Sunday, October 26, 2008

i'm officially wrong.

So I believe that I might have mentioned quite some time back (clearly seeing as it has been quite some time since I last posted) that Killer suggested an artist by the name of Bon Iver, and I might have dismissed said suggestion.

Okay. Dismissed is a strong word - but essentially I wasn't blown away in any form or fashion. I listened to a few songs on his myspace page and moved on...because sometimes I start to think that I need to have a somewhat more distinguishing palate when it comes to music because I hate finding myself listening to my iPod and having to skip every other song because my reaction to said song is, "Meh." Clearly my affection for the song doesn't relate past two weeks.

It's not often I need to admit that I'm wrong - but I feel like I owe Killer one here. I recently discovered Bon Iver's song "Skinny Love" and I'm completely and totally in love with it and his voice. In my first swing with Bon Iver I couldn't quite tell if I loved his voice or hated it. Again, I acted too rashly and decided that I hated it. I'm now thinking of all of the time that I wasted on not listening to Bon Iver.

In a show of trying to make things right with Killer, I will openly admit where I discovered the song: an episode of "Chuck." No. I know. It's actually my newest find. It's rather entertaining television. Plus, I've had a mini-crush on Zachary Levi since he was on "Less Than Perfect." Don't ask. There are those hours sometimes where a show comes on and you just watch...or it may be that you have lingering love for an actor/actress from another show (coughPretendercough) and you try and like the show...and it's middling, and you feel sorry for all involved. Any. Way.

"Chuck" is an entertaining little show. Are there other shows that are on that I would prefer watching at the same time? Absolutely. I actually watch it on Hulu (even though it isn't as awesome as last year I do watch watch "Sarah Connor" and I've been in love with "How I Met Your Mother" since go. Killer can vouch that I introduced her to the show...so Hulu it is). It seems like Josh Schwartz does a fantastic bang-up job of creating 'nerds'/'geeks' that are ridiculously adorable, charming, and cute. See: Seth Cohen on "The O.C." (I lost like a year to my obsession with Adam Brody. It was a bad scene. Well him and the show in general in the first year.) Chuck even looks a touch like a grown up Adam Brody and of course a touch like Josh Schwartz.

What magic Josh Schwartz brings to my TV (see also: Gossip Girl) is in part really only possible with his music/producing partner Alex Patsavas. I'm not sure if I've blogged about her and her awesomeness in the many years past of this blog (and I'm too lazy to search) but any emotion and moment in a show is either heightened (or I guess with a bad choice killed) with good music. I remember an article in the "Washington Express" in DC that I might have cut out (Fine. It had a picture of Adam Brody) that was expressly (pun intended!) about Alex and her music choices on the program and the fact that she was breaking a lot of bands on the program. Something about how after their appearance record sales of Rooney went drastically up (that was a choice I do not endorse). Not only is Alex amazing in her song choices - introducing me to a bevy of artists that I've since become obsessed with - but there is just something really awesome about how she is the music supervisor for so many programs and is a woman. She's totally my hero - if I could have a dream job, her's is totally one of mine. And what's pretty awesome is that after the OC, she became a producer on the JS programs as well. Not bad at all for a woman.

So thank you Alex Patsavas (scary fact: I know her name by heart and I know if it's a Schwartz show she's going to be the music supervisor. Good choice Schwartz!) for introducing so many artists to me and I'm officially blaming you for also making me lose hours of my time looking for the songs online, and listening to some songs over and over again.

So...short apology really long story: discover Bon Iver because he's awesome. Though not as awesome as Alex Patsavas.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

some text message conversations.

This is why I love Killer. This is why I miss Killer.

Because really? I think we're pretty fucking funny - and are more than capable of keeping each other entertained.

Last night as I'm trying to fall asleep as I've been fucking exhausted all day - and Killer has just read my last blog post. PLUS she knows this since I already told her I was going to sleep as I had a killer (hee!) day.

00:51:45: Killer: Dude, freshman year out of college is my term! Stop stealing my awesome lingo.

00:53:08: karen: Whaaat? I think we ALL called it that. What else have I pilfered? [AN: A statement I totally stand by - and I will just mention now that Killer doesn't mention any of these 'other' lingo words...so? I'm calling her bullshit.]

00:54:05: karen: Also? Tell me that's not the greatest video ever?

