Wait, what day is it? Sunday? Yikes. Well, I don't really know what to say about that... there were errands Friday night, and yesterday was largely occupied by stuff related to elderly dog care, then we zipped out last night for a quick meal at Border Cafe. And I guess I've been trying to spend less time at the computer on weekends (with varying levels of success).
To some degree, I also let inspiration guide me. That is, I try to have specific ideas before I start to write posts. If nothing bubbles up for a couple of days, I get a little worried about my brain, like maybe I'm losing my ability to observe and report. Maybe the well is running dry?
How about this? I can tell you that I'm reading a very enjoyable book about television called The Revolution Was Televised. It's written by Alan Sepinwall, the TV critic for HitFix whose opinions I have come to respect greatly. (Alan is the reason I decided to check out unREAL on Lifetime this summer, and I am so glad I did. He was also the inspiration for my attempts to write weekly thoughts about Mad Men episodes.)
The book is about the current golden age of TV we are living in, and the most significant shows of the past 15 to 20 years that led the way. (It's a few years old, and I understand that a new edition of the book is coming out this fall, with additional material on the ends of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, so maybe it's worth waiting until then to check it out.)
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
09 August 2015
10 April 2014
Proved Wrong
A few weeks back I noted the "normcore" thing going on in fashion, and predicted that the New York Times Style section would do a piece on it in six months, when it was already over. I'm a bit behind on my newspaper reading, but in perusing last week's Style section I found there was just such an article. (I believe I read that the Times recently appointed a new fashion editor, who may be responsible for the improved response time in covering trends like this.)
24 September 2013
23 August 2013
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
Have you ever broken up with a website?
Until quite recently I was an avid reader of Jalopnik, a car news and enthusiast site. Their editorial approach and attitude are informative but also irreverent, and a thriving community of commenters always adds value to the stories the site posted. The rapid pace at which Jalopnik posts content meant I had to visit the site several times a day to keep up.
Jalopnik is part of a company called Gawker, which runs more than half a dozen other sites covering the media, celebrity gossip, computers and tech, sci-fi, and other topics. The design of all the sites is governed by a corporate template, which is redesigned frequently—too frequently, in my opinion.
The previous redesign resulted in a terrific look, with a wide text area and ample amounts of space between and on the sides of posts as they ran down the main page. Headlines were large and easy to read, and images were even larger. Information about the articles' authors and the categories of the stories was logically arranged and clearly presented just under the images, and it was quite attractive.
And then they broke something that didn't need fixing. Stories got crammed closer together, images shrank back to thumbnail size, the entire left third of the main page was given to a column of "top stories" links, which resulted in everything else being squeezed over to the right. Some stories have links to one or two related stories with thumbnail images, which intrudes on the text from the right side of the page and pushes it to the left. Article author and category/tag information has been shrunken down and is rendered in a gray text that now sits above stories rather than below; it's much more difficult to see against the site's light gray background. It's a complete disaster.
I've been reading and enjoying Jalopnik for at least five years, but this redesign is so dismal that I've decided to stop visiting. This isn't an easy decision; websites get redesigned all the time, but usually it's to make them better. This has the feeling of change merely for the sake of change, and even if that's not true, it still makes the site far less pleasant to view and read and, unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that it's no longer worth my time.
It's hard to disengage from something that's become a habitual part of my daily web reading, but I visit a number of other car-related sites as well, so I won't miss anything important. I will miss the specific Jalopnik tone, but I guess I'll get over that with time. This happened once before with the tech site Engadget, and I've done fine without visiting that site. And of course, there will inevitably be another Gawker redesign at some point down the road, so perhaps they will eventually undo what they did this time around.
Until quite recently I was an avid reader of Jalopnik, a car news and enthusiast site. Their editorial approach and attitude are informative but also irreverent, and a thriving community of commenters always adds value to the stories the site posted. The rapid pace at which Jalopnik posts content meant I had to visit the site several times a day to keep up.
Jalopnik is part of a company called Gawker, which runs more than half a dozen other sites covering the media, celebrity gossip, computers and tech, sci-fi, and other topics. The design of all the sites is governed by a corporate template, which is redesigned frequently—too frequently, in my opinion.
The previous redesign resulted in a terrific look, with a wide text area and ample amounts of space between and on the sides of posts as they ran down the main page. Headlines were large and easy to read, and images were even larger. Information about the articles' authors and the categories of the stories was logically arranged and clearly presented just under the images, and it was quite attractive.
