Seems another class requires blogging..

Hello blog,
Well, here we are, Spring quarter 2012. Two semesters into the future and I'll be a college graduate. How sickening. Turns out this Digital Composing class I'm in wants me to blog so, once again you'll be a class blogging blog. Sorry. Y'know the world blog loses it's meaning after you say it too much. Blog. Sounds like blob. Like a blobby log. Gross. Wonder how "blog" got its name? -deep breath- Okay. Class blog, now, you are. Write here much, apparently, I will.


-Marisa

Mom and Pop Shop For Your Pop(ular Culture)

            “Hey, can I throw something atcha?” A broad man to my left asks as he turns from the X-Box and games he’s trying to sell to the woman on the other side of the counter and faces a wary-looking me, “I mean figuratively, of course.”

I understood his insinuation, “Right. Shoot, man.”

“This place? There’s another place right around the corner that does the exact same thing. They’re corporately owned, this is privately owned. We get to see these guys every day. I come in here fairly often. Usually I come in in the evenings and it’s the same people. So, as I deal with this guy and say I sell all this stuff today – tomorrow I’ll come back to buy something else. We deal with the same guy and he’ll give us a break. He’ll give us just a little better price because he knows us. I like this place for that reason. Especially this guy,” he points across the counter to the store manager, Andy O’Connell. “This place” is the CD/Game Exchange on Short Vine in Clifton, Cincinnati and the previous discourse by my X-Box selling friend is a wonderful testimonial embodying the essence of this great store just a block off campus. 

CD/Game Exchange started back in the 1970s when two brothers began a store with only their own little record collection. It flourished into five stores but eventually the owner cut it down to the two most successful stores – one in Norwood, and this one in Clifton. Today they buy more movies than CDs or games, and try to sell things cheaper than retail but just enough to make a profit. Unlike corporate stores who only buy recent technology and games, CD/Game Exchange will buy old Super Nintendos, first generation DS’s, and CDs from 20 years ago. Andy sold an Atari the other day. Unfortunately the vinyl record shelves are dwindling and with the lack of sales, once those are gone, that’ll be it for the giant 5 song CDs.

Upon first entering the store, music is playing from an unknown somewhere, and posters hang down loose from every inch of the ceiling. The walls are lined entirely with glass cases filled with movies, CDs, and games in alphabetical order. Behind the counter are console controllers from all eras, and there’s even a section for new releases. According to Andy, they will order new music, movie, and game releases every so often to bring in a little more money. “Our busiest day of the year is when the new Madden comes out. I sell out of Adele’s CD almost every week.” The smaller spaces where the walls aren’t being used for shelves are encrusted with stickers, posters and the occasional concert ticket. The pictures overlap covering bits of each other leaving some images to the imagination. 

Andy O’Connell has worked at CD/Game Exchange for eleven years. He’s 28 years old seems to have no plans of abandoning the store. It’s a part of him. He knows his customers and they know Andy. During our conversation, he spots a man coming into the store with a bag in his hand. Before the guy’s even halfway in the door, Andy leans over to his associate, Lisa, and whispers, “The guy’s back with the X-Box and games.” Andy even knew what games the guy had before looking through the pile. The way he was attuned to this customer before he was even a foot inside really brings to life the wonderful local attitude of knowing your customers and knowing their needs that larger businesses fail to do. “I know a lot of people’s first names,” he tells me later, “we got that kind of mom and pop sort of feel.”

If you’re in the market to sell answering machines, shoes, or food, however, don’t stop at the CD/Game Exchange. Andy tells me he had to turn people away for trying to sell these sorts of items. The infamous Beatles’ album with the butcher cover came through once, but his manager bought it right up. Having first pick of the new items like that is something Andy and Lisa both love about the store. The relaxed hours fit their lifestyles and listening to good music all day is certainly a plus. “I’ve played guitar since I was a little kid,” Andy mentions when I asked about his personal passion for music. 

I stood at the counter watching Lisa process many transactions. One girl stops in to quickly sell Disney’s “Robin Hood,” and a couple other guys are selling games. A sandy-haired, lanky guy with glasses came in asking if Andy knew another customer who apparently patrons the place regularly. Without fail, Andy knew and even could attest that that particular customer is off in Chicago right now. Lisa took on her job here because she needed a second income, but now loves the place despite the “job” stipulation. And how could she not? CD/Game Exchange is a great place to find some of the best prices on the world’s most favorite forms of entertainment and even get a touch of friendly familiarity while you’re at it.

There's Got To Be Something Besides Facebook.

Alright internet. You're an ever expanding mass of technological innovation and yet, what the hell do people do all day? Get on fucking facebook. I frequent Reddit with a passion because I've started into this downward spiral with FaceBook. Seriously, I don't give a crap about what your new bike looks like, what you and your boyfriend are doing, how much you don't want to be talked to right now, how great you and so-and-so are getting along, what music you're listening to, movie you're watching, or food item you're eating. Enough is ENOUGH. Does no one get tired of removing the mystery from life? What fun is it to know what everyone is doing all the time? Where will the conversation go when you actually hang out? Oh, what am I saying? You won't hang out because your fucking internet relationship is better than a PHYSICAL one. Fuck, man.

I'll admit, Reddit is pretty dumb, too. Amidst maybe 4 actual current news stories, you have 25 cats, 7 macro pictures, songs from 6 years ago that people still fucking like, and gobs of memes. I sit there and scroll through it and giggle to myself at the humor of it all, and then I retract. Holy shit, I seriously just laughed at a cat popping out of a box? Are you fucking kidding me? THAT'S what I think is funny?! And I close the window.

People just veg in front of FaceBook or Google for hours and then look around and exclaim, "Omg, I just procrastinated, better write that paper." Ten minutes later, they're back on FaceBook. No, I'm not trying to be high and mighty about it all - I've been there! That's why it really bothers me. How the hell did I do that with my life? How the hell did I just let myself sit there and muse, "haha, look at that dumb meme" or "wow, Jenny has a new kitchen." HOW?!

It's these reasons why I don't see a problem with video games. With a video game - no matter how idiotic you may think the plot (or lack thereof) may be -  at least the person is actively giving their mind to something rather than scrolling up and down on their news-feed wondering why there's nothing new for them to not give a shit about. That's another issue. As much as you'll read the post about Jenny's new kitchen, do you give it more than 12 seconds pondering? No. You do not. You glance, like, move on. Fuck you. Go SEE that kitchen for chrissake. Be IN it. There's nothing more real than the real and Facebook removes us from the real.

Yeah, sure, okay, it keeps us in touch with each other, but how much harder is it to pick up your phone and text someone, "Dude, do you have a boyfriend now?" or "Hey man, how's your life going." Doing it over the internet just isn't the same, because if you said all that, two clicks later you could figure out how everything is.

It's the mystification of life that is lost. No one cares. And that is sad. Put down your facebooks and your reddits, your youtubes, and googles. Walk outside with a book. Sit down and play Kingdoms of Amalur or COD against friends. Activate your minds. Stop being Facebook zombies. You know you are. Fucking do something about it. End the cycle.

Shit.