Hear/Say

Awesome/great job via veroniquekim.tumblr

I’ve heard about girls who Photoshop their own pictures before publishing them online, but it was … not taken very seriously. It’s LOL-able that this exists. It’s totally ironic how their insecurities become even more transparent.

It also shows how conscious people are of physical image even when engaging in a medium of communication that does not require “physicality”, per se. While people complain in paranoia of Facebook ads targetting them, no one ever talks about how they gear their own images to fit a demographic or image. How the internet enables this meta-self-awareness: what you said/say/will say, what you looked like/look/will look. The LOLlability of a ridiculous Facebook status, for example, draws from specifics such as

1) Is this a quote from a song? Does it reflect *exactly* how I feel? Is the song cool enough to reflect how I feel without embarrassment, but gains me cool points?

2) Is my status update worthy of note? Will people respond to it? Is it outrageous, or an actual status of “what I’m doing”?

3) punctuation and emoticons; how much is enough/too much? Does the design of my text also work to illustrate my point?

4) How will different groups of my FB friends read this? Is it appropriate for a boss, a sibling, a relative? Which group would this status appeal to?

5) Words used: Since it is a status, the tendency to paste large amounts of texts is laughed at. So the amount of words reflect the dexterous quick-ness of what the FB Status does: update your friends on plans, your life, your emotional stability… etc. all at once. The less words, the cooler you are– and because we’re aware of who will read this, we become more keenly aware of how we represent ourselves through a small blurb

On a more specifically interpersonal level, wall posts function the same way, but bewtween a much smaller group of people.

People also politicize their statuses  in order to elicit support for their cause, or at least place their valued issues on their friend’s/family’s agenda.

The “LIKE IT” meme is also surprisingly versatile in terms of contextual meaning. From sarcasm to genuine enthusiasm, as well as general display of support for a friend, “LIKE IT” is a strange internet function that has come to embody the wonderful ambiguous tone that characterizes “internet humor”.

What do you think?

So part of “being a blogger” might include the excitement of how many people actually read your blog. This includes gloating over your Google Analytics numbers (although you might not truly understand what the numbers mean…)

One of my most popular posts is “Things That Disgust Me”, and ironically I think it’s popular only because Mario Lopez is on it. That sick sack of six pack abs has earned me some glory. I don’t know how to reconcile that with… *him*.

I saw this today:

Via merricat.tumblr: what-katie-did: spanielhearted:typed:whatsername2: joehhzeh:(via fuckyeahhappy)

…and it does make me happy. Number 1, for sure; Number 2, of course; numbers 3 and 10 don’t really happen to me, but I’d probably like it; Number 8 is irrelevant to me (in fact, most often I look up and it’s 9:11, and I remember 9/11… and feel sad); but I always pull a Number 4 and drive my friends/family crazy.

I just felt like making my own list– because things have been down lately. Some unfortunate events have occured and impacted the lives of those around me, and… well, it’s good to appreciate what little things you have.

WHAT I LIKE and what makes me happy, from the smallest to the biggest things in daily life:

. Naked alone time (ultimate freedom)

. When parallel parked cars are parked just so you can step up onto the curb with ease (and not look  like an idiot)

. String of green lights stretching out as far as the eye can see (and no cops in sight)

. Discovering new things to talk about with old friends

. Finding and using a precise word in a precise instance and with impeccable timing and delivery

. The evolution and recycling of a worthy inside joke

. Waking up to a fresh morning where you know exactly who you are

. Strangers who smile back at you on the streets

. Genuine e-mails from genuine friends

. An organized calendar

. When I laugh at myself because of how I’ve felt or what I’ve done in the past

. When you have the heater all to yourself

. Swaddling yourself in a sea of blankets

. When your tea or coffee is not hot enough to burn yourself but just hot enough

. Getting caught listening and singing to a song you normally would never listen to

. Stepping into a crisp winter day

. Finding the perfect table to lurk at a busy coffee shop

. Meeting someone new and interesting for the very first time

. Rare moments of laughing hysterically with more than one of your friends

. Cute snowboarding boys

. Passing out from a day of play

. When you remain comfortable the entire day because you were smart about layering

. In Mario Kart: When the shell you shoot goes exactly where you want it to

. Discovering a new favorite movie

. Really great beards. The ones that are thick and textured, not too groomed but perfectly hairy.

. When the juice you bought quenches your thirst, rather than make you thirstier

. Those moments where you can’t stop smiling

Enough cheesiness. Enjoy this:

<3
Graceee