I find the progression of the role of technology in our lives incredibly fascinating. Being alive, young, and ready to spend countless hours tinkering with gadgets and computers, I've been technologically minded since my first foray with The Legend of Zelda. From my understanding, which may be skewed due to my young age, The 90's were the first decade in which computers affected society in a major way. Everything from business, home life, even music was altered due to the rise of the personal computer.
A lot of rhetoric I've read from the 90's (and 80's I guess) seemed to postulate that the personal computer was taking over. Calculators were making kids bad at math. Video games were rotting kids brains. Electronic conversation was negating the need for personal interaction. Computers and technology were slowly taking over the "American way of life" and soon we were going to be an entire country/world of people that are completely engulfed by technology; completely losing sight of what it means to be human.
But now we are almost in the 2010's. Technology has changed. Businesses have become smarter. Gadgets and computers are being marketed as "life-aides" instead of "life-changers." The general trend of the products being released nowadays is that they are portable, provide as much information and connection with the internet as possible (for the purpose of obtaining this information whenever you may need it while leading your life), and fast.
It's almost as if products today are made to help you get things done faster so that you have more time to do whats important to you. This would be a big change from the 90's, when everybody first discovered the magic of a personal computer, and the internet. People were fascinated with what these new things could do, the limits and bounds of these new machines. Naturally, people became obsessed and technology boomed.
But what is out today that isn't just a modified and minified version of something released in 1990? Everyone's seen a computer, a laptop, a phone, a music player. Now all of these things are being combined and compressed, but they're still old news. Consumers have gotten bored of PC's, and more importantly used to the idea of them. Now new releases in technology have more of a base of experience to draw from.
Although I'm disappointed by the lack of people-moving walkways and flying cars, I think I'll live with my laptop, xbox 360, and morning coffee and newspaper. There's balance in everything.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Expression
There is something incredibly therapeutic about "making" art. The creation of art uses parts of the brain that are totally different from the parts that govern your everyday life. Playing an instrument is an entirely different action, requiring the other half of your brain, than going to the store or talking to people or calculating a 20% tip. Doodling just feels different than going to work or brushing your teeth. It's an engaging, always changing, and pleasant experience.
I guess it's not the creation of art per se, but rather the expression of oneself.
I've started to pick up a guitar now and then to tool around, with the eventual goal of being somewhat proficient. Despite the fact that I don't actually know very many chords nor do I in any way consider myself a "guitar player," Making music with it was simply wonderful. I felt as if there was a part of me coming out through the notes and rhythms that doesn't normally. I was basically hearing myself think in a much different way than I usually do with my ongoing inner dialog.
Here's to hoping that I'm not the only one with an ongoing inner dialog. *clink*
I get a similar but different feeling from performing. As an aspiring improv comedian, I am up on stage 2-3 times a week creating drama and comedy all at the tip of a hat. There are ideas and
themes and thoughts flowing out of me at an incredible rate. The only way to be successful at harnessing that information to trust that you know how to improv and not focus on the action. To basically open your mind and react as fast as you know how. As a result, a lot of things that an improv performer is thinking about at the time comes out in some way on stage.
Expressing myself in that way is the best feeling I've ever had. Ignoring the rush I get from finding that golden special place in my brain where I've abandoned all thought and am essentially a part of the scene, improv also provides an outlet for the topics on my mind at the moment. Having the opportunity to play out the hypothetical situations I inevitably create for myself during the aforementioned inner dialogs is incredibly refreshing.
Maybe my enjoyment from art (which includes improv by my def) comes from my upbringing. I was always encouraged to play music (piano, trumpet), do theatre (2.5 years of hs, improv in hs and college), and I even went through a drawing phase. I've grown up with art all around me, and therefore the creation of it is something that I enjoy. It's hard for me to imagine a life that does not have a whole lot of creativity in it, it seems like a life I would absolutely hate living. But, that is why I clearly don't.
So if you find yourself regretting how long it's been since you've practiced piano, or tried drawing something, or even written something, then just do it. Gain some balance in your life. Even if it's been years since you've played your instrument, or you don't know how to play one at all, it's still fun.
Enough preaching. Here's a sweet video I just re-found.
I guess it's not the creation of art per se, but rather the expression of oneself.
