If you work with, for, or as the media, helpareporter.com is rapidly becoming a great free, no-spam version of other, incredibly expensive pay services.
The only down side - I think its proprietor will look pretty silly doing the jig he's promised to do when the list hits its next membership target.
Hmm.
Did I say "down side"?
Go sign up, won't you?
Showing posts with label new media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new media. Show all posts
27 March 2008
23 March 2008
Classic Examples II: Creativity
When I draw or when I painted - which, sadly, I haven't in years - there's a way my brain has to shift the way it processes my vision. I'm floundering, but this is the best I can explain it. Normally, you don't really concentrate on seeing, you know? You just see. Same as breathing. But when you're trying to replicate what you're looking at, you don't see in the normal way. Things lose the dimensionality and the shape you know they have and just become angles. They lose the colors you know they have and just become tones and shades. You ignore what you know things actually to be, to focus on every element of them. Things stop looking like what they really are.
I'm not sure that explanation works, but it's the best I can do.
I guess the same shifts happen with words, too - when you're simultaneously looking at something for the narrative or the grammar or the flow or the arrangement on the page. But that's more fluid for me. And I guess it happens physically, too - when you start being aware of your breath or your movement. It probably happens if you're a musician. Or if you meditate a lot.
But my point is that clunk in your brain, that moment when it comes out of gear and the process goes from automatic, to something deliberate that you're making yourself conscious of. It must be that way all the time for people who are stunningly, startlingly creative. They must be permanently off autopilot. What a brilliantly beautiful - but utterly daunting - life to consider.
So what's my example (since I've decided to start looking at examples)? The most free-rangingly creative person I can think of is Ze Frank. I haven't gotten into most of his stunts or projects, not the way some of my friends have. But his latest is Color Wars. Google Ze Frank, Twitter and color wars if you're curious. Basically... he found a new medium, and where some people (i.e., me) would hang back and poke around till you figure out how everyone else plays - he lobbed a water balloon into the middle to see what would happen. And if it's anything like The Show, it'll be a community-building, difficult-to-describe collection of creativity just for the joy of creativity.
He seems to be one of those people who wake up every day out of gear, looking at everything slightly unfocused so he can notice at what everyone else is missing.
Enviable.
I'm not sure that explanation works, but it's the best I can do.
I guess the same shifts happen with words, too - when you're simultaneously looking at something for the narrative or the grammar or the flow or the arrangement on the page. But that's more fluid for me. And I guess it happens physically, too - when you start being aware of your breath or your movement. It probably happens if you're a musician. Or if you meditate a lot.
But my point is that clunk in your brain, that moment when it comes out of gear and the process goes from automatic, to something deliberate that you're making yourself conscious of. It must be that way all the time for people who are stunningly, startlingly creative. They must be permanently off autopilot. What a brilliantly beautiful - but utterly daunting - life to consider.
So what's my example (since I've decided to start looking at examples)? The most free-rangingly creative person I can think of is Ze Frank. I haven't gotten into most of his stunts or projects, not the way some of my friends have. But his latest is Color Wars. Google Ze Frank, Twitter and color wars if you're curious. Basically... he found a new medium, and where some people (i.e., me) would hang back and poke around till you figure out how everyone else plays - he lobbed a water balloon into the middle to see what would happen. And if it's anything like The Show, it'll be a community-building, difficult-to-describe collection of creativity just for the joy of creativity.
He seems to be one of those people who wake up every day out of gear, looking at everything slightly unfocused so he can notice at what everyone else is missing.
Enviable.
Weekly Roundup: Video Edition
This is all you need in one: the YouTube Video Awards. It's the magic vault of internet videos. Specially watch the Battle at Kruger. Truly amazing.
11 March 2008
On Reading, Flocking and Voting
Dewey linked me to Neil which linked me to Science Daily and this article about how humans flock like sheep and birds.
And, by the way, today is the last day to donate at Dewey, so for the deep, abiding, passionate, head-over-heels, seventh-grade-drawing-hearts-on-notebooks, head-over-heels love of books, please go and do it. It's the fifth year running, and so far this year's drive has gotten 15,000 books to libraries that need them. How cool is that shit?
I was at my library yesterday, and seriously, they really are kind of magic. You go in and take whatever you want. It's free. And you basically just bring them back when you're done. Really, where else in life does it work like that? So please: go give. I did.
