My Addictions

I do not consider myself as having an addictive personality. The things I am addicted to are hardly addicting, and unlike actual narcotics, the “drugs” are not so life-destroying that they’re working on a vaccine.

Could you imagine? A vaccine that protects against internet addictions? Might have helped if one existed.

1) Facebook – Under the pretense of gaining social interaction, winning friends and emboldening friendships, I am addicted. PerezHilton.com used to be my web-based addiction but I got off that; now its just Facebook: What are the people I know saying? And doing? Or planning to do? Lately, I’ve been thinking of going cold turkey. Like with Perez, just shutting it out, deleting the bookmark. Done. If only it were that easy.

2) Costco – This is very middle-class, M.O.R., and normal of me. But I will take any excuse to go to Costco. Philosophically, I am into the way they promote environmentally conscious products, like treeless paper towel and biodegradable dishwasher soap. The pretense, however, is not our earth but my pocketbook. I believe I am saving money. Hopefully I am because I don’t have the patience or time to actually sit down and build a comparative spreadsheet. Over the years I’ve honed my ball-parking skills. Like ball-parking whether or not a tour is going to lose money. You know, big, little picture things. I’d like to think I’m saving. Big time.

So: a painfully boring blog post, but at least learning experience, wouldn’t you agree? Now you know I am a shrewd, anti-social neurotic. You didn’t know that before…did you?

Fucking hell.

UPDATE: Since posting this, I realised my list was totally partial, forgetting such weaknesses as video games, conditioner and pizza. The list goes on.

Social Network Breakdown!

Holy crap. Twitter is down. This morning I wondered why my last few tweets were MIA. I figured it was a problem with TwitterMail, which has happened before. But no, it’s bigger than that. Should we panic? How am I supposed to broadcast my tiny, insignificant thoughts to the world?

I know: Facebook. So I start to be concerned (with an underlying sense of relief) that Facebook won’t let me login. Server too busy. Login timed out. Connection was reset. This is the social apocalypse! I may have to communicate more thoughfully, timelessly, indirectly. Say by telephone, or postcard.

I wonder if this is a big deal or not?

Books

The other day I formulated an extreme thought on society and culture. This is one of my classic thoughts (reminiscent of last year’s post: Poetry is Dead), something that I might believe in but could never commit to. Its just interesting, a “what if.”

The thesis: Do we need fiction anymore? Remember a few years ago when the soft-memoir was all the rage? Until the Oprah-fueled debacle over the fictionalization of an apparent memoir: “A Million Little Pieces”. That was disappointing: not because moments of the book were fictionalized, but that people cared more about whether or not it was true hard fact, rather than the idea that they just read a well-written, inspiring story (though I never read it, but you get the point).

The other night, looking at a small stack of novels I have piled at my bedside, I wondered why I find it so difficult to get into a book? Why don’t I read anymore? There are certainly enough books worth reading, and also a near-equivalent number of books I haven’t read yet. So my bedside booklist sits, glowing with good intention, but rarely ever beating out the back pages of The Economist or a rousing game of Sudoku on the DS: both wonderfully sedating by being boringly-interesting (or interestingly-boring?).

I love reading: it fires up my brain, reminds me of the words I know but that I never use, makes me think of all the things I could communicate properly instead of calling them “great” or, quite simply, “radz.” I am also reminded of my poor command of the English language, my grammatical laziness and slothful attention to usage. Ah, but I’ve digressed.

I thought of how I often feel uninspired to read, unwilling to immerse myself in a story, in something dense and complicated, with characters both likable and not. When I realised this is it: I am resistant to investing my time in people, in the protagonist and the antagonist and their little dilemmas. The mere idea is entirely exhausting.

