in the red - tina dico

It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or how far
It doesn’t matter how rundown you are
Or if there’s nothing perfect in your heart
No, it all means nothing, it all means nothing, it all means nothing at all, at all

I’ve told you every selfish lie I know
I’ve taken falls from dizzy heights, I’ve let go
But there’s a simple truth to find below
Where it all means nothing, it all means nothing, it all means nothing at all, at all

I’m on the edge for you, losing my head for you, I’m in the red for you, tonight, tonight
Until my hopes fall through, there’s nothing else I can do
I’m in the red for you, tonight, tonight
I’m on a rescue

Love is a thousand shades of grey and we know
There’s not a safe and certain way to go
And we’ve seen all uneasiness and hate
It will show
That it all means nothing, it all means nothing, it all means nothing at all, at all

Do you have the right to communicate?

This was the question posed to us in our first class on the "Political Economy of Communication". The quick answer would be : "Yes, we have a right to communicate! We live in a democratic society. We talk to our friends about the things we don't like or like, how terrible the world is...and...we vote. That's communication, right? We have freedom of speech and gathering...freedom of religion...so yes, we have a right to communicate!"

I realize as this semester unfolds how complicated that question is. And problematic too.
The privatization of our public sphere, our community, is a serious and important issue. I know that often, when I'm trying to express this, it's really hard to understand because I'm using such complicated terms...no doubt...that's my inner pundit coming through. What I'd like to try here is to convey as clearly as possible the importance of this issue. Of our voice. Our say.

Let me begin with this.
What are the majority of the pictures you see around you? When you're on your way to work or to school, hanging out with your friends, or simply walking around?
Advertising pervades everything that we see and own...walls, billboards, buses, the Skytrain, taxicabs, storefronts, and often even in schools. It is the visual language of our time and the heart of television as as medium: corporations pay billions just to get access to your eyes.
It is inescapable. And so...don't you think it would be good to give more thought to what we're seeing? Are ads a reflection of reality? How are people like us being represented in them? If these images are all around us...dictate what we know to be "reality"...then shouldn't these representations matter?

I'm here to say that they do matter. And more so than ever, I encourage you to look at what's around you more carefully. Why do we buy what we buy? What makes the item so attractive? What do YOU hope to gain from buying it?

Do you think it will enable you to be more attractive...to perhaps help you find the right guy/girl? Do you think that an object can make you feel important, valued, and trusted? That by having it, you are somehow elevated on the food chain?

Which comes to the question:
What does love, success, a "good life" have ANYTHING to do with objects?

The answer is...they don't.

We live in the era of the superbrand, the selling of a lifestyle rather than a product. That's what's attractive and tempting...the consumption of an experience. A Starbucks latte isn't just espresso and steamed milk; it is a social status. The Nike shoe isn't just a shoe: it is a symbol of acceptance and "coolness".

Why do we let objects dictate who we are and who we are not?

"I'm looking for a bridge I can't burn down...I don't believe the emptiness, I'm looking for the kingdom coming down. Everything is meaningless, I want more than simple cash can buy..."

Have a voice. Be critical of what you see.

my favourite things

today's pathetic looking weather really made me want to do something to "cure" how pathetic i feel...and so, i think a fresh list of "my favourite things" is due...
oh yes, for those of you who caught my "ho precious" expression during morning service...i'm glad you found laughter in that..but not too much! because then i'd have to start charging money.

1) baking up a storm...i especially enjoy cutting butter into flour...i don't know why.
2) um...watching House! Cuz it kicks ass! and...i *heart* james wilson.
3) making a fancy meals for family...there's nothing quite like actually sitting around the table to eat.
4) doing crossword puzzles with my asst. manager and later getting obssessed with them on the bus
5) listening to the perishers...on repeat.
6) listening to our congregation sing loudly
7) walking in my neighbourhood with the wombat (aka sister)
8) buying honger food: calbee, ribena, horlicks, nissin
9) breathing in fresh chilly air
10) the taste of a good americano

my friend says that the difference being blessed and being fortunate is that, when you are blessed, you recognize that you are fortunate.
i always thought she was smart=)