Anyway, back to sheep. It's interesting that there's a genetic predisposition, and not just a character weakness, to drive us to just sort of follow along. That's usually considered a flaw - but if it's innate...?
The article says all you need are five percent to direct the movement of a whole crowd. And I think the ways you could extrapolate this are pretty interesting.
Like, I wonder if there's something that triggers this more strongly during teenage years. A survival thing, maybe. It would make sense. Before your brain finishes up on the prefrontal cortex, do you automatically get a push to follow the herd more, so you won't go off and do as many stupid things by yourself? Are teenagers programmed to stick together to help themselves survive adolescence?
And if you go even further along bringing the idea from physical movement to strictly thought, what does this mean for the impact of social media on the presidential election? It's safe to say that our "five percent" is not the same media authors that it used to be. (Mine's completely different from the last election, anyway.) But this new five percent is a lot more scattered - less the one voice of reason and more a handful of chatterers.
The post-hoc analysis this election is will show how much effect social-media authors end up having. Until then, though, I don't think anybody knows quite what's going on. Who matters? How much? It's nerve-racking, but at the same time, I like that it's so game-changing. The pandering is not so automatic anymore - the candidates don't always seem to know where to turn. Sort of democratizes things, if you will.
But does social medial go against our genetic sheep mentality? On the one hand, there are more opportunities to band together with people who think similarly. But on the other hand, there's not as much of the Walter Cronkite mentality, where we all look to a trusted person for their opinion.
Do we want people to tell us what to do, and is it so uncomfortable to have to go out and find the details, that we'd rather not bother? I wondered when I read this memo released today by the Obama camp. How many people are actually going to read it - versus the ones who'd rather just hear a sound bite and watch an ad? I guess there's no way to really tell for another eight months.
And, by the way, today is the last day to donate at Dewey, so for the deep, abiding, passionate, head-over-heels, seventh-grade-drawing-hearts-on-notebooks, head-over-heels love of books, please go and do it. It's the fifth year running, and so far this year's drive has gotten 15,000 books to libraries that need them. How cool is that shit?
I was at my library yesterday, and seriously, they really are kind of magic. You go in and take whatever you want. It's free. And you basically just bring them back when you're done. Really, where else in life does it work like that? So please: go give. I did.
Anyway, back to sheep. It's interesting that there's a genetic predisposition, and not just a character weakness, to drive us to just sort of follow along. That's usually considered a flaw - but if it's innate...?
The article says all you need are five percent to direct the movement of a whole crowd. And I think the ways you could extrapolate this are pretty interesting.
Like, I wonder if there's something that triggers this more strongly during teenage years. A survival thing, maybe. It would make sense. Before your brain finishes up on the prefrontal cortex, do you automatically get a push to follow the herd more, so you won't go off and do as many stupid things by yourself? Are teenagers programmed to stick together to help themselves survive adolescence?
And if you go even further along bringing the idea from physical movement to strictly thought, what does this mean for the impact of social media on the presidential election? It's safe to say that our "five percent" is not the same media authors that it used to be. (Mine's completely different from the last election, anyway.) But this new five percent is a lot more scattered - less the one voice of reason and more a handful of chatterers.
The post-hoc analysis this election is will show how much effect social-media authors end up having. Until then, though, I don't think anybody knows quite what's going on. Who matters? How much? It's nerve-racking, but at the same time, I like that it's so game-changing. The pandering is not so automatic anymore - the candidates don't always seem to know where to turn. Sort of democratizes things, if you will.
But does social medial go against our genetic sheep mentality? On the one hand, there are more opportunities to band together with people who think similarly. But on the other hand, there's not as much of the Walter Cronkite mentality, where we all look to a trusted person for their opinion.
Do we want people to tell us what to do, and is it so uncomfortable to have to go out and find the details, that we'd rather not bother? I wondered when I read this memo released today by the Obama camp. How many people are actually going to read it - versus the ones who'd rather just hear a sound bite and watch an ad? I guess there's no way to really tell for another eight months.
02 March 2008
Weekly Roundup: Monsters, Songsters, Actors, Flacks. and Tech Support
- Public relations is mostly just about being real. A breakthrough, that.
- Patrick Stewart as Macbeth? Ooooh, yes please.
- In Japan, March 3 is Girls' Day, or Hina-matsuri - "hina" meaning girl or princess. March 3 is my birthday, and "Sarah" means princess. (No point. I just liked that.) Also, Ronan Keating and I share a birthday. In addition to our soulmate connection, of course. (I digress.)