Why would I study, commit, connect to characters when this is what I am doing all day? I read people’s blogs, their Facebooks, their Twitters; somehow I know what people across the continent have done in a day, where they’ve gone, how they feel, how the weather affects them, which YouTube videos made them laugh, the news they’ve read, the music they’ve listened to, the things they like/loathe. I know the intersections of myriad characters: hundreds of people and the minutiae of their every single day. Aren’t these the very elements that help us learn and understand a character in a novel? The threads that weave together a personality? Their relationships and how they interact with the world? This is my new fiction, my neo-memoir: via social networking, I am reading dozens of life stories every day. The only difference is, unlike reading a book, I cannot control how quickly I get to the end. I am also never guaranteed a prefect story arc or meaningful closure. If I don’t like someone’s story, or the way they are telling it, I have to wait years to see how it ends: do they stay together? Lose the house? Get the job? Succeed wonderfully? Fail miserably? Stay happy? Stumble into a crippling depression? How will I know? I have to be patient.

I’ll get to the end of every story, sooner or later.

Inspirational Portrait

As I was reviewing my Facebook profile today, I decided to remove “Barack Obama” as one of the pages I was following. I thought: “Obama-mania is over, he won, he’s in the juice, and I’m Canadian so I should move on.”

But through a series of random events (clicking on Mark Slutsky’s profile, then trying to see a YouTube link he posted of two angry camels in a car, which led me to a Russian blog), I was led back to Barack.

Or, more specifically, a whole slew of Barack-inspired portraits. I was very drawn to this first one, and if I were a little more crazy, I might consider hanging this in my house:

I never did see those two angry camels in a car. But this more than made up for it. Wouldn’t you agree?

Mexico: The Real Blog

I’m so embarrassed…I was so obsessed with getting over the vacation part of our trip that I never mentioned how frigging incredible our two shows in Mexico were.

Number one: being out of winter initially was rad. The first day we arrived in Mexico City and then had to drive for 6 hours directly to Guadalajara. I fainted at a truck stop just outside Mexico City but that was nothing a glass of juice and marlin tacos couldn’t cure. Also we got ‘nized.

Nobody knew what to expect of the Guadalajara show; whether or not there would be anyone there. The room was pretty big and the metal roof made the sound on stage totally unbearable. So I was hoping the place would fill up to kill all the bounce. The room seemed pretty full, and the people that were there sent some crazy energy up onto the stage. Since our last Montreal gig we’ve been tweaking the set, playing longer which is always fun and starting the show with Saviour. I don’t want to kill the mystique so all I will say are these two words: wireless microphone.

For dinner the promoters Armando and Andreas took us to a restaurant near the basilica which was really beautiful to see. As we were leaving I heard some dude with a guitar in another cafe singing “More Than Words”…I called over Laura and Chris and in two minutes everybody was over there backing him up on the harmonies. It was hilarious…and kind of an inside joke.

The next day some of us decided to fly back to Mexico City…just to stay a little sane. That van was really crowded with 11 of us in there and three seats having no seat belts. Us Canadians get nervous about stuff like that.

The Lunario in MexicoCity is tucked in behind the Auditorio Nacional, right next to an army training base that had one of the biggest flags flying we had ever seen:

Apparently there are two giant flags in Mexico City. Awesome. I’m not sure there are any flags that big anywhere in all of Canada. We went for a walk with Juan Luis from Kontrabando/Arts & Crafts Mexico who showed us where to get really awesome quesadillas. I shared a Coke in a glass bottle with Laura…man that was good! I think that’s when I Tweeted about looking for fish tacos…so we never found those but what we had was just as delish.

I can’t really describe in words what happened during our show in Mexico City. It was probably the best show The Dears had ever played – musically and vibe-wise – and backstage post-show we all agreed that that was the most fun any one of us had ever experienced in our lives. I mean, even Lisa was rocking out. The best way these gigs could be recauptured is by checking out the vids on YouTube and pics on our website (tour section) and on Facebook (I linked the albums to my profile). Here’s Murray’s fave YouTube moment:

And then also this one is fun/me-fest but also check out the guy who uploaded it…his profile pic is AWESOME!

