Damming the Open Stream: Net Neutrality vs. Corporate Greed

Sir Francis Bacon once wrote scientia potentia est: “knowledge is power.” Undoubtedly a large part of our common knowledge today is broadcast and downloaded by users of the internet and the World Wide Web. When equipped with our computers and ever-expanding artillery of wireless devices, we have access to an uninterrupted stream of data 24/7; however, this relatively unrestricted path to digital enlightenment may soon be a repressed trickle, if anything at all.

Birthday Weekend Shenanigans

Howdy y’all!

on the ferry!

This weekend was my 25th birthday celebration so I ventured to Vancouver on saturday to chill out, shop, eat and hang with friends new and old!

First on the agenda was a little Gastown shopping mish. I checked out Dream, which was really disappointing as they usually are my fave spot, but didn’t really have anything that caught my fancy. So I moved across the street to The Block, where they were having an awesome sale. I picked up this cute little black Michael Kors asymmetrical neck dress with a layered tulip skirt for 50% off. Fits like a glove, can’t wait to rock this for a hot date or dancing. (Will post pics soon!)

Grabbed a yummy green salad with bocconcini and cafe-au-lait from Brioche and chilled on their sidewalk in the warm afternoon sun, lovely.  ;D

happy barfday to me!

arrah and the ferns – emo philips — my birthday song! yay

So I’m officially 25 years old today. That’s a quarter of a century if you’re keeping score. I feel an odd sense of achievement, like- Look at me Ma! I made it all the way to twenty-five! Growing up I could never imagine myself being older than fifteen, because that seemed so far away and time moved so slowly that I couldnt even fathom living into my twenties… then as I grew up I still couldnt imagine living past 25. i was so morbid and depressed I was convinced I was gonna bite the bullet in the style of James Dean or something equally as cool/tragic/romantic. the natural poet and dramatist in me wishes for something horrible like that- dying some horrible death, but really, i think the motivation and agenda behind that is the plain fact that we all want to be remembered, every one of us. We want to leave a legacy, some kind of palpable image or feeling that will stick around after we’ve moved on from this earth. Being twenty-five and having taken stock of my life so far I like to think I’ve already achieved something that will last. My music will live on past my time, hopefully inspiring new generations of songwriters and young women. My writing and academic works will be preserved in my university’s archive for future students. The beauty and love I’ve brought into the world will continue when I’m gone and it’s nice to feel that I’ve accomplished a lot, even though I’ve only been around for a relatively short time.

the existential sock crisis (now with 20% more non sequiturs)

it’s sunday so I washed my hair. I tend to do all my best thinking in the shower, because that of course, is the one place where i cannot record any of my thoughts. I’m working on a prototype water-proofing method for my flip mino (who I’ve named Lloyd,) so he can join me in there.

sock map to the soul

I’ve yet to see anyone do a shower vlog, although I’m sure it’s out there. That’s not something that I’m going to actively seek out. I’d just rather not know and claim it to be an original thought of my own. i prefer the blissful waft of ignorance like so much french fry grease past an open window…

I’m really into 12seconds lately, taking microblogging into video format. tres cool. and not as easy as it sounds. I wonder if 12 seconds might be the new indicator of modern attention spans? Can you condense your message into 140 characters or less? No? well I guess you’re screwed.
I havent written here for awhile because I was feeling a little down on the whole blogging thing. Sometimes the internet can be too small a universe for two people. it can get slightly claustrophobic. I’ve always had a problem with anxiety and claustrophobia. my fear of small confined spaces has led me into many a strange circumstance (like having perpetually miss-matched socks and once getting busted trying to pee into an empty Orange Crush can on a trans-Atlantic flight.) I never want to crawl into the back of my closet to find those one-of socks. I have to wonder- do they just kind of disappear into the abyss when no one is looking for them? or is it only a longed-for sock that is elusive? if a lone sock falls in the forest does it make a sound?

Song Stories Doc

Radical Heterosexuality

from Faeries: Visions, Voices and Pretty Dresses, Aperture, 2000

In her article “Radical Heterosexuality,” Naomi Wolf proposes a new way of challenging dated stereotypes,

gender roles and sexism within a heterosexual partnership. The radical feminist vs. hetero man-lover dichotomy

is a powerful conceptual force, forcing many women to be bound by society’s normalized practices of

negotiating the “rules of the relationship.” Many feminists view these two forces to be irreconcilable; however,

I support Wolf’s argument that there is a necessity for a proactive, engaged and conscious political manner

within the context of heterosexuality.

The Expression of Female Identity Through New Media

When the new millennium dawned, few would have anticipated that the age of highly proprietary, corporate-monopolized mass media was coming to a close (Mann and Niedzviecki). But with more widespread availability and increased accessibility to the internet and its related forms of new media, more people, and importantly, more young women are plugging in and becoming competent and confident “netizens” than ever before. Not only are girls using the World Wide Web for homework, chat rooms and e-commerce, but they are also utilizing new forms of media such as blogs, vlogs and social networking to express their unique ideas, dreams, opinions and feelings to the world. In this essay I will be exploring how the Internet has presented girls and young women with the opportunity to craft their own personal narratives through self-created medias and so-called “democratized technologies,” (Garrison).

taking a break

Things have been pretty hectic for me the last little while. Between school, music and family life I’ve been stretched to the max. Tonight is the CD release for my album at the Duncan Garage Showroom, and Im thinking after this I will need to focus on my studies exclusively, atleast until May.

Yesterday my dad was in a motorcycle accident that broke his collarbone and has effectively demobilized him. I realized how little time I’ve been spending with my family lately and how I’ve been letting them down. I think a little downtime from music will help me to reconnect with them and show them the support they deserve.

I’m not quitting – dont get me wrong. I will be back to tour the album in the spring, but for the next couple months I will be pretty quiet on the music front.

vlog post – missy model

episode 1 – bex tv

my first video blog EVUR!

im pretty proud of myself, putting all the pieces together. time to start hyping the album! w00t

check it…