As has been recently reported, the old print media has taken a beating. The Detroit Free Press, Christian Science Monitor, and several others have seen their business model of generating ad revenue from various sources dwindle (in part due to the current financial crisis) and from competition from the new media, the internet. While they suffer, close down home delivery services, and try to salvage their business through patchwork and quickie makeovers, a new business is cropping up: the blog-to-your-street, internet-savvy The Printed Blog.
This 1st generation of on-line publication to the local masses come from the mind of Joshua Karp, founder and publisher. Recently profiled in Wired, Joshua Karp asks the logical question: “Why hasn’t anyone tried to take the best content and bring it offline?”
Within that idea and framework, The Printed Blog hopes to take blogger-wanna-be-journalist types and utilize their content in local publications in a quick read format (a typical paper will be 11x17-inch on three pages, six sides in full color.) Their hope is to gather unique articles from people with expertise in various fields, writing ability, and a friendly voice to the man on the street while crossing the avenue to the social networking arena of Flickr, Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook.
One can see potential in a twice daily print of content gathered from online "beat" reporters. But one can also see the downsides as people can utilize searches and pick and choose content they prefer. But that should not stop The Printed Blog as it tests the business waters with their 'reverse print media' model.
People in a 24-hour world are looking for new, innovative and solid companions while they travel to work, school or actually vacation somewhere else. The Printed Blog hopes to gain traction in New York, Chicago (where they will debut January 27, 2009) and San Francisco. One can foresee 50, 100, or 1,000 various editions across the globe, with the only constraints being financing and the personnel to make it happen.
This blogger/author hopes to see The Printed Blog become 'The New' New York Times. But as with anything in business, the market will determine whether it succeeds, or fails.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Haitus: One Month of vacation (I get no sleep) and Batman/Spiderman Obama
I will be on a long-term hiatus from blogging for one month.
Israel/Gaza war. Pakistan/India. Darfur. Iraq. Afghanistan. Russia's little nat gas game. And oh, China's passing up Japan as the 2nd largest world economy. And China isn't even a mature economy. Growing, wide disparities and no civil rights or social safety net. And yes, still communist. Boy, did we make some strange bed fellows during the Conservative Revolution (1978-2007.)
Please check out Anythingwritten, home to thing everything written in various mediums over the past 15 years. (While not quite everything, but it's a sample of stuff.)
2009 has started out rough but I guess it can only get better...Murphy please go catch the flu and don't come around here no more.
Barack Obama new plan calls for 3.5 million jobs to be added. Every month of 500,000+ jobs lost means Obama has to add $100 Billion or so to the price tag of the stimulus just to keep up with the deterioration of the US Economy. Talk about being a man behind an eight ball.
2009 has started out rough but I guess it can only get better...Murphy please go catch the flu and don't come around here no more.
Barack Obama new plan calls for 3.5 million jobs to be added. Every month of 500,000+ jobs lost means Obama has to add $100 Billion or so to the price tag of the stimulus just to keep up with the deterioration of the US Economy. Talk about being a man behind an eight ball.
Israel/Gaza war. Pakistan/India. Darfur. Iraq. Afghanistan. Russia's little nat gas game. And oh, China's passing up Japan as the 2nd largest world economy. And China isn't even a mature economy. Growing, wide disparities and no civil rights or social safety net. And yes, still communist. Boy, did we make some strange bed fellows during the Conservative Revolution (1978-2007.)
I also need one of those jobs. Can you save me, President Obama?
Meanwhile, back in Gotham, USA, Batman Obama, the world's smartest crime-fighting, economic-genius, foreign policy master President (we hope) has to fight The Joker, Two-Face, Dr. Freeze and The Penguin without Robin or Batgirl since they haven't been introduced into President Obama's cabinet yet. (Maybe in the next movie installment.)
Obama is also a fan of Spiderman. See him in a collectors' issue.
Well, I need some sleep. (Not really.) But only to close out this blog for a month, I'll send you out to Faithless' Insomnia. (Live)
We, Americans, need to have faith. Else it is going to be a very tough road ahead. Don't Sleep.
Friday, January 2, 2009
2009: Is it 2008 Redux?
Two days into a new year, and I think, isn't this just going to be another bad year?
It is of course the hopeful sort that would mockingly say, " Boy, you are quite the pessismist. You might want to get that checked out." But really, the flip of a calendar has never suddenly said, "This is the year!!!" (Ask the Chicago Cubs. They've been flipping calendars since Auld Lang Syne was only 120 years old. (Now it is 221 years old.)
So what is a depressed sort suppose to work on to become the cheery, everything is going to be better, lunatic fringe happy camper? What Resolutions made will make 2009 seem like a point in time where my life surely changed?
