I am going to remove some of the ‘iconic imagery’ from the MEMORABLE POSTS section of my site. It feels weird to ‘grow older’ as a blog. It’s a lot like ‘growing older’ as a ‘real person’, since you look back on a previous era in your life, and you feel sort of ashamed and disconnected from the person that you are today. While you are grateful that you accumulated ‘meaningful life experience’, you realize that your ‘view on life’ was warped+retarded. U needed time 2 grow into the authentic person that u r today.
Ultimately, the MEMORABLE POSTS are there so that ‘new site visitors’ can get a snapshot of ‘what HRO is all about.’ Feels like my site probably looks ‘mad stale’ + irrelevant, since there are faces like Steve Aoki + Girl Talk + miscellaneous bloghouse personalities showing up whenever my site loads. Carles needs to rebrand HRO ‘as quickly as possible’, showcasing his most recent era of ‘memorable posts.’
This is a reflection upon old MEMORABLE POSTS, where I try to remember why these posts were relevant, and ‘what was going through my head’ as I wrote them.
********
Post: PITCHFORK STARTS WAR WITH ELECTROBLOG COMMUNITY + Steve Aoki + DIM MAK + the rock/dance zeitgeist
Date: February 21, 2008
I think this is the first post where I ‘actually wrote a long post with ‘real writing” and it ‘really resonated within the mp3 blogosphere’, which was very electro-centric at the time and mainly only focused on ‘getting hits by posting mp3s. At the time, I probably felt ‘very inspired’ like 1 day, if I blogged hard enough, I would become ‘as big and relevant as pitchfork.’ Psychologically, it was probably just part of a huge inferiority complex that seems too embarrassing to go back and read the entire post. Like I don’t want to explore what my ‘thesis statement’ was…or like if you went back in time and read your college essays and thought ‘I was a faggot when I was 18 years old.’
Sort of just feel miniscule, like I will never ‘touch as many livez as P4k’ or that I won’t make ‘as much ad revenue’ as they do. Think that there is also this underlying theme of ‘mp3 blogz are young, fresh, and authentic’ and ‘pitchfork is all old ppl.’ Feel like I probably ‘think less’ of mp3 blogs, and generally ‘feel lukewarm’ about Pitchfork now. Guess we all have different goals, but we are all possibly still all trying to become the #1 site on the internet who makes the most money and connects the most amount of people, uniting every1 around something that we all love, like ‘music’ or ‘pictures of ourselves.’
Just skimmed the post and it seems very short. I posted an entire p4k review within the post. Not sure if I have even read an entire p4k review since. Jesus Christ. Really need to take that picture down so I don’t seem ‘too electro.’ Not sure if people even know who Aoki is any more.
***********
Post: WTF is a lifestyle brand?
Date: May 25, 2008
I think I wrote this post back when the electro era was becoming ‘very monetized.’ Like when Justice became ‘larger than life’ and for some reason, you knew the name of some weekly party/venue/altClub on the East/West Coast. I think there was a time when alternative people were honored as a relevant demographic who marketers needed to reach in order to give their product ‘credibility.’ Also,people were looking to export the products that ‘we were into’ into the mainstreamer economy.
Think it also analyzed the desire that most bands have to ‘try to make it’ and become this entity that changes the world + sells tons of merch. Seems like a ‘very low level concept’ now that I am a senior in college, finishing up my Political Science degree.
*************
Post: My Relationship With Girl Talk
Date: July 2, 2008
I think that this gif is ‘very eye catching’, but I skimmed back to the post and realized that it is ‘not very epic at all.’ It was a pretty interesting time when Girl Talk was going from alt to malstream, and then from maltstream to mainstream. Seems like a ‘pretty obvious post’, like something that an entry level blogger would make in 2010 as an excuse to post some sweet MP3s to hypemachine. Very ‘weak’ obvious take, like a sports fan calling into a talk radio show just to give his opinion. Maybe at the time, people ‘weren’t talking about’ this aspect of Girl Talk, and just ‘deifying him’ or something.