- Cookie Monster on NPR. Fabulous.
- flickrvision and twittervision. Totally addictive mashups.
- Sirens magazine. Biting, funny, true.
- Running iTunes off an external hard drive is not working for me. I am afraid to investigate further tonight, but it appears the library is suddenly missing all kinds of random songs... again. If I have to copy the whole thing over from the backup external... again... I shall be displeased. It takes days to sort out the duplicates. Drop me a note if you can help/commiserate.
01 March 2008
TED on Love
The inimitable Matthall turned me on to TED.
It's what happens when the smartest people alive focus on the most fun and interesting parts of science and music and life. It's amazing.
Since the annual conference is this week, I've got a few dozen posts to catch up to on my RSS for the TED blog, but here's one of my first favorites.... a video on love by a Rutgers anthropologist. It's not short, but don't let that scare you. You won't notice the time.
It's what happens when the smartest people alive focus on the most fun and interesting parts of science and music and life. It's amazing.
Since the annual conference is this week, I've got a few dozen posts to catch up to on my RSS for the TED blog, but here's one of my first favorites.... a video on love by a Rutgers anthropologist. It's not short, but don't let that scare you. You won't notice the time.
22 February 2008
Weekly Roundup: Like, Love, and Everything In Between
Some real links for you this week, because it's been a long time and I'm feeling some Catholic guilt over it all.
- Stuffed animals turned inside out. Some say they're creepy, or sad. But I thought they were surprisingly, endearingly, somehow defiantly, still loveable. (via zefrank)
- Amazing, peacefully dreamy, cut-paper animation. (via zefrank)
- THIS is the purpose of Twitter: stalking Snoop. (via Peter)
- Aw, poor guy. (via popbitch)
- A tip, or at least a small epiphany: when you get do-gooder-daydreamy, but the haircut video on Locks of Love gives you actual shivers... you are not ready. (Anyway: ...hmm.)
- Stuff White People Like. Pretty self-explanatory, very zeitgeist-funny, but still worth a smirk or two. (via Pamie)
- Dear Catastrophe Waitress, which I just finished, has me completely, head-over-heels in love. (via Karen)
14 February 2008
But What's the Point?
I was just playing around with Pownce since Peter Twittered that it's out of beta.
God, that is one geeky sentence.
But anyway. It's all pretty and well-designed, but I just don't get the whole microbloggy thing. And you know I've tried.
I don't see the point of Twitter, unless I wanted to be some CNN headline source to my friends. Why am I going to tell my whole list of people what I'm doing? Who cares? If I have something to say, I'd blog about it and be equally meaningless that way.
At least Pownce gives you a continuum between IM and microblog - you can send a message or a file to one person, or a list, or everybody. But still, it just doesn't seem very useful. I can already do that with IM or email or Facebook. What do I need one more application for?
Shrug. Please, somebody enlighten me.
Edited to add: dude, I can't believe you check your own links.
God, that is one geeky sentence.
But anyway. It's all pretty and well-designed, but I just don't get the whole microbloggy thing. And you know I've tried.
I don't see the point of Twitter, unless I wanted to be some CNN headline source to my friends. Why am I going to tell my whole list of people what I'm doing? Who cares? If I have something to say, I'd blog about it and be equally meaningless that way.
At least Pownce gives you a continuum between IM and microblog - you can send a message or a file to one person, or a list, or everybody. But still, it just doesn't seem very useful. I can already do that with IM or email or Facebook. What do I need one more application for?
Shrug. Please, somebody enlighten me.
Edited to add: dude, I can't believe you check your own links.
05 February 2008
Yes We Can
I read my spam from Barack and Michelle Obama, because it's not spam. They send short, conversational emails... they get it. His are more direct; hers are more peripheral. It was one from her that had a link to this video, which I love:
And while I'm being political, two quick non-partisan things:
And while I'm being political, two quick non-partisan things:
- A graphic from the NYT that shows who's endorsing who.
- A link to GlassBooth.org - because not knowing who you want to vote for is no excuse not to vote.
02 February 2008
Freezing
This is fantastic - as Patti says, art everywhere. My favorite part is the reaction of the passers-by, especially at the end; they see they've unwittingly become audience, and they're delighted.
Details about it at Improv Anywhere.
