Farewell AIM, and We Thank You

I can distinctly remember in middle school, rushing to get home to turn on AIM.  Looking back now, it’s kind of strange how often the people we would be communicating with in real life were the same ones we rushed home to talk to.  But here I look fondly back at a messaging device that most millennials including myself, used and loved.

1.) Your Screenname

Careful thought and planning went into the creation of a screenname that easily said who you were but also didn’t.  While some people put careful consideration into the numbers at the second half of their screenname, others took the easier route and just used their birthdays, which should be noted by today’s standards of identity theft was probably a bad idea. I took this route.  Mine was carefully orchestrated to reveal my love for my favorite television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  My second screenname was a bit more mysterious.  It revealed my love for the Backstreet Boys, but if you didn’t know me or you weren’t a fan, you might not have caught on.  I also thought it would look cooler if I alternated caps and lower case.  Hence BsBgUrL was born.

2.) Multiple Screennames

Way back before ghosting was a thing, having multiple screennames was an easy way to see if someone you had been talking to really fell off the face of the earth, or they just decided to block you.  It was also an easy way to spy on crushes.  You could log in on your other screenname and check what they posted on their profile.  (It should be noted that this often backfired as they could easily do the same to you, but we all did it.)  

3.) The Coveted Away Message

I know I’m not the only one here when I say that my away messages were on point.  Sometimes I would just log on and be away because they were just that good.  (Don’t lie, you know you did the same.)  They would perfectly reflect my current mood and allow me to be cryptic when I wanted to be.  The best way to do this of course was to use song lyrics and television and movie quotes.  I dug into my vault to share just a few of my favorites.  Extra points go to those of you who can pinpoint which songs these are from and bonus points if you can name the television show I was watching that inspired them.

"Not everything is gonna be the way

You think it ought to be.

It seems like every time I try to make it right it all comes down on me."

"Careful what you wish and just how

far you let it lead you......

'til you find you can so simply go on"

Try these ones out.  Which television show are they from?  Bonus points if you can name the character who said them!

"Nothing's ever simple anymore. I'm constantly trying to work it out. Who to love or hate. Who to trust. It's just, like, the more I know, the more confused I get."

"Well... Well, why do you think she went to that party? Because you gave her the brush-off! And you never let her do anything except work and patrol! And I know she's the Chosen One, but you're killing her with the pressure! I mean, she's sixteen going on forty! And you! I mean, you're gonna live forever! You don't have time for a cup of coffee?!"

"It begins where it ends....in nothingness. A nightmare born from deepest fears, coming to me unguarded. Whispering images unlocked from time and distance. A soul unbound--touched by others but never held. On a course charted by some unseen hand. The journey ahead promising no more than my past reflecting back upon me, until at last, I reach the end. Facing a truth I can no longer deny. Alone, as ever."

4.) Emoticons

Before there were cell phones and the advent of emojis, we had to rely on simple keyboard combinations, which I definitely don’t remember very well.  These few were common:

:)- happy

;)- wink

:(- sad

:P- sticking tongue out  

<3- heart/love

5.) Buddy List

It always seemed to be a competition among friends as to who could get the most friends on their "Buddy List."  You could easily divide your "buddies" into different lists, so that you wouldn't combine your friends and family into the same category.  It's interesting how we felt the need to do this.  Many people even made a list with people they would never IM but wanted see if they were online.  It was certainly a good spying tool.

6.) Robots 

Before there was Siri there was SmarterChild.  You could ask him a question and he would try and answer it.  He got just as easily confused as Siri does and didn't like it if you said mean things to him.

There you have it.  These are all the amazing features kids growing up today will never have the chance to know or understand, but I'm glad I did.  There was something so simple about those middle school years.  I can't remember the last time I actually said, "Catch ya later on AIM?" but I remember how glorious it was to ask that.  Now excuse me while I sign off for the last time:(.

Bleachers: I May Be Late to the Party, but It Is Still Going Strong

While at my friend’s house, a song came on her Spotify and I immediately asked, “Who is this?”  “Bleachers,” she said.  The next sentence out of my mouth was, “This sounds like Fun.  “Funny you should say that,” she said.  “Jack Antonoff is in it, and he’s in Fun."

