Harry Shearer writes a journalist is –among other things–
“just like the rest of us…except hes more tenacious, lazier, sloppier, got better hair, and does his best work in the comfort of the herd.”
Screw you, pop (Dave Morris)
Dave (dave’s window) gives us a taste from his new line of “dysfunctional greeting cards“:
Dad, I love you and all but I cant say you raised me, helped me learn to play catch, taught me to shave or any of those other Dad-ish things since we only met a few years ago… so thanks for your recent portfolio advice and thoughts on my impending retirement. Happy Father’s Day!
The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova
“A teenage American girl, living in 1972 Amsterdam, comes across an ancient book in the library of her widower father, a former historian and now a diplomat. The book, blank save for an illustration of a dragon and the word Drakulya, contains a cache of faded letters all addressed to “My dear and unfortunate reader.” Thus begins a search for the truth behind the myth of Dracula, a search that crosses continents as well as generations.”
— The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
My first Dell computer
My 3-year-old Gateway started freezing up so rather than watch it suffer, I called Dell and told them to send me the biggest, badest box they had (listing the specs would be in bad taste). I unpacked but didn’t set-up and boot-up. It’s just sitting there. Untouched by viruses. Loaded with the very latest software. Perfect. Pristine. I almost hate to fire her up. Is there anything on this corporal plane closer to rebirth than a brand new computer?
“Podcasting Is Not the Next Mass Medium”
In an article titled “Podcasting Is Not the Next Mass Medium,” David Coursey (Publish.com) poo-poo’s the idea of podcasting (and blogging, for that matter):
“Personal Podcasting, like personal blogs, is a fad and will fade. Just like personal sites were a fad in the early days of the Web. People experiment because content creation can be fun, sort of like finger-painting was back in preschool, but people also run out of creative energy, and the maintenance of a site, blog or Podcast becomes a chore. And the content gets boring, and the audience goes away.
I’ve been in the media all my professional life and have spent years trying to understand audience behavior. I can’t always tell what the masses will like, but I am pretty good at calling losers. And as a mass medium, Podcasting will be one of them. “
Three comments: First, that Mr. Coursey has “been in the media all my professional life,” might be more liability than asset in understanding what’s happening in the world of new media. Second, I’m not sure there will be such a thing as a “mass medium” in the future. We’ve been part of the masses. Now we want to be individuals. Third, the photo posted with his column makes me want to bitch-slap him real hard.