And then they broke something that didn't need fixing. Stories got crammed closer together, images shrank back to thumbnail size, the entire left third of the main page was given to a column of "top stories" links, which resulted in everything else being squeezed over to the right. Some stories have links to one or two related stories with thumbnail images, which intrudes on the text from the right side of the page and pushes it to the left. Article author and category/tag information has been shrunken down and is rendered in a gray text that now sits above stories rather than below; it's much more difficult to see against the site's light gray background. It's a complete disaster.
I've been reading and enjoying Jalopnik for at least five years, but this redesign is so dismal that I've decided to stop visiting. This isn't an easy decision; websites get redesigned all the time, but usually it's to make them better. This has the feeling of change merely for the sake of change, and even if that's not true, it still makes the site far less pleasant to view and read and, unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that it's no longer worth my time.
It's hard to disengage from something that's become a habitual part of my daily web reading, but I visit a number of other car-related sites as well, so I won't miss anything important. I will miss the specific Jalopnik tone, but I guess I'll get over that with time. This happened once before with the tech site Engadget, and I've done fine without visiting that site. And of course, there will inevitably be another Gawker redesign at some point down the road, so perhaps they will eventually undo what they did this time around.
05 July 2013
Summer Activities, Indoor Version
We had a quiet day yesterday. It's just too hot and humid to spend any significant amount of time outside, something the dog still doesn't seem to grasp. Her desire to be outside, sniffing around the neighborhood, outweighs almost any weather conditions.
I've never been an outdoor person. When I was growing up my family had a pool, which made summer fun as close as the backyard. But if I wasn't swimming, I was hiding out in the basement (where it was cooler) building model cars.
With the big trial going on here this summer, I remembered that several years back I had acquired a copy of Black Mass, about the relationship between the FBI and Whitey Bulger, at a used book sale. It seemed like an appropriate time to finally get around to reading it, so I've been spending time on that. I have plenty of other books lined up too.
I've never been an outdoor person. When I was growing up my family had a pool, which made summer fun as close as the backyard. But if I wasn't swimming, I was hiding out in the basement (where it was cooler) building model cars.
With the big trial going on here this summer, I remembered that several years back I had acquired a copy of Black Mass, about the relationship between the FBI and Whitey Bulger, at a used book sale. It seemed like an appropriate time to finally get around to reading it, so I've been spending time on that. I have plenty of other books lined up too.
03 May 2013
A Look Back, Old Sport
You have probably seen an ad for, or at least heard about, the new movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby that's coming out next Friday. The publicity machine has been ramping up over the past month or so; next week Carey Mulligan (who plays Daisy) is scheduled to appear on The Daily Show, and the movie's director, Baz Luhrmann, is scheduled for The Colbert Report.
The movie was actually supposed to be released at Christmas but was postponed, probably due to production issues related to Mr. Luhrmann's decision to make it in 3-D. Yes that's right, a 3-D version of The Great Gatsby. Does that not make sense to everyone? (Don't worry, there will also be a 2-D version. There always is.) After all, this is the guy who made Moulin Rouge, and I'm sure he would have done that in 3-D if it was an option at the time.
Anyway, I'm very interested in seeing this movie, even if it's a complete disaster (which is a distinct possibility, and one which provides its own distinct sort of pleasure). It's one of my favorite books, and you may recall that I went to New York last year to see a six-and-a-half-hour play in which the entire text of the book is recited onstage.
With the release of the new adaptation, I thought it might be interesting to revisit the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. When it was released it was considered a flop; the director did not make another movie for almost a decade afterward. I saw it once, maybe 30 years ago, but I didn't really remember anything about it other than the cast, and that much of the filming was done in Newport, RI; as a child growing up in RI at the time, a movie production in the state was a big deal and it was covered pretty extensively in the media.
Conveniently, the movie is on Netflix streaming, so I sat down to watch it one afternoon last week. (Still one of the best things about being unemployed: you want to watch a movie at 2 pm? Go right ahead.) It's kind of long, about 2 hours and 20 minutes, and it kind of bogs down about an hour in, right around the point in the story that Gatsby and Daisy are getting reacquainted. This is probably because their relationship has zero chemistry, and because the Daisy of the book, a passionate and impulsive wild card, comes across onscreen as a vapid, vain airhead.
I think some of the blame for this has to be directed at Francis Ford Coppola, who adapted the book for this screen version. The story plods along, feeling much slower than the book, and the sense of this world, which is supposed to come across as a giant money-filled playground, ends up as tedious and antiquated.
On the positive side, Sam Waterston gives a nicely understated performance as Nick, the narrator and moral filter of the story. Karen Black goes in exactly the opposite direction in her portrayal of Myrtle Wilson, the doomed mistress of Daisy's husband Tom, and succeeds beautifully in her excess.
