Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Real Talk



I’ve been thinking about this for a while.

Technology is a wonderful thing, and the Internet has allowed us to meet, connect, and reconnect with friends and family all over the world. However, I’ve become slightly disenfranchised with the whole concept of always being accessible and taking away some of the personal aspects of day to day conversations with people. The Internet and other forms of technology have been as much of an interruption of my daily life as it is a convenience. So I’m turning it off for a while.

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I’m using the Internet to tell the world that I’m sick of it. But like I said, it IS convenient. And I can reach more people faster using this channel than any other. So yes, I’m using this as my way of communicating to all of you.

Ladies, gentlemen, and undecided, I present to you…an experiment that I’d like to call, “Real” Talk.

For 30 days, the entire month of September to be exact, I will not be logging onto any social networking sites. No Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or any other site. I won’t be logging onto any Instant Messaging programs. No Yahoo Messenger, AIM, MSN. I will only respond to work or business related emails. No Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, or Yahoo. And probably the most difficult thing that I will do without for 30 days is texting. I will still be accessible to those who call my cell phone and I’ll still write letters via Snail Mail.

So to sum it all up, no Tweets, Wall posts, or bulletins. No personal emails. No SMS, MMS, BBMs, IMs, or any other short term lingo that doesn’t include phone calls or letters. If my friends or family need to reach me, they need to do it the old fashioned way. “Real” Talk. I’ll still use the internet to keep track of news events and I’ll continue to update Red Steam, since I like finding weird shit to write about.

Hopefully, at the end of this experiment, I will accomplish a few things. One, the fact that I can make it 30 days without all these things. Two, that I will have a new appreciation for these things and not take them for granted. Three, that my friends and family have the ability to adapt to the “old school” methods of communication.

If you have my number or address, use it. If not, get it from someone who does. :0)

Monday, August 17, 2009

The Color Purple

"You told Harpo to beat me?"



Not exactly the color purple that I had in mind, but rather the context that I use it on a daily basis.

For anyone who knows me in real life, you may notice from time to time I may don the phrase, "Mmmm...purple!" You may wonder what it means or where the hell did it come from. Now I shouldn't be sharing such private information on here, but since no one reads this shit anyway I'll tell you. First, a little education on the definition of purple:

Noun
1. a colour between red and blue
2. cloth of this colour, often used to symbolize royalty or nobility
3. the official robe of a cardinal

Adjective
1. of a colour between red and blue
2. (of writing) excessively elaborate: purple prose [Greek porphura the purple fish (murex)]

Red Steam
1. Referring to a person of the male species whom is physically attractive.

Yes, it is my semi-discreet way of informing my buddies of some eye-candy within a 50-foot range. I know it's silly, but it beats "Ooooo SHIT, look at HIM!!!!" So there.

So where did it come from? Well, truthfully the phrase has evolved over several manefestations into the catchphrase that is used by me today, but here is the original coinage, from a Dave Chappelle stand up routine. Pay attention close to the end and you'll notice that the "grape drink" in question and I are composed of the same ingredients.



Purple Power baby!!!!