I was immediately intrigued.  Upon first listen I was struck by the dancey, catchy beats, but as I gave it a deeper listen, I was overwhelmed with influences from Fun to Taylor Swift, and even the Beach Boys.  As a fan of both the 80s and the 90s, Bleachers is a mix of energy and fun: two things both decades are known for. 

Though Antonoff’s side project was kept a secret up until May 2013, when it was announced on Facebook post by Brooklyn music studio Mission Sound, it wasn’t until February 18, 2014 when they released their first single “I Wanna Get Better,” along with the launch of their website.

As I anticipate seeing them live tonight, here are a few of their songs I can’t get out of my head:

“Don’t Take the Money”

I love when a band doesn’t have to try too hard to be different, because music is a melding of influences.  It should come as no surprise then that their latest single, “Don’t Take the Money” could easily be confused as a Fun track.  Bleachers uses the spoken word just like in “Fun-Some Nights.”  I’m not always a fan of this technique unless the lyrics truly mean something, but in “Don’t Take the Money” the lyrics are poetic in nature and capture the idea of never selling out.  They sing, “When you're looking at your shadow/Standing on the edge of yourself/Praying on the darkness/Just don't take the money..”  The opening lyric, “Somebody broke me once/Love was a currency” speaks of a relationship where money became the driving factor.  As the relationship goes on, the singer reminisces to earlier, better times as noted in the chorus, “You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it/I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets…”

“I Wanna Get Better”

This song is an anthem for change and bettering oneself.  It illustrates that no matter what horrible experiences you may have been through, the darkness can fade.  You can get better.  Perhaps one of Antonoff’s most personal songs, he spoke to MTV saying, “I wanted to tell my whole life story condensed into three verses…”  The song deals with Antonoff losing his sister when he was a teenager: “I froze in time between hearses and caskets.”  After that happened, Antonoff got into acid.  The frantic pace of the chorus perfectly captures this high.  Later in the song, Antonoff’s sister comes to him in a dream: “Woke up this morning early before my family/From this dream where she was trying to show me/How a life can move from the darkness/She said to get better.”  He recognizes that he needs to change.     

“Goodmorning”

If you listen closely to the beginning notes of “Goodmorning,” you may hear the Beach Boys’ Forever.  As you get to the third line, “Always one foot out when you say goodbye to the one that you love/One dream away from the ones above” you may even hear hints of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables.  Whether intentional or not, it’s an interesting juxtaposition.  “Goodmorning” takes the idea of a love song and flips it on its head.  The singer wakes up in the “in-between” which could be a drunken stupor contemplating where his life is going after his indiscretion: “Because I lied to you (I lied to you)/I lied to your face in the summer.”  The chorus pokes fun at his lifestyle: “I'm singing out back.  Good morning to the cops (oh)/Good morning to my upstairs neighbor,” because is it really a good morning?  He wishes he could change things: “I wish that I could stop (oh)/Now I wish that I could live a little safer...”  There appears to be forgiveness from the mystery girl, “Yeah, she touched me, said, ‘I know you're not to blame’” but he knows the truth: “What a weight to live under/What a lie that's been covered.”  By the end of the song he still wants her: “I'm coming for you…”

“Rollercoaster”

I defy anyone to not try and dance to this one- it’s near impossible.  While we all may not have experienced a perfect love story, the song title alone is metaphoric in so many ways.  Love can be slow, then increase in intensity.  It can be a ride that seems to go on and on, or it can end just as quickly as it started.   As a huge fan of Taylor’s Swift’s 1989, I couldn’t help but hear “You’re in Love” at the beginning of this track.  Swift co-wrote that track with Antonoff and is about his relationship with Lena Dunham.  Strikingly similar, the opening notes on both of these songs evoke a sense of magic- that tingly feeling you feel at the beginning of a relationship.  The song speaks of a young summer love: “It was summer when I saw your face/But like a teenage runaway/” By the second verse, the singer’s infatuation has grown, as he thinks about her “..every day and night…”  By the chorus, the excitement of the new love has reached an all-time high.

