Cobwebs...

One of my all time faves, Prince, recently declared that the "Internet's completely over" in a UK Daily Mirror piece. Of course he's totally wrong and of course the statement is probably just a way for the purple one to generate heat around his new album release (which The Daily Mirror just happens to be distributing free with it's paper) but I have to admit, all technological naivete/publicity stunts aside, in a roundabout way I kind of get what Prince might be saying.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no luddite; having logged onto the interwebs myself for the first time back in '94 and surrounding myself daily with a bevy of computers, audio equipment and iPhones. Certainly the net is one of the greatest tools ever invented (thanks Al Gore) and we've yet to even scratch the surface, but like every piece of technology that has a profound affect on mankind, it, of course, has it's benefits and it's drawbacks. I guess what I'm trying to say is the web, at least for me, is sometimes like my Uncle Milt; love 'em, great fun, knows a heck of a lot about stuff but at times is just a tad removed from reality and, well, a bit much.

This weekend past, my wife and I accompanied my young son to one of his schoolmate's birthday parties. Although we knew the birthday boy's parents a bit, we were suddenly thrust into a totally foreign social-circle, spending the afternoon getting to know a bunch of flesh and blood strangers face to face. After the initial handshake awkwardness passed I found myself having the kind of fun Facebook could never hope to provide.

Maybe Prince is still a genius after all.

(For a laugh, click here to visit an archive of my first website created circa 1997 and inspired by the ridiculous promo picture of me above).

www.markbacino.com