Bravado Culture

A bizarre behavior has settled over our current society. This may be specific with people of my generation. We see it in our elders but they're normally considered fanatical or akin with the "comic book guy" on the Simpsons.

There is necessity to express bravado in all means of culture. I don't know when this began. If it began as a subset of the nineties, where to be "cool" was above all. Or if the "cool" preoccupation began in the eighties. We all know cultural circles love to be aware of whats happening in order to seem knowledgeable and with it.

But in our current society, we have this fixation with knowing what is the "best" kind of something and not allowing something else to have its place. Among all twenty somethings aware of the "indie" music genre there is this sense of liking "good music." As opposed to what would be assumed to be "bad" music. Typically, when someone says to me "oh, I'm a music snob" I automatically know they listen to bad music. Which is a conundrum in itself.

Any boy that has attempted to hit on me with his knowledge of music and other cultural happenings fails.

This includes bashing so-called popular music. What gets me in a fuss is when someone will bash a popular musician, for example, Kanye West. If you dislike an artist for his ethics or personality, I can understand. But when you state the artist is no good even if their music is enjoyable, whats the point. You've proved you dislike something because everyone else likes it.

What gets me is when everyone else "likes" something popular, and you like something so-called indie, what makes that so rare? The indie community is a huge one. The internet has proven to be one of the largest groups of indie, blogging, knowitalls out there. So you're most definitely a crowd larger than what you consider the "popular" music. In fact, the marketing you're consuming is so pervasive you don't even notice you're eating it up.

What makes everyone in our generation feel as though they're experts? When did someone say to each one of us, "You. You will be the one who knows what is best."

Anyone who claims to be out there for "real" music or "real film" doesn't even produce real music or film themselves. They wouldn't know what it is they're considering "real" anyway.

Let's be honest....

the phrase "Let's be honest" is fucking annoying. Or "No lie."

Were you not being honest before? Why "let's?" Let us all join you in your effort to be 'honest' about something unimportant.

almost as infuriating as the overuse of the term "literally." We've all seen the youtube videos and blogs shouting about the bastardization of the word literally.

It's always girls who drink too much, sleep around, or are the life of the party. Or so they think.

What are some other phrases that are overused and obnoxious?

Beyonce's Get Bodied

Why didn't anyone tell me about this music video!? its fabulous!





I keep watching the video so I'm going to list why i love it.

--its a freaking destiny's child reunion
--the part when she is doing oldy time dance
--the oddity of the beginning and the timeout
--after she snaps and the timeout ends, that girl swirls over with her hands in a circle abover her head. sooo cool.
--her eye makeup
--the way her shoulders move in that circle
--the way she does the little happy feet dance
--her thighs
--when she mixes the oldy time dance with a grind. HOT!
--she's made of magic.
--when they do an old school dance. I was loling at Kelly
--when she gets so close to the ground
--the boys behind her when she's snapping.
--the chunkier girls
--in fact, all the girls.
--in super fact, all the thighs
--the colores!
--the girl with the braid

I've never been a huge beyonce fan. I like her music. She's fucking talented and she was made to be a star. She's fucking amazing. The video of her falling on the ground is the bible in "how to recover." She's up in two secounds without missing a beat.


im going to watch the video again.

Sacks Sex

I read my first Oliver Sacks's book two years ago. It was An Anthropologist on Mars and he's prone to do it focused on the various mental disorders that baffle doctors to this day.

He's written a new book called Musicphilia and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Wired did an interview with Sacks and have part of the interview here.

A great quote:

Sacks: Hume wondered whether one can imagine a color that one has never encountered. One day in 1964, I constructed a sort of pharmacological mountain, and at its peak, I said, "I want to see indigo, now!" As if thrown by a paintbrush, a huge, trembling drop of purest indigo appeared on the wall — the color of heaven. For months after that, I kept looking for that color. It was like the lost chord.

Then I went to a concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the first half, they played the Monteverdi Vespers, and I was transported. I felt a river of music 400 years long running from Monteverdi's mind into mine. Wandering around during the interval, I saw some lapis lazuli snuffboxes that were that same wonderful indigo, and I thought, "Good, the color exists in the external world." But in the second half I got restless, and when I saw the snuffboxes again, they were no longer indigo — they were blue, mauve, pink. I've never seen that color since.

It took a mountain of amphetamine, mescaline, and cannabis to launch me into that space. But Monteverdi did it too.

So very accurate. I have said ad naseum that performing a beautiful piece, Dvorak's New World Symphony for example, is better than sex.

Library Pattern Lust

Recently J. Crew has won my heart. Their new pattern is a library pattern which is found on dresses, capris, pants, bags, and scarves. On top of the pattern there are cardigans that are also associated with this library theme. Which has caused me great happiness and sorrow. Happiness because they're beautiful. Sorrow because it costs a pretty penny.

My two top choices for the library patterns from J.Crew:

This beautiful cardigan:



I'm so enamored by this beauty. I am almost tempted to purchase this gorgeous design. Its so perfect. Not only does it satisfy my library fixation but is also associated with other pseudo-intellectual images I apply to myself. For example, the cello/stringed instrument. Perfect for me (and for my orchestral tapestry on my armchair--you must match your clothes to your furniture)

The scarf:


This is the pattern that J. Crew has applied to their clothes. I like it most in a scarf because its most transferrable between different mediums.

I want these so much and I listed in on the new site: Kaboodle. Its a site that allows you to automatically add objects to your wishlist. You can access mine here:

http://www.kaboodle.com/tericarl/style-fashion.html

Also found on my kaboodle is this adorable shirt from the website www.lochers.com

I advise you check out all the cute shirts she has created. The one I lust for states "Will Fuck for Shoes."

