Periscope: Sensory Overload & It's Theme Song Is Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"

photo credit

Are you familiar with Periscope?

Not the thing that comes out of the submarine, but rather the technology that allows for Person A to watch/listen to random Person B on the other side of the world. Person B could be eating dinner (see above), could be watching TV, could be tending to crops, etc... Person A then has the ability to submit questions/comments and Person B, if so inclined, can comment/answer. Just realize that there are are hundreds, if not thousands of other Person A's watching the broadcast/submitting questions.

While the original Person A is listening to/watching Person B, Person A is thinking of what to say/ask AND reading the scrolling commentary going by at a fast clip.

Two words (well, four, but two phrases)-

a) Sensory overload
b) Narcissist central

I stumbled across Periscope while scrolling through my Twitter feed and saw that Curt Schilling (former professional baseball player) posted that he was on Periscope. Curiosity got the better of me and I downloaded the app to see what it was all about.

At first, I was sucked in. A superstar (to Red Sox fans he is- helped us win the first World Series in 86 years) was on my phone and talking to "the people." (Truth be told, his snoring dog Georgia is really what sucked me in.)

People were asking about the infamous bloody sock, chicken and beer in the clubhouse, life as a professional athlete, etc.. For someone as nosy as me, well, it was cool.

I sent some of my own questions and when he'd answer them, I was sold on Periscope.

After the first time I watched, the subsequent broadcasts were the same. Curt sitting in his living room answering the same questions over and over (FYI- Todd Helton was the hardest hitter for him to get out and no, the bloody sock didn't have ketchup on it.) He also ventured out for trips to Taco Bell, to the hockey rink for his son's practice, to his kitchen for a late night snack.

After about the fourth or so broadcast, I was feeling sensory overload. Trying to watch the video (he might flash to his dog!), watch what others were posting/asking, listening to his responses, and trying to think if I had any brilliant questions that hadn't been asked before was a bit too much for me. While I think Facebook has its pros and cons, I'm comfortable with the fact that it's not so fast moving. (Did I just say that? How old am I?)

But, what I really started to realize (I'm a bit slow on the uptake sometimes), was how pompous Person B can be (in this case, Curt Schilling.)

Again, while Facebook is not THE social media outlet, at least you're sharing things with your friends/people you know/people that in theory care about what you're sharing. You're not posting that you're feeling down and waiting for millions of strangers to ask you what's wrong. THAT is what Periscope can be.

Feed the ego with attention from strangers in real time.

My opinion has done a 180. (At least of Curt's Periscope.) Washed up professional athlete that doesn't get attention on the playing field, so looking to get it wherever he can. (And, as an aside, use it further his own aspirations for a career in politics.) It's all about him. Ugh.

That said, my husband reminded me that Periscope CAN have a valuable purpose. Example: At the non-profit my husband works at, they'll Periscope a training, which would obviously benefit listeners/watchers.

Have you used Periscope? Have you been Person A or Person B? What are your thoughts?

**The thoughts expressed in this post are 100% mine...and I have a right to them!**

Vacation Goals: How'd I Do?

(Written Sunday July 31st and updated today, Sunday, August 7th)

We're here!!!!!!!!!

John and I are on our much needed, much anticipated week's vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

This is our sixth year coming here and we absolutely love it. (So much so, that we talk about retiring here!)

I've put forth some vacation goals for myself:

• Spend some time each day blogging
• Spend at least 1 hour each day reading
• Try at least one new restaurant
• Go swimming every day that we're on the beach (by swimming, I mean actually going under)
• RELAX!

So, how I'd do?

• Spend some time each day blogging: So-so. I spent some time each of the first three days blogging and then fell off. Not bad! (I have another post ready to go after this one that I wrote on vacation and I'll post this week.)

• Spend at least 1 hour each day reading: A+! 
• I finished reading Turning Thirty by Mike Gayle, which was a fun British 'bloke-lit' easy read. 
• I then read Cane River by Lalita Tademy. This was a much more serious historical fiction read, along the lines of Roots.
•  I then started Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes. While Marian is one of my all-time favorite authors, I wasn't thrilled with this. For some reason, I had it in my head that it would be fictional essays/short stories and instead, it was non-fiction, everyday life stuff that she's written (and most of it I'd read in the past.) 
• So, being somewhat disappointed by that, I started another book on my Kindle, Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton. That turned out to be just so-so, too. Oh well. 
• I also caught up on my magazine reading!

• Try at least one new restaurant: A++! We tried four new places! (I think...I feel like I'm forgetting some.)
• Lily Thai: I'd give this a C. The service was not great and the food was just so-so. (Is "so-so" the catchphrase for this post?)
• Salt Air: I'd give this an A. It's a newer place, popular, and somewhat upscale. They take a limited amount of reservations, so by the time I looked online, there were none available for our week. We ended up having to wait an hour (which was OK, based on our expectations) and I'd say it was worth it. We had lovely cocktails, crab deviled eggs, I had scallops, and John had crab cakes. The atmosphere was fun and a nice departure from the typical beach fare.
• Gilligan's (Lewes): I'd give this a C+. We'd originally planned on eating lunch at Kindle, which we've eaten at before and really enjoyed, but I forgot to check to see if it was open for lunch...and it wasn't. So, we made a quick decision and decided to try this waterfront place. It was average...typical lunch fair. Overwhelmed waitstaff, so service wasn't super. 
• Purple Parrot Grill: I'd give this a B+. It has a fun/casual atmosphere with decent food. We ordered frozen raspberry margaritas and they were LARGE! John had a German meal and enjoyed it. I had fish & chips, and it was good. We'd go back.

• Go swimming every day that we're on the beach (by swimming, I mean actually going under): hahahhahahahaha. Yeah, no. I went under once on purpose and a second time accidentally. The first time was fine. I said I'd do it again. The second time, um, not so much. The surf was really rough and I was getting slammed because I couldn't get past the breaking point. After that? I was a spectator.

• RELAX!: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!

It was great, but we're sad to be back to reality. Wah wah.