M.I.A. vs. Lady Gaga

Interesting comments from M.I.A. on Lady Gaga:

None of her music’s reflective of how weird she wants to be or thinks she is. She models herself on Grace Jones and Madonna, but the music sounds like 20-year-old Ibiza music, you know? She’s not progressive, but she’s a good mimic. That’s a talent and she’s got a great team behind her, but she’s the industry's last stab at making itself important - saying, ‘You need our money behind you, the endorsements, the stadiums.’ Respect to her, she’s keeping a hundred thousand people in work, but my belief is: Do It Yourself.

I should preface by saying I like M.I.A. and her music. Her take is an insightful one on the surface, but she should take it a step further. Being 'different' or 'progressive' is always more respected, when it could be argued that it is every bit as contrived as copying someone else. When you're different or weird, aren't you basing your 'difference' against something? Namely, the mainstream? If I know what sounds popular and want to be different, I can make it happen. It's every bit as constructed as someone who mimics. Quite frankly there's nothing THAT original out there in the world of art anymore. Best to just not go down this path because it's a painful circular argument.

Of all the technologies, bathroom technology is the least necessary

In most aspects of life, technology improves things. This is not so in the bathroom. I argue that every piece of bathroom 'technology' has made things worse as opposed to better.

Automatic sinks? Terrible. If you've ever waved your hands around trying to get the water to flow, you know what I'm talking about. If you had trouble getting it to start, you'll have trouble getting it to keep flowing. And the temperature? Always set perfectly to 'lukewarm' - the perfect temperature to not kill any germs on your hands.

Automatic soap dispensers? Pointless. Only effective in cutting soap costs because it allocates you so little soap and you feel stupid going back for more.

Automatic hand dryers? Not terrible, but not great. It takes longer than a paper towel to dry your hands and I've seen studies that it blows germs all over the place. Want to use a paper towel to open the bathroom door? Oh wait, there isn't one.

Automatic flush? This technology has improved, but still has a ways to go. I remember when it first came out. Wouldn't flush when you wanted it to, would flush when you were still doing your business, causing splash. The automatic urinal at my work still flushes prematurely, then flushes again when I'm done. Not really saving water that way.

Waterfree urinals? Great in concept, but bad in practice. These things end up smelling pretty bad after a while and "stuff" gets stuck in the drain, causing them to overflow.

The ONLY good bathroom technology I can think of is the 'pull up for light flush' or 'push down for heavy flush' handle. But that still gives the user control.

Public bathroom industry, if you're REALLY wanting to make something automatic in the bathroom, how about something as simple as the bathroom door? People use their paper towels to open them and they just throw them on the ground because there usually isn't a garbage can near the door.