One other detail worth noting, especially for those interested in style: the production design is suitably sumptuous, and the clothes in the movie are uniformly fantastic. All the outfits for both women and men were designed by Ralph Lauren, and you can tell just by looking at them. (Whenever I watch a period movie like this, I can't help but wonder how men were able to stand wearing three-piece suits with stiff shirt collars in the middle of summer.)
I'm very ambivalent about the choice of Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby in the new movie. I've never been that big a fan of his work, and I was going to complain that he's too old for the role, but then I checked IMDB and Robert Redford was basically the same age, maybe a year younger, when he played Gatsby. But he comes across as younger onscreen, so we'll see if the same is true for Leo.
Although they are lesser characters, I am looking forward to Isla Fisher as Myrtle and Jason Clarke as her husband George, mainly based on the other work of theirs that I've seen. As for Tobey Maguire as Nick and Carey Mulligan, I'll have to reserve judgment until I've seen their performances.
The movie was actually supposed to be released at Christmas but was postponed, probably due to production issues related to Mr. Luhrmann's decision to make it in 3-D. Yes that's right, a 3-D version of The Great Gatsby. Does that not make sense to everyone? (Don't worry, there will also be a 2-D version. There always is.) After all, this is the guy who made Moulin Rouge, and I'm sure he would have done that in 3-D if it was an option at the time.
Anyway, I'm very interested in seeing this movie, even if it's a complete disaster (which is a distinct possibility, and one which provides its own distinct sort of pleasure). It's one of my favorite books, and you may recall that I went to New York last year to see a six-and-a-half-hour play in which the entire text of the book is recited onstage.
With the release of the new adaptation, I thought it might be interesting to revisit the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. When it was released it was considered a flop; the director did not make another movie for almost a decade afterward. I saw it once, maybe 30 years ago, but I didn't really remember anything about it other than the cast, and that much of the filming was done in Newport, RI; as a child growing up in RI at the time, a movie production in the state was a big deal and it was covered pretty extensively in the media.
Conveniently, the movie is on Netflix streaming, so I sat down to watch it one afternoon last week. (Still one of the best things about being unemployed: you want to watch a movie at 2 pm? Go right ahead.) It's kind of long, about 2 hours and 20 minutes, and it kind of bogs down about an hour in, right around the point in the story that Gatsby and Daisy are getting reacquainted. This is probably because their relationship has zero chemistry, and because the Daisy of the book, a passionate and impulsive wild card, comes across onscreen as a vapid, vain airhead.
I think some of the blame for this has to be directed at Francis Ford Coppola, who adapted the book for this screen version. The story plods along, feeling much slower than the book, and the sense of this world, which is supposed to come across as a giant money-filled playground, ends up as tedious and antiquated.
On the positive side, Sam Waterston gives a nicely understated performance as Nick, the narrator and moral filter of the story. Karen Black goes in exactly the opposite direction in her portrayal of Myrtle Wilson, the doomed mistress of Daisy's husband Tom, and succeeds beautifully in her excess.
One other detail worth noting, especially for those interested in style: the production design is suitably sumptuous, and the clothes in the movie are uniformly fantastic. All the outfits for both women and men were designed by Ralph Lauren, and you can tell just by looking at them. (Whenever I watch a period movie like this, I can't help but wonder how men were able to stand wearing three-piece suits with stiff shirt collars in the middle of summer.)
I'm very ambivalent about the choice of Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby in the new movie. I've never been that big a fan of his work, and I was going to complain that he's too old for the role, but then I checked IMDB and Robert Redford was basically the same age, maybe a year younger, when he played Gatsby. But he comes across as younger onscreen, so we'll see if the same is true for Leo.
Although they are lesser characters, I am looking forward to Isla Fisher as Myrtle and Jason Clarke as her husband George, mainly based on the other work of theirs that I've seen. As for Tobey Maguire as Nick and Carey Mulligan, I'll have to reserve judgment until I've seen their performances.
24 April 2013
Aging Out
I have subscribed to GQ for many years. There's much more to the magazine than fashion, so there is always something interesting to read. But for some time now, I've felt that the style pieces have less and less relevance to me, not only because of the way I dress, but because of my advancing age.
I am simply too old for this magazine now.
Some of their advice is helpful regardless of one's age. The new issue (with Robert Downey Jr. on the cover) has a feature on pocket squares. I have long believed that paying attention to the details elevates an outfit above the ordinary, and if I'm dressing up I will have a square in my jacket pocket. And any man, regardless of build, can benefit from getting the fit of his clothing right.
