Wednesday, May 28, 2008
recommended online reading
Blog-hopping a few days ago, I found the website New York Portraits and it's since become one of my favorite stops on the web. The photos aren't necessarily of anything spectacular, but perhaps that is what's most appealing. They portray a normal New York; a place that can be awesome at times, awful at others, and somewhere in between most of the time.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
On The Perils of Being Young
The I Wants
There is a song called "Rich Wife" by The Long Winters that got caught in my head. As the lyrics were flowing by, I began thinking, it wouldn't be so bad to be a rich wife. I would never want for anything again, because I could have everything I want. I only want a few things—this would solve at least some of my problems. Clearly there are other more important issues that would have to be in place before I would accept the position of rich wife, but if all else were right, I don't think I'd mind marrying into money.
This got me thinking about the other day when I proclaimed to my dad that I wish we lived in a socialist country.
I, along with probably most of the population of this country, if not the world, have a terrible disease called the "I Wants". What this disease consists of is an overwhelming desire to have certain things and the inability to procure them. The consequence is a ridiculous sadness over the inability to have everything we want, which is an unattainable wish to begin with. The origin of the I Wants probably comes from a combination of innate desire and the influence of
advertising and media on our society. They feed off of one another, heightening the impact of the I Wants upon ourselves. Not to mention that technology has quickened the pace of our society so that not only are we yearning to possess many, many things, but we feel a need to
possess them now. But that is another essay.
I've been searching for a pair of brown boots. It is not imperative that I buy a new pair of shoes—I will not be going barefoot in the cold if I don't. However, I really, really want them and can generate many, many reasons as to why I should buy a new pair of shoes until it seems like something I definitely should do. However, boots (or at least those that don't fall apart right away or feel like plastic) tend to cost more than a gentle sum of money. And I don't earn more than a gentle sum of money. Conundrum. Herein lies my problem.
My first reaction, reflecting on my complaints, is that we should become a socialist nation. In my base understanding of Socialism, everyone is equal, thus reducing if not entirely removing the aspect of desire from our lives. I also understand that Socialism, the non-corrupt version of socialism, is not a viable way of running a country, because it cannot exist in reality. Human nature does not allow it. Damn human nature. We are desirous creatures—for things, for power, for entitlement. This was the case even before we had television commercials telling us literally what "I want". As I write, the latest commercial for Verizon, graces the television screen, featuring a number of diverse individuals telling us, what they want, while in the corner of the screen their desires are spelled out for us "I WANT ________fill in the blank". Conveniently the services provided by Verizon will solve all of their problems.
Unfortunately, many things are not as simple as signing up for Verizon.
My other idea—inspired by the Long Winters song—is to become rich. Whether it is by marriage or my own personal accumulation of wealth, if I have a bulging bank account buying a pair of boots won't be such a big deal. At this point in my life, as a recent college graduate with bills and loans to pay, an entry-level salary, and no prospects for a wealthy husband, becoming rich is not a viable option either.
I probably sound pretty ridiculous right now. I'm sure you're thinking, "Don't you realize that those two ideas are totally opposite? That neither of them are actual possibilities? Why even
bother wasting your time thinking about it, when it's not going to solve your problem." Or more likely, "Don't you listen to the Rolling Stones? You can't always get what you want."
I do realize this.
Unfortunately you can't just take a pill to make the I Wants go away. Our natural inclination is to want something more, something mundane—I want a cheese sandwich for lunch—something a bit more complex—I want to do something meaningful with my life. However, the I Wants doesn't have to be a terminal disease. Some things that we want are unattainable, and we have to accept that. Others just take a bit of strategizing and effort to make possible. And in the end, at least ideally, we get what we need.
There is a song called "Rich Wife" by The Long Winters that got caught in my head. As the lyrics were flowing by, I began thinking, it wouldn't be so bad to be a rich wife. I would never want for anything again, because I could have everything I want. I only want a few things—this would solve at least some of my problems. Clearly there are other more important issues that would have to be in place before I would accept the position of rich wife, but if all else were right, I don't think I'd mind marrying into money.
