In many ways this revelation is great news – has the American public suddenly accepted the LGBTQI population with open arms? Has being gay become as normal as being African-American or Latino? I’d say that’s hardly the case… but, as a gay lady, I do find it moderately promising that the public has more or less accepted these out celebrities. In this regard, I agree with Peters’ musings, that’s about where it ends.

He goes on to suggest, “The relative indifference Americans have these days about high-profile people coming out appears rooted not only in progressively tolerant views of gay people but in the rather cynical supposition that stars wait to come out until they see a financial benefit, or have little to lose.”

Really? That’s what it’s come down to? Looking back, I hardly see that as the case… Melissa Etheridge announced her gayness in 1993 right around the height of her career. Luckily for her, she is crazy talented and is still putting out music almost 20 years later. On of our favorites, Ellen (she doesn’t even need a last name anymore), came out in 1997. These two women broke the ground for lesbians in the nineties… yes, there were some before and many alleged, but ask any lesbian that’s come in within the past 15 years – these were celebrities that helped make it easier.

When Mr. Peters suggests the notables coming out now have “little to lose”, I beg to differ. Take Chely Wright – a country music star that was at her height in the late nineties and early millennium. Her most famous track being Single White Female where she sings “a single white female is looking for a man like you”. Even more shocking, Jennifer Knapp, a Grammy award winning Contemporary Christian artist. Neither have had an active career within the past five years of so… but who can blame them? Living a lie and hiding a part of you in order to keep a career? Pressure from money hungry label executives to maintain an image suitable for your audience? Being gay would’ve killed their careers in 2001. So they stepped out of the spotlight and tried to regain their life. Now, when they’re ready for the consequences and ready to empower young women to avoid their mis-steps, they’re perceived as coming out to boost album sales. Ouch.

I give them more credit than that. At the climax of their careers, being gay and in the public eye wasn’t that easy yet. Ten years has brought much more acceptance to our nation, but not enough. Nothing to lose you say? Is Knapp’s newest album being sold in Christian music stores? Is Wright’s new single being played on country radio? Nope and Nope. (Check out what FoxNews had to say about their album sales)

However, another point in the NYT article focuses on the lack of affect out celebrities have on the average person’s tolerance of gays. It also emphasizes the importance of queer individuals coming out to those around them in order to truly keep the ball rolling towards complete acceptance. I completely agree that knowing a gay person is the best way to accept them. Surveys have proven this fact, knowing a gay person contributes much more to some one’s positive views than seeing someone out in the limelight.

I think of the 14 year old girl that’s struggling with her sexuality, living in the small-town, and scared to tell her parents or best friend she has a crush on the cute girl in the band… or the boy on the football team that’s just as manly as the rest, but doesn’t want to take a girl to homecoming. These are the one’s that need celebrities to keep coming out. Seeing successful people have good and fulfilling lives while being gay make coming out much easier. So, while the heterosexual world may continue to shrug their shoulders as more an more famous people come out… we gays will applaud and welcome them because we know what it takes to be gay.

1. Getting my hopes up. This area is sort of the umbrella over most areas of questionability. I do this in practically every aspect of my life on a regular basis. Are we all guilty of it? Or is it just the optimistic? I like to blame it on my Piscean heritage, the dreamer in me that always gets the last laugh. However, I am circumstantially beginning to doubt these hopes. And wonder if I should relate them more directly with my expectations.

2. Fear of settling. At what moment are we finally aware that the decisions we make are truly fulfilling our potential? So many people go to school and get degrees in their passion, graduate, and end up making a livelihood doing something completely different. Does this mean they’ve settled? Or have they just found a different potential? I know what I went to school for, but what is it that I really want to do? Is anything but that first dream settling? I can also say the same thing for relationships… when do you know your’re not just settling for something that’s easy or comfortable?

3. The dreaded “I told you so”. Gah, do I ever hate these. I avoid having to hear them at all costs, but I feel like they’ve been coming at me from all angles lately.

4. Me vs. Them. I know we all move at different speeds and on different tracks, but it’s incredibly easy to put yourself in a different league and draw incomplete conclusions. Our measurements for success are all on completely separate scales and when we put ourselves on someone else’s, bad things happen. I will attest to that… so from now on, it’s less me against them, but more me against myself.

