Perfect, or just cropped that way?

 

Doesn't the pineapple I picked off my pizza
look better with a square frame!?

 Lately, I’ve become a little bit hooked on Instagram. I think there is something intrinsically addictive about it, and I’ve been thinking about why that might be.

Instagram is an app which allows users to take a photo using their smartphone and then apply filters and frames to it, before uploading it to the social network. Instagram encourages users to make their photos look better than real life, with a strong emphasis on making your photos look vintage, ‘indie’ or arty. Nowadays, there are extra apps you can use to make your Instagram photos look even better, with even more filters and stickers you can add.

Instagram is the ultimate ‘image’-manufacturing resource, which explains its popularity with ‘hipsters’. Urban Dictionary defines hipsters very aptly as ‘a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter’. Isn’t that just the most fitting definition! Instagram is, however, becoming incredibly popular with the rest of the population who don’t wear rolled-up skinny jeans or ironically chunky glasses. But what makes it so popular??

Instagram operates as far more than just a photo-sharing website, instead allowing users to communicate a precise, framed, filtered and edited version of their lives to their followers. In my media subject at uni at the moment (which actually inspired this post!) we have been discussing the concept of ‘mediation’, which is how the media operates as a mediator between creator and user. So, someone who takes a photo on Instagram is a creator, then the app itself allows the user to ‘mediate’ the image to make it look even better, then everyone else sees the image.

In a recent article in Relevant magazine, Shauna Niequist discussed the ‘envy effect’ that Instagram produces. People who follow others on Instagram see their edited photos, their perfectly framed slices of life, and immediately feel envious that they don’t have the same sort of life. I know I definitely feel this way sometimes!

It’s not like looking in a magazine, because the people you follow on Instagram may actually be people you know in real life. As silly as this all sounds, this can have real problems in relationships.  Niequist quotes a conversation she had in which a friend said “I stopped following a friend on Instagram, and now that I don’t see nonstop snapshots of her perfect life, I like her better.”

As I said, I really like Instagram. It is fun to frame your life perfectly and share all the pretty things in your world. But I do see the danger as well. Niequist also touches on how we use the internet for comparison rather than connecting, and urges us to change the ways in which we use apps such as Instagram.

I’m going to be trying to stop feeling envious of the perfect lives I see on Instagram. Obviously no one has a perfect life, and I (and all of us!) need to stop comparing, stop manufacturing, stop mediating and start living. 

I'm not saying quit Instagram, but take the time to think before you post: is this really my life? Throw in a dorky photo every so often! Take stupid selfies! Skip the extra editing! Make Instagram fun again.

A Very Short History of the World by Geoffrey Blainey *GIVEAWAY!*

A very short history of the world… sounds simple enough, right? Start at the beginning, and just say everything that has ever happened really quickly. From every culture. Including before humans could write. And not missing anything or going into too much detail.

Simple? Not at all!

Geoffrey Blainey’s book A Very Short History of the World attempts to recount the complete history of human life on this planet, beginning from the move out of Africa and continuing to the present day. It is an abridged version of his A Short History of the World however, let me tell you, it is still a looooong book. And understandably! The world has a long history!

Despite its length, I found this book utterly fascinating. If you are interested in history, geography, politics, war, culture or basically any other part of human existence, then I can guarantee there will be something in this book that interests you. Highlights for me included the final four chapters, which touch on, amongst other things, the rise of the Internet, terrorism, the world wars and globalisation.

The chapter ‘Israel and the anointed one’, about the life and legacy of Jesus, was particularly interesting for me as a Bible-believing Christian. Blainey phrases things very carefully, constantly repeating things like ‘it is said that…’ or ‘his disciples believed…’, but you get the feeling that Blainey really recognises, at least to some extent, the profound significance of Jesus’ life on earth. However, Blainey does write that upon his ascent to heaven Jesus ‘would wait until the day of judgement when he would appear on earth again to punish the wicked and reward the good’. Any good evangelical Christian will correct this statement, as Jesus firmly stated that no one was good, everyone is ‘wicked’ (as Blainey puts it) and we are rewarded with eternal life through Jesus’ sacrifice, not through our own good deeds!

