I took 3257829 pictures this weekend with my dad's digital camera. He has two. He just got a new one...Where's the love?

My parents are freaking me out right now. They just bought a bunch of new stuff. The selfish child in me is wondering where this is coming from and how I can use it to pay off my loans. The cynic in me is questioning this ultra-capitalist-suburban lifestyle. But mostly I just liked watching the Invader Zim Halloween episode on the new big screen.

Anyway, I'm going to try a weekend in pictures if I can figure out some sort of "behind-the-cut" method or ultra shrinkage to be nice to people with dial-up.

Today didn't start out so hot.

My cat was being an asshole all night (and apparently while I was gone today as well) so I didn't sleep much.

I was really excited about sleeping too. I had trouble sleeping on Sunday because of the weekend. When the boyfriend comes to visit we usually stay up really late and this weekend was no exception.

So I had a midterm in professional writing today and my first essay was being workshopped in creative non-fiction. That's when the day started turning around.

The midterm went relatively well, though I'm not sure how my professor grades, and the workshop was awesome. My professor said my story is almost ready for submission to a literary magazine. Once I edit it I might post it, that could be fun I suppose.

After class I talked with one of my classmates and she wants to hang out sometime. This is nice because it's been a weird experience for me down here at Ohio State for a few reasons which I may have already mentioned.

• All of my friends have graduated except for, oddly enough, everyone that goes here that I know from high school. This is fine because I love the friends I met in high school, but it's a different experience
• I don't say much and it's hard for me to meet new people. Most of the friends I made in college were through the dorms or work.
• I'm actually doing my homework including the readings, which is a new thing for me. Instead of getting high or drunk, I'm actually going out to study.

So that was really nice. I hope we get to hang out. We might go see Rent when it comes out in November.

Hope everyone is enjoying these dismal, grey days.

It was another falltastic weekend.

The boyfriend and I went to the Circleville Pumpkin extravaganza on Saturday. While the picture does not reflect this, it could. Pumpkin. Boyfriend. I'd say it's a decent summary.

I've never been to the Pumpkin Festival, but I've heard many a tale.

"Pumpkins the size of...boulders!"

"Pumpkin everything!"

What people have always failed to mention is the complete insanity of it all. We were feeling lost in that crowd and eventually everything started looking the same. When the pig-calling contest began, we were finished.

"What street is this?" We'd ask ourselves, looking for a way out, but knowing it didn't matter anyway.

Regardless, we had a good time. The sun came out for a while and I can always appreciate going outside the city limits to a town that reminds me of home. I do think, however, that I'm going to stay away from pumpkin pizza...for the rest of my life.

We were total Pumpkin Fest virgins. We got too excited by the mediocre pumpkin offerings in the beginning and blew our appetites before we could get to what we really wanted, which for me was pumpkin ice cream. I can't believe I blew it on pumpkin cheesecake instead. A disappointment, for sure, but I've learned my lesson.

"I don't think I've ever celebrated autumn this much," I said to him, standing against a wall in an alley. We'd stopped to smoke cigarettes and drink hot cider.

He agreed and I thought about it a little more.

Autumn has always been my favorite season and I've only come to appreciate it more over the years. I remember two years ago, walking down Neil Avenue towards my apartment. That street is so beautiful in the fall. The colors on the trees start to change and the houses begin to look like they're more at home. While the season is a little sad; summer is dead and winter is about to begin, it's too lovely to even care.

This is our first autumn as a couple and since we're doing this long-distance thing, our weekends generally consist of finding fun things to do. In the fall, it's picking pumpkins and drinking cider. I wonder if in the winter, we'll find our own evergreen tree and drink hot chocolate. I wonder if we just want to soak up as much of our favorite season as possible or if it's something different.

I have a goal.

I'm going to clean this pitiful blog up tonight.

And write a real entry.

It's weird "maintaining" two "blogs" at the same time. I still have my livejournal, which I'm really comfortable with. I became comfortable with it because I messed around with it so much. So that's what I'm going to do with blogger.

I can't believe I haven't posted in almost a week! It's really easy to get out of the habit (or never start it?) with these blogs. I've gone a month without updating El-Jay at times. Then again, I like having the option of making a post "friends-only" or "private."

Alright. I'll be back soon, blogger. Just wait.

Edit: I'm still tinkering with this thing. I seem to have forgotten some HTML we learned in class; mainly, how to make it so the links open a new page instead of going directly from Blogger.

I never had David Citino as a professor.

After taking an Introduction to Writing Poetry, I decided I wouldn't do that again. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate it though. I remember once, during a dark period, seeing him read. It was moving, inspirational even, and looking around the room at the audience, I could see that he was having an impact, whether it was on a college student new to the beautiful things poetry can do or his colleagues who lovingly introduced him and listened intently.

