space and time

I am reading Just Kids and scouring The Missouri Group's News Reporting and Writing guide and freaking out about this summer and freaking out about the April 1 issue.

Things are getting good.

doing my homework

What kind of blogger am I?



There's an existential question for you. As of late, I've been no kind of blogger at all. But now that the reincarnated MHN is going live, I think it's time to get back in the game.

My fashionable friend Gabby introduced me to Style Rookie, a blog written by Tavi, a 13-year-old who reminds me, in a wonderful way, of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, Enid from Ghost World, Kevin from Home Alone and Ludovic from Ma Vie en Rose. Yes, I'm a fan.

This kid is the type of pop culture blogger who makes people like me want to watch Peter Sellers movies. She's a lot like the 16-year-old bloggers I read when I was 12. Each seemed extraordinarily gifted, with an intimidating range of cultural knowledge, a precocious wit, and an uncanny knack for the Photoshop gag.

I probably should have become one of those kids who read The Perks of Being a Wallflower the summer before ninth grade and thought they had taste, but I was too humble and, I think, realistic.

I should have dyed my hair red and worn a silver ear cuff. But I decided to do my homework and read Henderson the Rain King instead.

I was weird. I'm just saying...I should have worn that weirdness. I was nervous for some reason.

i think this is what the internet is for

The Hallway from The Hallway on Vimeo.

Kind of addictive...

I just made a short video for GazetteNET.com.
It's my first, so lay off.

stength in numbers

Iranian protesters have showed conservative clerics that freedom is a universal incentive. According to Sarah Lawrence professor Fawaz Gerges, the odds are in their favor, especially because they are young. He writes:

"[Seventy] percent of Iran's population of 72 million people is under the age of 30. Despite recent setbacks, they will probably own Iran's future."
CNN via TakePart.com

TakePart.com's Travis Kaya has authored a compelling guide to Four Freedom Movements You Should Know About This Independence Day, which includes Iran, China, Burma and Zimbabwe.

needs more anecdotes and lomography

Why aren't there more communities for bloggers seeking constructive criticism? The only reason I have a blog is to practice writing; it would be so helpful if someone familiar with the format and style could occasionally offer critique.

I'll look around for such a group. If I don't find one, I'll make one on ning. See I know how it gets done.

dug up from february...

I know this is old, but I was just reading Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger's comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (via Haaretz). He said he wouldn't care if the Times stopped printing in five years. Of course, if the Times stopped printing, everyone else would probably follow suit...or take a huge risk by forging their own path. The thing is, if the Times successfully starts that trend, they'll also have enough impact on the industry to reintroduce fees for content.

And those fees will have to come back eventually. They'll have to be low. Credit cards and electronic checks won't suffice by any means. Gift cards—or subscription cards, rather—might, as long as they are truly ubiquitous, dispensed from machines on street corners and sold in grocery stores. Otherwise, disadvantaged kids will NEVER get to read the paper. (Of course, you would hope for public-use computers and wireless by that time.)

I no longer believe that paying a private company for content is a bad idea, but I do think those companies have to be prepared to continue their service to the fullest. There cannot be a lapse in accessibility during the transition from print to new media. The nature of the content is too important for that to happen.

That said, companies are entitled to charge. It's all they can do to sustain themselves. But unless they have a ready-to-launch strategy for ensuring widespread access, it's the citizens who will suffer as a result.