00:55:34: Killer: Sometimes I worry about you.

00:56:32: karen: Dude - have you watched it?

00:56:48: Killer: Dude, you are fucking awesome for that video. [AN: I know.]

00:57:06: Killer: Yeah, and I didn't cry. [AN: Because she has no heart and soul and uses kitten fur for a blanket, because how can you not?]

00:58:56: karen: B/c you're a monster. Don't you totally want a pet lion now?

00:59:14: Killer: Love the resurge in blogging, by the way.

01:01:25: karen: I figure if I'm not saving the world one [x] article at a time - I should at least be flexing my blogging muscles. Let's see how long it lasts.

01:02:25: Killer: Nice, I dig it...and now am caught up in the archives. Holy fuck, 2005 was a long as time ago.

01:06:08: karen: No fucking kidding, right? Eons ago. Aight - I have to sleep for reals. Good luck w/work! [I don't know - maybe I regress to ghetto with lack of sleep?]

01:06:32: Killer: Night.

So I think the above hasn't been edited in any way (I did add a little punctuation to Killer's texts - only a period here, capitalization there or apostrophe behind an 'n' [her keyboard is fucked right now]) - so I think we prove that it is possible to carry on a conversation without having to reduce it to a bunch of letters instead of actual words.

We do have funnier posts - but to save both our dignities - I'll just leave it be for the moment.

Though I did love Killer's text they other day: "I luv ur blog post"

Priceless.

So somone is reading.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

a lion made me cry.

I repeat.

A lion made me cry.

I have always always always been a soft touch for animals. I mean excessively so. To the point that my roommates freshman year out of college (did anyone else call it that? You know where you're out essentially every night? I think I might be doing that again but just New York style.) used to joke that I didn't have a heart as it took quite a bit for me to cry. You know where we would all be hanging out watching TV and they would all be crying and I would be laughing. Or cackling often. Don't get me wrong - there are certain things that will always make me cry: the eding of Titanic if I've watched it start to finish where the old broad dies/sees Jack and everyone else welcoming her back (no fucking clue why); pretty much any Season 1 episode of "Everwood"; "The Notebook" - again if I've watched it the whole way through...and stuff I can't think of right now. What sets me apart though is that there was the show that year called "The Pet Psychic."

I adored "The Pet Psychic," much to my roomies chagrin. The worst part though was that the psychic would have a segment each episode where she would talk to owners of dead pets where she would be the medium between the people and their dead pets. Each. Fucking. Episode I would cry. I can't really explain it. Animals make me cry each time. I was recently watching "I am Legend" on a flight (didn't suck as much as I thought it would) and the saddest part was that the dog died. I'm always more concerned about the animals in those doomsday movies than the owners.

I'm kind of an animal person - if you haven't been able to pick that up.

Anyway, I do have to admit that I am kind of bogarting this video. I was reading the fashion blog of one of my jounos (it is kind of an addictive read - she's really pretty funny & witty) and she posted it with the funny title of...well, nevermind, I'm a touch too paranoid about connecting the dots and somehow pissing someone off or getting fired.

Anyway - I watched it twice in a row and teared up each time. It is the most touching thing I have seen in weeks. And I like my journo - totally want a tiger now. And who knew they give the best hugs ever?

Also? I promise that this will be the cheesiest/schmaltziest I get for awhile yet.



Oh - and I'm going on a possible date tomorrow night with a co-worker. I just don't know if it's a date or not. I'm completely and utterly flummoxed.

Monday, July 28, 2008

text speak.

If I have one pet peeve at the moment that is above many others on the annoyance scale it would be one thing: text speak. You know, the norm now seemingly in communication where it is suddenly okay to bypass any and all punctuation and make it easier by ONE LETTER to write a word such as '2morrow' or a few so you can write 'c u 2morrow.' Like really fuckhead? You want me to meet up with you tomorrow when you can't properly compose a sentence nor use punctuation?

GAAAHHHHH.

I can't even describe what antipathy I have towards people who compose their texts and nowadays even EMAILS with all text words - foregoing any and ALL punctuation. Fuck you if you do that. Because really? How much time is it really saving you? Is it infinitely more than how much of a fucking illiterate loser you come off looking like?

Okay. I know. I need to officially simmer down.