Standing in front of a filing cabinet yesterday at work, an announcement was made on NPR that he had died following complications from cancer and multiple sclerosis. It's such a terrible loss.

At the beginning of the quarter, my non-fiction professor told us that an interim professor was brought in to teach David Citino's class.
"We have to be nice to the new guy," he said, "and that's why we're giving him the room with the big table."
He told us why the class needed an interim professor, but reassured us and himself that he was going to be okay, that the prognosis was good.

I thought of my professor yesterday, not wanting to imagine how hard this must be, as they were close. A pink slip of paper on the door told us that our class had been cancelled, but it was nothing to celebrate.

My thoughts are with his family and friends now.

Wow, so this is the first time I've seen a computer since Thursday.

I went home for the weekend, for the first time since I left over a month ago. It was crazy-busy. Okay, so it wasn't exactly, but when you're trying to fit as much family + boyfriend + friend time in as possible, it seems like it.

I remember reading a classmate's post about never really feeling at home again, once one leaves. I have to say I don't feel that way. Maybe it's because I moved back after I graduated and lived there for a year. Maybe it's because my roots are too deep. I don't know, but whatever it is, it makes it so hard to leave.

When I was a child, somewhere between the ages of 8 and 11, I went to summer camp with my friend Emily. Save the awful experience of Girl Scout camp, this was my first cabin and horses and freezing-lake-swimming trip. I was excited at first, but soon enough miserable.

This camp was about 15 minutes away from my house and I cried every day. I would actually get sick to my stomach at night for no other reason than wanting to be in my own bed. I would chew Tums and step outside queitly hoping to vomit, but the only thing that helped was knowing it was going to be over.

I've always been the type prone to homesickness and college has been no exception. I was completely depressed throughout my first quarter of school (at Ohio U) and it wasn't until I transferred to Ohio State that I actually felt comfortable living away from home.

It's all a complete contradiction though. I hate certain aspects of living at home and I couldn't wait to leave when I was 18. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to spend another year there, but I find myself wanting to go back for the small comforts I miss; The Beacon Journal in the morning, Thursday's Lounge, free parking, being able to ask Daryl to come over and have him respond with "Be there in a few."

I guess it all comes down to my obsession with nostalgia. When I'm home and I roll down my window to smell the leaves, I remember Saturday morning soccer games and trick-or-treating down Market Street. I've had a lot of trouble coming to terms with the fact that I will never be a child again and I will never get back that sense of unapologetic, un-fucked-around-with happiness. To not be jaded? To not feel guilty? I miss that. And I know it's still possible to feel that way, but it's more unlikely.

I sound really emo. I'm not, really. I do have a natural tendency towards the melodramatic. Plus I just got back and I'm missing people and didn't I already do this school thing? Why did I sign up for this again?

Holy crap I'm posting like a mother today.

I just posted all three of my genre analyses (analysi?) after much editing. They weren't actually all written tonight so that makes me feel better about making a fourth post.

I am at Buckeye Donuts right now, which means I'm using high forms of technology (posting on a laptop via wireless, my roommate's). I have to admit it's not bad. I like to get out of the apartment to do my reading. I also have an essay for creative non-fiction and a rough draft memo for professional writing due tomorrow. Did I miss something? Is it midterms?

So, the point is I needed a computer and I needed to be out of the house. I also needed coffee. This is a fine alternative to the library.

Speaking of technology, I checked a digital camera out from the DMP over the past weekend...

I liked having it for about a day. It works like a 35 mm: point and click. However, as most people know, there is immediate access to the picture. If it sucks you don't have to keep it. You can look at your moment instantly. You can take as many damn shots as you want because you're not "wasting" film. What I don't like about digital cameras? I'm afraid I'm going to start living my life through the lens of a camera instead of through my own eyes. I just want to remember some moments, not capture them on film so I can post them in a blog.

I took the camera with me on Saturday. My (boy)friend and I went on an excursion to Lynd Fruit Farm in Pataskala for some autumn extravaganza, involving pumpkin butter, pumpkin picking, apple cider, corn mazes, etc. That place is like a freaking autumn amusement park. Crazy!

Afterwards we hit up Greenlawn cemetery and Greenlawn Abbey. I didn't take any pictures at the cemetery, which is MASSIVE and depressing. We didn't get out of the car, actually, because we didn't know where to start and we weren't sure that we wanted to. Besides, I was in search of the abbey, which was actually hidden behind a bunch of construction equipment.

The reason I wanted to go the Abbey is because, after doing some online research, it seemed it is one the "most" haunted spots in Columbus. I listened to several eves and yes, they were totally creepy. It is rumored to be haunted by Thurston Moore, a magician, and some other random spirits. It's just...big and creepy and teeming with tension.

