techno <3

February 8, 2010 by audreycleo

If the tech world’s (and twitterverse’s) obsession with the iPad announcement a few weeks ago was any evidence, shiny new gadgets still dominate the techno-conversation. No surprise there. But all too often, I think tech-lovers forget when technology can do much more than churn out glossy playthings with backlit screens. Ugh, no e-ink?

The earthquake in Haiti has, no doubt, shown what technology can do beyond just cranking out coveted future-toys and apps that fart. With donations via text message totaling upwards of $2 million (Red Cross raised $4 million plus alone), and info and awareness campaigns spread virally through social media outlets like twitter, online support and the tech community writ large proved to be more than just a breeding ground of slacktivist (read: ineffectual) groups and platforms for aggregating Navel-Gazers 2.0.

In college, I studied something called Political Economy (Political Economy of Industrial Societies to be exact), which entailed lots of reading of microscopic text written by old dead guys whose names are sometimes referenced on “Lost” (yet another reason why I love that show — it makes me feel like my degree is, like, useful!).

One simple but important question you consistently look at when studying PEIS is why some people are poor and some very rich, an issue that comes to the surface when you see a poverty-stricken nation’s infrastructure fall to pieces. Technology might not fully mitigate the gap between the rich and the poor but it certainly reduces the transactional costs in connecting the former to the latter’s aid. This has proven true with Haiti. We also tech’s non-gadget-obsessed potency as the latter shores up its own economic well-being on the ground level through, say, mobile banking like farmers in rural Africa do by using very basic cell phones.

Certainly, the technoverse won’t be dominated solely with buzz about its latest impact on international political economy. And, I suppose, that’s okay. But it’s nice – nay, refreshing – to see at least part of the conversation focused on a bigger picture – one in which it has and continues to play an integral role. It’s a nice reminder that it’s about more than just gadgets; it’s about doing some good.

Posted in tech/web | Leave a Comment »

why i unfollowed you.

January 28, 2010 by audreycleo

When it comes to following people on twitter, I’m somewhat on the ascetic side. It’s not that I don’t WANT to follow tweeps (friends, colleagues, randoms I’ve met); it’s just that there is only so much information I want from only so many people/entities. If you’re an avid tweeter, at some point or another, you will find yourself tempted to “unfollow” someone/entity. Some of you might even level up and actually click the “Unfollow” button, which in the social media world could mean — depending on whose 140-character thoughtsicles you just deemed unworthy of your eyeballs — you just committed some kind of faux pas. But I’m here to say, “it’s okay; don’t be afraid of the Unfollow!” In fact, use it. That’s why it’s there. As someone who has seen her (albeit small) number of twitter followers fluctuate and has done some unfollowing herself, I’m breaking down some of the reasons why I — and others — have chosen to give some tweeps the twaxe.

“You tweet too much.” If the thesis of social media is to stoke the online conversation, then some tweeps might be tweeting at a mirror. It’s great that you’re eating a burrito. It’s great that I can find out from your myloc.me where exactly it IS you’re eating it. Now you’re at the dry cleaner’s picking up that plaid Marc Jacobs peacoat you had cleaned where they’ve totally ripped you off for that wine stain you got on the sleeve on NYE, OMG. You’re dominating my home page every time I log on and if I was your stalker, I’d be stoked. But I’m not. And I’m, inadvertently, starting to feel like one.

“You don’t tweet enough.” This has happened to a few tweeps whom I’m close to and personally know to be hilarious. I’ve encouraged them to start tweeting their wry observations about waiting in long lines while holding economy-sized boxes of Ex-Lax, which they do for about a week, but then get consumed with something else (like, oh, life). Pretty soon their twitter accounts are gathering cobwebs in the corner of my People I Follow List, their avatars sitting there looking lonely. The Ex-Lax tweets don’t come. OR maybe it’s that they tweet so infrequently, and when they do it’s something like “I am running,” that I just can’t stand the emotional string-a-long any longer. Therefore, I cut that, uh, string.

“Your tweets are NSFW XXX-rated.” Freedom of speech is the foundation of any social media interaction, for better or for worse, so the occasional profanity-laden tirade is to be expected. A-Ok in my book. But dropping a few too many f-bombs in a limited amount of space on a regular basis doesn’t get any point across or advance any point further; it just gets annoying to read. One friend stopped following someone because of his excessive use (and review) of “tits.” Noted.

