APIATBL

Awesome Person I Aspire To Be Like

APIATBL

Sincerely,
TCBATL

Music Friday: Retrosexy

A postmodern ode to 80's/90's dance music

Armand Van Helden
"I Want Your Soul"

Yahoo! continues its trajectory towards irrelevance

Based on the two recommendations I laid out in my last post, it seems like Yahoo! is going to have difficulty catching up in either domain.

First bit. I found this piece in Valleywag that talks about Yahoo!'s new Digg clone, "Yahoo! Buzz." I think this line nicely sums up the expectations:

[It's] another example of Y! not innovating but rather copying existing products in the marketplace poorly.

Bit 2. Techcrunch ran this cool graph last week which showed the demographics of the people who use Yahoo! searches vs. Google searches. Let's just say that poor, uneducated people use Yahoo! and trendy, self-absorbed educated people use Google. (...now all I need to do is buy a Prius and switch to Mac)

Yahoo!'s place in a Google world

I'm not ashamed to admit it: my default homepage is set to Yahoo!. No, not google. Yahoo!. Unlike my fellow collegians who have welcomed Google with open arms, I've remained cautious, even unwilling at times, to join the Google bandwagon. Call it a virtual comfort zone if you will, but Yahoo! has been my portal to the web ever since I first started using the internet. Throughout middle school and high school, any time I sought resolve to the inquiries construed by my inner-nerd or closeted sexuality, Yahoo! was there to provide me, and my hormones, with answers. In that era of chats and searches, online games and emails, I was on team Yahoo!. There were others, like AltaVista and Lycos, that competed for my attention traffic, but none came close to usurping my allegiance from Yahoo!. Eventually they faded into obscurity, leaving Yahoo! king of the virtual kingdom.

Life for me was good when Yahoos roamed the web.

But then came the calamitous dot-com bubble. Yahoo narrowly survived, but the internet landscape was forever changed. Newer, fitter, species emerged, making it more difficult for old dinosaurs like Yahoo! to thrive. But thanks to its well-known brand and legion of loyal followers, Yahoo! maintains, as precarious as it may be, a position at the top. The highly coveted online community it's fostered over the years remains its most important asset. Without the legion of followers to sustain one of the most vibrant, active, communities on the web, Yahoo! has nothing. In a world of Web 2.0 where application synergy dominates the pecking order, Yahoo! - and Microsoft for that matter - fall tragically short of Google's superiority.

So why do I stay with Yahoo?

In all honesty, I haven't been so loyal. I've pretty much stopped using Yahoo! altogether except for keeping up with daily AP headlines and conducting sporadic searches. I needed Yahoo! for its utilities, not the community, and now that its utilities are virtually irrelevant, I have little reason to stay with Yahoo!. So what can Yahoo! do to win me back? I see two solutions.

1) Improve infrastructure. Yahoo! has a semi-decent interface, but its applications are deplorable. Virtually every program offered is superseded by an alternative equivalent located elsewhere on the web. Google, Amazon, Ebay, etc. are just a few examples of web outlets with far better email, retail, and auctioning capabilities. If Yahoo! ever wants to be more competitive, it needs to subsume these successful models (or companies) into its own offerings. As I write this, my friend Max turned to me and said "why do you use Gchat instead of AIM?" Because like AIM, yahoo's chat is cumbersome to have running when all of the people I care to chat with on a daily basis already use Gchat/Gmail, bringing me to my next point:

2) Improve community. Yahoo!'s community, admittedly large and diverse, is still mostly over the age of 40 and ill-equipped to operate in the 21st century's digital era. And even though I, like the rest of the Yahoo community, enjoy the Price is Right and World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson, I more closely resemble the typical Google user; young, 20-something yuppie who's completely saturated in online networking, culture and information.

So when Dan walks in and asks me what I'm blogging about, he laughs when I tell him the topic is my reluctance to switch from Yahoo to Google, not because the topic is particularly funny, persay, but because he knows that I'm actually still lame enough to continue using inferior Yahoo over Google.

