While writing the essay for class on my so called e-life, I went back found a few websites that are still around. This video was one of many on a parody website called Icebox.com where they had spoof videos of hidden celebrity webcams. I still giggle at this one.

Hidden Celebrity Webcam: Cher's Icebox

Twitter linked to Blog

This takes more effort than I thought, but I finally (think) I have it linked. I will try to link all the class blogs after I've had a stiff drink. Or maybe tomorrow, as that will probably add to my handicap. I bought a bottle of Plungerhead Zinfandel to go with dinner tonight. Whether you're an amateur or advanced oenophile, I highly recommend it. It's a good value at Yankee Spirits too.

I'm going to attempt to add a photo to the blog. While at Yankee Spirits I came across this box wine in the shape of a purse. I wonder if they make the shoes to match...

Blogging about a Blog

Blogging about a Blog. Meta-blog. Bloggity. 
 
Self-aware weirdo with way more technology available to him than should be 
allowed:  Picture an unbalanced, xenophobic middle-aged white guy in basement 
ranting about stuff. Well there is one success story, financially any way. He 
used to be on a cable network, scribbling on a chalkboard and twitching 
nervously while describing constant various threats to anyone within the sound 
of his oft-quivering voice. With tears streaming down his face he would then 
implore the viewer to rush to the phone and buy gold from his sponsor for the 
post-apocalyptic hellscape that was to come. 

Not from my basement. Luckily I have a nice view out a blurry window to the 
suburban street I call home. The window has a leak, which causes fog to form 
inside the double panes of glass and distort the view. I suppose a suburban 
landscape outside of a blurry window is an improvement over a myopic view from 
an underground bunker. I’m not that unhinged, I hope. Although I do tell people 
jokingly that I have a foil hat I occasionally wear around the house. I get a 
lot of funny looks. 

This new medium (for me anyway) called the blogosphere is way more than a 
novelty. It’s an amazing way to connect with other people and share ideas, and 
just about everything else. The idea of being able to call up information at the 
click of a mouse is really incredible. The magic of having access to mountains 
of information and resources through a humble internet connection has become a 
great equalizer. Internet connectivity has enabled those with the means to make 
use of information previously reserved only to those with close proximity to a 
college or municipal library, providing it was adequate. 

Of course there is a dark side to having scads of information. As mentioned 
before, there are those who have yet to identify the means with which to filter 
and gage some of the information available on the internets. This is 
unfortunate, but this problem predates computer access, as evidenced in the 
existence of tabloid, yellow, muckraking, and sensationalist journalism. Sadly, 
those monikers no longer have the significance they once had. 

I am fascinated by all the technology, and intimidated by the speed with 
which advances take place. We’re all plugged in in one way or another, like it 
or not, it’s here to stay. That’s why the simple act of opening a book has 
become more important to me as a way to relax and unplug from the busy world. 

There’s no disputing that technology has a great many advantages. Less paper 
means cleaner air and a hope for a greener future. The digitization of all types 
of information has to be seen as a having huge advantages over almost all 
aspects of our lives. If someone living in a remote place doesn’t have access to 
a library, is an e-book better than no book? Of course it is.  If the only 
chance to hear a symphony by Mozart is through a set of headphones from an mp3 
player, is it not a bad thing? 

A Scholar of the World

The travel bug bit me in my late teens.  Over the years, the infection has led to chronic issues that cause me to experience frequent bouts of restlessness, insatiable curiosity, a persistent need to explore different cultures and experiment with exotic cuisines, and a relentless longing to traverse the globe in order to satiate my unyielding desire. To the outsider, being a full-time college student would seem like an ideal opportunity to satisfy one’s itchy feet. But since no one at Lonely Planet has been inspired to finance my obsession, I have to work within the budget of a full-time college student, which means relying on the other half of a one-income household. 

During the break between semesters, I had it in my head to visit MOMA in New York City. I say in my head because the idea of going had become like the tinnitus I experience every waking hour of every day, persistent and high-pitched like the noise a television set makes.   Finally, after some admittedly passive aggressive behavior, (skillfully played if I do say so myself) we decided on a day to visit the museum. I do lots of research before a trip in order to familiarize myself with everything a destination has to offer, and for this trip I was well prepared. I had train schedules printed up, two guidebooks from the library, two maps, and I had read up on what was currently on view at MOMA. It’s good to be obsessive-compulsive in some areas: I had researched where to check our bags, as the museum wouldn’t allow for anything larger than a backpack, and it’s no longer an option at the train station either.

We fit in perfectly with all the other tourists craning our necks and ogling the sights and sounds along the Avenue of the Americas as we made our way to visit the Museum of Modern Art. Lonely Planet, if you’re reading this, I have a tip for travelers who visit the museum on a Sunday.  For many, Van Gogh’s Starry Night is the must see painting in the museum.  It is breathtaking, vivid colors, more so than you would think, leap off the painting. It’s smaller than I imagined, but not disappointing in any way at all.  Edvard Munch’s The Scream was on display as well. One of three exhibited versions of his famous work, this was not the more famous painting that was stolen a few years ago, and I noticed that causes confusion, because not many people are aware that there is more than one version of the painting. 

The permanent exhibition space features sculpture and paintings from the modern era dating from (I believe) 1900 forward.  Even the most uninterested person can find something recognizable at MOMA.  I was humbled and moved by so many paintings that I am unable to articulate my impressions on a blog, so I’ll keep it to the two I most enjoyed. AnnaZborowska by Modigliani, and LesDemoiselles d'Avignon by Picasso. These paintings, to steal a quote, feed my soul. I’ll leave you to your own interpretations, as that’s how I prefer it myself. Check out the website on the links, hopefully I’ll be able to correctly code the titles so the images link.

We were lucky to have a good friend accompany us, and very grateful for her friend, who has an apartment in the city where we were all offered to stay. After the museum, we met up with our host at his apartment in Harlem, dropped our bags and walked around the corner to a wonderful Italian restaurant named Lido. We were famished after our long day and were blown away by the excellent food, friendly service, and generosity of our host. I was really surprised that everyone we encountered in New York was so friendly.

Our January trip serves as a reminder that year round traveling is a great way to quench the thirst for adventure. There are certainly fewer people, more discounts on everything, and getting away even for a day helps to change perspective and serve as inspiration for the next destination.