5. Can attitude make a difference? This will make or break me. In the past, this has killed my chances. I think the only way out of this hopeful funk is to will it and make the absolute best of whatever I do. Somehow, I need to take pride in all of these endeavors and put all that I can into each in order to reach gratification.

Image via CrunchBase

Ok, let’s be honest… 400 million active users is a serious number. Especially when the average user is spending more than 55 minutes a day on Facebook. Not to mention the other outrageous statistics like the 5 billion tidbits (video, links, news, photos, etc) of information shared each week or the 5.3 billion fans in the Facebook-Sphere. So, how do we over-power the sleeping giant?

It is estimated that in 2009 our giant made over half a billion dollars in revenue. According to Business Insider, most of that income comes from advertisements… either self-service, brand, and a wopping contract with Microsoft, also about 15% from virtual goods. Obviously, many of these forms of income require users to be active on the site. What would happen if members could still participate in the conversation without being there? And, in the mean time participate in all their communities via one. If people had the option to leave Facebook and still be able to communicate with their contacts through it, would we start seeing decline in growth?

A new open source protocol in development could be the game changer that Facebook is fearing. Salmon intends to unify the billions of conversations going on throughout the web by creating a system that allows information to “swim upstream to original update sources”. With this process, users would publish information that would be sent to all subscribers. Next, users can reply or comment from their respective network… then the comments are sent upstream to the original source, where it is updated in real-time and sent back to the subscribers.

Salmon is already being used by a few lesser known networks, Status.net and Cliqset. However, as more and more networks jump on board (including Google Buzz, which is on the slate for Salmon), Facebook will need to consider taking the leap into this next-generation protocol. With something like this in place, Facebook would more than likely lose the momentum it’s been enjoying so much. Many users may grow tired of the network and without fear of losing their friends, will be able to leave. These concerns become more apparent as the community grows, waters down it’s privacy policy, and becomes saturated with advertisements and marketing schemes. The big F.B. may actually have to compete with other networks, imagine that.

So, here’s to innovation.

So, what have I done with all that other time you ask? Here’s a summary:

- I conquered Super Mario Bros. Wii

- caught up on any sleep I might have ever lost during my lifetime of school and work

- over-analyzed my funds and budget

- mastered wake boarding on Wii Sports Resort

- cook for practically every meal

- watched more college basketball than ever before

- daydreamed about getting an awesome job

- take my dog to the park more often

- started downloading torrents again

- played more guitar, wrote some half finished songs

- resisting the urge to spend money on anything that isn’t needed for basic life functions

I do feel like should be doing more… stuff like refinishing old furniture, sewing a quilt, volunteering, or maybe even beginning to study for the GRE (which is definitely becoming an option). Oh well, I don’t know of a guide book for unemployed people.

These accomplishments are, of course, in addition to my job hunt. That is the more depressing topic. I will amuse you at a later time about my disgust for the job market.

Image by degreeszero via Flickr

As I was keeping up with my Google Reader this afternoon, I came across the handful of articles circulating the virtual news stands about Universal Music Group’s bright idea. Apparently, they’ve found a way to save themselves from this newfangled “internet” thing people seem to be buzzing about. Remember CD’s? Yeah, those discs we all used to buy back in 2001… well, they’re about to get cheaper. Oh, what’s that? No one cares.

Maybe it’s just me… maybe I’m the only one that values my time and gas more than the possibility of saving a buck on the newest mediocre album released by UMG. Here are a few of my concerns:

1. CD sales have dropped by half since 2000. Half. That’s a lot. Pre-2000 sales of recordings were the bread and butter for the majors… now what’s their biggest source of income? Nothing. The song itself is now a promotional tool. The majors have to get that through their thick and naive heads if they want to survive.

2. The convenience of buying online is just too tempting. I don’t remember the last physical album I purchased. Music buying is many times an impulse buy for me, therefore, having iTunes at my finger tips whenever I want it makes for some frivolous spending. Why head to my local Best Buy and browse an extremely limited selection without the convenience of previews, recommendations, and similar tunes? Not worth my time or gas.

