Comfortably Dumb

Also could be titled, "Why I Don't Give Two Shits About Amy Winehouse."

When I saw the headline this past weekend about Winehouse being found dead in her home, my first reaction was What the hell? Seriously?

Not out of surprise - she was a multi-car train wreck. It was more from a place of, Seriously, with all the money and resources at your disposal, you still can't get your shit together? People still do this?

But on the other hand - that voice... What a waste. What colossal disrespect for one's body and talent. What a dumbshit.

A friend on Facebook - sorry, Facecrap - posted a sympathetic notice about all the fallen stars who've died (from drug abuse) at the tender age of 27 - so sad. More like, so lame. They made their choice. That's what you get for making one of the worst decisions you can make. I just can't cry about it.

Another rich celebrity/movie star/rock star ending up dead. Someone who has all the resources to get help, either being enabled by a toxic entourage or simply believing she's immune to the same pitfalls that harm everyone else or who the fuck knows why, not getting the help she needs to be a productive human.

There's no excuse. She chose drugs. It doesn't matter why. If addiction really is a disease, like cancer, diabetes, or stupidity, then the only choice should be to get treatment (if you want to live). Someone with lung cancer doesn't keep smoking unless they want to die. I don't sympathize with that, but I can respect that, even though it's incredibly stupid.

So Happy To Be Back

Such a great day. Started off with a nice enough staff meeting, then I was pulled into a meeting with Mothra who was laying piles of eggs all over the office about pages that hadn't yet been posted live.

It's just such a joy to come into a meeting where the first thing I have to say is, "You have to calm down - seriously - please, calm down," before I can begin to repeat the same information I've already supplied four times before.

Mothra didn't think I was making her content a top priority. Never mind the fact that I cannot control the technology used to publish this content. It's like complaining to my boss that I still haven't made the city streets out of chocolate.

It's amazing how hard it is to resist the urge to stand up and wrap your hands tightly around someone's throat.

Only if I want to be forcibly escorted out of the building can I give into those urges. That day may come, but I need to take some stuff home first.

Then there was the kickoff meeting to build a tool there's no data or research to support. If there is, no one's offering it up, yet everyone sat there saying, Oh yes, let's build this thing we can't even implement with our own technology (or technology skills), even though we don't even know if anyone would use it or if it would provide any real value whatsoever - yes - let's - let's run right down the path to more spending and development hell because why not - what else are we going to do to fill the time 'til summer vacation?

Don't get me wrong - I love technology. I love widgets. But I wouldn't dump hundreds of thousands of dollars into widget development unless I knew the investment might be worthwhile. What I can't understand is why isn't anyone asking for data and research to support such projects?

Is it because it's not their own money that our business partners don't seem to give a shit about how much is wasted by poor planning and a lack of research? If the research is there, just tell me and I'll shut up.

Wouldn't it be better to be strategic and not just do what everyone else is doing, but do something even better? I probably should just shut up anyway.