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Friday, August 22, 2003
Blogging About Blogging LXVIII Halley Suitt, the mighty mind behind Halley's Comment, wrote a fictional case study about blogging in a corporate setting that will be published in the forthcoming issue of Harvard Business Review. I can't wait to read it, but I'm curious about three things. One, is HBR now in the business of publishing fiction? Two, is the fictional case study approach a sign of poor reportage? Or three, is the fictional case study a sign that business-related blogs are still the exception, not the rule? It's clear that No. 3 is a possibility, but really, there is no shortage of business people -- or people working for companies -- doing blogs. Curious how much of the fictional case study draws on real-world examples. Because a case study like this doesn't need to be made up out of whole cloth. Thanks to Scripting News. Rock Shows of Nope Showing a rare bit of restraint last night, I left the house after 10 to consider going to a show -- only to turn around and walk right back home again. I went by TT the Bear's and the Middle East before debating whether to check out the show at the Middle East Down. The Damn Personals, Cracktorch, and the Gentlemen were playing, and a friend was going to be there. But standing in back of TT's near the rear load-in door that accesses the automated ramp down into the Middle East Down, I decided I couldn't cope with the noise and the smoke and the people so I walked home and settled in to read about turnpikes. This morning, my friend emailed me saying, "It was really REALLY loud. Not so much fun. Kind of like a big drunken frat party with a cover charge." Glad I didn't go! Perhaps we can expect more Rock Shows of Nope posts in the future. Mix Tapeology III Don't forget that I am almost always open to mix tape and CD-R trades. I recently received two mix CD's worth mentioning. Sean Kennedy recently mailed me two CD-R's chock full of wonderful MP3's. One contains the aforementioned Trojan Dub Box Set. And the other comprises songs from no fewer than 16 Richmond, Virginia-area bands. Well, Denali's more DC-based, aren't they? Seems not. Denali member Keeley Davis is also in Engine Down. Regardless, a nice counterpart to the Richmond mix I made while visiting last fall. Thanks, Sean! Humor Me IX The Boston Globe details how Harvard Lampoon staff members drink beer, eat pizza, smoke cigars, play cards, and publish a college humor magazine -- all in the name of pursuing a career in writing comedy. Thursday, August 21, 2003
Rock Shows of Note LXXIV Last night, antsy after 10, I went for a walk around the block to see what shows were going on. For some reason, the Boston Phoenix's Web calendar doesn't let you see what shows are Wednesday night on Wednesday because the schedule starts on Thursday and the new edition comes out that evening. Makes no sense to me. The Web shouldn't follow the print schedule in lock step. Anyway, the Middle East didn't have any fliers posted outside, so I walked around the block back to TT the Bear's, where I'd seen that the Lot Six was playing. I got there in time to see quite a bit of the set performed by the Beatings, which I enjoyed immensely. The dual guitars work well, and the songs in which the female bassist sang added a nice touch. Aggressive, catchy, power pop with a punk tendency. The Lot Six disappointed me a little, however. On record, they come off as a kind of post-Fugazi, post-emo hardcore act, but on stage, they were pretty basic. Still well worth listening to, but not acerbic or edgy in the Les Savy Fav sense that I recall from the recordings. They've got one more Wednesday night in their residency, and Mittens joins them next week. Check it out. But the real show of note took place last Friday at the Milky Way in Jamaica Plain. Travers did his hyperkinetic dance-pop video art performance piece again, focusing mostly on Primary Color Man, Accidentally Prepared Homosexual, and DJ Nitetrain, who joined him to mime turntablism. If you're fond of Tracy and the Plastics' brand of video-driven performance art rock, you'll get more than a giggle out of Travers. The video segments are priceless, and the whole show is extremely well done. The highlight, of course, was the debut of Scrapple's new lo-fi sci-fi techno-popera Tromo. The gang got hella press, being featured in the Globe, the Phoenix, and the Weekly Dig, and they did not disappoint. The popera itself was wonderful. In a dystopian future, heterosexuality is outlawed, and people are bred artificially. A special police force makes sure that heterosexuals -- tromosexuals -- don't rise up, and people are regularly sent to reeducation camps. In the midst of this, two police officers -- one male, one female -- fall in love and