August 21, 2009

I work in the IT industry, an industry with some real nerds. Really unmatched nerd-dom. I know this because I attended an all-hands event with about 2000 of my fellow workers from different branches sometime back, and looking around the conference room, I was able to group everyone into three categories (politically incorrect to draw such sweeping statements, I know...).

1. The Nerds. Members of this group are untainted and complete nerds. In all probability I think they’d even agree. They wear hight-waist pants, got thick glasses, and no social skills whatsoever. They use their own mugs, take pictures of their own PowerPoint presentations with their camera phones and wear socks with sandals. If made to attend an office party and asked to say a few words with much coercion, they'll speak excitedly and only in technical jargon leaving everyone else dazed.

2. The Top Gun. These individuals assume they've got the funkiest jobs in the cosmos, a cosmos of which they are the captains. And when you're in their space, you're playing in their realm. So don't f*&%^ it up. They buy expensive toys, wear only branded stuff (from the US preferably) and constantly hold out their pricey phones. Their conversation skills surpass the Geeks, but their attitude makes you wish they'd just put a lid on it.

3. The Normals...Mostly. Here's where I think I fall (shut up...stop laughing!). See, I dress nice but I don't have anything extra fancy. I can talk endlessly about what I do but I know when to shut up. And I can talk about other things too. I don't own a pair of high-waist pants nor would I think about wearing socks with sandals and I am reserved about whatever crazy-ass skills I happen to have.

Sure, there are some that don't fall as tidily into any of these groups, like the one guy who speaks non-stop to just about anyone, even when they’re obviously ignoring him. Or the girl who burps so loudly. I mean, if you've got to do it anywhere, I guess that's the place but how does one just burp for a minute or two solid? Oh, and the person who resembles that freakishly tall actor - GĂ©rard Depardieu.
except this person turned out not to be a man but a strangely masculine looking woman...with lots of mascara.
I'm sure every profession has its weirdos, its nerds and its stud muffins...but this one seems to have more than most.

Lately I’ve been listening to a load of female artists that I had never heard of before this month and it keeps me sitting down for the better part of the day; parked behind a computer screen. This music is a lifesaver after lunch and it’s been quite a treat to get to listen to loads of new music (none of which I actively have to pursue).
This album, ‘Blink the Brightest’ was released in 2005 by Tracy Bonham. It starts off moody, and later on packs in a lot of guitar fuzz and distorted wall of sound, and honestly feels real good by the end. Moody, solid throughout, and drenched in a melancholic haze of guitars and lo-fi distortion. It’s almost as if you’re standing at the back of the bar after a long night of drinking and music and this is the last act on stage for the night.

‘Naked’ is the ninth track off of the album and I’m leaning towards admitting it’s my favorite song by the artist. Brilliant. The music is catchy without being overdone and the lyrics, seriously, the lyrics are really where the brilliance of this track sets it. Especially the bridge. It’s so good I’m not afraid to tweet random snippets of this song on a regular basis. It’s so good I’m still listening to it on one song repeat right now. It’s so good you’ll listen to the track and then immediately get yourself her album.

Here’s to a helluva weekend.