I suppose I should mention Microsoft's recent bid to take over Yahoo!. A wise attempt to capture this vulnerable community (and market share), but ultimately a useless venture. The younger generation will continue to use Google and the Yahoo dinosaurs will eventually go extinct, lest they adapt themselves to be more successful in the future era of Web 3.0.

Blogger's Block

I've been suffering from blogger's block this past week. Much like the term writer's block, blogger's block is just a euphemism for self-affected laziness. There are a lot of topics I'm planning on writing about, I just need some motivation to overcome my indolence. In all fairness though, I have been pretty busy this week, wanting nothing more than to use what limited free time I had to veg out and watch my roomies play Zelda. But now that it's Friday, I have a substantial amount of time to use for procrastination, so I'll get back to blogging. I'll keep you posted. (pun!)

Music Friday: Two great songs, one creepy name

"The Creeps"
The Freaks



"The Creeps"
Camille Jones vs. Fedde La Grande

Music Friday: Vive La France!

Tom Tonik
"Find the Rhythm"



...I've kinda become obsessed with French house music this week

The secret of magnets

Today I stirred, what will hopefully be my last, bout of blog-related drama. My last post was, apparently, more controversial than I intended. Since I'm not, nor ever want to be, in the business of hurting people, I've done my best to remove that post from the hyperlinked tomes of the internet.

Needless to say, I was pretty bummed about offending the parties involved (as I know they were) so I'd just like to extend, once more, my sincerest apologies.

That said, when I finally got home about a half-an-hour ago, I was pleasantly delighted to find some happy blog news!

It turns out that I'm not the only one who caught the Reno 911! Penis-Peanut Butter fiasco. One of the google search queries that landed some poor sap on my blog, I kid you not, read:

"who stuck there penis in my peanut butter reno 911"

Google that grammatical gem and you'll see who's on top!

If there's any lesson to be learned from this day, it's that blogs are like magnets. There are some posts that are bound to repel, and others that have a bizarre, unexpected ability to attract. Just make sure that when you repel, you have enough peanut butter to lure them back.

: )

Music Friday

In the spirit of our weekly pregame parties, I thought I'd share some of the fun music with you.

Samim - "Heater"

*Props to the dancer in Shinjuku, Tokyo!!

Food for thought... and sex

Before heading down to Chinatown to celebrate Chinese New Year, I flipped on the TV to pass some time while Brett hygiened himself. I mistakenly went to channel 42, thinking it was Comedy Central, to watch the weekly South Park episode. There were some obnoxious commercials, for which I had no will to endure, so I reached for Brett's laptop and opted for some internet-ing until South Park returned. Obviously South Park never came back. I had, unbeknownst to me, instead, given 3.5 minutes of my precious secondary attention to TNT's advertising department! I acted quickly to rectify this inconsequential, yet inexcusable, incursion. (I'm a very picky regulator of background distractions, whether it be music, TV, boyfriend, etc.) After a few clicks north on the remote, my (unfairly) misappropriated attention - and time - were given due compensation with a satisfying episode of South Park.

Comedy Central was airing "D-Yikes," the one where Mr(s) Garrison becomes a lesbian. Even though I had seen it several times, the wanton racial stereotyping (re: Mexicans and Persians) hardly gets old. Unfortunately, I had missed most of the episode after losing 3.5 minutes of my life! (in all truthiness, I did start watching at 10:20) But luckily, I caught it in time to see the best scene where Mr(s) Garrison teaches Xerxes how to scissor!, aka Lesbian sex.

Good times. Anywho... South Park promptly ended and Reno 911! just as quickly (and unfortunately) began. I may have actually groaned. Out loud. I really hate turning to Comedy Central when I want to watch South Park and Reno 911! is on. I can't say I've ever watched more than 5 minutes of the show, but I have no problem passing unsubstantiated judgment on it. In case you couldn't already tell, I really hate that show! The only piece I'll concede is, I sorta like watching the gay cop in hot pants. Not because he's particularly hot (he's not hot at all), but because his character is mildly funny and his homoerotic escapades, are, well, homoerotic : ) So rather than turn off the TV altogether, I decided I'd keep it on to catch a few glimpses of hot-pants cop and his intrigues.

