something chilling

We’ve had no phone lines for about five days now, so no DSL connection. I hate that. It’s supposed to be fixed by this evening, but we’ll see if that actually happens.

The book is rolling along. Roll, roll, rolling along. The manuscript is due to the publisher in (yeeks) ten days, so I’m just drowning in writing and editing. But what a sweet death it is. I just looooove doing this!! I plan to take Friday off to bust ass and finish as much as I can before the weekend.

I wonder if I should snag the domain name for the book yet. I suppose I might as well. I don’t know where I’ll hang the site, but perhaps my publisher will have some insight (read: financial influence) about that.

I am totally addicted to these little tiramisu crunchy balls that Tamarah and Kathy bought for their wedding. I must stop eating them.

Here’s something chilling. You thought that the music you’re listening to is an expression of the artist’s personal feelings? Think again. Anyone with more than an ounce of common sense has known for a long time that modern pop music is a very shiny well-planned strategically marketed package (and not much “art” at all), but now it’s been taken to new heights. And this has probably been happening for YEARS, too, but this is the first time I’ve seen it spelled out in print.

From Advertising Age, September 2002

MARKETERS EXPLORE PRODUCT PLACEMENTS IN MUSIC

Music Studio Offers Ads in Artists’ Song Lyrics

“…if companies are willing to pay a premium to have their brands in movies, why wouldn’t they jump at the chance to be in songs,” said a music industry executive, who spoke under condition of anonymity…

…In almost all cases, a brand has found its way into a…song because of artist preference or through an organic, creative predilection and not because of a record label dictate to appease an advertiser…”

This established modus operandi is slowly starting to evolve.