“You are my ex-boyfriend.” Or “ex-girlfriend” or “ex-significant other otherwise.” This is a sticky one and in the digital dating fishbowl, a touchy one at that. I’ve heard a myriad of reasons for keeping an ex on the PIF list: “I don’t want him to think he’s getting to me so I’ll keep him on there to just prove a point.” “I want to stay friends.” “I want to see what she’s up to.” Break-ups in the digital age have only gotten harder as offline social networks are manifested online. When the ties break in the former, is it worth it to keep them up in the latter just for ego’s (or for — let’s face it — stalking’s) sake? I say no. Personal relationships in the real world are malleable; so are the ones online. Have an honest conversation with yourself about reading the details of your ex’s day, looking at his TwitPics and basically glimpsing bits and pieces of a life of which you’re no longer a part. Ask whether this is something you are REALLY comfortable with. If not then maybe down the line, when a real friendship can enter the picture, you can elect to Follow again but until then, cast your ego and curiosity aside. Unfollow.

“You spoiled the surprise.” You tweeted the season finale of “Dexter” without a spoiler alert and I hadn’t watched it yet on my DVR. I’m not sure, but you might just ruin every episode of “Lost” for me this season. I can’t risk that. Unfollow. Now. Sorry.

And remember… if you happen to be the receiving end of an Unfollowing (the Unfollowee? Is that the right word?), try to not take it personally. It’s not you; it’s your tweets.

Posted in rants, tech/web | 3 Comments »

these hands are small, i know. but they can stain furniture & go to home depot!

January 19, 2010 by audreycleo

Yeah, I don’t think that’s how that Jewel song went, either.

Last summer, I interviewed Jay Leno at his Big Dog Garage for Qore. At some point, I asked him why he’s so passionate about working on cars to which he said something to the effect of, “When I work on a car and with my hands, it reminds me that what we do – in show business – is far easier than what other people do.” He told me about really enjoying the tangible experience of — literally — getting his hands dirty. [Insert some obvious/timely "late night wars" Team Leno vs. Team Coco joke here.]

I recently had a chance to do the same thing, albeit not with a car. Once upon a time (well, more recently than that), I moved into a new place armed with a rather ambitious and rather impossible dream of buying all-new furniture for my all-new abode. Then reality hit: New domestic gear costs major $$$. Actually, EVERYTHING costs major cash. I shelved the idea and started having nightmares about repeat trips to a certain Swedish megastore where I could get my coffee table with side of discount lingonberry juice. For the record, I love me some Swedish retail: I drove a Volvo 240 throughout high school, and I drive a masterpiece of Swedish engineering now. I would totally eat lutefisk. I get tickled by even the thought of visiting Stockholm where I heard there’s an H&M on every corner. But trying to find parking at IKEA is about as fun as giving yourself a root canal with rusty pliers.

After some research and resolution about my situation (and motivated by the thought of multiple trips to Home Depot) I decided to “finish” an old dresser of mine — a solid wood piece, bought by my parents before I was born, and only lightly stained — and add it to my new home. For a weekend, I helped sand it down and stain it a deep ebony color I’d picked out at ye olde HD and by the end of the whole process, I ended up with a piece of furniture that I had made my own.

The whole experience was satisfying mostly because I a) saved some major money, b) got to make multiple trips to Home Depot (have I already mentioned how much I love the HD already? Have I?) and c) got to work with my teeny tiny hands which I usually try to keep ladylike and, generally, free of stains. Generally. There’s something to be said about getting your hands dirty and dry from woodstain and sandpaper — something simultaneously raw and rewarding. I may have found a new hobby.

And now stay tuned for my upcoming blog post: “How to Make Your Own Jerky from the Comfort of Your Living Room.”

Posted in iEnjoy | 3 Comments »

CotW: noah mills.

January 4, 2010 by audreycleo

via models.com

Yep, he’s one of Dolce & Gabbana’s main guys. And yes, that’s him playing arm candy to model Carmen Kass in the latest Michael Kors campaign. While my personal preferences have always leaned more towards the geeky than the godlike, I have a soft spot for Noah Mills. Tall, dark and handsome, the Baltimore native and international supermodel is rumored to have a cameo in the upcoming Sex and the City sequel as one of Samantha Jones’s boy toys. If Gilles Marini is any evidence, then even a minor role in SATC is like the sounding beacon for a slashie’s (“actor-slash-model”) rise to stardom. Or a spot on Dancing with the Stars. Fun fact: we actually sat next to each other once on a plane and I do believe we talked about video games. Win.

