February 2009
“In the Hipster Runoff universe, the only acceptable world view is blowing up the...”
– This perceptive Nick Sylvester essay on Hipster Runoff’s widely beloved Animal Collective post is a must-read for anyone concerned about the Internet’s impenetrable core of mean-spiritedness. (via crumbler)
If Tumblr was Talk Soup and I was John Henson, this would be my clip of the week!
January 2009
The End Of Empathy →
soupsoup:
We’re all canaries in the coal mines now, like Josh Harris was back in the ’90s. We’re harvesting our lives and putting them online. We’re addicted to gaining followers and friends (or email subscribers, as the case may be), and reading comments we get in return. As we look for validation and our daily 15 minutes of fame, we do so at the cost of our humanity.
Today, we’re destroying...
My favorite "Plutonium loser" →
Scare tactics? As I type this, I may have to reconsider not renewing my subscription!
“What does the contemporary self want? The camera has created a culture of...”
– William Deresiewicz
(via)
(via cajunboy)
I don’t know what my contemporary self wants. I think it wants to be recognized, to be connected, to be visible. But the misanthrope in me wants to escape from society and become a virtual recluse. How do you explain my constant desire to...
“To be worth a shit in the world, you’ve got to blaze your own trail. Nothing...”
– John Milius (via cajunboy)
I am going to re-blog this quote despite the fact that JM is a strong opponent of gun control laws. I guess being a trailblazer involves brandishing your own firearm!
My Top 5 Years
topherchris:
1776
2001
1984
1492
3000
I was thinking about the topic of my favorite years recently. I have been through so many different dynamic periods of time. I should have my own movie montage!
1. 1989
2. 1999
3. 1987
4. 2003
5. 1991
cocktail party fodder
Life’s Little Tragedies always make the best copy. Nothing is more boring than having a conversation with somebody who claims to have lead a stress free life. So while I was going through my own crisis today, I knew it would make the perfect anecdote. But it was hard to see the upside of my personal destruction. Maybe I am being over-dramatic. But I have an uncanny knack for imagining...
Notes On My Tumblr Dashboard
alexblagg:
Dear Tumblr Dashboard,
I’ve just finished reviewing you and I’ve got a few notes. Use them if you want (if you don’t, that’s cool, I’ll probably just unfollow you anyway):
1. Random photographs or screenshots of something from the 80’s or 90’s presented with no context or comment really aren’t necessary. Yes, we all remember the same childhood shows/characters/cartoons/video...
"I would rather be remembered as a wild child than... →
In the old days before Internet, when a celebrity fell off the radar, they vanished without a trace. Nowadays, the showbiz spies alert Gawker Stalker that a former famous person has fallen on hard times in real time. So when teen star Emily Lloyd disappeared from the scene 15 years ago, the silence was deafening. When a conversation with a friend motivated me to track her down, I discovered the...
On Facebook Friendship
doree:
NYT Standards Editor Craig Whitney:
Can we write about someone who is a “friend?” The answer depends on whether a “friend” is really a friend. In general, being a “friend” of someone on Facebook is almost meaningless and does not signify the kind of relationship that could pose a conflict of interest for a reporter or editor writing about that person.
[via]
The level of intimacy...
OBAMA DAY →
(via mizqueenie)
My love for Urban Dictionary knows no bounds. I like the fact that our language is always evolving. Although I have my doubts about their translation of bus whores! This newly coined phrase echoes my thoughts on the Inauguration Fever that was surrounding me today. If we consider watching the ceremony our duty as citizens, why don’t they make it into a national holiday? Why...
“seriously, when the children of all these people ask where they were when barack...”
– Comment on Racked (via doree)
Not necessarily. As the only Democrat running his errands while Barrack Obama was being sworn in, I can testify that you don’t have to witness it to support it. History was in the making today. But I had other priorities. I have to say there was a lack of...
Conscientious non-objector
I am using this term out of context. But as the least active Democrat in this city today, I feel as if my abstinence from any political celebration can be taken as a minor credo. As the entire island of Manhattan did a well-deserved victory dance, yours truly shunned all Inauguration Coverage. Perhaps, it is a variation on my policy towards Election Day where I retreated to the dark sanctuary...
Online attention whores
I’d say that part of the appeal of Tumblr is the constant flow of feedback that this unique platform provides. If somebody likes what you have posted, you get the positive reinforcement of a re-blog. Or the cyber-love of a red heart. As opposed to a Live Journal page where strangers have to log in to write comments. But have we all become addicted to the attention? “If a tree...
"Howard Jones Little Bit Of Snow"
Please don’t throw you away we need you to stay When you die a part of us dies Not the body but part of the soul You have a light for us we need every glimmer Don’t destroy yourself in a little bit of snow When there is no feeling and no pain It only lasts a little while When one light goes out a part of all of us cries Please hang on for us Please give you to us Don’t...
Small Time Crooks →
I am impressed by this local freelancer who often subsists on a limited budget, but who eats like a gourmand by stealing groceries from fine supermarkets. But I am ambivalent about promoting an illegal lifestyle that can lead to jail time. So I was torn about whether I should post this interview. On the one hand, the recession forces all of us to find innovative ways to preserve our current...
“This is NEW YORK and there’s no law against being ANNOYING.”
– William Kunstler (via mizqueenie)
The best part about living in this city is that it gives you carte blanche to be as annoying as possible. I may have taken this edict to an absurd extreme when I first arrived. And God knows I still have my moments when I push the envelope. But I am trying to...
“Frank Pierce: I realized that my training was useful in less than ten percent of...”
– Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
Tumblr OCD
karion:
My odd tumblrisms:
I have to catch up on the posts I missed before posting anything, including reblogs. I was schooled on this early in my internet surfing days. I always read the comments before posting anywhere.
On tumblr, this is partly because I prefer to reblog the first person who mentioned it, and ideally (if I am following them) the person who originally posted it.
This also...
Adventures in Narcissism: My Google results
Sebastian Junior’s Activity
Sebastian Junior commented on “I Love the ’80s” star banned from Facebook … Sebastian Junior commented on What’s your Internet-addiction symptom? … valleywag.gawker.com/people/sebastianjunior/ - Similar pages -
Sebastian Junior’s Followers
Sebastian Junior. Show: Comments | Posts | Favorites | Messages |...
“Ann: Now you feel like you wanna take all the drugs in the world, but all the...”
– My Life Without Me (2003)
Hell Bent for Eternity
If you take “survival of the fittest” to its logical conclusion, the weak must die. But I wasn’t aware that they gave out awards for stupidity beyond the call of duty. So I was surprised to discover the existence of The Darwin Awards while watching the quirky indie film of the same name. The tongue in cheek honors have been given to people who do a service to humanity by removing...
In related news:
muppetpants:
Since the election, Tumblr is the new LiveJournal. There are now three types of people who use Tumblr:
The Neighbors - The people who use Tumblr as a community spot—like a group instant messenger almost.
The Journal - People who use Tumblr as their vent.
The SoapBoxes - That’s me! Those of us who come on here to waste our time and just post dumb shit, not really caring who, but...
“Matt Buckner: I’ve never lived closer to danger, but I’ve never felt...”
– Hooligans (2005)