On the other hand, GQ offers plenty of style advice that I would never consider taking. Skinny ties have been popular for a few years now, but because of my height and build, they look wrong on me. I don't wear my pants hemmed two inches above my shoes. I am never going to wear a suit and wingtips without socks (with the pants hemmed to show off my ankles). And I have no interest in what NBA players are wearing (or, for that matter, in the NBA).
Many of these are just personal choices, but age factors in as well. Younger men can get away with taking more risks in the way they dress. Conversely, by the time someone reaches my age, he has typically figured out what works for him and what doesn't, and is more likely to stick with a certain look or style.
I also get Esquire, which seems to be aimed at a slightly older audience than GQ, but still someone younger than me. But there does seem to be a void in the market. Older men tend to have more disposable income (I am obviously not a good example of this, but still), and buy things like boats and vacation homes. Condé Nast attempted to claim this space a while back, but you're excused if you don't remember. The publication was called Men's Vogue, which sort of doomed it from the start.
So I'll keep getting these magazines, but not for the style advice. Men of any age can appreciate Alison Brie.
I am simply too old for this magazine now.
Some of their advice is helpful regardless of one's age. The new issue (with Robert Downey Jr. on the cover) has a feature on pocket squares. I have long believed that paying attention to the details elevates an outfit above the ordinary, and if I'm dressing up I will have a square in my jacket pocket. And any man, regardless of build, can benefit from getting the fit of his clothing right.
On the other hand, GQ offers plenty of style advice that I would never consider taking. Skinny ties have been popular for a few years now, but because of my height and build, they look wrong on me. I don't wear my pants hemmed two inches above my shoes. I am never going to wear a suit and wingtips without socks (with the pants hemmed to show off my ankles). And I have no interest in what NBA players are wearing (or, for that matter, in the NBA).
Many of these are just personal choices, but age factors in as well. Younger men can get away with taking more risks in the way they dress. Conversely, by the time someone reaches my age, he has typically figured out what works for him and what doesn't, and is more likely to stick with a certain look or style.
I also get Esquire, which seems to be aimed at a slightly older audience than GQ, but still someone younger than me. But there does seem to be a void in the market. Older men tend to have more disposable income (I am obviously not a good example of this, but still), and buy things like boats and vacation homes. Condé Nast attempted to claim this space a while back, but you're excused if you don't remember. The publication was called Men's Vogue, which sort of doomed it from the start.
So I'll keep getting these magazines, but not for the style advice. Men of any age can appreciate Alison Brie.
14 November 2012
Don't Be An...
I just learned that there is a book about the history of the word "asshole" and what it has come to mean in our society. It's a serious book, written by a linguist. This is excellent; I want to read it.
10 August 2012
10 Things I'm Into Right Now
A Proper Bostonian recently did one of her occasional "10 Things I Love Right Now" posts, and it inspired me to come up with my own list, though I've decided not to use the word "love," at least not the first time out. That's just how I am.
Season 5 of Breaking Bad: I really wish AMC had not chosen to split this show's final season into two halves, holding the remaining eight episodes until next summer, but it's a fairly common programming strategy these days, at least on cable channels. When next summer comes around, I'll probably be glad to have those final episodes to watch. As a bonus, the trajectory of the story this season is giving us more of the grumpy greatness of Mike, and tomorrow's TWiA will have a Mike-centric treat.
Political Animals on the USA network: American TV networks and programming executives are slowly warming up to the British approach of limited-length story telling, and this six-episode series about a family dedicated to public service is an example of how to do it properly. (You can watch the first four episodes at that link.) A shorter run of episodes means a reduced time commitment from the cast and crew, meaning it's possible to attract big-name film actors like Sigourney Weaver, Carla Gugino, Ciarán Hinds, and Ellen Burstyn, who might otherwise not want to commit to the four- or six-month shooting schedule required by a more traditional show. It also helps that the writing is excellent and the stories are compelling. There's already talk of doing a second season of this show, and if it happens I'll be looking forward to it.
Yak & Yeti: this Indian (and Nepali) restaurant in Somerville's Ball Square (diagonally across from Lyndell's bakery) has been our favorite Indian place since it opened a couple of years ago. We probably get takeout more frequently than we go there to eat, but either way it's delicious, and everyone who works there is refreshingly pleasant.
My Troy & Abed In The Morning mug: this is a meta reference to the NBC comedy Community. On the show, Troy and Abed are best friends who occasionally perform an imaginary morning radio program. It's imaginary in the sense that, while they actually do the show, they are not on any radio station when they do it. (I think a lot of us did this when we were kids; I know I did.) It goes nicely with my mugs from TGS with Tracy Jordan (the show within the show on 30 Rock) and the Pawnee Harvest Festival from Parks and Recreation.