After the Mexico City show we signed autographs for about two hours. Lisa started drawing cats instead of signing her full name. The fans were all so cool and awesome and we all had a great time. Thank you to everyone who came out to the shows!!! And who waited so long to meet us after! Until next time…all our love, The Dears.

Mobile Update; Winter

Maybe some of you have noticed. I got a new mobile phone…well, it’s a double hand-me-down (used to belong to my uncle, then to his fiancee, now it is mine). I mean this is fairly boring news, barely blog-worthy, but it is totally exciting for me. The real upgrade that I have from ancient Blackberry to slightly more modern Blackberry is the addition of a camera. For any of you who are my friends on Facebook, you will have noticed that I’ve been getting into the mobile photo uploads AND I was thinking of going as far as sending status updates from the road.

Well since I wrote that this morning, I spent a few minutes adding Twitter to this blog (look to the top right column…there it is!). Now I have to get a better text messaging package because all these mobile updates are going to destroy my mobile bill. Anyway, I’m just at a bar in Sherbrooke, QC where we are playing tonight. I’m having a novelty sized jug of Hoegaarden, with a lemon twist. Very girly but surprisingly satisfying in the winter.

My socks have been soggy since load-in. Luckily I have back-up show socks in my bag. I must get new boots next winter…just trying to get through this one first…

Our News Hits The News

Just want to send out an enormous thank you to everyone. Yes: I’m putting a general, positive vibe out there, in response to the great support from everyone out there. All of your emails and encouragement via Facebook and Myspace are motivating. Can’t wait to get back out there again. As Murray said, this past year has been hard. The band falling apart was tough, but Murray and I have been there before, in that same exact situation with End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story. And putting out that (our first) album, was the beginning of a new era for us personally and also for Canadian music.

With indie rock in a vestigial fade-out (I read even perennial UK indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs proclaiming the genre “boring”…Mr. Wilson, I wholeheartedly agree), the climate is shifting, and Missiles is definitely part of that shift. It is not indie rock, so I don’t feel so bad that Pitchfork has ignored our press releases completely. It’s a diss, but they’ve been reluctant supporters from the beginning. I’d rather be pushed to the outside: I’m used to it.

I also love – and without sarcasm – that NME.com ran the story quoting this very blog. It is a bit of an obvious move on their part to link us to Morrissey, but whatever, that’s what they do, and I respect the Moz greatly so I don’t mind. In all of this, I stand by my quote: “We hope everyone would like [Missiles], journalist or not, but we understand that there are many haters out there so it’s out of our control.” Because the haters really are out there: hating with gusto! Remember in grade school when that bully would push you around, only for you to realise later that actually they had a crazy crush on you? That’s what I think is really going on there…

So thank you to everyone, lovers and haters. See you all very soon.

Facebook Killed My Blog…

…not that it’s completely dead or anything. But the amount of laptop time I permit myself per day is limited, and with the addition of Facebook to my online routine, there’s just less time for blogging. I mean, this blog should be enough of a window into my life: does it really need to be supplemented with a half-assed Facebook profile?

I think there is no true test of the effectiveness of Facebook in my life. Aside from knowing when my friends’ birthdays and BBQs are, where are the tangible results? Facebook might just be too one-dimensional for me: I choose not to invest my personality into my profile as I invest it here, in my writings. I’ve already seen the results of blogging, of putting real thoughts out there. I get asked about things I write about by strangers, which runs deeper than simply approving a someone as a friend. When I discuss blogs with people, we have a conversational springboard that’s definitely more interesting than: “I really like your band.” Talking about The Dears is fun, and I do enjoy expressing my thoughts on our music and the (sub?)culture surrounding it, but after a while it feels like I’m just doing another interview.

That said, I’m cutting back on my face time with Facebook. Yes, the honeymoon has ended quickly, my addiction abated, my curiosity satisfied. I will see through my current games of Scrabulous, but much more than that I cannot guarantee.

