Babysitting

I was talking to my niece recently, and was flabbergasted to hear that she was getting paid nearly $10/hour to babysit and watch "Hannah Montana." Then, I realized we have the same job. *sigh*

Modern Discourse

I hate walking into conversations where someone is automatically looking for confrontation. I don't generally like confrontation, but I hate it even worse when someone is looking for validation to their opinions, and can only feel validated if they've somehow intimidated or bullied other people into agreeing to their view. Its a poor form of intellectual dishonesty, and more importantly, it shows a real lack of emotional intelligence and maturity.

Yeah, that's right, I'm actually complaining about someone lacking maturity.

My problem is that modern discourse seems to have faded from the society I find myself in. Instead, it has been replaced by the modern viper-pit of back biting and venom that usually constrains itself to catty blog comments. It seems that the anonymity of writing horrific comments on blogs has emboldened a number of people to start saying similar things in real life. Why must everything be so polemic? Why must everyone have to fight (and notice I don't say argue, because there's no trying to see one another's point of view anymore) instead of finding points of commonality? And more importantly, why does everyone feel that they have to serve righteous indignation with their quest for validation?

Frankly, I'm getting tired of it, and tired of walking into these emotional/verbal time bombs. They're not edifying in any way, and most often, both sides are so riddled with psychic shrapnel that you rarely find survivors.

Perhaps I should stop writing and go buy a bulletproof vest instead. *sigh*

Job Layoffs

Surviving the latest round of job layoffs is like being a contestant on American Idol, but nobody blogs nasty things about me the next day.

One chain of slavery down...

I got rid of my mobile phone last week. Well, let me be honest... it was gotten rid of for me. The friend I'd been sharing an account with freaked out on me and kicked me off his account. I found out over a passive-aggressive email complete with ultimatum/deadline that I received after the deadline. I am not glued to my computer 24/7, so I realized this wasn't the best way to get in touch with me. There's nothing like finding out your phone has been cut off before you actually had a chance to read the email.

I thought it would be the end of life as I know it. In fact, it's been quite the opposite. I'm tasting a freedom I'd forgotten about. I don't have a tether anymore. I don't have to feel like I'm on call every minute of my life. I don't have to live through stupid text conversations. People aren't soundbites anymore.

I got a house phone. Damn, the 70s were so much easier for a reason. Technology just breeds new forms of slavery, and I'm trying to find some more time in my day.

And most importantly, I'm alive. I can do this, and damnit, it's kinda fun.

The Agenda: Sam Sparro

The first thing I want to get right is that his name is pronounced "sparrow" like the bird. I don't want anyone else making the same foolish mistake I did of walking around talking about Sam Spar-oh and looking like a total idiot.

Sam Sparrow's debut album is a lot of fun. It's pretty much what you would expect if you crossed Jamie Lidell's soulful sounds with the fun/campiness of the Scissor Sisters. I've listened to the album a few times now, and can heartily recommend it to anyone who happens to like either of those groups - and yes, homos, you know who you are. And yes, homos, Sam is family.

Sam's first single is Black and Gold. I realized I'd been listening to a remix of it for about a month, but never had listened to the original until about a week ago. It's funny how those things work out. If you want a great remix of the song, I also recommend checking out the Russ Chimes remix. I'd love to dance to it in a club.

Here's Black and Gold for your listening enjoyment.

Glowing (which part?) Reviews

I was just reading reviews for the Holga camera on Amazon.com. I have the Diana + and really enjoy it, and Shawn mentioned that he'd like to get a camera kind of like it. I was thinking I would get him a Holga for a birthday present, since it's coming up. And now that I said that... I really hope he doesn't know this blog is here.

Here's one Holga review that instantly caught my eye:

I've been shooting porn digitally for years and my results have been getting stale. More megapixel really isn't the way to SEX IT UP. The unpredictable nature of the Holga combined with rich Fuji Velvia 120 gives me the old 1970's look I lost when my models began shaving their kootches.

If that doesn't make you want to run out and grab a Holga, I don't know what will.

Avalanche

Some days it seems like life is like an avalanche, with you trying your darndest to outrun it, knowing the entire time that the smallest misstep will lead to your inevitable demise. It seems like the avalanche used to just be about money. You could never have enough, and the bills just seemed to get bigger each passing year. Then the technology avalanche comes crashing down around you, sending you skittering with refreshed vigor. You need a new iPod so you can watch videos on it, but then you need more albums to download to fill the iPod, and then you realize that the groups you listen to are inferior to the groups your friends are listening to. They rule, you suck... you're not even beginning to realize how the word "obscure" is a badge of honor, not a lack of advertising. You were listening to the new Coldplay when you should have been listening to the new Sam Sparro (which you pronounced incorrectly... it's said like the bird.)

You didn't respond to the text messages quickly enough. You ignored my IMs. I won't respond to your IM until you respond to my text through a text - no, you're going about it all wrong, and my ego is not stroked enough yet. I will throw a few more pebbles on your ever expanding avalanche of money/technology/time/relationship/work guilt that snaps at your heels and constantly threatens to do you in.

Then you find a small sanctuary; a small hiding place where you can stop and breathe and feel a little serene. You watch others running from their avalanches and you start to realize that most avalanches don't need to be so big, and are usually self-created.

Neologisms and Portmanteus

Is it just me, or does there seem to be about 20 new neologisms and portmanteaus every time you read something on the internet? I think it's a requirement for snarky gossip blogs to create at least three new ones every day, and that's not counting the new proper-name portmanteaus being created like brangelina, LiLo, etc. ad nauseum.)

It's nearly as bad as seeing the same 10-dollar-words being used in blog entries over and over - schadenfreude anyone?

I often wonder if the internet and other new media will lead to the complete dumbing down of society, or if the rising ranks of self-published proletarian will revolutionize the English language more than we could possibly foresee.

The Agenda: Adele

I love my iPod shuffle most days, but I especially love it this morning. I was just walking to my favorite coffee shop when a song by Adele came on the iPod. I've listened to her album a few times, but I don't think I've ever really listened to it. As the song started to play, I realized it had a haunting piano melody very reminiscent of "Breathe Me" by Sia. Then, I realized I was getting that same choked-up feeling I get when I listen to that song. I could feel the pressure behind my eyes begging to be released in a flood of tears, despite the fact I really didn't feel the need to cry any time soon.

About 10 seconds later, I heard the lines "I like it in the city when the air is so thick and opaque/I love to see everybody in short skirts, shorts and shades" and I was instantly transported back to England. I miss it at times, but I think I miss the urban experience and the freedom more than I actually miss England. I experienced the same thing on my recent trip to Seattle. Maybe it was the rain, or leisurely wandering around downtown, but I felt so alive all the sudden. Idaho can make you feel like dust at times. It wears you down and dries you out, and you wonder if you're even alive under the layers of discarded skin and dead memories.

I've been wondering what to do with my future. Shawn really likes it here now, and I've got a sweet deal with the university. Hell, it will cost me about $150 to take 7 credits this fall semester, so I can't really complain. But honestly, I feel this need to move on. This need to get away from my family and their silly drama and how sick it tends to make me, physically and mentally. The mental seems to always hurt the most. It hurts me, it hurts Shawn. I've got to figure something out.

Anyways, here is Adele's "Hometown Glory" in all of its mp3 glory. Enjoy.