1. Get rid of people you don't need. I've been living with 2 people that for some reason have no financial sense. Beyond that, they have 23 cats, no phone, no cable, hot water is by stove and the cars need a fixin'. (3 broke vehicles sit outside my house.) They managed to pick up $2,300 in tips on their delivery route, yet haven't fixed any of these concerns. I made only $450 in tips(approximately) and had most of that go to a car that still ain't right. But my meager pay keeps the home equity paid and the lights on. So I am lost on what to do or say or pretend does not bother. SO--by April 1st, when gas is likely going to rise to around $3.00-$3.50 (no thanks to Israel, Russia, OPEC and George W. Bush), I am taking whatever bus I can to a warm place, Florida, Louisana or Arizona, to start over. It is more than their finances. Over the past 4 years, I have discovered what my role is to them and what I truly mean to them. Not much. Not much at all if you've read my prior blog posts.
2. Try to lose 'da attitude' with others. It's hard to overlook what you hate in yourself. That is what attitude is essentially. We project on to others what the hate about themselves. Often, I am not consciously looking to come across as overly sarcastic and witty. (At least by my failed reckoning.) But it is easy to see the worst in people for me. (See #1.) For the reason of being in a small town I never ever liked, around people that never ever accepted me from day one (and the chip that grew because of that) and the desire to escape this at all costs, I grew to be a person less likely to see the goodness in people. Because nothing, not friendship or an intimacy, ever evolved in my entire time in Northwest Indiana. There in lies my attitude problem: no real family or friends that are worth more than the gum on your shoe.
3. See opportunity and take it. Too often, I haven't made the best of the lifelines offered. (Not that they have been some fabulous place, or exotic journey missed, but I do regret the opportunities foregone to play it safe. Like working for GM (yeah, I know, they are heading for bankruptcy) about 11 years ago. What would have been? Would living in Michigan introduced me to the right woman or career contact that I would have alter the course of my life forever? (I decided against it to stay close to my mother - alas, a poor choice.)
Opportunities have to be seen and taken. Risk is the only way to reward. I have nothing to lose. I lost freedom, integrity, a career and rarely see a day that I don't regret for doing little to proceed. (Even blogging has become a chore. It's so 2000-2001-2002-2003-2004-2005.)
I put off editing and finishing correctly a baseball book because I feel it would be rejected. And that the time, money (needed to send it off in a proper format) and energy (that goes into a 700-900 page project) will not produce any significant result. (Like generate an income or establish a new identity.) So, I get lazy instead. And use the other reasons as an excuse to quit working.
Self-doubt will always kill opportunity. In my life, people have doubted me enough that I also just used their doubts as my doubts too. It's a cycle, like every year is.
4. Make a plan and stick to it. The hardest plan to follow is the one without wiggle room. But the plan should be focused on process, not results. Work out, but don't expect weight losss. Stop drinking soda, or eating cake, or other fattening stuff, but don't get worried about the pounds. Eat better, but don't look for the results to be evident in 2-3 months. It's a process.
Not focusing on results seems to contradict the prior stance on seeking opportunity. But if the journey is suppose to be fun, why are we so worried about the destination? Why are we into the constant struggle for self-improvement yet making it into so terribly like a job? Because we feel the need for penance? We owe ourselves a good life, but not at the expense of trying to please some sadistic need to flog ourselves for not being a size 2 or unable to run 5 miles or speak fluent Chinese (a task I have yet to take up) or going to Church every Sunday.
The plan should be fairly open, but with tenants to follow as close as possible. Working on one particular thing at a time is likely the best. Benjamin Franklin, probably the smartest man of his century (not without flaws though) had these grand ideas on self-improvement (from mysimplerlife.com):
1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Humility was the one thing Franklin often said he lacked. (Who can blame a man that was so involved in numerous adventures, projects and essential outcomes in the 18th century as to be known the world over for things like a stove, or library lending or electricity.)
His results though came over a period of two years. Two years. A man as creative and talented as he took two years and still was not happy with everything. Imagine how long we need to take to become half as involved.
To avoid another 2008, 2007 or a past year of wasted opportunity, it would be best to actually accomplish one thing in this new year. Or at least focus on a process to fixing one part of my life.
Here's to you doing that for all the times you did not.
It is of course the hopeful sort that would mockingly say, " Boy, you are quite the pessismist. You might want to get that checked out." But really, the flip of a calendar has never suddenly said, "This is the year!!!" (Ask the Chicago Cubs. They've been flipping calendars since Auld Lang Syne was only 120 years old. (Now it is 221 years old.)
So what is a depressed sort suppose to work on to become the cheery, everything is going to be better, lunatic fringe happy camper? What Resolutions made will make 2009 seem like a point in time where my life surely changed?