I think the reason why I have such a visceral reaction to text speak is that I find it is becoming more and more frequent - it is being used beyond text to conversations where you might be iming with someone or emailing with them. And ultimately I'm afraid that it is dumbing down the youth of America and most likely the countries around the world that speak English. I can't properly speak about other languages where people text, but I'm sure the same thing is happening.

As soon as it becomes okay to forgo something as important as punctuation or even spelling or proper sentence composition I worry about the intelligence and communication capabilities of any culture. It seriously, seriously, seriously worries me. Especially the youth in this country, who might actually think that you spell come as 'cum' or see as 'c.' Sigh.

It reminds me of the story of one of my friends in college who was mentoring the city kids in an after school program and one kid was all, "How do you spell fabulous?" And granted, English isn't her first language but she had to think for a second and one of the kids shouted out "F -A - B - A - L - O- U - S!" He was so proud as well. (I'm blanking on what refrain that song is from now - but it was really popular in 2001/2002). Sad/funny end to the story: my friend couldn't figure out the typo to that spelling. Sigh.

Granted that story has more to do with a song influencing the grammar skills of the youth than anything else - but it was part of popular culture just as text speak is becoming the norm. I received an email from a co-worker (where English is definitely not their first language) and they said: "I'll send it to you 2morrow." My first reaction was cackling with laughter because where in the world did he pick this up - especially since he doesn't even live in an English language world, and why would he think it is okay to write the word like that?

So recently I've started emailing/iming with a co-worker. Who ever since I started my job I've had a bit of a crush on. He is cute - but it's also the fact that there isn't a dearth of cute, straight, younger men in my workplace (per usual) - making him infinitely cuter to me. The thing is is that he essentially uses in both chat speak AND emails the term "LOL" in lieu of punctuation. Seriously. I can't even tell you how many times he will use "LOL" in a 10 word email...Probably something around at least four times. I was with a friend on Thursday night when I realized how horrible it was. She said that she was in the middle of reading some book that said we shouldn't disregard boys who use words such as "Brava" or even "LOL" just because they use them. Though afer reading a few of his emails you could tell she wasn't sure how much even she at that point believed it.

Today I was chatting with him and he asked if I wanted to go to dinner with him for restaurant week and I couldn't figure out if he meant it in a romantic way. Though I couldn't tell if I wanted him to anymore because really? Like fucking REALLY!!! You're not a 14 year old boy buddy. You're 28 and professionally employed. Not only does he love to use LOL like it's going out of style, BUT he also used lmao. Which? I had to have other people tell me what it was. Also, and this is part of my pet peeve, he doesn't actually use any punctuation, nor any does he capitalize. I've gotten a little better about the capitalization thing as long as you use proper punctuation. If you can't form complete sentences though with punctuation, please don't talk to me.

So I was essentially asking everyone today if asking me out to dinner was a datey kind of thing, or a buddies thing. (Sidebar: I since talked to someone I work with who is also friends with him, and she was like, "Definitely no. He has a girlfriend" So kind of phew. Kind of bummer, since for awhile I did have a pretty decent crush on him.) Anyway, I emailed one of my friends who is also a journo (I know, right?!) and I loved her response:

"I've learned in my ripe old age [she's not old at all] that we must be a tiny bit forgiving with emails. Boys are, above all, retards."

That pretty much says it succinctly - though that doesn't mean it isn't a pet peeve. Just perhaps something I have to learn to be more forgiving with.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

facebook etiquette.

Here's the thing that essentially everyone in the world knows: Facebook isn't just for your younger sibling in college nor is it not for your mother anymore. Facebook has become this massive social networking giant in the world that really has EVERYONE in the world on it. Literally, I've seen people whose parents are on FB, to which I say, really? Like, do you really really want your parents to see you tagged in drunken photos and reading a message on your wall about how you were a drunken slut? And not just people. I have friends who have created FB pages for their pets.

I could essentially rant for hours about the weirdness that is Facebook. But that will probably be Facebook rant part 2. The first question is, because everyone and their mother is on Facebook, how do you go about accepting and rejecting friend requests?

No matter how impersonal you might try and make your page - the long story short is that someone created a fanastically brilliant stalking tool when they invented FB. I mean, even if you didn't have ANY interest at all in stalking, you inadvertently stalk all your friends just by signing in. It's essentially the devil in friendship clothing. If you have any inclination to find out what is going on in people's and even eventually strangers lives - you will spend your lifetime on Facebook.