Facebook, I Loathe Thee

I just couldn’t stand it anymore: I needed to see it from the inside. The average Facebook user seems to be reluctantly addicted. It is something like: “Yes, I’m on Facebook. I check it thirty times a day and I hate it but I keep coming back.”

In an emergency situation, they say the first 48-hours are the most crucial time to respond to the event. In this case, while severe addiction may qualify as an “emergency situation,” the first 48-hours have definitely been telling. Some things I’ve observed:

- Other users (they call them “friends”) are very happy that you’ve joined. Lots of jubilation is expressed via yaaays, whoo-hoos, horrays and some hurrahs.
- This jubilation is coupled, however, with a sort of razing. Phrases like “you caved,” “welcome to the dark side,” “welcome to the greatest waste of time on the internet,” “it was just a matter of time,” or even “ha ha ha,” are used to express the apparent joy shared by the community.
- Where are the British people? Are there only North Americans on Facebook? Or is my community just too Canada-centric to connect internationally?
- What a gross waste of time.

Anyhow, the up side is that I can play fake Scrabble with my sister and spend hours looking at class photos from the 80’s and 90’s. I had some good laffs and ohmigod! moments, which has made it worth while.

I know, I know: I’ve expressed my disdain for Facebook before. My foray into social networking started with a turn-of-the-millenium stint on Friendster, which I aborted abruptly one day. And I fear the same fate for Facebook. I only got into MySpace for The Dears, and I’m kind of only getting into Facebook for the same reason.

Only time will tell…lots and lots of poorly allocated, lonely and wasted time with my laptop.

Maintenance

Lately I’ve been obsessed with how the internet is defining The Dears. I’ve been assessing some of our online profiles: you know, MySpace, Facebook, CBC Radio 3, Wikipedia. I like things to be up to date, correct and complete. I’ve been updating photos and bios, but have hit the following frustrations:

1. Facebook: I absolutely refuse to be on Facebook. I don’t need people to “find me,” or to “find people.” People “find me” all the time without Facebook. So I don’t know a lot about how Facebook works. It seems I am in constant battle with Facebook, but refuse to conform. I recently tried to create an official “business” page for The Dears, but I still can’t really do anything without a personal profile, so I gave up. The Dears have a fan-run Facebook page which is actually pretty complete so perhaps I should let go. Actually, this is me saying that I already have let go.

2. Wikipedia: You really have to be a bit of a smarty pants to make changes on Wikipedia. I’ve been trying to upload some missing album covers for our CDs, and – wow, guy – it’s like trying to get a work visa. So strict and complicated, but I guess that’s the only way they can remain an authority instead of being a free-for-all. Anyhow, we’ll see if I did it right if the album covers are still there in a week. I also found out that I can’t update The Dears’ wiki entry myself, unless I’m adding something of certain, undefined value to the entry. What kind of is frustrating about our current wiki is the strange photo of us playing in Leicster some three years ago. I just don’t feel it’s very representational of who we are today. And then, the fact that the whole entry is so obsessed with other bands instead of biographical info about us. It’s just: Keane, Keane, Keane, Morrissey, Morrissey, Blur, Jethro Tull (?). I mean, Keane are an OK band, but don’t really have much to do with who The Dears are. Why is an opening slot suddenly so much more important than our real accomplishments? Being defined by other bands is pigeonholing and that’s never really worked for The Dears. I spent an hour making edits, adding references and properly notating an “awards and nominations” section which the Overlords of Wiki deleted. I just tried adding it again; if they delete it again then I give up on it completely.

Instead of bitching about it, maybe I should be asking this: Dear readers, could you make our wiki entry more relevant and pretty? If you need to fact check, you can ask me, or don’t, just don’t make anything up. Oddly, I think you will have an easier time editing it than I’ve had.

Finally, back to my topic of maintenance. More locally I’ve removed the Wired RSS because nobody looked at it anyway, and replaced it with a music player. Initially I’ve just put Dears tracks there but I hope to create some playlists of music that I like. I was inspired by reader hack’s suggestion to listen to a particular track. So more updates, always, forthcoming.