Blogging Fatigue?

Megan over at from the archives informs us that she's tired of blogging and that she'll turn to her bike and enjoy life more fully away from her blogging impulses.

Here it is:

"It is foolhardy to make any pronouncements about something as reversible as closing a blog, but as far as I can tell, I don't have any more enthusiasm for writing here. I've been trying to hold out for just a few more weeks, but I'm embarrassed by my recent half-hearted blogging and I can't seem to do better. In the past few weeks, I've clicked away from the first paragraphs of posts way more often than I've published finished posts, weak as they are.

If I write a post-mortem, it will only embarrass me if I return in two weeks. If I call this a hiatus, you might think I'll be back. If I don't say anything, I'll feel guilty that people might still be checking in. Don't keep checking in. I don't know what to call this, but I don't anticipate more here in the foreseeable future.

I had two reasons for putting this off. The first is that I'll be on the East Coast in June and want to meet you. Boston area the first week of June, heading southward to DC the second week of June. East Coast, we should get together and do fun things. The second reason I was postponing this is that I wanted to post a video of me doing pull-ups. But close as I am, I'm not there yet and I can't fill the days until then. You'll just have to imagine it."

Yup, biking is a smart choice. I like her honesty, I have to say. When one does not have much to say, well, what's the point? It's good to recharge the batteries and smell other roses on the way.
As a blogger, I especially appreciate Megan's post.
Good luck, Megan, and happy trails!

Writing Blog

Good bit...


"I received a copy of my new book ...in the mail today from my publisher ... Opening the package was half anti-climactic, and half frightening ... in three weeks, it is going to be out there for the world to read. That's a little scary, because to date, almost nobody has read it, so I really have no idea what to expect as a reaction ... And this says nothing of the fear of how the book will perform. That is the great unknown that haunts every writer who wants to continue to try to eke out a living as a writer - every project is based on your last performance. How well your current work does in the marketplace often dictates whether you will be given another opportunity to write in the future (this is why it is so important to buy books from writers you like, and buy magazines that you support - your purchase is a way to make sure that those writers and publications continue to produce in the future).

From my first book ... I've learned to get used to some of these feelings - but I'm told by more seasoned writers that you never really get used to it...ever. Writing - and media in general (especially progressive media) - is a very tough business. It requires regular 16 hour days to scratch and claw into the debate. This book represents 2 years of those 16 hour days - so I guess it's natural to feel a little nervous."
Read full feature here.

Divorced by 30?

Hat tip to Prettier than Napoleon for the pointer.
It's an article about getting divorced by 30. I reckon my grandparents would find this sort of stuff infuriating but then again they tied the knot way before Web 2.0 accessed our world.
Well, here's the article.

A snippet of the LA Times: says:

"I was on the way to the gym when my older sister called me from New York to discuss my upcoming 30th birthday. It was six months away, but with such a big milestone, she wanted to start planning way in advance. Did I want a huge party or a small dinner? Casual dress or cocktail attire? Whom would I invite? Did I want to go somewhere? Vegas? Miami? Or did I want to stay in L.A.?

As I pondered these options, one definitive thought struck me: Regardless of what city I was in, what I was wearing or what I had planned, I didn’t want Dan on the guest list. I didn’t want Dan to be anywhere near me on my 30th birthday. I wanted my 30th to be free of status quo mediocrity."

What say ye?
graph per la times

I 'Heart' Rilo Kiley!

Rilo Kiley is the name of the band that's featured the most on my current playlist. Those of you who are fans of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service will most likely enjoy Rilo Kiley as well. The California-band indie rock band brings much to the table. The sounds are eclectic, the lyrics poetic, and the delivery nigh pitch-perfect.

Whether one's in the mood to be introspective or extroverted, Rilo Kiley will have a sound to illustrate most any experience. Tracks like "The Rest of My Life" and "Dreamworld" are bound to be high-frequency songs in your iPods.
I am enjoying them greatly. And I also got a renewed appreciation for the genius sound of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service. Check them all out. They won't disappoint.
graph per myspace

Quotation of the Day

Since this is my birthday month, I'm especially aware of the fact that I have, indeed, spent three decades of life already. It's all gone by inconceivably fast and I'm very sure 80 is just around the corner.
Hence, the following paragraph, via Tyler over at MR, made me chuckle and think.
"When I'm old, I want to be the octogenarian that the Young Turks come to with their crazy new ideas. I don't want to be the senior professor that the whippersnapper assistant profs avoid. Above all else, I never want to be a lunch tax - I like lunch too much."
Ha!

What's HetPer?

So, HetPer?
This blog does have a pretty long name, I know. I picked this name as a way of capturing the theoretical and popular gist of my observation. But since I'm also a believer of space and time economy, I have been wide open to nickname suggestions.

Some of my readers refer to the blog as the HetPer. So by way of this post, I am informing the rest of my readers that I support such an abbreviation.

HetPer is happy to announce that it will be providing a number of brand-new music reviews this month as there are some exciting new projects out there now.

Thanks for all your suggestions and comments.

Madonna's Hard Candy Worth the Wait?

