I’m only up this late because I can’t stop listening to this album. Brian Fallon can do no wrong.
I’m a little late on the anti-SOPA bandwagon, but I’m going to pin my lack of empathy of this rather important issue on my previous internship duties and various other factors that have kept me in the dark on this these past few months. I know, not a good excuse but hey, whatever man.
Probably the most scariest part of SOPA – Stop Online Piracy Act – is the danger it poses to user generated content, which is significant because the internet has evolved into a medium which us as users to have an incredible amount of control over, more so than what it was years ago. While SOPA is a piece of American legislation, it’s significance goes beyond one nation and will have a global impact that will affect everyone.
What frightens me about SOPA is the fact that as a domain name owner who uses his space as a blog, the content as well as those that I host will theoretically come under scrutiny in accordance to these new laws. According to one article by Michael Geist, domain names such as mine would be subject to US jurisdiction in accordance to this law, since this domain is under a US domain name registry as well as many others.
What is also interesting about SOPA is its inclusion as part of proposed future US foreign policy, which according to Gant ‘grants more resources to US embassies around the world to increase their involvement in foreign legal reform.’ The last thing we need is more American encroachment within our sovereign borders. And to think I was going to be safe up here in the chilly high north regardless.
The idea that content can be regulated in such a liberal manner is a scary scenario that is difficult for many of us to grasp. How a blog post, a video or a picture can be subject to a law that goes against the freedoms that the internet provides is asinine. In the event that SOPA passes, I guess I’ll have to get used to writing in an actual diary for my rants and emo-esque blogs.
Man.
This is going to be my last post on the subject, because no one – including me – likes redundancy in blogs about some guy whining about nothing… but I need to get this off my chest, because I have serious doubts that I’ll be able to say it outside of this medium otherwise.
It’s a little hard talking about this without coming off as being bitter and whiny, and to be honest there’s a little bit of that flowing through me right now. Because of that I was a little hesitant to publish this, since I’m never a fan of airing out one’s dirty laundry in public, especially with content that tends to be a tad explicit. This has been sitting in my draft box for a couple of days, but in the end, it’s something I wanted to do as part of the so-called therapeutic process we all have to go through when shit like this happens. I guess that’s why we sometimes have blogs, so we have an outlet to not only express but also to release. So pardon moi to whomever this offends, I hold no punches.
It’s been a fucking rough week. I don’t remember ever getting hit this hard in my life when it comes to my feelings getting tarred and feathered. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt something like this before. As I said before, you never can prepare for something like this: heartache will always hurt like hell. At the same time, I really wish I knew about this earlier, and I have serious doubts that she felt that way just recently. I mean for fucks sakes, she knew what the hell was going on. Why not tell me earlier so we can both stop wasting each others time?
I guess out of this all, I’m thankful for the stable of friends I have. What’s keeping me sane these days is hanging out with the crew and the historian. That, as well as running and paddling in zero degrees weather and drowning myself out with music whenever I’m at home – thank you The Bouncing Souls. It’s hell right now and things fucking suck, but at least I’ve got ways to forget.
The Gaslight Anthem – Here’s Looking At You Kid
Gracias to my man Hank for digging this gem out while I was down and out these past few days. There will be a permanent spot on my playlist for this song for some time. Besides, who doesn’t like Rancid? The insane and culturally backward, that’s who.
No matter how prepared you are for it, heartbreak will always hurt like hell.
I saw it coming a mile away, but I didn’t think it would hit me this hard. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to things ending this way, but right now I feel sick to my stomach. I don’t know how long I’ll be out this time. I’m sure she’s taking this well.
Cue the emo songs. What a way to start the new year.
I don’t remember ever having a December move this quickly, which is a shame because the Christmas season is one of those times of the year where it’s actually OK to sit back and take everything in as it goes. But then again, I don’t remember having a December so packed in with work that has me pretty much secluded either at the office or staring at an Excel sheet and Word documents. What’s outside these four walls?
Cultural insulation for the modern worker. Win.
I think I talk way too much about work here, which is someone no one – including me, which I feel a little ashamed of – really wants to engage in unless the job is actually worth discussing about. Like being an astronaut. Or a caveman. Otherwise, who gives a fuck. But I like my job, which would explain why I find myself enjoying talking about it. As an event coordinator, I’m constantly challenged, utilizing different skills and learning things that I only wish my 6 year academic career would have told me before I left. I feel as if it’s taking me places. My job can also be stressful and demanding. Setbacks have been common and there are days where the last thing you want to do is check your email inbox or review the missed calls on your phone while you were sleeping. But I guess when my biggest problems at the moment are centered around females and trying to figure out what the hell to get the parents for Christmas, I think I’m handling everything just fine.
No more work related posts until the actual event has passed. I promise.
It’s almost 2 AM and I’m still awake for no real reason at all. I guess the night owl in me will never die.
You remind Anna if she asks why,
That a thief stole my heart while she was making up her mind.
I heard she lives in Brooklyn with the cool,
Goes crazy over that New York scene on 7th Avenue.
But I used to wait at the diner a million nights without her,
Praying she won’t cancel again tonight.
And the waiter served my coffee with a consolation sigh.
You remind Anna if she asks why.
Tell her it’s all right.
–The Gaslight Anthem ‘Here’s Looking At You Kid’
Quick random thoughts before I head off to bed:
I’m feeling unusually reckless these days. It feels like the teenage ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude I experienced eons ago, but the feeling exists during adulthood and unlike then, I not only acknowledge but embrace whatever unfavorable outcome comes my way. Oh yes, I really don’t give a fuck and I guess this post is a product of that.
Adulthood, where your missteps are amplified tenfold.
I’m starting my internship tomorrow afternoon, and I’m excited about the opportunity to at least gain some meaningful experience and hopefully get an opportunity to continue on with the organization I’m doing it with. It seems genuine, challenging and may potentially put me in a good position afterwards. The only problem? It’s not a job, which is kind of what I saw myself occupying post-graduation years ago when I first started university. I know I’m not the only person in this predicament, and I’ve come across people that have been out of work for over a year – in some cases still looking – so those people don’t give two shits about what’s been going on with me. Still, when you’ve got an education that while personally and intellectually fulfilling, doesn’t seem to immediately open up doors for you career-wise, you wonder whether you’ve hit some sort of quarter life crisis.
Then there’s the whole female thing.
I consider myself longing, but not desperate so please let’s get that straight. Desperate would imply that I want to be in a relationship now and would resort to extremely unruly tactics to end my current status. I don’t think a relationship is an absolute priority at this point, but as the failures build up, it can be demoralizing. It can dawn on you that the longer this goes on, the harder it will be trying to go forward with this.
It’s 2 AM and I guess I’m just depressed as hell right now.