“Live A River Runs”

Sometimes it takes a unique voice to take an ordinary song to the next level.  In Sia’s cover of “Like a River Runs,” her combination of soul and deep longing takes this ballad up a notch.  The lyrics evoke painful reminders of a relationship that was destroyed: “I woke up thinking you were still here/My hands shaking with regret.”  As the chorus hits,  “When I fall asleep I can see your face/What I lost in you I will not replace” there is the sense that moving on is not so simple nor is it feasible at this point in time.  As the listener, you can feel the emotion and it’s hauntingly beautiful.  Darkness and light are prevalent in Antonoff’s songs and “Like A River Runs” is no exception: “And if you see me in the darkness/I hope you know I'm not alone/I carry you with every breath I take.”       

An Open Letter to Ellen: Come Back to the Emmys

Dear Ellen,

Though we’ve never actually met, I think you are one of the most down-to-earth celebrities I could ever meet.  You are kind, funny and classy: 3 things that seemed to be missing from last night’s Emmys.

We all know the political arena has changed dramatically over this past year.  Our country has become more divided than ever before and while satire and comedy have always been front and center at the Emmys, this year in particular, they seemed to be the driving force.  Gone were the flashy, opening musical numbers, replaced instead with jokes that made me feel uncomfortable as an audience member.

I tuned in expecting to see sparkly outfits, and a political joke thrown in here or there.  Instead, I saw a host who chose to use his own beliefs to drive an awards show that is supposed to provide entertainment to those watching.

While I know it’s naïve to think that political beliefs wouldn’t come up at all given our current state of affairs and also given the choice in host, it none-the-less for me, was the wrong choice and the wrong approach to a time-honored, American tradition.

The choice of host should be bestowed upon someone who knows how to navigate our world in a way that doesn’t offend people but makes them laugh.  I admire anyone who can make you get up out of your seat and dance, who chooses to entertain with empathy and isn’t afraid to be a little silly. 

I’m not sure at what point I turned off the Emmys, but I do know if Ellen was hosting this wouldn’t have been the case.  So please, Emmys, next year bring back the fun or I’ll be once again tuning out.       

Signed,

A Disgruntled Fan

“Yes, I’m a Millennial. So what?”

I've begun to lose track of how many times "my generation" has been labeled as "millennials."   It's a fairly generic word in the English vocabulary meant to classify those born between 1981-2001, or at least it used to be.  Today it is grouped with certain characteristics.  According to businessdictionary.com, millennials are “more likely to lean liberal in their political ideology, less likely to practice religion than previous generations, and grew up in the age of technology and therefore are very versed in technology.”  This makes sense to a degree, given the changing technological and political landscapes.

Our parents didn’t grow up with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  They didn’t interact through a screen with people on a daily basis whom they might never actually meet in person. They also grew up in a time period where it was not yet possible to elect an African American president or believe that a woman could run for office.  Does that somehow make them naïve or close-minded?  No, it doesn’t because climates change.  Labels change.  Even laws change.  So why then did the term “millennial” become so negative?  When did it become associated with laziness and entitlement?  

We are the age of social media, glued to our phones 24/7 as some would say, lost in our own self-absorption to not care about what’s going on in the real world.  We’re more likely to be sipping lattes at a coffee house then reading a book.  Or are we? 

Our generation is also more likely to have student loan debt and not be working in the career we thought we’d be in after earning our college degrees.  I will probably be 82 before I finish paying off my loans but that’s how it is.  It doesn’t make me entitled.  It has opened my eyes to the realization that I must continue to find new ways of creating and defining myself.

Who created these stereotypes?  Society.  You know what I have to say to society?  Look at me.  I worked my butt off to get to where I am today.  I didn’t get that “dream job” out of college, but I did get a job and worked my way up, all the while realizing that my job will never define me.