3. This is only a “trial”. Apparently UMG calls this strategy an attempt to “attract consumers who have cut back on buying CDs in recent years”. Oh, you mean those customers that illegally download their music for free? This is a toughie… free? or 7 bucks? Say you actually make a few people happy that don’t have a soul and actually buy music at Wal-Mart… then when you realize how much money you’re still not making on CD’s and hike the price back up, you’ll have some pissed off rednecks.

4. Kids these days don’t buy albums, they buy tracks. If you peruse the casual listener’s iTunes library, you’re bound to find a whole bunch of singles. 3 to 7 tracks from a bunch of different artists. Mostly what they’ve been hearing on the Top 40 stations. Mostly what the artists on labels under the UMG umbrella like to deliver. These buyers aren’t interested in the album, my friends… They’re too busy buying the next number one and updating their Facebook status from the their phone.

I guess I’m just a jaded recipient of a Bachelor degree in music business… however, I think many will agree when I say that the major labels are dying dinosaurs and there’s not a damn thing that can save them. Well, except of course hiring me and the other recent batch of grads that understand that the business as they know it is dead… but that’s a subject for another day.

1. Portland, OR - This is probably my most recent city of hopeful inhabitation. Portland happens to be any numerous “Top Cities” lists, including Top Cities for Young Professionals (# 8), America’s 50 Greenest Cities (#1), and America’s Most Pet-Friendly Cities (#2), the 2009 Best Cities for Job Growth (#55 over NYC, Chicago, San Fran, and Nashville) Over a quarter of it’s workforce bike, carpool, or use public transportation to get to work. You’re only a short drive to the Pacific and National Parks. The cost of living is very affordable, culture is good in the city, and the scenery is freakin’ gorgeous. The weather in the summer months seems quite pleasing… averages a high of 80 degrees in the hot months and lows in the 30′s in the winter months. My only gripe? Rain. Lots of winter month rain. About 40% of the days in the year have measureable rain. But hey, I look cute in galoshes. Oh, and snow-capped mountains in the distance? Yeah, I’m okay with that.
2. San Francisco, CA – This gem of a city has always been on my list of places to live. San Fran (as I’ve learned only non-residents call it, but whatever) tops many lists, including Top Cities for Young Professionals (# 1) and The World’s Most Inventive Cities (#1). The main draw to to this west coast staple is the culture, history and thefact that it is a techy hot-bed home to Apple, Google, HP, and many more forward-thinking companies. And with that comes a price with it’s very expensive cost of living… Housing is 264% more expensive than here in Nashville (even 31% more than NYC!), and even though the average income is much higher, all that extra cash would be thrown into rent or mortgage. But is the pleasant weather, culture, stature of such a cool city worth the plunge? That is to be determined.
3. New York, NY – What isn’t there to say about NYC? It’s on everyone’s list of cities to give a try. After seeing it for the first time in March, I truly fell in love with parts of the city. From riding the subway, walking the crowded streets, being enveloped by giant metal mountains, and experiencing the vast amount of culture breathing from each crack, New York would be a fantastic place to call home. It’s a change of pace that this little southern-bred woman would definitely have to get used to. But all that has to be worth it. Downsides are the high cost of living, slight intimidation, and convincing myself that I need to sell my car to pay the security deposit on a tiny studio apartment that I’d share with Mallory, Oscar, Ellie, and Jolie. But being found somewhere in that legendary skyline? Totally worth it.
4. Boston, MA – I’ve heard a lot about Boston. Unfortunately, I’ve never been there… actually, my little uncultured-self has never been to New England at all. But being a twenty-something in Boston would probably be quite fun since it’s such a college town, rightedly so, since it is ranked as one of the Top Cities For College Grads to Find Jobs (#8), and according to the same list has a higher average annual income that it’s fellow Top Ten cities ($53,680). A similar list, Top Cities for Young Professionals, ranks Boston at number 2. So, they must be doing something right since everyone speaks so highly of them. In addition, I’d have no problem supporting their athletic teams… I’ve got a BoSox shirt or two, but the hardest to overcome will be learning to like Pats.



5. Asheville, NC – This quaint, southern, yet hip and artsy mid-sized town is home to the headquarters of my beloved Sigma Alpha Iota, among its other attributes. Apparently, others feel the same way since it’s been ranked consistently as one of America’s Best Place to Live. Just walking the streets of Asheville’s downtown can make anyone feel at home. Nestled amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains, there would always be a surplus of beautiful scenery and outdoor activity. In a way, I like to think of it as Nashville, but prettier.

