I'm a storyteller, that's what I do and love.

There are numerous, wonderful TED talks on their website, but this one caught my eye and ear today. I've been reading up on authors, their writing styles, why they write what they write, where they get their inspiration from, etc. It's just something I'm interested in. This woman, Elif Shafak, presents an incredible piece on the politics of fiction. If you have a little time, it's worth it.

Here are a few gems I especially liked from the talk:
"Everywhere I went I felt like my imagination was the only suitcase that I could carry with me."

"In the face of death and destruction our mundane differences evaporated and we all became one for a few hours."

"But don't you see? There is nothing in me that is not in everybody else and there is nothing in everybody else that is not in me."

"Identity politics divides us. Fiction connects."

Like what you heard? Watch more inspiring people giving riveting talks here.

I've become...

a tea drinker! Actually, I'm pretty sure that around this time for the past three years I've gone through a period of intense tea intake. However, this year it has really taken off! I haven't even had coffee for over two weeks. If you know me in real life, you know that's an accomplishment upon itself.

I'd been hoping to reduce my necessity for caffeine for awhile now, but never felt that it was 'the right time' to limit my caffeine intake. In other words, I was dependent for a reason: because I was far too busy to focus on my own health or to notice that the one cup of coffee I used to have had turned into around 3 caffeinated drinks a day. Whoops.

Don't get me wrong, I do know that some teas are caffeinated and I do not discriminate against them. Baby steps, people.

I hope this tea splurge lasts for more than a season, but I'm certainly enjoying it for now. My most recent flavor tries include: vanilla rooibos, orange green tea, english breakfast, earl gray, vanilla bean, and the absolute cream of the crop (my favorite) chai.

 

 photos from here. 

Do you have anything that the changing season ushers in as a change? Do you have favorite tea flavors? I'd love to hear them!

Have you seen The Social Network?

I'm not going to lie, I still haven't, but I have heard from a myriad of people who have. Some of those people are around my age, in college or just out of it, the first wave of Facebook users (at least, the first wave of when high schoolers were allowed to have an account.) Some of those people are from other blogs I read, including Meaghan O'Connell's account of how the movie made her feel. She is the director of outreach at Tumblr at 26 years old. (and also a bit of a personal hero.)

Anyways, I was wondering what you all thought? I'm planning on seeing it at some point this week - I still am not sure when, but it will happen - but I love reading up on something so real like this. This probably sounds a bit juvenile for those of you who haven't grown up in the Facebook/blogging/Twitter/smartphone generation that us Gen Xers have, but the film is about something that we ourselves have lived. Checking Facebook is a daily, usually many-times-a-day occurrence for over 500 million people. Those people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on the site. (Stats found here) This is where we document everything. This is how we check up on people, friends, family and foes alike. This is our world, at our fingertips.

Anyways, in case you have a little time and are equally interested in this topic, I've compiled a short list of articles I've found educational to read, and that hopefully will make me go into the movie knowing full well what is true and what is Hollywood lore to craft an entertaining film.

Mark Zuckerberg's Most Valuable Friend - by Miguel Helft from The New York Times
-A really wonderful in-depth article on how a 41-year-old woman and 26-year-old Zuckerberg (Facebook founder) truly work in real life.

Would That the Real Mark Zuckerberg Talked As Much As the Facebook Movie Zuckerberg - by Kara Swisher of BoomTree
-A unique glimpse into the chatty portrayal of an actually quite terse and less-than-chatty real world Zuckerberg.

With a Little Help From His Friends - by David Kirkpatrick of Vanity Fair
-A "he's not always the villain" article detailing Sean Parker (who helped create Napster and was a founding president of Facebook) in his real life. While his work ethic may be erratic, he is actually quite visionary and works hard....for awhile. I liked seeing the other side of the man who is cast as a villain in the Hollywood rendition of the film.

Now I'm going to go look up movie times!

Song Saturday!

