Category: Participant Observation

Experiencing “Old School”: The Middle-Aged Mosh Pit

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 7 Comments

So, I was enjoying an extended happy hour at my favorite local pub - out on the patio watching folks walk by, when a punk rock couple - complete with mohawk and combat boots - ambled on by.Here I was thinking "nice to see the neighborhood getting more bohemian and diverse" when I was informed … Continue reading Experiencing “Old School”: The Middle-Aged Mosh Pit

Nostalgic America and The South Florida Elderly Consumer

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This morning I am heading home from a visit with my parents at the Colony Point retirement community in Pembroke Pines, Florida. It is the second largest (next to Century Village) in the area - located in South Florida, which is home to a disproportionate amount of the East Coast's elderly population. Why? I have … Continue reading Nostalgic America and The South Florida Elderly Consumer

DragonCon In Context

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About four years ago my wife and I met at DragonCon: a Fantasy/sci-fi/comics/all-things super-nerdy convention held annually in downtown Atlanta. While both of us are needs at heart (and in-practice) in many ways - we were there as mostly observers that year - hanging out at one of the host hotel bars observing hundreds of … Continue reading DragonCon In Context

A Photo Walk Through Union Square Park

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 2 Comments

Had an unplanned evening in NYC tonight and decided to spend some time observing rather than seeking. Union Square Park is one of those places that attracts "all kinds " and it was a nice return to my anthropological roots to be content with observation and simply capturing the beauty of "hanging out". Here are … Continue reading A Photo Walk Through Union Square Park

A Walk Through East Atlanta

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 1 Comment

My wife and I took an early evening stroll through an often-missed-by-tourists-and-transients part of Atlanta last night. We had both spent most of the week down with a lovely stomach flu and wanted to get out for a minute. Typically, we would head to this part of town for evening's hijynx: drinking and generally hunting … Continue reading A Walk Through East Atlanta

When Wants Become Needs: A Narcissistic Rant on the Consumer Culture Tradition of Getting Accustomed to a Lifestyle

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 7 Comments

Over the past several years my life has changed a bit, as life is wont to do. I went from being a single city-girl to a cohabitating-turned-married suburbanite of sorts. As much of one of those as is possible being a participant observer of my own life. When I started this blog, one of the … Continue reading When Wants Become Needs: A Narcissistic Rant on the Consumer Culture Tradition of Getting Accustomed to a Lifestyle

Internetiquiette 101: Social Media Boundaries

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I have to admit that being an active social media participant-observer is exhausting albeit gratifying work.  Being a good anthropologist and narcissist, I find myself frequently assessing my reactions others'  social media behavior as influenced by the collective of digital compatriots whom I also have occasion to see in real life from time to time. … Continue reading Internetiquiette 101: Social Media Boundaries

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Are Millennials prone to a “waste not, want not” mentality? Kind of like our (by our, I mean Gen X-ers) grandparents who went through the Great Depression? Does that mean my hoarder-like collection of jars might actually have some value?

So-Called Millennial

So, this happened today:

Over the last month or so, I’ve saved 17 glass jars.

Inspired by 100 Days of Real Food blog, I decided to start saving jars, because Lisa Leake recommends freezing food in glass containers instead of plastic. I made an effort to save an Adam’s Natural Peanut Butter jar, or marinara sauce jar here and there. Or so I thought.

I noticed that empty glass jars were starting to line empty spaces of my cabinets. Fearing I was becoming a hoarder, I decided to put these pretty little jars to use. I love the look of the jars in my pantry.

I am on the furthest end of the spectrum away from being a hoarder. I hate having anything extra. I even think people who are “innocent” pack-rats are actually harboring latent hoarding tendencies. The show “Hoarders” is my worst nightmare scenario, second to sinkholes.

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How To Survive A Bar Crawl

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Every year for her birthday, one of the "girls in the group" has a ritual bar crawl. Even for those who don't go in for the whole "sh@t show", it's a great way to get everyone together and catch up on the various exploits of our increasingly domesticity and-career-driven-lives. It's also a great reason to … Continue reading How To Survive A Bar Crawl