[~250 Word Update] Wow, It’s Been Awhile.

So I’ve been living life and I just plain-old forgot I had a blog. I’ve been trying to straighten things out, though it never seems to work out the way I’d like it to. Take last night for example, I got horribly intoxicated, dragged out of one bar, kicked out of two others, lost my lipring, had my date punch me, lost all memory of the entire night, spent $100 when I couldn’t afford to, lost my bank card, my iPod, and everything else. Not exactly the way I want my life to be. It’ll work itself out eventually, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be upset about it.

So I’m going to get back to updating this blog as often as possible, but I still need to think of things to write about. I’ve been gaming more often, so I’ll probably be doing something with that, maybe a review or something. A lot of music, learning to play guitar, studying programming and sociology again. So much to write about, so little time when I actually don’t get struck with writer’s block.

Speaking of writer’s block, I update my poetry blog quite often, and if you’re interested, you should check it out here: http://www.blpoetry.com

Follow me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/VirInvictus) or on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/larocque.brandon) or just follow me home. Whatever takes your fancy, you know?

Anyways.

Just a small update for y’all, for whoever actually reads my garbage. Welcome to the year 2011, and I hope yours is going to be good.

Cheers.

Privacy In The Age Of Social Networking

I constantly see people fighting in the name of privacy on social networks like Facebook and whatnot. It depresses me, because these people don’t understand that the whole point of social networking, in my eyes, is about Radical Transparency (or at least some semblance of the idea). We let people know what’s going on in our lives, and we share ourselves with the people we care about. We show the drama in our lives, we show the turmoil, the hurt, the pain – we give it all up in the name of being interesting (though some might say dramatic and hopeless and fucking pathetic, but I digress…). But we want our privacy, all the same.

We gave up our personal information to Facebook (and if we didn’t, then we put fake information (which is really against the whole point of social networking) or we just didn’t subscribe to it, thinking that something else will come along and kill it in the near future), and now we’re upset because they want to make a little money with it. You know, the services they offer are free – and they don’t necessarily have to be.

The point is – we shouldn’t be afraid of our privacy. Unless we’re giving up things we don’t want people to know – just stop adding people on your list that you don’t know or trust. Simple as sin, amirite? I don’t get how some people get caught up in the race to get as many friends as possible. I usually wax & wane in between 100-200 friends, and usually prune it once every two or three months. It keeps my social circle clean and simple. There are some people who will stay, regardless of interaction (family, old friends that I don’t see no more but like to keep in touch with, etc), but for the most part – I don’t really get attached to my little circle.

I don’t see how anybody does, really. And I’m a very private person, to a point. I don’t let people know my passwords, I don’t let people see every single side of me (I used to, until one Englishman helped get me over that (<3 Silas)), and I don’t give up anything about myself that I wouldn’t want anyone else to know. That’s the right way to go about social networking – because now I’m not concerned about the privacy that Facebook may or may not offer / take away. I’ve accepted the fact that Facebook might want to make a little bit of scratch funds with my information, so I try to be as honest as possible – because I want advertisers to advertise the shit I want instead of the shit I don’t.

That’s just the way I see it, though. How about you? What do you think about privacy and social networking? Should it stay or should we care? Hit me up in the comments!

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or check out my mini-blog, The Second Cup!
-Brandon LaRocque

[Mini-Rant] Do You Remember When We Were Rebels?

I used to be big into the whole anarcho-scene, though I was never all that good at DIY projects. I thought I was pretty bad-ass, regardless, so I played the role of a rebel, and wore my band patches quite proudly. Mind, I wouldn’t admit to buying them at a nearby music store. Oh, the irony. Anti-corporate, but paying top-end for band patches that were nothing but corporate. I used to proclaim bands as sell-outs, and then buy their albums anyways, and play them until the CD was so scratched that you couldn’t even use it anymore.

I did drugs, because I thought the system couldn’t handle it (turns out my system couldn’t handle them, lol!). I drank because it was the punk rock thing to do, and I wrote anthems against the people who made more money than me (ie – everyone). It was funny, because the government were the people supporting me (Foster care, and then welfare after the system dropped me because I wasn’t doing what they wanted me to do). They gave me my beer, my drugs, and my rebellious fashion statement. But I didn’t even think of it like that.

I played the part of the rebel, and embraced it as my own. I was a poseur, but I had fun while it lasted. Before I matured, and realized the mistake I was making.

To be honest, though, it was actually a book that opened my eyes. The Rebel Sell (different name down below Canada, but I don’t know what it is). Great read. You should read it, too. There is no selling out, because we’ve already bought in. Just embrace it, motherfucker.