Post College (sort of) Education

I was listening to some back episodes of WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show and a caller introduced herself and said that listening to the show is like getting a college degree without going to college. I don't agree completely because depending on what your goals are, there's a lot of specific reading and research one has to do in order to get a glimpse of what you're delving into (hopefully/maybe a life-long interest/passion). When I settled back in Brooklyn a few years back, I entertained going to graduate school for sociology. A friend told me I didn't exactly need a BA in it to apply, and reasoned that I was already many non-fiction books and case studies for leisure. I actually took pre-graduate courses and found out it wasn't for me, but I do still continue to love my non-fiction and science.

In another back episode of BLS, a guest was speaking about how people who read or enjoy much fiction are more likely to be keen to emotions, social cues, and handling of situations in life because they are experiencing how story lines pan out along with the characters they are reading about or watching. It made me chuckle to myself because I don't read or watch much fiction—which leads me to these recommended titles you should watch!

Vanishing of the Bees
This is seriously a great documentary with choice graphics and great peeling of story. It made me consider voting with my dollars by buying organic produce that is available and convenient over non-organic foods.


The Interrupters
This movie is bananas. Dani and I watched it during my visit to Kansas. People are killing people over WORDS. It's more deep than that. It really left us baffled.

Steve Byrne: The Byrne Identity
(It's streaming on Netflix.) Let's clump people together!! I think his 2008 special was better.


Gary Owen: True Story
(It's streaming on Netflix.) Why have I never heard of you?!! His bit on D. Wade's car.

Last, but definitely not the least, this.
Because he screams out Kanye's emails.

Snark Alert

David Denby, film critic for The New Yorker and author of Snark: It's Mean, It's Personal, and It's Ruining Our Conversation, takes issue with the prevalence of snarkiness in the internet age.

Urban Dictionary:

1. Combination of "snide" and "remark". Sarcastic comment(s).
   Also snarky (adj.) and snarkily (adv.)
   
   "Your boundless ineptitude is astounding," she snarkily declared.
   
   
2. Verbal ingenuineness that is brief, subtle, yet quite stabbing. Snark is often marked by deep creativity & use of psychological attack. It employs coldbloodedness and is best served unprovoked. Snark can contain hidden complimentary meaning under a mean face, but it hurts more than it strengthens.

I've noticed that I have been a victim of some recent snark. I don't know what to make of it because I have an acquaintance level relationship with this person. Was the snarky comment meant to hurt me? Am I supposed to feel bad? If the answer is "yes", then I'm confused because I just feel sorry that that person can't confront the situation and instead goes for snark. (Ultimately looking pitifully scornful and immature.)

I have to admit that when I'm among friends, we embrace snark as a means to joke around. (But hey, isn't THAT snark? Not entirely so because we're not directing it to others. We're fake-snarky to each other.) To an outsider, we may sound like jerks, but if you really listen to how we're feeding off each others' joking snarks, it's quite obvious that we're mocking our snarky-selves.

Maybe I'm getting it all wrong(?) because the comment wasn't even sophisticated enough to be snark. Or maybe I just love saying snark. Snark. Snark. SNARK!! I ♥ SNARK!