When it comes down to it, I’m pretty sure I’d be happy in hundreds of places. But I’ll be sure to send a postcard when I get there.

First, here… a screenshot of my inbox.

1. We’ll begin with one of my most favoritest features in Gmail, and a relatively new one. Released earlier this year, Multiple Inboxes, is one of the most convenient tools for anyone with more than one email address. Now, most email clients will let you forward an email address and receive forwarded messages, but what other email clients lets you have a special “inbox” for different email addresses… as well as sent mail, a certain label, sender, etc.? By activating Multiple Inboxes in your Gmail Labs section, you’ll be able to organize up to five separate boxes to your liking. Tired of missing important emails from a work address? Give it it’s own inbox and never miss a conversation again.
2. Next, I’d like to highlight the simplicity of using labels. I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of email these days. From emaillists, social network updates, bank updates, shopping, and more… sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference when everything looks the same. What’s even harder is finding an email with important information weeks or months after you received it. Oh? What’s that Gmail? You’ve given me an easy way to label messages? Whammy. With labels, I can color coat certain types of email so they are easy to locate later and click on that label and see only those emails. Easily label something by dragging the label from the left column to the message, and BLAM-O!, labeled. And what’s even better, you ask? Go to number 3.
3. Filters!!! I know you’re probably asking yourself… “so I have to label every freakin’ email? Yeah, right. My time is too valuable for such menial tasks. I’ll let my assistant do the labeling.” Yes, I’ll admit it… I can be lazy sometimes too. And that’s where filters come in. Found in your settings, filters will let you automatically apply a label, mark as read, skip inbox, delete, star, and most anything else you can think of to emails from certain addresses, to certain addresses, with a specific word or phrase in the subject, etc… Most of my labels are already labeled before I even read them, so if I’m just checking for something specific, it’s there, already color-coated and ready to be read, marked as read, or whatever else I want to do with it. Power, I has it.
4. Sometimes I forget what day it is. I may forget where I need to be. But one thing I don’t forget is to check my email. So, how do I solve this problem? Google Calendars. But I don’t stop there. I put a miniature Google Cal right beside my inbox!!! Now all of my appointments, schedules, reminders, and holidays are in front of my face many times a day. Studies have shown that this increases my chances of remembering an engagement by 78%. Intense? Indeed.
5. What about when all I really have to say is “Ok, See you at 7.” or “No, that wasn’t my picture on the side of a bus.”? Sometimes, a quick reply is too much. Or maybe I need a few questions answered and a string of emails isn’t the best way to talk. Who do I call? Google Chat. If my email recipient is logged in, I can just shoot them a message in Chat and have a quick instant message exchange. Even if you’re in the middle of an email thread you can reply via chat and the transcript of the exchange will show up in the email thread. Have a distant lover? Why not video chat to see their smiling face instead of sending a long and sad email. Set a status so people don’t bother you, hide until someone you like is online, and many other features available with your everyday IM client.
6. Tasks. Have a few things that need to get done? Enable Tasks your labs and a little popup in the corner will let you manage them, give them a deadline, put them on your calendar, and have the satisfaction of checking it off once you’ve completely your task.

There’s still much more but I thought a number for each one of these may be too much. Not to mention the power of the most powerful search engine on the planet. Just make sure you head over to the Gmail Labs section and enable a few things that may make life a little easier. Some of my favorites:

• Attachment Reminder
• Email “Beer Goggles” (for those late night, incomprehensible emails that may need to wait til the morning)
• Picture and Video previews
• Custom Label Colors
• Undo Send (for that “Doh! Forgot something!” feeling)
• Canned Responses

So, isn’t it time to let Gmail change your life? And for those other Gmail lovers out there, what’s your favorite feature? What did I miss?