So, Noah Mills, consider yourself crushed.

Posted in CotW, girlstuff | 1 Comment »

‘09, we’re outta here.

December 31, 2009 by audreycleo

"I hope I didn't just eat Seabiscuit."

Today marks the end of the year (and, yes, the end of the first decade of the “new” millennium) and, arguably, it’s been quite an up-down ‘09 — a year many of us happily leave behind in hopes that we’ll only take away faint images of Balloon Boy and South Carolinian governors who enjoy long walks in the Appalachian Mountains spontaneous trips to visit their South American mistresses. Yeah, 2009 was a weird animal.

We leave behind many shining stars in this year of economic tarnish: Walter Cronkite, Senator Ted Kennedy, Ed McMahon, Ronald Takaki (a former professor of mine with whom I took a class that proved integral to my college experience), Farah Fawcett, Les Paul, Brittany Murphy (because of whom I will always know the meaning of “sporadically”; R.I.P. Brittany) and last but definitely not least, the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. It’s also been the year that we couldn’t get out of “Bad Romance(s)”; Tigers were revealed to be Cheatahs; Christmas was nearly ruined by a lone crotch bomber; and vampires proved, once again, to be more box office-friendly when they stopped drinking human blood and ran amok hooking up with barely legal moodsters whilst looking glittery instead — something I may never fully comprehend. A budget horror movie broke out new stars; a once-charming reality TV series about a fertility-unchallenged couple done broke down into a mess of asymmetrical highlights and Ed Hardy jeans.

Personally, ‘09 was a year of firsts: I lost my Comic-Con virginity, gazed into Elijah Woods’s blue eyes, sampled horse sashimi in Tokyo (my second trip there in six months), moved house for the first time within Los Angeles, and made it onto an actual “list” that wasn’t the honor roll! (Thanks, G4.)

Out of all of the winter holidays, the New Year has always been my favorite one. It’s a time of renewal, of starting fresh and getting to reflect — nostalgically/realistically/unrealistically/fantastically — on the year past. It’s also a time to say, “peace out, past year; don’t let the door hit you in the no-no place on your way out.” Yes, the New Year: a time to look forward to looking back… or look forward so you can leave it all behind.

Happy New Year, to you and yours.

Posted in FEARnet, Qore, asian invasion, braincandy | 3 Comments »

the ballad of gay adam.

November 24, 2009 by audreycleo

via People.com.

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert pulled out the stops for your entertainment (album name pun!) at his sexually-amped performance on the American Music Awards, only to have his scheduled performance on Good Morning America canceled in light of some 1,500 complaints lodged at ABC after his AMA show. Glambert has called this a double standard: after all, haven’t female pop divas been shaking their no-no parts and engaging in same-sex mouth-to-mouth for, well, forever? And lest we forget, it wasn’t too long ago a young man named Elvis swiveled his pelvis much to the dismay and offense of pop culture consumers around the country.

Perhaps exacerbating the whole situation is the fact that Adam is openly gay. Lambert lovers have been abuzz, implying that GMA’s move underscores some latent homophobia. But is it REALLY homophobia or just a reaction to a bawdy one-off? The Parents Television Council would have you think the latter, insisting that his “tasteless and vulgar” performance — which featured serious S&M-inspired antics and an oral sex simulation, edited out for the West Coast airing — is, in so many words, corrupting the youth of America. (Strangely, I haven’t read any statements about all those uncomfortable erectile dysfunction drug commercials routinely free-balling on the airwaves…)

But this statement seems just a skotch naive. The same has been said about video games, TV shows (hey, Gossip Girl) and any other entertainment that’s remotely violent or sexually suggestive — and even when it’s not (hey, Tinky-Winky). The PTC also ignores other outlets where teens can look to for some old-fashioned moral corruption: YouTube. The Internet. The same home of Lady Gaga’s latest music video where she straddles her would-be “buyer” in a futuristic Russian bath house. The media stages for pomaded popstar thrustathons are fungible, because they no longer exist just on TV, although gay Adam will, indeed, get to sing his “ballad” on CBS instead, followed by a late night appearance on Letterman.

So what say you, culture vultures, on Glambert-gate 2009? This might be the last major popstar controversy of the year. Make it count.

Posted in American Idol, braincandy | Leave a Comment »

letters from afghanistan.

