Jeremy's World
Do what you like because you like it. Be who you are with no apologies.
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So, I posted a few days back about how I don’t "get" Twitter. Let me clarify…I understand what it does and the technology behind it. What I don’t get is WHY? I’m a technology nut but man, who has time for this?
That said, I decided to dip my toe in the water and I signed up. My goal is to "meet" people who fall into the category of caring about kids from preschool age to 3rd grade. That’s the age group we’re focusing on at work for a new product we’re incubating, so I hope to see if I can build relationships and conversation with people close to those kids.
My predictions on the subject:
- Between email, IM, office phone, cell phone, MySpace for the band and well, "real" work, I’ll discover I don’t have time for this.
- I will jump too quickly into trying to spark professional conversations that people will be turned off thinking I’m doing it just to "get something" out of it.
- More conversation on my Twitter list will be social in nature and not really valuable from a purely professional perspective.
- I won’t get over the cheesy vernacular associated with it ("Tweets", "Twitterverse", "Tweople").
We’ll see how it turns out. If you’re interested in my progress, follow me on Twitter: @jeremymdavis.
So, I’m hanging out watching the girls sing on American Idol tonight. The theme was songs of the 70′s. Two of the remaining 10 chose Heart songs. Now, these girls are talented. Even so, Ann Wilson‘s amazing dynamic range is that much more obvious when very talented young women can either do the low, throaty part or the high, belt-it-out part…but not both really, really well.
Even so, I think the girls’ side will come down to cuties Carly Smithson and Kady Malloy who, interestingly enough, are the ones who sang "Crazy on You" and "Magicman" respectively. Brooke White (who did a really good Carly Simon "Your So Vain" but looks a lot like Juice Newton from back in the day) is my dark horse pick.
Amanda Overmyer was horrible. Asia’h Epperson was horrible save one big note.
EDIT: Ok, after watching it again on Tivo (yes, again, STFU), I think Ramiele Malubay is right in there too even though she has a freakishly different singing voice than speaking voice.
Jennifer and I watched a movie called Thirteen last night. This is definitely not just another teen movie. It was written by one of the stars of the movie (who happens to only by 18 years old) and is very autobiographical in nature. It’s the story of an innocent 13 year old who gets caught up in being one of the "cool kids" at school and spirals downward on a horrible ride. This isn’t like an After School Special. The stuff these kids get into – sex, drugs, self mutilation – is scary as hell. I have a 5 year old daughter…I pray I don’t have that to look forward to!
If you’re looking for a drama that makes you say, "wow" check out Thirteen. Meanwhile I’ll go look for a brainless Adam Sandler comedy to go watch. That’s much more entertaining.
A friend of mine recently posted on his blog that he and his wife just got a minivan. In writing about it, Fred points out how "conforming" (buying a minivan) actually is rebellion since today is the day of SUV’s for soccer mom’s. Minivans are so 1998 and therefore, cool again in a non-conforming, rage against the machine kind of way. Ok, Fred was kidding (sort of) with the post. But it got me thinking…
Is "conforming" really an uncool, bad thing?
I’m not convinced it is, ’cause, well, if it is, then I’m way not cool. I am proud to state the following about this average guy:
- I enjoy reality TV, particularly "American Idol."
- I don’t get the infatuation with bands like the Mildewed Oranges (or whatever they are called). It’s acoustic guitar with a melody that is hardly impressive. What’s the appeal?
- I love NFL football. Not college, not European Football (soccer), not rugby…the regular old NFL.
- I watch and enjoy mainstream television. "24" is pretty cool and "King of Queens" reruns can keep me entertained for hours.
- I watch and laugh my ass off at comedians like Larry the Cable Guy.
- I don’t like wine. I guess I’m unsophisticated.
- I can spend the better part of the day watching VH-1 "Behind the Music" marathons on TV and not feel badly about it.
- Movies like "Vantage Point" (which my wife and I recently saw) entertain me. Movies don’t have to be all deep and moving to be good. See most any Sandra Bullock movie, which I usually also find entertaining.
- I like some contemporary country/rock music. I’m a rocker, but I like me some non-twangy country (I’m looking at you Keith Urban and Little Big Town).
- I don’t get Twitter. (Note: It’s the rage right now at work…maybe I’ll understand why someday). Same goes for Second Life.
- I’ll read David Baldacci before poetry of any kind.
- Microsoft is not evil.
- I’m going to see Bon Jovi next month (that’s 2008, not 1988) and I can’t freakin’ wait.
- I prefer pleats in the front of my pants.
- King of the Hill > Family Guy.
- I prefer Leno to Letterman.
I’m sure there are a thousand more examples. I guess what I’m saying is, I can like the same mainstream things that the majority of people like and not be a dork. "Conforming" does not mean uncool. If it does then, well, I’m proudly uncool.