I've started to pick up a guitar now and then to tool around, with the eventual goal of being somewhat proficient. Despite the fact that I don't actually know very many chords nor do I in any way consider myself a "guitar player," Making music with it was simply wonderful. I felt as if there was a part of me coming out through the notes and rhythms that doesn't normally. I was basically hearing myself think in a much different way than I usually do with my ongoing inner dialog.
Here's to hoping that I'm not the only one with an ongoing inner dialog. *clink*
I get a similar but different feeling from performing. As an aspiring improv comedian, I am up on stage 2-3 times a week creating drama and comedy all at the tip of a hat. There are ideas and
themes and thoughts flowing out of me at an incredible rate. The only way to be successful at harnessing that information to trust that you know how to improv and not focus on the action. To basically open your mind and react as fast as you know how. As a result, a lot of things that an improv performer is thinking about at the time comes out in some way on stage.
Expressing myself in that way is the best feeling I've ever had. Ignoring the rush I get from finding that golden special place in my brain where I've abandoned all thought and am essentially a part of the scene, improv also provides an outlet for the topics on my mind at the moment. Having the opportunity to play out the hypothetical situations I inevitably create for myself during the aforementioned inner dialogs is incredibly refreshing.
Maybe my enjoyment from art (which includes improv by my def) comes from my upbringing. I was always encouraged to play music (piano, trumpet), do theatre (2.5 years of hs, improv in hs and college), and I even went through a drawing phase. I've grown up with art all around me, and therefore the creation of it is something that I enjoy. It's hard for me to imagine a life that does not have a whole lot of creativity in it, it seems like a life I would absolutely hate living. But, that is why I clearly don't.
So if you find yourself regretting how long it's been since you've practiced piano, or tried drawing something, or even written something, then just do it. Gain some balance in your life. Even if it's been years since you've played your instrument, or you don't know how to play one at all, it's still fun.
Enough preaching. Here's a sweet video I just re-found.
Friday, June 6, 2008
A memory is worth a thousand pictures...
I've never really been one for taking and keeping pictures. As a child I adopted the particularly expensive habit of video and trading card games, and therefore put most money and christmas requests towards those, which made sure I never really owned a camera. I've had a few cheap ones in the past, all which I've lost (and were non digital). When at parties it never really occurs to me to stop for photo ops, nor do I go wild over the concept of a camera being aimed at me.
The concept of taking still photos, or movies, of the events happening in my life in order to document them seems to be fairly unimportant to me. I have accrued dismally low amounts of visual memorabilia during the first 21 years of my life; arguably the portion I'd want to document the most (considering all the damage I'm doing to my memory these days). I'm assuming later in life I'd love to sit down and look at pictures of people and things from earlier in my life and reminisce; something I enjoy doing well enough as it is.
However, my photo library is decidedly non-existent despite the full knowledge that I very well may regret it later. I may have been more motivated had everyone else around me not had cameras, but as it stands I'm content looking at other people's pictures. Unfortunately those pictures will not be around forever; facebook will eventually go out of business or lose a large majority of it's database, people will delete their photos or lose them in tragic HDD accidents, or generally just not care enough to carry those photos with them.
And whose to blame them? A large majority of pictures used for nostalgic purposes are fairly mundane. People saying cheese and smiling. Where is the appeal in that? For now it's a great reminder of the events of the past few years ("hey that was a sweet party!" "Oh man I can't believe he had a mohawk!" "haha remember when we Eiffel towered that monkey?") Unfortunately, the locations and circumstances of most of the photos I look at now will be lost to me in a few years. They will simply be a reminder of the people I knew, and the smile I could produce at a moments notice.
If I really cared, I could take slightly more "real" pictures. Pictures of places, people, things that I enjoy. More candid, less planned. Snapshots of my life in reality.
I realize that this may be a common thought and one that has been brooded over quite a bit, which is most likely why photography has such a following.
On the opposite side of things, the side I usually line up on, I think that maybe it's not the worst thing in the world. I remember the things that are memorable, taking with me the lessons those things have taught me, and I forget the rest in favor of more admirable pursuits. While remembering and appreciating the past is very important both for emotional stability as well as self improvement, I believe that only goes so far. At some point attention has to be paid to the present, not to mention the future. It's hard to develop as a person when you brood over the past.
Plus, it's a lot more fun when a memory suddenly comes rushing back unannounced.