November 16, 2009 by audreycleo

No, I’m not in Afghanistan, but my friend C. is a reporter embedded with the troops over there right now. When the Internet connection isn’t horrendous, C. occasionally sends emails about his “adventures” (or misadventures, as they may be) from his posts in Kabul and Kandahar. It’s hard to not get a heaping helpful of perspective after reading these, so I’m going to post up a few excerpts. C.’s messages usually detail the day-to-day difficulties troops and journalists, such as himself, are facing over there and it’s not pretty — not on email, and most definitely not in real life, one could imagine. Simple things, like showers, are both a luxury and an ordeal that involves running up to the roof of a house to turn on the water pump before stepping into one. And then there is the occasional machine gunfire:

“Yesterday morning we finished up work around 2am, so by 5:30 I was dead asleep. Start hearing all this bang-bang-bang, guns firing. But it’s kind of sporadic – and honestly, back in Iraq you get used to gunfire as just something you constantly hear at night. So I rolled over went back to sleep. But then it keeps going another 10-15 minutes. So I throw some clothes on & go up to the roof – our cameraman **** is coming up same time. But it’s still just this sporadic firing. So we go back downstairs to go back to sleep. Not 10 minutes later, those guns start opening up – very intense, very frequent, all machine gun fire. So we go running back upstairs.

Turns out it’s the Taliban attack on the United Nations guest house, and its literally a block down the street. We see one guy running like hell away from the house – or hobbling like hell, he’d been shot in the leg but was damn near dragging that leg down the street pretty fast. There are all these UN vehicles backing up fast – away from the building that’s being attacked. And then we hear some large booms and see black smoke just start pouring up over the trees. We’d find out later that those “booms” were when some of the Taliban blew themselves up inside the guest house. Afghan police start pulling up, we see groups of them start running up towards the building. All in all 5 UN workers got killed, including an American.”

American troops are facing a unique set of problems as they train the Afghan National Police:

“At one camp, they [members of the Afghan National Police] had taken the metal plates out of their body armor and were using them to grill sheep on. The lieutenant patiently explained to them that no, body armor isn’t made for BBQing …and yes, having hot, bloody sheep roasting on top could potentially diminish the protective capabilities of the armor.”

And during a 4-hour drive (a longer one than usual since C.’s convoy wanted to avoid bombs), an interesting observation about the troops:

“They talked about Pop-Tarts, and the guy from California cracked on the other guy from Arkansas for being a hick. I never heard anybody talk about any of that big-picture stuff that’s always being debated on TV – like Obama’s troop decision, why are we there?, all that stuff. I heard soldiers griping because they didn’t get M&Ms or Jalapeno & Cheese in their MREs …but I never heard any of them complaining about any troop decision.”

Regardless of political leanings, these illustrations and excerpts from the life of an embedded reporter is pretty powerful stuff. When these images and words are packaged into news stories on TV, the comfortable disconnect and distance we, as viewers, can watch with is a luxury to my friend C. Since Thanksgiving is only a week away, let’s give thanks to journos like C. who — essentially — put their lives on the line to make these stories real for us in sight and sound.

Posted in political | 2 Comments »

facebook page.

November 10, 2009 by audreycleo

Photo by Jessica Szejn.

Don’t forget: my Facebook page is up. Shameless self-promo. Bold-face.

Posted in snaps, surf, tech/web | 3 Comments »

CotW: rep. anh “joseph” cao of louisiana.

November 9, 2009 by audreycleo

By Getty, via NPR.

I’m finally resurrecting CotW and this week’s crush is Representative Anh “Joseph” Cao (pronounced “Gow”), the freshman Republican representative from Louisiana.

Crushable why? Because he broke ranks with his political party to vote in favor of the Democratic health care legislation — a refreshing move in the world of divisive partisan politics. Educated by Jesuits after arriving to to the U.S. from Saigon, the 42-year-old is the first Vietnamese-American in the House, holds a master’s in philosophy from Fordham University and a law degree from Loyola Marymount, and previously worked as the in-house lawyer for Boat People SOS. He’s broken party ranks before by supporting the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Speaking of children, that pic of him with one of his two daughters is freaking adorable. I also have this weird affinity for Asian-Americans from the South because an AsAm with a southern accent is so delightfully incongruous, it’s charming (hi, comedian Henry Cho). Rep. Cao doesn’t have a Southern accent. Still. On a side and somewhat-unrelated note, I had a guy tell me he thought it was so funny that I talked like a SoCal valley girl. Like he was surprised I didn’t mix up my “r’s” and “l’s.” We didn’t have a second date.

