Oh Internet, How I Love Thee

I have found that the internet is my best friend and worst enemy. It keeps me entertained when there is nothing to do, but distracts me when I’m supposed to be doing something productive.

I have discovered how the internet has allowed me to follow the trails of all kinds of people in the arts community, mostly my beloved Los Angeles. I follow galleries, artists, random photographers, and the D-listers no one “outside” the industry knows about. I’m not on the inside but I’ve managed to stumble into some insider-ish activities. I think it’s amazing that I can anonymously view the details of people I don’t know, and may never meet, of whatever they feel it necessary to share with their groups of followers. Artists posting pics of their work in progress, people who simply take beautiful pictures or make really cool art. People who might be part of the regular population IRL, but on the internet have an interesting perspective/voice/view on the world. It’s pretty inspiring, just to be able to so easily find access to what other parts of the world have to offer.

And that’s my two cents for the day.

If finals don’t kill me, you’ll hear from me soon; I have lots of ideas to flesh out and things to share.

Like I said (or threatened) earlier, once I have my iPhone I will be Instagramming the hell out of it, so here's my dog having a ball at the dog park today.

Black Friday, and what it means to me

Black Friday might as well be considered the holiday of November. Thanksgiving is technically the special holiday that kicks off the Holiday Season. Although Christmas starts it’s infiltration of displays and retail outlets before Halloween ever gets finished, Thanksgiving is really just thought of as the day before the biggest shopping day of the year for some. I remember as a kid when the Friday after Thanksgiving was like a relaxing family day (or something like that). However, it has now become only about the deals. (oh my GOD the DEALS!) People start standing in line hours before the stores are set to open, camping out overnight, so they can be sure to get Lil’ Johnny’s Gameboy for 20% off. I respect the desire for a good bargain, especially in this economy, but it’s out of hand.

Here’s how I see it:

All we have become is a mass consumer driven society who are willing to fight tooth and and nail for the last Tickle Me Elmo. Parents obsess over the need to obtain the most ridiculous toys for their spawn simply because they are the most advertised, marketed, and therefore popular toys on the market. Is Lil’ Susie never going to grow into a normal adult because she didn’t get a Bratz doll for Christmas? No, most likely she will be a better human for it later.

I’m not arguing that toys are terrible things. I’m presenting this forgotten concept that once upon a time, children had imaginations, and the world was their oyster. Today, children have video games and TV to babysit them and parents have mountains of credit card debt because they wanted their brats to have the best. Even if the little shit doesn’t actually deserve the best.

Who walks away on top in this cycle?

Executives at Mattel, Microsoft, Nintendo, Apple (no hate, I love Apple, but 10 year olds don’t need iPod Touches), whoever else mass produces shitty toys for stupid ass kids to love, drool on, break, and then push aside when the new toy comes along. That sounds a lot like Toy Story, but I’m not speaking on behalf of the toys’ feelings, this is about the fact that society has fallen into a sad, sad state.

I’ll continue on later to talk about the perspective of employees stuck in the destructive path of Black Friday.

I almost forgot: there should be a small plug here about purchasing gifts from independent businesses and supporting hand crafted trades. Not only is the work better, but you’ll feel better about feeding a person and their passion and not the already greedy hands of corporations who export labor to third world countries to provide you with low prices on junk.

Here’s a link to my shop.

The 99% deserve a little better

In response to an article that asked why the “99%” feel they deserve more. The article, while being a downer, just made me think. .

View that article here.

I get the thoughts of life as being a prison. The oppression. I understand there is no purpose to our existence, we are worthless flesh wandering the Earth in search of something “greater” (religion, love, enlightenment, success). I have struggled with similar concepts before. However, acknowledging that our lives are pointless and there is no meaning to life, I choose to attempt to make a better life for myself. I refuse to accept that I should be on the bottom of the food chain, scrounging for scraps, just getting by, simply because I was not born into a better life. So that is where the disenfranchised feel they are entitled. Because they want a better life and feel that it should be obtainable with hard work. The fact that there is a “1%” at the top making this conceptual dream more difficult, is what inspires people to act out. Sure, we’re all 100 times better off than people in third world countries, but that doesn’t mean we should accept our circumstance as the quality of life we deserve. No one is asking to eat bon bons and bathe in Evian, they just want to not choose between rent and food, their retirements and pensions to flourish the way they were intended, and to know that there will be social security when they get old. It’s not too much to ask from the country that says all man are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit to happiness.

Thought Appetizers

You know, I may have pulled off the biggest scam ever. Ok, it’s not a scam. But I have successfully taken almost 2 months off of work without being on vacation or being sick. I’m not getting paid, so it is coming at the cost of my financial security, but I am trying to be an optimist here. I mean who else can say they’ve done that, and been able to keep their job. It’s not a bad deal when you think about it.

So last night was my favorite every-other-Monday-free-comedy-show: Brunch Comedy at the Park Restaurant. Hosted by the cat adoring Jake Wesiman, the show always includes a few newcomers, a few seasoned professionals, some in between, but always a great show. Last night, the first performer burped onto the microphone, then proceeded to go on about how disgusting his burp was and how he felt bad for the next guy up there. Ok, maybe you had to be there to find that one funny, but I was in stitches. I forgot his name unfortunately. My other favorite of the night was Rob Gleeson. Adorable. There was also a guy wearing corduroys that played the guitar, with ironic glasses; an accidental hipster of sorts: Nick Thune. Also now in love with him. I always have mini celeb crushes on comedians; they make me laugh, what’s not to fall in love with? I highly encourage anyone in the Los Angeles area to go the next “other-Monday.”

And now I leave you with random thoughts of the day:

Ever type a word, screw it up, decide you don’t want to use it anymore and delete it instead of retyping it or spell checking it, then realize there’s no better word, and retype the word anyway? I do…

I think I had a few more, but I got distracted by Thought Catalog, as I usually am. Read that article. It is literally the story of my life. No one has ever put it into better words, and I applaud Caitlin Van Horn for doing it SO well. Seriously, I am now grinning on the inside because of how much joy that just gave me.

But that’s all for now. Have a hunky dory week!