Photos, Songs and Muted TVs

* I'm not big on picture-taking. I say picture-taking because photography seems to imply professionalism. Everyone's a photographer, now that we have digital cameras and accessible photoshop. Some pursue it as an art, which is great. And some are good at it, some not so (par exemple, moi). I think it's because I don't trust pictures that I don't like to take them. How many photos do we have of boring Eid parties that weren't as half as fun as the photos make them to be? Also, I'm not particularly photogenic. Ask anyone who's seen pics of me, they'll tell you that. (My fake smile makes me look like I'm in pain). My distrust of pictures sort of began when one of my professors once brought to our attention how, in this day and age, people seem to have the urge to mediate their experiences through some form of technology, because they might feel like it helps experience them better, which in reality comes in between the person and the thing that they're experiencing. I think it takes away from the experience itself when you are most concerned about taking the picture. Also, I think, with time the value we have of the time/experience will be contained mostly if not strictly in the mediated image and not the memory we have. The experience, then, becomes the image and not vice versa.

Having said that, one photo I am so glad was taken is the one of me, Mochness and Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys. I have praised his artistic genius in a previous post and have expressed my deep admiration of his music and lyrical talents, and you could only imagine how thrilled I was to see him in person. I just wish I had a chance to ask him about his influences when it comes to his lyrics, I've always wanted to know about that. Meeting him, I realized, he's much more down to earth than he lets him seem like. Nothing interesting happened, except he almost signed my ticket twice, until I told him that he'd already signed it, and he exclaimed, sort of shyly, with his beautiful british accent "I've already signed it?!"

* The Walkman's On the Water is a song I've previously posted here, but I just feel I should make a few comments on how excruciatingly beautiful it is. The song has a great atmosphere to it that is created by the sound of prominent, deep bass (which I think characterizes the album as a whole), hints of muted guitar and, toward the end of the song, a repetitive crash cymbal hit and a weird whisteling hymn. The instruments harmonize beautifully to create a sense of surrealism that mostly comes about in the lyrics. The song starts:

All the windows are glowing, branches bending low

skyline is swinging, rocking back and forth

walking down the dirt road

Watching at the sky...

And to top it off, the video is emotionally wrenching and is about cute little bunnies :( Watch it.

* I recently came across a nice little quote by Andy Warhole where he talks about his attempted assassination by one of the people who worked at The Factory (a separatist feminist who formed a "group" called S.C.U.M [Society for Cutting up Men]).

"People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually it's the way things happen in life that's unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it's like watching television – you don't feel anything. Right when I was being shot and ever since, I knew that I was watching television. The channels switch, but it's all television."

I so totally agree with that. Feeling existential, my TV is even on mute!

* I also came across this interesting article I found in the New York Times about a new social network called Diaspora* that's to be launched some time in the future. From it's name you could probably guess that it has a certain political persuasion, it comes as a reaction to other major networks' access and control in distributing the users personal informations. This one promises personal privacy, as users are able to set up their own personal servers and fully control the information they share.

* Brandon Flowers (a.k.a the most gorgeous man on earth) is currently embarking a new solo career with Flamingo, his debut album that's release date is yet to be announced. No need to panic now, he promises a fourth Killers album right after. I'm sort of excited but not so much. I seem to have low expectations. I was hardly impressed with their last album and recent singles, and if his album follows the same glitzy fluff of D&A, I most likely won't like it. I'm most excited that Pretty Flowers should be far more accessible when on a solo tour (said bearing only innocent thoughts, I swear).

(A new, post-Flamingo-announcement photo, I believe)

Book I'm reading: The Life of Muhammed by Ibn Ishaq

Song I'm listening to: Keep in Mind - Little Joy