A collection of thoughts unbound and scrawlings in the life and times of Mr. Wordy

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A day in the life of Marcus

Hello, good readers.

the long break is over and like a ...something I return to... something that something somethings reluctantly.
...Remember, practice makes perfect - or, at the very least, competence. I took a lot of videos and pictures with some cameras. It's a lot to screen through and edit. So I know I promised, but that stuff will take some time yet. Thanksgiving came and went leaving most Americans stuffed, somewhat ironically, with stuffed bird and holiday spirit. I traveled to my Dad's new home in Ohio for a brief sojourn with the family. Our schedule was somewhat inconsistant. Having time to arrive on Monday night and just enough time to leave Thursday morning. After driving all day Thursday on Friday, at work I had time for some reflection.

I am an adult now. Not just in age or temperament or sentencing. But in a fundamental way. The things I want are trumped by the things I need. I have a sense of personal accountablity (which, previously, was limited to my own actions) that includes the effects of working or not working. I am in charge of all that goes on at WOI during my shift and my paying or not paying taxes effects people and people look to me for social cues and people have very real expectations of me to meet (or not) and very real consequences for those expectations.

As part of growing up (and older) is suddenly caring about society and politics.

But thats a different story...

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Something new

I'm looking from something new to do.
Lately, I've been praticing recording things in my life. Specifically I got a camera. in looking for something to use it for, I became interested in seeing what I do - how I am reflected through the camera.
I'd hoped to find interest in other actions, the things around me. I still plan to.
Maybe it's vain, but I think it's a good project to start with.

Look for a post tomorrow - a prelude to recording

Friday, November 5, 2010

A sudden thought on Hipsters

I'm not sure why, but I my thoughts were suddenly beset upon by sociology of those peskily labeled "Hipsters." I guess it's pase to talk about it, even trivial. Well, I did anyway. Or started, rather. You see, what follows is a tale of terrifying journey into a world of magic, mystery a- oh, excuse me, I'm stuck at Halloween. Mine was awesome. I trust yours as well. I went to Omaha zoo dressed like a wolf.  Anyway, below is a terrifying journey into my thoughts about the movement.

Above all else, things that are rare and hard to find, are valuable and obtained not easily.
Further, that which people presive as real have the effect of being real.
for example, if a group perceives knowledge as valuable, then that group will think that knowledge is hard to gain. This is only true if you perceive the first course as real.

I suspect that these two clauses are fundimentally at the core of anti-hipsterism. Undoubtedly started by hipsters, Anti-hipsterism is the systematic breaking down and margializing of the 'hipster'. The hipster trend comes from people who see aspects of their own culture mixed, quite abundantly, with others and the effect that mixing has on social redefining. Fashion has been a mainstay of counter-hipsterism. The critique and despisement of "thier" fashion is notable. "hipsters" borrow alot from other movements. Punk influances attire, Grudge can be seen in elements of behavior. A presived peevishness can be attributed from hip/hop. clearly the outward idolization of individualism relates very strongly with 80s/90s Yuppie.

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I think this is where Hipsters draw the most flack from other social cultures. Especially with those they mimic the most. Punk, or Counter-culture, is often considered with Hipster. Much debate follows the notion of Punk being a livid social culture. Today, Punk carries a certain fatigue in character - a shared idea amoung the communities that Punk, real punk solid and true, has Moved On. To paraphrase NOFX, Punk rock became too safe - it has been Plasticized. Broken down by the odd machina of capitalist economics and sold bit by bit back to society. Capitalism trives in niche market - as a movement grows and morphs into  a social culture, it becomes marketed but the consuming habits of it's group. To be come significant in society, it is marked with it's own social codes and expectations. For the Counter-Culture movement, this was a complete rejection of the dominant norms and (to a lesser degree) values. The exact manifestion of Punk is unimportant, suffice to say that it requires a multi-generational idealogy constructed by shared influence.

A social culture tells us about a population's work. For Marx, work/labor was paramount. Labor, work = value. Hipsters deny work - for the image is rooted in a laissez faire attitude. To act to something strongly invites critique, to some degree. Hispster culture expects the individual to deride that they feel as trival by acting towards it in grandiose style. This is seen most prevenletly is "making an ironic statement." (though, it should be noted that no Hipster would advertise their specific reasons.)

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