after much speculation, today apple’s website reflects the release of the “iPad” – its first large-scale tablet-like portable device. the iPad looks like an enormous iPhone – and has many of the same capabilities (apps, email, web browsing). my first reaction to seeing the iPad was, “wow, this is SO rad!” – a very similar to a justification for the cell phone in a book i’m reading for a seminar in media and technology that i’m taking this semester.

however, as i thought more about it, i wondered if it’s just a little TOO much. i was talking to my advisor about it, and she made a few hilarious comments about trying to fit the iPad in your back pocket. i responded that, i guessed low-rise jeans were going to be a thing of the past.

seriously, i have to wonder why i think that the iPad is so rad, so sleek, so awesome, that i would even think about setting aside a month’s rent to buy it (don’t worry mom, i won’t!). i love apple, hard, and my iPhone even harder, but is that enough justification – especially since i love hard copies of books, think the Kindle is silly/ugly, and would rather do a crossword puzzle in pen and get newsprint all over my hands then fill in a grid with rote helvetica font.

that all being ranted, my birthday is only a few months away … just sayin’ …

and i usually love this class. i love the music – usually the best hot jams. i love the heat – always hot and sweaty. i love the difficulty – hard as hades.

today’s class *was* hard and hot and while the music was a little more cities 97 then B96, but black eyed peas’ i gotta feeling played during our 150th set of push ups, the music is always a touchy thing with me and i have learned it can’t be all akon and kanye so i was willing to let that slide.

however, what i could not breathe through, what i could not let go, and what i am venting about here is that we did not end class in sivasana (annoying on its own!) so all the suburban mom’s with their white-gold diamond studs and lululemon EVERYTHING immediately erupted into tedious chatter: my husband that, my kids this, starbucks or caribou, trader joe’s or whole foods, the lake or the cabin.

the whole point of this hour-long expression is to have those moments to let your mind do absolutely nothing. not to make lists. om shanti. not to make plans. om shanti. quiet the mind. om shanti. difficult on a great day, impossible today.

but, i tried. i lay there and i tried to breathe – deep breaths – let (INHALE) go (EXHALE). again. three-four-five times. nothing. i was still steaming, literally and figuratively, when i joined the fray and put away my weights and block.

i thought maybe i will kindly suggest to the instructor, the cute, cute sara with no H, that maybe we could end in sivasana next time to curtail the instantaneous gabbing that goes on. but after my shower the lobby was still full of ladies and i didn’t want to look like that asshat that doesn’t like people being social. not to mention, the cute, cute sara with no H smiled at me and wished me a great day as i was shoving my feet into flats, and thus i didn’t have the heart. or the venom.

so, i am giving my feedback here, it appears. i am venting. and the more i tap tap tap, the more i let (TAP) it (TAP) go (TAP).

om shanti.

my “boss” at UMN recently started a blog devoted to many critiques. i’ve helped her get this thing of the ground .. and then, by jove, she has rolled with it, cranking out the QUALITY content — not just pictures of cats and college.

if it seems that i’m a little jealous of the forum she has, that would be because i am. and then i realize … um, i have a forum just like that. just with hot jamz and hijinx. it may not be as academic, but it *could* be mine.

given that, let me share a few thoughts i have related to this post(that i will eventually be posting in the comments section):

• I can hardly go a day (or even an hour!) without someone forwarding me an article about social media or Twitter. A constant I’ve seen throughout these recent, and nascent, narratives regarding Twitter is a lack of empirical research – surely, we are seeing a phenomenon emerge and we know SOMETHING is happening — but that is where the certainties stop. 
• We still have no idea what that “something” is. In all honesty, it could be a very bad something for women’s sport … especially (like the linked post highlights) if social media only replicates and reinforces these dominant and emblematic representations of the hetero-, hyper-sexual female athlete. If that is the case than it’s extremely premature to call any kind of social/new media a savior or posit that it can only be a positive for women’s sport. Thus, this post resonated with me, because I’ve been feeling like there’s a disconnect for some time (and of course, am now attempting some research of my own).
• Another disconnect that may need further fleshing out is the relationship between organization/league and the athlete. While the former may think social media is a “quick fix”, do the actors (i.e. athletes) know that they are pawns – Or are they just being “regular” people, connecting with friends and not realizing that they are being called upon to save the women’s sport in 140 characters or less?
• It may be that leagues and teams may want to show female athletes as “regular” well-rounded people. This could be the subject of a whole other “blog” and could be someday … but if there is a conscious or unconscious attempt to promote an image of well-roundedness (i.e., mother-athlete, friend-athlete, and student-athlete); it’s borderline insulting to both the athletes and the fans. Many people, arguably most people, spend their entire lives TRYING to be exceptional at one thing. However, female athletes are truly exceptional and have spent their entire careers honing their talents. Why wouldn’t we want to showcase that kind of exceptional? Possibly in more than 140 characters?