Do you ever feel awash in a flow of information? As if your identity is being shaped by the various social networks, newstreams, and push notifications cluttering your inbox and clamoring for attention? Like you’re just a cog in a massive, convoluted information economy? You probably are. And that must hurt. Because if you’re reading this, you’re probably smart, you may read books and love them, odds are that you’re exceptional. It’s hard to feel exceptional and distinguished in a sea of white infonoise. Friend, I want to tell you about LifeScribe, an innovative approach to Life Reclamation in the information age that lets you emerge as the Hero of your OwnLife(tm) and promotes reading and appreciation of great authors to boot. LifeScribe OriginsBack in olden times, not everyone was as exceptional as they are now. Only a chosen few were considered worthy of having their exploits set down on parchment for the masses to consume. These few, generally gunslingers, ne’erdowells, or big hero-types like Wyatt Earp went through life with a little dude, a scribe, scrambling behind them recording their activities with a fountain pen. These scribblings would become books, sometimes with illustrations. People would buy the books. The subjects of these “chronicles” became heroes. People wanted to emulate them, to live vicariously through their adventures. These heroes were exceptional. Just like you. You should be a hero. Which means that you need a scribe. The Big IdeaThese days, you don’t need a little dude scrambling behind you with a pen to take notes. You have Facebook, Twitter, Google Calendar, Yelp, and more. You are your own scribe, creating the meta-narrative of your life even as you live it through comments, pictures, changes in relationship status, new jobs, and reviews. Problem is...
One More Thing Before We Go: DVR Alert
posted by Ernessa T. Carter
Is it me or is Monday TV becoming an out-and-out pile up. Here’s what’s duking it out today: Heroes, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, CSI: Miami, Gossip Girl, Dancing With the Stars, Daily Show, Colbert Report And here’s how I prioritize: 1. What CH and I like and can watch together (Heroes, Big Bang Theory, CSI: Miami) 2. What CH likes — since he has more time to watch TV. (Daily Show, Colbert Report) 3. What I like (Gossip Girl, How I Met Your Mother) 4. My Guilty Pleasures — which I only watch online where no one else can see me (Dancing with the Stars) So if you’re in the same boat as me, just remember that you can catch many of these shows online at their networks’ sites, before you get in a fight w/ your S.O. or roommie (DVR spots are like relationship landmines). That all said, since Bones and House have already started, there’s only one DVR alert for Tuesday — and it’s a new kid show called The Mentalist. Yes, yes, I know that this is the basically USA Network’s Psych with a helluva lot more pedigree. But I’m intrigued with getting the high-concept of a fake psychic turned detective — without having to sit through James Roday’s never-ending schtick. So I’m giving the show a chance. Plus, it’s like the law that all black women in interracial relationships have to support everything headliner Simon Baker does, because he was in Something New (you think I’m kidding, but I’m not). Catch it on CBS, at 9pm...
Set Your DVR By It: Heroes w/ BBT and HIMYM on the Side
posted by Ernessa T. Carter
So it was a long, cruel summer, and though I thank BBC America and the Olympics for tiding me over with Dr. Who, Spaced, Torchwood, Skins, and all the synchronized diving I could stand, I’m more than happy to welcome the Fall TV schedule back into my life. Here’s the Bad News: The new kids shows pretty much all look like they suck — with just a handful of exceptions. Here’s the Good News: A ton of our favorite shows are coming back, and with full seasons this time! And here’s the Even Better News: For the next few weeks, I’m going to be giving you DVR alerts either one or two days beforehand, so that you don’t miss a moment of the shows you should be watching (read: the shows I think you should be watching). That all said, here’s your first DVR Alert: Monday, September 22nd Heroes, NBC, 9-10pm: Okay I know that the second season of Heroes was a let down, and that the Latina hero was annoying, and that the black girl hero was underused, and that they split up Masi Oka and his sidekick, and that the flying guy was enh, and that they just didn’t seem to know what to do with by beloved Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars fame. But I’m hoping that Tim Kring has hired some writers that can actually do romance and that they find some kick-ass use for the black girl hero and make the Latina hero stop whining and tell the flying guy to go away and make sure that Masi Oka is never taken from his sidekick again. Do we think it will happen? The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8pm: My little sister, the chemical engineer actually introduced me to this...