I think Girl Talk is ‘no longer relevant’, and it is possibly very bad for my blog brand to have his face appear every time the page loads. I think that in the future, Girl Talk should only be blogged about by huge gossip blogs, saying things like ‘this shit really gets da party started, yall!’ He will probably morph into one of those really annoying old bros who get ‘blurbed about’ any time that they say something that is ‘relatively obvious’ about music business strategy on the internet.
***********
Post: WTF is blog house?
Date: July 10, 2008
Blog house is probably 0% relevant as of today. It seems like the genre is officially an ‘inside joke’ or something, but I still find it to be 45% funnier than it was when I wrote this post. I think it seems like I should probably just retire the phrase ‘bloghouse’ and possibly brand my site with the whole ‘conceptual core’ genre/gimmick.
Just read the post, and I think I just listed a bunch of bands, and analyzed what type of ‘electro’ they were. Feel like when I wrote this post, I ‘honestly thought that my taste in music was the best in the world’ and wanted to post-post-ironically brand that music as ‘bloghouse’ to represent how that music only belonged to me and a group of my closest internet neighbors.
I think this post is important because it made my site the #1 result when u google ‘blog house.’ I have read that it is important to be ’search engine optimized.’
***********
Post: Mainstream = Alt: TenenbaumZissou Edition
Date: September 12, 2008
This post was not very memorable, but I think I made it a ‘memorable post’ just because it exploits the iconography of Wes Anderson, and says something ‘extreme’ above his face. Feel like if I were some internet bro visiting HRO for the first time wondering what this site is all about, I would click on that link, and then I would sort of ‘get’ the site more. Might leave that up, just because of the reasons I just ‘explained.’
***********
Post: Should I do blow off my iPhone?
Date: October 8, 2008
I think that this was an example of a ’stupid, short post’ that HRO commenting culture ‘really enjoyed.’ Might be a post that ‘resonated’ because it was some ‘funnie commentary’ abt technology + youth culture. Just the kind of thing that some1 who doesn’t fully ‘get’ HRO would buy into, but then some1 who super ‘gets’ HRO would make fun of the other bro for latching on to such a minor concept. Not much to say about this post. I think I probably wrote this post very hurriedly, worried that if I didn’t make a post, I would lose 80% of my readership.
************
Post: If U Were Going 2 Kill Some1, What Would U Wear?
Date: November 17, 2008
Think that this was a mediocre post with some funnie constructed serial killer memes. Not sure if it represents my current brand, but is possibly still ‘mildly funny.’ Think some people are ‘really into’ serial killers, though.
***********
Post: I Wish they Had Macbooks when I was a Tween
Date: December 2, 2008
I feel like I ‘really like the concept’ behind this post, but the post featured 2 videos by 2 lil cunts dancing around to the Ting Tings and CSS [filmed by Macbook]. Unfortunately, these videos were removed since youtube ‘regulated’ on licensed music within videos. Feel like the post lost its meaning without those videos.
I sincerely wish I had a macbook when I was a tween. Possibly an iPhone instead.
***********
Post : TV on the Radio: 2008’s Biggest Sham/ Gimmick/Pyramid Scheme
Date: December 22, 2008
Picture: 
I think that when I wrote this post, I was in an era of ‘trying too hard to be controversial.’ I can’t really remember what I wrote, but it was probably sort of an ‘implied post.’ I feel like I was probably frustrated by the amount of coverage that certain bands get as soon as they reach ‘alternative tenure.’ Feels sort of frustrating how when you become a ‘large enough outlet’, you have to ‘cover everything’ even if it isn’t that good/doesn’t fit in with the brand of your outlet. Also probably wanted to ‘make people uncomfortable’ by throwing race issues into the post. Think that white people ‘feel guilty’ about a lot of stuff.
Think it is HRO’s niche to sort of ‘talk shit’ about bands, but I feel like I sometimes ‘need to be extreme’ to counteract the excessive positivity within the bloggiasphere. Still haven’t listened to TVotR. Does any1 know if they are ‘good’/'relevant’ now?
*******************
Do yall have any reflections about these posts?
Which posts do u want Carles to do ‘directorz commentary’ abt?
Will u be ’sad’ 2 see them go?
Which posts have been ‘memorable’ lately, and what images/memes would ‘improve the brand of my blog?
