Contemplating the meaning of memes

see more Lolcats and funny pictures I spent most of my waking time online, so you might think I’m always up-to-date with the memes (recurring themes and in-jokes) currently circulating the Internet. I’m not; far from it. In fact, the more time I spend online, the more memes I learn about that I’ve not known …

You are what you buy, whether you know it or not

kickin it like an old skool iPod, originally uploaded by kandyjaxx. I’m reading Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are, by Rob Walker (about whom I’ve written in the past). As a result, I no longer trust myself — or at least, I no longer believe I understand my …

If you’re going to SXSW, you should be Buying In

Reading Railroad, originally uploaded by Kyle Tombstone. I won’t be attending SXSW this year, but if I were there’s one particular talk I would be sure to attend. It’s a book preview by Rob Walker, a columnist for the New York Times Magazine and blogger at www.robwalker.net. He’s a terrific writer and a smart person. …

Those who can’t do, blog

Here’s a thoughtful essay on criticism and the authority of the critic: “Just Who Is This Guy?” by Jerome Weeks. Weeks looks primarily at the authority of literary blogs, which have been under attack of late from print media, primarily the book reviews of the mass media. But the same issues come into play for …