Madonna's new album Hard Candy just came out. Of course, I got to it the day it was released not because I'm a Madonna fan, as I intimated to Liam, but because it's, well, Madonna. The 49-year-old with an inconceivably fit body who keeps rocking en vogue simply begs for attention.

Hard Candy has a hip sound, no doubt. It's typically Madonna, though. The material girl is known for reinventing herself and since she's done so a great many times, it's now to be expected.
My music sensitivities don't quite align that comfortably with 'Madonna sounds' as I'm Indie to the core and proud of it, but I can still appreciate what she sets out to do with Hard Candy. Songs like "Hard Candy", "She's Not Me", and, of course, the futuristic-sounding "4 minutes" deliver well enough.
The marriage of techno/house and hip-hop-ish Pop seems to be nigh functional, I found.
I've only had the album for a day now and I haven't played it a whole lot, at least not as much as I have Rilo Kiley or Tegan & Sara, but it's listenable. It's a good album to have when working out or moving about fast with or without purpose.
"I'm tired of doing the same old thing" she says in "Beat Goes On" and she's true to her word, I find.
In nuce, Hard Candy appeals to the basic senses of the fast-paced urbanite and I bet it will sell well. I liked it enough to get it the day it was released and I don't even self-identify as a Madonna-phile.

And to show how serious true Madonna fans are about her and her music, read today's NY Times feature on her New York concert. Here's a snippet:

"The line outside Roseland, on West 52nd Street, formed 60 hours before show time. By late Tuesday it had stretched around the block as the faithful stood and sat and slept and caffeinated themselves for the chance to score one of the 750 wrist bands that would guarantee free admission."
Read full text here.

Quotation of the Day

I just read this over at Marginal Revolution. I used to be a Borders fan but now find myself navigating the waters of Barnes & Noble. This statement seems to match my current inclination.

"Success of a book in Borders is less representative of overall success than it used to be; Borders (which is on the verge of going under, I might add) is now closer to an "indie" book store in many ways than it is to B&N."

Tracy Ullman Gets Comedy: Brava!

Tracy Ullman's State of the Union show is perhaps the funniest program on cable TV these days. Granted, I don't watch much TV but based on the research and reviews I've read, little seems to be really worth the time.
I have viewed a few episodes of Ullman's new Showtime show and all I can say is: genius!
It's absolutely mind-boggling how she manages to imitate David Beckam, Laurie David and Arianna Huffington in the same episode.
Definitely a must-see!
graph per showtime

Dude, Where's Your Facebook?

I’m a fan of Web 2.0. I say so multiple times a day. I think it empowers the users in unprecedented ways.

I’m also fully cognizant of the fact that the creative class has been enabled like never before. Creatives all over the world know how to get in touch productively with one another, compare and contrast ideas, inspire one another and so forth. The creatives now have the opportunity to exchange ideas and new concepts like never before.

In that regard, I can say unequivocally that I am a genuine believer in the truly democratic power of the egalitarian power of Web 2.0. Unlike Andrew Keen, I don't think that writing is the prerogative of the officially trained person. Anyone who wants to, can. Consequently, the sea of web 2.0 users can decide together yet independently from one another what's good and what isn't. Just look at such uber-popular bloggers out there as Heather B. Armstrong's Dooce, a housewife who operates one of the most successful quotidianity-inspired sites. Oh, and I haven't mentioned Wikipedia yet....

Having expressed that, let me hop on to the topic du jour. Facebook.
You’ve heard of it. You’re perhaps in it. As for me, well:

VENI, VIDI, LEFT.

Here’s a little conversation I had per text message:

-Dude, you’re not on Facebook?!
-Nah, still have the same address though. Come round for some tea, ja?

I believe in the organic way relationships tend to develop and I find settings like myspace or facebook bizarre. For starters, friends, family members, co-workers, acquaintances, performers et al., see one version of you, the only version of you. We live in a world where we have to multi-task and juggle many responsibilities, sometimes contemporaneously, so presenting one’s self only one way is a tad constricting.
Actually, I find the whole setting a haven for affectation.

When it comes to communication, there exists more than one register. There is one appropriate way to communicate with one’s close friends, one way to talk to co-workers, family members, acquaintances, neighbors and so forth.
We reveal where we stand vis-à-vis those around us based on the register we pick.

I can say ‘dude’ around my closed ones, people my age, my music and travel crowd and so forth. However, I can’t employ the term with equal facility while presenting myself professionally. A sporadic ‘dude’ can may grace my rhetoric but it can’t pepper my sentences the way it could at a Muse or Stereophonics concert.

There is space in our relationships that allows for the ubiquitous ‘dude.’ I wouldn’t use lax speech when I’m giving a talk, speaking to people I don’t know, older folk and so forth. Must have something to do with the way I grew up. Or perhaps it’s just plain common sense. Who knows?

I’m sure services like Myspace and Facebook offer great things. Absolutely. I just don’t see the need to have one.

So, readers of mine, in my mind I don’t need to have a Myspace or a Facebook. Let’s see. I have gadgets galore and I know exactly who contacts me and when. Between BlackBerry-ing, texting, emailing, phoning, and oh, before I forget, that elusive face—to-face communication, I know how to reach and be reached.

So, yeah, dude, Facebook no more for me.
graph per facebook