The concept of taking still photos, or movies, of the events happening in my life in order to document them seems to be fairly unimportant to me. I have accrued dismally low amounts of visual memorabilia during the first 21 years of my life; arguably the portion I'd want to document the most (considering all the damage I'm doing to my memory these days). I'm assuming later in life I'd love to sit down and look at pictures of people and things from earlier in my life and reminisce; something I enjoy doing well enough as it is.
However, my photo library is decidedly non-existent despite the full knowledge that I very well may regret it later. I may have been more motivated had everyone else around me not had cameras, but as it stands I'm content looking at other people's pictures. Unfortunately those pictures will not be around forever; facebook will eventually go out of business or lose a large majority of it's database, people will delete their photos or lose them in tragic HDD accidents, or generally just not care enough to carry those photos with them.
And whose to blame them? A large majority of pictures used for nostalgic purposes are fairly mundane. People saying cheese and smiling. Where is the appeal in that? For now it's a great reminder of the events of the past few years ("hey that was a sweet party!" "Oh man I can't believe he had a mohawk!" "haha remember when we Eiffel towered that monkey?") Unfortunately, the locations and circumstances of most of the photos I look at now will be lost to me in a few years. They will simply be a reminder of the people I knew, and the smile I could produce at a moments notice.
If I really cared, I could take slightly more "real" pictures. Pictures of places, people, things that I enjoy. More candid, less planned. Snapshots of my life in reality.
I realize that this may be a common thought and one that has been brooded over quite a bit, which is most likely why photography has such a following.
On the opposite side of things, the side I usually line up on, I think that maybe it's not the worst thing in the world. I remember the things that are memorable, taking with me the lessons those things have taught me, and I forget the rest in favor of more admirable pursuits. While remembering and appreciating the past is very important both for emotional stability as well as self improvement, I believe that only goes so far. At some point attention has to be paid to the present, not to mention the future. It's hard to develop as a person when you brood over the past.
Plus, it's a lot more fun when a memory suddenly comes rushing back unannounced.
Monday, June 2, 2008
People Watching
If you really want to see the pure mechanics of what a conversation is, the building blocks of verbal communication, observe a conversation between co-workers at a restaurant at lunch. Or a study group at the beginning of the semester. Really any group of people who don't know each other at all and are trying to make conversation.
Conversation always moves so slow in those situations. Someone will make a statement, another will respond usually in agreement, and if they're lucky a third person will chime in. Then silence. Time to think about what to say next, awkward drink of your water that you absolutely did not need, and then someone makes another statement.
It's so fun and interesting to watch a group of people that are completely uncomfortable in their own bodies. The shifting, inability to look at one another, and a ridiculous obsession with the rice in the plate in front of you. People take very involved sips of their drinks, focusing intently on the glass and it's flight path from the table to their mouths. It's completely obvious that the person drinking is in some way escaping the awkward situation at least for a brief moment; using the fact that he is drinking his drink to hide the fact that he doesn't have anything to say to the group around him. But nobody needs to focus that much on drinking a beverage, and we all know it.
Why do we feel like we have to go through that elaborate charade? Being pleasant is safe, and keeps interaction from being tense, but it's all just a game. What would the world be like if we all went to lunch together and just ate our damn food. If we dont' like each other, why pretend?
The next time my boss talks to me about how hot some random girl on the street is, maybe I won't laugh it off and agree, mabye I'll punch him in the goddamn face. That would feel nice.
Conversation always moves so slow in those situations. Someone will make a statement, another will respond usually in agreement, and if they're lucky a third person will chime in. Then silence. Time to think about what to say next, awkward drink of your water that you absolutely did not need, and then someone makes another statement.
It's so fun and interesting to watch a group of people that are completely uncomfortable in their own bodies. The shifting, inability to look at one another, and a ridiculous obsession with the rice in the plate in front of you. People take very involved sips of their drinks, focusing intently on the glass and it's flight path from the table to their mouths. It's completely obvious that the person drinking is in some way escaping the awkward situation at least for a brief moment; using the fact that he is drinking his drink to hide the fact that he doesn't have anything to say to the group around him. But nobody needs to focus that much on drinking a beverage, and we all know it.
Why do we feel like we have to go through that elaborate charade? Being pleasant is safe, and keeps interaction from being tense, but it's all just a game. What would the world be like if we all went to lunch together and just ate our damn food. If we dont' like each other, why pretend?
The next time my boss talks to me about how hot some random girl on the street is, maybe I won't laugh it off and agree, mabye I'll punch him in the goddamn face. That would feel nice.
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