Luckily for me, I wasn’t emo enough to get the haircut. So there are now embarrassing photos of that sort, but I did do my fair share of listening to the music. However, there was no screamo for me, just the whiney stylings of Chris Carrabba and Dashboard Confessional. What’s a better way to release one’s adolescent angst than listening to a throaty voice accompanied by acoustic strums in weird guitar tunings? Exactly. Nothing. I can remember listening to Screaming Infidelities on a mix CD in the car with my dad… he asked, “Why are you listening to a song that talks about ‘making out’?” I’m not exactly sure of my reply, but I’m pretty sure I had nothing. And I still don’t. Those first few EP’s were really just a guilty pleasure, lyrics that spoke of things I hadn’t experienced, hinting at what relationships had to offer. Pain, First Kisses, Anxiousness, Lack of Reciprocation: Lessons learned from Mr. Carrabba. Unfortunately, the advent of A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, and the integration of a full-band and slightly edgier sound marked the demise of my Dashboard love. As his music progressed, so did I… and I will forever be left, Living in Your Letters.

Favorite Tracks: For You To Notice, Remember To Breathe, Screaming Infidelities, Hands Down (original acoustic version)

Next on the run-down would probably be a band that I spent much time with while driving with the windows down the summer of age 16. Something Corporate was not your average pop-punk band. With the addition of piano-banging melodies, SoCo delivered something slightly different than the rest of the Warped Tour-esque lineup. I can remember searching the internet for chords and charts of Andrew McMahon’s riffs and attempting to play the piano. Unfortunately for me, never being taught to play the piano, this was difficult. And to this day can still only barely remember the main riff to the epic, nine and a half minute overture, Konstantine. Sadly, SoCo didn’t remain together after their second full-length album, and as McMahon went on to solo efforts, my tastes and I aged. Even though I did acquire one of his later albums in college, I never had the same attachment to the five-some I remember seeing at Rcktwn, banging the keys with his feet.

Favorite Tracks: Konstantine, I Woke Up In a Car, Globes & Maps, Hurricane

This next guy is still pretty big today, but in my mind can never top the era of his first major release. As one of my first concerts “alone”… my parents actually let me drive up to Downtown Nashville with a friend, park, attend RiverStages without parental supervision, seeing Jason Mraz was quite the fun experience. The Mraz I came to love was a dirty-mouthed, creative lyricist that was oddly unique and gave a great show. If my memory is correct, he even brought out a rooster on-stage during his River Stages performance to compliment is “cock” theme of Waiting For My Rocket to Come. Luckily, I came to like Mraz’s music in my days dishonest downloading, and was able to procure many unreleased tracks not found on any of his studio releases. So, even though I think he did have a bit of a sophomore slump with MR. A-Z, I still had enough material to keep me content.

Favorite Tracks: Dream Life of Rand McNally; Tonight, Not Again; Common Pleasure; You and I Both

Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Eat World, Mae, Copeland, Death Cab for Cutie

As you can see, this era was jam-packed with male voices. All of these artists probably spent some time in rotation on my mp3 player of choice at the time… and by rotation, I mean that this adorable little 64 MB player could only hold about 50 songs at a time. Talk about high-tech gear, this baby was quite advanced for 2003… The iPod was only two years old and hadn’t even introduced the full-fledged clickwheel yet. But damn, it sure ate AAA’s like nobody’s business.

The next installment will show my… err… life changes? As in a complete gender opposition, featuring music from talented ladies instead of men.

On the other hand, Taylor Swift is just adorable. I’ll admit that at first I found her music to be too sweet, too sugary, and lacking in vocal talent. But, like a bad toupee, it grows on us… and eventually, we can’t imagine the world without it. I started to respect that her music is slightly juvenile in nature, consistently marketed toward 15 year-old girls, and slightly repeatitive… but she’s damn good at it. And if Def Leppard can share a stage with her and not break out in laughter, she must really be moderately talented.

Anyways, I happen to think some of the stunts pulled by Kanye are completely out of line, especially this time. I’d love to see someone step up next time (if there will even be a next time) he wins an award, and say “Imma let you finish… but 50 Cent’s album was the best album of all-time”, hand the mic back, and see what happens.

Poor Taylor, left there in humiliation… she hasn’t even updated Twitter since the outburst. However, the best moment of the night had to be when Beyonce gave Taylor her moment during her “Video of the Year” acceptance.