This got me thinking about the other day when I proclaimed to my dad that I wish we lived in a socialist country.
I, along with probably most of the population of this country, if not the world, have a terrible disease called the "I Wants". What this disease consists of is an overwhelming desire to have certain things and the inability to procure them. The consequence is a ridiculous sadness over the inability to have everything we want, which is an unattainable wish to begin with. The origin of the I Wants probably comes from a combination of innate desire and the influence of
advertising and media on our society. They feed off of one another, heightening the impact of the I Wants upon ourselves. Not to mention that technology has quickened the pace of our society so that not only are we yearning to possess many, many things, but we feel a need to
possess them now. But that is another essay.
I've been searching for a pair of brown boots. It is not imperative that I buy a new pair of shoes—I will not be going barefoot in the cold if I don't. However, I really, really want them and can generate many, many reasons as to why I should buy a new pair of shoes until it seems like something I definitely should do. However, boots (or at least those that don't fall apart right away or feel like plastic) tend to cost more than a gentle sum of money. And I don't earn more than a gentle sum of money. Conundrum. Herein lies my problem.
My first reaction, reflecting on my complaints, is that we should become a socialist nation. In my base understanding of Socialism, everyone is equal, thus reducing if not entirely removing the aspect of desire from our lives. I also understand that Socialism, the non-corrupt version of socialism, is not a viable way of running a country, because it cannot exist in reality. Human nature does not allow it. Damn human nature. We are desirous creatures—for things, for power, for entitlement. This was the case even before we had television commercials telling us literally what "I want". As I write, the latest commercial for Verizon, graces the television screen, featuring a number of diverse individuals telling us, what they want, while in the corner of the screen their desires are spelled out for us "I WANT ________fill in the blank". Conveniently the services provided by Verizon will solve all of their problems.
Unfortunately, many things are not as simple as signing up for Verizon.
My other idea—inspired by the Long Winters song—is to become rich. Whether it is by marriage or my own personal accumulation of wealth, if I have a bulging bank account buying a pair of boots won't be such a big deal. At this point in my life, as a recent college graduate with bills and loans to pay, an entry-level salary, and no prospects for a wealthy husband, becoming rich is not a viable option either.
I probably sound pretty ridiculous right now. I'm sure you're thinking, "Don't you realize that those two ideas are totally opposite? That neither of them are actual possibilities? Why even
bother wasting your time thinking about it, when it's not going to solve your problem." Or more likely, "Don't you listen to the Rolling Stones? You can't always get what you want."
I do realize this.
Unfortunately you can't just take a pill to make the I Wants go away. Our natural inclination is to want something more, something mundane—I want a cheese sandwich for lunch—something a bit more complex—I want to do something meaningful with my life. However, the I Wants doesn't have to be a terminal disease. Some things that we want are unattainable, and we have to accept that. Others just take a bit of strategizing and effort to make possible. And in the end, at least ideally, we get what we need.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
adventures in patterns: part 2
No. 2 and No. 3. These ones almost work. If you tile them, they line up almost seamlessly!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Band Blurb: M83
Even amidst so many new spring releases, I've had a difficult time finding new music to listen to lately. The one band that has particularly struck my fancy the last few weeks is the 80's inspired French indie pop outfit M83. I've been listening to their new album Saturdays = Youth, the most apropos of titles, and can't seem to get enough of them. I tend to like things that evoke a sense on nostalgia, and M83 surely accomplish that with their shiny, poppy harmonies and synth-full sound, somehow combining enough modernity with a taste of my childhood to satisfy me for hours on end. In my head, I've deemed them Sophia Coppola's new favorite band, as the soundtracks to her movies suggest that she's a fan of French pop and synth-pop music. M83's music, as well as some of her movies, carry a specific aesthetic of youthful hopefulness encapsulated in a complicated world of adolescent lust and awe. Though I'm glad to be past that point in my life, M83's music often exemplifies the most wondrous aspects of being young, and it's nice to have that sense of openness and opportunity, if only for a couple of minutes.
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