Labels come in all shapes and sizes, but what really matters is how you choose to define yourself.  I may not be perfect, or have all the answers to whatever life throws in my direction but my path is not yet clearly defined.  And that’s the way I like it.  I’m thankful for the experiences that I’ve gone through (and believe me, there have been my fair share of crappy ones) but one thing I am not is someone who will be put down by what others perceive me to be. 

Yes I love my Starbucks, I probably couldn’t go a day without reaching for my phone, but so what?  I’m still learning that inspiration comes in many ways, some days are better than others, and I have yet to discover the meaning of life.  But one day I’ll be sitting in my rocker blasting Backstreet Boys, or maybe watching Apollo 13 for the zillionth time, going, “I got it right.”  I didn’t change myself to conform to what other people wanted me to be.  I was myself.  

So the next time someone rolls their eyes at you and says, “Oh, you’re such a millennial,” fire back and say, “Why, yes I am,” with your head held high as you sip from your fat free, sugar free, caramel macchiato.  

13 Reasons Why Girlboss Will Become Your New Favorite Show

1.  “Love you in case I die.”  Every best friend should have a catchphrase or at least their own hashtag, to not only make others jealous that your friendship will stand the test of time, but also because it just sounds cool.  #rockets

2.  “Know what your shit’s worth cause you just got played.”  This pivotal scene not only sets up the storyline, it is advice that can be applied to everything in life.  Value yourself and your intuition.

3.  Sophia is the definition of female empowerment.  Her matter-of-fact, tell it like it is blunt attitude about life, guys, and everything in between makes her the best friend we always wished we had, and secretly the woman we are all dying to be.  She doesn’t seek approval from others, she doesn’t apologize for who she is, and she never backs down from a challenge.  Hell, we could all take a lesson from her and we should.

4.  Sophia’s witty sarcasm and unpredictable outbursts are what make her so fun, poignant, and relatable.  Hence, “What kind of monster leaves a voicemail?”  I mean, really, can anyone in this century not relate to that comment?

5.   Shane, Sophia’s adorable drool-worthy boyfriend doesn’t allow Sophia to self-sabotage their relationship even when she’s screaming in his face.  Anyone else get “Friends” vibes when he got upset over Sophia eating his French fries?  We’ve all hit rock bottom in some way and wished our significant other wasn’t there to witness it- but there’s something strangely gratifying about watching a grown woman drenched head-to-toe from the rain, holding a bag of a dead woman’s clothing while she asks if there’s something better out there.  Because hey, this is a life-altering 20s something moment, no?  

6.  Sophia is forced to stay at a job she hates so she can get health insurance.  Who can’t relate to reaching for a jar of peanut butter and getting a hernia?

7.  The flashback of how Sophia and Annie became friends prove that all the best relationships come out of a jail cell, or they do on tv at least.  Annie’s ability to see beyond Sophia’s dark makeup and rocker garb was the beginning of something special.

8.  Sophia’s note to her boss Rick: “Thank you for being my favorite boss and my last boss.” It was here that Sophia truly encompassed, “Do what you love.”  Not everyone is meant for the corporate life.  Some are meant to shine as entrepreneurs.

9. The wedding dress episode:  Sophia’s brush with an almost bad review provided comic relief for a perfectly executed episode.  Anyone who has worked retail knows that a bad review can end you and I couldn’t help but laugh at the lengths Sophia goes to ensure that doesn’t happen, including listening to the bride drone on about checking her garments for flaws that were put there by the buyer herself.  Diet Coke anyone?

10.  Nathan and his mom:  They dance, drink wine, and eat ice-cream while singing along to Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.”  They may be cooky, but they are quite the pair.

11. Self-realization moment: Sophia visits her mom only to discover that she has become her, or at least a version of her.  Finally, Sophia has a reason for why she’s so screwed up.  But she also finds it as a reason to finally become an adult.  While this self-defining moment varies from person to person, there’s no doubt we’ve all been there.