If anything, the most valuable lessons learned at this year’s VMA’s were:

• Kanye West is a douchebag and deserves a big flop when his next album drops.
• Taylor Swift is still adorable, like a little kitten that keeps meowing, it’s so annoyingly cute that you can’t help but love it.
• Beyonce is truly a classy broad. And hell-of-a performer after seeing her “Single Ladies” performance.
• The rest of the VMA’s don’t matter.
• No one really needs to watch the VMA’s because all the good stuff will be all over the Twitter/Facebook/Youtube universe within minutes.

The saddest part, is that I really don’t think this was a publicity stunt. I think that deep down, beneath the layers of ego and self-love, Kanye thought that this was a good decision. Only after interupting the Swift’s speech and seeing her look of shock and horror did he think that it was a bad choice… at least that’s what he said on Jay Leno the next night. Oh, and I loved how Jay began the interview with “I’m glad you actually decided to show up”.

Even so, I kind of have to defend Nashville… Kanye hasn’t had the best history with our fair city and it’s people.

(my apologies for the cutesy pictures)

As a young, white suburban raised young lady, the first slot will go to none other than TLC. What was it about their dirty, quirky, and sometimes serious hip-hop that had me hooked? Probably the infamous under-eye patch worn by Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. Even though many of their words probably went well over my adolescent head (CrazySexyCool came out when I was seven), I still tried to sing along to the contra-alto notes that T-Boz hit. And of course, still know every word rapped in Waterfalls.

Favorite Tracks: Waterfalls, Creep, and Diggin’ On You

Unfortunately for me, I happened to grow up in a time of bubble-gum pop bands of gelled hair, wicked dance moves, and uplifting messages. So, which one suckered me into buying all their albums? That’s right. The Spice Girls. Yeah, yeah… Don’t judge me. They were one of the biggest pop culture icons of the 1990′s. And what wasn’t to love? There was a different flavor for everyone! As somewhat of a tom-boy, I clicked best with Sporty Spice, Melanie Chisholm – I even have her first solo album (which happened to feature an appearance by Left Eye). My dad even rented Spiceworld (the movie), and taped it so I could watch it over and over. We all have to admit that their image of female empowerment was great for young girls, even though their scantily clad wardrobe might hint otherwise. All I know is that I sang along with my microphone and tape recorder when nobody was looking. Heck, I even attempted to play Mama on the guitar when I first started learning.

Favorite Tracks: Too Much, 2 Become 1, and Naked

Moving on, and digging back into R&B, is the velvet vocal stylings of Brian McKnight. Talk about music to do the dirty to… although I was young in age, I knew exactly what the purpose of his ballads were – to help people get laid. At the height of my R&B phase, Mr. McKnight was definitely my top choice for a smooth beat and rich vocals. To culminate my middle school experience, I danced my first boy/girl slow dance to the sweet sound of Back at One… luckily it was McKnight’s rendition and not the country cover by Mark Wills. Oh, and even though I may not necessarily be into men now… there’s no denying that Brian McKnight was/is a sexy black man.

Favorite Tracks: Anytime, Cherish, and 6, 8, 12

This next artist was a difficult decision. She is someone that I still love dearly and will continue to support. However, to me, nothing will ever top her first album as it rests deep in my heart. Alanis Morissette is, by far, my favorite Canadian ever and Jagged Little Pill is probably in my top ten albums of all time. Throughout my life, every time I listened to that album I would discover something deeper, something I missed, or just couldn’t understand the previous time. With Alanis, there was no sugar coating anything. Her words were just that… taken straight from her journals, right out of her mind, with the hope that a melody could make them clear. I have all of her endeavors since then, but just can’t get as deep as I have with Jagged. Additionally, I absolutely love seeing her make cameos in TV and movies. Can you imagine a better God in Dogma? What about her recent endeavors on Weeds (which I have sadly missed since forgoing cable)? And even the crazy Canadian principal in Degrassi: The Next Generation‘s TV special with Kevin Smith? All in all, hands down love.

Favorite Tracks: Hand in My Pocket, You Learn, and Not the Doctor

Honorable Mentions: Jewel, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Boyz II Men

This will conclude part 1 of the series. Next up, we’ll walk the halls of Centennial High School, marching band, and the advent of my days of illegal music downloading (which I no longer participate in, thank you very much). So, be prepared to put on your headphones and listen with me to my first mp3 player (a 64MB Yepp Y3-N30s) and the music that shaped my adolescence.