I've been meaning to have Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings be a song Saturday for awhile now, but never did it! This summer, one of my roommates went to her concert and came home with her album on vinyl, on CD, AND with rave reviews. We listened to it a lot, and I've been a fan since.

Maybe you are, too?

STLF's Annual Event is Tonight!

Hello everyone! I know I've been pretty quiet here on the blog all week, but I've been overcoming a sickness that pretty much wiped me out this week. I'm still not 100%, but I'm working on it.

However! That doesn't mean that I'll be missing out on STLF's Annual Event tonight! STLF stands for Students Today Leaders Forever and is a nonprofit I've been involved with in one way or another for three years now. There was a chapter on my college campus that I was involved in quite a bit, and I even interned for the national office all last semester. Tonight is our annual fundraising event, where all of the money we raise goes directly towards scholarships for students to go on Pay it Forward tours. Pay it Forward tours are 9-day community service trips that travel to different cities each day, helping out in each community we stop in. I've been on four trips now, and helped plan or lead three of the trips, so I'm a big fan!

If you want to learn more about STLF, (or want to sign up for a tour!) head on over to stlf.net. Or! If you are around Minneapolis, come to The Crowne Plaza Northstar hotel tonight from 7-10pm and join in the fun! Don't worry if you didn't register, tickets are available at the door (and I'm helping with registration at the event so you will just have to look for me!)

on being sick.

I've been a bit under the weather and a fellow blogger posted this and I sympathized with it so well, I thought I'd share rather than try to get up the energy to write my own post. (Sorry, more original content soon.)

Feel better and then worse, and hot and then cold. Feel all the little hairs on your whole body stand up. Open and close windows, get under and crawl out of blankets. Maybe one leg under, one over. Watch 30 Rock in your sleep. Awake to a red Netflix screen. Hit “Next Episode” and close your eyes. Buzz him upstairs. Look in the mirror. Move your hair to the other side. Give up. Let him bring you soup and grapefruit juice. Try to act like you know how to be taken care of. Wonder how long until he realizes you’re a fraud. Watch TV with him. Try not to touch him or breathe on him. Let him leave. Get bored and try to write, try to gchat anyone who will listen to you say absolutely nothing, try to watch reruns of everything you’ve ever seen. Clean the stove again, take another shower, take two kinds of meds that probably counteract each other. Lie in bed and think about every stupid thing you’ve said this week that you wish you could take back. Every personality flaw you wish you didn’t have. Wonder if you would be better off going to work tomorrow. Wonder if there are still 1-800 numbers for psychics. Wonder if they would just talk to you for a while, free of charge, if you told them you wanted to apply for a job. Check your e-mail. Check your e-mail. Check your e-mail.

from here.

(except I've been watching Grey's Anatomy on Netflix, and at a particularly horrible moment in the middle of the night last night I found what I now realize are outdated Advil Cold & Sinus pills and took two, but the part about not knowing how to be taken care of is very true. at least, by anyone other than my mother, who is 5 hours away. a boy did offer to get me soup, though, and for that I'm very appreciative.)

Song Saturday!

Here is a (maybe new) song for your weekend!


I first heard this song in the film "It's Kind of a Funny Story." A good friend of mine got 2 free advanced screening passes and took me (!!!) so I saw it last Wednesday with her, even though it's not officially out in theaters until October 8. I liked the movie, it was truly aware of what it was at all times. (That probably doesn't make sense to everyone, but I guess what I'm saying is that it knew what it was. It wasn't trying to be some crazy romantic comedy - there was even a cinematic version of "fast forwarding" through the cheesy parts - yet there was a legitimate story line that was addressing issues that face many people today.) I digress. I thought the soundtrack was incredible. Sadly, most of the songs are not even being released until the soundtrack is on September 28. I plan on scooping it up then!

Here's a trailer for you, in case you've never heard of the movie:


(and the song in the trailer is Ida Maria's "Oh My God" which you can listen to in full here.)