Steampunk

Have you heard of Steampunk? I hadn't before this weekend when one of my friends referenced it. This led to me asking a thousand questions and requesting illustrations of this phenomenon. Wikipedia defines it as: Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy.

Interesting. Somewhat strange. But I must confess that I loved reading about the Victorian era when I was a kid, so maybe these steampunks were just the same. I was shown some photos that helped illustrate what it means in a practical sense.

A Steampunk Computer (made to look Victorian)
I hope that keyboard is easier to use than it looks. Have you ever typed on a typewriter? I would say modern keyboards are superior to the pounding necessitated by typewriters.

A guitar:
I think stylistically some of this stuff is pretty cool. Generally I'm not into trying to make the present look like something else, but every once in a while it's neat and totally catches your eye.

Back to School Shopping

I'm dreaming of a new fall wardrobe. I made a few purchases this week of inexpensive, staple items, but my grad student status will prevent any shopping sprees for the foreseeable future. What to do when you can't really shop? POLYVORE! Besides, it allows me to add YSL to my wardrobe.

From the left:

• Blending softness and structure for work. This outfit would work great on an Indian Summer day when it's not cool enough to require a sweater.
• I love this cashmere sweater. I'd like to put on this outfit and head to Hood River to pick up some fresh apples. The aviators would be perfect for the weak Autumn sun.
• This outfit reminds me of the clothes I remember seeing fancy ladies wear in movies when I was growing up. It would be a fun getup for a cocktail party and the sleeves and tights would help me cope with the chilly weather.
• Be still my Parisian heart. I wish I could put this on and stroll down la rive gauche to the Musée d'Orsay. I would gaze upon the gorgeous impressionist paintings then linger a bit in front of Emmanuel Fremiat's sculpture of St Michel slaying the dragon.
  

Am I an iPhoney? Part II

Back in June I wrote about my recent acquisition of an iPhone (see post here). I had been uncertain of the impact the adoption of a smart phone would have on my communication and phone usage. Six weeks later I feel it's time to reevaluate the phone situation. I've found it to be quite helpful when I need to access information from emails such as directions. I've used the GPS a couple of times, although I recently received a Nuvi as a gift so I doubt I will need to rely on it too often for that purpose, especially since my Nuvi doesn't deplete my data plan.

I use it to check the weather on a daily basis, and use the world clock function to know what time it is where my expatriated friends are. I've downloaded a song to use as a ring tone, the Fandango application to check movie times, Pandora to listen to music anytime and anywhere, and Tetris. The main thing I love about it is the camera. It's great when I just want to quickly capture something funny, or take a photo of something I want to think about buying, or when I forgot my camera battery at a friend's wedding. It's convenient, but at the end of the day a camera would have performed the same function.

The bottom line is that the functional impact the iPhone has had on my life is negligible. Sure, some things I used to do on a computer I now do on my phone, but isn't that just a different format for the same habits? I might spend less time on my laptop, but instead I'm just staring at a different, smaller screen. The iPhone is fun, occasionally very helpful but as I described it to a group of friends the other day: it's basically a phone with a Gameboy attached. I've probably played far more Tetris on it while waiting for a bus, a friend, takeout, etc. than anything else. Let's face it, I should probably be toting a library book around with me instead. It would be much better for my brain and my eyesight. Of course it's probably too late for that, I've probably become assimilated. Besides, you know what they say, once you go Mac, you never go back.

Am I an iPhoney?

Last week, the cell phone that I've had since I was a senior in college finally bit the dust. It didn't have a lot of functionality but it never dropped calls and most importantly was cheap with a cheap coverage plan. I went to AT&T and while perusing the phones was approached by a sales associate and began to discuss the various models. He suggested I consider an iPhone. Clever, I thought, just by the virtue of bringing it up you're giving me no choice but to consider it. I love my Apple computer, but when the iPhone came out I wasn't terribly interested in it and figured I would wait until the price came down. Whenever an expensive new gadget comes out and people go crazy over it I always think of that scene from The Wedding Singer where Glenn tells Julia he just got the newest thing (a cd player) and that it was only a thousand bucks. Basically I like to give myself a little time to let the excitement calm down a bit and then evaluate whether or not I really want it.

Turns out the price of the iPhone has dropped enough and AT&T has revised their minimum data plan so that the whole thing is significantly less expensive. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that their exclusive deal with Apple is running out shortly and they realize they are going to have to become more competitive. I was able to get an iPhone for roughly the same price as another phone I was interested in with a nominal increase to my monthly service charges. I was probably the easiest sale the kid made all day. Cell phones are probably on my top 5 least favorite things to shop for list and I was glad to get in and out. A small part of me felt personally defeated. I had resisted the trend for so long, held out against the need to feel constantly connected and have the internet at my fingertips at all times. Had I held out all this time for nothing?

I spent the afternoon customizing it to my preferences and thinking about this new piece of equipment that I will use on a daily, possibly even hourly basis. I thought to myself "This isn't going to change me. I'm still the same person," a mantra generally reserved for first time parents and people undergoing real life-changing experiences. I didn't download a truckload of apps, or cheeky ringtones in favor of a more minimalist approach: when the need comes up for more stuff, I'll get it then. Forty-eight hours later I had sent and received a handful of texts, sent an email, read some blogs and downloaded exactly two apps (NPR News and a fitness/diet app). I feel calmer, more convinced that I'll be able to resist the phone addictions that have entrapped so many of my friends and acquaintances.

As I sat on the bus home from work on my first weekday of being an iPhone user I decided to respond to a personal email. I didn't enjoy emailing after work so perhaps this would be the perfect way to save some time. As I composed my email I couldn't help but feel like the eyes of the woman sitting next to me were scrutinizing everything I wrote. The email was a planning discussion with a fellow hostess of an event I'm putting on and was mainly logistical but interrupted every so often with fairly personal texts. The bright colors and snazzy logos on my iPhone just begged of this woman "Read me. Look at how colorful I am and how quickly I change. I am the chameleon of technology." I realized while sitting there that although I now have the capability to do all these things in virtually any public place, it doesn't mean I will. A close friend had given me a good natured ribbing over the fact that I am now one of "those people with an iPhone" but sitting on that bus I couldn't help but wonder: am I an iPhoney?

Only time will tell. It's early and perhaps I'm not assimilated into iPhone culture yet. To be continued...