Tours for "People of Color"
Is this niche marketing or racial divisiveness? I was surprised to receive an e-mail inviting me to subscribe to the "Ethnic Traveler" newsletter - an online publication that "caters to the dynamic (travel) tastes of people of color". Maybe this is something I just missed, but I didn't know that "people of color" (why not just say "non-white" if that's the artificial and exclusionary concept you have in mind) traveled differently than Caucasians. Do Asians have special Asian travel things to do? Do Africans do special Africany things when they travel? Do whites take different airlines than others? What happens if someone advertises a newsletter for white travelers? Isn't this sort of nonsense just racism?
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
Sunday, July 06, 2003
Steak and Potatoes Radio
Commercial radio in Oklahoma is awful. Commercial radio in America is awful. That is unless you like hip-hop, country, Christian, or a narrow spectrum of talk radio. Awful in choice and diversity that is. It's the steak and potatoes of the airwaves.
Just as an experiment I scanned the radio spectrum a few minutes ago and before I gave up I found a choice of several hip-hop or "urban" music stations (gag), a couple of country and western music options (ugh), three channels with preachers hollering at me (who listens to this?), two Christian music stations, four very conservative talk show stations, and several stations playing OLD rock and popular music. Only National Public Radio (NPR) had something to interest me. No cutting-edge music available at all. No politically moderate and in-depth talk shows to listen to. Certainly nothing from the political left on talk radio - not that I'd like that much more than the far right stuff.
I'm glad hip-hop lovers and rightwing folks have their thing to listen to but - What is a politically-moderate person interested in cutting edge music supposed to do? Don't look for help from Clear Channel Radio. Either listen to NPR for synaptic stimulation or go to the Internet. I go to Spinner.com - where you can find everything from Reggae to New Age to Europop to Electronica to listen to. When I can afford it I'll get one of those satellite radios for my car so I can have some choices. I just hope that Clear Channel doesn't buy it and homogenize it before I can experience it.
Commercial radio in Oklahoma is awful. Commercial radio in America is awful. That is unless you like hip-hop, country, Christian, or a narrow spectrum of talk radio. Awful in choice and diversity that is. It's the steak and potatoes of the airwaves.
Just as an experiment I scanned the radio spectrum a few minutes ago and before I gave up I found a choice of several hip-hop or "urban" music stations (gag), a couple of country and western music options (ugh), three channels with preachers hollering at me (who listens to this?), two Christian music stations, four very conservative talk show stations, and several stations playing OLD rock and popular music. Only National Public Radio (NPR) had something to interest me. No cutting-edge music available at all. No politically moderate and in-depth talk shows to listen to. Certainly nothing from the political left on talk radio - not that I'd like that much more than the far right stuff.
I'm glad hip-hop lovers and rightwing folks have their thing to listen to but - What is a politically-moderate person interested in cutting edge music supposed to do? Don't look for help from Clear Channel Radio. Either listen to NPR for synaptic stimulation or go to the Internet. I go to Spinner.com - where you can find everything from Reggae to New Age to Europop to Electronica to listen to. When I can afford it I'll get one of those satellite radios for my car so I can have some choices. I just hope that Clear Channel doesn't buy it and homogenize it before I can experience it.
Easy to be spoiled
I bought a simple bamboo steamer recently. It was made in China. It's hard to find a "Made in USA" bamboo steamer. In reading the instructions on the side of the box it came in I was puzzled by the following English:
"The bamboo steam-cooker can acheieve (sic) better cooking by electric apparature. This steam-cooker set includes a pot for boiling water so that the pot can be heated by gas stove, or magnetice stove."
The operation instructions further advised:
"This steam-cooker made of nature bamboo. In 1st time. Boiling water remains light-brown water color due nature bamboo, no harm health." "If no clean, it will easy to be spoiled."
I was spoiled long ago but I just love reading instructions in English obviously written by non-English speakers. As more and more foreign companies get savvy and have their prose checked by native English speakers it's more difficult to find these gems.
I bought a simple bamboo steamer recently. It was made in China. It's hard to find a "Made in USA" bamboo steamer. In reading the instructions on the side of the box it came in I was puzzled by the following English:
"The bamboo steam-cooker can acheieve (sic) better cooking by electric apparature. This steam-cooker set includes a pot for boiling water so that the pot can be heated by gas stove, or magnetice stove."
The operation instructions further advised:
"This steam-cooker made of nature bamboo. In 1st time. Boiling water remains light-brown water color due nature bamboo, no harm health." "If no clean, it will easy to be spoiled."
I was spoiled long ago but I just love reading instructions in English obviously written by non-English speakers. As more and more foreign companies get savvy and have their prose checked by native English speakers it's more difficult to find these gems.