The Looking Glass- 10/26/07
I did it. I purchased a television show, greedily downloaded it, and watched it on the bus this morning.
Last night I went binge shopping at the iTunes online store, after my stupid stodgy internet connection kept stalling as I tried to listen to Naomi Klein’s presentation on Shock Doctrine from Seattle’s town hall in September. Between the stupid stodgy internet connection and my mp3 speakers shorting out because they were precariously balanced on my laptop ‘cause the stupid connection cable is like two inches long I missed half her speech. Long story short: I downloaded it. While I was there I got The People’s History of the WTO part 04: Cancun 2003, (a demonstration I was present for). I hope I can find the other three parts. Both these programs are Podcast for free. While I was there I also bought season one of Showtime’s This American Life, which, except for The Tick live action show, The Maxx cartoon and the love-me-‘cause-I’m-a-nature-dork Blue Planet, is likely the only television program I will ever plunk down money for (to further complicate matters I don't own a television. Long live the cathode tube freeloader!).
There are so many ideas present in these programs that I love: progressive activism, friends, a spotlight on genius performers like Improv Everywhere, alternative journalism, humor. But also underlying this is an inclination towards avoidance. I don’t like falling asleep alone. To avert this I stay up too late reading, listening to the radio, over stretching. I take drugs in an effort to quell this childlike resistance. This leads to reading, listening to the radio, and over stretching while high. Damn my inquisitive experimental nature.
The fact is I have drummed myself out of a relatively calm existence in favor-nay, in pursuit-of a more honest way of living. In this forced self-examination I am finding things about myself that are upsetting: cracks, weapons, shelters. It would be foolish and self-defeating to stew on these discoveries, though (not to mention I would be about as much fun as a Rorschach test). I guess the best I can work for is balance, and the sincere hope that I do not freeze to death as I stuff the gaps in my drafty mental windows with the insulation of broadcast media.
The Looking Glass is a weekly update written in a journalistic style, hopefully drawn with a more objective hand than my day-to-day blogtastic ramblings. Why? Why the hell not? Whose blog is this, anyway? As always, your feedback is appreciated- jlb
Last night I went binge shopping at the iTunes online store, after my stupid stodgy internet connection kept stalling as I tried to listen to Naomi Klein’s presentation on Shock Doctrine from Seattle’s town hall in September. Between the stupid stodgy internet connection and my mp3 speakers shorting out because they were precariously balanced on my laptop ‘cause the stupid connection cable is like two inches long I missed half her speech. Long story short: I downloaded it. While I was there I got The People’s History of the WTO part 04: Cancun 2003, (a demonstration I was present for). I hope I can find the other three parts. Both these programs are Podcast for free. While I was there I also bought season one of Showtime’s This American Life, which, except for The Tick live action show, The Maxx cartoon and the love-me-‘cause-I’m-a-nature-dork Blue Planet, is likely the only television program I will ever plunk down money for (to further complicate matters I don't own a television. Long live the cathode tube freeloader!).
There are so many ideas present in these programs that I love: progressive activism, friends, a spotlight on genius performers like Improv Everywhere, alternative journalism, humor. But also underlying this is an inclination towards avoidance. I don’t like falling asleep alone. To avert this I stay up too late reading, listening to the radio, over stretching. I take drugs in an effort to quell this childlike resistance. This leads to reading, listening to the radio, and over stretching while high. Damn my inquisitive experimental nature.
The fact is I have drummed myself out of a relatively calm existence in favor-nay, in pursuit-of a more honest way of living. In this forced self-examination I am finding things about myself that are upsetting: cracks, weapons, shelters. It would be foolish and self-defeating to stew on these discoveries, though (not to mention I would be about as much fun as a Rorschach test). I guess the best I can work for is balance, and the sincere hope that I do not freeze to death as I stuff the gaps in my drafty mental windows with the insulation of broadcast media.
The Looking Glass is a weekly update written in a journalistic style, hopefully drawn with a more objective hand than my day-to-day blogtastic ramblings. Why? Why the hell not? Whose blog is this, anyway? As always, your feedback is appreciated- jlb