The Screaming Angel of Death Opens Its Arms

About nine minutes before I got to get serious about the day.  Did a lot of research on necrophilia last night for a story idea.  (Fascinating case out of Ohio recently that I considered writing about on here, but I think you will all be thankful I didn't.)  I figure at this point, if my computer is ever seized, a history check is going to be most disturbing.

That is one aspect of the writing process I really enjoy: the research.  For the cannibal manuscript I delved into old gas pumps, the types of guns issued to California police, Native American tanning (animals, not people) processes, cannibal cultures and folklore, and recipes.  That research led to new story ideas, new knowledge and other fascinating things.  It also made me realize how lucky I am that I enjoy learning about ... well, whatever.  I was never one of those people who stayed away from intellectual challenges be it in school, art, or my personal life.  Lucky, indeed.

KTVU, out of San Francisco, is going to highlight the ads from the Super Bowl.  It's bad enough when your average joe gets excited about this (ever feel manipulated?), but when the news covers it?  That's excessive.  New ads, no matter how creative, are not news.  There are new ads premiering every day.  Again, not news.  A few years ago, when people started watching the ads on the Internet, the news covered that new development, too, and I could kind of understand that.  After all, I was puzzled by people willing looking at ads on the Internet (I rarely even watch trailers online).  I mean, I thought most people hated pop-ups, spam and whatnot.  Now they were actively seeking it out, most likely because they didn't want to sit through the game.  That could have been an interesting study in sociology, but just turned into the typical, "It looks like advertisers have a different venue for getting word of their product out."

I turned off the news before the highlights came on.  I don't need that stuff renting space in my head.  I don't have enough time to take in the stuff I like, let alone a chip ad.

But hey, if you like that sort of thing, more power to you.  This was probably a good year for ads, as the media indicates most years are.  I hope you were entertained and enlightened.

Today is covering the ads, too.  And Matt and Meredith, those smiling talking vacant heads, announced this before they announced the possible White House run by that other vacant idiot Sarah Palin.

Priorities.