So, Rep. Cao, consider yourself crushed. It’s nice to see a face that represents another thread in the fabric of American identity and politics. Also, please refrain from any regretful scandals that would force the revocation of your CotW status. Thanks.

Posted in CotW, asian invasion, political, snaps | Leave a Comment »

digital dating.

November 5, 2009 by audreycleo

From my friend Seth's desk. I'm sorry if this is offensive to people with inch-long ankles.

A friend of mine, out of both boredom and curiosity, recently signed up for Crazy Blind Date. A relatively new site that only serves a few greater metro areas around the country, the free service is run by the same folks behind OkCupid.

Billing itself as a place for “social, outgoing, and adventurous people,” basically, Crazy Blind Date is like the OpenTable of dating sites: coordinate a blind date on super short notice with little more than a profile of the other person, a super blurry picture and a meeting place/date/time. Communicate through the site to avoid any chance of a Dimitri the Stud situation, and options for a solo or double date means you can choose whether to face your fellow social strangers one or three at a time. Accepting a date is binding by the almighty Powers of the Interwebs, and if you cancel, you’re really really frowned upon. Major two thumbs down for you from the site’s overlords/lordesses.

It’s sleek (and a favorite price of mine: FREE!), effectively diminishing the meat market factor with the blurred-out pictures. And my friend, after one day of signing up, already had a date lined up for Friday (yes, “had”; more on that later).

Admittedly, I’ve never tried the online dating thing. The closest I’ve ever come has been with a site where I really just logged on to take the three-days-long personality test. When it came to actual match-ups, I did the equivalent of dipping your big toe into the ocean and running away really fast: I’d scan profiles and then immediately close communication by selecting 1 of the 20 or so checkboxes, a.k.a. “reasons” for not caring to know anything beyond his height and hobbies. I never found the checkbox for “Because you listed Rollerblading as a hobby.” I also had trouble filling out my profile. When you answer “What’s the first thing someone notices about you?” with “My unicorn horn,” the online thing might also not be for you. Although I did come across one dude who’s profile had the answer “My vas deferens.” Intrigued.

While no longer stigmatized as that thing socially inept people in chat rooms do in hopes of meeting a fellow social lameball to procreate with, digital dating has become–gasp!–normal. It’s no longer the method of the desperate and, indeed, a good chunk of my attractive, educated, employed girl friends have tried it out albeit with mixed results.

I can’t lay claim to being a person-who’s-friends-with-that-married-couple-who-met-online just yet, but plenty of us can. We hear it all the time: “so-and-so met so-and-so online.” I get the appeal. Online dating services are, all at once, modern matchmakers, social organizers, and also time managers: Are those Crocs he’s wearing in that picture? X’d. Did she actually write that the Twilight series is the greatest piece of contemporary literature written thus far in an un-ironic way? Banished! (From your list of “potential matches,” that is.) It makes sense. We’re all busy enough as it is, so why not let someone else aggregate our list of potential suitors/hook-ups/fiancees/spouses for us and let us do the cherry-picking thereafter? In the economics of dating, it seems like hitting the WWW has the comparative advantage over, say, practicing the Secret. Or my preferred method in the past: prayer.

But beyond the carefully-selected list of favorite bands, movies and quirky Twin Peaks references, at some point, www.cutepre-dateinstantmessaging.com turns into omgreality. Real life meetings give way to the very thing digital dating can’t avoid: those in-the-flesh first impressions — and it’s usually at that point, I start hearing the horror stories. The disconnect between web-reality and reality is almost always a physical one, and is anyone really surprised? All that emo self-reflection and introspection that goes into filling out profiles asking you to finish sentences like “People say I resemble ____________” is just begging you to put down “Jarah Mariano” when you really should write “Bai Ling.”

Conversely, I’ve also seen and heard the upside to letting the Internet gods take Cupid’s bow and shooting you in the email with it.

So, folks: digital dating. What do you all think? What are some of your best (and by “best” I mean “worst”) online dating stories?

Oh, and about my friend who signed up for CBD: She and her would-be Friday night activity partner couldn’t agree on a meeting spot. But she’s already been pinged for more dates. I smell an adventure on the horizon. Or at least a really good story.

Posted in braincandy, girlstuff, huh?-larious, tech/web | 2 Comments »

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