Details about it at Improv Anywhere.
23 December 2007
The Royal Channel
This is the coolest thing on YouTube.
Not just because I'm a ridiculous Anglophile, although there is that.
But truly, The Royal Channel is genius. It's a government really getting new media - and, importantly, one already in power, not just a desperate candidate.
(Which is not to take away from YouChoose - just to point out that there's less need for the monarchy to do it, and yet they are. I'm pretty positive there's no White House channel. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has one (which... yawn), but if you search for President Bush? Let's just say it's not flattering.)
But back to the monarchy, because frankly, I like them better. And moreover, they got this right. The execution is perfect. The design is in keeping with YouTube but representative of the monarchy. There's new content, but there's almost a century of very cool old footage and links to pre-TV transcripts. (The Queen Mother's silent-film wedding procession, with her getting into her carriage in her cloche hat - fabulous. As well as Princess Elizabeth and Margarets' message to the evacuee children at Christmas 1940.)
Watching the Queen's first Christmas TV broadcast in 1953 is not only interesting in comparison to her first YouTube-televised Christmas message this week - but also because of what she says about what the advent of a novel medium can do to a society. The more things change... you know?
But yes. This is a lot of thinking for a holiday week. So. If that's a little much, you can learn how to say "bra" in German with Posh! (Along with... which one was Geri?)
Not just because I'm a ridiculous Anglophile, although there is that.
But truly, The Royal Channel is genius. It's a government really getting new media - and, importantly, one already in power, not just a desperate candidate.
(Which is not to take away from YouChoose - just to point out that there's less need for the monarchy to do it, and yet they are. I'm pretty positive there's no White House channel. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has one (which... yawn), but if you search for President Bush? Let's just say it's not flattering.)
But back to the monarchy, because frankly, I like them better. And moreover, they got this right. The execution is perfect. The design is in keeping with YouTube but representative of the monarchy. There's new content, but there's almost a century of very cool old footage and links to pre-TV transcripts. (The Queen Mother's silent-film wedding procession, with her getting into her carriage in her cloche hat - fabulous. As well as Princess Elizabeth and Margarets' message to the evacuee children at Christmas 1940.)
Watching the Queen's first Christmas TV broadcast in 1953 is not only interesting in comparison to her first YouTube-televised Christmas message this week - but also because of what she says about what the advent of a novel medium can do to a society. The more things change... you know?
But yes. This is a lot of thinking for a holiday week. So. If that's a little much, you can learn how to say "bra" in German with Posh! (Along with... which one was Geri?)
03 December 2007
Math. Math? Really? Really.
Since I devoured Melvyn Bragg's "The Adventure of English," when I was poking around on iTunes Sunday and saw his BBC podcast "In Our Time" I subscribed straightaway.
But the first episode I downloaded was "The Fibonacci Sequence." Math. Which, if you know me, is not necessarily the first thing you think of me being into. But, whatever. ...And I was glued. Absolutely glued. It's just marvelous.
I mean, all of a sudden I'm saying to myself, "I wonder if there's a relationship between the Fibonacci sequence and chaos theory?" For serious. Who does that?
And there is, too. But that led me to cat maps and coefficients and Fields Medals, oh my... I think I'm getting a little out of my depth.
But for the first time ever, a math book is on my Amazon library list. So yeah. The moral of the story is, go find yourself a new podcast today. Cos you never can tell.
02 December 2007
Inside a Tragedy
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has created an amazing site devoted to the August 1 collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge. It combines photos and a map and a legend of each vehicle involved, multimedia reports of each person involved, and ways to contribute to the information.
It's comprehensive and interactive and utterly fascinating look at a news event, without being maudlin or gory or intrusive. People who say newspapers can't work with new media haven't noticed things like this.
It's comprehensive and interactive and utterly fascinating look at a news event, without being maudlin or gory or intrusive. People who say newspapers can't work with new media haven't noticed things like this.
15 November 2007
Corporate World Slowly Getting Social Media
I'm not sure I like it, mind, but I have to respect it. It's interesting and it's viral.
It's sneaky about the corporate sponsorship, though, and that's what I don't like. If you're a cool phone, just say so, I'll still watch your video.
It's sneaky about the corporate sponsorship, though, and that's what I don't like. If you're a cool phone, just say so, I'll still watch your video.
11 October 2007
Have You Updated Your Profile Today?