So even if you have been good and kept your homepage to a skeletal version, before long someone is going to tag you in a photo that all of your 'friends' can see and eventually they can even then scroll through your friends photos so that they can see how the entire evening went or how your trip was. When you really stop and think about it - it's pretty scary. I choose not to think about it too long. I'm not usually one for doing anything online at all. From Friendster in the good 'ole days to MySpace. I have Killer as my witness that she had to badger me into joining - and the only reason I did was so that I could play Scrabble online with her and Smiles during the day. What else was there to do all day at my old job? I have to say that I have weaned off the FB - when I first joined it was a crack that I just couldn't kick. Suddenly I found all my friends from high school who I could never find through googling - and now I could see how they looked now, what they might have been up to recently from their photo albums. It was AWESOME. I have since weaned off - but I have to admit in the past two weeks to getting right back into the Facebook wagon. I have no idea what brought me back in.

I digress.

The Facebook etiquette I'm most concerned about is the accepting friend requests. Clearly, when you see a person and they've requested you and you really have no idea who they are - then fuck em. I either ignore or reject the friend request. But then what about the peripheral friends - the ones that you slightly remember knowing from way back in your past life. Do you say yes just to say yes? Do I think that there isn't really anything too incriminating about my photos that I might as well say yes despite the fact that I might not be able to pick them out of a line-up even with pictures? I have to admit that I have for the most part. If I see that they're friends with a group of my friends and I can slightly remember them, I'll accept. I just feel awful if I don't.

The questions I've been struggling with lately - and have been getting mixed advice about - is whether to accept 'work' requests. I mean, clearly there is a difference between work friends and then the people that you meet professionally. Essentially I work with PR reps now and journalists - and these are people that you chit-chat/schmooze with - and essentially make them believe that you're their best friend. Unfortunately - sometimes you can do your job too well. There's that fine line of bullshit where people will say "Oh, I'll totally add you as a friend on Facebook!" and you say, "Totally! Yes! We'll be Facebook friends! It'll be awesome!" But in the beginning is the mutual understanding that they won't request you and you won't request them. Though I didn't understand that at first and was seriously concerned about them asking me to be their friend and thinking just how many incriminating photos I can really have on Facebook and just how many entries on my wall might have people calling be a bitch or twat or slore. Essentially things that you wouldn't want for people that you are trying to impress and take you seriously should be seeing.

Luckily this dilemma wasn't really popping up as a dilemma - and I started to realize that as disgenuine as I was being - so were they. Until recently. The first was a sweet PR girl who was clearly still young and not jaded and she added me. I went back and forth - consulting my British counterpart (mostly because she's awesome and I stalk her because I still have a wicked friend/girl crush on her) and she essentially said: "No. Don't add them. Ignore it." Which? I felt like I could have done had I not said, go ahead and add me. If they had on their own volition just decided to add me, I would have felt better saying no. Plus? I'm a total soft touch and would feel horrible about essentially rejecting this girl. Odd considering I can be a raging bitch sometimes. Anyway. I decided to add her - hoping that maybe it would be an add without anything. Alas that wasn't the case. She wrote on my wall immediately - but I figured. How bad could it be? I don't have too much that would incriminate me. Unless the person went looking in all my albums - and I was hoping she just wouldn't have the time. Then of course started the requests from journos that I liked - but it is that fine line of you're both on opposite ends of the spectrum. You're PRing them and catering to their every whim - whilst being nice to them. It's a hard thing to do. British counterpart recently said: "You're much too nice to these journos - making them think you're actually their friend." To which I was said "Well of course. I'm nothing if not charming." She laughed. Yet I accepted another request from a journo I got this morning.

So far I've accepted most of the requests - but my concern is for the ones I don't actually like that much and wouldn't really want seeing my pictures or my status updates or just more information about me. I'm sure I can change the privacy on my account, but I don't think you can change it for just one person and I would rather not spend hours changing the settings on each person on my friend list. The question is really just: how can I not accept a friend request and not come off as a douche - or do I always have to accept friend requests and take down everything that might even be deemed personal? Which? I mean my true purpose still to FB is to play scrabble - so I guess it shouldn't be too too horrible.

Dilemma, dilemma, dilemma.

