Tuesday, February 23, 2010

IF I WERE SITTING AT MY DESK...

The whole website is in French but don't let the language barrier keep you from checking out Le Blogotheque. I love the way Le Blogotheque presents music. It can be something you've never heard before or a music that you've heard time and time again. No matter !

You know how good it feels when you stumble upon a great singer-songwriter performing in the park? Or when you walk into a bar on a random night and the band playing is unexpectedly amazing?....Le Blogotheque is good at catching/creating those moments... *sigh*

Here is one of my favorite videos.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

IF I WERE SITTING AT MY DESK...

I'd like to start a new blog feature. As most of you know (or you will now at least), I don't have a desk job. Most of the time, this is AWESOME. In the summer time, I am almost always outside and I get to ride my bike everywhere. I hardly miss the trappings of having a desk or a cube...with my cute little computer and a nice chair to sit in....*sigh* I admit that in the cold winter months this sounds like a little piece of heaven to me. During a blizzard, I truly realize what I could do if I were sitting at a desk most of the day, and I have found a ton of things I would enjoy! So, I thought I would pass them along to you. I mean, I can only daydream about them (in some cases) but you can actually check it out.

So, the first thing I want to tell you about is RADIOLAB

I'm a big fan of podcasts and this has to be one of my favorites. It takes This American Life (which you should also check out if you haven't already) and boosts it to another level. Basically, the premise of each show centers around a topic (usually scientific in nature, ie. sleep) and expands upon it in an easy to understand and artitistic manner. Sonically, RadioLab has revolutioned radio forever. I love it. I recommend that you listen to at least one show...with earphones if you can....try the one on Space, or Sleep first.

I am so excited for you ! Enjoy :)

Lenting It

My friend Suzzy has coined this ingenious term to describe the process of "giving up something" all in the name of Lent. She got a few of us together via email chain in order to attain the group support we might need over the next 40 days should we feel like falling off the wagon. It might seem ridiculous that one would need that kind of support, but I've learned that discipline is no easy feat. For me, giving up something for Lent isn't about soley about sacrifice, so much as it is about renewal. I gave up social networking for Lent. That's right. No Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. No status updating or commenting on a picture. I can't even delete a photo that I've been tagged in !....(that's the hardest part!) There is an element of self-discipline in this exercise which I have never exerted upon myself. It's hard.....really hard.

It might seem crazy in this day and age to do something like this. I've started to realize how much we have come to rely on social networking as a means of relating to each other. But what I have also realized is that I don't want to do that any more. Yesterday, I received texts from two friends just because they wanted to say hi. If that isn't motivation, I don't know what is :)

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Mix tape

God, I love mix tapes ! They were so personal. I can still remember the one my friend Margaret made for me in high school with Martina McBride, the Gourds, and my personal favorite "Dust on the Bottle" by David Lee Murphy........*drowning in nostalgia and laughing at self*

Back then, that was the way we discovered new music. Now, I sit at my laptop and read blogs or check out what my friends are listening to on their gchat tagline. I don't think this is such a bad thing though. The truth is, the times may change how we do it but I still connect with people through music.


Hey, guess what? It's Fall mix tape

Saturday, September 26, 2009

a new beginning

Hey guys....Yeah, it's been a while...actually I could have sworn it's been a year or so since I last blogged but actually logged into this thing and found that my last entry was in March of this year! So though I come back with my tail between my legs, it feels good to know that it hasn't been that long. I think one of the reasons I haven't written in so long is because I didn't really know what I was writing about...a purpose so to speak. And I know that it seems obvious, even by Urban Strawberry's tagline, but I just didn't get it. A summer full of fun, and (in the latter part) some introspection, have made things a lot clearer to me.

Recently, in various conversations with new friends, I have realized that my life in New York is about my search for a sense of community. So, I come to you in this blog with my view of New York. The people I meet, the things I do...and how I share and feel that sense of connectedness with it all. I hope those of you who actually read this enjoy what I've written so far, and I hope I can make it even better for the future.

The other night, I went to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert at Radio City Music Hall. I was filled with anticipation because I had seen them at All Points West and I knew what charisma Karen O emotes on stage. They didn't disappoint. I think every woman and man in Radio City has some sort of school girl crush on Miss Karen, and rightfully so. But what I found most impressive wasn't her singing ability. It wasn't her cool avant-garde style, and it wasn't her rockstar stage presence.....It was her humility. I enclosed a link below to a performance from the encore that night. An acoustic version of "Maps," that embodies this humility and my own feelings about New York City.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs video - "Maps"