In front of the lens

I've been getting into looking at photography lately. Pictures fascinate me, particularly when presented in an artistic fashion. This is probably because I've been more active blogging over the past few months. I'd like to get more into taking pictures myself but I don't have the greatest camera, and don't really have the money to go out and buy a new, fancy one. (Maybe I'll get one for my birthday.)

Earlier this week I started thinking about this, and tell me if you think it's a stretch:

Photography just may be the very first form of social media. Maybe not social in the way we think of it today, but consider it.... As defined by Wikipedia.com:

Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words and pictures. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning, as people share their stories, and understandings.

Photography is a thread to technology.
It definitely sparks social interaction.
It certainly tells stories and creates understandings.

To honor the art of the first form of social media, and to accompany my "Music Monday" series, I'm adding "Found on Flickr." Even though I'm not the biggest champion for Flickr (I think there are other photo hosting sites that are way more user-friendly), it is the largest and has the most stock to choose from. So every Thursday I'm going to feature a photo I think is interesting, weird, beautiful, etc. I will surely give credit to the account/author, and hope it will open others up to the beauty of photography.

Here is the first in the "Found on Flickr" series, taken from lifedeathpeet's photostream:

Bound until "I Do"

Yesterday while driving in to work, the DJs of a local radio show were talking about something that caught my attention. They were discussing a poll that recently took place on a UK website called You & Your Wedding. While I tried to locate any evidence of the poll, the best I could find is a thread on there discussion boards. So why did this particular poll capture my attention, you ask? Well, the poll asked its participants their thoughts on a bride having a contract for her bridesmaids, for their involvement in the bride's wedding party and celebrations. Now, that may not seem too odd at first glance, but as I continued to listen to said DJs discuss, they touched upon several very strange--and somewhat uncomfortable--points of interest.

According to the aforementioned poll, the contract would begin either once the bride officially accepts the bride's offer, or once the bridesmaids are fitted for their dresses, and contains items such as:

- No fluctuation of weight
- No drastic aesthetics alterations
- No pregnancy

Now, is this just some crazy new American trend? Or is there some legitimacy to it? Fortunately, I'll never have to be presented with the situation...unless grooms start drawing-up contracts for their groomsmen.

Music Monday: Good Fortune

PJ Harvey is ridiculously talented. Hands down. Her voice is powerful. It demands attention. It's dark. It's sexy. It's haunting like Portishead. It pulls you in like a riptide. Can you tell I like her?

PJ Harvey--while an underground artist with a faithful fanbase--is probably one of the most underrated artists of my generation. Seriously. But take a listen to "Good Fortune" from her Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea album and decide for yourself.

Back in the day

I've mentioned my friend V several times here on the blog. She runs a travel blog called Globetrotting V, although she doesn't post nearly as often as I'd like. But that's neither here nor there.

V brought a Polaroid camera with her to the office today. Of course we had a great time snapping photos, and it reminded me of being a young child.

Here's our picture:

Now maybe I can find someone who has an old school Atari console, and they can bring that in to the office for some Friday fun.

I'm all about the "X"

It's obviously well-known that I love music videos. Heck, I have a series here on this very blog called "Music Monday," in which I highlight music videos I think are cool or innovative. That being said, I don't want the series--or the fact that I feature so much music here--to be cheesy.

So I'm a huge fan of Kylie Minogue. I think she's a great performer, I enjoy the fact that she experiments with her sound on each record, and she just seems like a genuine person. A couple of weeks I bought her "X" album, which hasn't really received much press here in the United States. In fact, I had to actually purchase the CD as an import at a not-nearby music store. But I don't mind telling you it's a fantastic pop album. Yes, it is pop, but it's probably one of the slickest pop albums in the recent past. And off of that album comes two--yes, two--new releases, "In My Arms" and "WoW." "WoW" is supposed to be released in the US (although it probably won't get much airplay), and the former is the European and "rest of the world" release. So to promote, two distinct videos have been shot. That's a pretty cool concept, and both videos are really pretty sweet.

So if you're a Kylie fan I'm sure you'll enjoy these. If you're not, hopefully you can at least appreciate them for their artistic merit.

"WoW":

Kylie Minogue WOW
Uploaded by Kyliefan2008

"In My Arms:"

Kylie Minogue - In My Arms [clip]
Uploaded by divertissonsnous

P.S. My MySpace profile currently features "In My Arms" as its song.

Music Monday: Love

British band the Sundays has long been one of my favorites. I discovered their music during my mid-teens, when I myself was going through a period of discovery. I immediately identified with their moving lyrics, beautiful melodies, and lead singer Harriet Wheeler's chic style. Well, I obvioulsy didn't identify with her style, but I sure thought she was a fox! Anyway, while the Sundays haven't had much success here in the United States, they have been releasing sporadic records over the past 15 years or so. One of their best is their sophmore release, "Blind." It's from that album I'm selecting a song to feature today.

Here's "Love":

Such a tease...

Exciting news this-way-comes, with the release of the street date of Madonna's yet-to-be-named (or revealed) album. The big date: 29 April 2008. This just days after Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and Timbaland wrapped filming for the album's first single, "4 Minutes to Save the World." Never one to to box-in her creative horizon, the storyline for the video is Madonna as a dominatrix, with Justin and Timbalake being her "bitches." Certainly peaks my interest....

Photo compliments of Madonnalicious.com.