Nevertheless, I think this book has true merit, whether you’re a Christian or not. One single author recounting all of history is no small feat, and Blainey has definitely done a great job. I just picked up on that particular issue because I have a personal investment in it!

A Very Short History of the World has really opened my eyes to just exactly how small a part I play in the history of the world. Instead of finding this discouraging, I actually find it really exciting. The world has had such a fascinating history, and I get to be a part of it! Of course, it’s not all good, but I am astonished that humans have done such amazing things! I mean, we got from grunting to language! We figured out how to build machines and created the Internet. We have built huge structures and tiny iPods. We are creative and intelligent. Human

s are fascinating, incredible creatures, and our history attests to that fact.

Thanks to Penguin Books, I have four copies of this book to give away! If you’d like to win one, either comment on this post, write on the wall of the Facebook page for this blog or email elisabethanera@gmail.com with a sentence about your favourite part of history and why it’s your favourite! I’ll judge the best four and announce the winners on this blog and on Facebook, or I’ll email you if you enter by email.  

The pros and cons of online shopping

The boots Liz bought last week from Styletread.com.au

The Internet can be a really dangerous place. Particularly for those of us with credit/debit cards… Ever since I turned 18 last year and got my first debit card, I have loved online shopping. It’s really easy, it doesn’t make you feel as guilty about spending as when you’re in an actual shop, and EVERYONE loves getting parcels!

Of course, for all the reasons that online shopping is fun, it’s also dangerous. When you’re not actually in a shop, parting with your hard-earned money suddenly becomes a lot easier, and you find yourself spending much more much more frequently. I ordered a bunch of stuff from Typo late last year (for uni! To be organised! I promise!) and it was free shipping over $50, so I bumped my order up to get the free shipping. Normally I would NEVER spend that much at once, but with my hand on the mouse it all felt a lot less real. Of course, when I checked my bank balance later that day, it felt real!

Another thing I’ve found is that if I buy something online, the purchase doesn’t go into my ‘brain-catalogue of shopping trips’, so the next time I go shopping I think to myself “wow Liz! You’ve been so good and not been out shopping for ages, you’ve been really responsible and saved well, so you can treat yourself today. A few new books, maybe a scarf and a lipstick…” and then I get home and I remember that last week I ordered a dress from Modcloth that’s going to be arriving in the mail sometime soon.

Of course, the final dangerous thing about online shopping is that what you get might not be what you expect. This is particularly important with clothes and shoes when you can’t try them on and check sizing or style, but even ordering a notebook or some sort of household trinket can be risky when you can’t touch or see the actual thing you’re buying.

I’ve been pretty lucky so far in my online purchases, but I did once buy a dress from Modcloth (which I generally love for online shopping!) that ended up being way too big. As this site is based in America, shipping it back for a refund would have been way too expensive, so my mum got the dress and I got a box full of disappointment.

So online shopping is dangerous financially, and it’s a risk, but as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it’s also brilliantly fun and a great way to save time if you need something, or if you’re stressed and need a little instant ‘retail therapy’ without leaving your bedroom (which I do not necessarily condone…).

If you’re going to enter the world of online shopping, I’ll recommend my two favourite sites:

Modcloth.com

American-based, as I mentioned, and a little pricey for tops and bottoms, but if you’re after gorgeous, indie dresses that hardly anyone else in the country will have, seriously check them out. Shipping is fairly reasonable, particularly if you buy a few items. I have bought two dresses, a skirt and a coat from Modcloth and I love them all. One of the dresses is my absolute favourite (it’s a ‘Too Much Fun’ dress on the site, if you’re interested!) and the bright-green coat is going to get a lot of use this winter. Returns and refunds are hard, but sometimes the risk is worth it. They also have up to 20 new items every day.

StyleTread.com.au

This is an Australian-based shoe-shopping site, and offers free shipping, returns and refunds, so you can basically treat it just like shoe shopping, but a slightly more drawn-out process. I have two pairs of shoes from StyleTread, I Love Billy gladiator sandals, which were $35 on sale, and brown Therapy ankle boots, which I bought last week for $59.95 (appropriately named given that they were a stress-induced splurge that I didn’t think all that much about!). Both pairs have fitted me perfectly so far, which is surprising considering I have tiny little size 5 feet, but I bought these shoes without much worry anyway, because of the returns policy.