Smoked cheddar from Foxboro Cheese: I discovered this company at our local farmers' market about a month ago. They make several varieties of cheese, including mozzarella, regular and smoked Gouda, Asiago, and medium and sharp cheddar. I bought the smoked cheddar and devoured it within a week. They also carry beef and veal at their farm store, which is just south of Gillette Stadium.
Reading books: not working this summer has given me more time to read. In the past month I've completed books on entrepreneurship, iconic American cars, and the battle for height supremacy between the Chrysler Building and the Manhattan Company Building. Now I'm trying to decide what to read next. Oops, I thought I'd forgotten a book, and I did: this crime novel by George Pelecanos.
The NOOK: I didn't think an ebook reader was something I was interested in having, but a couple of weeks ago I was in Barnes & Noble and wandered over to the NOOK display. I had never handled one of these devices in person, but as soon as I started fiddling with the $139 NOOK Simple Touch with the backlit screen, I was instantly smitten. It's extremely simple to use, and while an iPad may be more versatile, I think the NOOK makes a convincing argument for a dedicated reading device. I do worry that I would immediately go overboard on ebook purchases, though.
First looks at fall clothes: you knew I had to get this in here somewhere, right? It may be miserably uncomfortable outside, but in the land of retailing it's time for the new fall stuff. My currently diminished circumstances mean I need to cool it on discretionary purchases until I find another job, but I can still browse, and by the time I'm working again a lot of fall pieces will already be on sale. And I do have a $25 reward card from J. Crew that I have to use by September 15th, I think—if I could figure out where I put it...
New music: I don't buy as much music as I used to, but lately I've been listening to new or recent releases from Of Monsters And Men, Chicane, The dBs, and The Gaslight Anthem, and also enjoying an old Chemical Brothers album that I'd forgotten I owned. And the boston.com streaming radio station created from the ashes of WFNX launches next Monday, August 13th.
Our air conditioning: speaking of miserably uncomfortable, this has been quite a steamy and unpleasant summer for those of us who don't enjoy heat and humidity, but thankfully we are able to keep our apartment blissfully cool (though the kitchen stubbornly remains a few degrees higher than the other rooms, even when we aren't cooking). And since our electric bill runs only around $35 per month the rest of the year, I don't mind the added cost of comfort for three or four months.
Season 5 of Breaking Bad: I really wish AMC had not chosen to split this show's final season into two halves, holding the remaining eight episodes until next summer, but it's a fairly common programming strategy these days, at least on cable channels. When next summer comes around, I'll probably be glad to have those final episodes to watch. As a bonus, the trajectory of the story this season is giving us more of the grumpy greatness of Mike, and tomorrow's TWiA will have a Mike-centric treat.
Political Animals on the USA network: American TV networks and programming executives are slowly warming up to the British approach of limited-length story telling, and this six-episode series about a family dedicated to public service is an example of how to do it properly. (You can watch the first four episodes at that link.) A shorter run of episodes means a reduced time commitment from the cast and crew, meaning it's possible to attract big-name film actors like Sigourney Weaver, Carla Gugino, Ciarán Hinds, and Ellen Burstyn, who might otherwise not want to commit to the four- or six-month shooting schedule required by a more traditional show. It also helps that the writing is excellent and the stories are compelling. There's already talk of doing a second season of this show, and if it happens I'll be looking forward to it.
Yak & Yeti: this Indian (and Nepali) restaurant in Somerville's Ball Square (diagonally across from Lyndell's bakery) has been our favorite Indian place since it opened a couple of years ago. We probably get takeout more frequently than we go there to eat, but either way it's delicious, and everyone who works there is refreshingly pleasant.
My Troy & Abed In The Morning mug: this is a meta reference to the NBC comedy Community. On the show, Troy and Abed are best friends who occasionally perform an imaginary morning radio program. It's imaginary in the sense that, while they actually do the show, they are not on any radio station when they do it. (I think a lot of us did this when we were kids; I know I did.) It goes nicely with my mugs from TGS with Tracy Jordan (the show within the show on 30 Rock) and the Pawnee Harvest Festival from Parks and Recreation.
Reading books: not working this summer has given me more time to read. In the past month I've completed books on entrepreneurship, iconic American cars, and the battle for height supremacy between the Chrysler Building and the Manhattan Company Building. Now I'm trying to decide what to read next. Oops, I thought I'd forgotten a book, and I did: this crime novel by George Pelecanos.