strive to beat the system. Even though my friend Chris' performance was a little stilted -- he's expressed interest in not having speaking roles in Scrapple performances any more, instead just playing the bass -- the show went off without a hitch. Jef's security guard role rocked, and everyone did really, really well. Then, because one writeup had mentioned several songs and props not included in -- or used -- the popera, Scrapple did an encore featuring "Light Up Alien Pussy" and "Trash Ass" so people wouldn't go home disappointed. The crowd ate both up, and it was clear that those mentions inspired some people to come. Scrapple will stage Tromo again in November. It is not to be missed. Products I Love X Back in July, I bought a pedometer. It's a little, simple one, totally analog with no special features. And even though I look a little geeky if my shirt's tucked in, I've been wearing it every day this week to see how far I walk. Sunday, I walked almost four miles along the Charles River, but during the week, I range between 1.6 and 2.2 miles. That's not a lot. In fact, to get to work only takes just shy of .4 miles. Sure, I take the T, but this interests me -- and makes me think that time and distance are eminently relative. Mapquest indicates that it's a 2.73-mile drive from my apartment to the Scotch & Sirloin building. Where did the other 2.33 miles go? Does time on the train erase space? Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Blogging About Blogging LXVII For the first time since Media Diet launched more than two years ago, I deleted an entry at the request of the subject of the post. Turns out that my friend who's launching a new Web magazine is in the earliest of early days of the project and -- despite letting people know about the project -- didn't really want to let people know about the project. While I'm more than happy to respect the wishes of a friend, our email exchange got me thinking. If you're doing something on the Web that you don't want the Web to know about, don't do it on the Web. If you're working on something that you don't want to spread word about, don't spread word about it. And, as the disclaimer to the left says, "Portions of our correspondence might make its way back here. If this makes you feel uncomfortable, be sure to let me know." Clearly, I post with discretion if I think something is sensitive or overly personal. So don't be overly concerned that anything and everything you say to me will be blogged. I'm not that kind of blogger. If I'm not sure whether something is public, I'll check in to ask. But if you're working on a project you don't want to promote, please don't promote it. Because the whole point of Media Diet is to turn people on to innovative independent media projects -- and to offer tools and resources for DIY media makers. Pieces, Particles XVI The following media-related stories spotted today in print publications might be worth a look. Heads and decks, only. Heads and decks. As Talks Resume, Verizon Argues with a Union over an Ad Phrase by Matt Richtel, New York Times, Aug. 20, 2003 FBI Accused of Corrupting Surveillance by Benjamin Weiser, New York Times, Aug. 20, 2003 Techniques questioned in terrorism prosecution Gunning for Search Engines by Byron Acohido, USA Today, Aug. 20, 2003 Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are in a race to dominate Ready, Set, Compute by Robert Weisman, Boston Globe, Aug. 20, 2003 Pentagon driving a renewed race for faster machines Schwarzenegger Buys First Ads: $1M to Start by Martin Kasindorf, USA Today, Aug. 20, 2003 Survey: Cable Costs More, Offers Less Satisfaction Than Satellite Service by Michael McCarthy, USA Today, Aug. 20, 2003 But J.D. Power study gives both industries reasons to brag This Could Be Hobbit Forming by Hiawatha Bray, Boston Globe, Aug. 20, 2003 A Westwood company is re-creating Middle-earth for a world of online players With a PC and the Right Software, You, Too, Can Be a Music Producer by Sean Piccoli, Boston Globe, Aug. 20, 2003 Monday, August 18, 2003
Pieces, Particles XV The following media-related stories spotted today in print publications might be worth a look. Heads and decks, only. Heads and decks. "Edgy" Language Invading the Comics by Christine Chinlund, Boston Globe, Aug. 18, 2003 To the under-20 crowd, the s-word is just slang. Lowly Home Movies Get a Day as High Art by Lawrence Levi, New York Times, Aug. 18, 2003 Intimate moments, now for all to deconstruct on the big screen. Silly Convergences of Strangers by Janet Kornblum, USA Today, Aug. 18, 2003 Secret e-mails send "flash mobs" into action The Smoking Gun Joins High-Caliber Media by Cesar G. Soriano, USA Today, Aug. 18, 2003 Dirt-digging Web site hits TV, radio, books, mags |
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