This evening, in an unprecedented display of sun-abuse, Anthony peeled pretty much the entirety of the top of his feet off in one go.

Yep, we make our own fun in this house.

I applied for a Proper Job - I don't think I mentioned this. It was as designer for Heinemann Library. The concept of applying for it was sort of foisted upon my by a small and sudden conspiracy, but the idea grew on me. I was really rather hoping for it. The idea of that sort of normality, focus, remuneration and an actual job description (as opposed to "Dee can do anything", which is flattering but aggravating) really intrigued.

Anyway, I didn't get it. Which is what I predicted as soon as I actually started wanting it. There's something of a trend that way, recently. I start out not really caring, talk myself into wanting it, and then I don't get it.

There's probably something deep, psychological and Freudian in all this. But I had a dream the other day where a cat sucked out my eyeball, so frankly I don't want to think too much about what things mean.

Him: Hey, there's a town in Victoria called Anarchy.
Me: Really? That's brilliant.
Him: It's spelt Anaki, but still.
Me: Can we move there? "Hey, we're living in anarchy!"
Him: "The people of Anaki are in revolt!" "Well, DUH."

Zero update: most likely option turns out to be true - Why can't major companies resist advertising campaigns that border on the psychotic?

So basically, Coke wants us to buy into something that has an apparent six-month marketing campaign LIE wrapped around it? Why should we believe that this stuff has absolutely no sugar again?

It's weird. Despite the stupidity, the naivety and the misogyny, I actually had more respect for the website before it turned out that it was, actually, what we'd feared all along. And it's not like it actually has sold out, because it didn't have any credibility from the beginning. It's a STEALTH sell-out. A ninja sell-out? Well, it is mostly black, I suppose.

*

We had a week down the beach. It's possible Anfy's brain and mine should never have that much time to themselves. Phrase of the week, I suspect: surfeit of suck.

Particularly apt considering the opening topic. Which annoys me so much, I never want to speak of it again.

The irresponsible misogyny movement
or: You wish your blog had a marketing campaign like this.

What the hell is this?

The story starts with me wandering home from work one day, and seeing a poster on a wall. "The Zero Movement," I thought. "Hmm, wonder what that is?" And thought no more of it. Until, at our local one night shortly after, Anfy brought back the round, and a coaster that said, "The Zero Movement".

"What is this thing?" I said, picking it up and waving it around. None of us knew. We speculated that it was probably some new sort of pre-mixed drink, and we got distracted into musings on the history of such things, and their likely responsibility for the demise of cider.

A few days later, suffering through the usual pre-movie barrage of advertising lightly interspersed with trailers (usually for Cheaper by the fucking Dozen), there it was again! A little ad for the Zero Movement (the stupid "why can't chick flicks..." one).

Even we have our limitations on apathetic curiosity. "That's it," we said. "What is this thing?"

When we went looking, what we found perplexed us mightily. It's... it's a weblog! A rather dull and uneloquent one, moreover. With a message that's something of a more boring, smallscale and irresponsible version of Fight Club. ("Why can't my salary be doubled and my responsibilities halved?" it asks. Gee, I dunno, maybe you should ask your boss. I'm sure he needs a good laugh.)

I turned the website upside down and shook. I could not see any sign of any sort of corporate link, or anything of sufficient bulk to warrant, let alone fund, the sort of blanket advertising campaign we'd been subjected to. (Today, walking through Melbourne Central, I saw another ad, this one a sort of animated billboard thing.)

Is this somehow linked to the new Coke "Zero" and this advertising is supposed to settle into our subconsciouses and make us automatically reach for the "Zero" product on the shelves? Is it just some nitwit with more money than is good for one of his limited intellect, who wants to achieve internet popularity through realworld advertising? Is it purely designed to irritate me?

We may never know. Because actually, I don't care.