The NOOK: I didn't think an ebook reader was something I was interested in having, but a couple of weeks ago I was in Barnes & Noble and wandered over to the NOOK display. I had never handled one of these devices in person, but as soon as I started fiddling with the $139 NOOK Simple Touch with the backlit screen, I was instantly smitten. It's extremely simple to use, and while an iPad may be more versatile, I think the NOOK makes a convincing argument for a dedicated reading device. I do worry that I would immediately go overboard on ebook purchases, though.
First looks at fall clothes: you knew I had to get this in here somewhere, right? It may be miserably uncomfortable outside, but in the land of retailing it's time for the new fall stuff. My currently diminished circumstances mean I need to cool it on discretionary purchases until I find another job, but I can still browse, and by the time I'm working again a lot of fall pieces will already be on sale. And I do have a $25 reward card from J. Crew that I have to use by September 15th, I think—if I could figure out where I put it...
New music: I don't buy as much music as I used to, but lately I've been listening to new or recent releases from Of Monsters And Men, Chicane, The dBs, and The Gaslight Anthem, and also enjoying an old Chemical Brothers album that I'd forgotten I owned. And the boston.com streaming radio station created from the ashes of WFNX launches next Monday, August 13th.
Our air conditioning: speaking of miserably uncomfortable, this has been quite a steamy and unpleasant summer for those of us who don't enjoy heat and humidity, but thankfully we are able to keep our apartment blissfully cool (though the kitchen stubbornly remains a few degrees higher than the other rooms, even when we aren't cooking). And since our electric bill runs only around $35 per month the rest of the year, I don't mind the added cost of comfort for three or four months.
20 July 2012
Weekend Reading: Talking Heads
I don't get The New Yorker (I know, what a philistine...) so I was unaware of this piece on the band Talking Heads from mid-June, but I discovered it yesterday while catching up on the magazine's Culture Desk blog.
It's longish but definitely worth reading, and when you've finished there is a high probability that "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)"—you know, the one that starts with that flutelike sound—will be lodged in your brain for a while. (And if you want to get a head start, here's the music video.)
It's longish but definitely worth reading, and when you've finished there is a high probability that "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)"—you know, the one that starts with that flutelike sound—will be lodged in your brain for a while. (And if you want to get a head start, here's the music video.)
13 February 2012
This Week
This is a tough week for me: due to the upcoming long weekend my monthly deadline falls earlier (I need to have things squared away by Friday), plus I have several other items that will take up chunks of my time. As such I don't have a high degree of confidence about my availability.
As I've done in similar past situations, I'm going to offer some suggested reading. Today there's an interesting article in the New York Times about the current state of television in Russia.
As I've done in similar past situations, I'm going to offer some suggested reading. Today there's an interesting article in the New York Times about the current state of television in Russia.
09 December 2011
Fun Friday Read
23 September 2011
Banned
Did you know that Banned Books Week still exists? It seems like something our country and society wouldn't have to bother with in 2011, and I honestly didn't think that sort of thing was still happening, but it is. Banned Books Week 2011 begins tomorrow and runs through October 1st.
I accidentally bumped up against this issue back in early August, when I happened upon a story about a high school in Missouri that had chosen to ban Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five from its library and curriculum. In response to the banning, the Vonnegut Library in Indianapolis offered students at the school free copies of the book, and at the same time was asking for donations to cover the cost of mailing books to students.
I made a small contribution on the general principle of the issue, and a couple of days later I received a very appreciative email fromsomeone at the library's president thanking me. I meant to write about it at the time to bring attention to the issue, but it got away from me. Seeing a mention the other day of the upcoming Banned Books Week brought it back to the front of my mind.
I stay away from politically charged topics because I'm not comfortable writing about them; there are literally thousands of other people out there who understand them better than I do and can do a better job of articulating the issues. My late father-in-law was one of them. (I know stuff about stupid, useless stuff.) And I would never presume to tell anyone what to do or how to live. But freedom of speech is one of our country's most cherished and most important founding principles, and why hasn't everyone who would seek to ban a book realized by now that doing so only makes the people you are trying to keep the material from want to read it more?
More importantly, attempts to enact such prohibitions are another reminder that our freedoms are not static, and that the challenge of protecting and preserving them is an ongoing responsibility that all of us share. Think about taking time this coming week to read a book from this list, or explore the other books and authors listed in that section. Visit your local bookstore and ask a staff member to recommend a banned book. If you can't swing for a book purchase at the moment, your local library will be thrilled to help you out.
I accidentally bumped up against this issue back in early August, when I happened upon a story about a high school in Missouri that had chosen to ban Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five from its library and curriculum. In response to the banning, the Vonnegut Library in Indianapolis offered students at the school free copies of the book, and at the same time was asking for donations to cover the cost of mailing books to students.
