Con Job
Even though the Small Press Expo this past weekend was canceled because of the recent tragedies, people still gathered for a grassroots gathering dubbed SPX-iles. To learn about what happened, check out Rich Watson's reportage and Charles Brownstein and Comicon.com's coverage.
Monday, September 17, 2001
Thursday, September 13, 2001
Wednesday, September 12, 2001
The Comfort of Community
I work for a magazine. But I'm really a community organizer. Yesterday and today, I've experienced a rush of emotions, from the tragedies of the bombings -- and from the way that readers of Fast Company and members of the Company of Friends have come together around the events. Yesterday I got calls from FC readers in Vancouver, Dallas, Rochester, and Paris to see if I, my family, and the FC staff was OK. CoF members from London emailed members in New York City and Washington, DC, to see how they can help. Local cells around the country started to organize blood drives. A CoF member in Los Angeles developed a Web service to help people track down their loved ones and colleagues.
I work for a magazine. But this isn't how magazines work.
I work for a magazine. But I'm really a community organizer. Yesterday and today, I've experienced a rush of emotions, from the tragedies of the bombings -- and from the way that readers of Fast Company and members of the Company of Friends have come together around the events. Yesterday I got calls from FC readers in Vancouver, Dallas, Rochester, and Paris to see if I, my family, and the FC staff was OK. CoF members from London emailed members in New York City and Washington, DC, to see how they can help. Local cells around the country started to organize blood drives. A CoF member in Los Angeles developed a Web service to help people track down their loved ones and colleagues.
I work for a magazine. But this isn't how magazines work.
Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Our Trauma Will Be Televised
I was going to write something about going to see Steve Martin speak at the screening of his new movie "Novocaine" last night at the Boston Film Festival, but it seems silly in the wake of what's been happening around the world today. To follow coverage of this atrocity, visit the media links at Jim Romenesko's Media News, The Drudge Report, and Aaron Barnhart's commentaries on TV coverage at TV Barn.
I was going to write something about going to see Steve Martin speak at the screening of his new movie "Novocaine" last night at the Boston Film Festival, but it seems silly in the wake of what's been happening around the world today. To follow coverage of this atrocity, visit the media links at Jim Romenesko's Media News, The Drudge Report, and Aaron Barnhart's commentaries on TV coverage at TV Barn.
Thursday, September 06, 2001
Scrapstock Gets Scrapped... Almost
Got an email from Rob Chalfen at the Zeitgeist Gallery today about a disappointing near-disaster. Folks have been planning a 12-night series of experimental music to be held in a scrapyard in Somerville: Scrapstock. And just last night Somerville -- who had signed on to the idea -- put its foot down and nixed it. Here's a rundown from Rob:
"The combined might of the Somerville Council of Alderman and the owner of the Empire Stone Company have tonight put the kibosh on the Scrapstock Festival happening in Union Square. Al & I attended a meeting of Alderman & Chief of Police at Licensing & Permits and they essentially read us the riot act: Despite not having authority to regulate events on private property, and despite all city departments already having signed off on the event, there was no fuckin' way they were going to let it go down; they'd enforce every city ordinance real or imagined if we defied them. They even had us 'withdraw' a petition we did not in fact even have before them, and which did not exist! Further, the Empire Stone guy got cold feet, we think the city got to him. In any event we are now in the unenviable postition of having to communicate to everyone that it's not happening in Union Square, find another place, then tell everyone about it. Oy vey! We are going to try to preserve as much as possible the times, dates and order of acts performing! Possible alternate locations are Carberry's Restaurant on Prospect in Cambridge, and the Cambridge Multicultural Center. It is quite possible that the first scheduled date, this Friday Sept 7th, will be a free concert in Sennott Park across from the Zeitgeist Gallery on Broadway & Norfolk. Wish us luck! we're gonna need it."
Got an email from Rob Chalfen at the Zeitgeist Gallery today about a disappointing near-disaster. Folks have been planning a 12-night series of experimental music to be held in a scrapyard in Somerville: Scrapstock. And just last night Somerville -- who had signed on to the idea -- put its foot down and nixed it. Here's a rundown from Rob:
"The combined might of the Somerville Council of Alderman and the owner of the Empire Stone Company have tonight put the kibosh on the Scrapstock Festival happening in Union Square. Al & I attended a meeting of Alderman & Chief of Police at Licensing & Permits and they essentially read us the riot act: Despite not having authority to regulate events on private property, and despite all city departments already having signed off on the event, there was no fuckin' way they were going to let it go down; they'd enforce every city ordinance real or imagined if we defied them. They even had us 'withdraw' a petition we did not in fact even have before them, and which did not exist! Further, the Empire Stone guy got cold feet, we think the city got to him. In any event we are now in the unenviable postition of having to communicate to everyone that it's not happening in Union Square, find another place, then tell everyone about it. Oy vey! We are going to try to preserve as much as possible the times, dates and order of acts performing! Possible alternate locations are Carberry's Restaurant on Prospect in Cambridge, and the Cambridge Multicultural Center. It is quite possible that the first scheduled date, this Friday Sept 7th, will be a free concert in Sennott Park across from the Zeitgeist Gallery on Broadway & Norfolk. Wish us luck! we're gonna need it."
Tuesday, September 04, 2001
Polling Teeth
Awhile ago, I polled the members of the Media Diet mailing list about how they discovered the blog. The results are split 50/50 between folks who used to belong to the old Mass. Media mailing list (RIP) and folks who came across Media Diet through Blogger or BlogSpot. 'Course, only two people responded to the poll -- and I was one of them. Skee! Now that's news you can use.
Awhile ago, I polled the members of the Media Diet mailing list about how they discovered the blog. The results are split 50/50 between folks who used to belong to the old Mass. Media mailing list (RIP) and folks who came across Media Diet through Blogger or BlogSpot. 'Course, only two people responded to the poll -- and I was one of them. Skee! Now that's news you can use.
Put the Party back in Politics
Scott Beale and the fine folks behind the Millennial Politics project are now organizing regional book discussion groups. Scott says: "This is a different kind of book club, because in addition to reading a book each month about youth politics, clubs will have first access to reading finished draft chapter of the Millennial Politics book and be able to offer comments. In addition, members of the club will get to network with other young political activists and even have online chats with the authors of the books that are read each month." There's even one in the Boston area, and it meets for the first time next week. I'll let you know how it goes!
Scott Beale and the fine folks behind the Millennial Politics project are now organizing regional book discussion groups. Scott says: "This is a different kind of book club, because in addition to reading a book each month about youth politics, clubs will have first access to reading finished draft chapter of the Millennial Politics book and be able to offer comments. In addition, members of the club will get to network with other young political activists and even have online chats with the authors of the books that are read each month." There's even one in the Boston area, and it meets for the first time next week. I'll let you know how it goes!
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