“Fun”
So the rumor-mill is buzzing, again, as Apple sent out invitations for a fun little get-together in Cupertino on Tuesday. The speculation is anything from the Mac Mini-Home entertainment system (hopeful) to the “true” video iPod.
I like the “true” adjective in advertising. It’s a subversive maneuver in that it would appear to undercut all the “other guy’s” marketing. “Why buy a Boktronic LCD TV, when you can get this Sony (2 x $$). It has “true” digital picture in Picture.
Which of course brings up another sort of technology that Gammon and I would find five minutes of bitter laughter over: The Picture in Picture Technology. The development of that technology can only be akin to making (building) a better, more potent Nyquil, ’cause the boys in Marketing say that kids are drinking it in Exurbia.
Funny, not Ha-Ha is the Eight classes of Meeting attendees.
At the mention of “classes” I am reminded of my latest non-reasoned book purchase. Non-reasoned being (just now) my way of saying I actually browsed a bookstore. When’s the last time any of the lost Templars did that? Actually, a lot of you all seem to do it with much more regularity than me. While checking on who has what translation of Aristotle, I am always struck by the books people have that are NOT remnants of things past arguing.
I can never figure out how one gets to the tipping point when making a purchase of a book (or anything?) about which one does not already have 1) encyclopaedic knowledge; or 2) a rec from a trusted fellow reader.
As an example: How does one “buy” a book on, say Film Theory? The permutations and possible caveat emptors in some “author’s” slanted POV are frightening.
At Almira Studios one time, I mentioned this to Alex. He has a number of books and, according to subject he has a number of books that “repeat”, in terms of their subject heading printed on the upper right back cover (e.g. “dentistry/magic”) for B&N drones.
I came to the conclusion that one must simply BUY one of the books (on Polynomials, Gardening, French Cooking, Citizen Kane, etc.), in order to form a baseline . . . Make a decision on how (simplistic, grandstanding, overly precious, neo-colonial) influenced the writer is, and, make your next purchase accordingly.
With my first teaching tenure coming up (Monday), I’ve had to do just this rushing with a purchase of a few books on Film and video Production. Fortunately, this is a craft, with rules and techne-ology, so no one is that badly off. The only thing you have to waatch out for is the “just shoot it, man” attitude. This is much better than, say, the books on interior design or, (saints preserve me) choosing paint colors. My favorite waste of money in this vein is the book “Intriguing Loft Styles” which is full of admittedly great spaces, but which shoul dhave as the first step- 1. Move into an apartment shaped this way… or else.
Out.
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