People I stalk online

Every time I'm online, I systematically hit up the same bunch of web pages (a habit which delicious and bloglines have revolutionized for me). I check for updates, I re read old updates, and sometimes I feel kinda like a stalker.

I feel especially like a stalker when it's someone's personal page, eg their blog. However, I don't feel bad or creepy. Stalking online is encouraged. We live in a world where you can stalk freely and anonymously. We can 'poke' strangers on face book, we can 'comment', 'add' and 'message' anyone we want. ANYONE. Basically, the Internet is just a big stalk-o-thon.

I embrace the future of technology, blogging and social networking (too a degree.. I still know how to pick up the phone). So here is a list of people and places I enjoy stalking online and why;

My sister

My sister Jen is a fine arts student at AUT in Auckland. Not only is she my BFF, she takes awesome photographs, does amazing work and has amazing insight into human emotion. I often head to her blog for inspiration or to cure homesickness.

Htown.co.nz

This is the site I go to when i want to know what is up in the way of local music and gigs.It has the low down on all things musical and is a great resource.

Bridget Saunders

Saunders is responsible for the spy section

in the Sunday Herald. Surprisingly, there is more to her blogs than juicy gossip. It can be funny, interesting and opinionated.

Tegan and Sara

This is my favorite band...

Urban Outfitters

This is one of my favorite online stores, I especially love the apartment section. They have specials and sales almost daily, so I always check back, just in case the grey couch which I will eventually own gets marked down...

Too Pure

This is where I go to read about international music, learn about new bands...

Beauty and the street

I like to know what's going on fashion, music and culture wise on a global scale.

MIA's blog

One of my friends from high school...(lying) She's become really famous so I like checking back to see what she's up to. I can hear her talking in that UK accent even when she writes! I like reading her blog because she writes in an uncensored 'fuck the world' kind of way. I'm pretty sure her blog is under construction again, so check back soon.

I'm going to leave it there for now, I'm super tired.

Instinct or impulse?

A month or so ago I walked into JB Hi-Fi and picked up a CD. I felt a connection to the image. It was pretty and I wanted it to live on my shelf. The music of Santogold would be amazing, I could feel it. I went with my instincts and payed the $25 to make it mine , without any knowledge of the content.

I got home and excitedly slipped the CD into my computer. The sweet combo of Indie and electro filled my ears, mouth and mind. This was a great CD. I felt a wave of appreciation and affection for my instincts, which had just helped me pick out my new favorite CD, minus the drama of pre-purchase research.

Last night, while listening to 'star stuck' by Santogold, I began to think about human instincts. In a way, I guess our bodies have a mind of their own. We automatically pull away from something if it's too hot and we scratch itches in our sleep. We buy CDs because we think the cover looks cool...I started to picture my hand with it's own little brain, thinking away down there next to my wrist.

I stole this little snippet from the book 'Human Instinct' by Professor Robert Winston:

"What drives a happily married man to fantasize about pretty, slim young women seen on a tube train? Why does a seriously injured, semi-conscious and dehydrated mountaineer battle against impossible weather conditions, refusing the comforts of sleep, to spend three days crawling down to the safety of base camp? How is it that so many thousands of people spend their week entirely focussed on whether their team will win their next crucial match? What stimulates that urge to press the pedal as hard as possible at traffic lights to make the fastest getaway? And how is it that so many people still hold religious views when the notion of an all-powerful being is irrational? All of these impulses are driven by our human instincts - sexual drive, survival, competition, aggression and our search for knowledge."

Instincts are unlearned. They are built into us. They are inherited, fixed patterns of response to certain stimuli.

I believe my CD purchase was fueled by the human instinct to 'search for (music) knowledge'. I have always possessed a deep-seeded desire to unearth new and amazing music before everyone else finds out about it.

I ended up back in the lap of my sexy old friend, bbc.com and took a human instincts test which i recommend, just for kicks.

Go here to 'test your morals" : http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/morals/

Go here to blow your mind: http://www.myspace.com/santogold

lets talk politics

I took an online test the other day which told me i was a bleeding heart liberal. Until recently i have never thought about my political stance. Am I meant to care about politics at 19?

I discovered I already do. I care about how much money the government is going to give students. Being anti war, hating racism, sexism and discrimination means I have political views and ideas, which actually match up quite nicely with the liberal way of thinking.

After my online discovery, I had a hot date with my thesaurus and found that liberal is partnered with words like tolerant, free thinking and open minded. I consider myself to be all these things. I told my dad one night over dinner that I was a liberal. "So you're a communist?" he said. Um no dad, but thanks for partnering me up with Mao Zedong.

I'm not a communist, and maybe I'm not even a liberal. To be honest, i know a whole lot of nothing about New Zealand politics, and most of my friends are the same.

Should we take an interest, does it matter if we vote or not? I think it does. Why am I so reluctant to do anything about it?

life therapy

I've been having this crazy recurring nightmare lately where i wake up with no hands and fail my degree because i can't write/type/slap people?

I've never had a recurring dream before, so i was semi freaked out about it and naturally, i went online to www.dreammoods.com and looked up "Amputation"...

"To dream that your limbs are amputated, signifies abandoned talents and serious, permanent loss. It indicates your feelings of frustration, powerlessness and helplessness. Sometimes amputation may also represent a situation that you have been ignoring and has finally reached a crisis point. In particular, to dream that your arms are amputated, suggests that you lack motivation. Dreaming that you legs are amputated suggests that you are limited in movements and where you want to go in life"

I hate you dream moods! it's all true! I totally lack motivation (when it comes to writing this blog), I feel frustrated and powerless ( no matter how often i dye my hair dark brown, it always turns a hideous shade of light brown), i have been ignoring situations (my laundry), until they are at crisis point (I nearly ran out of t shirts...) and i am limited in movement (exercise?).

Now, armed with the knowledge of my key current flaws (according to dream moods anyway) I am going into life therapy to somehow become motivated and learn how to manage situations. In other words i am going to call my mum and ask her how to become a responsible grownup instead of a kid.

Maybe I will buy a calender and teach myself to do sit ups? Watch this space.