22 August 2006

View from the Promethean Observatory

Observation 1: Shock value is in. Surfing for good blogs can be like finding intelligence in governments (not to claim that this blog is of any worth). When you do hit something interesting, you come upon descriptions of personal preferences of erm.. innerwear, or the refusal to wear them. Then there are the profanities. 'Oh, I went to the f#(kin church today'... I told him to shove it up his @*s... She's getting a tattoo near her...' No, Prometheus isn't on Etisalat's payroll. He abhors censorship. But freedom isn't supposed to mean anarchy. Prometheus could be wrong. The sheer number of intelligent folk subscribing to shock value makes him wonder if he's got his bearings messed up.

Observation 2: Google Earth is out. So long are you are Google Earth-ing the Lands of Bush or those of his pet Blair, you are fine. Try searching Dubai, UAE. By default, the earth centers onto the UAE embassy in, where else but, the United States of America. So you enter United Arab Emirates and hey presto, the world zooms onto the sandbox. Er, did I mention it zooms far too deep till the screen goes bluish green (or greenish blue). The United Arab Emirates, if Google Earth is to be believed, did an Atlantis and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Wait, you zoom out till you see brown, could be land. Yes sir, we have United Arab Emirates back on land. The center of Dubai is somewhere in Naif / Nasr Square. Ajman is, well, near Atlantis. Which is when Prometheus hit the nifty little x on the top right and switched to Map24. Mucho better, if you aren't looking for the bottle of rum you hid on your building terrace.

Observation 3: Companies who fax doodles for location maps are morons. You are to visit a company. You ask them for their location. They say they'll fax you a map. You wait. You wait even more. Just as you are about to call them up and ask them to fax the damn thing if they're done painting their nails, in comes the fax. Map? It's more like a bleeping Picasso imitation by a bleeping piece of bleep overdosed on an illegal substance. Requiring you to undertake an exercise that results in Observation 2 above. A phone call to clarify things results in a landmark given as 'the 3rd traffic light' on a street with 17 of them. Excuse me lady, but those coordinates would work if Prometheus were of the canine ilk. Woof! to that.

7 comments:

Lizza said...

Seems like Prometheus is feeling a tad blue today. I'd send you a beer if I could, and if I thought it would make you feel any better.

Out of the millions of blogs in cyberspace, there are many good ones out there -- don't lose hope!

I think Google Earth is fun sometimes. Except for its inaccurate rendition of parts of the Philippines (and the UAE).

I don't work for any company, so I can't contribute anything regarding the corporate practice of faxing location maps.

Things will get better...someday (pats Prometheus' scar-riddled back)

Prometheus said...

Blue? Yeah, this world makes Prometheus Pantone Process Blue. A loosely translated Hindi couplet says 'There isn't as much (liquor) today in the bar as much used to be left over in my cup'. Ergo, beer will do.

Aye, save for the love of friends such as thine own self, this world would be long for Prometheus.

Woke said...

I think Google Earths method of involving the online community has it's own merits and demerits. But on the long run, I think Google Earth is going to win if they have a plan to get all such errors rectified. Well, Google always has the best laid plans.

Prometheus said...

The community thing is great, Woke. I wasn't talking about it though. I had the community layer switched off. And Country markings are not done by the community, that's Google's job. The community marks 'Jim's House' and other putrid stuff.

Sure they're gonna win. Anyone who rectifies their errors does. Just that they are spreading out too thing. It's quantity over quality. Blogger Beta is stuck. Earth has its own problems. Gmail needs big time improvement. I love Google myself. Maybe ya feel pissed off when yer heroes do dipstick work.

D8 said...

Prometheus, just getting into the blog thing myself. Last couple of months have been style and substance building. Agree with Observation I, as I get my blog act together, finding good blogs that are not based in shock value or political monologue is tough. Like the Samuri Song post, will definitely link to that one. Good luck on your search for balanced content in blogs.

Prat said...

I wonder how the Prometheus of the canine ilk would be.
And also, how they managed to capture all those strands of hair in the donkey's ear in the movie shrek so well. did you notice that? who knew donkey hair detail could be so impeaccable? And you know when it walks with its donkey swagger, those strands actually move. i wore my glasses over my contacts to verify that fact.
I think this comment should have been in the other post. anyway, woof woof to you too.

Prometheus said...

Prometheus of the canine ilk would know most of them traffic lights. His homies would know the rest.

Did notice donkey hair detail, as well as the detail on backgrounds. No surprises Prometheus favorites the movie.