Unfortunately there was going to be no experience because it is locked up.

I've always (well, since childhood/adolescence) been interested in ghosts and whatnot. My relationship with the boy has only deepened this. We both grew up in the same small town, as friends, and have driven many a time through the haunted forests of Rogue's Hollow. We played with Ouija boards in cemeteries. That's what we did.

He went to OU (actually I did too, but that was only for a quarter and he attended CCAD for two years, so essentially we switched places). Of course, Athens is full of history and craziness. On my last visit there before he graduated we broke into the abandoned children's asylum at The Ridges. Definitely the creepiest place I've ever been. It was full of peeling paint and dust. The hallways were dark and the rooms were too small for anyone to live in happily. When we went to the "hidden" basement I stayed at the top of the stairs. I couldn't see the person standing right in front of me and I swear I heard something right behind me, in my ear.

It totally freaked me out, but it gave me such a rush.

So I've been on a small mission of sorts, to find something like that here. In this paved and new place. Don't get me wrong, Columbus is old, but there's constant rebuilding---just look at that horrible eyesore on South Campus.

Alright. I've had way too much caffeine.

Genre Analysis, Part Three

Gentle Readers,

I mentioned this previously in my blog, but I’d like to address it again. I think, when maintaining a blog of any kind, personalization is important. One of the reasons I like Trent's (Pink is the New Blog) page so much is because he is not just a faceless, nameless force spewing forth the goods on the break-up of the Parises. He has heart and he talks about his personal life in a way that his audience knows he is a caring, fun, and genuine person. I know it makes me appreciate him as more of a real person rather than a talking head (or a typing hand).

I do think that his blog is the most successful of the three I am analyzing, at least in terms of likeability. However, Stereogum also reflects the same "personality." For example, Scott, one of the sites bloggers got married last week, as he posted about his upcoming nuptials. This is something that readers can connect to. And Trent mentioned it in his blog too, further connecting readers and those who post for us.

Genre Analysis, Part Deux

Gentle Readers,

To continue with my previous post, I would like to further discuss the blogs I am analyzing. I will wrap up with what I consider to be quite crucial in a pop culture blog; images.

Would a story on Lindsey Lohan (L.Lo) crashing her car be complete without this?



I think not.

One could read this "news" without image, but like it or not we live in a visually oriented society that loves overstimulation. Also, without these images, what would celebrities (and celeb hangers-on) have? The more images one can get on his/her site (which goes back to connections) the more reliable and/or "admired" s/he is. In print, it is a similar story. Whoever gets the first picture of Sean Preston Spears is going to be one happy, filthy rich photographer.

I think one of the reasons PinkistheNewBlog works so well is its visual stimulation. When one opens the page, s/he is greeted with a celebrity "endorsing" the website. Click on the image and a star flashes on the screen leading one into their daily dose of Hollywood.

Stereogum does not need to rely on images because it is a site dedicated not to visual stimulation, but auditory stimulation. Rather than provide pictures of singers (after all, video did kill the radio star), the site provides audio clips or links to audio clips of hot new MP3s (Thanks for the Plans b-sides, by the way). However, I do find myself occasionally scrolling through the site quicker than I would at another simply because there is nothing shiny to look at.

ThighsWideShut, like PinkistheNewBlog, does rely on visual stimulation, but in a different way. The images he uses are posted sometimes for shock value, sometimes for sex value, and sometimes just to be strange. Example?



I have no idea what this means.

Whatever it is though, it works for him. His blog is strange and spastic and the images he uses reflect that. If you are familiar with The Onion (there is a link on the sidebar) his blog reminds me of Jackie Harvey's "Harveywood."

No matter what type of entertainment a blogger wants to provide for his/her readers, if it involves part of popular culture, it has to be stimulating and the more images the better.

Genre Analysis, Part One

Gentle Readers,

When given the task of analyzing three blogs for this class, I immediately thought of my favorite blog; Pink is the New Blog, which is dedicated to the latest celebrity gossip. I decided it would be easy since I already (try to) read it every day. All I would have to do is find two other blogs dedicated to popular culture. Easy enough, right? Trent, the blogmaster, provides his readers with a list of links to his favorite blogs, so a quick browse and I was set. Pink is the New Blog, Stereogum, and Thighs Wide Shut would soon be subject to my criticisms.

I have always thought of pop culture as a life force all its own, but mostly encompassing the likes of "Who's dating whom?" and "Who's dumping whom?" and "Hey, that was a botched up botox job." While this certainly is not an off description, it is not all pop culture has to offer.