12. Scratch everything I said in #5.  Shane is a __.  (Feel free to fill that in with whatever obscenity you like.)  Shane succumbs to the typical stereotypical cheating male and while many can sympathize with Sophia’s pain, her choice of words in telling him just how much of a loser he is takes the cake as one of the best all time breakups on television EVER.

13.  Whatever that weird art exhibit thing is that Nathan creates...  Just trust me, you’ll love it.

To summarize, it’s no fun getting to the top said no one ever.  But it is no fun getting there alone.  In 13 episodes you see Sophia’s up and downs, her meltdowns and her makeups.  But her kickass vision became a reality and that is inspiring.  Girl power!  

OC Ghosts and Legends Presents History, EVPs, and Ghostly Tales of San Juan Capistrano

Spooky music and smoke greeted guests as they entered the historical Camino Real Playhouse on Friday night for the presentation entitled Ghosts and Legends of San Juan Capistrano.  While for some guests it was their first foray into the paranormal, for others, it was the beginning of a long night of investigating.  After the presentation, OC Ghosts and Legends held a closed investigation tryout to recruit new team members.

One such hopeful Jean Gilbert was prepared for her audition, as she immediately saw images in her mind upon walking into the theater.  It is important to note that she had not done any research prior to stepping foot inside the Playhouse.

“1924 kept coming to me,” Gilbert said.

She then described seeing the image of a heavy-set man, with a white mustache, who was smoking a cigar.

When asked to describe how she came across this image, Gilbert said she meditates in a location until she sees a picture, which comes across in a sequence.

Lead investigator and co-founder of OC Ghosts and Legends’ Cristopher August began the presentation by asking the audience to close their eyes and raise their hands if they believed in ghosts.  He then asked everyone to open their eyes and keep their arms raised.  About 90 percent of the audience raised their hands.  August then asked those who didn’t believe to raise their hands.  While the numbers were less, “it’s healthy to be skeptical,” said August, even calling himself a skeptic.  “The logical part of me wants to deny it away.”

Despite what one might think, nothing out of the ordinary happened to August as a child.  It wasn’t until he visited the notoriously “haunted” Queen Mary that he began his start of “really diving into this field.”  Strange events began to happen around him after his visit, including witnessing a coffee cup slide across the table at home.  August began to wonder if he might have brought something home with him.  He half-jokingly referred to the possible ghost that attached to him as Juan Carlos.  He then brought the spirit back to the ship telling it to stay put.

August and Matthew Harvey created OC Ghosts and Legends in 2011, and while their partnership dissolved in 2014, August continued on his quest of investigating the paranormal.  This included expanding his team, whom he introduced next. 

OC Ghosts and Legends includes Andrew Edoff  (recently promoted from Junior Investigator to Core Investigator), Kelly Lynne Harris (field reporter and Junior Investigator), Larry Zamora (Junior Investigator & Utility), and newest member Alison Lehnberg (Project Coordinator).  Roger Woodcock is the Tech Handler as well as a Junior Investigator.  (Kaity Ware handles research and administration, but was not present at the event.)

The presentation itself was both informative and historical in nature.  August was quick to point out that the field of paranormal investigating is one in which nothing is or can be proven.  Even before he began to share the team’s “evidence,” he made it a point to state, “We like you to draw your own conclusions, have your own opinion.”

The presentation opened with a quick video of the history of San Juan Capistrano.  During 1887, the Capistrano Depot as it was known, laid railroad tracks from Los Angeles to San Diego.  Modesto Avila, in protest of the railroad, strung her laundry across the tracks.  In 1925, it was the site of the last great train robbery.  During the 50s restaurants flourished and in the 90s it began to operate both Amtrak and Metrolink.

The second part of the presentation presented evidence from various locations the team has investigated including the restaurant Trevor’s at the Track’s (formerly Sarducci’s), the Arley Leck House, the Vintage Steak House, and the Camino Real Playhouse.

For years the staff at Sarducci’s reported glasses and plates being thrown, as well as hearing disembodied voices.  During the OC Ghosts and Legends investigation, August and a reporter from the Capistrano Dispatch were sitting at a table talking, when a recorder fell and “right here,” was heard.  Just moments earlier, August had requested that if Modesto Avila was there to please move something and was excited that it appeared she was communicating with the team.