Do u feel ashamed for identifying with HRO circa 2k_?
R u ashamed of the person who u used 2 b?
miss u old memmy posts.
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IAmCarles.com
47 Comments
BORING!
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//////////Reply by Anonymous
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
@Hallyluya, FAGGOT!
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y, just yesterday i thought this very thing, n i couldnt agree more. goodwork out there, thnking.
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damn i thought i was first for once
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wow. I started reading this shit when it appeared in Johnny Love’s Myspace Bulletin about selling his car. Think that was like Feb 08.
Things have changed, man.
Things have changed.
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//////////Reply by ∑£¢¢∞§
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 8:00 am
@Jesus of Nazareth, now i feel all sad and retrospective. i think i just died? along with everyone else the past week
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no. tvotr still sucks.
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Finally, was pretty upset with the “look”” of the site,
especially when viewed in my private university.
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//////////Reply by pac man
//////////Posted July 11th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
@all i d0,
tru dat… i’m ashamed to view HRO in front of people who won’t ‘get’ it, since the entire site is ‘loud as hell’
hard to believe an art/design/etc student make this site. but at least crls holds it down w/ the arial/helvetical fontz
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never really felt most of those posts, but the p4k one was really good. “p4k hates themselves the way a middleaged man hates his wife, kids, job” is pretty brutal/funny.
if you’re worried that those posts aren’t reflective of your branding, u mite want to screen your ads. also i liked hro a bit better bck then. now i feel like its already peaked and now we’re left with lady gaga posts or other mainstream news that might have an alt twist to it (iran and their scarves, lindsey lohan but aoki is in the pic etc.)
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//////////Reply by we tigers
//////////Posted July 13th, 2009 at 8:36 am
@fluff, agreed.
\\can we make stand up comedy alt in a post- Dane Cook world?
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//////////Reply by alternalt
//////////Posted July 13th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
@we tigers, D3Metr! M@rT!|\| ~~~~ derrrrr
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//////////Reply by we tigers
//////////Posted July 14th, 2009 at 7:14 am
@alternalt,
yes! I was hoping for that,
but
i figured he was mnstrm cause the show was on comedy central, where mainstream bros go for their laughs..
and he’s in that paper heart with Michael Cera, who is maltstream
//////////Reply by alternalt
//////////Posted July 14th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
@we tigers, true.
i think we are on the ’same page.’
i think we got vulns.
in an (alt)ernate universe where we went to the same state high school
I think
we would
have been bros.
<3 tween macbook post forevs.
@all i d0 Good point on fontz. Where would we be without this simple aspect of hro!
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rebranding and going 2.0 is ‘what being alt is all about’ i think
you should be in a perpetual state of ‘going 2.0′
the problem is coming up with something everyone can relate to and will associate positively with HRO 1.0
this seems fucked bro. but maybe in a good way. feels like ‘alt’ is too normalized or something and you need to find a new undefinable subculture to co-brand your blog with. ‘reinvent alt’ or something [via grassroots movement]
this is probably a bad idea/impossible feat
‘how do you refresh the unrefreshable?’ — bill gates
‘like this y’all’ — googlebros
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I need 2.0
I miss memorable posts
I need 2.0
I miss old CRLS
I need 2.0
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enjoy reading the longer posts that seem to have more ‘effort.’ don’t really give a shit about a couple of dudes in pastel pants running in circles and then showing the video to their parents, who love it. also, i don’t give a shit what font you use. it must suck to have ‘demanding readers’ who you feel you need to satisfy with videos we all can laugh at, and feel glad that we’ve grown past those times, until we realize that being older sucks and we wish we had done silly things when we had the chance.
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i aint got time to read all this text
got some azn seducing me with coke on her ipone 3g shit man i cant be readin all this stuff
nearly spilled some sparx all over my am appy v neck
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wow. Carles getting s0000 vulnerable right now. dissecting his own creative output, in public.
My fave posts are when you take any kind of mundane social phenomenon and brutally dissect the motivations of the participants. Girls Night Out is a good example. Twilight is a more recent example.
But I also like your taste in CHOONS, so moar mp3 / ‘funnie’ music video posts please.
ps. write a book.