There's a fantastically interesting article in the Christian Science Monitor about social networking and it raises a bunch of thought-provoking questions - which I guess we won't get answers to until the next generation, really.
- Social networking - and really Web 2.0 in general - is by its very design narcissistic. It's really just positioning the brand of You. (See also Time's Man of the Year issue.) How does this outlet for such total self-involvement change us - who we are, what we do, how we think about ourselves?
- When we can find out so much about people before we get to know them, how does that change our relationships?
- Does having so many casual friends take away from the really meaningful relationships in our lives?
25 July 2007
What's This? The Internet Has a Point?
Yesterday afternoon a power outage shut down Typepad, Second Life, Netflix, Livejournal, Vox, Movable Type, Typepad, Craigslist, Technorati, Yelp, Red Envelope, CNet, and a bunch of other sites (and the baseball stadium and other actual-world stuff in San Francisco).
Yeah, no, I didn't notice either.
But what was interesting was when Signal vs. Noise noticed that the Twitter stream from Six Apart (the company that runs Livejournal, Vox, Movable Type and Typepad) was one of the few ways to get any news online about what was going on during the outage.
That's the first Twitter use that's made sense to me. I've tried, but don't get it otherwise. But now I see how Twitter vs. internet is kind of analagous to SMS vs. cell phones, I guess, so in emergencies it's similarly useful.
Okay. But I still prefer the status updates on Facebook.
Yeah, no, I didn't notice either.
But what was interesting was when Signal vs. Noise noticed that the Twitter stream from Six Apart (the company that runs Livejournal, Vox, Movable Type and Typepad) was one of the few ways to get any news online about what was going on during the outage.
That's the first Twitter use that's made sense to me. I've tried, but don't get it otherwise. But now I see how Twitter vs. internet is kind of analagous to SMS vs. cell phones, I guess, so in emergencies it's similarly useful.
Okay. But I still prefer the status updates on Facebook.
24 June 2007
Weekly Roundup: Supersized, with Extra Editorializing
The Definitive 1,000 Songs of All Time, 1955-2005. I don't know why you'd go to the bother of sorting and counting. Frankly, I wouldn't go to the bother of reading it. But the sheer size of the project is pretty impressive. (Seems to have pop-ups, though, even on Firefox. Yuck.)
Vazaar. Social photography, sort of? Like Flickr, but with critiques, and members-only. Mike might like it. Not one of my new favorites, but again, I can see how people might get into it.
Relatedly, let me know if you find a photography class. Something that would teach you how to use all the manual controls on a prosumer digital SLR. I've been looking and calling and finding nothing.
"I Got a Crush... on Obama". (I, too, kinda have a crush on him.) Fascinating to see how user-created media will affect the election. Because they will. Blogs, Youtube, Facebook - they will shape the under-30 voter opinion. Because we trust each other more than mainstream media. (And candidates are catching on.) The question is, will we actually vote? I hope so. As that article says, by 2015 Gen Y (1977-1994) will be 1/3 of the electorate. Wouldn't it be cool if we used all that power?
One Hour No Power. Speaking of power and campaign issues. Noon on July 1. It's so little. But it makes you think.
Tickle. If you need to fill your day. (Karen.) Lots, and lots, and lots, of quizzes. (I'm a "Cultural Traveler," it's "Puppy Love," and my true talent is "Verbal Ability.")
The Impossible Quiz. If you really need to fill your day. Thanks to Tracy, I got to 40 before my brain started to melt out my ears. (Damn. Now I'm sucked in again. This time I got to 63.)
Where Daft Punk Got Their Samples From. Fun. If you like them.
Unazukin. I want one. It's a Magic 8 Ball and a Russian nesting doll all in one.
Nabaztag . Similar, but I don't get it at all. Peter? Can you explain?
Facebook. Seems to be becoming the new Myspace like Myspace became the new Friendster? At what point will I tip and move over? And where do Orkut or Bebo fit in?
Trojan "Evolve" ad. Love it. And because I'll get whined at if I don't, here.
Groove Armada feat. Mutya Buena, "Out of Control (Song for Mutya)." Love it.
Vazaar. Social photography, sort of? Like Flickr, but with critiques, and members-only. Mike might like it. Not one of my new favorites, but again, I can see how people might get into it.
Relatedly, let me know if you find a photography class. Something that would teach you how to use all the manual controls on a prosumer digital SLR. I've been looking and calling and finding nothing.