I still think that is generally what people think of when they hear the term "pop culture," but I have discovered that (yes, I know it's a bit obvious) it includes your basics as well--who's dropping a new album, what movies are premiering this weekend, and even photoshopping images or creating personas, such as the blog belonging to the fetus formerly known as Spears, which I have provided a link for at the bottom of this entry.

There are three major factors in creating and maintaining a good pop culture blog.

• Wit
• Relevancy
• Connections

A blog cannot read like a textbook, especially if its main purpose is to keep people up-to-speed on the marriage of Nick and Jessica or the latest Gorillaz b-side. I think there also has to be a certain amount of knowing that this news is not the most important news in the world, so the writers can have fun with it.

What connects all of these blogs also is the relevancy factor. If you want to be a competitor in the world of pop culture blogging, you have got to stay on top of things. One cannot be posting right now that Britney Spears just had a baby. In the pop culture world, that piece of not-even-a-month-old news is nearly irrelevant.

It is also important to have sources and friends. For example, Pink is the New Blog constantly notes sources or thanks friends for news or photos. Celebrity culture is something that is constantly moving and if one wants to stay ahead, s/he needs as many sources as possible.

Greenlawn Abbey is officially creepy. It is also officially locked up.

We hadn't even been there for five minutes when the cops showed up.

I'd like to say that was exciting, but when they realized we weren't drinking beer or jimmying locks they left.

There is definitely an access window on the second level, but it would take some climbage, which isn't a good idea in the middle of the day in a busy city. Besides, the last time I busted into a seemingly abandoned establishment, my shirt got ripped (karma?!) and I nearly had a panic attack.

So in summary...Creepy? Yes. Exciting? Not so much.

Wow, it's been an unproductive couple of days.

I checked a digital camera out from the DMP. So far all I've taken photos of are my boyfriend and my roommate. If I hadn't been so tired + developing a cold I would have taken it to lesbian night at Wall Street. Hot!

My goal for today is to do something blogworthy. I think I'm going to check out Greenlawn Abbey. Hopefully there will be something there...hopefully it will be open and hopefully it won't have construction equipment littering the front lawn. I have a lot I want to do today and if I get one of them done I'll be happy.

Genre analysis coming up soon...

When I first signed up for this course, I expected it to be pretty much the way it has been; reading about blogging, blogging, etc.

What I did not expect was to be overwhelmed by it.

I registered from classes while living in the comfort of my parents' home. My dad is a technology freak and always has the newest gadgets cluttering up the house. I think I took that for granted, or perhaps not. I actually sort of hate technology, which is a bit of a contradiction considering I'm typing this into a blog.

I was looking around my room the other day when it really hit me that I must be trying to rebel against the ever-changing world. I don't have a cell phone, I have a rotary phone. I don't own a DVD player, I own a VCR. I don't have a computer, but where it might sit there is an electronic typewriter. A digital camera? Pah. I'm still using my dad's manual from the 70's and my shitty APS I got 10 years ago. I don't have an iPod, I have a record player. And for those times when I absolutely must travel with music, a portable cassette walkman.

Of course, despite all of this I still consider myself "technologically advanced" because I know how to load a printer and download music. I did have a laptop once upon a time, but it left me, completely, for a better place. It took all of my files with it. Even my rare Stevie Nicks demos. I don't think I've quite come to terms with that yet.

Part of this is stemming from my frustration with not being able to do what I really want to do with this blog, easily. I'd like to have a lot of pictures and I can't do that without my own computer/camera/scanner. I really like the idea of traveling around Columbus looking for creepy stuff, but I don't exactly have any dowsing rods at my disposal either.

I do think that this weekend I will go on some expeditions and find some freaking scary stuff. It can't be that hard. Athens had it all in one little town...this is a big city full of death and turmoil and misery. There must be something!

One of the blogs I'm working on for my genre analysis is my favorite blog; Pink is the New Blog. I try to read it on a daily basis because I'm a bit of a pop-culture whore. I was pretty out of the loop for a while since my best celeb-gossip friend moved to Chicago and no one else can get as excited about Tori Spelling's divorce as he could.

I think one of the reasons I like this blog so much is because it reminds me of my friend. Trent, the blog-master (or whatever) strikes me as someone we could've chatted with. He's witty and unapologetic. He also has heart. Along with his celeb posts he talks about his life and his friends, which presents the "whole package" rather than just a dude who rants about the color of Lindsay Lohan's hair.

Also, my subscription to Entertainment Weekly ran out.

His past few entries have been shorter than usual because he was selected to contribute to Best Week Ever, a show on VH-1 devoted soley to the week in pop culture. Despite the fact that I do not personally know this man, I feel a sense of pride. He deserves it. He didn't get much airtime, but what an opportunity. His blog has really opened some doors and I think that's really awesome.