Updates: Tumblr Infatuation and the Usual Stress Noises
What’s new?
1. Ever heard of any kind of disorder along the lines of self-destructive busy-itis or chronic-bee syndrome? I think that since I was perpetually busy in university with a 20 hour per week job and full time classes, I now have the tendency to take on an abundance of projects to sub-consciously foster the same conditions that had me stressed and with a struggling social life in the first place. It just clicked in that the York University application is due by the first week of January, which is kind of mean since it means I’m going to be preparing for it all through my Christmas holidays. Then after that, two or more applications are due in February. Right now I’m writing several articles for the local National Capital Vegetarian Association, working full time, and writing a large and important article for an independent web project (I’ll let you know more when it’s completed). AND attempting to get together with friends, AND attempting to make healthy meals, AND prepare for the holiday gift giving extravaganza. I think that deep down, part of me enjoys this insane adventure that is “keeping on top of everything,” I like being challenged. But still, I wish I could learn to just sit back and relax when I have some breathing room, and not just jump on everything that comes my way!
2. I just bought my first art print online, via 20×200.com.
Untitled is an archival pigment print by Mike Monteiro.
Ironically, in his accompanying artist’s statement, Monteiro simply states: “I’m really not good with words.”
3. I am VERY infatuated with the new (well, new to me) micro-blogging platform Tumblr. So infatuated I’m considering having my site completely redesigned to sync up with it. It is the kind of seamless, beautiful, clean, functional design that really gets me where it counts. What is a Tumblelog made with Tumblr? A blog stripped of all the clutter. Essentially - while a blog is a kind of online journal or magazine, a Tumblelog is a web scrapbook. Quick, dirty, raw, intimate… I see it as some kind of hybrid between Twitter and Del.icio.us, but it has taken on an entirely new identity that emerges out of its cut-and-paste, refreshingly unfinished nature - like scribbled notes in the margins of a great book, or the snippets of writing that come out of a momentary and spontaneous expression. It makes perfect sense to me that Tumblr has joined forces with the amazing Vimeo (which puts YouTube to shame with its functional and perfectly designed interface).
The best part for me is that you can consolidate up to five other feeds into the Tumblelog - right I have my del.icio.us links, Google Reader shared feed, Flickr, and blog feeds all automatically feeding into it. The tumblr bookmarklet also makes posting a breeze.
Here’s my Tumblelog. Other notables: Garden of Varied Delights, Anarchaia, Too Much Nick, tumbl.us, and awake asleep.
The problem now is that I’m conflicted between the blog and the microblog formats. The blog now seems so heavy and formal in comparison to the quick, easy and abstract atmosphere of the tumblelog. I feel much more creative in the tumblr space … a blog reinvention might be in order? Now that I’ve encountered a zone where I feel truly at home, this blog seems to suit me less. Since the beginning of blogging I’ve been drawn towards smaller entries and sharing the artworks and links I discover daily. But on the other hand, I enjoy posting in the Wordpress interface, having comments and the ability to have secondary pages - I wish there was some kind of happy medium, and now that I’ve fallen in love I may manage to find a way to have it both ways. At the very least, I will be taking off some of my widgets and making the Tumblelog my main way to share my webby paths. There may be some overlap if I think something I’ve “tumbled” is notable enough to comment on in the blog, but otherwise I will be working with both according to their own unique functionality and qualities. I really need to learn CSS though…
4. I’ve now made several recipes from Veganomicon. The Chickpea Noodle Soup is divine - I don’t think I’ve ever made a noodle soup before, and this one uses Soba noodles for delicious comforting slurpiness. I’ve also made some chewy oatmeal raisin cookies and apple cinnamon muffins with equal success. Needless to say, J is very happy.
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