Whitney Houston dead at 48...

[Gandalf]

I started a thread about apple in which you did not contribute, in which I found I had something in common with Bilbo, as well as living down the road from him. Everyone seemed to take this to mean we were bumming each other. At least I can't be accused of bumming a guy in south Korea who makes plain his adversion to bumming on each post.

True, I am not really into bumming and find that a bit odd.

I don't like Apple, but I have a hard time having any affinity with huge corporations. I find young Koreans who love Samsung to be quite odd. Unless you have a stake in a corporation you shouldn't really feel any love for it and more so when they act unethically. I refuse to get what they call a smart phone. I like my old phone and I can call people, that is all that I need.

Whitney Houston had a lovely voice and entertained people. She was alright, she was an entertainer. I find very little entertaining about Steve Jobs. He was boring, just like Bill Gates. But he was good at making money and for that we are all expected to bow. They make money from commercializing what was developed by the Pentagon using tax payers money and then abuse workers overseas. I find it all rather cynical.

I prefer the simplicity of a song and voice over corporate monoliths and that is just me.

[Gandalf]

If I don't contribute to a thread sometimes it doesn't mean that I don't have views. It is just that sometimes I take a back seat and don't jump in. In this thread I have been a bit weird and jumpy. I should probably have stayed a little more mute. Whitney Houston is hardly Bob Dylan, but I do prefer artists over businessmen. If Steve Jobs had made an album I would have had more respect.

Do we remember the guy who invented the oven? It is a very important piece of equipment and yet we are supposed to revere Steve Jobs and for me Jobs was never able to do something as useful as invent an oven. I use it everyday. I don't see the point in many of his devices. I simply do not need them, but I do need Highway 61 revisited in my life. It's like Facebook. Everyone seems to rely on it, but I don't. I like words and sounds and not technology and typically businessmen don't adhere to my worldview either.

I am a dinosaur and know it, but I kind of like it that way. Who do I prefer Thatcher or Sinatra? It is a no brainer, I am always going to prefer the artist over a corporatist type. Only strange people have a thing for businesses and politicians.

[Gandalf]

Anyway, I am back and feel good. My apocalyptic visions have receded and I am feeling articulate and clear again. I am even posting in response to myself which will make Bilbo angry. It is a good feeling. There is definitely a loony within though and that needs to be caged. Quite definitely. And in terms of Steve Jobs. I have nothing against the guy, he just hasn't had any impact on my life and I don't like corporations that don't respect human rights. It just isn't very nice.

Whitney Houston? That's a strange one. Her music was kind of okay though. I mean you contrast her with someone like Maria Carey and you cannot name a single tune, but Whitney was able to work with people who could write and you do remember them and there were quite a few. I'm an alternative music fan, but out of all those pop dudes she was alright. Michael Jackson too. They had tunes. Justin Timberlake has never had tunes.

[ruthless rocco]

teach me more about music and how the world works miles.

[Gandalf]

teach me more about music and how the world works miles.

You are teasing me. You know your music and I respect that. I would also imagine you know plenty about the world too.