Wow...it's really been a long time since I've blogged. There's so much I've wanted to say, a lot of anger I've wanted to let out, and many beautiful things to talk about.
So where does one start after such a hiatus?
Wherever the mind takes you, I guess.
Being Engaged
Now that's a cool experience. Scary as hell considering all the financial questions that keep coming up, especially with property prices being what they are, and all rent control going out the window in 2010. So, what'll happen to us? We can't afford to buy a house, and I'm afraid to think about what rent will be like in two years. Very scary, I warrant.
Elections
I feel like a bit of a cheat. I don't really want to vote, even though I strongly believe that I should. I'm sure that a lot of the candidates out there deserve a vote, but to be honest, there's so little I know about any of them. It's ridiculous! Despite websites like 7iber.com (which offers some background on candidates), I still know nothing beyond the stupid gimmicks plastered along with their unflatteringly-photographed faces all over the city. And on that note, why is Mamdouh Abbadi the only person who looks remotely trustworthy? Everyone else looks like they've been photographed after being arrested. And don't even get me started about the bearded guy with the bad comb-over! You're going bald, mate. DEAL WITH IT. Those 12 strands of hair aren't fooling anyone!
Dexter
No, not the cartoon, but a very interesting TV series I got on DVD about a police forensics expert by day/serial killer by night. But Dexter's actually a very likable character; he only kills "bad" people who escaped the punishment of the law on some technicality. Still, he's a murderer, and a very brutal one at that. Kind of begs the question: How much better than his victims is he? Interesting. In any case, get the series. It's worth watching. Seriously.
Piracy
Q: Why will piracy never go away, despite the legislation that governments try to impose on copyright and intellectual property?
A: Because everyday people have no wish to pay 15 JDs for a CD that costs 0.10 JD to make.
It's simple math, folks. DVDs and CDs do not cost that much to make or package. Most of the money goes as profits to the people who import, ship, and sell them. You can just potter down to a million places in Balad and buy a DVD for 1 JD a pop, or cheaper if you buy ten at a time. Why on earth would you spend twice as much for an original? One original vs. Twenty pirated. The math is simple. Unless someone wants to start giving consumers cheaper copies, I really don't see why anyone should care that EMI, Virgin Records, or Sony are making any less money. Sell your products at a more reasonable price, and then we'll talk.
That being said, I definitely don't believe that piracy is always justified. I firmly believe that local talent should be supported, mostly because it sucks to be a musician, actor, writer or filmmaker in this part of the world, and you need every qirsh you can get. Plus, local stuff is usually cheaper.
I know a lot of people will have issue with this post, but it's just personal opinion here. Comments are welcome!
It's good to be back...