So final words: Maybe you're safer not to get into online shopping, because let me tell you, it is SO easy to spend way more than you intended. But at the same time, it's a lot of fun. I'm still deciding myself, but I am thinking about giving my debit card to my parents to mind...

Square eyes

Anyone who knows me will know that I am a bit of a TV fan. I get really excited by great screenwriting and I love that when you’re watching TV shoes, rather than in movies, you can follow the characters for a lot longer, and get to know them a lot better. Perhaps I should spend more time outside or with real people, yeah, but in TV world, everything is just more FUN.

So I thought I’d write a little bit about my favourite TV shows of all time, and how I came to watch them, and why I was hooked.

Sea Patrol

Sea Patrol was, to be honest, a fairly average Australian drama that ran on Channel 9 from 2007 and 2011. It wasn’t brilliant, but it holds a special place in my heart because it was the first ‘adult show’ I was allowed to watch on a regular basis. I loved the characters, and gradually converted many of my friends to watching it, so that I could talk to someone about it the day after it screened. I didn’t miss an episode, and if I couldn’t see it on the night it screened, I watched it the very next day.

Friends

Friends has always been something I’ve watched if it was on TV, but it was really only during the HSC that I started watching it heaps. I have now officially seen every episode ever made, most more than once, and I love it. I now own the entire box set. The characters are brilliant, the storylines are hilarious, and Ross and Rachel’s will-they-won’t-they is one of television’s greatest love stories. Also: BRILLIANT finale. Just amazing.

Scrubs

Scrubs is a more recent addiction, but I’ve still seen all the episodes, and I think it’s one of the greatest shows possibly ever… The acting, characters and writing are all equally brilliant, and it is just so funny. But then at other points it’s so poignant! Highly recommended, but skip Season 9 unless you want to be left feeling slightly let down. Season 8 is the perfect end.

Community

Community is probably my most recent TV discovery, but I love it. It’s just started screening on SBS 2 in Australia at 7pm, so I really think you should start watching it! My favourite season is the third, particularly the Glee and Law and Order parody episodes. But the highlight of every episode is Abed. Abed is the product of a genius writer. I am a little worried about Season 4, from what I’ve heard, but I will still watch it.

Downton Abbey

Downton is one of those shows that you love and love and love and then it rips your heart out. Season 3 and Christmas episode, I’m looking at you. That said, Downton is the only period drama I watch, and I can’t watch anything else in that genre without comparing it to Downton. Highlights include the brilliant sets and costumes and the fabulous Dowager Countess, played by Maggie Smith. I also feel like Lady Mary is a lot like me (a bit meaner than me in Season 1, but she gets better!), so that’s probably another reason I  like it.

Parenthood

I haven’t actually seen all of Parenthood, because I only started watching in Season 3 or part way through Season 2, but I’m really impressed by it. It seems very realistic, and the acting is superb. I think what makes it so realistic is that they all talk over the top of each other, and they make mistakes in what they’re saying, so it’s how humans actually talk. Clever stuff.

Finally… my all-time favourite… Gilmore Girls

Yep, it’s probably a bit dorky, but I ADORE Gilmore Girls. I’m so glad my friends introduced me to it, because it’s just exactly the sort of show I love – fantastic, character-driven plots, long seasons and long episodes, BRILLIANT writing and two strong, smart female leads. Yep, it doesn’t get much better than that. Also, I kind of am Rory… nerdy Journalism student who hates sport, loves reading and has a great relationship with her mum.

So let me know – what are your favourite shows? What should I watch next? I’ve seen Season 1 of Parks and Recreation and that seems promising, and I’ve had 30 Rock recommended to me, as well as The Office, but I’d love another serious drama (with 40-minute episodes!) if you have any suggestions! I've started The West Wing but something that takes SLIGHTLY less concentration would be great, because oh man, they speak so fast on that show.