Media + In Between

My life is a little upside-down at the moment - all in good ways - but I'm trying to keep up-to-date on my media.  I don't really follow any shows these days, and those I do, I haven't been keeping up with.  I was also chastized by one of my best friends - as only a best friend can chastize you - for not really knowing Beyonce's new album by now.  So, I'm listening to it in my office as we speak - my third time - and obviously loving it, but I'm still planning on an in-depth listen and viewing as I get more settled in Waterloo.

I have a particularly hard time being in between things.  Right now I'm living temporarily at a best friend's place in Waterloo until I get possession of my new apartment on Saturday.  At that point I'll be living without all my stuff and furniture for about three weeks, allowing for lots of time with my iPad watching Beyonce videos, and doing very little of anything else aside from working + working out.  So, it's decidedly an "interim" time, and it's tough on me, but I'm trying to enjoy the process instead of spending energy waiting for the next thing.  If you embrace them, the in between times can be really wonderful, too.

I Don't Care / I Love It

I have an upcoming post on my cat (!!!), but in the meantime, here's a track that I've been playing on repeat today. It was featured in the latest episode of "Girls" (have I written about "Girls"?) and my sister sent me the link to the video last night and I can't stop pumping the jam.



Bringing media content back to S & G.  What is this, a blog of essays?!

Upcoming posts... Spoon, Girls, RuPaul

Bookshelves: a peephole into your mind

When I go to someone's place of residence for the first time - or really any time - I am drawn to their bookshelves.  Whether they hold books or DVDs or - in rare cases - CDs, I love to scan them.  I love seeing what people read, watch, and/or listen to.  I love commenting on shared favourite authors or TV shows.  It's a conversation-starter, a peephole into their mind, and even better - an opportunity to borrow some good books and movies.

You won't be surprised to know that I take a lot of pride in my own bookshelves.  I have been know to organize DVDs alphabetically, group authors together, and sort books according to subject matter.  After reading Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, I read a review on the back that said the book could easily fit between 1984 and A Brave New World on your bookshelf... so that's exactly where I put it.  I love when people inspect my bookshelves; whether they're passing judgment or looking for shared interests, I bare it all for them.


It's because of this that when I think about the printed word or the tangible media source (DVD, CD, etc.) becoming obsolete, it's scary to me.  It's not that I'm a dinosaur and don't get it, or want to slow things down; it's that I think about the joy I get from seeing and touching someone's books and movies and I hate the thought of not having that.  I feel like I know people better when I see their shelves.  I feel like it brings colour and culture into a room, never mind being aethestically pleasing a lot of the time.

Then there's also that feeling of a book in your hand.  Will they one day call a story with so much excitement you can't wait for the next part a... page-swiper?!  I love the smell of books, seeing what I might've underlined the last time I read a favourite, and the drama in closing a book when you've finished it and just clutching it for a few moments.  It's meaningful.

All I'll get a chance to see is the evolution of books and DVDs, etc. in my own lifetime.  I wonder what I'll see.....

Newz

I haven't blogged in a bit, so here's a morning quickie before I hop in the shower.

The iPhone has changed my life... I'm more organized, more connected, and all around loving my new gadget. I haven't been reading as much, it's true, but I figure the novelty will wear off soon enough, and until then, I'm forcing myself to read at least twice a day, even if it's for short periods of time. Unfortunately I still won't finish the last 3 Harry Potters before Friday (the opening day of the first part of the 7th movie), but that's no matter... I'll finish them eventually. I'm about 50 pages from being done the 5th book, so I'll just push through and hopefully finish the other 2 this year.

Some of the many perks of the iPhone are the news apps - I have Thomson Reuters, New York Times (thanks to the GF), Globe & Mail, and Huffington Post all at my fingertips. I read the top articles every morning with my coffee. It's not the same as holding the papers in your hand at your breakfast table, but it's a fantastic alternative. Plus, I get MORE news, and if I like an article or want to share it, it couldn't be simpler to link to Facebook, Twitter, etc. I love it. I feel more informed, which is always a good thing! Ok - shower time!

Stirring the Pot

An incident occurred at a Waterloo restaurant/cafe/bar that has been considered (perhaps rightly so... it's hard to say since I wasn't there) homophobic. Students, activists, friends, and people in general have responded strongly, and there has been a lot of media attention as well.

Wilfrid Laurier University's Student Newspaper: The Cord

Waterloo Region Paper: The Record

Toronto Queer Paper: Xtra

Plus - The Facebook Group

What do you think?

"Celebrity"

I've had a lot of conversations these days about the way the world is now. Conversations about how when I say, "What's up?" to my friend, he replies, "NM", and that's totally fine with me. Conversations about whether or not Internet dating sites are representative of the deterioration of social behaviour in this century. My instinct is to always support the time we live in. We live in the age of iPhones and Twitter and text messaging, and it's a great age to be a part of! Information moves faster than ever. Technology is changing more rapidly than I can mentally process. However, there are lines being crossed that I question.

I just listened to the audio of John Mayer breaking down onstage.
He says, "I quit the media game. I'm out. I'm done. [...] I just want to play my guitar."

With a world so obsessed with the idea of celebrity and real people becoming fictionalized... that must be a lot of pressure for celebrities. There are a lot of celebrities who became celebrities because they were passionate about their art - whether it be acting, or playing the guitar. However, because of us, they've become wrapped up in something they never signed on for.

That being said, I suppose it is what they signed on for. We all know that if you become a household name, that carries a lot of weight. Weight you might not want to take on.

Is there a choice? Can John Mayer really quit? I don't think so, because I found out about this on Twitter and then E! Online. I don't think you can escape it. It's just the way of the world... whether good or bad, it sells!

There's also those people that don't care about "their art" (if they even have one), because what they want is the celebrity. You don't have to have an art to be a celebrity now (see: Speidi), because we don't care what you do, we just care about which bar you were at, whether or not you flashed anyone, cheated on your boyfriend, or got in a cat fight with another "celeb".

I'm not bashing it though. I buy into it, too! I just find it fascinating.

Truthfully, there's no other age I'd want to grow up in.