1. Get rid of people you don't need. I've been living with 2 people that for some reason have no financial sense. Beyond that, they have 23 cats, no phone, no cable, hot water is by stove and the cars need a fixin'. (3 broke vehicles sit outside my house.) They managed to pick up $2,300 in tips on their delivery route, yet haven't fixed any of these concerns. I made only $450 in tips(approximately) and had most of that go to a car that still ain't right. But my meager pay keeps the home equity paid and the lights on. So I am lost on what to do or say or pretend does not bother. SO--by April 1st, when gas is likely going to rise to around $3.00-$3.50 (no thanks to Israel, Russia, OPEC and George W. Bush), I am taking whatever bus I can to a warm place, Florida, Louisana or Arizona, to start over. It is more than their finances. Over the past 4 years, I have discovered what my role is to them and what I truly mean to them. Not much. Not much at all if you've read my prior blog posts.
2. Try to lose 'da attitude' with others. It's hard to overlook what you hate in yourself. That is what attitude is essentially. We project on to others what the hate about themselves. Often, I am not consciously looking to come across as overly sarcastic and witty. (At least by my failed reckoning.) But it is easy to see the worst in people for me. (See #1.) For the reason of being in a small town I never ever liked, around people that never ever accepted me from day one (and the chip that grew because of that) and the desire to escape this at all costs, I grew to be a person less likely to see the goodness in people. Because nothing, not friendship or an intimacy, ever evolved in my entire time in Northwest Indiana. There in lies my attitude problem: no real family or friends that are worth more than the gum on your shoe.
3. See opportunity and take it. Too often, I haven't made the best of the lifelines offered. (Not that they have been some fabulous place, or exotic journey missed, but I do regret the opportunities foregone to play it safe. Like working for GM (yeah, I know, they are heading for bankruptcy) about 11 years ago. What would have been? Would living in Michigan introduced me to the right woman or career contact that I would have alter the course of my life forever? (I decided against it to stay close to my mother - alas, a poor choice.)
Opportunities have to be seen and taken. Risk is the only way to reward. I have nothing to lose. I lost freedom, integrity, a career and rarely see a day that I don't regret for doing little to proceed. (Even blogging has become a chore. It's so 2000-2001-2002-2003-2004-2005.)
I put off editing and finishing correctly a baseball book because I feel it would be rejected. And that the time, money (needed to send it off in a proper format) and energy (that goes into a 700-900 page project) will not produce any significant result. (Like generate an income or establish a new identity.) So, I get lazy instead. And use the other reasons as an excuse to quit working.
Self-doubt will always kill opportunity. In my life, people have doubted me enough that I also just used their doubts as my doubts too. It's a cycle, like every year is.
4. Make a plan and stick to it. The hardest plan to follow is the one without wiggle room. But the plan should be focused on process, not results. Work out, but don't expect weight losss. Stop drinking soda, or eating cake, or other fattening stuff, but don't get worried about the pounds. Eat better, but don't look for the results to be evident in 2-3 months. It's a process.
Not focusing on results seems to contradict the prior stance on seeking opportunity. But if the journey is suppose to be fun, why are we so worried about the destination? Why are we into the constant struggle for self-improvement yet making it into so terribly like a job? Because we feel the need for penance? We owe ourselves a good life, but not at the expense of trying to please some sadistic need to flog ourselves for not being a size 2 or unable to run 5 miles or speak fluent Chinese (a task I have yet to take up) or going to Church every Sunday.
The plan should be fairly open, but with tenants to follow as close as possible. Working on one particular thing at a time is likely the best. Benjamin Franklin, probably the smartest man of his century (not without flaws though) had these grand ideas on self-improvement (from mysimplerlife.com):
1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Humility was the one thing Franklin often said he lacked. (Who can blame a man that was so involved in numerous adventures, projects and essential outcomes in the 18th century as to be known the world over for things like a stove, or library lending or electricity.)
His results though came over a period of two years. Two years. A man as creative and talented as he took two years and still was not happy with everything. Imagine how long we need to take to become half as involved.
To avoid another 2008, 2007 or a past year of wasted opportunity, it would be best to actually accomplish one thing in this new year. Or at least focus on a process to fixing one part of my life.
Here's to you doing that for all the times you did not.
Friday, December 12, 2008
S.O.S. America : Big Three may get help from Bush Administration, Ponzi revisited
Seems Bush doesn't want to go down as 'Hoover Lite' or 'Hoover Premium Gold.' (However, this weekend, Bush had to duck and cover two incoming size 10s. It's good to be beloved....er, well, not so much.)The Big Three American automakers (Ford, Chrysler and GM) now have a shot at the $700 Billion promised to Wall Street without strings attached after their $14 Billion bailout plan designed for them was nixed in large part due to Republican Southern Senators - Dick Shelby -Alabama, Bob Corker - Tennessee, Lindsay Graham - South Carolina - taking issue with the UAW's inability for further concessions, specifically, reducing their pay to the levels of foreign car manufacturers not hampered by legacy costs. (And ignoring congressional ineptitude in getting these jokers to make desirable fuel effective vehicles.)