I came across this blog post recently and, well, I kinda laughed out loud. I wasn’t interested in the whole post so much as the first few paragraphs that so accurately describe the "Apple Elitist" (Sorry, Fred, LCB, JT and Alex…It is what it is!). The whole post goes on about a web comic review, but here is the part that cracked me up:
There is no person in the world more obnoxious than an Apple elitist. Boston sports fans come pretty damn close, but typically those are somewhat pudgy guys with hilarious accents and not nerdy hipsters with smug faces you are sorely tempted to slap or punch.
It’s always, “Why would you waste your money on a PC when you can get a Mac?” Or “Macs are way more reliable than PC. Have you ever seen a Mac get a computer virus?” Or “Look at that god-awful Zune. Why would anyone ever pick that over the graceful simplicity of an iPod?” Or “Microsoft totally stole their Windows interface from Mac. God I hate Microsoft.” Or, if you ask them to help you out with a computer, they snicker and shake their heads with mock sadness and say things like, “Well, if you’d gotten a Mac, none of this would’ve happened.”
It’s like some sort of inferiority complex, bourne by the ubiquity of Microsoft PCs. They’re the sorts who laugh and nod at those “Mac and PC” commercials, which every normal-brained person finds obnoxious. Dave Barry was right when he said, “To this very day, Apple is not considered by us cyberwonks as a truly serious computer. It is viewed as a computer that is popular mainly with your flaky or artsy-fartsy type of individual.”
This post proudly written on a PC running Windows XP (’cause I can’t afford a Mac!).
No, not me. Jenn’s joining the blogosphere. We spent some time this weekend getting her themed up and ready to dazzle the world with her musing. 
Be sure to check it out in the coming days. As of this post she hasn’t written yet. But, she’s an Oscars freak so I’m sure there will be something about those up there soon.
Also, she’s quite the gym rat these days. So, she’ll probably kill me for posting that picture rather than something more current. It’s a risk I’ll take.
Jennifer and I went on a date Saturday evening. It was very nice…Dinner at Tony’s, a movie and late night at a nightclub downtown. Huh?! Yes, we went out and hung out with young kids. We were checking out a place called the Buckhead Saloon as Aftershock will likely be playing in there soon. It’s a hoppin’ place with lots of people and the bar was going a million miles an hour. Very cool atmosphere.
There was a band there that night. Well, there were 2 guys playing guitars and singing anyway. They were kind of "eh." Talent-wise they were good but you can only party so much to two guys singing and playing guitars. The place was more nuts when the DJ was playing during the band’s break. That’s when the old was made new.
Mixed into the dance-music-that-I’m-too-old-to-recognize were songs that shocked me. The place erupted when "Jessie’s Girl" (circa 1981) by Rick Springfield came on. They went crazy when "Baby Got Back" (circa 1992) by Sir Mix-a-Lot came on. The real kicker? Some band has done a cover of an old song that they basically just added club-type drums and bass to and left the original song in tact.
Josie’s on a vacation far away. Come around and talk it over. So many things that I want to say. You know I like my girls a little bit older. I just want to use your love tonight. I don’t want to lose your love tonight…
Yes, that is "Your Love" by the Outfield. The original came out in 1985. Yes, a full 23 years ago. Most of the crowd there wasn’t even born yet. The really scary thing is I recently went on a nostalgic trip through iTunes buying songs I used to have on cassette and early CD purchases that are long-since lost, destroyed or otherwise disposed of. One of the songs I bought (we’re talking within the last month)? "Your Love" by the Outfield. The original. Not the clubbed up version.
I’m so old.
I had a meeting today with Susan at Peace Montessori to discuss the technology venture I am kicking off at Calvert. We didn’t meet at my office…Nope…We met at the school. This is a school of very little people. So, our meeting was happily conducted at a very tiny table and chairs that fit my 5 year old just fine. Yep, all 6’2″ and too many pounds of me.
Thank god there aren’t pictures! And no, the chair didn’t break so shaddup.
As part of my work at Calvert - and with our push in the social media arena – I have launched a new online community! It’s called ChimeInOnline.com and the purpose is to attract people interested in early childhood education, particularly pre-school through about 3rd grade. Why are we doing this? There are two major reasons:
1. We have a theory on a particular product & service that I am researching. I want to spur conversation in the topic are and see if any nuggets come out of that may validate, modify or junk our theory *before* spending the time and money to build it.
2. Emily is 5. I have a personal vested interest in the subject matter! As I mention on the site, even if a "business" doesn’t come out of this, I don’t think this is wasted effort. In fact, it may be *more* valuable as a resource for parent, teachers, grandparents, etc. for helping instigate change and improvement in early childhood education. How cool would that be?
Check it out if you’re interested: www.ChimeInOnline.com
//End Shameless Plug
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