The south

Last month I made two trips to Nashville, Tn. The first trip was a trip based completely around joy and laughter. I was going down to visit friends. The second was a weekend later and I had to pick up my car.

Despite the drama that ensued to create multiple trips, I honestly had a great time in Nashville. I'm at that "point in my life" where I've started considering all the different places I could live. You know, after I complete graduate school and have had a few years under my belt in a job that gives me cred.

So every city I visit I start writing the "reasons to live here" list in my head. And Nashville TN is, of course, a city that has begun accumulating that list.

This is of note because I am definitely a Yankee. I grew up in Indianapolis. My parents are from Ohio and New Jersey. My beliefs are fairly liberal and I believe the Civil War was not about independence but about slavery.

Yet a secret desire I've always had is to live in the South.

In my childhood I was fixated with all the novels that took place in the South. I read Gone with the Wind and Scarlett, other books that took place in Georgia and Albama during the Civil. I went to Savannah in seventh grade on a girl scout trip and decided I wanted to live there.

I was also a miniatrue of my father's beleifs so I was very traditional and conservative.

So this itch to be in the south has reformed anew and may lend itself to a move in the not so distant future.

Who wouldn't love honky tonks, talented people all over the streets, creative ventures, and a nice hot terrain?


well many people, but i do!

loveyounash.

pickup lines

The whole "pickup line" possibility in bars has been ruined through the popularization of using these "lines" as jokes. Which is totally appropriate because if someone actually said some of those miserable puns you'd probably gain a much grimmer view of the human intellect. In fact, if people still used those bad pickup lines perhaps the educational system would improve. We should have never turned pickup lines into a meme.

Either way, those cute ways of getting a person's attention just don't exist anymore. They've manifested in many different ways. These I would consider the "21st century pickup lines" or just recognition of a new way to mock certain individuals.

One of the favorites is the ever popular "eeeehey! pssst." They word "hey" isn't pronounced and is instead pronounced "ay" yet without the flair that could have been applied in the Spanish language. This pickup line is always said in an undertone, in a faux-whisper--as though not trying to disturb you but making it loud enough so you know they're there. In fact, they make certain everyone knows their there until the specified person(s) turn their head. What entertains me about this particular mean to pick up a person is their insistence to treat the passerby as a pet. Its as though going "pssst" would appeal to some desire to let out to use the restroom.


A very common line is to initially ask "Are you single?" Suitors, this question is never appropriate. It puts the pursued into a state of panic. Do I lie and say I'm "with someone." I guess its not technically a lie if I'm hanging out with some friends. After a few drinks, will I tell the truth? Just because I tell a person I'm single isn't an invitation. I don't know how to tell someone "Yes I'm single but no I will not accompany you to get 'coffee' (read:go to your place) after I've been drinking all night."

Without a doubt, if the latter line is answered honestly as "single" the next line will follow: "How can a pretty girl like you be single?" Nothing causes me such hatred burning in my body as this statement. How can I be single? Let's see--do you really want me to answer that question? It's probably because guys like you have turned me off of dating. I want to respond "Sort of how a guy like you can find someone dumb enough to date you."

A little lust

I am very happy with the discovery of a beautiful design website ( http://aplusrstore.com/ ). I'm assuming its not a new discovery but I've fallen in love with a few things that will encourage me to save me money. This beautiful duvet cover



has caught my eye. Its so beautiful. Its only a meager $195.00. I'm so infatuated with this cover that I would spend the dollars to have it. It may have to wait until the holidays.




This incense burner is so cute. Its also very posssible to make by oneself.


Also, its another "10 dollar" sale at Threadless.




I love their shirts and they have a recently shipment of baby shirts. Click the link below to access their site!
http://www.threadless.com?streetteam=tericarl

Nashville possibilities

In a few weeks I'm taking a vacation to visit some friends in Nashville, TN (not IN). I became interested in the amount of silly activities I could do in Nashville and accessed a Nashville tourism site and found a few of my favorites. I haven't received any responses from my friends in regards to these suggestions but hopefully they will agree they are great choices.

for example...
http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/music_valley_wax_museum/
you mean, all of my favorite country musicians i've never listened to forever immortalized in wax!! for a minimal fee!! sign me up!!

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/russell_stovers_candy/
a candy outlet...........i need not say more

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/bell_witch_cave_canoe_rental/
I love haunted stuff. especially haunted genitalia. Unfortunately, this is cave but not THAT kind of cave. silly.

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/dollywood/
she's my role model. I will go alone if I have to. unless the ticket costs more than the shoes I'm wearing right now.


http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/flyaway_indoor_skydiving/
um, antm anyone?! we can all act out that scene where the twins flailed around like a bag of bones. oh thats right- THEY ARE

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/go_usa_fun_park/
I just like the name.

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/nascar_speed_park/
are you kidding me?! NASCAR?!!?!? PARK?!?!?!?! MERCHANDISE?!

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/nashville_shores_outdoor_water_park/
apparently there is a "giant bucket of fun." thats its offish name.

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/a_schwab_dry_goods_store/
99 cent neckties.

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/biblical_resource_center_museum/
includes the "bible lab"

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/elvis_presleys_graceland/
duh.

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/guinness_world_of_records_museum/
the idea excites me but what exactly would be in there? ...

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/international_rockabilly_hall_of_fame_museum/
I wonder how many hipsters you can fit into one building...

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/purity_dairies/
the description uses the word "yummy." I like using "yummy" and "purity" in the same sentence.


http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/the_salt_pepper_shaker_museum_smoky_mountain_spices/ 10 bucks says we're the youngest ones there.

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/trenton_teapot_museum/
what the hell TN? your museums are just reaching now.

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/jack_daniel_distillery
I've given this company a lot of my money. might as well give them more.

in fact...
http://www.tnvacation.com/listing/wineries-distilleries/
all of them