Which? I realize isn't a life changing dilemma in any way. But it's Sunday assholes. No one wants to have a horrible dilemma the day before they go back to work.

Music Suggestion for Sunday: Neil Halstead.
He's fucking brilliant. He used to be part of Mojave 3 - another brilliant band. Their song "Bluebird of Happiness" is a beautiful song that I discovered from "The O.C." (Shut it!) and made me fall in love with them. Neil's voice though is wonderfully evocative and his quiet, relaxed music is perfect for a calm Sunday in the Summer.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

summer jams.

I'm a total self-confessed music snob. I openly admit this fact to everyone I know. Somehow I wear it as a banner. Rather impressive considering you're essentially telling that person: "I'm a douche. I am more pretentious than you when it comes to taste in music. I will most likely look down on your taste in music - and possibly mock you for said taste in music." Total ass behaviour. I will also often ask people to tell me what music they - and tell them that I judge people based on their taste in music. All of this is true.

It's amazing that I still have friends.

Despite all of these things - it doesn't mean that I can't appreciate a good summer jam. You know the ones: they are usually constantly played, they're fun, they're peppy and have about as much substance as cotton candy. Though at the same time, they're just as sticky sweet. Whenever you hear the song again - you'll immediately flash back to your summer where everywhere you went the song was being played. Granted this does have to be like, 5 months late, because usually by the end of the summer you hate the song because it is being played every five minutes and in every store you go into and it's just much too soon and you want to punch someone in the face when you hear it.

I'm still deep in the love affair with my summer jam. I hate myself for it, but I can't help but love Chris Brown's "Forever." I mean I had an immediate reaction to the song - I want to have a deep, hot secret love affair with it. Never really acknowledging to anyone that I knew said song and was essentially fucking it all day long. Because really? It's rather embarrassing - there's not much substance to the song but rather it has catchy hooks and beats - and it has just enough of a techno background to it that I love it like a fat kid loves cake. It's fucking awesome.

I hate myself even more - because the snob in me essentially hates liking a song that everyone and even their fucking grandmother know and love. Seriously. As soon as a song I like is introduced to pop culture it fucking pisses me off. I have to stop liking the song because then people will think I discovered the song from a commercial. Thank you Apple! Fuckers ruining perfectly good musicians like Feist. So, I have to say that I'm not a total stickler for rules. I'll still listen to Feist and some of my other faves on the total down low.

This is what pains me about a band I discovered this summer - and like two weeks later they were being mentioned everywhere - including as to what Elton John was listening to. Really Elton? Really. Way to take away their total Brooklyn cool. Anyway, there is a group called Hercules & Love Affair that I have totally fallen in love with. Especially their song "Blind." I own all the mixes. It takes much of what I love - electronic, cheesy 80s songs (I know. No. I know.), interesting voice, great repetitive drumming beat - and more and fuses it together. I'm seriously not doing a good job describing the song. Even better it has the requisite queer factor with the two members being gay. It's like they got together and said: "We're going to make music that karen thinks is awesome. How are going to achieve that? What does she love? Can we put it all together and make it sound awesome?" Of course the answer is a resounding yes.

Killer's summer suggestion is Bon Iver. I haven't been won over yet - I'll give it another go, but I don't feel a love affair beginning. See? Rocking awesome band name to have "Love Affair" included in the name of the band. You can't go wrong.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

jet-lag totally blows.

Perk of the new job: international travel.

Sucky part of the new job: no time to recover from international travel before being back and the job.

Suddenly you find yourself sitting at your desk at about 3 pm thinking about what you can do to keep yourself awake. Possibly convincing yourself that literally punching yourself in the face will make you feel better. Or at least more alert.

That lack of actual cognitive ability makes me wonder what use I am as a member of the team. Or you know, running my own little section.

You're probably thinking. Wait? She's employed. And not dead? WTF?

It's been essentially a year. Or at least practically. I haven't blogged since moving to NY - and I essentially have already become an obnoxious New York City resident. Or I should actually mention obnoxious Manhattan resident.

It makes you wonder about whether or not a site will expire if you do nothing with it. Or if in 40 years this site will still be up and my words will still be here. The thought of that permanence kind of freaks me out. Not quite sure if that's just a symptom of my commitment issues though.

I'm just impressed I still remember the address to this site.