Texting In The Gym

Its one thing if you're listening to music, but texting at the gym is something that I find completely absurd. Why on earth should you be on your phone when you're supposed to be exercising?! Going to the gym should be about you, and nobody else. A time to blow off steam and block all outside distractions. Ive seen people even as far as walking on the treadmill while texting. Seems a bit counterproductive if you ask me. I feel as though people who post things about going to the gym on social network don't even go to the gym they just do it for the attention. Where can we draw the line and come to grips with the fact that at some points in our day we should put the phone down and focus on ourselves for a bit. You really can't be getting that good of a workout if you're in the middle of a text conversation.

As convient as it may be to always have your cell phone with you at all times I believe that there comes a time where we should put the phone down and do what it is we intended to do. I see it in myself when I am in the process of writing a paper. Why on earth must I check my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook constantly watching the same news feed pop up. Its absurd and distracting. However we must learn to train ourselves that there needs to be alone time without our phones to accomplish what is it we want todo. Below are some memes I found online that I thought were funny. Hope I'm not the only one noticing this tradegy!

Too Big To Know

"The smartest person in the room is the room itself"- David Weinberger

When all information is easily attainable, who in the end holds the knowledge? The room itself (computers), act as an encyclopedia of all there is to know at any given time of the day. So where does this leave us? We are the connectors of information, the link necessary to take the knowledge and make connections with it. Without the capabilities to do so what good would knowledge have? Everyone is at a level playing field having the insight to follow a trail of information that leads us into further discussion. Now with the ability to search anything at any given time we can better our path of knowledge and focus on the speed of ideas in a more in depth manner.

However, is anyone agreeing on anything? Now that new information paths are being discovered new topics arise only confusing the idea of truth. With the unlimited amount of information you are able to find on the internet we have now found ourselves in a place where a lot of people agree with something and a lot of people disagree. How does this change the definition of truth? This confusing state that we are currently in will only expand as technology increasing and old habits phase out. By having the smartest person in the room be the room itself leaves us with a array of connections and ideas being processed by the people able to access them.

Twitter On The T.V.

Okay, so don't judge me but I just got done watching the new episode of Naked and Afraid on the Discovery Channel and I never realized how much Twitter is incorporated in T.V. Throughout the entire show tweets were popping up commenting about the show. Twitter users posted questions and they were answered at the end of the show. It was interesting to see the development of hashtags people would come up with to describe certain aspects of the show.  So many people had something to say I was extremely surprised! Ive seen it in other shows but never really realized how important this could be. Producers get a real life view into the customers opinion of the show and are able to communicate with people. Having this aspect makes T.V. interactive and allows people to make better connections better their experience. Only validating the integration of technology within society. Its basically seen everywhere now! Below shows an example of a typical tweet that would show up during the show.

Summer Vibes

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Heres Vampire Weekend playing their song "Bryn". A summertime vibe for a snowy kind of night. Seems as though this winter is going to last forever!!! When will it end ? If you haven't heard of Vampire Weekend you should totally check them out. The singer/songwriter Ezra Koenig graduated from Columbia University with a degree in English. His ability to craft thought provoking lyrics while also containing their "preppy" pop sound sets them apart from the rest. Here they are seen at the Reading Festival in 2009. They recently have received a grammy for best alternative album this year.

Its How We Receive It

Clay Shirky's "Here Comes Everybody" dives deep into the realm of social interaction and stands as an eye-opening piece of gold for our current generation. He breaks the system down,turns it around, then leaves us with a paradox of whether or not this 24/7 social networking is a good or bad thing? This need to communicate is primal however the level of how much of it is what needs to be re-evaluated. Being connected at any second of the day can be a very useful tool times and makes some tasks seem a lot easier.

The ability to reach the masses is displayed though various mediums of social network, however its interesting to see where else these systems have changed. Shirky explains "We can see signs of this in many places: the music industry, for one, is still reeling from the discovery that the reproduction and distribution of music, previously a valuable service, is now something their customers can do for themselves", an amazing connection between the way in which we communicate and how one can have a say for themselves. Its almost as if the curtain was revealed. Only technology and the internet made it. What is the saying for, just about everything? If we are able to cut the middle man out and heighten success, why not?

One thing that comes to mind when his book is the recent evaporation of movie theaters and movie rental places. Once a popular commodity, now meaningless due to the avialiblilty of either downloading the movie from the internet, or watching it on an iPad or Smart TV. They way in which we receive information is changing at a rapid pace. Our ability to communicate has been heightened to extreme levels. Clay Shirkys work has been not only a look into the future, but allows us to think about our selves and whether or not this social network as we know it is good or bad thing. It is up to us to make those decisions and provide the future with some form of balance.

Left Field

Music is regional and depending on where it comes from will sometimes influence its sound. Looking at music in comparison to where it is being made allows us to make connections to other artists in that particular area. LA's music scene is unlike others such as NYC or even Atlanta. However as popular as all these cities are, only some hold the spotlight for a small amount of time before quickly changing again. As of right now in the "electronic music world", Australia's music scene is heightened its impact to new levels.

Here we see an interview with Australia's current most popular artist Flume. This footage gives reasoning as to why he thinks his music is gaining popularity and how Australia is playing a part in it. Flume describes his sound and  explains his story as to how he came into success. This  "new sound"  as Flumes record label Future Classic's puts it is whats shining the light down on the newly popular cities of Sydney, as well as Melbourne.


 

Heres another clip showcasing Wave Racer, another example of Australia's "new sound". Wave Racer is one of the many new artists gaining popularity in electronic music culture and is easy to understand how he got signed to Future Classic record company. His sound is similar to Flume and you can easily make out just what all the hype is about. Nothing crazy, just pop music with a new flare!

Some Cool Music

Dillion Francis	Masta Blasta, Bootleg Fireworks (Rebirth)
Hucci	House Party, Vanish
Loudpvck	Mystica, Shakedown
Disclosure	F For You, When A Fire Starts To Burn
Flume	Holdin On, Slasher

Some electronic music that I enjoy. Check em out and let me know what you think! If you know who these people are we should be best friends like, now.