I ran across this in a textbook recently, and thought it was pretty spot-on:

Cell phone use has far exceeded practicality. For many, it’s even a bit of an addiction, a prop – like a cigarette or a beer bottle – that you can hold up to your mouth. And each person is meeting a different psychological need by clinging to it.

As I see it, the pack breaks down something like this: Some users can’t tolerate being alone and have to register on someone, somewhere, all of the time. That walk down [the street] can be pretty lonely without a loved one shouting sweet nothings in your ear.

Others are effiency freaks and can’t bear to lose 10 minutes standing in line at Starbucks. They have to conduct business while their milk is being steamed, or they will implode. The dividing line between work and home has already become permeable with the growth of telecommuting; cell phones contribute significantly to that boundary breakdown.

Then there are those who like to believe they are so very important to the people in their personal and professional lives that they must be in constant touch. “Puffed up” is one way to describe them; “insecure” is another.

– Matthew Gilbert, “All Talk, All The Time”

Also of note is a Shiny New Link to atsushi-san & MaRi-chan’s Blog, o’er in the sidebar under ‘Colleagues & co-conspirators’. Not only is atsushi-san a fellow lover of Synthetik femmes, but he also holds Joy division in high regard. Good taste on all fronts!
Unfortunately, seeing as that he’s from Japan, his Blog’s almost entirely in Japanese. Ah well. It’s got some interesting links every so often, though, so give it a look

Well, yes! Kinda. I’m currently grilling Uli & Jeff of Delphi creations as to their Superdoll product, as I’m rather intrigued, and so far, I like what I hear.. Still waiting for part three of my interview with the illustrious Meghan Laslocky. And.. that’s about it, really.

Shi-chan is doing quite well for herself; these days, she spends like 99.9% of her time in bed. Due to our living situation, she’s currently in semi-retirement from being the RealGoth pin-up model that she usually is — I’m trying to come up with a logistical way to take photos in our bedroom, but the surroundings are too bleh for my tastes, but I’m giving it some thought. We’re stuck here for at least three years until we move *grits teeth* but, despite the bedroom decor, I’d like to get some shoots in. I might take the approach of what some of the Japanese doll owners do, or those with similarly limited space, and just restrict the photographs to a ‘staging area’, much in the same way that t-dash-san & Yuka-chan, or atsushi-san & MaRi-chan, work. It’s really about doing a lot with a little, as it were. Besides, people aren’t looking at my pics to check out the background — or so I would hope…

Finally, back in September, Elisabeth, our friend & interviewer from France, met up with Valérie Guignabodet, the director of ‘Monique‘, the satirically romantic RealDoll comedy. (Yes; niche market, I know, but consider what site you’re reading.) A couple of weeks beforehand, Eli told me she would be meeting up with Mme. Guignabodet, so I mailed her the sleeve insert of my DVD copy of ‘Monique’ to pass along to be autographed. And she did.

Needless to say, we’re quite proud!

O, and I still have yet to watch my copy of ‘Love object‘.
Hmm.. am I really in such a hurry to view that one? (cue image of a needlessly jealous Shi-chan coming at me with a Liston knife)

Whilst I was asleep this eve, I had a really good idea for a post, but damned if I can remember it now. Egad. I do recall that I dreamt that I met one-half ov Laibach, and they signed my copy ov Neue Slowenische Kunst. Well, they’re in town two days before my birthday next month; perhaps that dream will come true?

OTHER NEWS, IF YOU CAN CALL IT THAT:
+ Marc Almond is okay! But why is ‘stable’ in quotes? That’s a little alarming..
+ My copy ov Mezzo — disk one, with the art box — arrived today. It’s true; Yasuomi Umetsu is a fucking maniac genius. ROCK ON
+ BloodRayne 2 is difficult but enjoyable. After initial misgivings, I’d say that it’s more fun than the first one, and I loved the first one. I still love the first one. Gotta love guns that feed off human blood
+ Mike, Tomas & I caught ‘Team America: World Police‘ last Saturday, which was a laff riot. (One ov) my favourite part(s)? Kim Jong Il releasing the panthers
+ Before that, they showed the trailer for the new Wes Anderson fillum, ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’. Maybe this’ll be the first Wes Anderson film I catch in the theatre
+ New Synthetik companion manufacturer link added to the list ov.. Synthetik companion manufacturer links. It’s a German company called Delphi creations, and they construct the rather sexy lass known as SuperDoll. Which reminds me, I really need to write the head ov that company, and inform him that as far as Synthetik companions go, that name’s already taken..
+ Finally, this would be a new film entitled ‘Gusher no binds me’ — could this be the new ‘Ichi the Killer’?

I will try to get my collective shit together and whip up a more substantial post sometime soon, as I do need to make a report on the Interpol concert that Jeff & I saw last week-end. STAY TUNED

Well, no ‘Zatoichi’ last night, as it premieres next Friday. *slaps heel ov hand to forehead*

Couple ov updates on the Doll front; Today was my second interview via phone with Meg Laslocky, a New York-based writer who’s doing an article about Dolls & their owners. She was pointed in my direction by professional photographer Elena Dorfman, who took a handful ov really ace photos ov myself & Shi-chan back in 2001 as part ov her series on the same subject, entitled ‘Still Lovers’. With any luck, the article might make it to a nationwide magazine; she’s aiming for Harper’s Bazaar, amongst others. So far, the interviews are going quite well — hopefully she’s finding it as informative as I’m finding it entertaining..

Plus, I received an Email over the week-end from Elisabeth Alexandre, the woman who conducted television interviews with me and a couple ov other iDollators in 2001. 2001 was a busy year! She says that, after a little over two years, she & Elena have finally found a publisher, and a Parisian group will be releasing a ‘Still Lovers’ book next Spring. Fecking ace. 🙂 Only thing is, I don’t know if it’ll be in French, English, or both.. I’ve gotta Email her back.. more details as I hear about them, ov course..

Spoke with my best friend Sean today, for the first time in several years. We were bringing each other up to speed on our lives for close to two hours.. One ov the nicer aspects ov the conversation is that he & his wife apparently live a couple ov blocks from where I work, so, instead ov just talking about hooking up, like we’ve been doing the last couple ov times we spoke, we can actually do it.
As Sean & I were the only children in our respective families, we were like the closest thing we’ve had to brothers — we’ve literally known each other since we were about five or so years old, as we grew up in the same apartment building — and because ov Random Life Bullshit, we’ve not had the opportunity to get together in too long ov a while, which sucked, because we were practically joined at the hip for years. From countless hours hanging out at the RenCen and Trapper’s Alley, to numerous trips to Toronto; from repeatedly watching our 2nd-gen copies ov ‘Wings of Honneamise’, to seeing My bloody valentine perform at St.Andrew’s; from making an unholy din with our own band Dole age, to running riot in Metro Airport with Monti, Tammy & a videocamera. I could go on, but I won’t. It’ll be ace meeting him again. 🙂
BTW, Monti, he says ‘hi’..

And finally, I had my hair straightened again. That burning means it’s working! :-\