order from Amazon: Splash out:

Sexist Advertising and stereotypes

Advertising lives in the short-form world. Because mass media is so expensive the 30 second commercial is conventional and because there is so much clutter simplified signals are essential to 'cut through'. One form of communication short-hand used as a default is the stereotype - "A stereotype can be a conventional and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image, based on the assumption that there are attributes that members of the "other group" have in common. Stereotypes are sometimes formed by a previous illusory correlation, a false association between two variables that are loosely correlated if correlated at all. Though generally viewed as negative perceptions, stereotypes may be either positive or negative in tone." In the 1950's and 60's when men dominated advertising stereotypical impressions of women as inferior or subservient were not only commonplace but usual. It was normal to show women as housekeepers, largely because most wer...

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