As I'm sitting there, surfing the net, listening to Reno 911! in the background, I hear "Alright, who stuck their penis in the peanut butter jar?!"

Penis? Peanut Butter!? The combination of those two words in one sentence, let alone even one, is enough to seize primary attention. The scene wore on, the joke got old, and my willingness to pay attention diminished. I was, however, left with some food for thought.

Would it feel good to stick your dick in a jar of Peanut Butter?

The writers for Reno 911! certainly thought so. I mean, these are probably the same type of guys that have experience doing random shit like this during their longed-for frat years. But hey, I'm not elitist, I'd entertain the idea of sticking my penis in peanut butter just as much as i would caviar or grey poupon. I turned to Brett, who was getting changed at this point, to ask him what he thought of the scintillating scenario. He blurted a quick, "No." I pondered a slew of possibilities for why it might not feel good, yet I remained unconvinced. I asked him to explain.

Brett gave a few winces and incoherent umms. I prodded, and he ummed some more. Having much reluctance to volunteer a cogent answer, I probed more bluntly, "you think it would be like pressing into a brick wall?" He grinned, and said yes. I hadn't ever considered the possibility of peanut butter being impenetrable, but I suppose his point had some validity. After all, peanut butter's high viscosity would more than likely stay clumpy without providing desirable levels of friction.

Even though the question was resolved, a larger quandary remained. Which food would be fun to stick one's penis in? We quietly ruminated to ourselves, but as soon as our eyes met, our faces lit up and the answer became obvious.

"Jelly!"


Update: When I retold Dan this story, his first reaction, "Don’t you dare stick your penis in my peanut butter!"

Overheard on Locust Walk

Tuesday, February 5 at 7:05pm
in front of St. Elmo

"So dude, this one time I was in Greek Lady eating lunch with my friend, and all of a sudden Box in a Box girl walks in! I totally shit myself"

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who gets giddy over Box in a Box girl sightings.

Post Super Bowl sex appeal ranking changes

Eli Manning
NY Giants

Pre Super Bowl: I'll be the first to admit it, Eli Manning was not attractive. He wasn't even a reliable QB. He pouted so much during games that the networks would run pouty-Eli montages.
Verdict - Not Hot


Post Super Bowl: Everyone likes a winner, including myself, but winning isn't always enough. The additional star power inevitably raises the hotness factor but its a far-cry from compensating for his goofy demeanor. Having a Super Bowl victory to gloat about may boost his confidence-appeal, so long as his ego doesn't reach Peyton proportions.
Verdict - I'd say he's marginally hotter.

Tom Brady
New England Patriots

Pre Super Bowl: Not only was this guy the hottest player in the NFL, he was the hottest guy to make you interested in a clothing line you've never heard of. Bedding a Brazilian Supermodel doesn't hurt your sex appeal cred either.
Verdict - unfuckwithable


Post Super Bowl: Even though Tom won't be adding another ring to his triplet collection, he still has everything going for him. He's still hot, still bedding a Brazilian Supermodel, still endorsing a clothing line you've never heard of, and still very unfuckwithable.
Verdict - Still hotter than Eli

Michael Strahan
NY Giants

Pre Super Bowl: What Strahan lacks in looks he makes up for in character. Sure, he's no Tom Brady, not even an Eli Manning, but he's sure as hell one loveable guy. (and I mean that in the strictest platonic NFC East rival sorta way; E-A-G-L-E-S!)
Verdict - gap toothed

Post Super Bowl: Can't say I really focused on him during the game, but he gave a really uplifting victory speech. (fast forward to 3:20 to see Mikey)
Verdict - still gap toothed

Cadillac: Not just for rappers

When you hear "Cadillac," your brain probably conjures an image of a rapper dripping with bling, crouching low in front of an Escalade's metallic grill, giving a nice toothy smile to show of his own custom dental grill. Then the shot pans to the side where we see the rims, replete with sparkling chrome, carelessly rotating inside stationary tires. Thankfully, the rappers feel no need to juxtapose their own rims with the car's for this shot.