But it seems Wall Street's take on stirrings in the White House about utilizing a 'bridge loan' is more positive (and likely) everyday as the Dow closed up Friday even amidst the revelation of a $50 Billion Ponzi scheme. That's right, $50 Billion.Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, LLC took money from the affluent and older investor class and gave to whomever wasn't them (like himself.) Somehow he was able to lose $50 Billion in investor money in a supposely legit stock trading. As former chairman of NASDAQ stock market, Madoff's reputation was spotless, but he'll go down as a close kissing relative of Charles K. Ponzi, who prior to the Great Depression used a pyramid scheme of receiving cash to pay other investors back double in 90 days. As long as more people contributed to pay the oldest investors in the scheme, the growing debts could be outran (for a while), though Ponzi was skimming money without much regard throughout.
From Rueters:
Madoff told senior employees of his firm on Wednesday that "it's all just one
big lie" and that it was "basically, a giant Ponzi scheme," with estimated
investor losses of about $50 billion, according to the U.S. Attorney's criminal
complaint against him.
Wow. It is good to be so flippant. Hope he likes prison. It sucks there.
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Last Lecture: A Lifetime Philosophy, VR Future
I just watched last night on public television 'The Last Lecture' by Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch (1940-2008). It was a bit different than I expected. It gave me good enough reason to think to write this post.
Besides giving a stirring overview of what it is to achieve your dreams, I think it was as apt that I finally sat in on a lecture that actually was given by a caring professor. The lessons we were suppose to learn, and the realness of the man, came through in that a presentation. Probably why it got so much attention in a time where attention is misplaced.
Given his passing, and the work in virtual reality he did, along with many, many others he discussed humbly, the world did indeed become a less tolerable place. Now, I can here some say, "did his lecture mean that much (to you)?"
It meant that my usual scattered brain attention of watching a TV show, football game and other secondary tasks were put on hiatus on a Sunday night. That he intrigued me - even knowing I had heard of this story last year, as he sat down with Diane Sawyer, et. al. and discussed what he was doing leading up to his departure from this pebble called Earth. His work in Virtual Reality, while impressive, was not the reason for the interest. His path to a career in that field, his own learning and teaching methods, while important, were very tangential to the conversation he had with Carnegie Mellon staff, friends, colleagues and guests.
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
In the grander scheme, his life lives on through his connections and work done on Alice - a teaching aid in the VR world. From Alice:
What I think would be different and unique would to insert Randy's Last Lecture & Life Outlook into a VR program that teaches at a higher level. I think many students would gain a better relationship to their professors if somehow the experiences, teachings, lessons and philosophies of Pausch's years were embedded into a VR program. It is possible...Randy would tell you that.
Besides giving a stirring overview of what it is to achieve your dreams, I think it was as apt that I finally sat in on a lecture that actually was given by a caring professor. The lessons we were suppose to learn, and the realness of the man, came through in that a presentation. Probably why it got so much attention in a time where attention is misplaced.
Given his passing, and the work in virtual reality he did, along with many, many others he discussed humbly, the world did indeed become a less tolerable place. Now, I can here some say, "did his lecture mean that much (to you)?"
It meant that my usual scattered brain attention of watching a TV show, football game and other secondary tasks were put on hiatus on a Sunday night. That he intrigued me - even knowing I had heard of this story last year, as he sat down with Diane Sawyer, et. al. and discussed what he was doing leading up to his departure from this pebble called Earth. His work in Virtual Reality, while impressive, was not the reason for the interest. His path to a career in that field, his own learning and teaching methods, while important, were very tangential to the conversation he had with Carnegie Mellon staff, friends, colleagues and guests.
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
In the grander scheme, his life lives on through his connections and work done on Alice - a teaching aid in the VR world. From Alice:
"Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create
an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to
share on the web. Alice is a freely available teaching tool designed to be a
student's first exposure to object-oriented programming. It allows students to
learn fundamental programming concepts in the context of creating animated
movies and simple video games. In Alice, 3-D objects (e.g., people, animals, and
vehicles) populate a virtual world and students create a program to animate the
objects."
What I think would be different and unique would to insert Randy's Last Lecture & Life Outlook into a VR program that teaches at a higher level. I think many students would gain a better relationship to their professors if somehow the experiences, teachings, lessons and philosophies of Pausch's years were embedded into a VR program. It is possible...Randy would tell you that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)