The painful death of geek culture. RIP :(

Wake Up, Geek Culture. Time to Die  by Patton Oswalt

"In Japan, the word otaku refers to people who have obsessive, minute interests—especially stuff like anime or videogames. It comes from a term for “someone else’s house”—otaku live in their own, enclosed worlds. Or, at least, their lives follow patterns that are well outside the norm."

"The topsoil has been scraped away, forever, in 2010. In fact, it’s been dug up, thrown into the air, and allowed to rain down and coat everyone in a thin gray-brown mist called the Internet. Everyone considers themselves otaku about something—whether it’s the mythology of Lost or the minor intrigues of Top Chef. American Idolinspires—if not in depth, at least in length and passion—the same number of conversations as does The Wire. There are no more hidden thought-palaces—they’re easily accessed websites, or Facebook pages with thousands of fans. And I’m not going to bore you with the step-by-step specifics of how it happened. In the timeline of the upheaval, part of the graph should be interrupted by the words the Internet. And now here we are."  - P. Oswalt

As someone who is old enough to remember what it was like to search bookstores and record stores for the stuff I like, I cannot agree more with the above article.

I waited eagerly for the next issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction to come in the mail.  I spent hours in used book stores looking for good books and expanding my literary vocabulary.  Some books were cheese science fiction, some was classical literature, still others were about history and science.  Lord of the Rings was a cryptic series of books that were not easily accessible by the masses.  William Gibson and cyberpunk fiction made little sense to most people because the internet really hadn't yet emerged; but I understood that it was coming.  I used to watch the low budget early episodes of Tom Baker Doctor Who on Public TV or CBC.  Styrofoam spaceships and sets RULE!

I searched the bins in the used record stores for new exciting music.  I made cassette mix tapes from those vinyl treasures.  I felt ripped off when I bought a CD for a song I sort of liked and it turned out to be garbage.  Then 3 weeks later, the song I liked got old.  However, those searches for music turned up awesome surprises and my musical taste grew over the years to something that was unique to me.  I met other people who had similar tastes and friendships grew.  It was a labor of "like"... and it took a lot of work to find the things I like.  None of it made me "cool".  The primary reason I like stuff, is because I like it.

Now any-one with an internet connection can do all that work within a period of a few weeks or months.  I suspect that kids today do not appreciate it as much because it is easy, at the tip of one's fingers.  It requires no effort, and the results seem superficial.  It has become ironic or like... "whatever... like as if anyone didn't know... ugh"  It's a sad thing because meeting someone else who knows a little out of context quote from Monty Python was really fun as hell.  Now it's just "like" on fakebook.  Lame.

Nerd has become pop culture.

"Time... to die." - Roy Batty

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/12/ff_angrynerd_geekculture/all/1

The twilight zone effect of technology on modern culture.

Online Now from Pocket Jakes on Vimeo.

New York City urban exploring:

Yes, there are a lot of movies about urban exploring.  This one is exceptional:


UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.

True story... (sort of)

I was at a party in Detroit.  I have been to many parties in Detroit but none like this one.  I think I must have gone back in time.  There was a stage and a band playing.  It was Stevie Wonder.  Sweet.  There were all kinds of cool people in the room talking.  I thought they should look older, but they are pretty young.  Cool clothes.  I want to get one of those 60s suits with the thin tie.   I looked across the table where I was sitting and Smoky Robinson sat down.  He was telling me about what it is like working in a recording studio and working with other Motown artists.  The Supremes took the stage and performed Stop In The Name Of Love.  Then Smoky Robinson was talking to me again.  He said "Look over there. Aren't they great? All the greats are here for your enjoyment!" Then Marvin Gaye was singing What's Going On.  Wait a minute. Isn't he dead?  There are dead people at this party? Who cares.  The music is just phenomenal.  It sounds just like the original studio recordings. In fact, Smoky Robinson just got my attention again.  He is saying "All the original recordings are performed by the original artists."  This is just too good to be true.  I can't believe how good my luck is!  To be here with all this great music.  This is insane.  But there they were, right on the stage in front of me.  Jimmy Ruffin is now singing "What Becomes Of The Broken Heart."  It sounds SOO good!  This is the best party ever!  Wow.

Smoky Robinson is still sitting right on the other side of the table talking to me.  But... he's on stage too... singing.  Wait a minute.  What sorcery is this?  Oh who cares.  It's getting kind of weird.  I thought I was at a party, but now it seems more like a concert.  Hmm.

Then I woke up.  I had fallen asleep on my sofa in front of the TV.  The infomercial for the Motown's Greatest Hits 3 CD set was still on... and there was Smoky Robinson, talking about how great it was back in the day.

Dreams are cool.