Journalism and democracy: Ezra Klein's strangled Vox (via The Economist) LAST weekend saw the launch of Vox, a new online news site founded by the one-time wunderkind political blogger, Ezra Klein. For the happy occasion, Mr Klein, Vox's editor-in-chief, has produced an interesting think-piece, "How politics makes us stupid… Winding down the week, triumphant and confused. While I have to brave the job for the weekend for a change, the week is ending on more or less a positive note. The Swingers, the softball team me and Mays started (and Free Rein Media is more or less sponsoring for the Spring season) won our first contest ever, scoring nine times in the top of the seventh and holding on for a 16-15 win. This was a big win for us, and not just because it improved our record to 1-5. The Swingers was a culmination of two other teams that went horribly wrong, and this new team's coaching staff (myself included) could not be happier to have done better than both those other teams. Probably Uncalled For's series finale will mark 100 days on the Blog Talk Radio Podcasting chart tomorrow. Since our shows usually lasted one week, two weeks at most on rare occasions until the traffic numbers really took hold, having an episode in its 15th week on the charts is kind of cool. Having it still hovering near the top of the ladder is pretty damn cool. On April 10, the finale reached a new peak of #3 (having hit #4 three other times), and after so many trips up and down the Top 20, I really can't wait to get plans started on Free Rein Media's next Internet radio production. Since I've been short on time to work on writing projects as of late, I have been using my free time to work on building my social media/networking brand, at least. After a bit of work here and there, I'm pleased to be back well over 5,000 followers on Twitter, and other channels are being developed and grown. Of course, when it comes down to it, there's no better feeling I guess than to have the #1 Twitter feed in the 6th Worst Suburb in America! So I guess I got that going for me... The 10 Most Dangerous Suburbs In America By Movoto Real Estate Kathleen Sebelius takes her exit: Now what? (via The Economist) IT WAS not a matter of if, but when. Kathleen Sebelius, Barack Obama’s health secretary, is one of the longest serving members of his cabinet. To compare her tenure to a rollercoaster ride would be generous, unless that rollercoaster jumped the tracks… Comcast, lawmakers debate mega-merger benefits (via AFP) Comcast and skeptical lawmakers sparred Wednesday over the merits of a proposed mega-merger with Time Warner Cable which would boost the position of the largest US cable and broadband provider. The huge cable, Internet and media firm defended the deal… I recently broke down and read this "eight beers you are supposed to avoid like the plague or dating a Kardashian" article that's been floating around the Internet the past couple of weeks in various incarnations. The reasons you should avoid these beers, the article points out, are potentially hazardous ingredients to your health. When I read the list, however, there was much room for deliberation. The culprits, as follows... 1) Newcastle Brown Ale 2) Budweiser 3) Corona Extra 4) Miller Lite 5) Michelob Ultra 6) Guinness 7) Coors Light 8) Pabst Blue Ribbon Okay, I lied...there was very little room for deliberation. The only two on this list I drink on anything near a regular basis are Corona Extra and Guinness, and it's a month of blue-mooned Sundays when I even drink a Guinness. The news that Corona Extra has GMO Corn Syrup and Propylene Glycol makes me rethink my occasional Corona, but then again, I guess that just makes it the Mountain Dew of beers. Sad, I suppose, is the news I'm giving up Guinness. Not like it tasted like anything than liquid inky black death, but dude...fish bladder? Why the fuck would you use that to make a beer? Why, damn it, why? Leave the fish organs in the dumpster behind the sushi restaurant where they belong and just make beer damn it! The main reason I can think of to avoid the beers on the list is simple. They all suck. Hard. They all stink on ice. Most of them are that fizzy yellow water that must look great on HDTV, but taste like fizzy yellow water when you crack one open. I am by no sense a beer snob, but is it so wrong for beer to taste like beer, instead of whatever it is most of the companies above are trying to peddle? The Economist explains: How Nigeria’s economy grew by 89% overnight (via The Economist) ON SATURDAY, April 5th, South Africa was Africa’s largest economy. The IMF put its GDP at $354 billion last year, well ahead of its closest rival for the crown, Nigeria. By Sunday afternoon that had changed. Nigeria’s statistician-general announced… Narrow defeat dims Knicks' playoff hopes (via AFP) The New York Knicks' NBA playoff hopes took a knock on Friday as the Washington Wizards held on for a 90-89 triumph at Madison Square Garden. Washington's Bradley Beal scored 28 points, including the game-winning jump shot with 22.9 seconds to play,… ZunZuneo: the new sound of US-Cuban discord (via AFP) ZunZuneo, a Twitter-style application designed to get Cubans talking among themselves on their cell phones, has become the latest obstacle to improved relations between Washington and Havana. Experts in the United States say the failed project, active… Security in the Spotlight (via Repost Video News) Latest shooting at Fort Hood has some rethinking security procedures on military bases. A Little Honesty: Comcast Doesn't Give A F**k What You Think Of Its Merger (via Techdirt) We recently covered how Comcast's top exec in charge of getting its merger with Time Warner Cable approved has insisted that only ignorant and unreasonable people oppose the merger. And yet... somehow, the public (ignorant and unreasonable as they are… |
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Winner, The Blogitzer
(Best Overall Writing), 2011 Blogger's Choice Awards Archives
July 2014
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