Unfortunately, it was too good to be true.  August used the clip to show how important it is during an investigation to know where everyone is as well as where all the cameras and recorders are.  As it turns out, two of the other team members were talking, and the EVP turned out to be part of their conversation.  However, the recorder that fell was still stationary.  Was it Modesto Avila?  Or was there another explanation?  Either way, the clips clearly debunked the possible EVP.

The Arley Leck House was originally located on Ortega Highway, and transported to San Juan Capistrano.  The team has captured several interesting things outside of the house by the shed.  One such audio clip that was played for the audience showed how “evidence” is subjective.  To one audience member, it sounded like a child laughing, while to another it sounded panicky.   

As for the Camino Real Playhouse, the actual site of the presentation, August and his team have investigated it several times. 

“We always feel right at home at the Playhouse.  Not only is it situated in one of the most historic towns in California, we just feel that whatever spirit energy lingers in the Playhouse is positive,” said August.  “All the energy and personality from the dynamic individuals that have walked those halls is apparent.”

While many of the investigations seemed to be quiet, the team often captures voices during regular conversations later on.

“The place is full of ghostly ‘chatter’ which we don’t hear until we play back all our audio data,” August said.  “Some of our most compelling audio EVPs were produced from the Playhouse and to no surprise, Friday night’s investigation has ALREADY returned some crazy audio responses.”

Former Lead Investigator and Graphic Designer of OC Ghosts and Legends Diane Pioch can testify to witnessing this firsthand.

“It always surprises us.  They do sentences.  They mimic you.  It’s wild,” Pioch said.

For those unfamiliar with the terminology used during investigations, August went over the three classes of electromagnetic voice phenomenon, or EVP for short.  Class C was described as, “you hear something, but there’s no comprehension.”  Class B is “arguable.”  Finally, Class A’s said August are “so clear, you might as well be standing next to the ghost.”  He also discussed the term “settling,” which means turning on the equipment for the investigation (i.e. cameras) and then vacating the building.  This allows the team to see what might be moving around inside before they begin their investigation.  Lastly, August described in detail the various equipment the team uses during an investigation, including dousing rods, REM pods, k2 meters, and spirit boxes to name a few.

Whether the evidence was compelling or open to interpretation, the audience seemed to enjoy it.

“I liked how they gave examples of EVPs,” said Susana Barron. 

Unfortunately, the presentation itself had some technical difficulties.

Robby Edsell “believed that the team caught a lot of good EVPs,” but was disappointed that he was not able to hear them well.

Despite the issues, August tried his best to lighten the mood and keep things moving along. 

“It’s no joke that we’re technologically cursed,” he said.  “Everything usually works pretty flawlessly until we get here.”

The audience did look forward to attending more events in the future.

“I’m very interested in what they’re [OC Ghosts and Legends] doing and the places they’re going,” Edsell said.

The last part of the presentation opened it up to the audience for questions and August and his team stuck around to mingle with the guests afterwards, a part of the job he always looks forward to.

“We thrive in discourse with our guests- there’s never a silly or stupid question,” said August. 

As the presentation came to a close, 5 willing hopefuls were ready to put their skills to the test, as they were immersed in their very own investigation.  While time will tell who has what it takes, August was overwhelmed with the response.

“Onboarding new team members and finding the right candidates is not a simple process, not to mention very time consuming, so we wanted to try a different process and see how people work during an actual investigation,” said August.  “It’s equally important to see how applicants interact not just with the public, but with members of our team.”

While August was hopeful with the talent pool, he stressed that the second round of testing is about to begin.

“We saw some strong candidates during the audition, but their work isn’t done yet! The field investigation was the first half.  Now they must conduct their data analysis,” said August.  “We look forward to seeing the results of that.”

Stay tuned to see what OC Ghosts and Legends has in store next!  They are already planning more educational events as well as securing new locations for their next ghost investigations, which you can take part in!  Check out ocghostsandlegends.com for more info!