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//////////Reply by Moargan Friedman
//////////Posted July 11th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
@douchebag, yes, more Grls Nite Out. more U,me&the concerts we attend. more dissection of any and all social phenomena, the gritty little details, the ulterior/unrealized ‘motivations’. shit’s ‘real’ and ’scary’ and ’strikes fear in the hearts of many’ or sum shit.
p.s. write a book (entitled Zzzzzz Zzzz Zzzzz)
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//////////Reply by douchebag
//////////Posted July 11th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
@Moargan Friedman,
“the gritty little details, the ulterior/unrealized ‘motivations’”
YES. unrealized motivations and gritty details. you ‘get’ my fave posts.
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//////////Reply by Anonymous
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
@douchebag, you are true hro fans, i thought the site went to hell when people starting to write first, glad some are still here
Carles needs more space for obnoxious advertising?
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Carles, I feel like this is a day that you’re always gonna remember for a while. The day you decided to make a ‘clean slate’ for your life, while recognizing the death of old selves so that u can ‘truly’ move forward and blossom into the ultimate self. Should also vow to spend less time on the internet/’start working’ out or something.
We are ’so proud of you’ and it’s been a ‘pleasure’ to see you mature as a ‘thinker’/'removed hipster’ (too self-conscious to fully be a ‘hipster’ although u probs ‘embrace’ the ideas/feelings of it) in 2k9.
“Happy Trails to you” – some western show/tune on an old ‘cards’ proggy from Windows 3.1
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First
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HRO was relevant back in 2008.2 and is still relevant today….Carles u rule!!!
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//////////Reply by HOMOSAPIEN_FUCK
//////////Posted July 11th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
@pete, TOTALLY AWESOME FOR ME AND MY DORM FRIENDS ON THE THIRD FLOOR. YOU’RE AWESOME CARLES YOU RULE!
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plz do some double commentary with ur azn friend about what kind of people wear what kind of shoe brands
i identified with that post and it got me into hro because i wear converse all stars
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hate being sabotaged by 2.0.3 ads [via the deadweathers]
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//////////Reply by coolsocksbro
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 3:32 am
@nondairy, 100% agree, it scared me at 1st, thought i broke hro, but it was just sum shitty ad.
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Those posts are what drew me in to HRO.
Prolly because I did blow off a hot azn’s ass instead of my iphone3Gs. In any case I laughed at the funny alt speak and in your face/in your ass/however you like it imagery. Ive shed an authentic tear yall, just put them back and pretend this post never happend.
I know you just wanna b human after yall but you can still do that via meaningful pictures of steve aoki and ’slightly better than powerpoint/keynote’ charts and diagrams.
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carles i hope u r t0lly jking. feel like that section adds to the ’subjective experience’ of ur blog, which is 50% of what HRO stands 4.
PS replacing ‘memorable posts’ with more am appy ads is vile. don’t fall in2 the traps of the ‘corporate machine’.
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carles, have you ever thought that maybe you are ‘just a meme’?
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//////////Reply by we tigers
//////////Posted July 13th, 2009 at 8:39 am
@tem, he’s known that all along.
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born again, my son
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just felt closer 2 u.
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noo crls don’t take away the bloghaus banner
the bloghouse era of hro/my life
was the best/funniest time ever
+you can just say it’s there ironically or whatever…….
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//////////Reply by louis
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 4:05 am
@anon,its ok
carles is here 4 u
hro is here 4 u
im here 4 you bro//sis
2k9.5, time to let go
miss u bloghaus
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worst post ever
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Appreciate the vulnerability here. This, first and foremost, is the Carles brand.
The cultural dissection and analysis, finding metaphors in viral images etc. That is the HRO thing.
Video and music dissection/ review. That is always done poorly but is still ESSENTIAL to this blog. Music is the common denominator amoung HRO fans.
AVOID RACE, when it is truley rude and damaging.
Avoid stuff that is mean or disgusting, or both. Be nice….