A car brand, so glorified by pop culture, has all the free advertising it could ask for; endorsements on MTV cribs, shots in music videos, complete lyrical stanzas - you name it! Cadillac has achieved a degree of brand saturation that companies like Coke and Pepsi pay out the rim for.

Yet, I turn on the tv and see more Cadillac advertising! This time, though, GM is making it official.

Yes, Cadillac is trying to reach my peer group; elite, educated, 20-somethings who spend our highly sought after 'disposable income' on branding ourselves in a never ending battle for status supremacy. (Admittedly, we try to be somewhat discrete about this)

So how do you sell a car to my demographic? Use different music.

Any hipster can tell you Justice is the latest group my target market has adopted for self-branding coolness. They're euro, they're electronic, and they're certainly not too gay. (there's a fine line between cool electronica and gay electronica). They're perfect for reinstating Cadillac to my consumer-consciousness. GM still has a lot of ground to make up if it wants to capture us away from the BMW-Audi-Volkswagon triumverate. If this commercial is any indication of what's to come, I'm sure they'll have a fighting chance.

and now, the commercial:

Escalade commercial featuring Justice "Genesis"

(the copyright gods won't let me embed, so the link will have to suffice - lo siento)

Facebook inbox, feed me something good to eat

Remember when facebook messages were actually from friends and on occasion, unwelcomed stalkers? (welcomed if they were hot). I do. I miss the days of getting messages that had no agenda other than to share a simple "hello." Nowadays whenever I check my inbox, the hellos are outnumbered by the "omg, come see my performance" 's.* While I appreciate the exercise my finger gets deleting these messages, the onslaught can be overwhelming.

Maybe it's just me, but these mass messages make it feel like there's an a cappella performance every other day. I'm not anymore inclined to attend, I'm just that much more aware of events I don't care about. Don't get me wrong though, I'm all for the shameless self-promotion of activities and causes. I think you should be proud of what you're doing and solicit support any way you can. It's just that every now and then, it would be nice to receive something worth reading to help dilute all the rubbish.

Actually, as I write this, I can recall a few mass messages that I actually enjoyed reading. One of which was for the upcoming Pilam event on Feb 9.

Hmm, I guess there are two take-aways from this post.
1. send more hellos. (hellos from strangers [even ugly people] are welcome)
2. if I have to read your spam, make it really delicious. I may acquire a taste for it.


*if you can clean up this punctuation, tell me how

Help remind Rendell what democracy means: sign the petition

Last semester, after having followed the Philly casino chronicles for an urban studies class, I signed up for the Casino-Free Philadelphia newsletter to stay on top of the issue. I've vacillated between supporting and opposing the proposed casinos, recognizing both the advantages and difficulties they present for the city. Some critics, including CFA, haven't wholly rejected the notion of casinos and have instead taken a more muted approach, opposing the casinos in their currently proposed locations in favor of alternative sites away from neighborhoods.

There have been a lot of twists and turns in the process, replete with petitions, neighborhood rallies, vociferous opposition, City Council resolutions and now, rebukes from the top.

Today's Metro reported Rendell's fierce condemnation of a:

"City Council with no guts that can be extorted by community groups."

Clearly, Rendell is not happy with City Council's reluctance to jump on board his propaganda-infused money train.

But last time I checked, City Council was a group of civic officials, elected to office by voters from Philadelphia communities, with the express purpose of representing these people's interests. And if the people don't want Casinos in their backyards, isn't City Council just doing its job?

Now, the word "extort" has a negative connotation, but that's exactly the kind of power people should have over their government. A more appropriate usage of the word, Governor Rendell, would be in reference to the Gambling Industry's ability to extort your complicity.

If you would like to remind Rendell that the government operates on the people's behalf and that private interests extort power, sign here

Blog makeover

My blog got its hair did. Rhinoplasty next. Stay tuned : )

Tecktonik: the West's answer to Para Para

I haven't written any posts about music yet, but you can expect plenty, including this one.

