five for friday

1.  My life is full to the brim and I'm happy as a clam.  I could, however, use a nap.  Tired this week.  Excited for the year to come, though I wonder how I'll juggle a busier photog life with the usual school gig.  One more year.

2.  I picked up A BOOK this week.  Power to me.  The Elegance of the Hedgehog.  It's just right.

3.  A humble opinion whisper-screamed toward the world of photography:  ENOUGH WITH THE FLOWER CROWNS.  They've had their day.  Over em.

4.  The cultural shifts I've witnessed even since teaching here are pretty incredible.  I'm thinking especially in terms of sexual/gender stereotypes.  I wonder if the ubiquitous presence of social media in the lives of my students' generation has the effect of speeding up social conversation and, therefore, change.  It's hard to stay as isolated and ignorant to larger social dialogues if you're plugged in.  Makes me feel hopeful.

5.  Started working out last week.  A few youtube workout videos a day.  The variety is good, and the short time commitment is key.  Feeling better so far.  My bloated/pregnant-looking pooch is finding its way back to tolerable.  Soon my pants might even start fitting again.

Motivated.  Hopeful.  All good on all fronts.
Over & out.

quick quick

A few thoughts in a row:
1.  I listened to a This American Life podcast about France, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that I'm not the only one who doesn't get what's the big deal about Paris.  I don't get it.

2.  One year old crawler shoots with new clients-> exhausting. nerve-wracking, knee-bruising, non-favorite, hopefully satisfying.

3.  The whole idea of taking a bunch of pictures posed with the camera holding little signs with quippy or cutesy messages -> stop it.

4.  Robert Downs gave me permission to not get set in a particular style.  & he has that permission to grant.  i like his life... and i think i can have that too.

5.  only 5 more days with each class.  and 90 research papers to grade in between.  everlong.

6.  neighbor toni and i seem to have come to some sort of treaty agreement regarding cat turf.

7.  throw backs because i'm too lazy to upload the other ones from my phone right now.

weird religion shit:

ol' olive: 

a touch of misanthropy, but in general warmth and shimmer

this rant was all much longer in my head in the shower

rant 1:
there's this whole video called "Look Up" about how everyone is obsessed with their phones and as a result, family structures and the ability for people to make eye contact in real life are all rushing toward obsolete.  because of phones.  because people aren't really living when they're on their phones all the time.

hold up.

these articles or videos or whatthefuckever almost ALWAYS make have a good chuckle with themselves for pointing out the irony of their medium.  "look! i'm chastising you for using social media ON social media!" please refrain from handing out clever badges quite yet.  you are not the first to note this irony (thrilling word, isn't it?).  instead, you are like a smug pack of right wingers who hire Santa to bring the christ back in to christmas.  just stop already.  your dinosaur best friend is dead.  technology is here to stay.  stop telling people that they are bad parents or teachers or friends for spending time with their phone.  stop threatening humanity with nonsense about the next generation's dwindling ability to share feelings or genuine conversation.  where was that concern when whole generations of men were taught that being a man meant shutting up and grunting?  it seems like when it comes to voice and people's right/ability to communicate effectively, there's a lot more at work here than the use of technology.

surely these cutey little videos are the brain children of people who've had bad experiences in the technology department.  your lover traded your eyes for the screen one too many times.  your girlfriend totally didn't hear your joke because she was sending a text.  whatever.  i know there's a real and hurtful side to being on the other end of someone who doesn't show moderation.  but the problem is not the phone, pals.  it's the part about knowing moderation.

the whole "look up, you're not living in the present when your head is in your phone" argument is bullshit.  before i had internet access on my phone, my head was buried in a book just as often as it is now.  i have always relied on some means of excusing myself from direct engagement with the world.  as an introvert, it's really really necessary for me to have those sorts of outs.  and reading a novel or reading an article on the internet or even taking an asinine buzzfeed quiz is not necessarily escaping in a negative sense so much as it is engaging the present in a different way.  & random tidbits found on internet surfs fuel real life conversations pretty darn frequently.  people end up boding or connecting in "real" life over things they discovered while they were "looking down."

technology is a thing, humans.  neither good nor evil.  it is a tool.  use it in moderation.  the end.
stupid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY

Rant 2:
i'll keep this really short because i haven't checked my phone in about 15 minutes and i can't go much longer.

sometimes the artists who "put on" the artist crown with the most pizzazz are really just on drugs.  and shitty artists.

same goes for writers.

i don't know why it shocks me every time, but it does.  there's this whole build up where you're getting to know the person, and they speak in old soul tones or they look really eccentric and talk about all of these projects and schemes.

and then they share your work with you.

and then you find that you can be an actress
when it's called for.