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//////////Reply by Notsi
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 2:01 am
omg no carls don’t listen to this doucheybag. your insight in race is truly the most authentic and touching element of HRO. your post on mexicalts made me cry almost as much as the Grizzly Bears / Andrew Bird / AnCo / Dinosaur the II. srsly racism is the only meaningful thing left in this politically correct post post post ironic world.
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//////////Reply by louis
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 3:58 am
@doucheybag, there would be no racism if ‘you people’ stopped leeching off the ‘right people’ and contributed to society [via 'getting jobs']
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//////////Reply by douchebag
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 4:29 am
@doucheybag,
w. t. f. ?
first you remix my name.
then you remix my comment – the douchey mix (getting s000 vulns right now, ‘dissect’ social phenomenom, moar mp3 posts, blah blah).
finally you round things off with a douchey stance on racism.
srsly, h8 u.
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//////////Reply by alternalt
//////////Posted July 14th, 2009 at 12:08 am
@douchebag, ohcmon, he is complimenting you with his copying [via the coldplays being sued for plagiarjizm by joe satriani]
let it be y’all — the beatlies
Hipster Runoff already went half-assed 2.0 pre 2k9
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@Carles,
would you consider doing a hipster ’spinoff’ blog with 1 of ur fav commenters?
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//////////Reply by douchebag
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 4:32 am
@skybread, yeah like this idea, even with many HRO approved contributors – could be like a magazine or sum shit. a real magazine. or a ‘zine’ if you’re that way inclined (indie as fuck).
Carles – curate that shit.
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wicked
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an hro clip show. cool.
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this whole blog is a decoy to filter out the mnstrm
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dont be afraid to go in the direction ttht you think will put you in a ‘box’ of a category/label. dont back up to see what youre doing but instead get more into it and even go that extra step thats always been in the back of your mind. i feel like this is the best way to make a character of yourself, and in the end all you really want is to be a somebody in your photo albums [real physical picture books]. its when you back up that you lose sight of your initial goal, and you dont HAVE to stop doing anything ever, youre never too deep. die being it, and youll be it forever
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i feel like maybe the alt bingo sidebar-thing might be >29% relevant now. idk maybe you should toss that while you’re cleanin’. or leave it. you tell me.
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All this pop up bullshit is pissing me off. FUCK DEAD WHATEVER. I’m sure some out of touch pitchfork reviewer will suck it’s dick like it’s 2k3. YYY’s/Strokes forever. WhiteStrippers/ThatotherJWthing/DeadWTEVA 4 adverts. Ripping off some old blues sound for a living seems to work. Cock.
HRO you have gone a step too far.
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The TVOTR-bashing entry is very much still relevant, and the “pyramid scheme” still makes me laugh when I see it over in the memorable posts. That one’s a keeper.
Is it O.K. that I’m not using chat/carlesspeak in my comment?
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//////////Reply by anon
//////////Posted July 12th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
@neuroticsterrunoff, ‘no’
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American Idol liveblog! Crls, you know it’s great and so does everybody else.
and tvotr still suxx
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in all seriousness, this was exactly the post HRO needed. can’t waiiiiittttt for the upgradez yo
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Think ur 2.hr0 blog is going 2 be like a ’sorta respected indie band’ releasing a second ‘LP’ that becomes a ‘lil more mainstream.’ Kinda like the Grizzly Bear Collective and the Arcane Fire. So u can look forward to still being a ‘p4k darling’ but also ’selling albums’/'getting hits’/'ad revenue.’ Congrats, Charles.
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I can only <3/h8/miss is my fave
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Carles is getting all existential and self-referential on us. TVOTR is all hype though, black or other.
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Crlz,
You’re too deliberate. “Which posts have been ‘memorable’ lately, and what images/memes would ‘improve the brand of my blog?” Be kind of subtle about tapping your audience for a way to make more money. It’s your blog, not ours. This is a serious breach of your authenticity.
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In reaction 2 ‘bloghouse’ retirement: U shld probably just ease up on it a little bit. Try putting the word ‘post’ in front of stuff; see if that works.
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just want 2 get vulns with u carels
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glad to see the am appy ads replaced by DEFEND NEW ORLEANS!
504 REPRESENT!
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Explain the one about watching American Idol, binges, masturbation and suicide
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what are the new ones gonna be???
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