I made a small contribution on the general principle of the issue, and a couple of days later I received a very appreciative email from
I stay away from politically charged topics because I'm not comfortable writing about them; there are literally thousands of other people out there who understand them better than I do and can do a better job of articulating the issues. My late father-in-law was one of them. (I know stuff about stupid, useless stuff.) And I would never presume to tell anyone what to do or how to live. But freedom of speech is one of our country's most cherished and most important founding principles, and why hasn't everyone who would seek to ban a book realized by now that doing so only makes the people you are trying to keep the material from want to read it more?
More importantly, attempts to enact such prohibitions are another reminder that our freedoms are not static, and that the challenge of protecting and preserving them is an ongoing responsibility that all of us share. Think about taking time this coming week to read a book from this list, or explore the other books and authors listed in that section. Visit your local bookstore and ask a staff member to recommend a banned book. If you can't swing for a book purchase at the moment, your local library will be thrilled to help you out.
20 May 2011
Weekend Reading Assignment: About TV
New York Magazine does its annual television issue to coincide with the annual network dog-and-pony show known as upfront week. I'll have more to say about the networks' upcoming contenders in a bit (due to time constraints, I can't do it right this minute), but in the meantime if you are a fan of 30 Rock, Community, Breaking Bad, Grey's Anatomy, Parks and Recreation, The Good Wife, How I Met Your Mother, Justified, Cougar Town, or Sons of Anarchy, I recommend you have a look at these unabridged conversations with the shows' respective showrunners. A peek behind the scenes is always enlightening, and these conversations are far more in-depth than just a peek.
Also, the article about how AMC, the channel that gave us Mad Men and Breaking Bad, is handling its success, is really interesting.
Also, the article about how AMC, the channel that gave us Mad Men and Breaking Bad, is handling its success, is really interesting.
06 May 2011
Last-Minute Substitution
Well, I had something else planned for today that didn't quite work out (I'll get to it soon), so I'm just going to do what I should have done this morning, and point to this article from the Boston Globe about a group of New England lawmakers trying to get the military to agree to supply personnel with American-made athletic shoes.
17 March 2011
Stuff to Read (About the Media)
So, I've been working toward the monthly deadline this week, hence the silence today. I don't expect I'll be all that available tomorrow either, so I'm going to suggest a few pieces of reading material to fill the void. (There is kind of a theme here, thought it happened coincidentally.)
The New York Times ran a page-one Critic's Notebook piece yesterday about the growing prevalence of vulgarities in pop music. It might have been a bit more intriguing if the author, Times music critic Jon Pareles, had turned his pen on himself, so to speak, and assayed the connection between the existence of stories like this and the decline of mainstream media (because prudish newspapers won't print naughty words, see?), but it's still worth a few minutes of your time.
Over at Jalopnik there's some worthy coverage regarding The Detroit News's decision to edit the online version of a car review in response to alleged complaints by an advertiser, and the author's subsequent decision to resign.
And in a similar vein, The Awl wrote about some internecine wrangling between AOL cousins TechCrunch and Moviefone. (You'll want to follow the links in that one to get the whole story.)
The New York Times ran a page-one Critic's Notebook piece yesterday about the growing prevalence of vulgarities in pop music. It might have been a bit more intriguing if the author, Times music critic Jon Pareles, had turned his pen on himself, so to speak, and assayed the connection between the existence of stories like this and the decline of mainstream media (because prudish newspapers won't print naughty words, see?), but it's still worth a few minutes of your time.
Over at Jalopnik there's some worthy coverage regarding The Detroit News's decision to edit the online version of a car review in response to alleged complaints by an advertiser, and the author's subsequent decision to resign.
And in a similar vein, The Awl wrote about some internecine wrangling between AOL cousins TechCrunch and Moviefone. (You'll want to follow the links in that one to get the whole story.)
11 March 2011
Weekend Reading: The Grand Illusion
As we head into the weekend (which is going to be pretty decent around here), have a look at this interesting article over at Time discussing research about how parents idealize parenting in order to compensate for the emotional burden it creates.
As someone who has chosen not to have children, I find this sort of thing interesting. I try to avoid judging or disparaging the choices others make. I think those who want to be parents are to be commended, but I also think that too many people end up as parents for the wrong reasons, or without a serious and thorough consideration of all the ramifications.
As someone who has chosen not to have children, I find this sort of thing interesting. I try to avoid judging or disparaging the choices others make. I think those who want to be parents are to be commended, but I also think that too many people end up as parents for the wrong reasons, or without a serious and thorough consideration of all the ramifications.