Last November, my friend Liz introduced me to the wonderful world of Tecktonik dancing. Knowing my affinity for all-things techno, she recommended I watch French artist, Yelle's, "A Cause des Garçons" music video remix which features some crazy Frenchies doing a nifty dance.

The dance was quite nifty and complemented the remixed song equally well.

Have a look-see:


Pretty sweet.

Naturally I got addicted to the song, downloaded the mp3 and listened to it ad nauseum. Then I passed it along to Brett and my boyfriend who were just as easily sold. (except the boyfriend watches it because he finds the dancers hot - grr) I'm still in the process of selling the song to the roomies, but like every other song I try to ease into the rotation, it will take a bit of time to catch on.

Now let's talk about the dancing. It's an updated form of raving, geared more towards techno/house beats and less towards the 1999-2001 trance scene synonymous with glow-sticks and pacifiers.

To be honest, it almost looks like a cooler version of disco dancing. Not to disparage the coolness of Tecktonik by equating it with disco, but the comparison isn't that far off. (I personally have no problem with disco but I know that everyone else uses it to epitomize everything that 'cool' isn't)

But wait, Tecktonik is also somewhat reminiscent of a fad that sprang up in the late 90's in Japan: Para Para! I remember when that game came out for Playstation and we were like, what the hell? It was too far ahead of its time, at least in the Western world. We were still coming to terms with electronica. Para Para garnered a few brave followers in the 2000's, but we all remember those kids as the random Anime addicts who were too nerdy for the high school social order. (I was a closet one)

Anyway, have a look at Para Para and tell me what you think:



Notice any similarities?

Para Para dancing has limited leg movement, but the arm points and rolls are very similar. Quite similar to disco if you ask me : )

I leave you with a classic.



*Check out the Wikipedia entries for Tecktonik and Para Para for more info

Imagine Philadelphia

This evening the Philadelphia City Planning Commission hosted its seventh "Imagine Philadelphia" meeting for Center City residents. The series, championed by the PCPC and City Hall which engages citizens in the local planning process, aligns with an on-going effort to build trust in local government. An effort that can hopefully scuttle the city's reputation of corruption and nepotism.

Like the title says, the meeting was a forum for people to come together and dream big for a city that's been running low on hope. The conversation started out with "safe," conventional suggestions to break the ice. (fix SEPTA, fix schools) Shortly thereafter, the discourse crescendoed to a fever-pitch of enthusiasm; everyone had plenty to say. (I pitched my dream for a Maglev between NYC and Philly)

Now, I know what you're thinking. Philadelphia needs a lot more than imagination and wide-eyed dissimulations if it ever plans on becoming the "Next Great American City." Persistently high crime rates, an ailing SEPTA, and scourging "brain drain" provide even the idealists ample cause for skepticism.

However the home-grown Phanatics and newly-arrived optimists are willing to take their chances. These individuals propound a voice for renewal that reverberates through the staid din of dejection. They have slowly begun in chorus to rally one another, if not out of idealism, then simply for the the sake of their own livelihoods. Look to Northern Liberties, Fitler Square, and West Philly; these neighborhoods are flourishing. Although their prosperity, when cast against the welfare of the city, seems minimal, their impact as the agents of change, is widely heard. They've seized National Geographic's accolade as their call-to-arms and taken steps to mobilize the rest of the city. Their expectations may seem high and dreams even loftier, but these are the first ingredients in any recipe for change. (Look to sentiments of national politics and the Progressive Movement for additional justification)

Thankfully we have a new mayor who is one of them.

Any good parent can tell you that a few words of inspiration and positive reinforcement can go a long way in motivating your kids to create their edifice. The same paradigm applies to cities. We've been told our potential, accepted the challenge and are beginning to talk back. Help spread the word.

These meetings are a positive step in the right direction and I can only hope that civic participation embeds itself into the ethos of what can truly be the Next Great American City.


PS. The Planning Commission should re-Imagine its website as a necessary symbolic gesture

Waiting for readers

Part of the fun in doing these blogs is watching readership swell. Measuring readership after a whopping 3 posts over the course of a couple days may be premature, but how can I resist?

