More Free Publicity From Pigdog!

by Tjames Madison

1999-08-21 01:11:31

Net Flotsam

Oh look, we're doing it again: we're making some other guys famous. Why do we do it? I don't know. Perhaps we're crazy.

This time out, it's Planet Soma, one man's personal rage against the machine; a very literate wind blows out of this planet, however, and as you watch David's spleen explode in slow motion through the pages of his highly personal journal, you also get treated to a really beautifully designed site. There's a really austere, simplified design ethic going on here, so even when I'm reading along thinking "Just shut up about hating the yuppies already, Dave," I'm already sedated by the blissful absence of bad web design and flashing geegaws and so I'm unable to yell at my monitor like I normally do.

This is a good thing, I'm thinking: more people need to have sites about things that really make their butt itch than sites about things they like, like Pokemon or Gino Vanelli. I mean, you can talk a lot about Gino Vanelli, but you can't make me drink. No way. Don't tell me what's good, dammit, tell me what makes you want to drive six-inch metal spikes through your eyes! So good job, Dave! You really hate a lot of stuff!

You should discover pretty quickly that the author of this site is a gay man, mostly because most other gay people seem to horrify and annoy him, along with all other sorts of people. I mean, it's not like he starts singing show tunes or anything. Also there is icky sex stuff all over the place here. It's not any ickier than, say, Getting It's icky sex stuff (and actually significantly less icky that that example, because at least here you don't have to ever think that R.U. Sirius might be doing naked stuff,) but it's sort of surprising when you encounter it, because you've been lulled into a sense of complacency by the competent design work.

But icky sex stuff and pictures of dangly bits aside, this site is a really good, long read. And realize when I'm saying this that I am the sort of person who would normally rather shave my tongue than read another goddam, fucking web journal. Planet Soma defeats the law of absolutes that says that all these journals must absolutely suck by virtue of being nasty and sort of unhinged, and also because it seems to contain the recognition that those kinds of things suck, too, so why not SHIT on the MEDIUM? I am here to say, then, that David Gwynn takes large dumps.

Take a look for yourself. Dave really sounds like he'd make a good Pigdogger, dontcha think? He smokes too much, drinks too much, and complains about everything. That's pretty much our application form, right there. Go Dave.

Check it out yourself

oarsman@pigdog.org