08 March 2011
The Virtual Funnies Pages
Just over a year ago I gave up home delivery of the Boston Globe, due to the elimination of the super-cheap add-on rate I got as a New York Times subscriber. But at that point the only reason I was really getting the Globe was to read the comics, so I reasoned that I could do that online.
I do that now, but it's not quite as easy as you might think. Only a fraction of the comics that run daily in the Globe are available on boston.com's comics page, so I was left to seek out the ones I wanted to read elsewhere.
Most comic strips are distributed to newspapers through syndicating services, so those are the sites you want to visit. They are overloaded with ads and slow to load, but they get the job done.
I now read 15 comics daily, and to do so I need to visit three sites: GoComics, comics.com, and Comics Kingdom, which is sort of a portal template that papers can use to customize a comics page; somehow I ended up using the one that belongs to the Portland Oregonian, but you can also access it via the San Francisco Chronicle or the New Orleans Times-Picayune (quite possibly the greatest newspaper name ever).
I do that now, but it's not quite as easy as you might think. Only a fraction of the comics that run daily in the Globe are available on boston.com's comics page, so I was left to seek out the ones I wanted to read elsewhere.
Most comic strips are distributed to newspapers through syndicating services, so those are the sites you want to visit. They are overloaded with ads and slow to load, but they get the job done.
I now read 15 comics daily, and to do so I need to visit three sites: GoComics, comics.com, and Comics Kingdom, which is sort of a portal template that papers can use to customize a comics page; somehow I ended up using the one that belongs to the Portland Oregonian, but you can also access it via the San Francisco Chronicle or the New Orleans Times-Picayune (quite possibly the greatest newspaper name ever).
17 December 2010
Friday Reading
Technically I work in academia, though our publishing products are geared toward consumers. Therefore we are bound to a certain degree to the academic calendar, which means that most of the following two weeks will be paid time off. Officially our break starts on the 23rd, but I'm taking off a couple of extra days before that.
However, this means that a lot of stuff has to get done ahead of time to compensate for not being here for almost two weeks. So in addition to finishing my monthly deadline stuff this week, I've had to set up emails that will go out to subscribers next week and the week after, deal with a formatting problem in one of the emails, and make arrangements for how a few other small things will get done while I'm not here. (Short answer: I'll be doing them from home.)
Anyway, what all this means is that I don't really have anything for you today, but I can point you in the direction of something you may or may not find interesting, depending on your point of view. Fifty years ago yesterday, two planes collided over Staten Island; one landed there, in an unused army field; the other crashed into an intersection in Brooklyn. The New York Times has been doing look-back coverage all this week on their City Room blog. (It's in reverse order; the posts from the beginning of the week are at the bottom of the page at this link.)
However, this means that a lot of stuff has to get done ahead of time to compensate for not being here for almost two weeks. So in addition to finishing my monthly deadline stuff this week, I've had to set up emails that will go out to subscribers next week and the week after, deal with a formatting problem in one of the emails, and make arrangements for how a few other small things will get done while I'm not here. (Short answer: I'll be doing them from home.)
Anyway, what all this means is that I don't really have anything for you today, but I can point you in the direction of something you may or may not find interesting, depending on your point of view. Fifty years ago yesterday, two planes collided over Staten Island; one landed there, in an unused army field; the other crashed into an intersection in Brooklyn. The New York Times has been doing look-back coverage all this week on their City Room blog. (It's in reverse order; the posts from the beginning of the week are at the bottom of the page at this link.)
21 May 2010
Weekend Reading Assignments
What's this? Friday afternoon slipped by without me posting anything? Believe it or not, I was doing actual work. I have something in the works about the TV networks' new fall show announcements, but in order to do it justice, I need to do my due diligence and watch all the clips the networks provided, which will take some more time. So, Mondayish?
But don't despair: in the meantime, I'm going to point you in the direction of the generally superb site This Recording. For some thought-provoking pleasure reading, check out this excellent piece on masculinity, femininity, television, and the intersection of those things. Lots of pretty pictures of Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, and others. (And re: those first two pictures of Jon Hamm--might they be production shots from season four of Mad Men?)
If that's not quite your speed, New York magazine did an interesting article in last week's issue about Japanese retailing juggernaut (and SAR fave) Uniqlo.
But don't despair: in the meantime, I'm going to point you in the direction of the generally superb site This Recording. For some thought-provoking pleasure reading, check out this excellent piece on masculinity, femininity, television, and the intersection of those things. Lots of pretty pictures of Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, and others. (And re: those first two pictures of Jon Hamm--might they be production shots from season four of Mad Men?)
If that's not quite your speed, New York magazine did an interesting article in last week's issue about Japanese retailing juggernaut (and SAR fave) Uniqlo.
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