"I Got a Crush... on Obama". (I, too, kinda have a crush on him.) Fascinating to see how user-created media will affect the election. Because they will. Blogs, Youtube, Facebook - they will shape the under-30 voter opinion. Because we trust each other more than mainstream media. (And candidates are catching on.) The question is, will we actually vote? I hope so. As that article says, by 2015 Gen Y (1977-1994) will be 1/3 of the electorate. Wouldn't it be cool if we used all that power?
One Hour No Power. Speaking of power and campaign issues. Noon on July 1. It's so little. But it makes you think.
Tickle. If you need to fill your day. (Karen.) Lots, and lots, and lots, of quizzes. (I'm a "Cultural Traveler," it's "Puppy Love," and my true talent is "Verbal Ability.")
The Impossible Quiz. If you really need to fill your day. Thanks to Tracy, I got to 40 before my brain started to melt out my ears. (Damn. Now I'm sucked in again. This time I got to 63.)
Where Daft Punk Got Their Samples From. Fun. If you like them.
Unazukin. I want one. It's a Magic 8 Ball and a Russian nesting doll all in one.
Nabaztag . Similar, but I don't get it at all. Peter? Can you explain?
Facebook. Seems to be becoming the new Myspace like Myspace became the new Friendster? At what point will I tip and move over? And where do Orkut or Bebo fit in?
Trojan "Evolve" ad. Love it. And because I'll get whined at if I don't, here.
Groove Armada feat. Mutya Buena, "Out of Control (Song for Mutya)." Love it.
13 May 2007
Weekly Roundup: Spring Cleaning Edition
The only thing left dirty in this house is me.
So in keeping with the theme, let's see how much random deli.cio.us clutter I can clean out.
- Etsy (via finslippy I think) all manner of gorgeous handmade shoppery, and also for "I could totally do that why don't I already" inspiration. Honestly it's mostly a little craftsy for my taste, but even so it's really beautiful stuff. And I could play with the geolocator and the color sorter forever.
- SpaceSavers (via Karen) if you, like her, need stuff for your stuff.
- Distilled (via Jilly) because her friend Sep did this as well as last Sunday's LoveLines. I really like his style. (Although some of the clothes look a little too consciously downmarket. I'm not going to Fred Segal to buy a stripey polo, you know? But I love the turtle. And that hoodie with a satin Asian-print trim makes me go oooh.)
- You know by now I'm a sucker for "Whose Line." So this clip cracks my shit up.
- I've been totally addicted to Angela Kinsey's blog for months. The other Office blogs are sometimes funny too, but hers is the best.
- I got spammed with the link to these Bill Richardson ads, so I dislike that I'm passing it on because I'm making spam work. But the thing is, I really like them.
- I totally want a ladybug mouse.
- Also, these droplet-shaped waterproof iPod holders/speakers are pretty adorable. But I don't know if I'd really bring my iPod into the bathroom.
- I guess nobody needs to have an iPod at dinner either, but the idea is cool. It reminds me of that dinner in the dark concept - a multisensory way to heighten the experience of eating. Weird as hell and totally impractical, but interesting.
- I finally got on the Twitter bandwagon. See the widget at right. I'm not totally into it, but I'll play around for a while. If you are too, let me know.
- Also at right is the VisualDNA widget from Imagini (via Amber). It's gorgeous fun and best if you don't read too much but just go and do it. And when you do, I want to see!
- I saw Henry V this week at the Shakespeare Theatre, and as always it was totally amazing. I've got a season package again, so if you want to go, let me know. (And if you think I'm insufferable and weird, don't.)
- Seems kids who text are losing their ability to write complex thoughts well. Sad. But I question causality. Is it the fault of texting, or is it the fault of schools and parents who provide kids technology - like slapping them in front of the TV all day long - without also reading to them and teaching them grammar?
- According to this we learn mostly by teaching and doing and conversing. But it doesn't mention how I learn best, which is by writing. Am I weird? (...don't answer that.)
....Oops, almost forgot.
Being a mama looks like an awful hard job, and I know a lot of people who make it look easy.
I've learned something from every mom I know, including mine.
Happy Mother's Day.
(And, one last link if you're a shopping mama. Or even if not, actually. I think I need this shirt. Also possibly this bag.)
Oops, one more. Because he felt left out, this is a link just for Brian.