If you are reading this post now, you are likely the fifth reader! Be proud to follow in a long line of other famous fifths; Beethoven's fifth, The Fifth Amendment, The Fifth Element, and now of course you, the fifth reader of my blog.

I'll keep hitting refresh on my counter, waiting for lucky #6.

Where were you the day the stock market crashed?

I was sitting on my ass, in my living room, enjoying a day-off thanks to Martin (LKjr). Brett and I had just settled into our daily blog roll with the sweet sound of Armin Van Buuren's "State of Trance 2007" in the background, tickling our ears.

Brett pauses.
Decides his comment is worth rupturing the tunes for*.
Great.
He wails, "the sky is falling, the sky is falling!"

What Chicken Little meant was, the stock market is falling, the stock market is falling. Not quite the sky, but an equally impending cause for alarm. That's right, around the world people are losing money - and this time, it's the rich guys too. No need to post a link, just use the google. Try words like "stock market," "recession," or, "what any economist could have (and had) predicted months ago."

The catch? The stocks in America, like my lazy ass, are enjoying a day off as well thanks to Martin. But since Japan and Europe don't have (many) black people, their stock markets get to plummet a day before ours.

(*eep, preposition at end of sentence)

What's this fool gonna write about anyway?

Unlike most bloggers, whose intentions are nobler than to exploit the internet for self-aggrandizement, I can assure you that my blog will stay myopically focused on me and my musings. Instead of obsessing over inexorably fetishized subject-matters, like politics, hot guys and funny cats, my blog will reflect the ebb and flow of my psyche, in all its persnickety glory. For those who would appreciate a visual analogy, picture a child captivated on a floating bubble, who soon catches a glimpse of a butterfly, only to pursue it with wistful hands. I know it sounds somewhat frivolous, but rest assured you can count on a highly accurate, if not entertaining, description of said bubble and butterfly pursuit. If you're not much for bubbles and butterflies, I don't blame you, different strokes for different folks - just forgive the little gay toddler for chasing bubbles and butterflies. (Note: I will ask the reader to forgive my indulgences quite frequently)

Let the posting begin : )


*Props to thesaurus.com

The First Entry?

This blog has existed for about 6 months now and I have absolutely nothing to show for it. I have two draft posts sitting in the waiting room, but nothing ready for publishing. There are several reasons for reneging on my o-blog-ations (snark snark), some of which are forgivable and others which I'll attempt to justify.

Indolence, distractions, sleeping, inebriation, and stonedness - forgive me.

Lack of confidence in my writing, coupled with an inability to channel my thoughts into keyboard - I can explain.

When I started my blog, it began as another capricious interest on which I could fixate my attention until something newer, and equally ephemeral, came around to steal it away. In July (T-6 months) my attention was diverted to living in China. In September (T-4 months) it was hijacked by school. In subsequent months (T-3 months until the present: T) it was consumed with a combination of school and the aforementioned laundry list of forgivable lapses.

It became so easy to put-off because I had such lofty expectations for my first post. I tried crafting an elaborate, postmodern entry that would be self-conscious of its existence as a first blog post. I know - extremely lofty and unnecessarily presumptuous. The more I wrote, the more convoluted and pretentious it became. Eventually it evolved into a complex syllogism, exploring blogging's implications on confession and personal affirmation. Clearly I was getting entangled in the trappings of my own ego, having made little headway towards the completion of my first entry. So I decided to keep it on the back-burner (at time T=January, 6 months later) and write something (anything!) I could use to introduce my blog.

So yeah, that was it. And here's the rest:

Kinda underwhelming, considering I built this up for 6 months to myself. (and to Brett, for whom I hope this satiates 6 months of anticipation) Definitely not the earth-shattering (or even mountain-moving) first entry I fantasized about posting, but an important and quite necessary step to starting a blog. Not to mention, an equally important avowal myself.

If, and when, I terminate this blog in the very-distant future, I'll post the phantom first-entry as my last one, with some minor and major modifications. It probably won't live up to the pseudo-hype I built for it in my actual first post (this one), but it will likely provide the sentimental closure I'll seek. Kinda kitschy and cliche, but eh, forgive me.