HIPSTER RUNOFF

I remember when I was a tween, there wasn't much 2 do. We didn't really have 'social media', so I couldn't connect with other tweens on facebook, myspace, twitter, and chat roulette. We were lucky of other tweens had high speed internet/AOL Instant Messenger.

This new Disney movie called HARRIET THE SPY: BLOG WARS is about blogs and tweens. It seems like they are 'glorifying' blogs to tweens, letting them know that blogging is a viable form of self-expression, and possibly a realistic career path. It seems to portray bloggers as people who 'go out and get a scoop' as opposed to the traditional blogger who 'sits on his ass' and 'blurbs about content in a tired voice, like a robot who is enslaved by a large group of readers.'

The show seems to try to let teens know that 'blogging' is the same as 'being a writer.'

I feel like this show really appeals 2 me. As an mp3/music blogger, I feel like I am in direct competition with a lot of 'heavy hitters.' Pitchfork, Stereogum, Gorilla Vs. Bear, the Village Voice, the New york Times, The Wall Street Journal, hype machine bloggers, lil bros on twitter who yell at u all the time. Every1 has a voice, and every1 is competing to get the 'best story' and the 'largest tribe' so that we can make the most 'internet dollars.' So many stories to cover. So many decisions to make on a daily basis. How far is 2 far? Are you supposed to blog about musicians/alt celebs like they are 'real people' or do u just have to treat them like commodities/meme machines?

Being a blogger is difficult, and I wish Disney didn't make this show seem so light-hearted. Blogging is serious. A lot of people get hurt. A lot of peoples' lives' are ruined because of blogs. Not sure if I will let my son/daughter blog, even if they want to follow in my footsteps. Feel like they might get hurt, or they might fail, and think I'm not proud of them.

Feels weird that they rebranded Harriet the Spy. It makes sense, though. But I just sort of remember her as some sort of 'lost lil bitch with an imagination.' Can't believe she is a blogger now.

Does the new Harriet the Spy appeal 2 u?
Have u ever been in a blog war?
What is the greatest blog war in the history of the alternative internet?
Is this movie based on Perez Hilton's perception of the world?
Are gossip bloggers going 2 lead some1 to commit suicide?
Should teens be banned from the internet?
Do u wish they had macbooks /twitters when you were a tween?
Is Disney 'relevant' or is it 'fucking garbage'?
Are 'bloggers' legitimate journalists/writers?
Do you know of any alt blogs who 'don't play by the rules' and have an unfair advantage/bully other humans+blogs?

Go to HypeMachine so that it can launch.
I've been testing out HypeMachine Pt 2 Beta and it has been pretty great. This is an exciting time for music bloggers and MP3 scavengers.

Hipster Runoff on New Hype Machine:

• It gives more power to the bloggers by showcasing the blogs a little bit more
• It has a very clean, functional interface
• It gives the hypem user opportunities for customization/personalization.
• It lets you stream songs without the typical flash pop up music player
• The new Hypemachine interface is so approachable, that even the tail end of Generation Y will 'get it.'
• It is an upgrade and I'm glad team hypemachine had the time to get around to it.

Hype Machine is way more historically significant than "In Rainbows." Overall, the new hype machine is going to give an even larger audience exposure to new music and fresh blogs. I can't wait to read douchebaggier reviews of it in 'web technology blogs.'

http://www.hypem.com

Every 6 months, the blogosphere doubles in size. Now is the time to start your super hip music blog that shows you have amazing taste. This might be your last chance before the competition for readership is even more difficult than it is now.

If you want to know more about early Hype Machine, here's an interview with creator Anthony Volodkin in Wired. He definitely comes across as the kind of guy you'd want behind HypeMachine.

God Bless America

New Year's Resolutions:
1. Search for meaning.
2. Be a better blogger
3. Take life seriously enough to blog about.
4. Embrace the power of the blogosphere
5. Convince others to back up their hard drives

Songs of the day:

Party Time 2000 - Miss New Booty (Party Time 2000 Remix)
This is a song about searching for meaning.

Renewal Plan vs Party Time 2000 - Elizabethtown
This is a song about douche bags who shop at Whole Foods while searching for meaning. Please feel free to comment: Do you prefer Patagonia or North Face? This was also the last song that Saddam Hussein listened to before he died. Does any one know what Saddam's last meal was? Timothy McVeigh had an all-dessert last meal.

Hot Chip - So Glad To See You
Hot Chip's songs are deeper than the Postal Service and Dntel combined. In 'So Glad To See You', Hot Chip effectively honors Generation Y's desire to find love that matches the intensity of the connection between Zach Braff and Natalie Portman in 1999's Hit Movie 'Garden State.'

Read more about Timothy McVeigh's last moments of life here.