Oh damn. Last one, I swear. Please send getting-better wishes to poor Tommy!
Edited to add: I don't know why I've had to use "totally" so many times. Why am I so 80s?
11 May 2007
On Being Blunt
I don't usually talk about work sorts of things here but this is pretty great.
Well. As great as an FDA oncology advisory committee can be. (Provided you don’t own Amgen stock.)
But it's great when people just come out and say what they think. Especially when it's about something important.
The FDA had an advisory committee meeting to talk about two drugs that are supposed to help cancer patients deal with chemotherapy-related anemia. They're trying to figure out whether they help, or whether they can actually make things worse. And it doesn’t sound like anybody pulled any punches.
From Jacob Goldstein’s blog:
Amgen took a beating yesterday as a panel of outside experts convened by the FDA recommended new restrictions on the use of the company’s blockbuster anemia drug Aranesp in cancer patients. We got a strong sense things weren’t going well when WSJ’s Anna Wilde Mathews filed an item from the hearing that quoted one panel member as asking: “What data do you have to assure me that this is not Miracle-Gro for cancer?”
And then from Anna’s story:
The FDA’s Vinni Juneja, a medical officer, offered some veiled – and not-so-veiled – criticism of several studies of the medicines. One of the slides in his presentation asked whether “any ongoing or proposed trials” presented to the same committee in 2004, or since, fully met that panel’s earlier recommendations. The answer, in a giant font, was: “NO.”
Love it.
Well. As great as an FDA oncology advisory committee can be. (Provided you don’t own Amgen stock.)
But it's great when people just come out and say what they think. Especially when it's about something important.
The FDA had an advisory committee meeting to talk about two drugs that are supposed to help cancer patients deal with chemotherapy-related anemia. They're trying to figure out whether they help, or whether they can actually make things worse. And it doesn’t sound like anybody pulled any punches.
From Jacob Goldstein’s blog:
Amgen took a beating yesterday as a panel of outside experts convened by the FDA recommended new restrictions on the use of the company’s blockbuster anemia drug Aranesp in cancer patients. We got a strong sense things weren’t going well when WSJ’s Anna Wilde Mathews filed an item from the hearing that quoted one panel member as asking: “What data do you have to assure me that this is not Miracle-Gro for cancer?”
And then from Anna’s story:
The FDA’s Vinni Juneja, a medical officer, offered some veiled – and not-so-veiled – criticism of several studies of the medicines. One of the slides in his presentation asked whether “any ongoing or proposed trials” presented to the same committee in 2004, or since, fully met that panel’s earlier recommendations. The answer, in a giant font, was: “NO.”
Love it.
27 April 2007
I'm Too Old for This
Three ways to microblog, when I can't understand why I'd want one.
I get how it works: You sign up for an account to get teensy little IM-size spaces to post a little factoid or opinion or thought or whatever about yourself. And your friends subscribe to yours so they can see what you're up to and what you're thinking.
But I just don't get it. When I want to tell somebody something, I email them. Or IM them. Or call them. (Or - see them? In person? Nah.) If I just impersonally want to talk about something - like how clueless and elderly I feel trying to understand this - I'll blog it. If it's a little thought, like these, maybe I'll put up an away message on IM.
I'm all for fun new geeky things. But what does this add? I can kind of get that it's cool that you can post from your phone. But if I'm feeling that out of touch I'll just IM on my Blackberry. And that's only happened once or twice.
Does anybody use these? Why? Am I being crotchety and dense and totally not with it?
I have to go shake my cane at those darn kids in my petunia patch again.
I get how it works: You sign up for an account to get teensy little IM-size spaces to post a little factoid or opinion or thought or whatever about yourself. And your friends subscribe to yours so they can see what you're up to and what you're thinking.
But I just don't get it. When I want to tell somebody something, I email them. Or IM them. Or call them. (Or - see them? In person? Nah.) If I just impersonally want to talk about something - like how clueless and elderly I feel trying to understand this - I'll blog it. If it's a little thought, like these, maybe I'll put up an away message on IM.
I'm all for fun new geeky things. But what does this add? I can kind of get that it's cool that you can post from your phone. But if I'm feeling that out of touch I'll just IM on my Blackberry. And that's only happened once or twice.
Does anybody use these? Why? Am I being crotchety and dense and totally not with it?
I have to go shake my cane at those darn kids in my petunia patch again.
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